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As part of CODEPINK's campaign to end the U.S. blockade of Cuba, over 10,000 people and 30 organizations signed an open letter calling on Biden to abandon Trumps failed policies towards Cuba and return to Obamas diplomatic approach. While the letter commends Bidens easing of travel restrictions to Cuba, it points out that it is not enough. US policies towards Cuba continue to worsen the humanitarian situation for people living in Cuba.

Biden made a campaign promise to review Cubas designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but has yet to fulfill that promise. Removal from the list requires an inquiry into any terrorism-sponsored activity before providing a rescission request to Congress. The signers of the petition request Bidens administration immediately complete that review and initiate proceedings to remove Cuba from the list.

Trumps listing of Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism subjectsthe island nation to a series of sanctions and international financial restrictions that limits Cubas ability to carry out critical financial transactions, including those needed to advance its efforts to combat the pandemic. The economic deprivations to which U.S. sanctions contribute have resulted in the mass migration of Cubans, which is currently a major challenge to U.S. interests in border security, as well as causing a humanitarian crisis for the Cuban people that Bidens administration claims to support.

Removing Cuba from the list would facilitate Cubas ability to access critical foreign assistance and humanitarian aid. It would also advance legitimate U.S. security and humanitarian interests and help the future of the Cuban people.

CODEPINK plans on delivering this letter to various progressive congress members throughout the week including Jim McGovern, Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar. The group will also deliver the letter to opposition figures that continue to advocate for hostility towards Cuba including Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Menendez and Maria Elvira Salazar.

Excerpt from:
Calls for Biden to return to Obama policy and delist Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism grow louder - Common Dreams

LONDON, ENGLAND: The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will be held on September 19 at Westminster Abbey, London, and some of the top world leaders will be marking their attendance. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern, Japan's Emperor Naruhito, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan are some of the leaders who will be seen at the Queens funeral. However, there will be a few who wont be seen at the state honor of the Queen. According to reports, former US President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, former US President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reportedly not got an invite to the Queens funeral. The royal fans will also keep an eye on whether Meghan Markle will make an appearance at Queens funeral or not. For the unversed, the Queen will lie-in-state in Westminster Hall for four days to allow the common public to pay their respects. The Queen died on September 8 at the age of 96. READ MOREQueen Elizabeth II funeral details: Buckingham Palace reveals date, time, and monarchs final resting place

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Medical treatments delayed as hospitals cancel appointments for Queen Elizabeth's funeral

The former President Barack Obama and the former first lady Michelle Obama might not make it to the state funeral of the Queen. According to USA Today, the Obamas have not received an official invite for D-Day. Baracks close pal and US President Joe Biden will be marking his attendance with his wife Jill Biden. The Daily Beast reported that the UK government has decided only to extend invites to current heads of state and their spouses or partners, as opposed to letting each country send a delegation featuring members of their own choosing. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W Bush have also not got the invitation.

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Donald Trump is another former world leader who might not be seen at the Queens funeral. Rumors are rife that he has been expecting an invite since he paid his condolences to the Queen after she died on September 8. However, just like other former US presidents, Trump too may not get an invitation.On his website, he wrote, as reported by the New York Post, Queen Elizabeths historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain. Her leadership and enduring diplomacy secured and advanced alliances with the United States and countries around the world.

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The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September.

Prior to the State Funeral, The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects.

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It is not official whether Putin has been extended an invite for the Queens funeral or not, but he is likely to miss it due to Russia being at war with Ukraine since February 2022. Also, there have been reports of him facing severe health issues.

As for UK leaders, PM Liz Truss and Labour party leader Keir Starmer are expected to attend. The state funeral will also include members of the royal families of Spain, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

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An expert via Fox News shared that Meghan Markle might not attend the Queens funeral. Prince Harry and Meghan were already in the UK when the Queen died and Harry rushed to be with the rest of his family at Balmoral Castle. The royal expert believes that Meghan may return to California ahead of the funeral to be with their children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1. "Harry will likely stay in the UK until the funeral. I cant imagine Meghan wont attend, but again from a human perspective, Meghan was expecting to leave the kids for six days, not weeks, so [it] may not be possible for her to stay the whole time," said the expert.

