Tuesday, June 30, 2015

50% Of NYC Public School Students Speak Language Other Than English At Home 

By Albor Ruiz, Jun. 29, 2015, NYDailyNews.com

New Yorkers, who come from every corner of the world, speak 180 languages. Not surprisingly, nearly half of public school students speak a language other than English at home.

This makes life difficult for the city's Department of Education, which, according to federal law and its own regulations, must provide translation and interpretation services to the thousands of parents of those children whose first language is not English. It is not an easy task.

As a just-released report by the New York Immigration Coalition makes clear, even though these services are technically available through the DOE’s Translation and Interpretation Unit, they fall far short of what is needed.



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Robert Redford Sees 'Last Chance' To Fix Climate 

By AFP/Yahoo, Jun. 29, 2015

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Robert Redford told the United Nations on Monday that negotiations on a global deal to tackle climate change could be the world's "last chance" to save the planet.

"This December, the world must unite behind a common goal," said the American actor and producer.

"Because look, this is it. This is our only planet, our only life source.

"This may be our last chance."

World governments will try to forge a new global accord to address climate change at a UN climate conference in Paris in December, with both developed and developing countries committing to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The landmark agreement would limit global warming to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (two degrees Celsius) from pre-industrial revolution levels as of 2020.

"We are all responsible for this crisis," Redford told the gathering. "Your mission is as simple as it is daunting: save the world before it's too late."

Redford pointed to global warming fueling extreme weather such as the deadly heatwaves in India and Pakistan that have claimed thousands of lives.



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A College Balks At Hillary Clinton’s Fee, So Books Chelsea For $65,000 Instead

By Win McNamee, Getty Images
By Philip Rucker and Rosalind S. Helderman, Jun. 30, 2015, Washington Post

When the University of Missouri at Kansas City was looking for a celebrity speaker to headline its gala luncheon marking the opening of a women’s hall of fame, one of the names that came to mind was Hillary Rodham Clinton.

But when the former secretary of state’s representatives quoted a fee of $275,000, officials at the public university balked. “Yikes!” one e-mailed another.

So the school booked the next best option: her daughter, Chelsea.

The university paid $65,000 for Chelsea Clinton’s brief appearance Feb. 24, 2014, a demonstration of the celebrity appeal and marketability that the former and possibly second-time first daughter employs on behalf of her mother’s presidential campaign and family’s global charitable empire.

More than 500 pages of e-mails, contracts and other internal documents obtained by The Washington Post from the university under Missouri public record laws detail the school’s long courtship of the Clintons.



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Why Gay Movie Stars Are Staying Locked In The Closet

By Brent Lang, Jun. 29, 2015, Variety

There’s a vast and growing list of prominent gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender media and entertainment figures — just don’t count movie stars among them.

Celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Caitlyn Jenner and Neil Patrick Harris have kicked open the closet door with little to no damage to their careers. In some cases, they’ve found themselves more in demand after revealing their sexual preferences or gender identification.

Yet there’s one glass ceiling that remains stubbornly resistant to cracks.

No A-list film actor has yet to come out publicly while at the pinnacle of his or her career. Sure, Jodie Foster gave an elliptical Golden Globes speech about being a lesbian, and out actors Ian McKellen and Zachary Quinto helped anchor the “X-Men” and “Lord of the Rings” series, and the rebooted “Star Trek” films, respectively. Yet despite their prodigious talents, none of them has the power to secure a greenlight on their name alone.

In some cases, business concerns, not personal comfort, lead to silence.



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Uber Buying Microsoft’s Bing Maps To Lessen Reliance On Google Maps

Ollie McAteer, Jun. 30, 2015, Metro.co.uk

Uber is one step closer to taking over the world after buying Microsoft Bing mapping assets.

The firm is looking to lessen its reliance on Google Maps and the acquisition come just days after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced to staff in an email the company will be making tough decisions.

Around 100 of the Microsoft’s Bing Maps engineers will be moved to Uber after they were bought for an undisclosed sum.

A data centre, cameras and image-analysing software were also part of the deal.

An Uber spokesperson said: ‘We’re excited about the talent and technology this acquisition brings.

More: www.metro.co.uk


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Greece ‘Will Not’ Pay Debt 

Ollie McAteer, Jun. 30, 2015, Metro.co.uk

Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has confirmed Greece will not pay the International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt due today.

When asked while walking into the finance ministry about whether Greece will pay the 1.6 billion euro (£1.1 billion) due to the IMF, Mr Varoufakis simply said: ‘No.’

His comment came amid speculation that Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras is trying to craft a last-minute deal with creditors before the payment is due and before the European part of Greece’s bailout comes to an end.

