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Muslim civil rights group CAIR sues Texas over Abbott’s ‘terrorist’ designation

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A prominent Muslim advocacy organization is taking Texas to court, arguing that Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to brand it a «foreign terrorist organization» tramples both the U.S. Constitution and state law.

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin chapters filed a federal lawsuit Thursday seeking to overturn Abbott’s proclamation issued earlier in the week.

«This attempt to punish the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization simply because Governor Abbott disagrees with its views is not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law,» the group said in its lawsuit.

Founded in 1994, CAIR operates 25 chapters nationwide, including a small Texas staff of eight employees and two contractors, according to the filing.

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TEXAS GOV ABBOTT DECLARES CAIR, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AS TERRORIST GROUPS, PREVENTING LAND PURCHASES

The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin chapters asked a federal judge to strike down the declaration from the governor. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

«CAIR-Texas and the Texas Muslim community are standing up for our constitutional rights by directly confronting Greg Abbott’s lawless attack on our civil rights,» CAIR-Texas said in a statement. «We are not and will not be intimidated by smear campaigns launched by Israel First politicians like Mr. Abbott. Mr. Abbott is defaming us and other American Muslims because we are effective advocates for justice here and abroad. We plan to continue exercising our constitutional rights, defending civil rights, and speaking truth to power, whether in defense of free speech, religious freedom and racial equality here in Texas or in defense of human rights abroad.»

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Abbott’s order extended the «terrorist» label to the Muslim Brotherhood, even though federal authorities have never classified either group that way.

The governor’s decree also bars CAIR from purchasing land in the Lone Star State under a new statute aimed at curbing purchases tied to «foreign adversaries.»

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott arrives at press conference

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s proclamation states that CAIR is blocked from purchasing land in the Lone Star State. (Antranik Tavitian/Reuters)

The group’s filing contends Abbott relied on «inflammatory statements with no basis in fact,» selectively citing remarks by affiliates to paint CAIR as sympathetic to terrorism.

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«The lawsuit we have filed today is our first step towards defeating Governor Abbott again so that our nation protects free speech and due process for all Americans,» CAIR Litigation Director and General Counsel Lena Masri said in a statement. «No civil rights organizations are safe if a governor can baselessly and unilaterally declare any of them terrorist groups, ban them from buying land, and threaten them with closure. We have beaten Greg Abbott’s attacks on the First Amendment before, and God willing, we will do it again now.»

The Muslim Legal Fund of America also said it is «proud to defend the constitutional rights of CAIR-Texas and the right of all Texans to engage in free speech and uphold civil rights without facing lawless and defamatory attacks by Greg Abbott.»

«Mr. Abbott’s unconstitutional proclamation undermines the very foundational notions of due process that our system depends upon and it must not stand,» said Muslim Legal Fund of America attorney Charlie Swift. «For the sake of our nation’s basic freedoms, Greg Abbott’s latest attack on the American people must be defeated.»

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ANTI-ISLAM PROTESTERS, MUSLIMS CLASH IN DEARBORN, MICHIGAN, AFTER MAN ATTEMPTS TO BURN QURAN

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in front of microphone

CAIR accused the governor of relying on «inflammatory statements that have no basis in fact.» (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Earlier this year, Texas Republicans sought to stop a Muslim-centered planned community around one of the state’s largest mosques near Dallas.

Abbott and other Republican state officials opened investigations into the development linked to the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), claiming the group is attempting to create a Muslim-exclusive community that would implement Islamic law.

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EPIC City representatives called the attacks alleging Islamic law misleading, dangerous and without basis.

The U.S. Justice Department closed a federal civil rights investigation into the planned community without bringing any charges or lawsuits.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

greg abbott,texas,us,politics,islam,personal freedoms,first amendment

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Trump envoy rebukes Greenland leader for rejecting hospital ship proposal

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Greenland’s rejection of President Donald Trump sending a U.S. military hospital ship has touched off a private-public healthcare debate amid ongoing diplomatic talks about Arctic security.

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Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Sunday turned down Trump’s offer, and now Trump special envoy to Greenland, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, has weighed in.

