Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Trust for Public Land Breaks Ground on New Community Schoolyard at PS 69 in Jackson Heights
SAN FRANCISCO, California, April 29 -- The Trust for Public Land issued the following news release:
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Trust for Public Land Breaks Ground on New Community Schoolyard at PS 69 in Jackson Heights
NEW YORK - Trust for Public Land (TPL), in partnership with New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the School Construction Authority, and local elected officials, celebrated the groundbreaking of a new community schoolyard at P.S. 69 in Jackson Heights--transforming an underutilized schoolyard into a vibrant, green space designed for students and the surrounding community.
P.S. 69
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, April 29 -- The Trust for Public Land issued the following news release:
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Trust for Public Land Breaks Ground on New Community Schoolyard at PS 69 in Jackson Heights
NEW YORK - Trust for Public Land (TPL), in partnership with New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the School Construction Authority, and local elected officials, celebrated the groundbreaking of a new community schoolyard at P.S. 69 in Jackson Heights--transforming an underutilized schoolyard into a vibrant, green space designed for students and the surrounding community.
P.S. 69serves more than 800 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The new schoolyard will provide a safe, welcoming place to play, learn, and gather in one of Queens' most park-starved neighborhoods. Jackson Heights has some of the lowest access to open space in New York City, making projects like this critical for children's health and community well-being.
Ranking neighborhoods with the least amount of park space in NYC, half of them are in Queens. Of the 198 NYC residential neighborhoods mapped for park space, Jackson Heights ranks 182nd. The renovation of this playground will provide families with a beautiful and much needed place to play near home.
"Jackson Heights families deserve safe, beautiful places where children can play, learn, and thrive," said Council Member Shekar Krishnan. "That's why I was proud to invest in transforming the schoolyard at P.S. 69 into a green, welcoming community space. This project will serve hundreds of students every day and thousands of neighbors after school hours--bringing much-needed open space to the community with the least amount of green and public space in our city."
Designed through a participatory process with students, educators, families, and community members, the new schoolyard will feature nature-based play elements, shaded seating, improved drainage, and green infrastructure that helps manage stormwater and reduce extreme heat - collecting 260,000 gallons of stormwater helping to reduce flooding and runoff.
Once complete, the space will be open to the public outside of school hours, expanding access to much-needed outdoor recreation for more than 56,000 nearby residents within a 10-minute walk.
"This groundbreaking represents an investment in the health, joy, and future of Jackson Heights," said Tamar Renaud, New York State Director for Trust for Public Land. "TPL is grateful for leaders like CM Krishnan for advocating for the creation of public green spaces that not only give kids room to play and learn but benefit entire neighborhoods."
"The upgraded playground at P.S. 69Q will give students and families in Jackson Heights a fun new place to play, and capture stormwater on rainy days which will reduce neighborhood flooding," said New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia. "DEP is proud to partner with the Trust for Public Land on this important project to help safeguard our environment and reduce increasing impacts from climate change."
"The School Construction Authority is proud to partner on this important project that will transform an underutilized schoolyard into a vibrant, green space for both students and the Jackson Heights community," said Nina Kubota, SCA President & CEO. "Projects like this reflect our commitment to creating healthy, sustainable learning environments while expanding access to safe outdoor spaces in neighborhoods that need them most."
The community schoolyard initiative is a key part of Trust for Public Land's mission to close the park equity gap and create vibrant, climate-resilient outdoor spaces in neighborhoods that need them most. Across the country, TPL has transformed more than 350 schoolyards, creating dynamic outdoor spaces that boost student health and learning, reduce neighborhood heat, and absorb stormwater.
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About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
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Original text here: https://www.tpl.org/media-room/trust-for-public-land-breaks-ground-on-new-community-schoolyard-at-ps-69-in-jackson-heights
[Category: Environment]
Protect Our Care: Statement - Leader Schumer Puts Health Care Affordability Front and Center as GOP Cuts Put Care Out of Reach for Millions
WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news on April 28, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Leader Schumer Puts Health Care Affordability Front and Center as GOP Cuts Put Care Out of Reach for Millions
Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer released a vision for future health care policy proposals to lower costs for working families, from simpler enrollment and faster care to fewer billing headaches and greater patient control.