A Greek official said Mr Tsipras has spoken with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi and European Parliament president Martin Schulz.

More: www.metro.co.uk


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Helium Is LEAKING From Massive Earthquake Fault In LA 

By Mark Prigg, Jun. 29, 2015, Daily Mail

A huge fault in the Earth's crust near Los Angeles is leaking helium, researchers have found.

They say the unexpected find sheds new light on the Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone in the Los Angeles Basin.

It reveals the fault is far deeper than previously thought, and a quake would be far more devastating.

It follows a report from the U.S. Geological Survey has warned the risk of 'the big one' hitting California has increased dramatically.

UC Santa Barbara geologist Jim Boles found evidence of helium leakage from the Earth's mantle along a 30-mile stretch of the Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone in the Los Angeles Basin.

He claims the results show that the Newport-Inglewood fault is deeper than scientists previously thought.

Using samples of casing gas from two dozen oil wells ranging from LA's Westside to Newport Beach in Orange County, Boles discovered that more than one-third of the sites show evidence of high levels of helium-3 (3He).

More: www.dailymail.co.uk


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She Refused To Issue Gay Marriage Licenses On Friday

By Billy Hallowell, Jun. 29, 2015, The Blaze

Despite a decree from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that county clerks can refuse to grant same-sex marriage licenses on religious grounds, Denton County Clerk Juli Luke — who personally opposes gay nuptials — started granting licenses on Monday morning after originally declining to do so following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling.

“Personally, same-sex marriage is in contradiction to my faith and belief that marriage is between one man and one woman,” she said in a statement released on Sunday. “However, first and foremost, I took an oath on my family Bible to uphold the law and as an elected public official my personal belief cannot prevent me from issuing the licenses as required.”

Luke had previously declined two gay couples licenses on Friday, claiming that she needed legal guidance from Paxton before granting the licenses. She also later said that she was holding back due to a need to update computer software, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.



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Seven Well-Known Pastors Who Are Speaking Out Against Gay Marriage Legalization: ‘Culture Will Get Increasingly Darker’

Photo by Liselotte Sabroe/AFP/Getty Images.
Billy Hallowell, Jun. 29, 2015, The Blaze

A flurry of conservative pastors and faith leaders have responded to Friday’s same-sex marriage Supreme Court ruling, with many showing their disappointment over the decision to legalize gay unions across America, while voicing their concerns about religious liberty.

Below, see just seven reactions from prominent Christian leaders who take issue with same-sex nuptials:

Evangelist Franklin Graham, son of famed preacher Billy Graham, has held little back in regards to his views on same-sex relations and, more specifically, his take on the high court’s ruling.

He took to his Facebook page on Monday morning to respond to President Barack Obama’s decision to celebrate gay marriage by lighting the White House in rainbow colors, calling the act “outrageous” and “a real slap in the face to the millions of Americans who do not support same-sex marriage and whose voice is being ignored.”


More: www.theblaze.com

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Activists Plan To Burn American Flags In New York City Ahead of Fourth of July

By Oliver Darcy, Jun. 30, 2015, The Blaze

A group calling for the immediate disarmament of the New York Police Department plans to burn American flags in a Brooklyn park on Wednesday, just days before the Fourth of July holiday.

“Disarm NYPD” announced the “Burn the American Flags” event on Facebook, inviting individuals to join the organization at Fort Greene Park to “set fire to this symbol of oppression.”

Organizers said accused Charleston shooter Dylann Roof wasn’t an “isolated actor,” but a “product of a consistent pattern of state-sponsored terrorism and radicalized dehumanization in America.” The event originally was aimed at burning the Confederate flag, but later changed to focus on the stars and stripes.

“There will be no peace until we tear down this system of oppression,” the group wrote on Facebook. “It isn’t enough to take the flag down; we must put an end to white supremacy once and for all.”



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The Very Big Risks Of The Greek Debt Crisis

By Mark Thompson, Jun. 29, 2015, CNN Money

Greece is spiraling ever deeper into a financial and political crisis that could end with it becoming the first country to crash out of the euro.

That's not going to spell the end of the European Union -- after all, Greece represents just 2% of the eurozone. Its economy is worth about $200 billion, making it slightly bigger than Alabama, but smaller than Oregon.

So why did President Obama pick up the phone Sunday to urge German Chancellor Angela Merkel to try to find a solution, even at this late hour?

Here are five reasons why Greece's fate matters:

1. Fear of the unknown: Will it be a "Lehman moment"?

Markets around the world took a beating Monday in response to weekend developments that have set Greece on the path to defaulting on its enormous government debt and ultimately abandoning the euro, the so-called 'Grexit' scenario.

