Cherry hill teacher There’s nothing bizarre about black men being criminals and going to jail, Following a report of a high school English teacher allegedly bullying students and making racist comments in class, a spokeswoman for the Cherry Hill school district on Wednesday stated officials are investigating the matter.
According to a report on Cherry Hill Patch, parents of students at Cherry Hill High School spoke out at Tuesday night’s Cherry Hill Board of Education meeting stating they have been stymied at several points while trying to file harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) complaints against the teacher.
According to Susan Bastnagle, public information officer for the Cherry Hill school district, HIB policies apply to teacher-student interactions just as they apply to those between students.
However, that is the opposite of what the parents say they have been told by school officials.
Bastnagle stated Wednesday Principal John O’Breza first heard the complaints against the teacher from the parents on March 4. The parents then contacted the school’s central administration on March 13.
“The affirmative action officer, the building principal and the central administrative staff are currently investigating and looking into the parents’ allegations,” said Bastnagle.
She later added, “The [HIB] policies are applicable to staff as well as students.”
Page two of the district’s policy on harassment, intimidation and bullying, labeled Policy 5131, states: “The Cherry Hill Board of Education expects pupils, staff members and community to treat one another with civility and respect, and will not tolerate acts of harassment, intimidation or bullying.
“Like other disruptive or violent behaviors, this conduct interferes with an individual’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate its pupils in a safe environment.”
However, Bastnagle declined to comment on what kind of action the board could take if the parents’ accusations prove true.
“I can’t speak on generalities,” she said. “Just like with any HIB case, it all depends on the circumstances of the events.”
According to reports, the Cherry Hill High School East parents claimed the English has wielded discrimination and insults at students.
One specific example given was a comment allegedly made my the teacher during a vocabulary lesson last month. Using the word “bizarre” in an example sentence, the parents claim the teacher said, “There is nothing bizarre about black men being criminals and going to jail.”
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Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Northwest Preparatory staffers charged with felony injury
Northwest Preparatory staffers charged with felony injury, Three staffers of a Humble-area charter school are facing felony injury to a child charges after allegedly over-disciplining a seventh grade girl.
"Her arm was bent behind her back in a way that her wrist was up by her shoulder blades pretty high on her back," said Humble Police Department Det. Jackie Blanchard, the lead investigator in the case.
The three staff members at Northwest Preparatory Charter School now facing Felony Injury to a Child charges are 25-year-old Laurence Grigsby, 32-year-old Marcus Mitchell and 36-year-old Aisha Mercer.
Police say it started in a classroom when the 13-year-old female victim asked to go to the restroom. She was told no.
“It was up to the teacher to set the restroom breaks and every time someone would talk in the class he would change the time as a form of punishment. So she was not allowed for a long period of time to go to the restroom. She just finally had to go," said Det. Blanchard.
It was in the hallway that the alleged assaults began; first, by a teacher trying to take the student to the office.
In their statements to police, two of the teachers describe the girl as being "out of control.”
In all, the girl says her arm was bent backwards three different times. She was treated at a local hospital for arm injuries and referred to an orthopedist for additional treatment.
Magdalena Gomez is a parent of three children who attend Northwest Preparatory. She said she is disappointed about the charges, but would still recommend the school.
"I’m really surprised because I came all the time here and we come in without an appointment you know," said Gomez.
One parent told KHOU 11 News that if it was their child, "I would be infuriated. I have a daughter that goes here. That would not be tolerated."
The report actually came to the Humble police from CPS because the agency enrolled the girl in this school. She is living in a group home after being removed from her parents’ care.
The girl is six feet tall and weighs 150 pounds, but police say that should have no impact on how she is to be treated.
Humble police have responded to the school 23 times this year.
The school’s receptionist referred us to a superintendant who did not return our calls.
"Her arm was bent behind her back in a way that her wrist was up by her shoulder blades pretty high on her back," said Humble Police Department Det. Jackie Blanchard, the lead investigator in the case.