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According to Sky News, the adorable corgis of the late Queen Elizabeth wont be able to attend the funeral to be held on September 19. Unfortunately, the 'no-dog' rule at Westminster Abbey will not allow the adorable pets to bid their Queen the final goodbye. It has been reported that dogs at the event will not be even permitted to walk on the grounds.

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Speaking of the Queens funeral, King Charles III will host a reception for all the overseas leaders on the evening before the funeral services at Buckingham Palace. The leaders of the state will be able to attend the lying-in-state of the queens body and sign the condolence book at Lancaster House. Leaders and their spouses have been advised to arrive on commercial flights. They are banned from using private state vehicles due to high security.

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Here is the original post:
Obamas, Trump, Putin and Queen's beloved corgis may not make it to the funeral, here's why - MEAWW

As expected, state Attorney General Maura Healey won the Democratic nomination for Massachusetts governor Tuesday, months after she effectively cleared the field and strode one step closer to making history as the first woman elected to lead the commonwealth and potentially break another ceiling as the first lesbian in the country elected to the corner office in a statehouse.

Big? Sure. And more on what Healeys political future might look like below. But her win was not the real Democratic headline coming out of Boston on Tuesday.

Instead, it was the slow-boil drama about Healeys running mate that kept Bay State insiders humming with the slightest uncertainty. Thats because one candidate in the lieutenant governor race had the states party leaders behind her, and the other had the clear backing of Barack Obama.

It was scarcely a secret that the Massachusetts Democratic Party favored Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll as a running mate for Healey, over state senator Eric Lesser, a 30-something idealist who got his start working on Obamas first campaign even before graduating from college.

Both candidates had their own appeals to the party base in Massachusetts, even if there wasnt a ton of daylight between them, or with state Rep. Tami Gouveia who placed a distant third. Driscoll campaigned as a steady insider, an even-handed figure who would help Healey shore up her support among female voters; the Healey-Driscoll ticket is the first time Massachusetts voters picked an all-female team for governor and lieutenant governor. Lesser, meanwhile, was a technocrats dream candidate, a former West Wing aide who worked on economic policy after graduating from his roles as human answering machine and one-man luggage manager.

[A needed disclosure and background: I have been friendly with Lesser for 15 years, dating to our mutual days traipsing through New Hampshire at the start of Obamas nascent bid. I am not unique in that regard among the press corps. In the White House, Lesser was the gatekeeper for Obama alter-ego David Axelrod, who hosted fundraisers for his former aide.]

Healey, of course, kept publicly neutral. But Driscoll won the endorsement at the state party convention in June and immediately became the person to beat. Lesser had seen the play before; after all, the unofficial posture of the Democratic Party in 2008 was that it was Hillary Clintons nomination to lose, until Obamas team short-circuited that conventional wisdom.

Still, an Obamaesque come-from-behind campaign is a once-in-a-generation accomplishment. And while the Obama alumni network came out in force and helped Lesser stay competitive in the money race, it couldnt match the power of a state political machine or an outside super PAC powered, in part, with Republican developers dollars. Even Lesser landing the coveted status symbol of a photo-op walking and chatting with his former top boss in Marthas Vineyard wasnt enough to spook the state party.

But while the lieutenant governor race stoked plenty of drama, Healeys glide path to her partys nomination is teeing up different conversations.

Massachusetts has an open race for governor this year. Charlie Baker, the popular Republican incumbent, opted for the exits after ex-President Donald Trump endorsed a primary challenger, Geoff Diehl, who won Tuesday night. It mirrored Maryland Gov. Larry Hogans choice to bypass another election. The same can be said for Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. Rather than fight the MAGA Movement, the trio opted to find easier lives.

With Diehl as the nominee, Massachusetts is one of the Democratic Partys ripest chances to reduce their deficit in governorships. Republicans have a six-seat advantage over Democrats at the moment, although Trump-like GOP candidates in multiple states puts that number on shaky ground. Democratic meddling to boost perceived extremists hasnt hurt, either. (Unless, of course, those extremists win.)