«Shame on Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen!» Landry wrote in response to a Fox News report on Nielsen’s objection. «President Donald J. Trump and America care. After speaking to many Greenlanders about the day to day problems they face, one issue stood out — healthcare.»

Greenland has sought more self-governance from Denmark under the Self Government Act in 2009 to take more local authority under home rule, but Danish officials’ instant rejection of Trump’s offer is aligned with Greenland’s own rejection that came later Sunday.

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CANADA AND FRANCE OPENING NEW CONSULATES IN GREENLAND’S CAPITAL AMID TRUMP PRESSURE

Greenland has rejected the Trump administration’s push to take over the Danish territory. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images; Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

«President Trump’s idea of ​​sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted,» Nielsen wrote in a translated Facebook post. «But we have a public healthcare system where treatment is free for citizens.

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«It is a deliberate choice.»

Greenland remains open to dialogue and cooperation with the U.S., with a caveat, according to Nielsen.

«But talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media,» Nielsen said in his own public Facebook protestation.

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TRUMP KEEPS MACRON UNDER SPOTLIGHT AS GREENLAND TALKS GRIND FORWARD FROM DAVOS

President-elect Donald Trump and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry

Louisiana GOP Gov. Jeff Landry speaks during a meeting with President Donald Trump last year. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Greenland’s «free for citizens» care is not sufficient, Landry argued in his Facebook response posted to his campaign’s page.

«Many villages and small towns lack basic services that Americans often take for granted,» Landry’s post continued. «Small settlements are without permanent doctors, diagnostic tools, or specialist care – forcing residents to travel great distances for vital treatments that should be available at home.»

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The healthcare issue underlies the overreaching Trump hopes to annex Greenland to secure the strategic Arctic region from Russian and Chinese designs, calling it a vital issue for «national security» for both the U.S. and the NATO alliance.

«A healthy Greenland is vital for America’s national security,» Landry’s post concluded. «America is committed to defending Greenland, and that begins by ensuring its people are defended against basic illnesses and ailments. 

«These missions matter because health is inseparable from security. America’s commitment to defending Greenland must begin with ensuring its people are healthy.»

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The recent dust-up came after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command evacuated a crew member who required urgent medical treatment from a U.S. submarine in Greenlandic waters, seven nautical miles outside of Greenland’s capital of Nuuk.

«Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there,» Trump wrote Saturday night on Truth Social. «It’s on the way!!!»

That post sparked objection from both Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Sunday.

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«The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs,» Poulsen told Danish broadcaster DR, according to Reuters. «They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialized treatment, they receive it in Denmark.

VANCE: US SHOULD GET ‘SOME BENEFIT’ FROM GREENLAND IF IT’S GOING TO BE ‘ON THE HOOK’ FOR PROTECTING TERRITORY

«So it’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland.»

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A split of Donald Trump and Mette Frederiksen.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is rejecting President Donald Trump’s offer to send a U.S. military hospital ship to Greenland, suggesting Denmark’s public healthcare system is sufficient. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Kirsty Wigglesworth – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Frederiksen spun the Trump offer into a political debate on public healthcare.

«Am happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all,» Frederiksen wrote in a translated post, sharing a Democrat attack point on Trump’s Republican Party’s struggles to reform what Trump has rebuked as a «failure» of Obamacare. «Where it’s not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment. You have the same approach in Greenland.»

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The U.S. Navy has two hospital ships, the Mercy and the Comfort. Both were last docked in Alabama for repairs, according to Reuters.

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North Korea’s Kim Jong Un re-elected as ruling party leader

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was re-elected as general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, according to a press release from the country’s state-run media.

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The decision was announced on Monday by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), which said the party formally adopted the measure on Feb. 22 during its Ninth Congress.

KCNA described the move as reflecting the «unanimous desire» of party members, the military and the public, praising Kim as the «centre of unity and leadership» and crediting him with strengthening the country’s nuclear deterrence and advancing economic and military development.

The lengthy statement highlighted the country’s achievements over the past five years, including improvements to national defense capabilities and economic planning.

