Deep River Riverkeeper founded + upcoming events

Coming up:

"Chatham County Board of Elections Extends 2025 Municipal Candidate Filing

PITTSBORO, NC— The Chatham County Board of Elections announces an extended candidate filing period for eligible residents interested in running for local offices in the 2025 election. Registered voters who reside in Chatham County, NC, may file to run for the following offices:

Town of Goldston Commissioner – Ward 3

Goldston Gulf Sanitary District – Two Board Member Seats

WHAT: 2025 Extended Municipal Candidate Filing

WHEN: Monday, July 28, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. through Friday, August 1, 2025, at noon. During this period, candidates can file to run for office Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. WHERE: Chatham County Board of Elections 984 Thompson St. Suite D Pittsboro, NC 27312

Offices Up for Election:

    Town of Goldston Commissioner – Ward 3 (Filing Fee: $5)
    Goldston Gulf Sanitary District – Two Board Member Seats (Filing Fee: $5)

Candidate Filing Requirements:

    Must be at least 21 years of age by Election Day
    Must be a resident of Chatham County and reside in either the Town of Goldston or the Goldston Gulf Sanitary District

What to Bring:

    Valid photo ID
    Filing fee payment: Exact cash or check made payable to Chatham County

Individuals with questions may contact the Chatham County Board of Elections office at 919-545-8500 or elections[at chathamcountync gov]. Information about the Chatham County Board of Elections is available online at www.chathamcountync.gov/elections.

Members of the media interested in attending/covering this event are asked to please notify Public Information Officer Kara Lusk in advance at 919-542-8258 or kara.lusk[at chathamcountync gov].

Kara Lusk
Public Information Officer
Chatham County Government"

"Big Canoes Sunset Paddle - New Date & Time!

What: Big Canoes Sunset Paddle

When:  July 30th from 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Where:  Meet at 6:45 pm at the Robeson Creek Boat Ramp on Hanks Chapel Road, Pittsboro (GPS 35.70393, -79.10015). Please note this is the Boat Ramp, not the Canoe Access that is also on Hanks Chapel Road.

Directions: From Pittsboro, take US 64 Business heading east towards Jordan Lake and turn right on Hanks Chapel Road.  From Apex, take US 64 Business heading west towards Pittsboro and turn left on Hanks Chapel Road. Follow Hanks Chapel Road past the entrance to the Robeson Creek Canoe Access and continue on Hanks Chapel Road to the entrance to the Robeson Creek Boat Ramp. Meet in the parking lot at the boat ramp.

Event is free and open to the public but pre-registration is required since space is limited. Register to reserve your space on a Big Canoe at this link:  eventform.com/?eid=pUS1DtIy3M77HZsz9IO3Uaxk5QP-sGcIm-2

Friends of Lower Haw (FLOHA) is partnering with State Parks to offer a Big Canoes Sunset Paddle. State Parks will be bringing 2 of their 29-foot Big Canoes. This Big Canoes trip is suitable for children and adults – a great outing for families! Life vests for children and adults will be provided. All ages are welcome, but young children who are unable to paddle or keep themselves upright will need to be accompanied by a guardian. Guides will be State Parks Interpretation & Education staff and FLOHA volunteers. We will take a leisurely paddle on Robeson Creek to watch the sunset while the crescent moon rises.

Friends of Lower Haw
www.lowerhaw.org
lowerhawevents[at gmail]

"Chatham Career Connect Hiring & Resource Expo Coming to Siler City

SILER CITY, NC— Job seekers of all experience levels are encouraged to attend the Chatham Career Connect Hiring & Resource Expo — a free, high-impact event designed to empower individuals in their job search and connect them with immediate employment opportunities, essential support services, and valuable community resources.

WHAT: Chatham Career Connect Hiring & Resource Expo

WHEN: Thursday, July 31, 2025

WHERE: At Jordan-Matthews High School, located at 910 East Cardinal Street, Siler City, NC.

TIME:
•                    9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Job Readiness Activities Prepare for success with helpful tips and tools before meeting with employers.
•                    10:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Hiring & Resource Expo Meet face-to-face with employers hiring now and connect with community resources to support your career journey.

