Latest news with #McCarthy-esque
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Postmedia's Kim Bolan one of three honoured for courageous reporting by Canadian Association of Journalists
Postmedia News reporter Kim Bolan was one of three Canadian journalists recognized at an awards ceremony in Calgary this weekend for their contributions to the craft. The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) announced that Bolan, Daniel Renaud and David Pugliese won the prestigious Charles Bury President's Award. 'Kim, Daniel and David have all exhibited incredible levels of courage and determination to persevere through unprecedented challenges to tell stories that matter,' said CAJ president Brent Jolly. 'They are living proof that even in today's fragmented age, journalism matters. The power of the pen to tell the truth and expose wrongdoing is an endeavour that is so vital to the proper functioning of our society.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Bolan has reported for the Vancouver Sun since 1984. She has reported on wars in El Salvador, Guatemala and Afghanistan, covered the Air India terrorist attack and its aftermath, and spent much of her career 'shining a spotlight on a long list of minority, women's, education and social service issues,' said the CAJ in a news release on Sunday. Bolan was also the first Canadian to win the International Women's Media Foundation's Courage in Journalism Award in 1999. 'Despite numerous threats on her life over the past 40 years from gangs and militant groups, Bolan's commitment to the craft has been unwavering,' Jolly said. Renaud, who works for La Presse in Montreal, was honoured after reports surfaced last year that chronicled how he had been targeted for assassination for reporting on organized crime in 2021. Pugliese has been with Postmedia's Ottawa Citizen for more than 40 years and specializes in covering the ever-secretive Department of National Defence. Last year, he was accused of being a paid KGB agent in the 1980s by a former federal cabinet minister testifying at a House of Commons committee meeting on Russian political interference. Jolly called the allegations, which have never been repeated outside Parliament, 'nothing more than a McCarthy-esque smear job.' The Charles Bury Award was presented last year to the Committee to Protect Journalists for their commitment to ensuring the safety and security of journalists who work in some of the most dangerous environments around the world. The annual award recognizes both organizations and individual journalists for contributing to a free press. jruttle@
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Citizen's Pugliese one of three recipients of prestigious award
Article content The Ottawa Citizen's David Pugliese, fellow Postmedia journalist Kim Bolan and Daniel Renaud were named recipients of the Canadian Association of Journalist's Charles Bury President's Award. Article content Article content 'Kim, Daniel and David have all exhibited incredible levels of courage and determination to persevere through unprecedented challenges to tell stories that matter,' said Brent Jolly, CAJ president, in a speech announcing the awards in Calgary. 'They are living proof that even in today's fragmented age, journalism matters. The power of the pen to tell the truth and expose wrongdoing is an endeavour that is so vital to the proper functioning of our society.' The association noted that Pugliese has spent more than 40 years working at the Ottawa Citizen, 'where he specializes in covering one of Canada's most secretive government departments, the Department of National Defence.' Late in 2024, Pugliese was accused by former federal cabinet minister Chris Alexander of being a paid KGB agent in the 1980s. At the time of the comments, Alexander was testifying, under privilege, before a House of Commons committee meeting on Russian interference and disinformation campaigns. Alexander has never repeated the claims in a forum where he could be sued for defamation. 'These allegations were nothing more than a McCarthy-esque smear job,' the CAJ's Jolly said. 'But what they show us is a shift in tactics to spread disinformation. Rather than question the accuracy of a deeply reported investigative story, bad actors now attack a journalist's credibility in an effort to impune critical inquiry. 'So, if you can't refute the truth, then the next best course of action is to attack the messenger.' Bolan, meanwhile, has been a reporter at the Vancouver Sun since 1984. During that time, she has reported internationally on wars in El Salvador, Guatemala and Afghanistan. Domestically, she has covered the Air India story from the night it happened on June 23, 1985. She has also spent her career shining a spotlight on a long list of minority, women's, education, and social service issues. 'Despite numerous threats on her life over the past 40 years from gangs and militant groups, Bolan's commitment to the craft has been unwavering,' Jolly said. Renaud specializes in reporting on organized crime at La Presse. He was recognized after a report came to light late last year that chronicled how he had been targeted for assassination in organized crime in 2021. In Nov. 2024, La Presse reported that Frédérick Silva, a professional killer-turned-police informer, placed a $100,000 bounty on Renaud's life while he was covering Silva's trial for three murders. 'Renaud's experience was a shocking revelation that should send a chill down the spine of every journalist in Canada,' Jolly said. 'But even when his life was on the line, he did not cower to pressure. He maintained his wherewithal and resolve and did his job, which was to shine a light on the clandestine operations of organized crime.'