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KIM JONG UN APPEARS WITH DAUGHTER AT MAUSOLEUM, FUELING SUCCESSION SPECULATION

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un claps after being re-elected to the top post of the ruling Workers’ Party during its congress in Pyongyang on Feb. 22, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

It also reaffirmed Kim’s role as the guiding figure in the country’s «socialist construction.»

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Kim, who has been in power since 2011, has served as general secretary of the Workers’ Party since 2021, when he formally assumed the title previously held by his late father, Kim Jong Il.

An analysis by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) suggests North Korea could use the conclusion of the Ninth Party Congress to unveil new strategic weapons and highlight progress under its 2021–2025 military modernization plan.

SOUTH KOREAN COURT RULES EX-PRESIDENT YOON SUK YEOL GUILTY IN INSURRECTION TRIAL

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Kim Jong Un sits at a podium during a Workers’ Party congress in Pyongyang.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un attends the ruling Workers’ Party Congress in Pyongyang on Feb. 22, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

The report notes Pyongyang may showcase advances in intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles as it seeks to improve the survivability and accuracy of its nuclear capabilities.

AEI assessed that Kim is also likely to outline modernization goals for the 2026–2030 period, potentially emphasizing second-strike capabilities, faster launch readiness and more diverse delivery systems.

NORTH KOREA FIRES MISSILE AS US, SOUTH KOREA BEGIN THEIR 1ST JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE OF TRUMP’S 2ND TERM

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Beyond military issues, the analysis says Kim may frame the current five-year economic plan as a success, pointing to increased trade with Russia and China and efforts under his «20×10 Regional Development Policy» to reduce rural-urban disparities.

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Gobierno y ONG impulsan expansión de humedal clave para biodiversidad panameña

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Guardaparques recorrieron 32 kilómetros por vía acuática y 8 kilómetros terrestres para evaluar zonas propuestas de ampliación del humedal. Cortesía

Panamá avanza en su objetivo de ampliar el Humedal Ramsar Punta Patiño mediante recorridos técnicos, monitoreo ambiental y trabajo comunitario desarrollados en la provincia de Darién, en un proceso que busca fortalecer la protección de uno de los ecosistemas más relevantes del país.

Guardaparques del Ministerio de Ambiente (MiAmbiente) y de la Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (ANCÓN) realizaron patrullajes terrestres y marítimos enfocados en verificar límites actuales, evaluar zonas propuestas para anexión y recopilar información científica que sustente la ampliación.

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Las acciones incluyeron 32 kilómetros por vía acuática y 8 kilómetros por vía terrestre, abarcando límites perimetrales actuales y territorios considerados estratégicos para la conectividad ecológica.

En paralelo, se desarrollaron espacios de diálogo comunitario con representantes de Punta Alegre, Taimatí, Sambú y Garachine, donde se abordaron beneficios ambientales, alcances del proyecto y zonas de interés prioritario que podrían incorporarse al sitio Ramsar.

Muestreos de agua incluyeron mediciones
Muestreos de agua incluyeron mediciones de salinidad, temperatura, zooplancton y profundidad para analizar la dinámica hidrológica. Cortesía

El proceso contempló también trabajos científicos en campo, incluyendo monitoreo de aves, evaluaciones forestales y establecimiento de parcelas de investigación, elementos que forman parte del sustento técnico requerido para la ampliación.

Equipos especializados realizaron muestreos de agua con instrumentos multiparámetro, mediciones de salinidad y temperatura, colecta de zooplancton y registros de profundidad, con el objetivo de evaluar la salud del ecosistema y su dinámica hidrológica.

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Dentro de la ruta de evaluación se incluyeron Guagaral, Playa Cueca, lagunas cercanas a Sambú y sectores próximos a Garachine, áreas consideradas clave para justificar la expansión del humedal y fortalecer la conservación del Corredor Biológico Serranía de Bagre.

En la comunidad de Punta Alegre, autoridades presentaron mapas topográficos y trabajaron con residentes en la delimitación participativa de zonas potenciales para anexión, registrando el proceso mediante fotografías georreferenciadas.