Attendees are encouraged to bring copies of their résumé and dress professionally. Whether you're entering the workforce, changing careers, or seeking support services, this event offers a valuable opportunity to take the next step.

This event is presented in partnership by NCWorks and the Chatham County Office of Equity and Engagement.

For more information, contact Courtland Gingles – courtland.gingles[at ncworks gov], Renita Foxx – renita.foxx[at chathamcountync gov]. NCWorks is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.

Members of the media interested in attending/covering this event are asked to please notify Public Information Officer Kara Lusk in advance at 919-542-8258 or kara.lusk[at chathamcountync gov].

Kara Lusk
Public Information Officer
Chatham County Government"

"Chatham Community Library Presents 'Photographing the Haw River'

PITTSBORO, NC— Chatham Community Library will host Dr. Kevin Ricker as he presents "Photographing the Haw River" on Saturday, August 2, in the Holmes Family Meeting Room. This program is free and open to the public.

WHAT: "Photographing the Haw River"
WHEN: Saturday, August 2, 2025
             10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Chatham Community Library
                Holmes Family Meeting Room
                197 NC Hwy 87 N
                 Pittsboro, NC 27312

WHO: Dr. Ricker will give a fascinating presentation about his nature photographs taken at the Haw River. Marvel at images of birds, butterflies, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals that make the Haw River their home.

This program is part of the Lower Haw Presents lecture series hosted by Friends of Lower Haw River and is co-sponsored by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and the NCWF Tri-County Conservationists Chapter.

Residents may visit the libraries’ website www.chathamlibraries.org, or contact the Library at (919) 545-8084 for more information on this and other events and programs.

Kara Lusk
Public Information Officer
Chatham County Government"

Pittsboro First Sunday will be  August 3rd, from 12-4pm at Pop-Up Park (50 West Salisbury Street).  The Chatham County Historical Association will be tabling and there will be live music, food trucks and artisanal retailers.  The festival is sponsored by the Pittsboro Business Association.

Coming up at The Plant in Pittsboro:

Their 2nd Annual Okra Jamboree will be Sunday, August 3rd 2-6pm:  www.theplantnc.com/event-details/2nd-annual-okra-jamboree  Featuring:  live music by the Dub Fire Reggae Band, a Chris Smith book signing, Okra Farm Tour, a panel discussion, food tasting, and pop up vendors

Their 18th Annual Pepperfest will be Sunday, September 14th 2-6pm:  www.theplantnc.com/pepperfest

Their 3rd Annual Chestnut Carnival will be Sunday, November 16th 12-6pm:  www.theplantnc.com/chestnutcarnival (GMO American chestnuts??)

The 2025 SC Pawpaw Festival will be Saturday, August 30th 3–8pm at Blue Oak Horticulture in Taylors, SC.  I think pawpaws, a large banana-like fruit found along creeks, the larval foodplant of zebra swallowtail butterflies, begin to become ripe at the beginning of August here, and are quickly eaten by wildlife.  Persimmons become ripe around September, and maybe also wild grapes, and then mast season begins around October.   

Growing Pawpaws in WNC with Petrichor Pawpaws (September 21st , 2-5pm), organized by the Organic Growers' School:  organicgrowersschool.org/forest-farming 

At Chicken Bridge Road on the Haw River in northern Chatham County southwest of Carrboro:  chathamjournal.com/2025/07/10/unclaimed-sheep-to-hit-the-auction-block-in-chatham-county/

Post-Chantal flooding on the Haw River, July 7th:

youtube.com/watch?v=ptsC2e1iU4g

www.youtube.com/shorts/QVttGddkfAg

ChathamCAN (Climate Action Network):  chathamclimateaction.org/

The Bike Durham Monthly Community Meeting will be Monday, July 28th 7-8pm at Antioch Baptist Church (1415 Holloway Street, on the 3 and 3B bus routes); the topic is GoDurham bus system improvements.  Meet at the Major the Bull statue in CCB Plaza downtown to cycle to the meeting:   actionnetwork.org/events/bike-durham-july-2025-community-meeting  For more information contact: info[at bikedurham org]

Move-A-Bull City Open Streets will be Sunday, October 5th, from 12-4pm:  moveabull.org

