Public Policy & NGOs
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World Jewish Congress Welcomes Senate Confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism
NEW YORK, Dec. 21 -- The World Jewish Congress issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2025:
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World Jewish Congress Welcomes Senate Confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism
The World Jewish Congress today welcomed the U.S. Senate's confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, with the rank of ambassador. World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder said:
"President Trump made a strong choice in nominating Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun to serve as U.S. State Department Special Envoy to Monitor
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Dec. 21 -- The World Jewish Congress issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2025:
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World Jewish Congress Welcomes Senate Confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism
The World Jewish Congress today welcomed the U.S. Senate's confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, with the rank of ambassador. World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder said:
"President Trump made a strong choice in nominating Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun to serve as U.S. State Department Special Envoy to Monitorand Combat Antisemitism. I am deeply grateful to the President for ensuring this critical position is filled by a dedicated fighter against anti-Jewish hatred.
"As we saw this week in Sydney, antisemitism is global, coordinated, and emboldened, and it demands leadership that understands the stakes and the responsibility of this role. The WJC serves Jewish communities in more than one hundred countries, and I look forward to engaging with Rabbi Kaploun as he works to protect them from the grave threats they face today. I am also pleased that he will be joining the Special Envoys & Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) forum, first organized by the World Jewish Congress in 2019, which remains the most important international network of government officials dedicated to confronting antisemitism."
Phil Rosen, Chair of the World Jewish Congress American Section, added:
"I have known Rabbi Kaploun for more than twenty years, and I have long respected the seriousness and judgment he brings to this fight. President Trump recognized the urgency of this moment in moving quickly to nominate him, and that decision mattered. Even before his confirmation, Rabbi Kaploun was already at work in his private capacity. He joined me at the WJC's Special Envoys meeting in November to engage directly with the dozens of special envoys and national coordinators gathered at the State Department and begin building the relationships this role demands.
"He has been clear about the need to elevate the Special Envoy's office and to establish a dedicated unit focused on confronting online hate, and that level of preparation reflects the urgency and resolve he will bring to combating antisemitism from day one."
Rabbi Kaploun's confirmation follows close recent engagement with the World Jewish Congress, including his participation in the international meeting of Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) convened by the WJC and hosted by the United States Department of State in early November."
The World Jewish Congress also thanks the professional staff of the Office of the Special Envoy and their colleagues at the State Department, under Secretary Rubio's steady leadership, for their tireless work and clear support for the office and its mission during the interim period.
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The WJC regularly convenes the forum of Special Envoys & Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) comprising officials tasked with combating antisemitism on behalf of national government and international institutions.
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About the World Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments and international organizations.
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Original text here: https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/world-jewish-congress-welcomes-senate-confirmation-of-rabbi-yehuda-kaploun-as-us-special-envoy-to-monitor-and-combat-antisemitism
[Category: Religion]
World Jewish Congress Reacts to Antisemitic Attack in Sydney
NEW YORK, Dec. 21 -- The World Jewish Congress issued the following news release:
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World Jewish Congress Reacts to Antisemitic Attack in Sydney
After an antisemitic attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, Amb. Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, released the following statement:
"I am deeply shocked and saddened by the deadly terror attack near Bondi Beach in Sydney, where members of the Jewish community were gathered to mark the first night of Hanukkah.
"My immediate thoughts are with every Jew across Australia and around the world in this painful moment.
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Dec. 21 -- The World Jewish Congress issued the following news release:
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World Jewish Congress Reacts to Antisemitic Attack in Sydney
After an antisemitic attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, Amb. Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, released the following statement:
"I am deeply shocked and saddened by the deadly terror attack near Bondi Beach in Sydney, where members of the Jewish community were gathered to mark the first night of Hanukkah.
"My immediate thoughts are with every Jew across Australia and around the world in this painful moment.No community should ever fear coming together to celebrate its faith, traditions, or identity.
"The World Jewish Congress is in close contact with local leaders responding on the ground. As information about ongoing threats continues to arrive, we must heighten vigilance and work in close coordination with law enforcement and security authorities to ensure that Jewish life can continue openly, safely, and without intimidation.
"Make no mistake, this will not break us. We will continue to stand proudly, united against all forms of violence and hate, and in unwavering solidarity with Jewish communities everywhere."
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About the World Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments and international organizations.
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Original text here: https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/world-jewish-congress-reacts-to-antisemitic-attack-in-sydney
[Category: Religion]
Video: Alabama Journalists Say Sen. Tuberville Has 'Hatred for Islam,' CAIR Designation as Anti-Muslim Extremist 'Fits His Rhetoric'
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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Video: Alabama Journalists Say Sen. Tuberville Has 'Hatred for Islam,' CAIR Designation as Anti-Muslim Extremist 'Fits His Rhetoric'
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WATCH THE VIDEO.