Healeys now expected to win in the fall, raising new questions about her future. Few political insiders credibly think Healeys political career ends on Beacon Hill, and its entirely possible she could eventually be plucked for a federal posting. Shes been on the forefront of gun violence prevention for years, sued the Donald Trump administration almost 100 times, and has a turnkey LGBTQ fundraising advantage nationally that is potentially second only to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

And bear in mind: the governors office in Boston isnt a terrible launching pad for a presidential run: of the last six CEOs of Massachusetts, four have sought the White House. TwoMichael Dukakis and Mitt Romneycaptured the nomination. Of course, neither won.

Still, three of those four presidential contenders were white dudes, and all were straight. And, in a Democratic Party looking for change, a lesbian trainblazer with a powerful donor Rolodex could be mighty appealing, if not in 2024, then in 2028 or beyond. Massachusetts Democrats are betting this isnt Healeys last act. And, quietly, the most popular Democrat in the countrywho has an estate on Marthas Vineyardsuspects Lessers final act isnt written, either.

More Must-Read Stories From TIME

Write to Philip Elliott at philip.elliott@time.com.

Read the original here:
Kimberly Driscoll Beats Obama's Pick in Mass Primary - TIME

The YouTube giant, MrBeast, has partnered with his friends and fellow streamers, to produce one of the greatest content. From the Squid games recreational video to creating enticing challenges, they have never left the audience disappointed. And they are back on Twitter to entertain the community with an amazing trend. Evidently, they seem to have made popular celebrities a part of their group.

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MrBeast exhibits a persona of entertaining the community by being within it. Whether it be his friends or fellow fans, he manages to produce remarkable trends and videos with anyone. Though MrBeast crews huge cash giveaways have become a vital trend, a Twitter thread steals the show.

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The trend starts with a question that MrBeasts close friend, Karl Jacobs, tweeted way back in July 2020. He said, Where my late night daddys? by posting a filtered image of himself with the tweet. To clarify, the tweet was done as a Fathers Day, trend on its designated day.

Fortunately, the call has now been heard and people have marked their presence in the replies. MrBeasts friends Sapnap, TommyInnit, Tubbo, and George Davidson along with Jimmy himself tagged celebrities by replying to the tweet. Barack Obama, Taylor Swift, and Dwayne Johnson were tagged by the group on Twitter.

Here are the series of tweets made by MrBeast and his friends:

Not only did the group of MrBeasts friends create an amazing Twitter thread, but the community also rejoiced to see popular celebrities becoming a part of the trend. Above all, a two-year-old tweet becomes the highlight of the present. Who had known that a call of Karl would be answered this well?

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This is not the first time that MrBeast and his friends have engaged with the community. Recently, MrBeast along with his crew, inaugurated the first physical MrBeast Burger restaurant in American Dream Mall. In a banterpodcast, Karl explained how jam-packed the mall was that day. Moreover, he highlights how the event was a big success.

Even then, MrBeast and his crew had arranged a challenge for the community. And the winners of the challenge went home with a huge amount of money. Obviously, with a stomach full of tasty beast burgers too. Thus, only the future can unveil what the YouTube giant has planned to treat the community.

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Have you tried the beast burger from the MrBeast Burger restaurant? What do you like the most on the menu? Feel free to tell us below.

WATCH THIS STORY: MrBeast Spends Nearly $10000 To Buy the Most Insane Things From Amazon

See more here:
Barack Obama, Taylor Swift and Dwayne Johnson Become a Part of Hilarious Fathers Day Thread Thanks to MrBeast and His Friends - EssentiallySports

Programming, which kicks off this September,will bring together students from across campus who are current students in their final year of study in a masters program at Chicago Booth, Harris School or the Crown Family School. The UChicago Obama Scholars will supplement their studies with innovative co-curricular programming, and engage with partners on the South Side of Chicago, while applying those experiences to advance social change.

The Obama Scholars program provides students with the unique opportunity to give and gain insight into the work that fellow young leaders are driving in their communities, while speaking to the intersectionality of their efforts through collaboration, said Valerie Jarrett, chief executive officer of the Obama Foundation. We are eager to welcome the new cohort of scholars to the Foundation familya network of changemakers tirelessly working for a more equitable future.

