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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
After firing chaplains for speaking out, Ohio hospital CEO warns others to keep quiet
Ayman Soliman, the former Muslim chaplain at Cincinnati Children's Hospital whom federal authorities are trying to deport on what his lawyers are saying is a trumped-up basis. (Photo courtesy of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance.) In the middle of a national firestorm, the top executive of a venerable Ohio hospital last Thursday told employees that 'misinformation and lack of context can spread quickly, making it easy to jump to conclusions without all the facts.' However, Cincinnati Children's Hospital President and CEO Steve Davis didn't provide any facts about the firings of two chaplains who spoke out in support of a former colleague whom the Trump administration is trying to deport. Instead, he urged employees 'to trust that our leaders and your colleagues are making decisions with the best interests of our patients, families and each other in mind,' according to a note to the staff obtained by the Capital Journal. Children's Hospital's public affairs office was sent a copy of the note, which was posted late Thursday afternoon, but it didn't respond to questions about it. In addition to telling employees to trust him, Davis, the $2.5 million-a-year CEO, reminded his underlings of hospital policies regarding advocacy and media relations, according to the note. Davis was addressing the controversy around Ayman Soliman, a man who served as a Muslim chaplain at Children's after fleeing his native Egypt in 2014 and receiving asylum in the United States in 2018. Soliman was arrested, beaten, and tortured in Egypt because of his work as a journalist during the Arab Spring. ICE continues to hold Ohio cleric. His defenders say the government's claims are bogus Soliman's asylum was revoked on June 3 and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him on July 9. He's been in the Butler County Jail ever since. A federal judge issued an order preventing ICE from removing Soliman from Ohio at least through July 30. Soliman's lawyers say the administration has used a bogus, shifting set of claims to try to deport Soliman. Many have rallied to his support. On July 17, there was a vigil for Soliman in Cincinnati. About 100 protesters left it to march in the travel lanes across the John A. Roebling Bridge to Covington, Ky., impeding traffic. Covington police arrested 15 — in some cases acting violently even though the protesters appeared to be peaceful. Among those arrested were a reporter and photographer for CityBeat. Felony charges against them were later dropped, but misdemeanors remain pending. In the aftermath, Cincinnati Children's fired Adam Allen, one of its chaplains, merely for attending the vigil, Allen told WCPO TV. He said he tried to comply with what he thought was hospital policy. 'There was an HR meeting with our department to discuss media policies,' Allen told the station. 'I understood from that meeting that I shouldn't be a speaker. I could be misrepresented in the media as being a representative of the hospital. So I wore a shirt to the event that said, 'I do not represent Cincinnati Children's Hospital.'' The hospital also fired chaplain Lizzy Diop, who had given media interviews in support of Soliman. Children with serious medical conditions — both chronic and acute — have long been treated at Children's. And chaplains have played an important role comforting traumatized kids and their parents, a story published Wednesday in Rolling Stone said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Soliman was valuable to the hospital because of his generous demeanor, his ability to speak Arabic, and his training in Muslim theology, the story said. Despite the seeming importance of chaplains to hospital care, Children's is down three in a short span. The losses are all due to the same controversy — which stems from the priority President Donald Trump has placed on mass deportations. In his note to the staff, Davis, the Children's CEO, didn't directly mention that controversy. 'As our country continues to experience changes and challenges, Cincinnati Children's is not immune to the scrutiny that arises when polarizing topics and events occur,' the note said. 'In fact, our reputation as a national leader in pediatric health brings a high level of attention and assumed expectations from our supporters, colleagues and the general public.' Davis added, 'Please know the absence of a public response should not be mistaken for a lack of caring or action.' Children's didn't respond when asked whether the hospital feared retaliation from the Trump administration if employees speak out against Trump's actions. Trump has engaged in high-profile battles in which he tried to defund elite universities over issues relating to free speech. In the note to employees, Davis referenced rules from the hospital for employees about their own speech. 'While there may be divisiveness outside of our walls, we expect all employees to live our values and follow our policies, every day and in every interaction,' he wrote. 'I encourage you to review our Code of Conduct, as well as policies related to Advocacy, Media Relations, Social Media and Solicitation.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
How violent protests in Epping are being fuelled by disinformation
