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საფრანგეთის, დიდი ბრიტანეთისა და გერმანიის ლიდერებმა 9 იანვარს დაგმეს ირანში საპროტესტო აქციების მონაწილეთა ხოცვა და ირანის ხელისუფლებას მოუწოდეს თავი შეიკავოს ძალადობისგან - ვკითხულობთ ერთობლივ განცხადებაში, რომელიც გაავრცელა საფრანგეთის პრეზიდენტის, ემანუელ მაკრონის ოფისმა. "ირანის ხელისუფლებას ეკისრება თავისი მოსახლეობის დაცვის პასუხისმგებლობა და მან უნდა დაუშვას გამოხატვის და მშვიდობიანი შეკრების თავისუფლებები, შურისძიების შიშის გარეშე" - წერია განცხადებაში. უფრო ადრე, ევროკავშირის...

A Maine superior court judge blocked the expansion of Maine’s largest landfill on Friday, siding with the Penobscot Nation and Boston-based environmental group Conservation Law Foundation. Penobscot County Superior Court Judge Bruce Mallonee ruled against the Department of Environmental Protection, saying the department had not done adequate fact finding to determine that expanding Juniper Ridge […]

In my previous article The true playground bullies in today’s schools, I described a culture inside public sector unions that punishes dissent, tolerates intimidation, and relies on fear rather than service to maintain compliance. Some readers asked a fair question. If this behavior is so widespread, why does it persist? Why are workers so often trapped with no meaningful recourse? The answer is not just cultural. It is legal. The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld a system known as exclusive representation. Under this framework, a single union is granted monopoly power to represent every worker in a bargaining unit, including those who want nothing to do with the union at all. The Court justifies this system by invoking labor peace. In legal terms, that means avoiding inter union rivalry, conflicting demands on employers, and administrative complexity. On paper, it sounds reasonable. In practice, it creates a pressure cooker where abuse is tolerated, dissent is chilled, and individuals are left exposed. The Court does not deny that exclusive representation burdens individuals. It openly acknowledges that nonmembers are forced to accept representation by an organization they may oppose. It simply concludes that this burden is constitutionally permissible because it serves a broader governmental interest. To balance that burden, the Court points to safeguards like the union’s duty of fair representation. That duty supposedly prevents arbitrary, discriminatory, or bad faith conduct. Supposedly is doing a lot of work there. Anyone who has tried to bring a duty of fair representation claim knows the reality. The evidentiary bar is sky high. Delays are routine. Remedies are limited. Most workers give up long before seeing justice, if they ever do. Meanwhile, the harm continues. When a worker is harassed or retaliated against by their own union, the employer almost always responds the same way. Take it up with your union. Human Resources steps aside. Management claims it lacks authority. The worker is sent back to the very entity causing the harm. This is not abstract. It is happening right now. The Freedom Foundation is currently representing Jewish educators who allege retaliation, intimidation, and religious discrimination by their own unions. In multiple cases, teachers have described being targeted for objecting to antisemitic rhetoric, union sponsored political activity, or classroom content that conflicted with their faith. When they raised concerns, they were not protected. They were isolated. In some cases, they were warned to stay quiet. In Los Angeles, this pattern escalated to the point where litigation became unavoidable. When a union uses its monopoly power to silence dissent and marginalize religious minorities, the promise of fair representation collapses entirely. These teachers did exactly what the system tells them to do. They spoke up. And the system turned on them. This is the legal blind spot exclusive representation creates. The union controls representation. The employer defers responsibility. The courts bless the structure. The individual is stuck. The Supreme Court has never explicitly said that harming individuals is the price of labor peace. What it has done is more subtle and more troubling. It has knowingly tolerated foreseeable harm in the name of administrative order. When courts repeatedly uphold a system despite clear evidence that it traps dissenters, enables retaliation, and leaves victims without meaningful alternatives, the distinction between tolerated harm and endorsed harm becomes academic. The result is the culture I described previously. Militant activists dominate because the system rewards intimidation. Leaders look the other way because fear keeps dues flowing. Good teachers stay silent because speaking out carries professional and social risk. This dynamic is further reinforced by the fact that unions lobby aggressively to exempt themselves from consumer protection laws. In most industries, deceptive practices and coercive behavior trigger serious consequences. In the union world, those protections often do not apply. That exemption is not an oversight. It is a shield. Taken together, the message to workers is unmistakable. You may not like your representative. You may be mistreated by them. But the law has decided that efficiency and order matter more than your autonomy. No person who chooses to be a public servant should ever be required to surrender their voice to a private corporation as a condition of employment. Public employees may no longer be forced to pay union dues, but they are still required by law to give up their voice to a private organization that claims the exclusive right to speak on their behalf. That organization can misrepresent their values, advance political views they reject, and mistreat them, all without providing any realistic avenue for recourse. Why do we tolerate this in public service? Why would we ever allow public agencies, public servants, government workers, people who choose to serve the public, to be placed at the whim of a private political organization? That is exactly what we have done. Public sector unions are not neutral institutions. They are among the most aggressively politicized organizations in the country. Their political spending is not balanced. It is overwhelmingly partisan, with major teachers unions like the NEA and AFT directing roughly ninety five to ninety eight percent of their political contributions to Democratic candidates and causes in recent election cycles. That is their right as private organizations. What should alarm every American is that these same organizations are granted monopoly control over the voices of public employees, including teachers and civil servants who do not share those political views and explicitly reject that representation. We have effectively allowed one side of the political spectrum to exert disproportionate influence over public institutions and government employees through its union proxies, then built a legal framework that defends and protects that arrangement in the name of labor peace. That is not neutrality. That is capture. This is not collective bargaining as most people understand it. It is coerced representation backed by legal indifference to predictable abuse. Public servants deserve to be treated as individuals, not collateral damage. Labor peace achieved by silencing dissent is not peace. It is enforced compliance. And no free society should accept that as the cost of doing business. The Freedom Foundation is committed to exposing these flaws and empowering educators to reclaim their rights. If you are tired of this system, the Teacher Freedom Alliance offers resources, support, and alternatives that put teachers first, without coercion. Matthew Hayward is Director of Strategic Outreach at the Freedom Foundation.

