Latest news with #SOPA
Black America Web
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Marsha P. Johnson: The Black Pioneer Of Pride
SOPA Images A post that went up on our Instagram earlier this month sparked a bit of controversy in the comments (seen below) when we declared the month of June as an intersection between Black Music Month, Juneteenth, Caribbean Heritage Month and Pride Month. Of course, the issue came down to the latter's inclusion as some still fail to believe that Black culture can be connected to the LGBTQIA movement — yes, homophobia on various levels unfortunately still exists within our community. However, on the eve of commemorating the Stonewall Riots Anniversary (June 28) that sparked Pride Month altogether, we wanted to take a brief look at the Black drag queen that pioneered the movement from its violent inception to marching in the very first Pride Day Parade: the late Marsha P. Johnson. RELATED: Happy Pride Month: Celebrate 10 Black OG Influencers Who Paved The Way [Gallery] Marsha P. Johnson stands as an enduring symbol of courage, resilience, and activism. A Black transgender woman and revolutionary figure in LGBTQ+ history, Johnson's contributions transcend time, inspiring generations to fight for equality. Marsha played a pivotal role in the Stonewall Riots of 1969, a watershed moment for LGBTQ+ rights. Her presence at the uprising—widely regarded as the spark that ignited modern Pride movements—was marked by defiance and solidarity. At a time when queer individuals were criminalized and marginalized, Johnson stood on the frontline, embodying the fight against systemic oppression. Her courage underpinned a broader struggle for freedom, reminding the world that Black queer voices are an integral part of social progress. Beyond Stonewall, Johnson co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) alongside Sylvia Rivera. This organization provided shelter and support to homeless LGBTQ+ youth, particularly trans people of color. Through STAR, Marsha championed the rights of those overlooked by mainstream society, offering safe spaces and a voice to the most vulnerable. Her impact endures as a intersectional icon—her identity as a Black, transgender individual highlights the struggles and contributions of people living at the intersections of multiple forms of discrimination. Today, Marsha's legacy fuels Pride Month celebrations and underscores the necessity of equity in both LGBTQ+ and racial justice movements. Johnson's life was tragically cut short in 1992 under suspicious circumstances, yet her memory remains a beacon of hope and action. Pride Month is a time to amplify her powerful message: equality is non-negotiable, and the fight for liberation requires unity across all communities. Marsha P. Johnson's bravery continues to inspire, cementing her place as a towering icon of resilience and unyielding activism. The article 'Marsha P. Johnson: The Black Pioneer Of Pride' was created with the help of SEE ALSO
The Wire
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Wire
The Wire's Series on Indian Fisherwomen Wins Two SOPA Awards
New Delhi: The Wire 's five-part multimedia series ' Breaking the Nets: An Oral History of India's Fisherwomen ' has won two awards given by the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) in Hong Kong on June 26. The series – reported by Shamsheer Yousaf, Monica Jha and Sriram Vittalamurthy – won the top regional/local award in the Excellence in Reporting on Women's Issues category. Judges noted that the stories "from small communities in remote parts of India are individually notable for explaining the challenge of survival and fight for resources faced by women." They also said, "As a collective, they offer a fascinating insight into the knock-on effects of India's patriarchal society and how women have found a variety of different ways to contend with it. Presented with beautiful film work and clear storytelling in a creative array of different forms." The series also won the top regional/local prize in the Excellence in Journalistic Innovation category. The judges commented on the "fantastic use of high quality video and overdubbed audio to give a real sense of place." They added that it was "Truly absorbing. Elegant design and typography. Made with mobile viewing in mind. The multimedia experience goes beyond what traditional media can achieve to capture the women's individual stories." The stories merge oral histories and immersive multimedia reportage to tell stories of resilience across six Indian regions, including the Sundarban, Gulf of Mannar, Odisha, Puducherry, Mumbai, and Bihar. The series is a record of the everyday lives of fisherwomen and also underscores their collective efforts to assert rights, access public spaces and challenge patriarchal and caste hierarchies. It also calls attention to how government policies have failed to formally acknowledge their labour in the fishing economy. A day ago, the series won the award in the Innovative Storytelling category at the 2025 One World Media Awards. It has already won the 2024 K.P. Narayana Kumar Memorial Award for Social Impact Journalism by the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) and the Excellence in Online/Digital Journalism, Immersive Storytelling award by the Asian American Journalists Association. The series has also won the New Media Writing Prize 2024 FIPP Journalism Award. It will be archived by the British Library as one of the works that have been shortlisted.