MyHome NC on PBS had a segement on the Devil's Tramping Ground, in the southwest corner of Chatham County, several week ago.  It is still around and open to the public, but it is now a private camp site; the fee to stay overnight is $15 dollars, with a limit of 10 people.  Visiting during the day seems to be free and reservtions aren't necessary.  I think the site is a woodland clearing on the west side of appropriately named Devil's Tramping Ground Road, northwest (?) of Harpers Crossroads (yet people refer to the town of Bear Creek), south of Siler City; there is supposed to be an old railroad grade nearby, but I didn't notice one:  www.theoriginaldevilstrampingground.com/  I should go there again, and to White Pines, but I've only looked at aerial images online in recent years; it is relatively far away, in a not very populated area.  There were reportedly three-toed bigfoot sightings near the Deep River in Chatham County starting in September 1975 and occasionally further west in the Uwharrie Mountains (these very ancient mountains aren't very lofty now; I think they were a center for stone tool production or raw material for a very long time; concievably tools taken in the Triangle originated in the Uwharries, such as at Morrow Mountain, now a state park; Morrow Mountain is at the confluence of the Uwharrie and Yadkin rivers and apparently the Yadkin becomes the Pee Dee River here; the 16th century Town Creek Indian Mound is also in the region).  I've tried to look into the bigfoot sightings, and there might have been an investigation by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission at the the time.  See Jim Brandon's 1978 book, I think now reprinted. 

The Chatham County Vortex Paracon will be October 25-26th 8am-10pm (both days?).  Tickets are $25:  www.theoriginaldevilstrampingground.com/event/chatham-county-vortex-paracon and www.chathamcountyvortexparacon.com/

The Kecksburg UFO Festival in Pennsylvania was July 18-20.  The Mothman Festival in West Virginia will be September 20-21? -- www.mothmanfestival.com

"Artificial Intelligence (alternative) group" 

An unaffiliated, non-political anti-"AI" or "AI" skeptical group will meet on Fridays 9-10am beginning in August at the tables outside the Pittsboro Public Library.  A new trend?  For more information call organizer Gaines Steer at 919-302-7235.  "This is an invitation to join an emerging small (and unaffiliated) support-group to explore some practical ways to protect valued ways of living, somewhat free of AI's all encompassing outreach(*).  

(*) In short order, groups like this will be forming all-over the USA. The time is ripe!"

According to Wikipedia:  a major oil spill was found on the Colonial Pipeline in a nature preserve near Huntersville, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, July 27, 2020; two news helicopters collided over Phoenix July 27, 2007, with no survivors; the first meeting of Mattachine Midwest, based in Chicago, was July 27, 1965; the "Western" and Soviet occupations of Austria ended July 27, 1955, and the country was reunified during the Cold War, unlike Germany, Korea, and China ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied-occupied_Austria ); the Korean War was paused July 27, 1953 and ever since, so far ( cpcml.ca/ITN2025/TI5599.HTM#1 ). 

I thought I heard an NPR headline last night that Mexico City had its 700th anniversary celebration on July 26th, not in the spring?

After hot, dry, mostly sunny weather I thought I heard thunder this evening.  The temperature cooled, but it didn't rain much.       

