Meaning of Of a Lifetime by Journey

In "Of a Lifetime" by Journey, the lyrics delve into themes of introspection, the passage of time, and the importance of embracing one's journey through life. The song opens with a sense of disorientation and the need to reconnect with oneself, as symbolized by the mist slowly lifting and the sound of life misplacing the mind. The narrator urges the listener to remember and cherish what they discover along the way, emphasizing the significance of self-awareness in navigating life's complexities. The chorus, with its mantra of "Singing more of a lifetime," underscores the idea of living in the present moment and fully immersing oneself in the experiences life has to offer. Through its evocative imagery of dreams drifting and waiting to be realized, the song prompts listeners to boldly pursue their aspirations and beliefs, urging them to have faith in their choices and embrace the myriad possibilities that lie ahead. "Of a Lifetime" serves as a poignant reminder to embrace the journey, cherish each moment, and strive towards a life that is rich in purpose and fulfillment.

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Of A Lifetime

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Of a Lifetime Lyrics as written by Gregg Rolie George Tyndall Tickner

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Hipgnosis Songs Group

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journey love of a lifetime

BEST. JOURNEY. SONG. EVER. This song is sooooo underrated. With Gregg Rolie's keyboard playing and Neal Schon's jazzy rock style guitar with long solos and melodic riffs, and finally the overall space-rock feel of the song, it is truly an unknown masterpiece. It leaves me breathless and I feel as if I live a whole lifetime through it every time I hear it......I think ill go listen to it now....(:

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couldn't have put it better myself.<br /> <br /> Truly Journey's masterpiece - and the first song on their first album too.<br /> <br /> The solos at the end are mesmerising. Nothing comes close to this.<br /> <br /> Feels like I'm on a ride through the constellations whenever I hear it.<br /> <br /> Classic.

What a beautiful spellbinding song......

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And the lyrics a wrong. It's not "singing more of a lifetime" it just "singing of a lifetime". Please fix this!!!!!:)

Please correct the lyrics Dude!

I bought this debut LP in 1975. I was 21 could not quit listening to this song. So great probably Greg Rollie's best vocals and keys ever & Schon are the guitar up. Why is this song and LP so completely ignored for 47 years?! I can't get enough of it! I thought when Steve Perry was added in 77 or 78 and they had both Rollie and Perry on vocals they were great. You know Rollie was the vocalist in Santana's 'Black Magic Woman'. Wow! And Schon played guitar in Santana at age 17! Imo Cain can't/couldn't hold a candle to Rollie!.Cain is a very good songwriter tho. Steve Smith was not drummer #Aynsley Dunbar. There is a live version of this in YouTube from Osaka with Steve Smith drums pre Steve Perry. Filmed in 1980. It's even better than LP version! I highly recommend checking it out.

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Journey - Of a Lifetime Lyrics

Artist: Journey

Album: Miscellaneous

Genre: Rock

journey love of a lifetime

The mist is slowly lifting The sound of life misplaced your mind You're sitting, spellbound throughout time I hope that you remember what you find Singin' for the lifetime, yea You put it down, all that I'm thinking But take a long and distant search, When all is right you take for granted You can't look down but you're no worse, no no no no, my my my My my my my my my my my my Singin' for the lifetime The countless visions that are drifting The silver dreams, you hate to lose There's no harm, we've all been waiting Well keep your faith, do what you choose Singin' for the lifetime, yea

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Of a Lifetime

journey love of a lifetime

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Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana and Frumious Bandersnatch. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded. During that period, the band released a series of hit songs, including 1981's "Don't Stop Believin'", which became in 2009 the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history. Its parent studio album, Escape, the band's eighth and most successful, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and yielded another of their most popular singles, "Open Arms". Its 1983 follow-up, Frontiers, was almost as successful in the United States, reaching No. 2 and spawning several successful singles; it broadened the band's ap… more »

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Written by: GEORGE TYNDALL TICKNER, GREGG ROLIE, NEAL J. SCHON

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC

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journey love of a lifetime

  • #1 Of a Lifetime
  • #3 Kohoutek
  • #4 On a Saturday Night
  • #5 It's All Too Much
  • #7 Mystery Mountain
  • #8 Spaceman
  • #11 You're on Your Own
  • #12 Look into the Future
  • #13 Nickel and Dime
  • #14 I'm Gonna Leave You

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journey love of a lifetime

Journey of a Lifetime (OT and NT Loose-leaf)

This study is a practical, book-by-book survey of the entire Bible. It has 52 lessons with more than 100 drawings, as well as sixteen maps, charts, and diagrams that aid in making the Bible come to life.

This study answers fascinating questions, such as: Who wrote the Bible? What is the theme of the Bible? Why is there an Old and New Testament? Why did God want Moses to build a tabernacle? What is the Ark of the Covenant? What is God's special name when He is dealing with people? What are the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel? Why are there four Gospels? How can I be certain I am going to heaven? There are also six lessons on the book of Revelation to help you find yourself in the seven churches, and to learn about the Second Coming, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Battle of Armageddon, and heaven.

If you complete this study, you will have a basic understanding of every book in the Bible and why each book is where it is in the Bible. You will also know something about every major character in the Bible. You can learn more about the Bible in this study than the average Christian learns in a lifetime.

If you are a pastor or church leader, you can effectively reach and teach people with this study of the entire Bible.

Printed and PowerPoint® Answers

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Embark on a Journey of Life: Exploring the Pathway’s Prose

Poem About the Journey of Life: Pathway

In our journey through life, we navigate a complex and ever-changing pathway, encountering diverse experiences, challenges, and moments of joy. It is a journey marked by significant milestones, lessons, and the pursuit of meaning and fulfillment. Along the way, we ponder the meaning of life, seek our purpose, and grapple with the obstacles that come our way. How do we grow and evolve as we encounter these challenges, and where do we find happiness and contentment? These questions shape our understanding of the journey of life and the legacy we hope to leave behind.

Join us as we explore the pathways of life, the lessons we learn, and the moments that shape us in our quest for happiness and fulfillment.

Key Takeaways:

  • Life is a journey filled with different paths, challenges, and lessons.
  • Finding our purpose and overcoming obstacles are key to achieving fulfillment in life.
  • By leaving a positive impact and finding joy, we can create a meaningful legacy on our journey of life.

10 Amazing Poems About The Journey of Life

1. pathways unfold.

In life’s journey, a path winds and bends, A story that twists, turns, and extends. Each step, a tale of dreams and fears, Years of laughter, joy, and tears.

We walk in the light, and sometimes in the dark, Marking our trail with an indelible mark. Life’s road with its highs and lows, Shows us where the heart truly goes.

Through forests of doubt and fields of hope, We cope, finding ways to adapt and cope. In every journey, a lesson learned, Earned in the miles we’ve traversed and turned.

Life, a journey of endless scope, In every step, a chance to grow, to cope. A path unique, with stories untold, Bold in its unfolding, a sight to behold.

Did You Know? The longest walking route on Earth is the proposed Transglobal Highway, a network of roads and ferries that would connect most of the continents on Earth. This remarkable journey would span approximately 33,000 kilometers (20,500 miles), offering a unique way to experience diverse cultures and landscapes. More about this epic journey can be explored through the Transglobal Highway project .

2. River of Time

Life flows like a river, steady and true, Through new and old, through the past and new. Its current strong, with moments swift, Adrift in time’s unceasing shift.

In the waters of life, we find our way, Day by day, in the flow and sway. Through calm streams and turbulent tide, We ride, with time as our guide.

Each bend brings a new sight, unseen, A scene of what has been and what will be. In the river of time, we learn to navigate, Celebrate each twist of fate.

Life, a journey on time’s endless stream, A dream, where past and future gleam. In the flow of years, moments shine bright, Light in the river’s dynamic flight.

3. Mountain Ascent

Life’s journey, an ascent of a mountain high, Sky-reaching peaks, under the open sky. Each step, an effort, a climb toward the peak, Seeking the summit, the answers we seek.

The path is steep, rugged, and long, Strong is the heart that sings the mountain’s song. With each rise and fall, with each testing bend, We mend, growing stronger with each ascend.

The view from the top, a sight so grand, A land of dreams, where we understand. In life’s climb, challenges we face, Embrace each step with courage and grace.

The journey of life, a mountain’s tale, A trail of triumphs, where we prevail. In the climb, we find our spirit’s might, In the height of life’s challenging flight.

Did You Know? Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, has been a symbol of life’s challenges and achievements. It stands at a staggering height of 8,848 meters (29,029 feet). The journey to its summit is not just a physical challenge, but also a mental and spiritual one, much like the journey of life. Discover more about Everest and its climbers at the Himalayan Database .

4. Desert Crossing

Across life’s desert, vast and wide, We stride, under the sun’s scorching guide. A land of extremes, of heat and cold, Bold are the stories in this landscape told.

Each grain of sand, a moment in time, Sublime in its simplicity, yet profound and prime. In the desert’s expanse, we find our strength, Length of resilience, measured at length.

The journey through life’s arid ground, Found in the silence, a profound sound. Mirages of hope, oases of dreams, Seems life is more than what it seems.

In the desert of life, we learn to endure, Pure in our quest, our intentions sure. A passage of self, of discovery and test, In the quest of life’s arid, challenging quest.

5. Sea Voyage

Life, a voyage across the vast sea, Free, where the waves dictate where we’ll be. A journey of depths, of storms and calm, A balm of experiences, a healing psalm.

The ocean’s expanse, wide and deep, A leap into the unknown, a giant sweep. In the tides and currents, we find our way, Day by day, in the play of spray.

Navigating life’s high seas, Sees us through joys and heartache’s freeze. In the ebb and flow of time’s tide, We ride, with hope as our guide.

Life’s journey, a sea adventure, wide and vast, A cast of moments, memories that last. In the voyage of life, on the ocean’s crest, We quest, in our search for life’s best.

Did You Know? The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the world’s oceans, reaching a depth of about 10,984 meters (36,037 feet). Exploring this part of the ocean is as challenging as exploring outer space, symbolizing the depths and mysteries of life’s journey. The trench’s deepest point, known as Challenger Deep, can be explored further through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website .

6. Forest Trail

Through the forest of life, a trail winds, Finds its way through the trees, the binds. A journey of shadows and dappled light, A sight of nature’s strength and might.

In the woodland’s embrace, paths diverge, Emerge new routes, as our lives surge. Twists and turns, in the forest deep, Keep us seeking, in life’s game of hide and seek.

Among the trees, we find our peace, Cease the noise, let the quiet increase. In the forest of life, lessons are learned, Earned in the tranquility for which we yearned.

Life, a journey through a forest’s maze, A gaze into nature’s mysterious ways. In the woods, we wander and explore, More of life’s secrets, in its core.

7. Urban Odyssey

In the city of life, an odyssey unfolds, Holds a tale of the new and the old. Skyscrapers of dreams, streets of fate, A state of constant change, at a rapid rate.

The urban jungle, alive and loud, Proud in its diversity, a cosmopolitan crowd. In the hustle and bustle, we find our beat, A feat of survival, in the city’s heat.

Life’s journey through the urban sprawl, A call to adapt, to stand tall. In the maze of streets, lessons to learn, Earn our place, at every turn.

The city of life, a journey of discovery, A story of humanity, in all its glory. In the urban odyssey, we find our way, Day by day, in the city’s lively play.

Did You Know? Tokyo, Japan, is one of the largest and most populous cities in the world, symbolizing the complexity and excitement of urban life. With a population of over 37 million in the greater metropolitan area, Tokyo is a prime example of urban expansion, blending ancient traditions with modern innovations. Explore Tokyo’s unique blend of the old and new at Tokyo’s Official Travel Guide .

8. Country Road

Down life’s country road, a journey so serene, Seen in the rolling hills, the landscape green. A path of simplicity, of quiet and calm, A balm of nature’s soothing palm.