Chicago Tribune
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Kenneth Obel: Donald Trump's attacks against law firms follow in the footsteps of Joseph McCarthy
In February 1950, Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy began a four-year crusade of baseless accusations against alleged communists in government, academia and the entertainment industry. It was an era marked by fear, suppression of dissent and ruined careers. Roy Cohn, a New York lawyer, served as chief counsel to McCarthy's Senate subcommittee. Cohn played a central role in directing its investigations, many of which relied on unsubstantiated or misleading claims. If this seems familiar today, it may be because Cohn was one of President Donald Trump's early and most influential mentors. As portrayed in the movie 'The Apprentice,' Trump absorbed many lessons from Cohn: Attack relentlessly, never admit error and always claim victory. As promised during his campaign, Trump has launched a McCarthy-esque effort to retaliate against the private law firms he blames for investigations of his personal misconduct. This is just one of many attacks: against the federal workforce, immigrants, the courts, Democratic-led cities, major universities, transgender Americans and student protesters. These attacks aim to punish dissent and consolidate power by forcing institutions that could challenge his authority into submission. In the popular imagination, McCarthy's crusade was halted at a particular moment in 1954, on live television, during the Army-McCarthy hearings. Army counsel Joseph Welch famously rebuked McCarthy, 'Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?' — puncturing his aura of invincibility. But other institutions also stepped up to oppose McCarthy. Courageous journalists exposed McCarthy's tactics, most notably Edward R. Murrow in his ' See It Now ' broadcast. Federal court decisions affirmed constitutional protections. Even the U.S. Senate — which, then as now, had a narrow Republican majority — grew uneasy with McCarthy's unchecked power and finally voted to censure him by a margin of 67-22. Today, the president himself plays the role of McCarthy and has thus far maintained lockstep loyalty from a Republican-controlled Congress. Maybe the Senate will eventually stand up to Trump; four years elapsed between McCarthy's emergence and his censure. Until then, the work of challenging the president's abuses of power must be undertaken by law firms, the courts, journalists, academic institutions, states, and cities — the very institutions the president is assaulting. Law firms such as Jenner & Block, Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey have shown courage in the face of unconstitutional executive orders barring their lawyers from federal buildings and stripping them of security clearances, and their legal challenges have secured preliminary victories, with one judge characterizing the administration's actions as a 'shocking abuse of power.' More than 500 firms have joined a legal brief challenging the president's actions. In standing up for their constitutional rights, these firms vindicate the rule of law for everyone. Regrettably, not one of the top 20 firms ranked by revenue has yet stood up in opposition to the administration. Indeed, as a lawyer, it is distressing to me to see the country's most powerful law firms yield to presidential pressure rather than join battle alongside their peers. When the president targeted Paul, Weiss, the firm folded within days, agreeing to a variety of the president's demands. Not to be outdone in the capitulation Olympics, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom surrendered to the president in advance of any executive order being issued — a textbook example of what professor Timothy Snyder terms ' anticipatory obedience.' Skadden has now been joined by several other Big Law titans, including Kirkland & Ellis, the wealthiest law firm in the world by partner profits; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Latham & Watkins; and others. (The Above The Law blog helpfully maintains a 'Big Law Spine Index.') As part of their terms of surrender, these firms have promised a reported $1 billion in free legal services to the president's favored causes. The president is clearly satisfied with his results: 'They're all bending and saying: 'Sir, thank you very much.' … 'Where do I sign? Where do I sign?'' It's not clear whether the U.S. government or Trump personally (as if this is even a meaningful distinction in the current administration) is the party to these 'settlements.' Recent reporting from Crain's Chicago Business has called into question whether any enforceable agreements even exist. Regardless, given the power the president wields, it's evident that these firms have subordinated themselves to the president in ways they are likely to regret. I worked briefly at Paul, Weiss some years ago. I remember the firm's pride in its role in advancing civil rights, most notably as advisers to Thurgood Marshall in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, which ended legal segregation in public schools. During the first Trump administration, Kirkland (where I have also worked) represented a nationwide class of immigrant teens held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers. One can only imagine the legal causes that lawyers from these firms will now be called upon to support. Suing the federal government on behalf of the recently pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionists, perhaps? This concerning trend extends beyond law firms. Public companies such as Meta and Disney have already modeled submission as an acceptable strategy, settling baseless Trump lawsuits in return for multimillion-dollar payments. Under threat of an illegal and pretextual cutoff of federal funding, Columbia University shocked its faculty by allowing the administration to dictate university procedures and staffing decisions. However rational these individual concessions may be, collectively, they normalize the president's domination tactics and embolden him to keep going. Those who have not yet been targeted bury their heads in the sand, pretending that not looking is the same as not being seen. But that doesn't make you safe — it just makes you easier to pick off. As in nature, survival depends on sticking together. Will institutions finally find their spines? Just recently, the Trump administration summarily imposed nearly $2 billion in Columbia-style funding freezes on Northwestern and Cornell. It's gotten to be like an authoritarian edition of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show': 'You lose funding, and you lose funding! Everybody loses funding!' If there's one clear lesson from the McCarthy era, it is that bullies keep bullying until people fight back. Silence isn't neutral — it's an invitation for more of the same. Institutions should remember how McCarthy's crusade was finally stopped: not through cautious compliance, but through courage, solidarity, and a collective insistence on freedom and fairness. The question facing America's institutions today isn't whether they can afford to resist, but whether they can afford not to.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds rally at Colorado State University in support of DEIA programs, cultural centers