That's not because investors are heavily exposed to Greek assets. In fact, most of Greece's debt is now held by other governments and international institutions that are strong enough to cope with a default. Some U.S. hedge funds are invested in Greek banks -- and have already taken hefty losses - but most global banks have relatively little at stake in Greece's financial system.



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NBC Cut Ties With Donald Trump 

By Brian Stelter and Frank Pallotta, Jun. 29, 2015, CNN Money

NBCUniversal, under pressure from an array of Hispanic groups, is severing its business ties to presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The Miss USA pageant, scheduled for July 12, will no longer air on the network. Nor will the Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for next January. Both pageants were, until now, jointly owned by NBC and Trump.

Update: on Tuesday morning the organizers of Miss USA said "we are disheartened by recent events, but the show will go on."(However, the event currently has no television broadcaster.)

Contestants from across the country have been preparing for months for the annual event.

"At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values," the company said in a statement on Monday. "Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump."



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Sidney Blumenthal Played Under-The-Radar Role At Young Daily Beast 

By Rosie Gray, Jun. 28, 2015, Buzz Feed

WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton’s confidant Sidney Blumenthal played a quiet role in shaping, and sometimes steering political coverage, in the early days of The Daily Beast.

Blumenthal’s role, early employees said, was touched with a bit of the conspiratorial haze that has emerged as a point of controversy in Clinton’s campaign. He wasn’t listed on the site’s masthead, and the site’s founder, Tina Brown, said she had “no idea” whether or not he was on Clinton’s payroll while helping to shape the site’s political coverage. In one case, he commissioned a hit piece on a potential Clinton rival, Caroline Kennedy, though his name appeared nowhere on the story.

Brown, who founded The Daily Beast, confirmed to BuzzFeed News that Blumenthal had been a “part time consultant” in 2008 and 2009 and had “assigned and connected us to some writers as asked.”



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Black Lives Matter Protesters Disrupt Chicago Gay Pride Parade 

By Warner Todd Hudson, Jun. 29, 2015, Breitbart

Chicago’s 47th annual gay pride parade was disrupted several times by the usual city disruptions — gang activity, gunshots, and drunks — but the event was also disrupted by a car driving into a group of bystanders. Then there was an even larger interruption by “black lives matter” protesters.

Just about every Chicago parade these days features gunfire in the perimeters as gangs clash with police and drunks have probably been a parade disruption since forever. But this year a man tried to drive into the parade route, ramming his car into some bystanders — but not hurting anyone seriously.

Police swarmed the vehicle, smashed in the rear window and yanked out the driver, a middle-aged white man, and arrested him. Chicago police have released no details on the man’s identity nor his motivations for ramming the barricades for the parade.

More: www.breitbart.com


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Supreme Court Throws Out Arizona, Kansas Voter ID Appeal 

By Christian Datoc, Jun. 29, 2015, Daily Caller

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a joint-appeal from Arizona and Kansas on Monday that would have allowed the states to require applicants to show proof of citizenship while registering to vote.

In throwing out the case, SCOTUS uphold a Nov. 2014 ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, stating that the Election Assistance Commission — the federal agency overseeing changes to states’ voter registration processes — was, “not required to grant the states’ request that proof of citizenship be added to registration requirements,” reports Reuters. The court believed that the federal registration form — requiring applicants to swear they are citizens under the threat of perjury — was a sufficient safe-guard against voter fraud.

More: www.dailycaller.com


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Bob Costas Apologizes To Cubs’ Pedro Strop For ‘Harsh’ Comments 

By Des Bieler, Jun. 28, 2015, Washington Post

By his own admission, Bob Costas’s comments about the Cubs’ Pedro Strop during a recent game were excessively “harsh,” so he apologized to the relief pitcher. For his part, Strop didn’t seem to hold any grudge, telling reporters Sunday, “We all make mistakes.”

Costas was calling Friday’s Cubs-Cardinals game for MLB Network, and he reacted to Strop pointing skyward after he was pulled from the mound. The relief pitcher had faced just four batters and given up a home run, a hit batsman and a walk.

After Strop made his gesture, Costas said, “We can only ask, or wonder, that he is asking some departed relative for forgiveness for this atrocious performance.” Here is video of the sequence:



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Benghazi Night Call Between Clinton And Obama Withheld, Documents Show

Photo: Pete Souza/White House
By Catherine Herridge, Jun. 29, 2015, Fox News

New documents released by a federal court show President Obama called then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the night of the 2012 Benghazi attack -- but the contents are being withheld by the State Department.