The countryside, with its tranquil charm, A farm of life’s experiences, a place to disarm. In the rhythm of the rural pace, A space to breathe, to embrace grace.

Along the country road, life unwinds, Finds its rhythm in the fields and pines. A journey of peace, of slow and steady, Ready to enjoy the scenic beauty.

Life, a country road, a path less trodden, A cotton of quiet, where worries are forgotten. In the countryside, life’s journey is clear, Near to nature’s heart, close and dear.

9. Stairway to Dreams

Life’s journey, a stairway to our dreams, Seems to rise to infinite schemes. Each step, a climb towards our goal, A role in the play of the soul.

The staircase of life, steep and tall, Calls us to rise, to face it all. With each rise, a new level reached, Teached by the steps life has breached.

The ascent, a challenge of heart and mind, Find our strength, our unique kind. In the climb, dreams come into sight, A light at the top, shining bright.

Life, a stairway of hopes and fears, Years of climbing towards our frontiers. In the journey up life’s stairway, A play of dreams, day by day.

10. Galactic Trek

Life, a galactic trek through space and time, A climb through the cosmos, a journey sublime. In the vastness of the universe, we find our way, A play of stars and galaxies in display.

Through the Milky Way, our life’s path weaves, Believes in the journey of cosmic leaves. Astronauts of existence, in the space we roam, Home in the infinite, where stars foam.

The journey of life, a voyage so grand, A band of experiences, in the cosmic land. In the galaxy of existence, we explore, More of life’s mysteries, in its core.

Life’s trek through the stars, a celestial quest, A test of our spirit, in the cosmic zest. In the galactic journey of life, we sail, A tale of adventure, on an epic scale.

What Is the Journey of Life?

The journey of life is a remarkable odyssey filled with diverse experiences, profound emotions, and the pursuit of self-discovery and growth. It is an adventure that encompasses the myriad paths we tread, the love we encounter, and the reflections that shape our perspectives.

Every step taken, every challenge overcome, adds a unique hue to the canvas of our existence, creating a masterpiece like no other. As time unfolds, we navigate through the ebbs and flows, tasting the sweetness of triumph and feeling the sting of loss. Love , whether tender or tumultuous, adds splendor to this journey, infusing our hearts with a kaleidoscope of emotions, teaching us the depths of vulnerability and the heights of joy.

Self-discovery unfolds like the blooming of a flower, revealing layers of our being we never knew existed. It is a profound exploration, echoing whispers of growth and resilience as we confront our fears and embrace our strengths. Each twist and turn is an opportunity to learn, awaken, and evolve, painting our lives with hues of wisdom and understanding.

What Are the Different Paths We Take in Life?

Life presents a multitude of paths, each adorned with unique experiences, challenges, and opportunities for growth. These paths are akin to verses in a poem, weaving together our experiences and perspectives into a tapestry of existence.

Some paths lead through verdant meadows, where the soft petals of opportunity glisten with the morning dew, while others navigate the rugged terrain of adversity, sculpting resilience from every rock and thorn. Each footfall, a syllable in the grand composition of life’s journey, carries the rhythm of our stories.

From the bustling city streets to the tranquil whispers of nature’s embrace, the diverse landscapes we traverse mirror the intricacies of our own inner landscapes, shaping our perceptions and aspirations. As we thread through the ebbs and flows, our paths intertwine, forming the interconnected verses of human existence, each imbued with the poetic essence of our shared humanity.

What Is the Meaning of Life?

The meaning of life resides in the profound exploration of purpose , the relentless pursuit of self-discovery , and the ceaseless quest for inspiration and lessons that enrich our existence. It is a tapestry woven from the threads of love, growth, and the enigmatic dance of success and failure.

Life’s complexities unfold as we navigate through the ebb and flow of experiences, each moment a brushstroke painting the canvas of our journey. Through introspection, we unravel purpose’s elusive tendrils, seeking to grasp its essence amidst the tumultuous winds of uncertainty. In the pursuit of self-discovery, we embark on an odyssey, looking into the depths of our being, uncovering hidden facets that shape our understanding of existence. These revelations spur inspiration, nurturing the germination of possibilities and expansiveness in our perception of the world. From each adversity, we glean profound lessons, forging resilience and the temerity to embrace change. Life’s enigmatic harmony emanates from this intertwining tapestry of experiences, weaving a mosaic of growth and enlightenment.

How Do We Find Our Purpose in Life?

Discovering our purpose in life entails navigating through the labyrinth of challenges, embracing the winds of change, and seeking inspiration from the wisdom of Rumi. It is a journey of self-discovery and growth, a dance with the unknown to unravel the purpose that ignites our souls.

In the pursuit of purpose, we are called to explore the depths of our being, to venture into the uncharted territories of our hearts. Through the chaos and tranquility, we find that every challenge is a stepping stone, every setback a lesson, and every joy a reminder of our inner calling. Rumi’s words resonate, guiding us to look inward, to connect with our essence , and to embrace the journey, knowing that the answers lie within.

What Are the Challenges We Face in Life?

Life presents an array of challenges, each akin to a mountain waiting to be conquered or a river to be crossed . These obstacles are the crucibles in which our growth is forged, and the mirrors that reflect the kaleidoscope of our emotions and reflections.

As we navigate through these intricate labyrinths, we find ourselves confronting the depths of our fears and the heights of our aspirations. The journey molds us, chiseling away the rough edges of our character, imbuing us with resilience and wisdom.

How Do We Overcome Obstacles in Our Journey?

Overcoming the obstacles that punctuate our journey requires unwavering perseverance , akin to summiting the formidable peaks of Mount Everest. It is a testament to the human spirit’s resilience and the relentless pursuit of success amidst the labyrinth of challenges.

Embracing the mindset of a valiant mountaineer, one must cultivate grit to navigate the treacherous terrain, and a steadfast determination to conquer the insurmountable. Fear must be confronted, for it is often the shadow that looms large, obscuring the path ahead.

The summit of Mount Everest beckons each individual to redefine their limits – pushing beyond what was previously thought attainable, and embracing the fortitude necessary to withstand the howling winds of adversity.

What Are the Lessons We Learn Along the Way?

The journey of life bestows upon us a trove of invaluable lessons , each intricately woven into the fabric of our growth and transformation. These lessons serve as beacons of inspiration, illuminating our path through the labyrinth of challenges and triumphs.

Through the ebb and flow of life’s tapestry, we come to understand that lessons are not confined to classrooms or books but are an integral part of our daily experiences, shaping us in profound ways. The wisdom gained from overcoming adversities and celebrating victories etches a profound resilience within us, enableing us to endure and thrive.

As we reflect on the invaluable lessons imprinted on our souls, we recognize how they have sculpted our character, fostering empathy, wisdom, and gratitude.

How Do We Grow and Evolve on Our Journey?

The journey of life is a crucible for growth and evolution , akin to the transformative odyssey portrayed by Dante Alighieri. It is a symphony of self-discovery, a kaleidoscope of lessons, and a tapestry woven from the diverse perspectives that shape our existence.

In the labyrinth of our experiences, we encounter the challenges that shape our character and propel us toward growth. As we traverse through the circles of our personal inferno and face the shadows of our own making, we deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world.

Each trial and triumph serves as a crucible in which our resilience and resolve are forged, refining our spirit as we ascend towards enlightenment.

From the depths of our abyss , we emerge stronger, enlightened by the wisdom gained from our encounters with the divine and the mundane .

What Are the Milestones in Our Journey of Life?

The journey of life is adorned with an array of milestones , each marking the culmination of profound experiences, exponential growth, and introspective reflections. These milestones are the tapestries that adorn the grand narrative of our existence, signifying the evolution and transformation we undergo.

As we traverse the expansive terrain of existence, these milestones stand as the emblems of perseverance and accomplishment, testifying to our resilience and fortitude. They serve as beacons of progress, guiding us through the labyrinth of challenges and triumphs.

Each milestone etches a story into the fabric of time, capturing the moments of triumph, perseverance, and self-discovery.

What Are the Significant Moments That Shape Us?

Life’s journey is punctuated by significant moments, akin to the poignant verses of Morri Life , which etch themselves into the tapestry of our emotions and the saga of love. These moments become the crucibles that shape our essence, imbuing our journey with depth and meaning.

It is within these moments that we find ourselves facing the intricate dance of joy and sorrow, hope and despair, serenity and chaos. Just as Morri Life encapsulates the raw emotions of the human experience, so too do these impactful moments ripple through our souls, leaving an indelible mark. They are the crescendos and diminuendos in the symphony of our lives, resonating with the essence of love and growth.

How Do We Find Happiness and Fulfillment on Our Journey?

The pursuit of happiness and fulfillment on life’s journey is akin to a lyrical dance of love , self-discovery, and the perpetual quest for inspiration. It is an odyssey that resonates with the echoes of joy, the tapestries of love, and the kaleidoscope of self-discovery that imbue our existence with meaning.

Every step in this dance is adorned with the intricate patterns of emotions, each movement revealing the depths of our desires and dreams. The rhythm of love intertwines with the melody of self-discovery, creating a harmonious symphony that guides us through the labyrinth of experiences.

Through this captivating choreography, we unravel the layers of our soul, embracing our vulnerabilities, and finding strength in our inspiration to pursue the uncharted paths of our aspirations.

What Brings Us Joy and Contentment in Life?

The tapestries of joy and contentment in life are akin to the resonating verses of Margaret Fishback Powers, weaving together the essence of love, diverse perspectives , and the kaleidoscope of happiness . They form the lyrical symphony that enriches our journey with meaning and purpose.

Just as a tapestry is formed by weaving together myriad threads, joy and contentment in life stem from the intertwining of love, acceptance , and gratitude . Each thread represents a unique experience, a diverse perspective that adds depth and richness to the fabric of our existence.

The tapestries of joy are not uniform; rather, they are a patchwork of moments, emotions, and connections that create a beautiful mosaic. It is through embracing the variety of experiences and perspectives that we can truly appreciate the intricate beauty of our own unique tapestries of joy.

What Is the Legacy We Leave Behind on Our Journey?

The legacy we leave behind on life’s journey is an indelible imprint of our impact, a testament to our growth, and a reflection of our profound self-discovery. It is a tapestry woven from the threads of inspiration, the echoes of love, and the transformative essence of our existence.

Every action, every word spoken, every choice made contributes to this tapestry of legacy . Our impact ripples through the lives we touch, shaping the world in both subtle and grand ways. As we traverse through the labyrinth of life, our legacy becomes a roadmap for those who walk in our footsteps, guiding them to navigate their own journey with wisdom and empathy.

It is the echo of our voice, the warmth of our embrace, and the wisdom of our experiences that linger, becoming a source of inspiration for generations to come.

How Do We Make a Positive Impact on Others?

Making a positive impact on others during life’s journey is akin to crafting a symphony of inspiration and resilience, echoing the narratives of Vidya. It is a testament to our ability to transcend challenges, inspire others, and weave a tapestry of hope and compassion within the grand narrative of existence.

When we draw inspiration from the narratives of Vidya, we tap into the profound wellspring of compassion that underpins her remarkable story. Like Vidya, each step we take in the pursuit of spreading positivity and resilience contributes to the sublime harmony of human existence.

The ripples of our actions, no matter how small, resonate with the indomitable spirit that Vidya embodies, enriching the collective symphony of human experience. Through empathy and supportive gestures, we can uplift others amidst their struggles, manifesting inspiration and fortitude in everyday interactions.

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The Crackdown on Student Protesters

Columbia university is at the center of a growing showdown over the war in gaza and the limits of free speech..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

[TRAIN SCREECHING]

Well, you can hear the helicopter circling. This is Asthaa Chaturvedi. I’m a producer with “The Daily.” Just walked out of the 116 Street Station. It’s the main station for Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus. And it’s day seven of the Gaza solidarity encampment, where a hundred students were arrested last Thursday.