Enjoying beers in the afternoon sunshine on Epping High Street, the three local men were adamant about recent events in the town. Not only had Essex police used their own vans to 'bus in' antiracism counter-demonstrators last week to Epping, insisted one of the men, but masked undercover police officers had been among the 'lefties'. 'They were masked up and looked like foot-soldiers. Anyone who works in security will also pick up on how they were standing. If you looked you could see they held their hands together to give a discreet thumbs-up sign,' said the man, reluctant like so many other local people to go on the record, but who gave his name as 'Steve Davis'. The only problem with this analysis was: it appeared to be entirely wrong. Essex police has 'categorically' denied that it bussed in antiracism protesters. The suggestion of state-sponsored 'false flag' provocateurs – a frequent trope advanced on niche corners of social media at times of tensions on the streets – was also dismissed. The denials have often come too late to stop the conspiracies taking hold. They have been eagerly spread by the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, and also carried on the front page of the Daily Telegraph. Disinformation has been one of the most alarming characteristics of the violent protests in Epping, whose focus has been the use of the Bell hotel to house asylum seekers. Local people have continued to turn out for the protests, which were sparked after an asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault – but far-right activists have played a key role in promoting them online. Activists from groups including Homeland, Patriotic Alternative and the neo-Nazi White Vanguard movement have been present. Online misinformation and disinformation originating on niche corners of X has been amplified – seemingly without attempt to corroborate whether it are true – by politicians such as Farage and commenters from the GB News channel. Video clips of Stand Up to Racism protesters being taken out of Epping last Thursday in police vans, after they were surrounded by groups of men who threw projectiles at them and the police, were quickly repurposed on social media – and presented as if they were images of protesters being transported from Epping station. In fact, as Essex police has confirmed, the Stand Up to Racism protesters had made their way on foot from the station earlier in the day, while police escorted them on foot to enable them to exercise a right to protest. By Friday, however, rightwing commenters such as the ex-GB News presenter Dan Wootton were also misrepresenting the footage. 'They actually escorted people in police vans,' Wootton told the viewers of the online show he set up after leaving GB News. On Wednesday, Farage posted the same footage on X, saying: 'This video proves [police] transported leftwing protesters to the Bell hotel in Epping' and calling for the resignation of the Essex police chief constable, Ben-Julian Harrington. The force issued a statement saying this was categorically untrue, while Harrington made pointed comments in a press conference where he urged commenters to be responsible for what they said online, adding that it had 'real-world consequences'. Farage modulated his language after he was contacted by the Guardian on Wednesday, saying the police were 'escorting and bussing masked thugs to and from the protest', but his original tweet remains on X. Later on Thursday, and in a tweet shortly after 10pm on Wednesday, Farage went on GB News to say he had received a call from a police officer who was in charge of the operation to say he was wrong. 'If I was slightly out on accuracy I apologise but I think the gist of what I was saying was right,' he said. By then, however, the misinformation had spread like wildfire and done 'real damage', according to Lewis Nielsen of Stand Up to Racism. 'It is a complete lie to say, as Farage has claimed, that Stand Up to Racism protesters were 'bussed in'. We are mobilising antiracists, trade unionists, campaigners and faith groups against the far right in Epping,' he said. Yet more conspiracies – some outlandish, others more minor but corrosive – continue to circulate. They include unsubstantiated accusations that asylum seekers staying at the hotel are routinely shoplifting in Epping. Other claims – accompanied by pictures of the Stand Up to Racism protest – include one that Epping police has been paying protesters £40 'for three hours' work. It was among conspiracy theories being disseminated in online spaces including the Epping Says No! Facebook group, which has more than 1,600 members. Its administrators include activists from the far-right Homeland party, Adam Clegg and Callum Barker. The claims of undercover police officers being among the antiracism protesters have been accompanied by clips and pictures zeroing in on pictures of some of those protesters. The claims were also denied by Essex police, which has been trying to combat what it calls 'myths' in videos fronted by an assistant chief constable. The force specifically picked out the claim that there were 'police decoys in the crowd encouraging violence', rebutting it on its YouTube channel. Nielsen also denied the claim: 'It is categorically false that the police are involved in Stand Up to Racism protests, or play any role in organising them. If anything our protests – like others – have faced police repression in recent years.'