It had previously been disclosed that Clinton and Obama spoke the night of the terror attacks. But the documents offer additional information about the timing of the call -- after the initial attack on the U.S. consulate, but before the second wave where mortars hit the nearby CIA annex and killed former Navy SEALs Ty Woods and Glen Doherty.

The contents of the call, however, are being withheld, not because the information is classified but because the administration claims they represent internal deliberations about the 2012 terror assault.

The claim comes as Clinton also faces accusations that she withheld Benghazi-related emails from her private server in the trove of emails handed over to the State Department.



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Protesters Block Louisville Police Station Over Union Letter

By Steve Bittenbender, Jun. 22, 2015, Reuters

Dozens of demonstrators forced the temporary closure of the Louisville Metro Police headquarters on Monday afternoon in a protest that sought the firing of the local police union leader for his reaction to an officer-involved fatal shooting.

The local Fraternal Order of Police chapter said Thursday in a letter to the community that "sensationalists, liars and race-baiters" were putting Louisville in danger, prompting calls for the resignation of chapter President Dave Mutchler.

No arrests were made during the protest and the headquarters reopened in mid-afternoon, a police spokesman said.

Mutchler, a sergeant on the police force, has reaffirmed his support for the letter in interviews with local media.

More: www.reuters.com


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Rapper Opens BET Awards Singing About Police Brutality Atop Vandalized Cop Car

By Katlin Collins, Jun. 28, 2015, Daily Caller

Kendrick Lamar opened the BET Awards Sunday night rapping about police brutality while on top of a vandalized police car with a ripped American flag waving behind him.

Performing his song “Alright,” the 28-year-old rapped about overcoming his struggles.

More: www.dailycaller.com

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Monday, June 29, 2015

Walmart Apologizes For Making ISIS Flag Cake After Denying Request For Confederate Flag

By Ken Meyer, Jun. 28, 2015, Mediatie.com

Walmart was frequently cited last week as the first major retailer to publicly distance itself from the renewed furor surrounding the Confederate flag. On Friday, a customer in Louisiana who was denied his request for a cake decorated with the flag’s image, decided to see how far the store would go with their stance, and found out it was not very far after all.

Chuck Netzhammer took to YouTube on Friday, explaining that after he was denied the Confederate flag’s image on the cake, he requested that the make one with the ISIS battle flag instead. To his shock, Walmart didn’t say no, and he said in his video that the retailer had to explain why it would allow the flag while “alienating Southern Americans.”



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Memphis Mayor Wants to Literally Dig Up Confederate General and Move Him

By Alex Griswold, Jun. 26, 2015, Mediaite 

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton has called for the removal of the grave of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest from a city park, along with an attached memorial.

“These relics, these messages of this despicable period of this great nation, it’s time for those to be moved,” Wharton said in a press conference Thursday.

Most historians believe that Forrest was also the first Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, although he later distanced himself from the group as they became more violent. “This is not just an ordinary monument,” Wharton said. “This is a monument to a man who was the avowed founder of the organization that has as its purpose the intimidation, the oppression of black folks.”



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Antietam, Other Parks Stop Selling Items With The Confederate Flag 

By Christina Jedra, Jessica Anderson, Jun. 25, 2015, The Baltimore Sun

Workers at Antietam National Battlefield took Confederate flags, T-shirts and magnets off gift shop shelves Thursday as the National Park Service announced plans to stop selling some items with the increasingly controversial symbol.

Park service officials said they would stop "stand-alone depictions" of the familiar battle flag, which has 13 white stars on a blue "X" over a red field. They said educational items such as books, exhibits, and media showing re-enactments and interpretive programs may use images of the battle flag "in its historical context" as long as they cannot be "physically detached."

"We strive to tell the complete story of America," National Park Service director Jonathan B. Jarvis said in a statement. "All sales items in parks are evaluated based on educational value and their connection to the park. Any stand-alone depictions of Confederate flags have no place in park stores."


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U.S. Citizens Sign Petition To Ban the American Flag & Issue A New Design For The New World Order!!!



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NASCAR's Position On Confederate Flag Changes

By Jeff Gluck, Jun. 28, 2015, USA Today

NASCAR's position on the Confederate flag has evolved as CEO Brian France works to distance the sport from what he said Saturday was an "offensive and divisive symbol."

In a statement Saturday, France reiterated the sport's policy preventing the use of the flag in any official capacity -- a stance that drew headlines Tuesday when NASCAR backed the removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina's Capitol grounds.

"In all areas that NASCAR controls on a given race weekend, the flag has no presence," France said. "We have been clear in support of this position throughout our industry and to those across the country who have called for the eradication of the Confederate Flag."



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