30 Apr 26 12:29 UTCenhttps://www.freedommag.org/rss.xmlhttps://www.freedommag.org/news/at-the-crossroads-of-the-americas-miamis-search-for-opportunity-takes-spiritual-form-5e8a21As the Church of Scientology of Miami marks its ninth anniversary as an Ideal Organization, a Destination: Scientology episode highlights its role in a city defined by those who come to begin again.2026-04-29https://www.freedommag.org/news/new-video-exposes-tony-ortega-as-the-chief-enabler-of-the-backpage-child-sex-trafficking-empire-072d70In his words and those of law enforcement and legislators, this audiovisual exposé paints a chilling picture of children sold for sex on Backpage—and the man who made it possible.  2026-04-28https://www.freedommag.org/news/now-more-than-ever-we-need-to-come-together-faith-communicators-convene-at-annual-gathering-e7300dReligion Communicators Council gathering highlights the role of faith media in a divided world—as communicators press forward in the belief their work can help turn it toward the divine.2026-04-27https://www.freedommag.org/news/young-mens-church-attendance-rises-to-highest-level-in-over-a-decade-gallup-finds-b496d2Forty percent of men under 30 now attend services monthly or more often, as multiple indicators point to a broader rise in religious engagement—a trend that bodes well for the country.2026-04-26https://www.freedommag.org/news/as-soon-as-i-heard-the-word-autopsy-i-fell-to-the-floor-one-mothers-warning-as-carfentanil-deaths-surge-d7115aAfter losing her son to a drug he never intended to take, one mother is speaking out.2026-04-25https://www.freedommag.org/news/new-data-shows-anti-sikh-hate-crimes-in-the-us-surged-3-700-over-a-decade-d4e238While total hate crimes fell across the US in 2025, anti-Sikh violence spiked to historic highs. The data shows a community increasingly singled out for attack.2026-04-24https://www.freedommag.org/news/what-is-the-free-press-in-house-counsel-janell-wise-afraid-of-e362b0The Free Press invokes journalistic standards but remains silent after endorsing claims rejected in federal court. 2026-04-23https://www.freedommag.org/news/l-ron-hubbard-writers-and-illustrators-of-the-future-gala-honors-new-voices-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy-249acdDuring a Hollywood celebration filled with dragons and astronauts, emerging creators were honored for bringing imagined worlds closer to reality and shaping the imaginative frontier.2026-04-22https://www.freedommag.org/news/richmond-settles-foia-whistleblower-lawsuit-for-usd549-000-15aae4Former FOIA officer Connie Clay alleged repeated transparency violations before being fired. The settlement and legal defense costs pushed the taxpayer burden to nearly five times her initial $250,000 claim.2026-04-21https://www.freedommag.org/news/bomb-threat-suspect-tells-fbi-psychiatric-drugs-triggered-in-flight-breakdown-fb68adThe case underscores documented risks tied to psychotropic drugs, including agitation, hostility and violence.2026-04-20https://www.freedommag.org/news/european-court-of-human-rights-rules-prolonged-psychiatric-restraint-in-denmark-violated-ban-on-torture-107490Judgment exposes Denmark’s continued use of dangerous psychiatric restraint, affecting thousands of patients each year.2026-04-19https://www.freedommag.org/news/at-the-writers-of-the-future-art-reveal-new-worlds-move-from-page-to-canvas-bb5fc3Contest winners gather in Los Angeles for training and collaboration before discovering their stories paired with original artwork in the newest volume of Writers of the Future.2026-04-18https://www.freedommag.org/news/lawsuits-allege-years-of-sexual-abuse-at-acadias-detroit-behavioral-institute-d93d0cA new 2026 lawsuit adds to mounting claims that Acadia Healthcare ignored warning signs and allowed rape and abuse to persist inside a now-shuttered facility.2026-04-17https://www.freedommag.org/news/ontario-moves-to-expand-government-secrecy-after-court-orders-release-of-records-from-premier-doug-fords-phone-1413a8After losing in court, the government moves to rewrite transparency rules governing access to records tied to the premier’s office, despite strong public opposition.2026-04-16https://www.freedommag.org/news/lawmakers-investigate-psychiatric-industry-as-spending-surges-while-outcomes-worsen-nationwide-d276c4As psychiatric treatment doubles and prescriptions surge, key measures show worsening mental health nationwide. A congressional roundtable raised alarms over drug harms and billions lost to fraud.2026-04-15https://www.freedommag.org/news/foia-request-hits-dead-end-as-hawaii-house-deletes-emails-in-usd35-000-bribery-case-b5549aYears of legislative emails were wiped under official policy, cutting off a critical line of inquiry into a $35,000 payoff.2026-04-14https://www.freedommag.org/news/dealer-who-supplied-fatal-dose-to-matthew-perry-sentenced-to-15-years-435fc3A self-styled “Ketamine Queen” who flaunted a jet-setting lifestyle was sentenced after prosecutors said she sold dozens of vials that led to the actor’s fatal overdose. 