Deep River Riverkeeper (DRRK) New Member Paddle with GetOutdoors 

Saturday, September 20, 2025

9am-3pm

Deep River Access Park

3485 R Jordan Road

Sanford, NC, 27330

The DRRK was founded in June or July:  www.deepriverkeepersnc.org/news/deep-river-riverkeeper-programs-and-projects-in-2025  People can join the new organization by donating any amount of money.  There was an attempted friends of the Deep River group years, I think based Burlington.  The historic Deep River ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_River_(North_Carolina) ) forms the south border of Chatham County and joins the Haw River at the mysterious Mermaid Point (see the book Down Along the Haw, by Anne Melyn Cassebaum, referencing John S? Hairr of Lillington?) at the southeast corner of Chatham County, downstream from Jordan Lake, forming the Cape Fear River, heading to the Wilmington and the Atlantic Ocean.  Nearby Haywood was almost capital of North Carolina and the site of UNC instead of Raleigh.  Moncure is another town in that area.  The Deep River rises well west of the Triangle region, not far from the Yadkin-Great Pee Dee River basin, which goes down to northern South Carolina.  There is a lot to see at this time of year (baby rails?, large moths, the unusual white pines, endangered Cape Fear shiners?) at the Triangle Land Conservancy's White Pines Nature Preserve, a site with a cooler microclimate south of Pittsboro, where the smaller, clear, shallow, not very rocky Rocky River joins the Deep River.  Endangered Cape Fear shiners (a minnow; see:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Fear_shiner ), Atlantic pigtoe mussels (see:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_pigtoe ), and other rare species inhabit the River.  Wikipedia claims that the name "Deep River" is a translation of an Indian name, "Sapponah," and the River does have steep banks in my experience, dropping into water of unknown depth, possibly with a somewhat swift current.  The North Carolina Gazatteer:  A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places and Their History -- Second Edition says that the Sapona Indians lived on the Yadkin River, once called the Sapona River.  There was once a lot of industry and mining along the Deep River, and there are Revolutionary War sites nearby (such as the House in the Horseshoe).  There are a few powerplants, "green" or not, near the junction of the Deep and Haw rivers.    

This was originally posted at:  www.deepriverkeepersnc.org/news/press-release

~Deep River Riverkeeper, Inc.~Announces Official Licensing

[Jamestown, NC ~ July 21, 2025] The Deep River Riverkeeper, Inc. “The New Protector of the Upper Cape Fear Basin” announces its official licensing by the Waterkeeper Alliance® [ www.waterkeeper.org ], the international riverkeeper association that authorizes jurisdiction and supports environmental protectors for rivers. The Deep River Riverkeeper (DRRK), a North Carolina non-profit organization based in Guilford County, formed in December 2024, to support the health and well-being of the Deep River and its tributaries in its 125-mile journey through 6 central North Carolina counties (Forsyth County, Guilford County, Randolph County, Chatham County, Lee County, and Moore County). Its mission is: “To protect the Deep River and its Neighbors through science, education, and stewardship.” 

The DRRK Board of Directors represents professional expertise in science, public health, water systems management, community development, land management, education, arts, information technology, marketing, and law. The DRRK employs a dedicated Riverkeeper who leads its activities in water testing and reporting, river clean ups, public outreach, and recreation opportunities. Ms. Stephanie Stephens is the DRRK Riverkeeper and holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Environment and Sustainability from UNC Greensboro.

The DRRK completes the missing piece of riverkeeper oversights for the Cape Fear River Basin, the largest watershed in NC. The DRRK joins the Haw River Assembly and the Cape Fear River Watch in advocacy for this major water source in central NC. The DRRK focus also includes science research and education partners, such as UNC Greensboro’s Environmental & Sustainability Program and Duke University’s Superfund Research Center in the Nicholas School of the Environment. The DRRK’s home office is at UNCG. 

Media Contact: Dr. Patricia Gray, Executive Director

Website: www.deepriverkeepersnc.org

More from the ADC: a bill for censorship in Congress, discrimination at The New School in New York, the GHF, and the NEA divestment vote + news

NPR opened its 5pm All Things Considered news today with a defense of Russiagate with senior political reporter Dominico Montenaro (spelling?) and Jenn...  

On The World Friday afternoon reliably anti-China Patrick Winn (spelling?), based in Bangkok, didn't question the argument by someone with an American accent that Taiwan is full of Chinese assets, in part because Taiwanese go the the mainland and get sexually blackmailed into spying.  They claimed that the US can't share war plans with the ROC because of their unreliable client state.  Did the US government say that during the Korean and Vietnam wars as well?  Don't go to PR China, is the subtext.  And, when people go to the USA, UK, Canada, western Ukraine, Israel, or the ROK?  

