A broad coalition of civil liberties and activist organizations is calling on lawmakers across the U.S. to oppose bans on wearing masks in public before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. Dozens of mask bans, which are typically presented as “anti-crime” bills, have been proposed at the local, state and federal level s in what critics say is a direct response to protests against the mass killing and displacement of Palestinians by Israel. Police in some states are reviving once-defunct mask bans dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries, when masked members of the Ku Klux Klan violently terrorized Black people and immigrants. During the height of the COVID pandemic, politicians put out statements to ensure the public that archaic anti-mask laws still on the books in 16 states would not be enforced. Now, members of both parties are reversing course after months of mass protests in solidarity with Palestine that pro-Israel pundits conflate with violence and mischaracterize as antisemitism, despite the fact that pro-peace Jewish groups are integral to the movement. For example, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently expressed support for proposals to criminalize mask-wearing in public for reasons besides health protection. Similar proposals to restrict or ban masks have received bipartisan support in North Carolina , Los Angeles , St. Louis , Louisville , and beyond. “It’s no surprise that fascists and science-deniers want to ban masks from protests. But it’s alarming that supposedly progressive lawmakers are helping them do it,” said Evan Greer, director of the digital rights group Fight for the Future, in a statement . Greer said bans on masking in public have massive implications for social movements and personal autonomy. Masking is now the norm at many political protests — as well as at abortion and reproductive health clinics — to protect against both COVID and doxxing by far right extremists who seek to attack the privacy of people they disagree with and harass them online. “There are many reasons to cover your face at a protest or in public, from defending yourself from harassment and doxxing to protecting your community from COVID during an ongoing public health crisis,” Greer said. For people living with disabilities or compromised immune systems, masking to prevent illness is necessary for participating in public forums in the first place. Face masks also defend against rapidly advancing digital surveillance and facial recognition technology, which is providing both law enforcement and internet trolls with new tools to target individuals as Trump pledges to take “retribution” against Democrats and leftists. While new and proposed masking laws typically contain exceptions for masks worn for religious or health reasons, it’s virtually impossible for police to tell the difference at a large event without confronting people directly. Everyone has a health reason to mask in public with COVID still floating around, and that ambiguity creates space for “discretionary and selective enforcement,” according to the American Civil Liberties Union. A newly instated mask ban on Long Island, New York, has already been weaponized against a peaceful demonstrator wearing a keffiyeh, the iconic scarf symbolizing solidarity with Palestine. A video shows activist Xavier Roa being handcuffed with a keffiyeh around his neck during a protest in September outside a synagogue that was reportedly promoting the sale of stolen Palestinian land to buyers in the United States. Roa faced up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine under a law approved by Nassau County Republicans one month earlier in response to anti-genocide protests. The law has exceptions for masking in public for health or religious purposes, but police said Roa was concealing his identity and claimed to be wearing the keffiyeh in solidarity with Palestine, so they arrested him. Mayor Adams has pushed for a similar ban in New York City. In an early test of their ability to enforce anti-mask laws against protesters, prosecutors dropped the charges against Roa on November 22 after determining that they did not have enough evidence to convince a jury. The Nassau County mask ban also faces lawsuits filed by disabled residents who wear masks for health protection. However, even if violations of anti-mask laws may be difficult to prove in court, civil rights groups argue the laws provide police with enormous power to harass and arrest protesters as well as people who are disabled, immunocompromised, or suffering from Long COVID. “Like other anti-protest laws, these draconian measures will be selectively enforced, and used as an excuse by law enforcement to crack down on marginalized communities and protesters who they don’t like,” Greer said. In an open letter to policymakers, more than 40 organizations fighting for COVID justice, reproductive rights, organized labor and civil liberties, argues that criminalizing masking is a “serious threat” to public health, privacy and free speech, making “everyone less safe” while putting marginalized and disabled people already targeted by police at further risk. “As we continue to see sustained death and disablement due to COVID and Long COVID, the public health and disability justice implications of criminalizing mask-wearing are disastrous alone,” the letter states. “But to make matters worse, these bans violate our most fundamental civil liberties.” The letter points to North Carolina, where people who wear masks for health reasons reported an escalation