I can tell you where the spirit of love is anything but abounding and that is with our Erstwhile, Tommy Tuberville, coach as he likes to be called as a grown man. And he has come out again and doubled down on his hatred for Islam, he's calling Islam a cult. He is called to deport Islamic citizens of this country.
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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Video: Alabama Journalists Say Sen. Tuberville Has 'Hatred for Islam,' CAIR Designation as Anti-Muslim Extremist 'Fits His Rhetoric'
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WATCH THE VIDEO.
I can tell you where the spirit of love is anything but abounding and that is with our Erstwhile, Tommy Tuberville, coach as he likes to be called as a grown man. And he has come out again and doubled down on his hatred for Islam, he's calling Islam a cult. He is called to deport Islamic citizens of this country.
And he has now been designated an anti-Muslim extremist. And I think that designation fits his rhetoric.
It absolutely does. He's now become the first Senator to be labeled an anti-Muslim extremist. How proud has the state got to be of that?
And he's very proud of it, Josh. He posted on social media that he wears this hatred as a badge of honor. Now, I don't think he really understands the Muslim faith at all, but I think he does understand racism and hate. I think he understands that perfectly. For a guy whose career was made on the backs of black men, of black he sure has shown his colors as, my interpretation, a racist Islamophobe. But again, that's my opinion.
CAIR Designates Sen. Tuberville as Anti-Muslim Extremist, Condemns Use of 'George Wallace-Era' Bigotry
CAIR Designates Sen. Tuberville as Anti-Muslim Extremist, Condemns Use of 'George Wallace-Era' Bigotry
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/video-alabama-journalists-say-sen-tuberville-has-hatred-for-islam-cair-designation-as-anti-muslim-extremist-fits-his-rhetoric/
Hong Kong: Freedom House Condemns Unjust Conviction of Jimmy Lai
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Freedom House issued the following news release:
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Hong Kong: Freedom House Condemns Unjust Conviction of Jimmy Lai
The former media owner's case is just one of many in a multiyear crackdown on freedom of speech and dissent, and another signal that the rule of law has deteriorated under Beijing's influence.
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In response to the December 15 conviction of former media owner and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai in a Hong Kong court, Freedom House Presidents Gerardo Berthin and Annie Boyajian issued the following statement:
"Jimmy Lai's conviction, on vague charges of
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Freedom House issued the following news release:
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Hong Kong: Freedom House Condemns Unjust Conviction of Jimmy Lai
The former media owner's case is just one of many in a multiyear crackdown on freedom of speech and dissent, and another signal that the rule of law has deteriorated under Beijing's influence.
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In response to the December 15 conviction of former media owner and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai in a Hong Kong court, Freedom House Presidents Gerardo Berthin and Annie Boyajian issued the following statement:
"Jimmy Lai's conviction, on vague charges ofcolluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiracy to publish seditious content, is a profound injustice that was essentially predetermined under Hong Kong's National Security Law, imposed by Beijing in 2020. Among other serious flaws, the law allows lengthy sentences for ill-defined offenses, empowers the government to decide which judges preside over national security cases, and makes it difficult to obtain bail. Lai, 78, has been continuously detained and imprisoned on numerous charges since 2020, and his health has steadily declined behind bars. He is just one of many Hong Kong activists, politicians, and journalists who have faced prosecution under the National Security Law or other repressive legislation in recent years.
"Lai's impressive career as a businessman, media owner, and outspoken champion of democracy was made possible by Hong Kong's unique environment, where social and economic dynamism historically rested on a foundation of robust civil liberties and the rule of law. That foundation has been systematically dismantled under pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime in Beijing, causing the territory's total score in Freedom House's Freedom in the World report to drop from 68 out of 100 in 2010 to just 40 in 2025. In a sense, Lai's own hardships over the past decade have mirrored the loss of freedom experienced by the entire Hong Kong population.
"We call on democratic governments around the world to use every diplomatic and economic tool at their disposal to help secure the release of Jimmy Lai and other political prisoners in Hong Kong. Democratic societies should also take steps to protect Hong Kongers living in exile from acts of transnational repression by the Hong Kong and Chinese governments. Finally, the world's democracies should reinvest in long-term efforts to uphold fundamental rights in China, as it is increasingly clear that Hong Kong's freedom will not be secure so long as the mainland is subject to oppressive CCP rule."
Hong Kong is rated Partly Free in Freedom in the World 2025. China is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2025 and Not Free in Freedom on the Net 2025.
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Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to create a world where all are free. We inform the world about threats to freedom, mobilize global action, and support democracy's defenders.