After Trump and Republicans slashed more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and hiked premiums for nearly 22 million Americans,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news on April 28, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Leader Schumer Puts Health Care Affordability Front and Center as GOP Cuts Put Care Out of Reach for Millions
Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer released a vision for future health care policy proposals to lower costs for working families, from simpler enrollment and faster care to fewer billing headaches and greater patient control.
After Trump and Republicans slashed more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and hiked premiums for nearly 22 million Americans,health care is the number one concern for Americans. Republicans are scrambling to defend their devastating health care cuts that have driven up costs and put coverage out of reach as they face growing political backlash. Across the country, premiums and out-of-pocket costs are skyrocketing, hospitals and providers are shutting their doors, cutting services, or are at risk of doing so, and millions of Americans are making impossible choices between food, rent, and health care, all because Republicans chose tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations over the well-being and financial security of Americans.
In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach gave the following statement:
"Leader Schumer's framework rightly puts affordability at the center of this fight. Republican policies have only made life more expensive for hard-working families, and nothing has made that more clear than the GOP's catastrophic cuts to health care. Now, as the fallout grows, Republicans are scrambling to cover up their deeply unpopular policies. At a moment when Americans are stretched too thin, the contrast couldn't be clearer. Democrats are fighting to make health care more affordable and accessible for working families, while Republicans back deep cuts to Medicaid and undermine the Affordable Care Act to fund tax breaks for billionaires and Trump's wars. Voters are living with the consequences of GOP cuts every day, and they won't forget who put their health care on the chopping block."
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Original text here: https://www.protectourcare.org/statement-leader-schumer-puts-health-care-affordability-front-and-center-as-gop-cuts-put-care-out-of-reach-for-millions/
[Category: Health Care]
Progress Michigan: Senate Candidate Jason Tunney May Have Lied To Obtain $8.9 Million PPP Loan
LANSING, Michigan, April 29 -- Progress Michigan, an organization that says it holds public officials and government accountable and assist in the promotion of progressive ideas, issued the following news release on April 28, 2026:
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Senate Candidate Jason Tunney May Have Lied To Obtain $8.9 Million PPP Loan
In April of 2020 Duro-Last, which was owned by the family of Jason Tunney, the Republican candidate for Senate District 25, received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for $8,930,292 -- $8,240,178 of which was later forgiven. This loan was in the top 0.1 percent of the largest
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, April 29 -- Progress Michigan, an organization that says it holds public officials and government accountable and assist in the promotion of progressive ideas, issued the following news release on April 28, 2026:
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Senate Candidate Jason Tunney May Have Lied To Obtain $8.9 Million PPP Loan
In April of 2020 Duro-Last, which was owned by the family of Jason Tunney, the Republican candidate for Senate District 25, received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for $8,930,292 -- $8,240,178 of which was later forgiven. This loan was in the top 0.1 percent of the largestloans made in the COVID-19 relief program - and was more than 88 times the size of the average PPP loan.
Duro-Last appears to have listed its employee headcount at exactly 500 in its application. 500 also happens to be the maximum number of workers that a business could employ and receive a PPP loan. However, Duro-Last's Department of Labor Form 5500 covering 2020 showed that Duro-Last began the year with 713 active employees participating in its 401(k) and ended the year with 683 active employees enrolled in the 401(k).
In response to this news, Justin Mendoza, executive director of Progress Michigan, filed a complaint with the Small Business Association and issued the following statement:
"As people cast their ballot for the special election in SD-35, they deserve to know whether or not the family company where Jason Tunney was an executive received a fraudulent PPP loan. If the Small Business Administration finds that Duro-Last did in fact lie on its PPP loan application, this would directly call into question Tunney's ability to serve Bay area residents in the state senate. Lying by the Tunney family company in order to receive millions in taxpayer money is shocking as it is deceitful.