Several weeks ago Emily Fang (spelling?) reported on great powers upgrading their nuclear arsenals (a very expensive project for the US) – but the focus wasn't on the thousands of US and Russian nuclear weapons that could get us all killed, it was on China, being threatened by the US and NATO with WWIII in the 2020's, adding to its total arsenal of a few hundred nuclear weapons each year (about 600, going up by 100 a year??).  Nothing about the cost or NPT obligations, under which existing nuclear powers were supposed to be getting rid of their stockpiles, in exchange for non-nuclear countries such as Iran, DPR Korea, Pakistan, Israel, and India not developing their own nuclear weapons (the NPT was first signed July 1, 1968:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_the_Non-Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Weapons ).  It has been claimed that something like the use of 100 strategic nuclear weapons would be enough to cause a nuclear winter and anti-missile defenses (or a first strike) wouldn't be able to stop a barrage of missiles, some nuclear and some conventional or decoys, or the new, maneuverable hypersonic missiles, so why stockpile so many nuclear weapons, and at such cost?  Fang, a graduate of Duke University, has been based in China (she was driven out, so she has a grudge?), Taiwan, and now in the US, with recent reporting tours in the Middle East.

Today is the anniversary of the beginning of the Cuban Revolution in 1953:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_the_Moncada_Barracks and see the CPCML's TML – cpcml.ca/Tmlm2025/TS5519.HTM#1 ; the US Postal Service began July 26, 1775, during the Revolutionary War, according to NPR, but Wikipedia dates it to July 1, 1971:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service

The Korean War armistice was July 27, 1953 and the war had begun June 25, 1950:  cpcml.ca/ITN2025/TI5599.HTM#1 and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War

The People’s Summit for Korea is going on in New York City July 22nd-27th, and is being broadcast on YouTube.  (Kami-Con HAI in Huntsville, Alabama this weekend might also be being broadcast, in part, on YouTube.  [GalaxyCon in Raleigh ends July 27th.]   The  Sweetgrass Festival in Mount Pleasant, in coastal SC, was 10am-3pm today.  Moth Week 2025 ends tomorrow.) 

[According to Plantlife International July 27th is International Bog Day, established by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.  I think there are a few bogs (and cranberries) in the mountains in WNC and similar wetland habitats in the coastal plain of North Carolina.  According to Days of the Year and the National Day Calendar websites, the 26th is BagelFest Day; Days of the Year says that the 27th is Walk on Stilts Day – and I wondered how stilt walking began.]  [According to Days of the Year, the 28th is Soccer Day, the 31st is Avocado Day (another native Mesoamerican fruit if I'm not mistaken, and very popular in the USA in recent years, leading to some problems), August 1st is Mountain Climbing Day, the 2nd is Coloring Book Day, and the 3rd is Watermelon Day, though it probably doesn't refer to Palestine, where I think watermelons are a national symbol.]  

[On Cyprus July 27th:  icssmarx.org/why-cyprus-matters-aziz-sah-july-27-2025-1030-am-pacific-time/ ]

[On the NEA and the ADL August 3rd:  icssmarx.org/drop-the-adl-why-rank-file-nea-teachers-got-it-right-and-why-their-leadership-got-it-wrong-marcy-winograd-august-3-2025-1030-am-pacific-time/ ]

Georges Ibrahim Abdallah spoke on resistance in Lebanon:  theworker.news/2025/07/26/my-message-is-to-rally-around-the-resistance-more-than-ever-georges-abdallahs-first-speech-following-his-release/

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/mensaje-de-georges-abdallah-a-los-manifestantes-solidarios-del-14-de-junio-de-2025-en-paris/ ]

[In Gaza:  diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/ejemplos-de-democracia-y-de-valores-y-eso/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/marchan-en-israel-contra-la-hambruna-en-gaza/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/la-traicion-de-europa-a-gaza/ ]

[ thecradle.co/articles/israel-planning-major-offensive-against-yemen-report ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/que-esta-pasando-en-siriay-en-el-asia-occidental/ ]

[On Libya and Syria :  diario-octubre.com/2015/11/06/15-razones-por-las-que-la-otan-acabo-con-gadafi-y-otras-15-por-las-que-quiere-acabar-con-al-assad/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/26/lo-que-dijo-uno-de-los-47-adolescentes-judios-expulsados-de-un-avion-en-espana/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/entre-febrero-y-mayo-de-este-ano-el-gobierno-espanol-fue-el-mayor-importador-de-armas-y-municiones-israelies/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/camaguey-se-transforma-por-el-moncada-y-por-fidel/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/destaca-presidente-de-cuba-el-legado-de-fidel-castro/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/26/cuba-rememora-el-moncada-de-los-jovenes/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/26/fidel-el-che-y-el-26-de-julio-simbolos-imprescindibles/ ]