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
The greatest year in sports history? Why it has to be 1985
I've been putting this off for years, but the recent Live Aid nostalgia has pushed me over the edge. We've all had the debate in the pub about the greatest sporting year – no, just me then? – so I'm here to argue the case for 1985. After 40 years, it is time to tell 1985 that I'm crazy for you. There are, of course, many factors involved when it comes to picking your favourite sporting year. Allegiance matters. Therefore, Manchester United winning a treble, Europe collapsing in the Ryder Cup and Australia winning two World Cups means I don't want to party like it's 1999. Yet pushing all this irrational stuff to one side, there can be no doubting the credentials of 1985. Yes, it was a year when I didn't have a care in the world. Approaching the ripe old age of 10, I felt as if I spent that summer walking on sunshine, even if the weather was often dreary. It's easy to romanticise the past but hopefully the stories below dismiss the notion of all of this being wistful tosh. Where to begin with the year that Marty McFly was so desperate to get back to? Approximately 12.23am on the morning of 29 April at the Crucible and the black ball final between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor. Davis, a three-time world champion racing into an 8-0 lead against Taylor, the lovable Irishman with the unusual glasses. The comeback of all comebacks. The final frame, the final black. Ted Lowe's simple exclamation of 'no' as Davis fluffed his chance. Approximately 18.5 million watching on BBC 2 as Taylor celebrated and his local community were dancing in the street. It was a fine year for Northern Ireland in sport. Barry McGuigan boxed four times in six months, winning the world featherweight championship and the BBC Sports Personality award. The national football team also qualified for the World Cup, something they have not managed since. Timing is everything. If I had stumbled on cricket in 1989, I'm not sure I would have fallen in love with the sport so easily. If I was a Gen Z child, cricket might have passed me by completely. But 1985 provided the perfect ingredients. Success in the Ashes helped. Admittedly these were not vintage England and Australia teams, but winning the urn got me hooked on the sport, and from this point on I was trapped. That first summer, the joy of hearing Soul Limbo and listening to Richie Benaud, new heroes in Tim Robinson, David Gower, Allan Lamb, Ian Botham and Richard Ellison. The Wayne Phillips incident. It wasn't just the Test match scene that we could cherish in 1985. Most summers in the 1980s seemed to involve a nail-biting one-day final or two, with the 1985 NatWest Trophy final a fine example. Give me this any day over the tournaments we now have to endure every August. A wise man once said that timing is everything. I thought I was lucky enough to experience Seve Ballesteros winning at St Andrews for my first Open Championship in 1984, yet 12 months later Great Britain's search for a champion golfer ended with Sandy Lyle's triumph at Sandwich. And there was more to come. The Ryder Cup had been on the road to nowhere for decades before the introduction of European golfers in 1979 gradually turned the tide. At the Belfry in September 1985, 28 years of hurt ended as Sam Torrance sank the winning putt to seal Europe's victory. And like any young sports fan, I jumped on this glorious bandwagon. Things would never be the same again. Europe's win in 1985 helped to create the great event we see today. As we move closer to the 2025 Ryder Cup and Americans asking for appearance money, you may think 1985 has a lot to answer for. But those three days at the Belfry were glorious. Before Wimbledon 1985, my only real interaction with tennis had been viewing clips of John McEnroe moaning at umpires during tournaments, the 'you cannot be serious' shout a favourite of many impersonators at the time. Viewing Wimbledon for the first time, I fully expected McEnroe to win the tournament again. What I didn't cater for was a 17-year-old unseeded German arriving on the scene, playing tennis that seemed to be years ahead of its time. Boris Becker had won Queen's in the run-up to Wimbledon, so those in the know may have been aware of his abilities. Yet watching the young German dive around Centre Court, playing keepie-uppies with a tennis ball, and going all the way at Wimbledon added to that amazing sporting summer. I'm not going to completely bury my head in the sand. Not everything was perfect in 1985. Football was in a right mess. The horror of Heysel saw English clubs banned from Europe, with the tragedy of the Bradford fire highlighting the state of stadiums and disregard for fan safety. A TV blackout at the start of the 1985-86 season added to the despondency. But a fine team still emerged from this year of darkness. Liverpool's dominance was becoming boring to those outside Anfield, three consecutive league titles and three trophies in 1983-84 adding to their growing reputation. But the one trophy that got away in 1984 pointed the way to a new challenger. Everton winning the 1984 FA Cup completed a remarkable change of fortunes under Howard Kendall, and the momentum behind his superb team continued. A stunning unbeaten run propelled the team to their first league title since 1970 and the European Cup Winners' Cup. Sadly, the FA Cup final proved one match too many. It takes a lot for football fans to appreciate a rival. But what a team. What memories. One of the finest goalkeepers to have ever played the game; the Derek Mountfield and Kevin Ratcliffe. defensive partnership; that midfield quartet of Kevin Sheedy, Peter Reid, Paul