"Let's be clear: At the time of the PPP loan application, Jason Tunney was general counsel and executive vice president of Duro-Last. It is nearly inconceivable to think he would have been unaware of this application and the requirements of the loan, including the cap on the number of employees.
"This kind of waste, fraud and abuse has absolutely no place in Michigan. Voters in SD-35 need to know about the kind of candidate that Jason Tunney is and whether he was a top executive at a family company that wrongfully applied for and received a PPP loan."
A link to the complaint can be found here (https://progressmichigan.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Tunney_SBA_Complaint.pdf).
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Original text here: https://progressmichigan.org/2026/04/senate-candidate-jason-tunney-may-have-lied-to-obtain-8-9-million-ppp-loan/
[Category: Political]
Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Want Elected Officials to Support Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, April 29 (TNSrep) -- Small Business Majority issued the following news release:
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New Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Want Elected Officials to Support Small Businesses
Americans say small business conditions have worsened over the past year and they broadly support candidates who would strongly support leveling the playing field for small businesses versus big corporations
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A vast majority of Americans support small businesses and small business friendly policies. They believe by dramatic margins that the success of small businesses is better for their families and the economy
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 29 (TNSrep) -- Small Business Majority issued the following news release:
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New Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Want Elected Officials to Support Small Businesses
Americans say small business conditions have worsened over the past year and they broadly support candidates who would strongly support leveling the playing field for small businesses versus big corporations
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A vast majority of Americans support small businesses and small business friendly policies. They believe by dramatic margins that the success of small businesses is better for their families and the economythan the success of large corporations, and it's personally important to them that local small businesses in their communities thrive, according to a new survey.
The national opinion poll (https://smallbusinessmajority.org/our-research/american-voters-want-elected-officials-to-support-small-business), which is a sampling of likely 2026 midterm voters, finds 73% say the success of small businesses is better for their families and 83% believe it's better for the economy than the success of large corporations, while 89% say the success of small business is important to them personally.
The survey also reveals that three-quarters of voters say conditions have worsened for small businesses over the past year, with a bipartisan majority agreeing that the overall cost of living is rising and that small businesses are bearing the brunt of those growing costs (94% of Democrats, 80% of independents and 59% of Republicans agree). Respondents say that tariffs, unfair competition, the cost of healthcare and tax equity are among the top concerns small businesses are facing.
Voters across the political spectrum say they are much more likely to support candidates who address small business affordability challenges, stand up for small businesses against monopolies and favor small business friendly policies such as making healthcare more accessible. In fact, 91% (including 73% of independents and 64% of Republicans) are more likely to vote for a candidate who would support policies reducing the cost of healthcare including prescription drugs, and 91% (including 62% of independents and 54% of Republicans) are more likely to vote for a candidate who believes small businesses should be able to access affordable healthcare for themselves and their employees.
"From tariffs, to high healthcare costs to immigration actions that reduce the labor force, it's a challenging time to be a small business owner," said Mike Roach, co-owner of Paloma Clothing in Portland, Ore. "It's encouraging to know that the vast majority of voters support small business owners like me and want to see elected officials champion policies that are pro-small business instead of cozying up to the big businesses that can afford to shower politicians with campaign contributions."
The survey also found voters across party lines are supportive of statements that highlight the need to level the playing field for small businesses with 96% of Democrats, three-quarters of independents and 64% of Republicans convinced that elected officials should fight for small businesses instead of large corporations.
"Americans don't agree on much across party lines these days, but our polling shows voters overwhelmingly support America's small businesses - and that support remains strong regardless of party identification," said Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer. "Therefore, it's not surprising that voters say they are far more likely to vote for candidates for public office who support pro-small business policies. This is notable because we often see candidates pay lip service to how much they value small businesses, then they vote for policies that harm small firms or fail to stand up for Main Street in tough times. Hopefully, this polling will send a clear message to candidates that supporting small businesses, and vociferously articulating that support, is good for them electorally and good for our country as a whole."