About 300 people, mostly students, rallied and marched at Colorado State University on Wednesday, demanding the university publicly push back against efforts by the U.S. Department of Education to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The Department of Education, in a Feb. 14 letter, directed all colleges, universities and K-12 schools to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs and training within 14 days or risk losing their federal funding. A letter to the CSU campus community from President Amy Parsons on Tuesday acknowledged that the department's new interpretation of nondiscrimination laws 'marks a change.' 'Given the university's reliance on federal funding, it is necessary to take additional steps to follow the federal administration's new interpretations,' Parsons' letter reads. 'Federal funding makes up roughly one-third of CSU's overall budget and includes funding for research, student programs, community partnerships and federal financial aid.' That interpretation, according to the Department of Education's letter, is based on the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard. Although that ruling, the directive acknowledged, was narrowly defined to admissions decisions, the Department of Education under President Donald Trump's administration is applying it more broadly. DEI programs, it said, 'frequently preference racial groups and teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not. Such programs stigmatize students who belong to particular racial groups based on crude racial stereotypes. Consequently, they deny students the ability to participate fully in the life of a school.' More: CSU students rally and march to demand public show of support for immigrants on campus Signs with messages such as 'DEI saves lives,' 'DEI 'til I die,' and "We the people stand together" were held high as the students marched from the Lory Student Center Plaza to the university's Administration Building less than a half-mile away. Chants of 'DEI for all of us,' 'Students united will never be defeated,' 'D-E-I-A,' adding accessibility to the acronym, and others rang out along the way and during a brief rally with people speaking on the front steps looking out across the historic Oval. Students who organized the rally and march acknowledged the difficult position the Department of Education is putting CSU in but also believe its compliance violates its obligations to protect the rights of its students. 'I completely disagree that Amy Parsons has her hands tied,' student organizer Ella Smith told the Coloradoan. 'She is a lawyer. She claims herself to be a First Amendment scholar, and yet she is not willing, and the university is not willing, to stand up and fight for their students. 'We pay so much money to go here, and the fact that our university is preemptively compliant and that they are kowtowing to fascist, McCarthy-esque ideology is completely ridiculous.' The students had planned to hand-deliver a letter that had been emailed earlier in the day to Parsons, signed by each of the university's cultural resource, gender-identity, feminist education and disability centers, with 13 specific examples of ways advocates say the university has been 'proactively hiding, pausing, or dismantling access to resources, programming and education for CSU students and employees over the last few months.' Those examples included claims of pauses and elimination of DEI and Safe Zone training programs, the removal of the word 'undocumented' from all CSU websites and removal of webpages created specifically for undocumented students, concerns that the academic department of Race, Gender, and Ethnic Studies is being 'dismantled,' a pause on hiring within the resource centers and the lack of clear instructions 'despite months of asking' from the university's Office of the General Counsel on how to interact or respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other federal agents and clarity on what role, if any CSU's Police Department, would have in immigration enforcement on campus. The letter, though, was inadvertently left behind, student organizer Maggie Van Buskirk told the Coloradoan, noting that Parsons and other university administrators had still received it via email. 'The time for action is now,' reads the letter, which was shared with the Coloradoan. 'CSU's Cultural Resource Centers and DEIA programs represent more than five decades of progress in making higher education accessible to all. Their potential dismantling threatens current programs, the foundation of our land-grant mission, and our commitment to inclusive excellence.' It was signed by The Asian Pacific American Cultural Center, The Black/African Cultural Center, El Centro, The Native American Cultural Center, The Pride Resource Center, The Survivor Advocacy and Feminist Education Center, The Student Disability Center and the Office of Inclusive Excellence Student Success Unit. More: Superintendent urged to publicly share PSD's plans to protect immigrant, LGBTQ+ students 'I'm hoping that we have raised enough noise to get the administration to pay attention to our demands that we have listed in our letter to them,' Ellery McQueen, another student organizer, told the Coloradoan. 'We are hoping that they will not comply with the Department of Education demand right now and continue to fund our DEI programs that are so very important and our DEI department and choose to support our students instead of their business. CSU should be an institution that is prioritizing education and education for students.' Nick DeSalvo, president of Associated Students for CSU, said he agrees the Department of Education's new interpretation of nondiscrimination laws puts the university in a difficult position. DeSalvo said he believes Congress needs to step in and fulfill its obligation to control the funding it has authorized. 'The Trump administration is using these land-grant institutions, including CSU, as pawns in their game to play politics, and I would agree that they're in a tough spot: How do we continue to support our mission, which is intrinsically intertwined with DEI work, while also ensuring that the university operate for years to come?' DeSalvo told the Coloradoan. 'It's so difficult, because it's so core to the mission of who we are, not only as a land-grant institution, but an institution that values the principles of service, social justice, integrity, respect, inclusion and playing the balancing game of ensuring that funding stays, as well as ensuring that students feel supported. It's a delicate tightrope to walk.' Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@ and This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Hundreds rally at CSU in support of DEIA programs, cultural centers