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Original text here: https://freedomhouse.org/article/hong-kong-freedom-house-condemns-unjust-conviction-jimmy-lai
[Category: International]
During a Season of Light, Choosing Solidarity Over Silence
PHOENIX, Arizona, Dec. 21 -- The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued the following statement on Dec. 18, 2025, by President and CEO Danny Seiden:
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During a season of light, choosing solidarity over silence
This Hanukkah season has gotten off to a rough start. A celebration of resilience, renewal, and a miracle had a pall cast over it because of two antisemitic lunatics who opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Australia last weekend.
Fifteen people were killed by the father-son assailants, whose car contained explosives and ISIS flags. Police fatally shot
... Show Full Article
PHOENIX, Arizona, Dec. 21 -- The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued the following statement on Dec. 18, 2025, by President and CEO Danny Seiden:
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During a season of light, choosing solidarity over silence
This Hanukkah season has gotten off to a rough start. A celebration of resilience, renewal, and a miracle had a pall cast over it because of two antisemitic lunatics who opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Australia last weekend.
Fifteen people were killed by the father-son assailants, whose car contained explosives and ISIS flags. Police fatally shotthe father. The son is in the hospital and is expected to face several terrorism charges. Among the victims were a 10-year-old, a retired cop, two rabbis, and a Holocaust survivor.
I have little to offer by way of commentary that hasn't already been said. Such horrific events shock the conscience. It was an act of pure evil.
I am dispositionally conservative. I have long accepted that we are a fallen people and deeply fallible. But even someone whose expectations of his fellow man are low can be rattled by something as awful as what occurred in Australia or at the Nova Music Festival in 2023.
What happened last weekend is an unfortunate reminder that no law can cure the disease that infects human nature.
That's not to say I don't applaud lawmakers and leaders from both parties who have strived to root out the scourge of antisemitism in our state. Teaching Arizona schoolkids about the Holocaust isn't too much to ask, nor is stopping the state from doing business with companies that participate in the anti-Israel BDS (boycott, divest, and sanction) movement. I can't muster much sympathy for anti-Israel protestors charged with trespassing for setting up an encampment at the ASU campus.
But hate can't be legislated away, and there are some people who have been sucked into the internet cesspool of conspiracy, grievance, and resentment and can't find their way out. After all, look at who commands the largest followings on social media. A huge segment of our society is marinating in this stuff. Some elected officials, all of whom should know better, have waded into the morass.
On the first night of Hanukkah at a celebration in downtown Phoenix, the security presence was stepped up. The presence of armed police at a gathering of the Jewish community should hardly be a surprise. Not after Poway or Pittsburgh or Toronto. (The fact that I can rattle those off without even googling them is a sad testimony of the frequency of such atrocities.)
Even Amsterdam, the city where visitors can step inside the home where Anne Frank and her family lived in hiding from Nazis for more than two years, saw anti-Jewish protests last Sunday, interrupting a Hanukkah concert.
I've had the fortune of visiting Israel on a handful of occasions. I've come away invigorated and inspired every time. As a person whose religious roots count more than one faith tradition, I can't help but feel a little closer to the Jewish side of my family tree with each trip, nor can I look away when barbarism is visited upon the Jewish people. An attack half a world away is not an abstraction.
There's nothing I can say to assuage the pain of Jews around the world, time and again the victims of senseless violence. All I can do is profess my solidarity with them and remind those around me that Israel is a light unto the world.
During this season of light, I hope you'll resist the darkness and choose clarity over cynicism, truth over grievance, and solidarity over silence.
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Original text here: https://azchamber.com/blog/press-releases/during-a-season-of-light-choosing-solidarity-over-silence/
[Category: Business]
Chesapeake Bay Program: Cool August Temperatures Lead to a Shorter-than-average Dead Zone in 2025
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, Dec. 21 -- The Chesapeake Bay Program issued the following news:
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Cool August temperatures lead to a shorter-than-average dead zone in 2025
Heavy May rainfall contributes to slightly-higher-than-average amounts of hypoxia in the Bay
By Rachel Felver
It's long been proven that weather, particularly rainfall, can heavily impact ecosystems. In 2018 and 2019, heavy rains brought higher-than-normal amounts of fresh water flowing into the Chesapeake, causing blue crab populations, who prefer salty water, to migrate to the southern Bay. Heavier river flows also wash increased
... Show Full Article
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, Dec. 21 -- The Chesapeake Bay Program issued the following news:
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Cool August temperatures lead to a shorter-than-average dead zone in 2025
Heavy May rainfall contributes to slightly-higher-than-average amounts of hypoxia in the Bay
By Rachel Felver
It's long been proven that weather, particularly rainfall, can heavily impact ecosystems. In 2018 and 2019, heavy rains brought higher-than-normal amounts of fresh water flowing into the Chesapeake, causing blue crab populations, who prefer salty water, to migrate to the southern Bay. Heavier river flows also wash increasedamounts of pollution into waterways from the land, which can smother underwater grass species, cause oyster-killing diseases to rise, stimulate algal blooms and ultimately impact the size and duration of dead zones.