Generous support for the University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars program is being provided by BMO Harris Bank; Robert and Jane Clark; The Clayco Foundation; The Crown Family; The Harris Family Foundation; Rachel DeYoung Kohler and Mark S. Hoplamazian; The Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation; Charles Ashby Lewis and Penny Bender Sebring; The Lewis-Sebring Family Foundation; The Neubauer Family Foundation; and Susan Rustandy and Tandean Rustandy.

The program is designed to inspire and connect emerging leaders with the tools to better impact their global communities. Members of this years cohort are actively working to address many challenges and issue areas across the globefrom projects in Chicago to the Middle East to Africa to Asia.

To learn more about the program, please visitharris.uchicago.edu/obamascholars. Learn more about this years UChicago Obama Scholars below:

Deqa Aden (Harris) - SomalilandFormer Manager, HarhubEmpowering victims of gender-based violence in Somaliland by providing access to legal services, medical and psychosocial treatments.

Chris Akel (Crown) - ChicagoCo-founder, PathwaysNurturing access to education and mental health counseling for youth leadership development in refugee, rural and low-income Palestinian communities.

Olamide Babatunde (Booth) - ChicagoFormer Director, Alumni Career Office, Noble Network of Charter SchoolsImproving career opportunities for low-income youth and adults across Chicago.

Linda Flor Brito (Harris) - ChicagoCommunity Organizer, Centro de Trabajadores UnidosBuilding collective resistance against the deportation and criminalization of immigrants and forcefully displaced communities.

Binh (Ben) Bui (Booth) - VietnamFounding Member and Product Lead, Social WalkIncreasing educational opportunities for underserved learners through technology.

Christine Goggins (Crown) - ChicagoLead Violence Recovery Specialist, University of Chicago Medical CenterProviding crisis intervention care to promote the comprehensive recovery of victims and families of intentional violence.

Noel Green (Crown) - ChicagoStudent and Change Agent, Southside Health Advocacy Resource Partnership (S.H.A.R.P.)Curating community-driven models of social change that foster liberation of marginalized groups from oppressive systems.

Ben Harris (Booth) - Denver, ColoradoFormer Health and Social Systems Strategic Advisor, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and FinancingDeveloping and supporting community-based service models for individuals with complex health and social needs.

Amanda Lee (Booth) - ChicagoDirector of Practice Transformation, Access Community Health NetworkTransforming health care delivery in the community health setting to advance health equity.

Orlando Mayorga (Crown) - ChicagoMcCormick Reentry Policy Coordinator, Justice, Equity and Opportunity Initiative - Office of Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana StrattonChampioning restorative and transformative policy reform that supports healing for people and communities impacted by mass incarceration.

Heena Mohammed (Harris) - United KingdomFormer Policy Advisor, UK GovernmentDesigning and improving equitable, community-based solutions to eliminating racial disparities in crime and policing policy.

Karem Muksed (Crown) - ChicagoMental Health Professional and Refugee and Immigrant AdvocateIncreasing mental health care access to refugees by focusing on services and trauma-informed practices.

Omotunde Odedeyi (Booth) - NigeriaCo-Founder, JetAfricaBridging the opportunity gap for young Nigerians through mentorship and entrepreneurial skills development.

Rebecca Silverman (Crown) - ChicagoCo-Founder, Rose CafPromoting literacy, education and peace in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago.

Nishit Shukla (Harris) - India Co-Founder, ReHiveScaling impact of promising climate adaptation startups through climate finance solutions.

Lily Wang (Booth) - Canada Co-Founder & CEO, DemiBuilding a healthier planet through sleek and convenient urban composting solutions to reduce food waste and encourage sustainable living habits.

DeKevious Wilson (Harris) - ChicagoRegional Manager, Youth Guidance - Becoming A Man Program (BAM)Fostering, supporting and strengthening resources of urban communities through mental health advocacy and policy work.

Umama Zillur (Harris) - BangladeshFounder and Director, KothaAddressing the root causes of gender-based violence in Bangladesh and South Asia through advocacy and educational interventions.

The rest is here:
2022-23 class of University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars announced - UChicago News