in harassment as Republicans overrode the Democratic governor’s veto and put a harsh mask ban into effect . In June, a woman being treated for cancer was accosted and coughed on for wearing a mask. The North Carolina law allows police and property or business owners to demand that people unmask to be identified, which the groups argue could expose people not just to insults but also facial recognition software and “bad actors and their cameras.” Due to right-wing attacks on abortion rights and gender-affirming care, people may also choose to wear masks to avoid harassment and doxing when accessing reproductive health care, according to Jenna Sherman, a campaign director at the gender justice group UltraViolet. “Particularly in an era of increased surveillance and facial recognition, people are living in fear of being targeted for what should be routine, protected parts of our lives, like accessing reproductive healthcare,” Sherman recently wrote. “Everyone must have the right to choose to wear a mask regardless of whether it’s to protect their health or safeguard their privacy.” Sean O’Brien, founder of the Yale Privacy Lab, said masks provide people with “vital protection” not only from harassment but the “pervasive and growing tendrils of surveillance in our society.” “Mask bans create a chilling effect on speech and allow for biased and predictive policing, making it possible for facial recognition technology to follow individuals from protests and rallies all the way to their homes,” O’Brien wrote in a statement.
The Schall Law Firm , a national shareholder rights litigation firm, reminds investors of a class action lawsuit against ASP Isotopes Inc. ("ASP Isotopes" or "the Company") ASPI for violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors who purchased the Company's securities between October 30, 2024 and November 26, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the firm before February 3, 2025. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate . We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@schallfirm.com . The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. ASP Isotopes overstated to investors the effectiveness of its enrichment technology. The Company falsely touted the potential of its high assay low-enriched uranium facility. The Company inflated the results of its nuclear fuels operating segment. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about ASP Isotopes, investors suffered damages. Join the case to recover your losses. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205121419/en/ © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
AMGEN TO PRESENT AT CITI'S 2024 GLOBAL HEALTHCARE CONFERENCENFL Analyst Gauges Shedeur Sanders As “The Star” Of the 2025 NFL Draft In the Wake Of Travis Hunter’s Heisman RunBy Adeyemi Adeleye The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State says council election will hold in all the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in 2025. The APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi ,made this clarification in a statement on Sunday in Lagos, following speculations about the status of the 37 LCDAs in the state. “In recent times, the leadership of APC in Lagos State has been inundated by the media, party members and other stakeholders on information about the conduct of the forthcoming Local Government elections.,most specially if elections will hold in the 37 Local Council Development Areas – LCDAs. “It has become expedient to clear the air on the needless and distractive speculation. “We wish to inform all and sundry that the Local Government elections will hold across the state in the 20 Local Government Councils and the 37 Local Council Development Areas in the year 2025,” Ojelabi said. According to him, since their creation, the LCDAs have not only been the closest to the grassroots ,but also brought the desired developments across the state. He said that the party had observed with keen interest the rdebates on the desirability of the existence of the LCDAs and the need to hold elections in their political offices. Ojelabi added: “Our position as a progressive party is that we cannot discountenance the contributions of the LCDAs to the overall political and socio-economic development of the state. “Our landscape is dotted by several infrastructural projects by the LCDAs which include road, drainage and market construction , school and housing projects, primary education and health facilities and various social service interventions among others. “The various collaborative efforts with the state government on refuse disposal, drain clearing and security are also pointers to their continuous relevance. “We hope this release will put paid to further speculations as regards the local government elections in order not to unnecessarily heat up the polity.” He urged party members and all residents to continue to coexist peacefully “as we all strive to maintain the leading position of our state in the federation.” The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the move by the House of Assembly to create Area Administrative Councils in replacement of Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) through the proposed Local Government Administration Bill has been opposed by political stakeholders. The bill is titled: A Bill for a Law to provide for Local Government’s System, Establishment And Administration And to Consolidate All Laws On Local Government Administration And Connected Purposes is still being considered on the floor of the House. The Assembly ,during a recent public hearing, said the bill was being considered to replace the current 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state (LCDAs) with Area Administrative Councils According to the House, the bill to restructure local government administration in the state followed the Supreme Court judgment on financial autonomy for local governments. (NAN)