So on one side of Broadway, you see camera crews. You see NYPD officers all lined up. There’s barricades, steel barricades, caution tape. This is normally a completely open campus. And I’m able to — all members of the public, you’re able to walk through.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

Looks like international media is here.

Have your IDs out. Have your IDs out.

Students lining up to swipe in to get access to the University. ID required for entry.

Swipe your ID, please.

Hi, how are you, officer? We’re journalists with “The New York Times.”

You’re not going to get in, all right? I’m sorry.

Hi. Can I help please?

Yeah, it’s total lockdown here at Columbia.

Please have your IDs out ready to swipe.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, the story of how Columbia University has become the epicenter of a growing showdown between student protesters, college administrators, and Congress over the war in Gaza and the limits of free speech. I spoke with my colleague, Nick Fandos.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

It’s Thursday, April 25.

Nick, if we rewind the clock a few months, we end up at a moment where students at several of the country’s best known universities are protesting Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks, its approach to a war in Gaza. At times, those protests are happening peacefully, at times with rhetoric that is inflammatory. And the result is that the leaders of those universities land before Congress. But the president of Columbia University, which is the subject we’re going to be talking about today, is not one of the leaders who shows up for that testimony.

That’s right. So the House Education Committee has been watching all these protests on campus. And the Republican Chairwoman decides, I’m going to open an investigation, look at how these administrations are handling it, because it doesn’t look good from where I sit. And the House last winter invites the leaders of several of these elite schools, Harvard, Penn, MIT, and Columbia, to come and testify in Washington on Capitol Hill before Congress.

Now, the President of Columbia has what turns out to be a very well-timed, pre-planned trip to go overseas and speak at an international climate conference. So Minouche Shafik isn’t going to be there. So instead, the presidents of Harvard, and Penn, and MIT show up. And it turned out to be a disaster for these universities.

They were asked very pointed questions about the kind of speech taking place on their campuses, and they gave really convoluted academic answers back that just baffled the committee. But there was one question that really embodied the kind of disconnect between the Committee — And it wasn’t just Republicans, Republicans and Democrats on the Committee — and these college presidents. And that’s when they were asked a hypothetical.

Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Penn’s rules or code of conduct? Yes or no?

If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment.

And two of the presidents, Claudine Gay of Harvard and Elizabeth Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, they’re unwilling to say in this really kind of intense back and forth that this speech would constitute a violation of their rules.

It can be, depending on the context.

What’s the context?

Targeted at an individual. Is it pervasive?

It’s targeted at Jewish students, Jewish individuals. Do you understand your testimony is dehumanizing them?

And it sets off a firestorm.

It does not depend on the context. The answer is yes. And this is why you should resign. These are unacceptable answers across the board.

Members of Congress start calling for their resignations. Alumni are really, really ticked off. Trustees of the University start to wonder, I don’t know that these leaders really have got this under control. And eventually, both of them lose their jobs in a really high profile way.

Right. And as you’ve hinted at, for somewhat peculiar scheduling reasons, Columbia’s President escapes this disaster of a hearing in what has to be regarded as the best timing in the history of the American Academy.

Yeah, exactly. And Columbia is watching all this play out. And I think their first response was relief that she was not in that chair, but also a recognition that, sooner or later, their turn was going to come back around and they were going to have to sit before Congress.

Why were they so certain that they would probably end up before Congress and that this wasn’t a case of completely dodging a bullet?

Well, they remain under investigation by the committee. But also, as the winter wears on, all the same intense protests just continue unabated. So in many ways, Columbia’s like these other campuses. But in some ways, it’s even more intense. This is a university that has both one of the largest Jewish student populations of any of its peers. But it also has a large Arab and Muslim student population, a big Middle Eastern studies program. It has a dual degree program in Tel Aviv.

And it’s a university on top of all that that has a real history of activism dating back to the 1960s. So when students are recruited or choose to come to Columbia, they’re actively opting into a campus that prides itself on being an activist community. It’s in the middle of New York City. It’s a global place. They consider the city and the world, really, like a classroom to Columbia.

In other words, if any campus was going to be a hotbed of protest and debate over this conflict, it was going to be Columbia University.

Exactly. And when this spring rolls around, the stars finally align. And the same congressional committee issues another invitation to Minouche Shafik, Columbia’s President, to come and testify. And this time, she has no excuse to say no.

But presumably, she is well aware of exactly what testifying before this committee entails and is highly prepared.

Columbia knew this moment was coming. They spent months preparing for this hearing. They brought in outside consultants, crisis communicators, experts on anti-Semitism. The weekend before the hearing, she actually travels down to Washington to hole up in a war room, where she starts preparing her testimony with mock questioners and testy exchanges to prep her for this. And she’s very clear on what she wants to try to do.

Where her counterparts had gone before the committee a few months before and looked aloof, she wanted to project humility and competence, to say, I know that there’s an issue on my campus right now with some of these protests veering off into anti-Semitic incidents. But I’m getting that under control. I’m taking steps in good faith to make sure that we restore order to this campus, while allowing people to express themselves freely as well.

So then the day of her actual testimony arrives. And just walk us through how it goes.

The Committee on Education and Workforce will come to order. I note that —

So Wednesday morning rolls around. And President Shafik sits at the witness stand with two of her trustees and the head of Columbia’s new anti-Semitism task force.

Columbia stands guilty of gross negligence at best and at worst has become a platform for those supporting terrorism and violence against the Jewish people.

And right off the bat, they’re put through a pretty humbling litany of some of the worst hits of what’s been happening on campus.

For example, just four days after the harrowing October 7 attack, a former Columbia undergraduate beat an Israeli student with a stick.

The Republican Chairwoman of the Committee, Virginia Foxx, starts reminding her that there was a student who was actually hit with a stick on campus. There was another gathering more recently glorifying Hamas and other terrorist organizations, and the kind of chants that have become an everyday chorus on campus, which many Jewish students see as threatening. But when the questioning starts, President Shafik is ready. One of the first ones she gets is the one that tripped up her colleagues.

Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Columbia’s code of conduct, Mr. Greenwald?

And she answers unequivocally.

Dr. Shafik?

Yes, it does.

And, Professor —

That would be a violation of Columbia’s rules. They would be punished.

As President of Columbia, what is it like when you hear chants like, by any means necessary or Intifada Revolution?

I find those chants incredibly distressing. And I wish profoundly that people would not use them on our campus.

And in some of the most interesting exchanges of the hearing, President Shafik actually opens Columbia’s disciplinary books.

We have already suspended 15 students from Columbia. We have six on disciplinary probation. These are more disciplinary actions that have been taken probably in the last decade at Columbia. And —

She talks about the number of students that have been suspended, but also the number of faculty that she’s had removed from the classroom that are being investigated for comments that either violate some of Columbia’s rules or make students uncomfortable. One case in particular really underscores this.

And that’s of a Middle Eastern studies professor named Joseph Massad. He wrote an essay not long after Hamas invaded Israel and killed 1,200 people, according to the Israeli government, where he described that attack with adjectives like awesome. Now, he said they’ve been misinterpreted, but a lot of people have taken offense to those comments.

Ms. Stefanik, you’re recognized for five minutes.

Thank you, Chairwoman. I want to follow up on my colleague, Rep Walberg’s question regarding Professor Joseph Massad. So let me be clear, President —

And so Representative Elise Stefanik, the same Republican who had tripped up Claudine Gay of Harvard and others in the last hearing, really starts digging in to President Shafik about these things at Columbia.

He is still Chair on the website. So has he been terminated as Chair?

Congresswoman, I —

And Shafik’s answers are maybe a little surprising.

— before getting back to you. I can confirm —

I know you confirmed that he was under investigation.

Yes, I can confirm that. But I —

Did you confirm he was still the Chair?

He says that Columbia is taking his case seriously. In fact, he’s under investigation right now.

Well, let me ask you this.

I need to check.

Will you make the commitment to remove him as Chair?

And when Stefanik presses her to commit to removing him from a campus leadership position —

I think that would be — I think — I would — yes. Let me come back with yes. But I think I — I just want to confirm his current status before I write —

We’ll take that as a yes, that you will confirm that he will no longer be chair.

Shafik seems to pause and think and then agree to it on the spot, almost like she is making administrative decisions with or in front of Congress.

Now, we did some reporting after the fact. And it turns out the Professor didn’t even realize he was under investigation. So he’s learning about this from the hearing too. So what this all adds up to, I think, is a performance so in line with what the lawmakers themselves wanted to hear, that at certain points, these Republicans didn’t quite know what to do with it. They were like the dog that caught the car.

Columbia beats Harvard and UPenn.

One of them, a Republican from Florida, I think at one point even marvelled, well, you beat Harvard and Penn.

Y’all all have done something that they weren’t able to do. You’ve been able to condemn anti-Semitism without using the phrase, it depends on the context. But the —

So Columbia’s president has passed this test before this committee.

Yeah, this big moment that tripped up her predecessors and cost them their jobs, it seems like she has cleared that hurdle and dispatched with the Congressional committee that could have been one of the biggest threats to her presidency.

Without objection, there being no further business, the committee stands adjourned. [BANGS GAVEL]

But back on campus, some of the students and faculty who had been watching the hearing came away with a very different set of conclusions. They saw a president who was so eager to please Republicans in Congress that she was willing to sell out some of the University’s students and faculty and trample on cherished ideas like academic freedom and freedom of expression that have been a bedrock of American higher education for a really long time.

And there was no clearer embodiment of that than what had happened that morning just as President Shafik was going to testify before Congress. A group of students before dawn set up tents in the middle of Columbia’s campus and declared themselves a pro-Palestinian encampment in open defiance of the very rules that Dr. Shafik had put in place to try and get these protests under control.

So these students in real-time are beginning to test some of the things that Columbia’s president has just said before Congress.

Exactly. And so instead of going to celebrate her successful appearance before Congress, Shafik walks out of the hearing room and gets in a black SUV to go right back to that war room, where she’s immediately confronted with a major dilemma. It basically boils down to this, she had just gone before Congress and told them, I’m going to get tough on these protests. And here they were. So either she gets tough and risks inflaming tension on campus or she holds back and does nothing and her words before Congress immediately look hollow.

And what does she decide?

So for the next 24 hours, she tries to negotiate off ramps. She consults with her Deans and the New York Police Department. And it all builds towards an incredibly consequential decision. And that is, for the first time in decades, to call the New York City Police Department onto campus in riot gear and break this thing up, suspend the students involved, and then arrest them.

To essentially eliminate this encampment.

Eliminate the encampment and send a message, this is not going to be tolerated. But in trying to quell the unrest, Shafik actually feeds it. She ends up leaving student protesters and the faculty who support them feeling betrayed and pushes a campus that was already on edge into a full blown crisis.

[SLOW TEMPO MUSIC]

After the break, what all of this has looked like to a student on Columbia’s campus. We’ll be right back.

[PHONE RINGS]

Is this Isabella?

Yes, this is she.

Hi, Isabella. It’s Michael Barbaro from “The Daily.”

Hi. Nice to meet you.

Earlier this week, we called Isabella Ramírez, the Editor in Chief of Columbia’s undergraduate newspaper, “The Columbia Daily Spectator,” which has been closely tracking both the protests and the University’s response to them since October 7.

So, I mean, in your mind, how do we get to this point? I wonder if you can just briefly describe the key moments that bring us to where we are right now.

Sure. Since October 7, there has certainly been constant escalation in terms of tension on campus. And there have been a variety of moves that I believe have distanced the student body, the faculty, from the University and its administration, specifically the suspension of Columbia’s chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. And that became a huge moment in what was characterized as suppression of pro-Palestinian activism on campus, effectively rendering those groups, quote, unquote, unauthorized.

What was the college’s explanation for that?

