Democracy Now! 30th Anniversary Celebration Postponed, Olympics Marked by Political Statements

A celebration of 30 years of independent journalism hosted by Democracy Now! has been postponed due to a blizzard in New York City, even as the recent Winter Olympics in Italy were punctuated by political demonstrations and controversies.

Democracy Now! Anniversary Event Postponed

Democracy Now!’s 30th anniversary celebration, originally scheduled for February 23, 2026, at Riverside Church in New York City, has been postponed due to a blizzard-related state of emergency. The event, featuring Amy Goodman, Juan González, Nermeen Shaikh, and special guests including Angela Davis, Naomi Klein, Maria Ressa, Mosab Abu Toha, and V (formerly Eve Ensler), will be rescheduled. Musical performances were planned with Michael Stipe, Aaron Dessner, Andy LeMaster, Wynton Marsalis, and Hurray for the Riff Raff. Updates will be provided via email, the Democracy Now! website (https://www.democracynow.org/), and social media.

Political Statements at the Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics, recently concluded in Italy, saw several instances of athletes and officials making political statements. FBI Director Kash Patel’s attendance at the U.S. Men’s hockey team’s locker room celebration after their win against Canada, reportedly traveling on a government plane, drew criticism.

U.S. Freestyle skier Hunter Hess sparked controversy and backlash from supporters of former President Trump after expressing mixed feelings about representing the U.S. Given the current political climate. Trump responded by calling Hess “a real loser” on his social media platform, leading to a wave of online harassment.

U.S. Figure skater Amber Glenn, the first openly LGBTQ+ athlete to compete in women’s singles figure skating at the Winter Olympics, spoke about the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community during the current administration.

International Olympic Committee and Political Expression

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) faced criticism for its handling of political expression at the games. The IOC requested that Haitian athletes remove an image of Toussaint Louverture, a revolutionary leader who led Haiti to independence and abolished slavery, from their uniforms, citing a breach of rules regarding political statements.

Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was initially allowed to wear a helmet displaying the names of Ukrainians killed in the war with Russia during practice runs, but was later prohibited from wearing it during the competition. Heraskevych chose not to compete rather than remove the helmet.

Criticism of LA28 Organizing Committee Chair

Pressure is mounting for Casey Wasserman, chair of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, to resign following the release of emails linking him to Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Wasserman also faced criticism for remaining silent during ICE raids and military deployments in Los Angeles, and for applauding a political rant by former President Trump.