2026-04-13https://www.freedommag.org/news/nitazenes-detected-in-wastewater-at-70-of-missouri-schools-tested-d7fb47A highly potent class of synthetic opioids has turned up in wastewater at 26 of 37 monitored Missouri schools. Officials warn the drugs are spreading rapidly and often go undetected.2026-04-12https://www.freedommag.org/news/psychiatric-abuse-allegations-mount-as-staff-charged-at-new-york-facility-746eeaNew charges at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health follow video showing a teen being shoved, while a class action lawsuit, prior conviction and $60 million jury award expose a wider pattern.2026-04-11https://www.freedommag.org/news/anibal-heredia-burgos-building-bridges-across-puerto-rico-bc2be6Faith-Based Coordinator Anibal Heredia Burgos on pioneering interfaith collaboration—and why the new Ideal Church of Scientology of Puerto Rico represents a turning point for community impact.2026-04-10https://www.freedommag.org/news/eight-years-after-backpages-seizure-the-sex-marketplace-it-exposed-still-thrives-in-the-shadows-3958ddA landmark 2018 takedown promised a reckoning for online sex trafficking—but while a handful of executives fell, the broader ecosystem of enablers, profiteers and apologists remains largely intact. How do we hold the hidden perpetrators accountable?2026-04-09https://www.freedommag.org/news/quebec-laws-target-religious-expression-push-educators-from-classrooms-727f03Teachers are being pushed out of Quebec classrooms for wearing hijabs, turbans and other religious symbols. Civil liberties groups say the province’s escalating secularism laws are targeting faith itself.2026-04-08https://www.freedommag.org/news/church-of-scientology-los-angeles-hosts-thousands-at-family-friendly-easter-festival-on-l-ron-hubbard-way-892429Thousands fill the brick-lined thoroughfare as the Church of Scientology opens its doors to the public, turning a holiday tradition into a living model of community life.2026-04-07https://www.freedommag.org/news/uk-marijuana-boom-driven-by-just-10-doctors-writing-half-of-all-prescriptions-c19732A handful of doctors is driving a massive prescription surge in the UK’s $6.6 billion-a-year medical cannabis industry—even as new data links the drug to higher rates of depression, anxiety and heart disease.2026-04-06https://www.freedommag.org/news/public-school-district-settles-religious-freedom-lawsuit-restores-training-access-for-students-e5e921The agreement between the Chicago Board of Education and Moody Bible Institute resolves a four-month dispute over whether public school programs can impose hiring conditions on faith-based institutions.2026-04-05https://www.freedommag.org/news/california-church-files-federal-suit-after-mob-blocks-worshippers-and-families-during-services-794e67Repeated attacks forced parishioners to abandon services, prompting a lawsuit that highlights escalating threats to houses of worship across the country.2026-04-04https://www.freedommag.org/news/ashleigh-banfields-career-ends-anti-scientology-reporting-claims-another-victim-23573dHaving fallen to one of America’s least-watched cable news networks, even they rejected Ashleigh Banfield’s virulent hate—as did her former audience. 2026-04-03https://www.freedommag.org/news/celebrating-a-decade-helping-atlanta-rise-dbbc2dAs the Ideal Church of Scientology of Atlanta marks its 10th anniversary, a Destination: Scientology episode highlights a city defined by welcome, resilience and forward motion.2026-04-02https://www.freedommag.org/news/euthanasia-cases-surge-as-psychiatrists-expand-abusive-treatments-to-include-death-4013e8Assisted suicide is no longer limited to terminal illness, with psychiatric patients now deemed capable of giving “informed consent” to die—even as the same system treats them as too insane to live.2026-04-01https://www.freedommag.org/news/the-world-is-her-classroom-across-90-countries-dr-mary-shuttleworth-teaches-human-rights-f30ce1Through decades of global outreach, Dr. Shuttleworth has transformed human rights from paper into practice in communities worldwide with one powerful tool: education.2026-03-31https://www.freedommag.org/news/virginia-jury-awards-usd20-million-in-child-abuse-case-at-psychiatric-facility-85de1fThe jury deliberated only three hours before reaching their verdict, after video showed a psychiatric worker dragging a 13-year-old across a room by a shirt wrapped around his neck.2026-03-30https://www.freedommag.org/news/wisconsin-bill-targets-delete-button-loophole-that-lets-lawmakers-erase-public-records-f2d4c4A new proposal would require legislators to retain emails and correspondence just like other public officials, reviving a long-running fight over transparency, accountability and public trust in state government.2026-03-29https://www.freedommag.org/news/arkansas-department-of-human-services-liable-for-neglect-deaths-in-human-development-centers-e502a9With limited video oversight and dozens of abuse reports, advocates say Arkansas’ Human Development Centers fail to adequately protect vulnerable residents from harm.2026-03-28https://www.freedommag.org/news/uk-sees-surge-in-fatal-nitazene-overdoses-tied-to-sales-on-telegram-messaging-app-e4408eExperts warn potent synthetic opioids are spreading