They had cited in that suspension a policy which states that a demonstration must be approved within a certain window, and that there must be an advance notice, and that there’s a process for getting an authorized demonstration. But the primary point was this policy that they were referring to, which we later reported, was changed before the suspension.

So it felt a little ad hoc to people?

Yes, it certainly came as a surprise, especially at “Spectator.” We’re nerds of the University in the sense that we are familiar with faculty and University governance. But even to us, we had no idea where this policy was coming from. And this suspension was really the first time that it entered most students’ sphere.

Columbia’s campus is so known for its activism. And so in my time of being a reporter, of being an editor, I’ve overseen several protests. And I’ve never seen Columbia penalize a group for, quote, unquote, not authorizing a protest. So that was certainly, in our minds, unprecedented.

And I believe part of the justification there was, well, this is a different time. And I think that is a reasonable thing to say. But I think a lot of students, they felt it was particularly one-sided, that it was targeting a specific type of speech or a specific type of viewpoint. Although, the University, of course, in its explicit policies, did not outline, and was actually very explicit about not targeting specific viewpoints —

So just to be super clear, it felt to students — and it sounds like, journalistically, it felt to you — that the University was coming down in a uniquely one-sided way against students who were supporting Palestinian rights and may have expressed some frustrations with Israel in that moment.

Yes. Certainly —

Isabella says that this was just the beginning of a really tense period between student protesters and the University. After those two student groups were suspended, campus protests continued. Students made a variety of demands. They asked that the University divest from businesses that profit from Israel’s military operations in Gaza. But instead of making any progress, the protests are met with further crackdown by the University.

And so as Isabella and her colleagues at the college newspaper see it, there’s this overall chilling effect that occurs. Some students become fearful that if they participate in any demonstrations, they’re going to face disciplinary action. So fast forward now to April, when these student protesters learned that President Shafik is headed to Washington for her congressional testimony. It’s at this moment that they set out to build their encampment.

I think there was obviously a lot of intention in timing those two things. I think it’s inherently a critique on a political pressure and this congressional pressure that we saw build up against, of course, Claudine Gay at Harvard and Magill at UPenn. So I think a lot of students and faculty have been frustrated at this idea that there are not only powers at the University that are dictating what’s happening, but there are perhaps external powers that are also guiding the way here in terms of what the University feels like it must do or has to do.

And I think that timing was super crucial. Having the encampment happen on the Wednesday morning of the hearing was an incredible, in some senses, interesting strategy to direct eyes to different places.

All eyes were going to be on Shafik in DC. But now a lot of eyes are on New York. The encampment is set up in the middle of the night slash morning, prior to the hearing. And so what effectively happens is they caught Shafik when she wasn’t on campus, when a lot of senior administration had their resources dedicated to supporting Shafik in DC.

And you have all of those people not necessarily out of commission, but with their focus elsewhere. So the encampment is met with very little resistance at the beginning. There were public safety officers floating around and watching. But at the very beginning hours, I think there was a sense of, we did it.

[CHANTING]: Disclose! Divest! We will not stop! We will not rest. Disclose! Divest! We will not stop!

It would be quite surprising to anybody and an administrator to now suddenly see dozens of tents on this lawn in a way that I think very purposely puts an imagery of, we’re here to stay. As the morning evolved and congressional hearings continued —

Minouche Shafik, open your eyes! Use of force, genocide!

Then we started seeing University delegates that were coming to the encampment saying, you may face disciplinary action for continuing to be here. I think that started around almost — like 9:00 or 10:00 AM, they started handing out these code of conduct violation notices.

Hell no! Hell no! Hell no!

Then there started to be more public safety action and presence. So they started barricading the entrances. The day progressed, there was more threat of discipline. The students became informed that if they continue to stay, they will face potential academic sanctions, potential suspension.

The more they try to silence us, the louder we will be! The more they —

I think a lot of people were like, OK, you’re threatening us with suspension. But so what?

This is about these systems that Minouche Shafik, that the Board of Trustees, that Columbia University is complicit in.

What are you going to do to try to get us out of here? And that was, obviously, promptly answered.

This is the New York State Police Department.

We will not stop!

You are attempting participate in an unauthorized encampment. You will be arrested and charged with trespassing.

My phone blew up, obviously, from the reporters, from the editors, of saying, oh my god, the NYPD is on our campus. And as soon as I saw that, I came out. And I saw a huge crowd of students and affiliates on campus watching the lawns. And as I circled around that crowd, I saw the last end of the New York Police Department pulling away protesters and clearing out the last of the encampment.

[CHANTING]: We love you! We will get justice for you! We see you! We love you! We will get justice for you! We see you! We love you! We will get justice for you! We see you! We love you! We will get justice for you!

It was something truly unimaginable, over 100 students slash other individuals are arrested from our campus, forcefully removed. And although they were suspended, there was a feeling of traumatic event that has just happened to these students, but also this sense of like, OK, the worst of the worst that could have happened to us just happened.

And for those students who maybe couldn’t go back to — into campus, now all of their peers, who were supporters or are in solidarity, are — in some sense, it’s further emboldened. They’re now not just sitting on the lawns for a pro-Palestinian cause, but also for the students, who have endured quite a lot.

So the crackdown, sought by the president and enforced by the NYPD, ends up, you’re saying, becoming a galvanizing force for a broader group of Columbia students than were originally drawn to the idea of ever showing up on the center of campus and protesting?

Yeah, I can certainly speak to the fact that I’ve seen my own peers, friends, or even acquaintances, who weren’t necessarily previously very involved in activism and organizing efforts, suddenly finding themselves involved.

Can I — I just have a question for you, which is all journalism, student journalism or not student journalism, is a first draft of history. And I wonder if we think of this as a historic moment for Columbia, how you imagine it’s going to be remembered.

Yeah, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be a historic moment for Colombia.

I think that this will be remembered as a moment in which the fractures were laid bare. Really, we got to see some of the disunity of the community in ways that I have never really seen it before. And what we’ll be looking to is, where do we go from here? How does Colombia repair? How do we heal from all of this? so That is the big question in terms of what will happen.

Nick, Isabella Ramírez just walked us through what this has all looked like from the perspective of a Columbia student. And from what she could tell, the crackdown ordered by President Shafik did not quell much of anything. It seemed, instead, to really intensify everything on campus. I’m curious what this has looked like for Shafik.

It’s not just the students who are upset. You have faculty, including professors, who are not necessarily sympathetic to the protesters’ view of the war, who are really outraged about what Shafik has done here. They feel that she’s crossed a boundary that hasn’t been crossed on Columbia’s campus in a really long time.

And so you start to hear things by the end of last week like censure, no confidence votes, questions from her own professors about whether or not she can stay in power. So this creates a whole new front for her. And on top of it all, as this is going on, the encampment itself starts to reform tent-by-tent —

— almost in the same place that it was. And Shafik decides that the most important thing she could do is to try and take the temperature down, which means letting the encampment stand. Or in other words, leaning in the other direction. This time, we’re going to let the protesters have their say for a little while longer.

The problem with that is that, over the weekend, a series of images start to emerge from on campus and just off of it of some really troubling anti-Semitic episodes. In one case, a guy holds up a poster in the middle of campus and points it towards a group of Jewish students who are counter protesting. And it says, I’m paraphrasing here, Hamas’ next targets.

I saw an image of that. What it seemed to evoke was the message that Hamas should murder those Jewish students. That’s the way the Jewish students interpreted it.

It’s a pretty straightforward and jarring statement. At the same time, just outside of Columbia’s closed gates —

Stop killing children!

— protestors are showing up from across New York City. It’s hard to tell who’s affiliated with Columbia, who’s not.

Go back to Poland! Go back to Poland!

There’s a video that goes viral of one of them shouting at Jewish students, go back to Poland, go back to Europe.

In other words, a clear message, you’re not welcome here.

Right. In fact, go back to the places where the Holocaust was committed.

Exactly. And this is not representative of the vast majority of the protesters in the encampment, who mostly had been peaceful. They would later hold a Seder, actually, with some of the pro-Palestinian Jewish protesters in their ranks. But those videos are reaching members of Congress, the very same Republicans that Shafik had testified in front of just a few days before. And now they’re looking and saying, you have lost control of your campus, you’ve turned back on your word to us, and you need to resign.

They call for her outright resignation over this.

That’s right. Republicans in New York and across the country began to call for her to step down from her position as president of Columbia.

So Shafik’s dilemma here is pretty extraordinary. She has set up this dynamic where pleasing these members of Congress would probably mean calling in the NYPD all over again to sweep out this encampment, which would mean further alienating and inflaming students and faculty, who are still very upset over the first crackdown. And now both ends of this spectrum, lawmakers in Washington, folks on the Columbia campus, are saying she can’t lead the University over this situation before she’s even made any fateful decision about what to do with this second encampment. Not a good situation.

No. She’s besieged on all sides. For a while, the only thing that she can come up with to offer is for classes to go hybrid for the remainder of the semester.

So students who aren’t feeling safe in this protest environment don’t necessarily have to go to class.

Right. And I think if we zoom out for a second, it’s worth bearing in mind that she tried to choose a different path here than her counterparts at Harvard or Penn. And after all of this, she’s kind of ended up in the exact same thicket, with people calling for her job with the White House, the Mayor of New York City, and others. These are Democrats. Maybe not calling on her to resign quite yet, but saying, I don’t know what’s going on your campus. This does not look good.

That reality, that taking a different tack that was supposed to be full of learnings and lessons from the stumbles of her peers, the fact that didn’t really work suggests that there’s something really intractable going on here. And I wonder how you’re thinking about this intractable situation that’s now arrived on these college campuses.

Well, I don’t think it’s just limited to college campuses. We have seen intense feelings about this conflict play out in Hollywood. We’ve seen them in our politics in all kinds of interesting ways.

In our media.

We’ve seen it in the media. But college campuses, at least in their most idealized form, are something special. They’re a place where students get to go for four years to think in big ways about moral questions, and political questions, and ideas that help shape the world they’re going to spend the rest of their lives in.

And so when you have a question that feels as urgent as this war does for a lot of people, I think it reverberates in an incredibly intense way on those campuses. And there’s something like — I don’t know if it’s quite a contradiction of terms, but there’s a collision of different values at stake. So universities thrive on the ability of students to follow their minds and their voices where they go, to maybe even experiment a little bit and find those things.

But there are also communities that rely on people being able to trust each other and being able to carry out their classes and their academic endeavors as a collective so they can learn from one another. So in this case, that’s all getting scrambled. Students who feel strongly about the Palestinian cause feel like the point is disruption, that something so big, and immediate, and urgent is happening that they need to get in the faces of their professors, and their administrators, and their fellow students.

Right. And set up an encampment in the middle of campus, no matter what the rules say.

Right. And from the administration’s perspective, they say, well, yeah, you can say that and you can think that. And that’s an important process. But maybe there’s some bad apples in your ranks. Or though you may have good intentions, you’re saying things that you don’t realize the implications of. And they’re making this environment unsafe for others. Or they’re grinding our classes to a halt and we’re not able to function as a University.

So the only way we’re going to be able to move forward is if you will respect our rules and we’ll respect your point of view. The problem is that’s just not happening. Something is not connecting with those two points of view. And as if that’s not hard enough, you then have Congress and the political system with its own agenda coming in and putting its thumb on a scale of an already very difficult situation.

Right. And at this very moment, what we know is that the forces that you just outlined have created a dilemma, an uncertainty of how to proceed, not just for President Shafik and the students and faculty at Columbia, but for a growing number of colleges and universities across the country. And by that, I mean, this thing that seemed to start at Columbia is literally spreading.

Absolutely. We’re talking on a Wednesday afternoon. And these encampments have now started cropping up at universities from coast-to-coast, at Harvard and Yale, but also at University of California, at the University of Texas, at smaller campuses in between. And at each of these institutions, there’s presidents and deans, just like President Shafik at Columbia, who are facing a really difficult set of choices. Do they call in the police? The University of Texas in Austin this afternoon, we saw protesters physically clashing with police.