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun has disclosed that the country’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy and adopt market-based pricing for foreign exchange has saved the nation an estimated $20 billion. Edun revealed this at an event in Abuja marking the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. He said the subsidies used to cost five per cent of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP), noting that things jave now changed. “Between them, they were costing five per cent of GDP,” Edun explained. He emphasised the significance of these savings, breaking down their potential impact. “If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion, we all know what five per cent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.” Edun also said that these funds, which had previously been drained through subsidies, are now being redirected into the government’s coffers for critical developmental sectors. On the transformative nature of these economic reforms, Edun added: “The real change that has happened with the measures of Mr President is that nobody can wake up and their target for the day or for the week or the month or the year is to get access to cheap funding, cheap funding exchange from the central bank, which they can now flip. And overnight, they become wealthy from no value added for doing virtually nothing, except you know the right people.” The minister also said that inefficiencies in the petrol subsidy system, which previously allowed individuals to profit significantly with minimal contribution to the economy. “Similarly, they can no longer try and be part of a new peak market and very inefficient petrol subsidy regime as a way of making money overnight,” Edun added. ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Nigeria’s inflation made worse by import dependency, large informal economy — Edun Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more. Join our WhatsApp Channel now
By Adeyemi Adeleye The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State says council election will hold in all the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in 2025. The APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi ,made this clarification in a statement on Sunday in Lagos, following speculations about the status of the 37 LCDAs in the state. “In recent times, the leadership of APC in Lagos State has been inundated by the media, party members and other stakeholders on information about the conduct of the forthcoming Local Government elections.,most specially if elections will hold in the 37 Local Council Development Areas – LCDAs. “It has become expedient to clear the air on the needless and distractive speculation. “We wish to inform all and sundry that the Local Government elections will hold across the state in the 20 Local Government Councils and the 37 Local Council Development Areas in the year 2025,” Ojelabi said. According to him, since their creation, the LCDAs have not only been the closest to the grassroots ,but also brought the desired developments across the state. He said that the party had observed with keen interest the rdebates on the desirability of the existence of the LCDAs and the need to hold elections in their political offices. Ojelabi added: “Our position as a progressive party is that we cannot discountenance the contributions of the LCDAs to the overall political and socio-economic development of the state. “Our landscape is dotted by several infrastructural projects by the LCDAs which include road, drainage and market construction , school and housing projects, primary education and health facilities and various social service interventions among others. “The various collaborative efforts with the state government on refuse disposal, drain clearing and security are also pointers to their continuous relevance. “We hope this release will put paid to further speculations as regards the local government elections in order not to unnecessarily heat up the polity.” He urged party members and all residents to continue to coexist peacefully “as we all strive to maintain the leading position of our state in the federation.” The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the move by the House of Assembly to create Area Administrative Councils in replacement of Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) through the proposed Local Government Administration Bill has been opposed by political stakeholders. The bill is titled: A Bill for a Law to provide for Local Government’s System, Establishment And Administration And to Consolidate All Laws On Local Government Administration And Connected Purposes is still being considered on the floor of the House. The Assembly ,during a recent public hearing, said the bill was being considered to replace the current 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state (LCDAs) with Area Administrative Councils According to the House, the bill to restructure local government administration in the state followed the Supreme Court judgment on financial autonomy for local governments. (NAN)
Mumbai: Aaditya Thackeray's shows door to Siddique's son Zeeshan Siddique in Bandra East
None