rapidly across Europe and may devastate users who believe they are buying other drugs.2026-03-27https://www.freedommag.org/news/child-welfare-caseworker-arrested-for-fentanyl-use-while-on-duty-in-ohio-216475A Marion County Children Services employee was arrested after police say she was found driving high on fentanyl during a workday, despite a prior dismissal for violating drug-free workplace rules at a previous agency.2026-03-26https://www.freedommag.org/news/ashleigh-banfield-may-be-the-only-woman-rebuffed-by-jeffrey-epstein-8efd7eIn public, Banfield accurately described him as a creep, a sleaze and a pedophile. In private, she begged a friend to find out if he wanted to date her.2026-03-25https://www.freedommag.org/news/watchdog-finds-nursing-homes-use-schizophrenia-diagnoses-to-justify-drugging-of-elderly-patients-c111ebInvestigations by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General show that 17 percent of long-stay nursing home residents receive antipsychotics.2026-03-24https://www.freedommag.org/news/foia-expert-dr-david-cuillier-warns-you-dont-miss-access-until-its-gone-7502d2Dr. David Cuillier says “secrecy creep” has steadily eroded US FOIA compliance over three decades, calling it a growing threat to democracy itself if left unchecked.2026-03-23https://www.freedommag.org/news/japans-shame-dissolution-of-unification-church-sparks-outrage-and-condemnation-ab8954A first-of-its-kind ruling in Japan orders the dissolution of a major religious organization, raising urgent questions about the state of religious freedom in modern democracies—and how quickly it can erode.2026-03-22https://www.freedommag.org/news/historical-clothiers-bill-and-virginia-watson-on-building-a-marriage-a-business-and-a-life-all-by-hand-9a6799From a card table in an attic to a thriving business in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Bill and Virginia Watson have created a world of craftsmanship in which artistry, entrepreneurship and Scientology are deeply intertwined.2026-03-21https://www.freedommag.org/news/federal-jury-awards-usd667k-to-muslim-inmates-pepper-sprayed-by-prison-guards-while-praying-70eb98A guard with a history of Islamophobic remarks initiated pepper-spraying a group of Muslim men praying at a Missouri state prison. Jurors found First Amendment violations and awarded damages.2026-03-20https://www.freedommag.org/news/where-hollywood-creates-illusions-this-valley-church-helps-angelenos-build-something-real-d9946cIn the backstage capital of American entertainment, the Church of Scientology of the Valley is a place where the craft of creation gives way to the deeper work of connection, community and human betterment.2026-03-19https://www.freedommag.org/news/sunshine-week-spotlight-foia-fees-put-government-transparency-behind-a-paywall-b61ec5Research by Dr. David Cuillier and Dr. A. Jay Wagner shows public records are increasingly out of reach for citizens, nonprofits and journalists. 2026-03-18https://www.freedommag.org/news/47-young-women-claim-hunger-games-torture-at-michigan-mental-health-facility-6ff366Attorney Michael Jaafar represents dozens of girls who allege beatings, forced stripping and sexual misconduct at Vista Maria. The facility ended its residential program amid mounting complaints. 2026-03-17https://www.freedommag.org/news/college-student-leads-volunteers-nationwide-to-transform-abandoned-texas-school-into-mosque-and-community-hub-f4c5ffMohamad Altabaa, a third-year med student, rallied nearly 200 volunteers from across the country to renovate a 6-acre derelict school into the Unity Center, a mosque and hub for interfaith engagement and community service. 2026-03-16https://www.freedommag.org/news/children-as-young-as-11-seek-treatment-for-cannabis-addiction-as-cases-surge-nationwide-928afdAs potency rises, even preteens are experiencing severe health effects, forcing families to seek emergency care for cannabis-related conditions.2026-03-15https://www.freedommag.org/news/richmond-officials-under-scrutiny-for-foia-violations-and-missing-evidence-19cf0bConnie Clay alleges she was fired for exposing repeated FOIA breaches and refusing to mislead the public. The city now faces mounting legal and financial consequences. 2026-03-14https://www.freedommag.org/news/tampa-ideal-church-of-scientology-marks-15-years-of-preserving-history-and-serving-the-community-b79ae0Dedicated on L. Ron Hubbard’s centennial birthday, the Church restored Tampa’s first cigar factory into a vibrant spiritual hub of uplift, culture and outreach.2026-03-13https://www.freedommag.org/news/uscirf-annual-report-names-global-religious-freedom-violators-hungary-among-nations-under-scrutiny-fe6ccfThe bipartisan commission details mass persecution worldwide and flags Hungary for targeting the Church of Scientology.2026-03-12https://www.freedommag.org/news/a-decade-on-the-churchs-brussels-victory-still-stands-as-a-cornerstone-of-religious-freedom-in-europe-3319dbA Belgian court dismissed all charges and condemned the prejudiced investigation behind them—a decision widely viewed as a landmark affirmation of the right to freedom of religion across the continent.2026-03-11