Do they hold back, like at Harvard, where there were dramatic videos of students literally running into Harvard yard with tents. They were popping up in real-time. And so Columbia, really, I think, at the end of the day, may have kicked off some of this. But they are now in league with a whole bunch of other universities that are struggling with the same set of questions. And it’s a set of questions that they’ve had since this war broke out.

And now these schools only have a week or two left of classes. But we don’t know when these standoffs are going to end. We don’t know if students are going to leave campus for the summer. We don’t know if they’re going to come back in the fall and start protesting right away, or if this year is going to turn out to have been an aberration that was a response to a really awful, bloody war, or if we’re at the beginning of a bigger shift on college campuses that will long outlast this war in the Middle East.

Well, Nick, thank you very much. Thanks for having me, Michael.

We’ll be right back.

Here’s what else you need to know today. The United Nations is calling for an independent investigation into two mass graves found after Israeli forces withdrew from hospitals in Gaza. Officials in Gaza said that some of the bodies found in the graves were Palestinians who had been handcuffed or shot in the head and accused Israel of killing and burying them. In response, Israel said that its soldiers had exhumed bodies in one of the graves as part of an effort to locate Israeli hostages.

And on Wednesday, Hamas released a video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American dual citizen, whom Hamas has held hostage since October 7. It was the first time that he has been shown alive since his captivity began. His kidnapping was the subject of a “Daily” episode in October that featured his mother, Rachel. In response to Hamas’s video, Rachel issued a video of her own, in which she spoke directly to her son.

And, Hersh, if you can hear this, we heard your voice today for the first time in 201 days. And if you can hear us, I am telling you, we are telling you, we love you. Stay strong. Survive.

Today’s episode was produced by Sydney Harper, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Olivia Natt, Nina Feldman, and Summer Thomad, with help from Michael Simon Johnson. It was edited by Devon Taylor and Lisa Chow, contains research help by Susan Lee, original music by Marion Lozano and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

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Featuring Nicholas Fandos

Produced by Sydney Harper ,  Asthaa Chaturvedi ,  Olivia Natt ,  Nina Feldman and Summer Thomad

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Original music by Marion Lozano and Dan Powell

Engineered by Chris Wood

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Columbia University has become the epicenter of a growing showdown between student protesters, college administrators and Congress over the war in Gaza and the limits of free speech.

Nicholas Fandos, who covers New York politics and government for The Times, walks us through the intense week at the university. And Isabella Ramírez, the editor in chief of Columbia’s undergraduate newspaper, explains what it has all looked like to a student on campus.

On today’s episode

Nicholas Fandos , who covers New York politics and government for The New York Times

Isabella Ramírez , editor in chief of The Columbia Daily Spectator

A university building during the early morning hours. Tents are set up on the front lawn. Banners are displayed on the hedges.

Background reading

Inside the week that shook Columbia University .

The protests at the university continued after more than 100 arrests.

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We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Research help by Susan Lee .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Nicholas Fandos is a Times reporter covering New York politics and government. More about Nicholas Fandos

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In one woman's mysterious drowning, signs of a national romance scam epidemic

By Jim Axelrod , Sheena Samu , Andy Bast , Matthew Mosk , Sari Aviv

Updated on: April 21, 2024 / 11:19 AM EDT / CBS News

The scammer who drained Laura Kowal of her $1.5 million nest egg and sent the widowed healthcare executive on a path that ended with her death in the Mississippi River, hundreds of miles from her western Illinois home, called himself "Frank Borg."

Frank drew Laura into a relationship after she connected to his profile on the popular dating website Match.com. Over months of giddy cellphone calls and in hundreds of florid emails, Frank manipulated her by drawing on publicly-posted details of her life to forge a bond, then induced her to invest with his online trading firm. As her skepticism grew and love waned, he strong-armed her into helping him dip his hands into the accounts of other victims.

"She had all these buckets full in her life, my mom did," said Kelly Gowe, Laura's daughter. "But there was this one bucket that was missing… and that was companionship. ... And that's ultimately where we're at now, is because of that."

kelly-laura.jpg

This increasingly common pattern — a modern spin that combines emotionally exploitative catfishing schemes with fast-moving investment and crypto scams — has served as the leading edge of an epidemic of pernicious scams targeting users of dating apps and websites. U.S. Justice Department and FBI officials told CBS News there is a public account of the toll: more than 64,000 American victims in 2023. But multiple experts told CBS News that those numbers significantly under-represent the true scope.

"They may be embarrassed that they have been victimized in this way," said Arun Rao, who oversees the Consumer Protection Branch at the U.S. Department of Justice. "They may be ashamed. They may be afraid to tell their friends or family." 

With so many cases going unreported, he said, it is a national crisis unfolding largely in secret.

The human cost is likely more severe than law enforcement can quantify. Senior FBI officials told CBS News a striking number of cases are ending with victims dying by suicide.

"They shouldn't feel embarrassed or ashamed," Rao said. "These are sophisticated fraudsters who are preying on the human desire for affection. For connection with another person. And they are manipulating [victims] … using sophisticated technology."

Dating sites a "hunting ground" for scammers

A year-long CBS News investigation has found a growing number of federal agents, local police and online security experts believe the law enforcement response has, to date, failed to address the problem. The financial toll of known losses has swelled, from $500 million in 2019 to $1.14 billion last year. 

Our investigation has found:

  • Local police officials from across the country are deeply frustrated by the lack of options to address the steady flow of complaints they receive, often from the adult children of divorced or widowed victims who have struggled to navigate the unfamiliar world of dating apps. 
  • Federal agents struggle to keep pace with scammers who are often operating in plain sight in West Africa and South Asia. 
  • Scammers have had increasing success in leveraging the promise of love to strong-arm victims into becoming unwitting co-conspirators, creating a legal mess for investigators who must decide how to treat victims who have openly committed fraud at the behest of the scammers, helping perpetrators launder funds swindled from others.
  • Law enforcement and security experts from dating and social media sites told CBS News those apps have been a "hunting ground" for scammers, and the industry has struggled to effectively curtail the problem. Several former insiders at the publicly-traded company with the largest market share, Match Group , criticized its record for protecting customers. Match Group CEO Bernard Kim defended the company's performance, telling CBS News: "We invest a tremendous amount of capital, incredible talent on trust and safety. It is the first and foremost top priority for us as an organization."

Victim's daughter says her mother "was endangered"

The tragedy of Laura Kowal touches on every one of those alleged weaknesses, unfolding in ways that now sound painfully familiar to the experts who are immersed in finding a solution to the online scam epidemic.

Hundreds of emails between Laura and "Frank" detail a long con, in which Laura is drawn in with promises of love and manipulated into sending more and more money.

Mark Solomon, president of the International Association of Financial Crime Investigators , said Frank followed a familiar playbook used by scammers to manipulate their victims. 

"We don't blame a person that's on the side of the street and gets robbed with a gun pointed at them," said Solomon, who was the first to tell Kowal's story on the association's podcast, The Protectors , produced by Modified Media . "We can't do that to the victims of these frauds and scams either. These are professionals, they do it every single day. They're good at it."

The only anomaly in Laura's case, Solomon said, are the lingering questions surrounding her death. 

evidence-bag.jpg

While several local detectives who investigated the final days and hours of her life appear persuaded that she died by suicide, they have stopped short of that formal finding. Her autopsy report, prepared in the days after her body was discovered in August 2020 floating in the river by a couple out fishing, says only that she died by "drowning."

Those who knew Laura best, however, believe the actions of her final hours are so incongruous with how she lived that she may have met her end at the hands of someone involved in the fraud.

Her daughter, Kelly Gowe, said she believes scammers, including the person using the pseudonym "Frank Borg," drove her mother to a point of feeling "like she was endangered. That she was going to die."  

"It's the scammers," she said. "It's the criminals behind those emails. It's Frank Borg… this character. He killed my mom. And everyone that is involved in this scam in any capacity, that's moving the money, that's placing a phone call, that's hitting 'enter' and 'send' on an email — they're all responsible for my mom's death."

An eerie letter that Laura left behind, buried in a file drawer and found while Laura was missing, leaves more questions than answers.

"You were right in your judgment of me," Laura wrote to her daughter. "I've been living a double life this past year. It has left me broke and broken. Yes, it involves Frank, the man I met through online dating. I tried to stop this, many times, but I knew I would end up dead."

The reach of scammers has widened, officials say

Over the course of this week, CBS News will tell Laura Kowal's story. And, through her story, the reports will re-examine a problem many in law enforcement now believe has been grossly underestimated. 

The head of the FBI's financial crimes sections, James Barnacle, said the reach of the scams has widened as overseas criminals have gained direct access to their targets: lonely Americans seeking a connection through social media and dating apps. 

Match Group, the largest company in the online dating space, has tried to keep pace, telling CBS News it is now swatting down 44 spam profiles per minute. "We're working really, really hard every single day to make sure that people are authentic," Match Group CEO Bernard Kim told CBS News. "That's the key to our platform."

An effort to rally a stronger federal approach has a growing number of advocates — among them, Laura's daughter, Kelly Gowe.

Last year, Gowe left her job with a farm supply company and has dedicated herself to sharing her mother's story as a cautionary tale. At a speech to a women's group in Iowa earlier this year, she urged financial institutions and law enforcement to do more to protect victims.

"It wasn't until I learned that I was going to have a daughter of my own that I knew that, one day, she would know the full story of how her grandmother passed away," Gowe said. "I want her to know that her grandmother's story has the ability to educate people and to promote change, and ultimately her grandmother's story can save someone's life. And that's now the responsibility that I carry, to do that."

More from the  CBS News Investigation :

  • When her mother went missing, an Illinois woman ventured into the dark corners of America's romance scam epidemic
  • Romance scammers turn victims into "money mules," creating a legal minefield for investigators
  • As romance scammers turn dating apps into "hunting grounds," critics look to Match Group to do more

CBS News investigative reporters Pat Milton, Clare Hymes and Alyssa Spady contributed to this report.

If you or someone you know has been affected by a romance scam, please share your story with us at [email protected]

Jim Axelrod

Jim Axelrod is the chief correspondent and executive editor for CBS News' "Eye on America" franchise, part of the "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell." He also reports for "CBS Mornings," "CBS News Sunday Morning," and CBS News 24/7.

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Tammy Slaton Opens Up About Her Weight Loss: All About The '1,000-Lb. Sisters' Star's Health Journey

The Kentucky native has lost over 400 pounds.

preview for 8 Weight Loss Myths Debunked

Tammy Slaton is getting out there and living her life. The 1,000-Lb. Sisters star just dropped some photos of herself hanging next to a pool with a friend while wearing a bathing suit.

People cheered her on in the caption. “Look at you, girl! That is a JOURNEY 🔥,” one said. “Holy wow! The transformation is incredible! So happy to see how far you have come,” another wrote.

Tammy also looked noticeably slimmed down in a recent series of new photos shared on Instagram . (The Kentucky native had previously documented her journey to undergo bariatric surgery on her TLC series.)

But the 37-year-old is also getting praise for sharing a rare unfiltered photo of herself on Instagram . In it, Tammy and Haley can be seen on a FaceTime call, with Tammy sporting a new pixie cut. “Stay tuned,” they wrote in a joint caption.

Tammy tends to use fun filters in her Instagram photos, making this a big step for her. "This is the nicest picture of you yet!!!" one person wrote. “You loook absolutely gorgeous Tammy!!!!!!” another said.

Tammy has made a lot of lifestyle changes to get to this point. Here’s what she’s shared about her journey so far.

Tammy has lost over 400 pounds on her journey.