[In Colombia:  diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/implacables-con-los-que-osan-luchar/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/ebrahim-traore-el-nuevo-pacto-africano/ ]

[On Europe buying F-35s; machine translated – "After the flying carpets and UFOs come the whims of the riffraff" – diario-octubre.com/2025/07/18/despues-de-las-alfombras-voladoras-y-los-ovnis-llegan-los-caprichos-de-los-chusqueros/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/18/autoritarismo-la-mancha-que-persigue-a-zelenski-y-a-sus-colaboradores-incluso-en-la-prensa-mainstream/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/como-obama-orquesto-el-russiagate/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/25/los-nombres-y-apellidos-del-libro-negro-de-epstein-1/ ]

[ diario-octubre.com/2025/07/26/los-nombres-y-apellidos-del-libro-negro-de-epstein-2/ ]

Not Even Wrong – "The Situation at Columbia XXX" – www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=15113

And:  www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=15085

Larry Summers on the Columbia agreement:  x.com/LHSummers/status/1948336830937501817

[US professors who target students:  www.dropsitenews.com/p/documenting-jew-hatred-campus-professors-student-deportations-betar-canary-mission ]

At 3,610 signatures:  www.change.org/p/call-on-pope-leo-xiv-to-stop-the-destruction-and-starvation-of-gaza

I hope to post more soon.

1.  Originally posted at:  adc.org/stophate/

ADC: STOP HATE Act is a Dangerous Attack on Free Speech and The Right to Dissent

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2025
media[at adc org]

Washington, D.C. | The American‑Arab Anti‑Discrimination Committee (ADC) is deeply alarmed by the continuous efforts by lawmakers to silence, censor, and chill freedom of speech and expression in this country at the behest of Israel. What we’re seeing is a total disgrace—another outrageous attempt by corrupt Washington insiders to hand over your First Amendment rights to Israel.  The introduction of the Stopping Terrorists Online Presence and Holding Accountable Tech Entities (STOP HATE) Act, unveiled yesterday by AIPAC funded Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D) [of New Jersey:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Gottheimer ] and Don Bacon (R) [of Nebraska:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Bacon – interviewed on the BBC in July on waging economic warfare against countries that buy Russian fossil fuels?] at a Capitol Hill press conference alongside the Anti‑Defamation League (ADL) [see:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Defamation_League ], is the latest example of bipartisan disregard of the First Amendment. 

There is no mincing of words – these law makers are putting Israel First. 

Framed as a measure to curb extremist content, the bill instead deputizes and hands over “speech enforcement authority” to zionists entities, giving them unfettered powers to police private social media companies, attack lawful expression, and levy fines of up to five million dollars each day if companies fail to silence and censor users. 

ADC warned about this playbook recently. In California, SB 771 promised to combat “hate” but instead created crushing liability for any platform whose algorithms happened to transmit speech that private actors, such as the ADL, deemed objectionable. The STOP HATE Act scales that same model of SB771 to the federal level.

An analysis and review of the bill shows that, faced with that risk, companies will preemptively start deleting users who express views and opinions that could possibly open them up to fines. These bills are explicitly written to target speech that is critical of Israel. Coupled with efforts around the forced adaptation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-semitism, we are seeing an unprecedented attack on our First Amendment rights. 

“The First Amendment is supposed to be the cornerstone of American democracy—our shield against censorship and government overreach. No foreign nation, including Israel, should have the power to dictate what Americans can or cannot say. Our rights are not negotiable. When members of Congress and state lawmakers start compromising our freedoms to satisfy the demands of a foreign government, we lose what makes this country free. We must reject any legislation that threatens our speech, our conscience, and our right to dissent,” said Abed Ayoub, ADC National Executive Director. 

After passage of the Patriot Act post 9/11, banks shuttered thousands of Arab- and Muslim‑American accounts not because their owners had been proven to support terrorism, but because the institutions feared crippling fines. The STOP HATE Act would reproduce the post 9/11 chilling effect in the digital sphere, forcing platforms to silence voices, especially dissenting critics of Israel, simply to avoid litigation and penalties.