El proceso de ampliación incorpora
El proceso de ampliación incorpora diálogo con comunidades de Punta Alegre, Taimatí, Sambú y Garachine para delimitar áreas prioritarias. Cortesía

La Reserva Natural Privada Punta Patiño, administrada por ANCÓN, constituye la primera reserva natural privada del país y protege una de las muestras más representativas del bosque tropical panameño, con ecosistemas que incluyen manglares, humedales costeros y bosques inundables.

Su integración al sistema Ramsar responde a la importancia ecológica del área, particularmente como hábitat de especies, regulador hídrico y barrera natural frente a eventos climáticos extremos.

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Un sitio Ramsar es un humedal reconocido internacionalmente bajo la Convención Ramsar, tratado ambiental que promueve la conservación y uso sostenible de estos ecosistemas debido a su valor para la biodiversidad, el almacenamiento de carbono, la mitigación de inundaciones y el sustento de comunidades locales.

En materia normativa, Panamá incorporó la Convención Ramsar mediante la Ley 6 de 1989 y cuenta con disposiciones como la Ley General de Ambiente (Ley 41 de 1998), normas de ordenamiento territorial, regulaciones sobre manglares y la Política Nacional de Humedales aprobada en 2018.

Panamá cuenta con otros humedales
Panamá cuenta con otros humedales Ramsar como la Bahía de Panamá, reconocida internacionalmente por su importancia para aves migratorias y ecosistemas de manglar. Cortesía Municipio de Panamá

La ampliación de Punta Patiño se inserta en esa estrategia global de protección de humedales de importancia internacional.

Panamá cuenta con otros sitios Ramsar como Bahía de Panamá, San San Pond Sak y el Golfo de Montijo, reconocidos por su relevancia para aves migratorias, manglares y ecosistemas costeros, lo que refleja la diversidad de humedales presentes en el país.

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En ese contexto, la ampliación de Punta Patiño busca incrementar la cobertura protegida, mejorar la gestión ambiental y reforzar la conectividad entre ecosistemas terrestres y marinos.

Desde el punto de vista ecológico, la expansión propuesta apunta a proteger zonas de transición entre bosques, manglares y áreas marinas, ecosistemas que funcionan como corredores biológicos y refugios para especies amenazadas.

Autoridades ambientales señalan que la incorporación de nuevas áreas permitiría fortalecer procesos de restauración, mejorar la vigilancia ambiental y ampliar el monitoreo científico dentro del sitio Ramsar.

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Los humedales panameños enfrentan presiones
Los humedales panameños enfrentan presiones por actividades como la tala, cambios en el uso del suelo y expansión urbana, factores que amenazan su equilibrio ecológico. Cortesía

El componente comunitario constituye un eje central del proceso, ya que la ampliación requiere participación local y reconocimiento de usos tradicionales del territorio.

Las reuniones desarrolladas durante los patrullajes permitieron identificar preocupaciones, oportunidades de conservación y posibles beneficios socioeconómicos, incluyendo ecoturismo, investigación científica y programas de educación ambiental vinculados al humedal.

El proceso de ampliación continuará con evaluaciones técnicas, consultas comunitarias y revisión cartográfica, etapas necesarias para sustentar la modificación de límites y su eventual reconocimiento internacional.

Las autoridades destacan que la iniciativa busca consolidar la protección de Punta Patiño dentro del sistema Ramsar y reforzar el papel de los humedales como infraestructura natural clave para la resiliencia ambiental del país.

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El proyecto busca ampliar la
El proyecto busca ampliar la cobertura protegida y fortalecer la gestión ambiental del ecosistema. Cortesía

Igualmente, señalan que la gestión futura de los humedales debe priorizar el ordenamiento territorial, el control del turismo, la protección de cuencas hidrográficas y la integración de estos ecosistemas en las políticas de adaptación al cambio climático.

La presión sobre los humedales panameños se ha incrementado en los últimos años como resultado de la expansión urbana, los rellenos, los cambios en el uso del suelo, el turismo no regulado, la contaminación y los efectos del cambio climático.



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