Since her series premiered in 2020, Tammy has lost over half her prior body weight. She has dropped 440 pounds, which is down from her highest weight of 725 pounds, she told People last year.

After making some major changes to her diet, undergoing bariatric surgery in July 2022, and subsequently checking into a 14-month weight loss rehab, she currently weighs 285 pounds, per People .

In a since-deleted comment, Tammy shared that she now practices eating "proteins, low carbs, no sugars, no pop, portion control," according to Us Weekly .

Tammy regularly shows off her progress on social media, including a recent TikTok that breaks down how far she’s come.

She’s now able to walk without assistance.

At the start of her journey, Tammy had difficulty with mobility and needed to rely on a walker or wheelchair. But now, she can move around without aid, and no longer needs an oxygen tube to breathe.

“One of the big changes that I have gone through this past year is probably small to most people, but for me it was huge,” Tammy told People . “Just being able to walk without a walker or be pushed in a wheelchair, and no oxygen. I don't even sleep with it at night anymore.”

Tammy also said that she’s now able to sit in the front seat of a regular vehicle and can fasten the seat belt without using an extender. “What seems minor to some people is giant for me,” she said.

Tammy can now fly on an airplane.

She shared in a January episode of 1,000-Lb Sisters that she took an extra precaution for a flight to make sure she would be able to board the plane by buying two side-by-side seats. But when she sat down, she learned that she could fit into one seat.

Tammy said that she was “comfortable” in her seat and that she was able to buckle her seatbelt. "I was kind of surprised that I didn't need both seats that we paid for,” she said.

She’s grateful for her new “quality of life.”

Tammy is happy with how her life has changed. “My quality of life has changed so much,” she said in a February TikTok . “Before I went to rehab, I was bitter, unhappy, very super suicidal, depressed, and just mean. Everybody hated me…and they still do…I had this I don’t care attitude back then. I still do, but it’s not as bad. I’m working on myself still.”

Tammy also said that she’s able to appreciate life more, and is now treating herself and others better in the process. “I have personally seen a lot of growth in how I treat people and my family,” she said. “Just my attitude and how happier I seem. I smile a lot more.”

Tammy also revealed in that video that she was able to enjoy a recent trip to Disney World. “I actually got on rides, and I rode in a hot air balloon,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this two years ago…I’m just giving myself a pat on the back for achieving something. Getting the weight off and living."

She plans on getting skin removal surgery, but doesn’t have a timeline.

In another video from the same month, Tammy shared that she’s planning to get skin removal surgery at some point, but doesn't know exactly when. “My ‘chin flap’ is not a chin flap. It’s literally excess skin and yes, it will go away when I get skin removal surgery,” she said in a February TikTok . “I cannot answer, before anybody asks, when I’m getting skin removal because I don’t know.”

She encourages kindness online.

In that same video, Tammy called out people for making mean comments about her. “Can’t I live my life without y’all judging me, making fun of me for every little freaking thing?” she said. “I can’t duet a friend without y’all thinking I’m trying to bang them. I can’t be happy and smile without y’all judging me because my teeth are missing.”

Tammy then encouraged people to be kinder to others. “You don’t understand what people are going through,” she said. “I’m very insecure. I hide it because I don’t want people to think I’m weak and I truly am weak. And calling me a turkey or talking about my face and my teeth it bothers me. I’m human.”

She added, “I just want people to realize that hating is not okay.”

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journey love of a lifetime

After the Taliban took over in Afghanistan in 2021, four women — parliamentarians, ministers and journalists — were stripped of their positions of power. Resettling in Canada, the documentary An Unfinished Journey (part of the 2024 Hot Docs Festival in Toronto) documents their continued fight for freedom for women, women's right to education, and pressuring international power to force the Taliban to reverse gender apartheid policies.

Co-director Amie Williams has been living in Greece since 2018 and found out that a group of women airlifted out of Kabul were set to arrive in Athens. She met them through the Melissa Network , an organization for migrant and refugee women in Greece.

"We heard that these women were coming and we discussed, maybe this would be a really good opportunity to go meet them, see what's happened, talk to them, break bread with them, try to give them some solidarity," Williams told Yahoo Canada .

Moving the production to Canada, following three women on their journey, eventually adding a fourth in Canada, Toronto-based co-director Aeyliya Husain was particularly attracted to telling this story.

"I'm interested in women's issues that show my cultural background and about women that shatter the stereotypes and tropes of Muslim women," Husain said. "I met with the women as they started to come here to Canada, ... and then we eventually started filming with them."

Homaira Ayubi served four terms in Afghan parliament and we see her attending protests and meeting politicians in Canada. Zefnoon Safi, from Laghman Province, has a 20-year political career, but had to come to Canada without two of her daughters, who remain trapped in Afghanistan. Nargis Nehan was a minister who worked closely with Afghanistan’s ousted president Ashraf Ghani.   Journalist Nilofar Moradi had openly criticized the Taliban in her work, and resettled in Ottawa with her husband, six-year-old son and seven-month-old daughter.

Throughout An Unfinished Journey , we see these women mobilize a community, crafting a real call to action for women, and governments, all over the world.

"We wanted to highlight everything that the women have accomplished and that they are still accomplishing and doing," Husain said. "They have to have hope, right, in order to carry on, in order to connect."

"They were powerhouse heroines in their own right, in Afghanistan. They overcame incredible obstacles to get to where they were," Williams added. "I just felt like the world needs to know this, that these are hopeful stories, these are stories of incredible strength that all women can benefit from hearing."

'As long as Afghan girls can't go to school, no woman should ever think her life is free'

In terms of creating an environment where all these women felt comfortable to open up to the filmmakers, Williams stressed that they never pushed for their participation, originally in Greece.

"I think they appreciated us visiting them, there was a group of them that were living far from the city and in a rundown hotel, and they were getting quite bored, I think, and just waiting around for the next big bureaucratic hurdle they had to overcome to get their paperwork to Canada," Williams said.

"They also had a lot to protect. ... It's forced migration, they didn't want to be there. The last thing they probably wanted to do was be in a film or talk to a journalist, or a reporter. But it was me and young Afghan and Iranian refugees. So I think we came across very differently than say a CNN crew. It took time and certainly when they got to Canada, it helped that Aeyliya's from a similar cultural background. And it took a lot of time in Canada. It took us over two years to make this film."

"You're building a relationship with them, ... you start off slowly and you start talking to them, and you're open and transparent," Husain added. "You're trying to involve them in the process of what will we film and trying to get them engaged in it."

At the core of this film is that this isn't a story that only impacts Afghan women, it's really a message for all women around the world.

"A lot the women, in even in the film, say, we're not just fighting for rights for women in Afghanistan, but for women all over the world," Husain said. "We need to fight for returning education to young girls, allowing women to go out of their homes, they're basically being erased from public spaces and this is really dangerous."

"We need to look at it as a global community and go, we cannot allow this to happen here, because we cannot allow this to spread and happen to other countries in the world."

Women's rights have been under attack in recent years, including, but certainly not limited to, abortion rights in the U.S .

"It's really terrifying to watch what's happening in the United States from afar and I do think that ... as long as Afghan girls can't go to school, no woman should ever think her life is free," Williams said.

"This isn't just not going to school, it means you can't leave your home. So they're being erased from public view. And I don't see how any woman anywhere can watch this happen and not want to do something."

The filmmakers highlighted that part of creating this project was also to establish an impact campaign.

"We want to get countries like Canada, that has a feminist foreign policy, to make a statement about gender apartheid, and to get it codified in international law," Husain said. "There are a number of senators who are working on this, and we had a screening and Parliament Hill, ... to push them to actually make a statement and to define what gender apartheid is too."

Upcoming screening of An Unfinished Journey in the 2024 Hot Docs Festival is on April 27 at 10:00 a.m. ET at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto

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Amon-Ra St. Brown 'would love it' to stay a Detroit Lion for life after top extension

journey love of a lifetime

Amon-Ra St. Brown said it was always a goal of his growing up to play for just one NFL franchise if he became a professional football player.

He is one step closer to that goal, thanks to the four-year contract extension worth more than $120 million he agreed to with the Detroit Lions on Wednesday.

"Yeah, I would love it," St. Brown said when asked if he wanted to be a Lion for his full career. "As a kid growing up, I always thought, if I want to play in the NFL, I want to play on one team my whole life. That sounds like the goal, that sounds like the dream. ... I thought if I could do it, the rest of my career here, that would be a dream come true."

DAY 1 OF THE DRAFT IN THE D: Live updates as football fans descend upon downtown Detroit

St. Brown discussed the extension during a Salute to Service event with USAA at HopCat in midtown Detroit on Thursday afternoon. The wide receiver, who is entering his fourth NFL season, talked about staying in Detroit, his personal NFL draft experience — hours ahead of the annual event kicking off a couple miles south on Woodward Ave. — his work ethic and how his family pushed him toward a path of success.

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St. Brown received a rousing cheer from the crowd, most of which was decked out in Lions gear, when he was immediately asked how he felt about the extension. He cracked a big smile on stage during the applause then explained how the deal went down.

"It's amazing, I'm glad we got it done," St. Brown said. "They've been talking — my agent and the team — for about three months. So it didn't just happen overnight. The talks went great but I'm glad we got a deal done. Excited to be back for four more years. The best fans in the world, I love you guys."

St. Brown said he knew a deal was coming, but found out Wednesday the deal was struck. He received an outpouring of congratulatory messages from people saying that his hard work had paid off. But for St. Brown, known for his detailed and thorough workout routines as well as his recall of the wide receivers taken ahead of him in the 2021 draft, the work is just beginning.

[ Celebrate the Lions' epic season with the Detroit Free Press' new commemorative book : “From Grit to Glory: The Epic Story of the Detroit Lions’ 2023 Renaissance." Order now at Lions.PictorialBook.com !  ]

"I look at it like I might be getting paid, but for me, I feel like the work begins now," St. Brown said. "I've done a lot of work to get to where I am today, but like I said, the work is only going to get even harder, whether I'm out there on the field, running routes, whatever it is. I feel like as team, as a collective group, we feel like we have so much more to achieve, to do, and this is just one step."

St. Brown said he'll officially sign the new contract Thursday night, drawing another big cheer. The deal will make jim among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL , with $77 million guaranteed. The deal comes three years after the Lions drafted him in the fourth round as part of the first draft class under head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes.

"It feels good," St. Brown said when asked about resetting the wide receiver market. "I definitely feel like I earned it."

SHAWN WINDSOR: Detroit Lions' message is clear: Come here, make plays, win ... and get paid.

He emerged as the Lions' top wideout in the second half of his rookie season, then became one of the top receivers across the league last season: St. Brown finished 2023 with 119 catches, 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns to earn a first-team All-Pro nod.

"I'm the same guy, I'm going to keep that same energy," St. Brown said. "That chip might even get a little bigger with this money, because now you really have expectations. Now, people are looking at you like, 'You make this much money, you gotta make this play.' I am ready for it. I feel like I'm up for any challenge and I'm going to go even harder."

Soon after St. Brown's deal was announced Wednesday , the focus shifted to teammate Penei Sewell, an All-Pro right tackle. Sewell also signed a massive extension, worth $112 million over four years to make him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history .

"I was super happy," St. Brown said. "I texted him right away and told him this is just the beginning, we got to keep going, we got to go get that Lombardi."

Sewell and St. Brown joined the Lions as a part of the 2021 draft class. Sewell was the No. 7 overall pick, the first of the new regime, and St. Brown was selected two days later. The two embraced leadership roles in the locker room, being named team captains in 2023.

"I feel like we both saw the exact same thing from the same lens," St. Brown said. "We saw the 3-13-1 season (in 2021) and how that whole thing went down. And from last year to this year, to losing in the NFC championship in a heartbreaking game — we've experienced it all together. So I'm glad he's here for a lot more years to come."