ADC categorically rejects any attempt to equate constitutionally protected speech with extremism and antisemitism. By coercing companies to remove or suppress lawful content, the STOP HATE Act violates core constitutional protections, undermines Section 230’s safe‑harbor framework, and invites discriminatory enforcement against marginalized communities.

ADC calls on every member of Congress to stand on the side of the Constitution and oppose the STOP HATE Act. 

2.  Originally posted at:  adc.org/icsz-and-adc-file-federal-civil-rights-complaints/

ICSZ and ADC File Federal Civil Rights Complaints Against The New School For Illegal Discrimination Against Jewish Antizionist Students, Faculty, and Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2025
info@criticalzionismstudies.org
media[at adc org]

Washington, D.C. | Today, The Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism (ICSZ) and the American‑Arab Anti‑Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed two Title VI complaints with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights charging The New School (TNS) of systematic discrimination against Jewish antizionist students, faculty, and staff.

The filings document how TNS administrators attacked student life, punished ethnoreligious practice, and denied Jewish antizionists access to university resources while suppressing protests against the genocide in Gaza and demands for divestment from weapons manufacturers. University officials imposed their own definition of Jewish identity—one that requires allegiance to Zionism and the State of Israel—then used that definition to exclude and penalize members of the campus community who rejected it.

TNS collaborated with Hillel International, a $73 million Zionist advocacy organization whose New York City chapter reported $1.7 million in revenue last year, alone [see:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillel_International ; there is an NC Hillel building at or adjacent to UNC-Chapel Hill, with a branch at NCSU but I don't know what they do or what larger organizations it is connected to, if any; "We strongly encourage all Jewish students to NOT engage or attend pro-Hamas rallies - even from a distance." – www.nchillel.org/faq ]. At Hillel’s urging, TNS sanctioned Jewish antizionists who protested an on‑campus event featuring an active‑duty Israeli soldier. Administrators later solicited Hillel members to “remember” nonexistent aggressions by Jewish antizionist staff, which an independent investigation later found to be baseless. 

The university also targeted joint Palestinian, Jewish, and BIPOC gatherings protesting the genocide in Gaza – often spaces of shared Jewish and Muslim prayer – thereby violating participants’ religious freedom. TNS stripped resources from the only student‑run Jewish organization because its members were antizionists and terminated a rabbinical chaplain who defended those students, falsely claiming the decision was budget‑related.

Through abusive disciplinary hearings led by a former prosecutor, TNS docked pay and retaliated against employees who reported discrimination. An outside investigator confirmed that the charges lacked merit and that TNS’s civil‑rights office had itself retaliated– punishments the university has yet to reverse. The complaints also detail a broader pattern of discrimination against BIPOC, transgender, and queer community members, using opposition to Zionism and genocide as a pretext.

ICSZ and ADC seek from The New School:

1. Immediate reversal of all retaliatory sanctions, with full restoration of pay, positions, and resources to affected students, faculty, and staff.
2. Public acknowledgment and apology for antisemitic, anti‑Palestinian, anti‑Black, anti‑Muslim, transphobic, and queerphobic discrimination.
3. Full divestment of university endowment funds from weapons manufacturers and any enterprise profiting from genocide, apartheid, or occupation.

As Jews, Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and allies, we refuse to allow our identities to be weaponized to silence opposition to genocide. It’s time to hold The New School accountable for egregious, illegal, and well-documented acts of discrimination.

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About ICSZ

Grounded in grassroots spaces and committed to working with activists, organizers, and scholars across fields including Jewish studies, the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism (ICSZ) is a response to the urgent need to declare space, distribute resources, and galvanize the necessary dialogue and research that will become the knowledge projects of Critical Zionism Studies. The Institute challenges the frequent assumptions that the study of Zionism must necessarily be pro-Zionist, overseen by Zionist faculty, and/or only undertaken in the context of Jewish Studies or Israel Studies.

About ADC

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the U.S., founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk.  ADC’s mission is to defend and promote the human rights, civil rights, and liberties of at least 3.7 million Arab Americans residing in the United States. Through its work, ADC fights discrimination in the U.S., enhances public understanding of Arab history and culture, and partners with marginalized communities globally to advance social justice.