Much of the Chesapeake Bay watershed experienced similar weather conditions in 2025-an extremely wet May, followed by high temperatures and a drier-than-usual summer, leading to drought warnings across the region. These conditions were to blame for above average hypoxia noted in the Chesapeake Bay in late June through early August during the summer of 2025.
Dr. Marjy Friedrichs from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), noted that "July's persistent hypoxia illustrates how sensitive the ecosystem is to subtle shifts in wind, temperature and river flow. These changes can have real implications for the distribution and behavior of fish, crabs and other species that rely on well-oxygenated habitat."
Hypoxia refers to low-oxygen conditions occurring in a body of water. These circumstances are often unable to support marine life, which is why these regions are referred to as "dead zones." Hypoxic conditions form when nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment enter waterways in greater amounts than the ecosystem can handle. It causes naturally-occurring algae to grow and bloom in large quantities and then die off. When these algae blooms decompose, they remove oxygen from the surrounding water faster than it can be replenished, causing marine life to seek new habitat or die off.
Each year, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Old Dominion University conduct water quality monitoring cruises from May-October to measure the amount of hypoxia in the Bay. Results from these cruises can be found on Maryland DNR's Eyes on the Bay and Virginia's Estuarine & Coastal Observing System (VECOS) websites, respectively.
Additionally, VIMS and Anchor QEA use a sophisticated computer model, combined with local weather information and estimates of nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Bay from its surrounding watershed to produce daily, real-time estimates of the size of the dead zone throughout the summer. These forecasts, along with other daily estimates of environmental conditions throughout the Bay, can be viewed on the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Forecast System.
In 2025, temperatures in mid-to-late August were cooler than normal, and when Hurricane Erin passed offshore of the Chesapeake Bay in August, hypoxia levels began to dissipate. By mid-September, VIMS notes that it had ended for the year, although Maryland DNR cautions that several stations in Maryland's lower Bay were unable to be sampled in September.
The duration of hypoxia noted in the Chesapeake Bay in summer 2025 was lower than the long-term average (1985-2024) at only 60 days. The daily amount of hypoxia noted in the Bay, along with the total annual average amount, fell within the normal range and was close to the long-term average. Maryland DNR estimated that 2025 had the 11th largest observed seasonal volume of hypoxia over the past 41 years.
Actions taken throughout the watershed also play a significant role in the size and duration of the annual dead zone. Best management practices installed by farmers, nonprofits, local governments and state agencies can help manage the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollutants that enter the Bay and cause hypoxic conditions.
Want to make sure that a smaller dead zone is observed in 2026? Check out ways that you can help protect the Chesapeake Bay.
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About the author
Rachel Felver
rfelver@chesapeakebay.net
Rachel is the Director of Communications for the Chesapeake Bay Program. She has the experience of growing up in a headwaters state--Pennsylvania--and is now living life right next to the Bay in Maryland. After obtaining her masters' in environmental policy and management from the University of Pittsburgh, she spent almost nine years with the Environmental Protection Agency before a stint with the National Aquarium. She loves to explore the watershed by hiking, paddleboarding and kayaking.
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Original text here: https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/cool-august-temperatures-lead-to-a-shorter-than-average-dead-zone-in-2025
[Category: Environment]
B'nai B'rith Welcomes the Confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- B'nai B'rith International issued the following news release:
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B'nai B'rith Welcomes the Confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism
B'nai B'rith President Robert Spitzer and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
B'nai B'rith International welcomes the confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism by the United States Senate. Amid the epidemic of worldwide anti-Semitism, we stress how vital this role is for Jewish safety and prosperity globally.
This
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- B'nai B'rith International issued the following news release:
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B'nai B'rith Welcomes the Confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism
B'nai B'rith President Robert Spitzer and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
B'nai B'rith International welcomes the confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism by the United States Senate. Amid the epidemic of worldwide anti-Semitism, we stress how vital this role is for Jewish safety and prosperity globally.
ThisHanukkah alone the international Jewish community has endured attacks including the Bondi Beach massacre which resulted in the murder of 15 Jews including a 10-year-old and a Holocaust survivor; the shooting at a Jewish home in California; and a series of assaults, including a stabbing, in New York City.
B'nai B'rith looks forward to working closely with Rabbi Kaploun to combat global anti-Semitism, strengthen education and support public policies that protect and uplift Jewish communities.
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Original text here: https://www.bnaibrith.org/bnai-brith-welcomes-yehuda-kaploun-as-special-envoy/
[Category: Religion]