Inside the long-odds push to undo an abortion ban in ruby red Arkansas

After winning campaigns in both red and blue states, abortion rights activists are facing a test of the limits of their success in what is sometimes ranked as the most ‘pro-life state in america’.

journey love of a lifetime

BRYANT, Ark. — Tony Chism pulled up to the library in a red pickup truck with a “Don’t Tread on Me” plate on the front and a “Biden Sucks” sticker on the back. He settled into a lawn chair and held up a sign showing solidarity with abortion rights activists gathered nearby: “LET PEOPLE VOTE.”

The 60-year-old conservative was there with his daughter Lela Chism — a 37-year-old liberal — to advance a shared cause: gathering enough signatures to put abortion and five other issues on the ballot this fall, allowing Arkansans the chance to override their state’s total ban on the procedure.

“I think that should be a matter between the mother and her doctor,” said Tony, a two-time Trump voter.

Voters have backed abortion rights in every statewide referendum on the issue since Roe v. Wade fell 22 months ago — in red and blue states alike. Now a push for one in Arkansas could test the limits of the abortion rights movement’s success. If there’s anywhere abortion opponents can beat back its momentum, it’s here — a deeply Christian, conservative place sometimes ranked as the “most pro-life state in America.”

Supporters of a direct vote are betting that abortion rights has become a winning issue here in the post- Roe era, with strict bans galvanizing liberal voters and also giving some conservatives pause. Arkansas allows abortion only to save the life of the woman, exemplifying the kind of restrictions that have Republican politicians across the country squirming. It is also a rural state with high poverty rates, uneven access to medical services and the highest maternal death rate in the United States — making in-state options for abortion especially important, supporters say.

But the ballot proposal to legalize abortion through 18 weeks after fertilization — and afterward in limited cases — is facing stiff headwinds, with many voters guided by their faith and a conviction that life begins at conception. The main groups funding abortion ballot measures around the country have so far passed over Arkansas, a testament to the uncertainty of success as well as divisions over strategy. Efforts to put abortion on the ballot in 2024 battlegrounds including Arizona, Nevada and Florida have drawn far more attention.

Almost a dozen groups have filed with the state to oppose the ballot measure and, ideally, prevent it from meeting the July 5 deadline for roughly 90,000 signatures, according to officials. Arkansas Right to Life has launched a “Decline to Sign” campaign; its website offers slides and scripts for people to take to their churches. Another group opposed is headed by an adviser to Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a staunch social conservative.

“Any life is important,” Jenna Nissen, a voter in her mid-30s, said as she left church in Benton, not far from Little Rock. “I don’t think that ending life at any point is a measure that I would get behind.”

Activists in Arkansas are hoping that more support and money will come later, if their shoestring effort can gather enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot. They declined to say how many they have gathered so far, a potential sign of the struggles they face.

“I’m afraid that some people think that we’re a lost cause,” said Veronica McClane, a volunteer leading signature-gathering efforts in Central Arkansas. “We are fighting every single day … and we need help.”

The opposition on the ground in Arkansas is just as impassioned, and some weekends, the two sides come face to face. Dueling presences at a recent farmers market grew heated; the local police department sent an extra patrol. Video posted on social media shows an antiabortion demonstrator growing incensed at being filmed, at one point calling someone a “stupid, ignorant Commie-crat that wants more dead babies.”

Things were quiet one Saturday morning this month in Bryant as the ballot measure volunteers set up outside the library, a secluded, woodsy spot in deep-red Saline County. But the farmers market clash — which also unfolded in Saline — had people on edge. The group tensed up when they thought they saw people arrive in antiabortion T-shirts, but decided it was a false alarm.

Then Lela Chism saw a man in a “Choose Life” shirt approach with a young boy.

“The people from Saturday, those are them,” she said.

It was a local pastor, Zeke Brinsfield, with his 8-year-old son Daniel in tow.

“Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” Brinsfield asked.

‘In Arkansas, we love life’

Abortion has traditionally been an uncomfortable subject for many Democrats in Arkansas, a socially conservative state with one of the highest concentrations of evangelical Christians in the country.

Former president Bill Clinton once coined the saying that abortion should be “safe, legal and rare.” As the Democratic governor of this state, he opposed taxpayer funding of the procedure but didn’t support ballot measures to formally bar such spending. Mark Pryor, the state’s last Democratic senator, was known to dodge questions about abortion and faced pressure to support a national limit before he lost his seat in 2014.

But Roe ’s end in 2022 scrambled the politics of abortion nationwide, dividing Republicans once unified under the “pro-life” banner and putting Democrats on offense. Voters rejected antiabortion ballot measures in states as conservative as Kansas and Kentucky and repudiated a six-week ban in red-leaning Ohio, opting by a 13-point margin to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

The results have underscored many voters’ resistance to taking away a decades-long right, even if they personally would not pursue an abortion or support it for a loved one. Some Democrats who once avoided abortion and other social issues in red and rural communities now say the issue is one of their most powerful arguments to voters.

Tony Chism, the conservative, is not sure how he’ll vote this year for president and has reservations about both main candidates. On abortion, however, his views are straightforward.

“I don’t know why government should be in it,” he said after emphasizing that he doesn’t “believe in big government.”

Abortion rights advocates in Arkansas have leaned into that traditionally conservative rallying cry, organizing under the banner Arkansans for Limited Government. Their proposed ballot measure would allow the majority of abortions, which are concentrated in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Organizers say the lower threshold of 18 weeks, about a month earlier than the viability standard established under Roe , was necessary to improve their chances in November. But it has alienated the national abortion rights groups that have put millions into ballot initiatives elsewhere.

“The policy itself, we believe, is not strong enough and expansive enough to deliver the access it should,” said Sarah Standiford, national campaigns director for Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Arkansas is not among the nine states where the organization is supporting ballot measure efforts or monitoring them for potential involvement.

Arkansans for Limited Government has pressed forward with a tiny budget and about 500 volunteers. One of them has been messaging TikTok influencers in the hope of garnering more attention.

“We understand that no one is coming to save us,” said Gennie Diaz, a spokeswoman for the ballot initiative.

Some individual donors in Arkansas have helped the effort crack six figures in fundraising, Diaz said, and organizers are looking at hiring paid canvassers to pick up the pace on signatures. But it’s not clear that the group can make its July deadline — let alone run a statewide ad campaign in the face of fierce resistance.

Antiabortion activists have tried to draw attention to the ballot proposal’s allowance for some abortions after 18 weeks — in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomaly or threat of physical harm to the woman. They are betting that many Arkansans will balk at abortion later in the fetus’s development, no matter the reason, unless the woman’s life is at risk.

Asked what she makes of other conservative states voting for abortion rights, Rose Mimms, the executive director of Arkansas Right to Life, demurred.

“We know the people of our state,” Mimms said. “I can’t speak to what’s happened in other states. … I just know that in Arkansas, we love life.”

Kentucky’s Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, won reelection last year in his deep-red state after criticizing its total abortion ban and running a campaign ad with an emotional appeal from a victim of rape. Fearing public backlash, some Republicans including former president Donald Trump have distanced themselves from the strictest bans and made a point to endorse exceptions for sexual assault and incest.

But legislators in Arkansas have declined to add exceptions or otherwise soften their ban, leaving conservative voters split.

One Trump supporter hesitated at the idea of legalizing abortion through 18 weeks, but said she would probably back the ballot measure if that was the only way to change the law. Sonya, speaking on the condition that only her first name be used to protect her privacy, said she had had an abortion many years ago as a struggling single mother and would want her daughters to have the same option.

“I know for a fact, for me, it was the best decision,” said Sonya, 59, who added that she is a devout Christian and opposes abortion in many cases.

‘Are you going to let the government tell you what your right is?’

Outside the library in Bryant, the ballot measure volunteers gave curt answers to the critics peppering them with questions. There was Brinsfield, the pastor, and his son; Canaa Lee, a 44-year-old teacher who had protested at abortion clinics before they were forced to shut down; and a man who identified himself only as Justin and wore a shirt citing the Bible’s Gospel of John.

“This is not a medical procedure,” Lee said as she filmed the scene with her cellphone.

“It’s Satan wanting to separate a child from the womb,” Brinsfield told the camera. In an interview later, he voiced a view out of step with many antiabortion activists, saying he opposes abortion even to preserve the life of the woman, because God “gives and takes away in all circumstances.”

Signature gatherers planted themselves in front of the abortion opponents, unfurling umbrellas. Someone started to play music from a cellphone as Justin paced around and asked repeatedly, “When is a baby a baby?” Eventually he walked over to Tony Chism, who joined the conversation from his lawn chair.

“Are you going to let the government tell you what your right is?” Chism asked Justin.

There was a back-and-forth, then Justin asked: “Who gave the government rights?”

“The people,” Chism said. When he asked Justin if he had “the right to vote,” Justin replied: “Do you have the right to take life?”

The signature-gathering kept going, despite the commotion. Two hours at the library yielded 35 more names, and the tension eased a bit as the clash of views went on without escalating.

The scene was not nearly as heated as the previous weekend’s drama at the Benton farmers market — a higher-traffic area about a block from the county GOP headquarters. But the ballot measure campaign would be back at the farmers market in a week.

Lela Chism saw an upside in the confrontations and opposition. “They’ve made it where now everyone’s sharing it, and they want to come out,” she said. “I told them, ‘You’re getting me signatures.’”

A previous version of this story misspelled Gennie Diaz's name as Genny Diaz. The story has been updated with the correct spelling.

U.S. abortion access, reproductive rights

Tracking abortion access in the United States: Since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade , the legality of abortion has been left to individual states. The Washington Post is tracking states where abortion is legal, banned or under threat.

Abortion and the election: Voters in about a dozen states could decide the fate of abortion rights with constitutional amendments on the ballot in a pivotal election year. Biden supports legal access to abortion , and he has encouraged Congress to pass a law that would codify abortion rights nationwide. After months of mixed signals about his position, Trump said the issue should be left to states . Here’s how Trump’s abortion stance has shifted over the years.

New study: The number of women using abortion pills to end their pregnancies on their own without the direct involvement of a U.S.-based medical provider rose sharply in the months after the Supreme Court eliminated a constitutional right to abortion , according to new research.

Abortion pills: The Supreme Court seemed unlikely to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone . Here’s what’s at stake in the case and some key moments from oral arguments . For now, full access to mifepristone will remain in place . Here’s how mifepristone is used and where you can legally access the abortion pill .

  • States where abortion is on the ballot in the 2024 election April 15, 2024 States where abortion is on the ballot in the 2024 election April 15, 2024
  • States where abortion is legal, banned or under threat April 9, 2024 States where abortion is legal, banned or under threat April 9, 2024
  • Inside the long-odds push to undo an abortion ban in ruby red Arkansas Earlier today Inside the long-odds push to undo an abortion ban in ruby red Arkansas Earlier today

journey love of a lifetime

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Top Indian Star Katrina Kaif Recounts Her Cinematic Journey: ‘Film Would Become My Entire Life’ (EXCLUSIVE)

By Naman Ramachandran

Naman Ramachandran

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Katrina Kaif

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The times are changing across Indian cinema and Katrina Kaif , one of the top stars of the country, is changing with them.

The top 10 Indian films in the post-pandemic year 2023 were all star-driven blockbusters and Kaif was in the mix with Bollywood action extravaganza “ Tiger 3 ,” the latest in Yash Raj Films’ spy universe, where she starred alongside Salman Khan. 2024 has seen a paradigm shift in that, with five of the top 10 films being what are known locally as “content films,” where a strong storyline takes precedence over spectacle.

Kaif began 2024 by starring alongside southern Indian cinema star Vijay Sethupathy in the critically acclaimed Hindi and Tamil-language bilingual noir “ Merry Christmas .” Directed by Sriram Raghavan (“Andhadhun”), the film is based on Frédéric Dard’s French novel “Le Monte-charge” (“Bird in a Cage”).