3.  Originally posted at:  adc.org/stopthestarvation/

ADC Calls for Immediate Closure and Independent Investigation of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation; Return to UN Oversight of All Aid 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2025
media[at adc org] 

Washington, D.C. | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is calling for immediate action to halt the historic humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. What was presented as an “aid effort”– the U.S.-backed, Israeli-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — has become a site of unimaginable violence, not relief. Just this weekend, at least 92 people were shot dead while trying to retrieve food. In just two months, more Palestinians have died at these “aid sides” than Israelis killed in the events of October 7th. Each day, without a permanent ceasefire, hundreds more face a similar end. 

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (a U.S.-backed shell operation disguised as a humanitarian aid distributor) has been utilizing food to lure starving Palestinians to narrow aid corridors where they open fire, murdering hundreds of Palestinians. This is not a humanitarian mission. This militarized project (designed according to military planning and not humanitarian relief) controls, coerces, and disappears Palestinians. More than 900 Palestinians have been murdered at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution site by U.S. security forces and Israeli Occupation Forces. Israeli professor at Ben Gurion University, Yakov Garb, maintains these compounds are surrounded by buffer zones and controlled by American and Israeli personnel, deliberately structured to funnel desperate Palestinians into kill zones. This system is designed for forced displacement, not relief. GHF is designed to eliminate Palestinians under the guise of humanitarian relief. 

Families in Gaza are starving. Parents are being shot trying to reach food for their children. What was supposed to be a humanitarian effort has turned into a death trap. Shut down the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and let food reach the people. 

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is calling for US elected officials to enforce:

• The immediate shutdown of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
• An end to all U.S. support for this operation, including logistics and intelligence
• Restoration of food aid coordination to the United Nations and impartial humanitarian groups
• Congressional hearings into U.S. complicity in these deadly violations of humanitarian law

Starving Palestinians don’t need militarized checkpoints. They need food. They need safety. They need dignity. It’s time to stop supporting failed, deadly models and return to real humanitarian protocol.

4.  Originally posted at:  adc.org/adc-statement-on-nea-boards-refusal-to-ratify-union-vote-to-divest-from-adl/

ADC Statement on NEA Board’s Refusal to Ratify Union Vote to Divest from ADL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2025
media[at adc org]

Washington, D.C. | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is appalled by the NEA Board of Directors’ refusal to ratify the historic vote by thousands of union members calling for divestment from the ADL. Once again, the will of the people has been rejected by those in power. Despite this setback, the union’s historic decision remains irreversible, and the fight for justice continues.

“While the NEA Board’s decision is disappointing, it does not diminish the union’s victory. This powerful vote raised the consciousness of thousands of educators who have been horrified by the intimidation and suppression they face when discussing Palestine, and who reject longstanding narratives pushed by the ADL that have proven to be distorted and harmful,” said Abed Ayoub, National Executive Director of ADC. “We applaud the NEA’s members for their commitment to critical inquiry and their refusal to legitimize materials that endanger students and undermine movements for justice. Despite the ADL’s influence within corridors of power, history can no longer be controlled or rewritten by oppressors. The genocide in Gaza is being documented and exposed through social media, directly challenging traditional narratives in unprecedented ways. The truth will not be suppressed.”

For decades, the ADL has actively undermined racial justice efforts in the United States. It has pushed an anti-Palestinian, anti-Black, and anti-Indigenous agendas, weaponizing claims of antisemitism to silence legitimate criticism of Israeli apartheid and targeting allies of the Pro-Palestine movement. The ADL routinely engages in smear campaigns that threaten and endanger community educators, especially those from marginalized communities, revealing an insidious prejudice baked into the fabric of the organization. Through political intimidation and disinformation campaigns, the organization has cultivated fear around any dissent against its pro-Israel agenda.

ADC encourages all unions, school districts, and educational institutions to follow NEA members’ lead and reconsider their relationship with the ADL and all materials they produce. An educator’s responsibility is to teach in a factual, unbiased, and research-based manner—not to promote distorted narratives that compromise students’ ability to think critically and independently.