Small Business Majority's poll reflects a survey of 1,000 likely 2026 midterm voters nationwide. Many respondents report connections to small businesses: 34% say they are either a current or retired entrepreneur or have a current or retired entrepreneur in their household. The poll was designed and administered by Lake Research Partners, and was conducted Feb. 23 - March 2, 2026 by live telephone and text-to-online interviews in English as well as Spanish. The margin of error for the full sample is +/- 3.1% at a 95% confidence level.
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About Small Business Majority
Small Business Majority is a national small business organization that empowers America's diverse entrepreneurs to build a thriving and equitable economy. We engage our network of more than 85,000 small businesses and 1,500 business and community organizations to advocate for public policy solutions and deliver resources to entrepreneurs that promote equitable small business growth. Our deep connections with the small business community along with our scientific research enable us to educate the public about key issues impacting America's entrepreneurs, with a special focus on advancing the smallest businesses and those facing systemic inequalities. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on Twitter(X), Facebook and Instagram.
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Original text here: https://smallbusinessmajority.org/press-release/new-poll-voters-overwhelmingly-want-elected-officials-support-small-businesses
[Category: Business]
Consumer Reports Statement on the Signing of Maryland's Protection From Predatory Pricing Act Into Law
YONKERS, New York, April 29 -- Consumer Reports posted the following news release:
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Consumer Reports statement on the signing of Maryland's Protection from Predatory Pricing Act into law
Annapolis, Maryland - Governor Wes Moore signed the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act into law today, making Maryland the first state in the nation to attempt to ban personalized pricing at grocery stores. The law will go into effect on October 1, 2026.
Consumer Reports recently voiced strong concerns about provisions in the law prior to its signing, noting that industry-backed changes weakened the
... Show Full Article
YONKERS, New York, April 29 -- Consumer Reports posted the following news release:
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Consumer Reports statement on the signing of Maryland's Protection from Predatory Pricing Act into law
Annapolis, Maryland - Governor Wes Moore signed the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act into law today, making Maryland the first state in the nation to attempt to ban personalized pricing at grocery stores. The law will go into effect on October 1, 2026.
Consumer Reports recently voiced strong concerns about provisions in the law prior to its signing, noting that industry-backed changes weakened themeasure and made it unlikely to protect Marylanders from surveillance pricing.
"We appreciate Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland legislature for making the issue of surveillance pricing a top priority during this legislative session," said Grace Gedye, senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports. "Unfortunately this law has too many industry-friendly loopholes, and weak enforcement provisions. It won't protect Marylanders from surveillance pricing. We urge Maryland lawmakers to revisit the legislation next year to build in stronger consumer protections and remove loopholes that undermine the intent of this law."
Several provisions of the law undercut its ban on surveillance pricing, including:
* Applying the ban only to using personal data to set higher prices without establishing any baseline or standard price (with no set standard price, everything can be marketed as a discount)
* Applying the ban only to customized prices for individuals, but not hyper-specific segments of consumers (eg. "shoppers over 70, who live alone, don't live near competitor stores, and are interested in recliners"). Surveillance pricing for niche consumer segments has a similar impact in practice to individual-level pricing.
* Exempting any pricing associated with a loyalty or membership programs -- even if the prices offered through a loyalty program are higher
* Exempting any pricing associated with purchases made on a subscription basis or in association with a subscription service
Additionally, the law has weak enforcement provisions. Consumers are not permitted to sue companies if they've been subject to surveillance pricing; this is a departure from Maryland's primary consumer protection law. Only the Maryland Attorney General can bring suits, and is required to send companies a notice that they've violated the law and give them 45 days to fix violations without further legal ramification.
Consumer Reports recently investigated Kroger's consumer data practices and found that they were collecting vast data profiles for individual shoppers, with inferences about their income, family size, education level, gender, and more. One shopper who requested their data under a state privacy law received a 62-page profile.
In December 2025, CR, along with partners Groundwork Collaborative and More Perfect Union, published an investigation into Instacart's pricing tactics. CR had nearly 400 consumers shop for the same basket of goods at the same time. Analysis of the shopping data found that consumers were paying different prices for the same products from the same store at the same time. The investigation found that Instacart's algorithmic pricing experiments could result in price differences as high as 23% for certain products and could cost families more than $1,200 a year at checkout. Soon after, Instacart announced in a company blog post that it would end the program that resulted in different shoppers being shown different prices for groceries on its platform. However, Instacart told CR that it would still allow its partners--grocery retailers and food brands--to test different types of promotions and discounts on their customers through the platform.