“I was in love with the book. I was just like, ‘Wow,’ I mean, it was everything you wanted in this space. It was tender, poetic, it had that very mysterious Hitchcockian quality to it. It had drama, it had mystery, it had murder, it had everything in the most unique and novel way,” Kaif told Variety over a zoom call from Mumbai.

With six sisters scattered around the globe and her mother running a school for underprivileged children in southern India, Kaif had a peripatetic childhood. At the age of 18, she became a model in India and was soon rubbing shoulders with the best in the business. Films inevitably followed. Her acting debut, 2003 crime thriller “Boom,” was a critical and commercial disaster despite the presence of Bollywood heavyweights Amitabh Bachchan and Jackie Shroff. It is clear that Kaif has expunged the film from her memory. When asked to recount her cinematic journey Kaif says: “I think my first foray was in a South Indian film, a Telugu film actually [2004 romcom “Malliswari” where she plays the titular role of a wealthy heiress]. And from there, I started getting on-camera experience and then working my way slowly, meeting directors, producers. I felt that I had done what I wanted to do in the modeling industry, I felt ‘okay, I’ve understood the scene.’ I had a few targets and goals and I’d achieved those. And for me, my desire and my heart was in the movies.”

Upon the suggestion of filmmaker Dharmesh Darshan, Kaif, who is now known for her exceptional dancing skills, underwent intense training under the late guru Veeru Krishnan, who was an exponent of the Kathak dance form. “Dance is one thing, but I feel like Kathak is about expression. It’s about a feeling, it’s about expressing yourself through music. And that, for me was my foundation for movies,” Kaif says. “It was about understanding the emotion and the language of cinema. I was almost quiet, a little timid, very naive, I wasn’t sure of my identity in terms of what was my voice, my expression as a girl, as a woman. I was very young. So, I think that really helped me find my voice.”

Kaif also benefited from the sage advise of co-star Anil Kapoor (“Slumdog Millionaire”) on the sets of “Humko Deewana Kar Gaye” (2006) who told her to get into the headspace of the scene they were about to perform, rather than walking back and forth. “Having been surrounded by thespians, I was like a sponge, I was very eager to learn, and very open, I was not a person who ever had any airs or preconceived notions,” Kaif says.

Significant success followed. Kaif counts drama-romance “Namastey London” (2007) and comedies “Welcome” (2007) and “Singh Is King” (2008) among the highlights of her early career. Thriller “New York” (2009) was a turning point, Kaif says. The actor also lists comedy “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani” (2009), political drama “Rajneeti” (2010) and coming-of-age film “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” (2011) as her standout films of that time.

The next chapter in Kaif’s journey featured big-budget high octane action films, including “Ek Tha Tiger” (2012) that kicked off the immensely successful spy universe, “Dhoom 3” (2013) and “Bang Bang” (2014). “I was doing exactly what I wanted to do. These were the filmmakers I wanted to work with,” Kaif says. Kaif’s love affair with dance also continued, with her being actively involved in the choreography. The actor also rates her work in action-adventure “Jagga Jasoos” (2017), drama “Zero” (2018) and cop film “Sooryavanshi” (2021), which was the first major Bollywood theatrical release post-COVID.

Meanwhile, the spy universe continued with “Tiger Zinda Hai” (2017) and “Ek Tha Tiger” (2023). A sequence set in a hammam (Turkish bath) is a particular highlight for the actor. “For me dance and action are similar in that sense – I need to be in there, I have to execute it,” Kaif says, adding that she rarely uses stunt doubles. The hammam sequence is a case in point where Kaif executed all the action herself as her double came down with COVID-19.

Kaif’s train of thought is interrupted as her phone rings. It’s her husband, the actor Vicky Kaushal . She’ll call him back later. Kaushal is also a perfect example of a changing Bollywood where the story can take precedence over spectacle. His 2023 filmography includes an extended appearance in top 10 hit, immigration drama “Dunki,” playing the lead in military hero biopic “Sam Bahadur” and headlining small-town romcom “Zara Hatke Zara Bachke.”

In 2023, the Indian film industry grew 14% to reach a value of $2.3 billion, within which theatrical revenues reached an all-time high of $1.4 billion. The number of screens grew 4% and fewer films released directly on digital platforms. Kaif’s current trajectory mirrors that growth.

“I’ve always put the audiences first and have tried to with my choices throughout my career. And now I think it’s about finding a balance, what story do I feel is going to connect with the audience? And what do I connect to personally and as an actor right now? What’s going to give me growth? What’s going to give me satisfaction? This is just exactly what I want to be doing right now,” Kaif says.

The West came calling recently, but circumstances at the time meant that Kaif had to turn the offer down. “I do believe it will happen, and I think that will be a whole new leaf in my book, so to speak, and really exciting,” Kaif says.

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IMAGES

  1. 50+ Journey Quotes For Travel And Life Inspiration

    journey love of a lifetime

  2. My love for you is a journey starting at forever and ending at never

    journey love of a lifetime

  3. Daily Inspirational Quotes #4

    journey love of a lifetime

  4. Quote of the Week: Life Is A Journey, And If You Fall In Love With The

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  5. Book Review: Journeys of a Lifetime

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  6. My Love For You Is A Journey Pictures, Photos, and Images for Facebook

    journey love of a lifetime

VIDEO

  1. Journey of love part 31

  2. The Love Of A Lifetime

  3. A Journey to Love

  4. The Journey of Life (60S)

  5. Of A Lifetime (Live 1978)

  6. Of a Lifetime (Live)

COMMENTS

  1. Of a Lifetime

    Provided to YouTube by ColumbiaOf a Lifetime · JourneyJourney℗ 1975 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.Released on: 1975-04-01Keyboards, Vocal, Composer, Lyricist:...

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    The sound of life misplaced your mind. You're sitting, spellbound throughout time. I hope that you remember what you find. Singing more of a lifetime. You put it down - all that I'm thinking. But ...

  3. Journey

    Journey - Of A LifetimeRecorded Live: 5/26/1974 - Winterland - San Francisco, CAMore Journey at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault.comSubscribe to Music Vaul...

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  5. The Meaning Behind The Song: Of a Lifetime by Journey

    This transformative moment in the song signifies a spiritual awakening, where the protagonist discovers a higher meaning in love and life. Verse 3: In the final verse, the lyrics express a yearning for self-discovery and personal growth. "Of a Lifetime" encourages listeners to embark on a journey of self-reflection and embrace the unknown.

  6. The Meaning Behind The Song: Of a Lifetime by Journey

    The chorus, "Singing more of a lifetime," carries a powerful message. It reminds us that life is a continuous journey, and each moment is an opportunity to learn, grow, and embrace new experiences. It encourages us to seize every moment and make the most of our time on this earth. The second verse of the song delves into the idea of taking ...

  7. Meaning of Of a Lifetime by Journey

    April 4, 2024. In "Of a Lifetime" by Journey, the lyrics delve into themes of introspection, the passage of time, and the importance of embracing one's journey through life. The song opens with a sense of disorientation and the need to reconnect with oneself, as symbolized by the mist slowly lifting and the sound of life misplacing the mind.

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    Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart.

  9. JOURNEY

    Singin' for the lifetime, yea You put it down, all that I'm thinking But take a long and distant search, When all is right you take for granted You can't look down but you're no worse, no no no no, my my my My my my my my my my my my Singin' for the lifetime The countless visions that are drifting The silver dreams, you hate to lose

  10. Of a Lifetime

    The lyrics of Journey's song "Of a Lifetime" speak about memories, time, and the power of searching for something deeper. The mist lifting is symbolic of the veil being lifted from the singer's eyes as they become more aware of the passing of time and the importance of living in the moment. The line "the sound of life misplaced your ...

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    You're sitting, spellbound through out time. I hope that you remember what you find. Singin' more of a lifetime. You put it down-all that I'm thinking. but take a long and distant search, when all is right. you take for granted. You can't look down but you're no worse. Singin' more of a lifetime. The countless visions that are drifting.

  12. Journey

    I hope that you remember what you find. Singin' more of a lifetime. You put it down-all that I'm thinking. But take a long and distant search, when all is right. You take for granted. You can't look down but you're no worse. Singin' more of a lifetime. The countless visions that are drifting. The silver dreams you hate to lose.

  13. Of a Lifetime

    Journey. 2,224,944 listeners. classic rock. rock. 80s. Journey is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1973. The band has gone through several phases since its inception by former members of Santana. The band's grea… read more.

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    Best Journey songs: ... "Of a Lifetime" (Journey, 1975) The Journey of 1973-77 was certainly a different creature than the hitmaking colossus so many know and love.

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  16. Journey of a Lifetime (OT and NT Loose-leaf)

    Journey of a Lifetime (OT and NT Loose-leaf) SKU: 110. $13.95. This study is a practical, book-by-book survey of the entire Bible. It has 52 lessons with more than 100 drawings, as well as sixteen maps, charts, and diagrams that aid in making the Bible come to life. This study answers fascinating questions, such as: Who wrote the Bible?

  17. Journey

    Create and get +5 IQ. [Intro] Bm A G A (repeat) [Verse] Bm A G A The mist is slowly lifting Bm A G A The sound of life misplaced your mind Bm A G A You're sitting, spellbound thru out time Bm A I hope that you remember what you find G A Singing 'bout a lifetime yeah. [Interlude] Bm A G A (x2) Bm A G A You put it down-all that I'm thinking Bm A ...

  18. OF A LIFETIME TAB by Journey @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

    Of A Lifetime - Journey. How to play "Of A Lifetime" Font −1 +1. Autoscroll. Print. Report bad tab. Related tabs. Journey. Open Arms (ver 4) 26. Journey. All The Way. 8. ... The Beatles. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (ver 2) 23. Queen. Crazy Little Thing Called Love. 44. The Beatles. Yellow Submarine. 20. Journey. Lay It Down. Journey. Whos ...

  19. 10 Awesome Poems About the Journey of Life

    1. Pathways Unfold. In life's journey, a path winds and bends, A story that twists, turns, and extends. Each step, a tale of dreams and fears, Years of laughter, joy, and tears. We walk in the light, and sometimes in the dark, Marking our trail with an indelible mark. Life's road with its highs and lows, Shows us where the heart truly goes. Through forests of doubt and fields of hope, We ...

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  24. All About '1000-Lb. Sisters' Star Tammy Slaton's Weight Loss

    Tammy Slaton is getting out there and living her life. The 1,000-Lb. Sisters star just dropped some photos of herself hanging next to a pool with a friend while wearing a bathing suit. Tammy, who ...

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    After the Taliban took over in Afghanistan in 2021, four women — parliamentarians, ministers and journalists — were stripped of their positions of power. Resettling in Canada, the documentary An Unfinished Journey (part of the 2024 Hot Docs Festival in Toronto) documents their continued fight ...

  26. Amon-Ra St. Brown 'would love it' to stay a Detroit Lion for life after

    "Yeah, I would love it," St. Brown said when asked if he wanted to be a Lion for his full career. "As a kid growing up, I always thought, if I want to play in the NFL, I want to play on one team ...

  27. JOURNEY

    Album : "Journey" (1975)

  28. Activists aim to undo abortion ban in most 'pro-life state in America

    After winning campaigns in both red and blue states, abortion rights activists are facing a test of the limits of their success in what is sometimes ranked as the most 'pro-life state in America'

  29. Top Bollywood Star Katrina Kaif Recounts Her Cinematic Journey

    Significant success followed. Kaif counts drama-romance "Namastey London" (2007) and comedies "Welcome" (2007) and "Singh Is King" (2008) among the highlights of her early career ...

  30. JOURNEY

    JOURNEY - Of A LifetimeOct 11 1980 NAKANO SUNPLAZA HALL Tokyo Japan Journey's 1975 FirstAlbum Journey.