Bracewell and Trevor Steven; Goodison Park's finest night. Even their appearance on Wogan cannot take away any of the love and pride Kendall's team created for their supporters. Convinced yet? Well here are a few more memories as I completely drown in a sea of reminiscence. The classic Challenge Cup final; commentators such as Peter Alliss, Harry Carpenter, David Coleman, Barry Davies, John Motson, Ray French, Bill McLaren, Murray Walker, Richie Benaud, Sid Waddell, Ted Lowe, Brian Moore and Dan Maskell; A Question of Sport in its heyday. Nigel Mansell winning his first Grand Prix in an era of Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna; admittedly there were no major athletics championships, but what about Steve Cram breaking three world records in 19 days; unforgettable FA Cup semi-finals at neutral club grounds; the emergence of Mike Tyson; Marvin Hagler v Tommy Hearns! The BBC Sports Personality of the Year review summing up the year in a way that we can only dream of now. OK grandad, give it a rest. I'm sure you have your own favourite years and I would be delighted to hear about them in the comments below. I'm your man when it comes to arguing for 1985. I've probably crammed in a few too many song titles from that year into this article. But 1985, I'm saving all my love for you. This article is by Steven Pye for That 1980s Sports Blog
Business Wire
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Procore Achieves FedRAMP® 'In Process' Designation
CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Procore Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: PCOR), a leading technology partner for every stage of construction, today announced that it has achieved a Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®) 'In Process' designation and is now listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace. This milestone marks significant progress towards achieving FedRAMP Moderate authorization and reinforces Procore's commitment to serving U.S. public sector agencies and their contractors. Once authorized, Procore for Government will provide a FedRAMP Moderate authorized environment (Government Zone) for Procore's core solutions – Project Execution, Financial Management, and Reporting and Analytics. 'Many of the largest projects in the U.S.—from power plants to roads to water systems and bridges–are developed by the public sector. Today's FedRAMP 'In Process' designation further strengthens Procore's commitment to being the most trusted technology partner for builders supporting the U.S. public sector,' said Steve Davis, President of Product and Technology, Procore. 'Procore for Government will also empower federal and state agencies to collaborate on the essential infrastructure projects we rely on every day.' Once available, Procore for Government's Unified Platform connects people, processes, and data across the entire project lifecycle—boosting collaboration, improving communication, and driving operational efficiencies. It will also help support contractors in meeting their Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 requirements. For more information on Procore's public sector offerings, visit About Procore Procore Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: PCOR) is a leading technology partner for every stage of construction. Built for the industry, Procore's unified technology platform drives efficiency and mitigates risk through AI & data-driven insights and decision making. Over three million projects have run on Procore across 150+ countries. For more information, visit
The Sun
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Snooker legends Steve Davis and Jimmy White set for DJ BATTLE at UK festival with England football legend also on bill
STEVE DAVIS and Jimmy White are set to renew their decades-old rivalry - in a DJ battle. The pair's rivalry, which graced the eighties, is still to this day one of the greatest in snooker history. 4 4 4 But the duo, 67 and 63 respectively, will now go head-to-head in a DJ Battle at the Rock N Roll Circus festival in Sheffield on Saturday 30th August. It's unclear what the battle, which is currently the talk of snooker fans worldwide, will look like. But it'll be interesting to see the pair spin the decks several years after they called time on spinning balls into pockets for a living. Davis and White won't be the only former sportsmen performing at Rock N Roll Circus. Former England international turned pundit CHRIS WADDLE is also on the bill. Waddle's slated appearance is equally as surprising as the DJ battle booking of Davis vs White. White, who got the better of Davis in their last meeting at the 2010 World Seniors Championships, has good memories of the "healthy" rivalry. But he recently likened their battles to going to "war". JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 White said: "Neal will tell you, anybody playing in the 80's, Steve Davis was the hardest player I have ever played against. "He had such a great cue action, such great temperament and his scoring ability, he was so consistent, made so few mistakes. Mark Williams attempts new way of potting yellow as snooker referee struggles to contain his laughter "I had a style similar to [John] Higgins, probably even more attacking then Higgins. "I went for my shots, so then the newspapers set up this new rivalry, because Steve Davis kept on winning. "I quite liked it, me and Steve Davis, I was sort of wasting me time partying and he was practicing. "So I never had any problems with Steve Davis, but you knew, if you were playing Steve Davis, you were going to be in a war. "I had a rivalry with him that lasted for five or six years, and I think it was quite healthy for the game."