Many other states are considering surveillance pricing bans including California, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and others.
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Original text here: https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/consumer-reports-statement-on-the-signing-of-marylands-protection-from-predatory-pricing-act-into-law/
[Category: Business]
Catholic League Issues Commentary: Is Sharia A Friend Or Foe of Liberty?
NEW YORK, April 29 -- The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, an organization that defends the right of Catholics to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination, issued the following commentary on April 28, 2026, by President Bill Donohue:
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IS SHARIA A FRIEND OR FOE OF LIBERTY?
Sharia is the law that is derived from Islamic texts and traditions. Whether it is more of a friend or foe of liberty is disputed, but both sides can't be right.
On March 20, the New York Times ran an editorial taking aim at President Trump's "Islamophobia." Without assessing
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, April 29 -- The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, an organization that defends the right of Catholics to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination, issued the following commentary on April 28, 2026, by President Bill Donohue:
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IS SHARIA A FRIEND OR FOE OF LIBERTY?
Sharia is the law that is derived from Islamic texts and traditions. Whether it is more of a friend or foe of liberty is disputed, but both sides can't be right.
On March 20, the New York Times ran an editorial taking aim at President Trump's "Islamophobia." Without assessingits merits, what interests the Catholic League is whether its interpretation of Sharia is correct. It defines it as "a set of principles, based on the Quran, that guide life for Muslims, much as biblical precepts guide Christians and Jews." "Extreme versions" exist, it allows, "including Afghanistan and Iran."
Agreeing with the Times is the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim civil rights organization.
Sharia, it says, "plays the same role in Islam that canon law plays for Catholics and halacha plays for Jews, a voluntary moral compass, not an alternative legal code." It goes on to say that "Like other faith communities in the US and elsewhere, we see no inherent conflict between normative values of Islam and the US Constitution and Bill of Rights."
A week prior to the Times editorial, Rep. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, expressed his concern about those who "come to a country and not assimilate but to impose Sharia law." The problem there, he notes, is that "Sharia law is in conflict with the Constitution."
Agreeing with Johnson is the European Court of Human Rights.
In 2003, the Grand Chamber ruled that "It is difficult to declare one's respect for democracy and human rights while at the same time supporting a regime based on sharia, which clearly diverges from Convention values..." Similarly, according to Islamic scholar Robert Spencer, Sharia law is "contrary to America's founding principles and may violate federal law and the Constitution."
Islamic texts may not settle the issue, but they do not seem to support the position taken by the Times and CAIR.
The Quran (5:44) declares that failing to "judge by what Allah has revealed" makes one a disbeliever. This would appear to render the U.S. Constitution subordinate to Sharia. Furthermore, the Traveller, a classic Islamic manual of Islamic law, notes that "Jihad is a communal obligation." At best, this affirms the need for a militaristic struggle; at worst it is a call to arms.
Leaving aside the scholarly debate, what matters in the end is how Sharia is interpreted by those who implement it.
Freedom House annually reports on the state of freedom worldwide, rating every country as Free, Partly Free, or Not Free. Almost all the countries with a Christian majority are rated Free or Partly Free, and all but one with a Muslim majority (Senegal) are rated Not Free or Partly Free. That says it all.
It is undeniably true that the more fully Sharia is implemented, the greater the threat to civil liberties. In other words, in its purist form, Sharia is wholly incompatible with the tenets of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. But Christianity is not.
The three nations which have full Sharia implementation are Iran, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. They enforce Sharia as the sole or primary source of all law, including Islamic text legal punishments (amputation, flogging, stoning) and capital penalties for apostasy, blasphemy, adultery, and theft.