AU Financial Review
a day ago
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Financial Review editor wins SOPA award
The Australian Financial Review's associate editor Primrose Riordan has been awarded the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award for Excellence in Feature Writing, for her story on Fortescue founder and executive chairman Andrew Forrest. Riordan's investigation tracked Forrest's erratic and at times impulsive leadership style that contributed to the company's dramatic and costly backdown from its hydrogen ambitions.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Why these two agri industries are wary about India-US trade deal
Even as India and the United States work towards finalising a bilateral trade deal – ahead of a looming July 9 deadline for the reimposition of President Donald Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs – at least two major domestic agricultural-based industries are worried about the possible concessions that a deal might entail. The sugar industry, for one, is against allowing imports of ethanol for use in blending with petrol. The mills aren't also very keen on import of genetically modified (GM) maize/corn as a feedstock for fuel ethanol. The US is the world's top producer as well as exporter of both maize and fuel ethanol. The second is the soyabean processing industry. The Indore-based Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) has vehemently opposed imports of soyabean. The US is the second biggest producer and exporter of this leguminous oilseed after Brazil. Both countries mostly grow GM soyabean. Given the US' high stakes in these commodities – and the geopolitical imperative to find a sizeable alternative market to China – there's significant pressure on India to remove restrictions on their imports. But any such opening up in the India-US trade deal could encounter resistance from the two well-established agro-processing industries. What sugar millers fear The ethanol-blended petrol programme has been a success story of the Narendra Modi-led government. Chart 1 shows that the average blending of ethanol in petrol sold by oil marketing companies (OMC) has risen from just 1.5% in 2013-14 to 14.6% in 2023-24. In the current supply year, from November 2024 till May 2025, the cumulative all-India average blending ratio was 18.8%, close to the target of 20% by 2025-26. But the industry's concerns are over the feedstock used for ethanol production. Till 2017-18, the entire ethanol for blending in petrol came from molasses, the leftover dark syrup after extraction of sugar crystals from cane juice. From 2018-19, the mills-cum-distilleries also began using cereal grains (mainly broken or old rice unfit for human consumption) as feedstock. Since 2023-24, the ethanol supplies from grain-based feedstock, particularly maize, has overtaken that from sugarcane molasses and whole juice (Chart 2). For the 2024-25 supply year, a total 1,047.9 crore litres of ethanol have been contracted or made available to OMCs. Out of that, 710.4 crore litres or nearly 68% is from grain-based feedstock, including 483.9 crore litres from maize, 119 crore litres from the Food Corporation of India's surplus rice and 107.5 crore litres from damaged/broken grains. Only the balance 337.5 crore litres are from molasses (144.7 crore litres) and sugarcane juice (192.8 crore litres). 'As it is, sugarcane is being marginalised as a feedstock. It would be worse with imports of maize or even ethanol itself,' says a miller from Uttar Pradesh. According to him, the industry was already facing the prospect of stagnant, if not declining, domestic sugar consumption: 'Our future isn't sugar, but energy. Today, it is 20% ethanol-blended petrol. Tomorrow, it may be 5% blending in diesel or ethanol being converted through additional processing into sustainable aviation fuel producing lower carbon emissions compared to petroleum jet fuel'. Ethanol from sugarcane, the miller claims, will not create any major 'fuel versus food and feed' dilemma. 'Sugar consumption won't increase much in India, unlike milk, egg and chicken that need maize as the key feed ingredient. The diversion of maize for biofuel will cause huge demand-supply imbalances and shortage of grain for livestock and poultry,' he adds. The US exported a record 1,914 million gallons (724.5 crore litres) of ethanol, valued at $4.3 billion, in 2024. India was its third largest market (after Canada and the United Kingdom), at 187 million gallons (70.8 crore litres) worth $441.3 million. India permits import of ethanol only under licence for industrial (non-fuel) purposes and restricted to 'actual users': Imports can be for manufacture of alcohol-based chemicals, but not for blending in petrol or diesel. A recent NITI Aayog working paper has suggested that India import GM maize as a feedstock for ethanol production. The protein-rich byproduct from it – DDGS or distiller's dried grains with solubles – may be entirely exported without getting consumed as a GM feed ingredient within the country. 'US corn is cheaper and can be used to meet India's biofuel targets without disrupting local food and feed markets,' the paper – authored by NITI Aayog member, Ramesh Chand, and senior adviser, Raka Saxena – has stated. The NITI Aayog paper has also called for exploring the option of importing soyabean, with the oil extracted from it being sold in the domestic market and the residual de-oiled cake or meal (which contains GM protein matter) exported to other countries. SOPA's executive director, DN Pathak, counters this proposal. 'Most of our solvent extraction plants are in the interiors (especially Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra) where the crop is grown. It's not feasible for them to bring imported soyabean from the ports, process it and then take back the meal for exports. The freight cost economics will simply not work. And what will happen to the 7 million-odd farmers cultivating soyabean here?,' he asks. Indian processors crush 11-12 million tonnes (mt) of soyabean annually to produce 9-9.5 mt of meal. Out of that, 7-7.5 mt is domestically consumed as feed and food ingredient and the rest 2 mt or so exported. This is way below the 105-110 mt that China crushes every year. Much of that soyabean is imported to meet the feed requirement of its humungous swine herd and poultry flock: China is home to roughly half of the world's pig population and a fifth of its chickens. 