“აქ სადმე ვჩანდი?”, “როგორ ამოიცანით, რომ ის არის?!", “ეს მე ვარ?”, “სად ჩანს, რომ ძალადობდა?” - 9 იანვარს, თბილისის საქალაქო სასამართლოში, მრავალი შეკითხვა გააჩინა პროკურატურის ვიდეომტკიცებულებებმა, 4 ოქტომბრის ე.წ. მშვიდობიანი დამხობის საქმის ბრალდებულთა ერთი ჯგუფის წინააღმდეგ.

WASHINGTON — A pair of blockbuster cases to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court could carry far-reaching implications for transgender rights, even as the Trump administration during the past year has rolled out a broad anti-trans agenda targeting everything from sports to military service. The court on Jan. 13 will hear challenges to laws […]

The Newsom administration once overstated income by $165 billion over four years. Now Newsom has announced $42 billion in new revenues over three years.

Khloé Kardashian, de las famosas hermanas Kardashian-Jenner, se niega a mostrar la vejez en su cuerpo y aseguró que quiere ser “congelada y preservada” para mantener su juventud. En el reciente episodio de su podcast, Khloé in Wonder Land, se tocó el tema del envejecimiento y la importancia del cuidado de la imagen. Fue a … Continua leyendo "Se niega a la vejez: Khloé Kardashian quiere ser "congelada y preservada" para mantener su juventud" The post Se niega a la vejez: Khloé Kardashian quiere ser "congelada y preservada" para mantener su juventud appeared first on BioBioChile.

(The Center Square) - A new Arizona bill seeks to force priests and pastors to break their seal of confession if they learn about a case of child abuse. State House Minority Whip Stacey Travers, D-Gilbert, pre-filed House Bill 2039 last month. The new legislative session starts Monday. Under the legislation, priests and pastors would be forced to report child abuse if they have a reasonable suspicion “to believe that the abuse is ongoing, will continue or may be a threat to other minors.” HB 2039 would also require priests or pastors to testify about confessions in court about child abuse cases. If clergy fails to report an incident of child abuse heard in confession, they could be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor, which could land them in jail for up to six months. Priests and pastors could also be charged with a Class 6 felony if they failed to report a reportable offense. If convicted, they could face up to two years in prison. Travers told The Center Square she introduced this bill to “create some guardrails and protections for children that had been associated with any clergy.” “There needs to be something to protect children - if you know who the abuser is and you understand there to be multiple instances of that abuse," she said. "In my mind, the welfare of the child should always take precedence.” According to a current Arizona law, priests and pastors are mandatory reporters of child abuse if they learn about it outside of the confessional setting. Arizona Catholic leaders oppose the bill, Travers said. The legislator said she thinks many of these “religious institutions are more concerned about their liability than they are about the faithfulness of the search for absolution.” She accused the Catholic Church of trying to hide “behind the sanctity of the confessional.” According to Catholic Canon Law, priests are not allowed to disclose anything they hear in confessions. If they do, they can be excommunicated. The Center Square contacted the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for comment, but did not receive a response before press time. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson told The Center Square that it was unable to comment because it is in a “transition” stage with a new bishop. Besides Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, certain Protestant churches and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also recognize some type of seal of confession. Regarding concerns about protecting religious freedoms, Travers said nothing should hinder protections of children. Even though she introduced the bill, Travers told The Center Square that she doesn’t think it will be heard by the Legislature. She said she has introduced the bill previously, but didn't get a hearing. Travers said this bill was first introduced in 2019 by former state Sen. Victoria Steele, D-Tucson. Like Travers, Jeanne Casteen, the executive director of Secular AZ, a nonprofit that advocates for the separation of church and state, told The Center Square she didn’t think this bill would get a hearing. Casteen said fewer than 1% of bills proposed by Democrats are heard in the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature. The executive director said she did not perceive why the sacrament of confession needs to be protected at the expense of children. “I don’t understand why that sacrament is more important than [the] protection of children." Dianne Post, Secular AZ’s legal director, said the nonprofit supports the bill and believes it is not unconstitutional. Post, a lawyer, said other professions, such as attorneys and psychologists, have confidentiality rules like those of priests and pastors, but there is a difference between them. Lawyers have to report someone who is “going to do a future crime,” and psychologists need to report someone if there’s “reasonable suspicion” a person “is going to commit a crime in the future and harm someone else,” Post noted. She told The Center Square the same rules should apply to religions. In the past, other states have attempted to break the seal of confession. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, who is Catholic, signed a bill into law in May 2025 that would force priests and pastors to break the seal of confession to report child abuse. Catholic leaders in Washington state sued a month later over the law after Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5375. The Department of Justice also intervened in the lawsuit. In July, a federal judge ultimately blocked this new law from taking effect. Attorney General Nick Brown, three months later, came to an agreement with the Catholic Church in Washington state to protect the seal of confession.