Islamic Republic of Iran
Freedom House:
Iran's constitution requires all laws to conform to Twelver Shia (Ja'fari) Sharia. Islamic text legal punishments are authorized and regularly applied. Iran's constitution recognizes only Zoroastrians, Jews, and "Christians by birth" (Armenians, Assyrians, etc.) as protected minorities with limited rights. All others, plus converts, are treated as threats to the Islamic state. Apostasy and blasphemy are punishable by death.
* Iran holds regular elections, but they are not free or fair. The unelected Guardian Council vets and disqualifies candidates, and real power lies with the Supreme Leader and unelected institutions that control the security forces, judiciary, and economy. Media are heavily censored, journalists are arrested or killed, and independent. The judiciary is not independent and serves as a tool of repression: arbitrary arrests, torture, unfair trials, and executions are common.
Afghanistan
Freedom House:
* Since overthrowing the elected republican government in August 2021, the Taliban has ruled Afghanistan as an Islamic Emirate with Sharia as the sole legal framework. The Taliban leader exercises unlimited authority by decree, with no constitution in place. Islamic text legal punishments are enforced nationwide. No non-Islamic public worship is permitted, and apostasy carries a death sentence. Women are almost entirely excluded from public life, including education and employment.
* All political parties and opposition groups are banned. There are no elections, no representative bodies, and no independent media.
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The conclusion is obvious: Sharia is the enemy of liberty. We enjoy our freedoms precisely because of our Judeo-Christian heritage.
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Original text here: https://www.catholicleague.org/is-sharia-a-friend-or-foe-of-liberty/
[Category: Sociological]
CAIR Condemns Israel's Extension of Gaza Doctor Hussam Abu Safiya's Detention Without Charges
WASHINGTON, April 29 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 28, 2026:
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CAIR Condemns Israel's Extension of Gaza Doctor Hussam Abu Safiya's Detention Without Charges
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today repeated its call for the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gaza doctor and hospital director who has been in Israeli detention since December 2024, and condemned an Israeli court's extension of his detention without charges.
Today, an Israeli
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 29 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 28, 2026:
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CAIR Condemns Israel's Extension of Gaza Doctor Hussam Abu Safiya's Detention Without Charges
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today repeated its call for the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gaza doctor and hospital director who has been in Israeli detention since December 2024, and condemned an Israeli court's extension of his detention without charges.
Today, an Israelicourt issued a ruling ordering an indefinite extension of Dr. Abu Safiya's detention. According to UN experts, Dr. Abu Safiya has been subjected to torture in Israeli custody.
SEE: Israeli court extends detention of Gaza hospital director Abu Safiya 'without charges' (https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-court-extends-detention-of-gaza-hospital-director-abu-safiya-without-charges-/3920641)
Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) wrote: "He is held in Negev Prison in harsh conditions, without access to medication or medical care, as his health continues to deteriorate."
In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:
"Israel's continued detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya without charge is a grave injustice and a blatant violation of fundamental human rights and due process. As a physician and hospital director, Dr. Abu Safiya dedicated his life to saving others, yet he now faces indefinite imprisonment under conditions that credible reports indicate include torture, denial of medical care, and severe mistreatment.
"Indefinite detention without charge or trial undermines the most basic principles of justice and the rule of law. These actions are especially alarming given Dr. Abu Safiya's reported deteriorating health and the denial of necessary medical treatment while in custody.
"We reiterate our urgent call for Dr. Abu Safiya's immediate release and for accountability regarding the reported abuses he has endured. The international community, including our government, must not remain silent in the face of such violations."
CAIR has previously called for the release of Dr. Abu Safiya.
SEE: CAIR Repeats Call for Release of Gaza Doctor After Reports of Severe Torture (https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-repeats-call-for-release-of-gaza-doctor-after-reports-of-severe-torture/)
CAIR Renews Demand for Release of Gaza Doctor Who Walked Toward Israeli Tank After Fears of Abuse in Detention Grow (https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-renews-demand-for-release-of-gaza-doctor-who-walked-toward-israeli-tank-after-fears-of-abuse-in-detention-grow/)
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-israels-extension-of-gaza-doctor-hussam-abu-safiyas-detention-without-charges/
[Category: Sociological]