'We don't have this kind of domestic market for soyabean meal. Also, if the GM meal cannot be sold within the country, the processing plants will have to be nearer to the ports for exports. The ones more likely to put up these are the international commodity trading giants such as AWL Agri Business (formerly Adani Wilmar), Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus,' explained Pathak. SOPA has also voiced concern at the Centre's decision, on May 30, to slash the effective import tariff on crude soyabean, palm and sunflower oil from 27.5% to 16.5%. That will further squeeze the margins of domestic processors, 'as they will have to compete with lower-priced imported oils, forcing them to operate below break-even capacity or shut down altogether'. Soyabean is now trading in MP and Maharashtra's mandis at Rs 4,300-4,350 per quintal, as against its official minimum support price of Rs 5,328. A surge in imports, whether of oil or seed, can lead to farmers switching acreage to other crops. These worries may to come to the fore, as the ongoing trade talks between India and US edge closer to fruition. Harish Damodaran is National Rural Affairs & Agriculture Editor of The Indian Express. A journalist with over 33 years of experience in agri-business and macroeconomic policy reporting and analysis, he has previously worked with the Press Trust of India (1991-94) and The Hindu Business Line (1994-2014). ... Read More
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Under the baobab: Happy Valley celebrates Special Olympics, Pride, more
'Let me win. But, if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt.' -Athlete's Oath, Special Olympics A society does not become great by bullying people but by loving and nurturing the most vulnerable that live within its community. We nourish and embrace our children. We do not drop bombs on them. All children are our collective children. What we plant in them grows in our shared earth. A couple of thousand people, mostly young, came together with a thousand volunteers to joyously sing, dance and play 'beach ball bounce' at the opening ceremony of the 55th Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) at Medlar Field. Athletes came from nine regions in the commonwealth: Northwest, Three Rivers, The Wilds, Ridge and Valley, Susquehanna, Capital Area, Northeast, Greater Lehigh Valley Pocono and Greater Philadelphia. Their events take place through Saturday. Steve Jones, Nicholas Erhardt and Rachell acted as emcees for the 35th opening at Penn State. The PSU ROTC presented the colors while the Brass Rats played the national anthem. Father Matthew, pastor of the Penn State Catholic Community, gave the benediction. He emphasized that Special Olympics reminds us all of the necessity of teamwork, respect for opponents and that 'each one of us is a special creation.' SOPA President and CEO Matthew Aaron thanked the sponsors and volunteers including Sue Paterno, (who among other things sponsors the Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run as a fundraiser) and PSU Women's Volleyball Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. The 2025 NCAA national championship coach touched the crowd by announcing that she was cancer-free. Jackie Foderaro on behalf of the presenting sponsor, Sheetz, thanked the other sponsors: Penn State University, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Knights of Columbus, Energy Transfer, Automated Logic, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Dicks Sporting Goods, PAM Health, Penske, the Misitano family, Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Law Enforcement Torch Run. The final torch was lit by Port Authority Police Department Chief Matt Porter and Nancy Graham, having been relayed 150 miles from PNC Park. It's also Pride Month. On Saturday, the 2025 State College Pride festivities, hosted by Centre LGBT+ in partnership with the State College Borough, include the 10 a.m. parade followed by a festival in Sidney Friedman Park. Next week, Center Stage will present the premiere production of the musical 'True Crime Frankenstein,' June 12-15, in the Penn State Downtown Theatre. And the resistance continues. Lighting Candles for Peace meets at the Allen Street Gates each Monday from 5-5:30 p.m. On 'Thompson Tuesdays' a group of neighbors rally in front of Congressman Glenn 'GT' Thompson's Bellefonte office at 3555 Benner Pike from noon-1 p.m. There will be a 'No Kings' rally on June 14 from noon-3 p.m. in Canal Basin Park, 101 Canal St., Hollidaysburg. Coming up, Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. On June 13-14 State College will mark the sixth year that Juneteenth will be celebrated, with the theme 'Juneteenth: Our Freedom, Our Fight, Our Future.' The weekend begins with Juneteenth Arts and Crafts Exhibition at Woskob Family Gallery Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a Block Party at Rev MLK Plaza and Fraser Street on Saturday, June 14, from noon to 6 p.m., sponsored by the State College NAACP, the Borough of State College, the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State, and The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. Finally, a giant tree has fallen. Former Congressman Charles Rangel, another of our mentors , has joined the ancestors. I was a 30-year-old intern in his Washington office in 1975. He was chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. At the time there were 13 members of the CBC. Today there are 62. He defeated another giant, Adam Clayton Powell, to win his Harlem NYC seat. Thank you for making our world better. Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party's nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College.