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader John Thune, joined at the U.S.-Mexico border Friday by a handful of other Republican senators, highlighted the president’s signature tax cuts and spending package passed last year that provided billions for immigration enforcement. The press conference in McAllen, Texas, came after a federal immigration officer shot and killed a woman in […]

შვედეთში დააკავეს 33 წლის კაცი, რომელიც რუსეთის სასარგებლოდ ჯაშუშობაშია ეჭვმიტანილი - იუწყება ქვეყნის პროკურატურა. "წინასწარი გამოძიება ადრეულ ეტაპზეა. მოცემულ მომენტში გამოძიება მიანიშნებს, რომ ეჭვმიტანილმა კავშირი დაამყარა რუსეთის დაზვერვასთან" - განაცხადა პროკურორმა მატს იუნგკვისტმა. ეჭვმიტანილის სახელს არ აცხადებენ. ეჭვმიტანილი 4 იანვარს დააკავეს. ცნობილია, რომ იგი ცენტრალურ შვედეთში ცხოვრობს. გამოცემა Expressen-ი წერდა, რომ, გამოძიების ვერსიით, იგი ჯაშუშობაში ჩართული იყო 2022 წლიდან...

Karnavali tradicional i Vevçanit, një nga karnavalet më të vjetra në Ballkan, do të mbahet më 12 dhe 13 janar, me procesionin qendror më 13 janar nga ora 13, kur në qendër të Vevçanit do të takohen karnevalistët nga dy mëhallët. Kjo ishte paralajmëruar sot në konferencë për media në Shkup, me rastin e edicionit […]

Parents and educators say immigration enforcement in cities across the U.S. has led to dips in school attendance. The post Minneapolis schools to offer remote learning amid federal immigration enforcement appeared first on MinnPost.

WASHINGTON — A pair of blockbuster cases to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court could carry far-reaching implications for transgender rights, even as the Trump administration during the past year has rolled out a broad anti-trans agenda targeting everything from sports to military service. The court on Jan. 13 will hear challenges to laws […]

Ya hay fixture para la Liga de Primera 2026. La principal categoría del fútbol chileno oficializó este viernes su programación para la nueva temporada. . La fecha 15, que marcará la mitad del torneo y la pausa por el Mundial 2026, se disputará el 14 de junio. La acción se retomará el fin de semana … Continua leyendo "Confirmado el fixture de la Liga de Primera 2026: así se jugará nueva temporada del fútbol chileno" The post Confirmado el fixture de la Liga de Primera 2026: así se jugará nueva temporada del fútbol chileno appeared first on BioBioChile.

Bloco europeu aprovou pacto comercial nesta sexta-feira (9) Lula comemora acordo entre Mercosul e União Europeia: ‘Vitória do diálogo’ apareceu primeiro no Brasil de Fato.

美國最高法院預計於1月14日公布下一批裁決，多起重大案件仍在審理中，包括總統特朗普大規模全球關稅措施的合法性問題。

美国最高法院预计于1月14日公布下一批裁决，多起重大案件仍在审理中，包括总统特朗普大规模全球关税措施的合法性问题。

Lately I’ve been thinking about Emma Goldman, the Russian-born Jewish anarchist who attracted droves of followers in her 30-plus years in the United States. I’ve not really been focused on her place in history writ large, more her surprisingly robust soap box in the world of musical theater. For all her import to the American... The post Emma Goldman, superstar? The Jewish anarchist has a surprising role to play in American musical theater appeared first on The Forward.

El presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, dijo este viernes que recibirá en la Casa Blanca a su homólogo colombiano, Gustavo Petro, la primera semana de febrero después de que ambos mandatarios mantuvieran el pasado miércoles una conversación telefónica que ha rebajado la tensión entre Washington y Bogotá. “Espero con interés reunirme con Gustavo Petro, presidente de … Continua leyendo "Trump confirma reunión con Petro en la Casa Blanca: "Será muy beneficioso"" The post Trump confirma reunión con Petro en la Casa Blanca: "Será muy beneficioso" appeared first on BioBioChile.

Here are some art, music and community events happening in Stockton and nearby Jan. 9–11 Things to do in Stockton Jan. 9–11 is a story from Stocktonia News, a rigorous and factual newsroom covering Greater Stockton, California. Please consider making a charitable contribution to support our journalism.