The three staff members at Northwest Preparatory Charter School now facing Felony Injury to a Child charges are 25-year-old Laurence Grigsby, 32-year-old Marcus Mitchell and 36-year-old Aisha Mercer.
Police say it started in a classroom when the 13-year-old female victim asked to go to the restroom. She was told no.
“It was up to the teacher to set the restroom breaks and every time someone would talk in the class he would change the time as a form of punishment. So she was not allowed for a long period of time to go to the restroom. She just finally had to go," said Det. Blanchard.
It was in the hallway that the alleged assaults began; first, by a teacher trying to take the student to the office.
In their statements to police, two of the teachers describe the girl as being "out of control.”
In all, the girl says her arm was bent backwards three different times. She was treated at a local hospital for arm injuries and referred to an orthopedist for additional treatment.
Magdalena Gomez is a parent of three children who attend Northwest Preparatory. She said she is disappointed about the charges, but would still recommend the school.
"I’m really surprised because I came all the time here and we come in without an appointment you know," said Gomez.
One parent told KHOU 11 News that if it was their child, "I would be infuriated. I have a daughter that goes here. That would not be tolerated."
The report actually came to the Humble police from CPS because the agency enrolled the girl in this school. She is living in a group home after being removed from her parents’ care.
The girl is six feet tall and weighs 150 pounds, but police say that should have no impact on how she is to be treated.
Humble police have responded to the school 23 times this year.
The school’s receptionist referred us to a superintendant who did not return our calls.
Fresno city instructor accused of attacking student
Fresno city instructor accused of attacking student, Fresno City College instructor and former Fresno council member Brian Calhoun was put on paid administrative leave Monday following his physical altercation with a 19-year-old female last month.
A campus police report says at least a half-dozen students and a substitute instructor support journalism major Kevynn Gomez's account of what happened inside the Old Administrative Building on March 22, a day before spring break.
In the police report, Gomez admits cursing at Calhoun because she said he was being rude to students and a substitute teacher in her class. She said she punched Calhoun in the face because Calhoun grabbed her left arm and he used his forearm to pin her neck against a wall, the report says.
After being punched, Calhoun lifted Gomez and slammed her onto the ground. He then towered over the 5-foot, 101-pound Gomez before students pulled him away, the report says.
Calhoun wanted to continue his attack, but several students stepped in front of him, the report says.
Calhoun was cited for misdemeanor battery and ordered to appear in Fresno County Superior Court on June 19.
Calhoun, 69, is a former Fresno City Council member who has worked at FCC since 1988 and makes $109,766 per year. Monday, he referred questions to his attorney Roger Nuttall, who insisted Gomez started the fight. "This wouldn't have happened if she hadn't lashed out," Nuttall said Monday.
But Gomez's attorney, Catherine Campbell, said Nuttall's assertion was ridiculous. "His attack was flagrant and violent," Campbell said, noting that Calhoun is at least 6 feet tall. "He was out of control."
At least a half-dozen students and substitute teacher Michael Medrano gave their accounts to campus police. All agree the incident started near the end of the 10 a.m. Chicano-Latino Studies class that Medrano was teaching.
When Calhoun arrived to teach his Survey of American Education class, which was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., he got angry because Medrano's class was running late. Typically, three-unit college classes that meet three times a week are scheduled for 50 minutes with a 10-minute break between classes.
In the report, Medrano says he informed Calhoun that students needed an extra couple of minutes to finish a mid-term test, but Calhoun insisted he "wanted the classroom."
Gomez says Calhoun yelled at the students to leave. After she turned in her exam, she cursed at Calhoun, who then followed her into the hallway, demanding her name and saying, "You can't talk to me like that."
David Castro, a student in Gomez's class, is quoted in the report telling police that Calhoun "just snapped."
"The instructor went out after her and grabbed her left arm and grabbed her around the neck with his other arm," Castro said. Gomez tried to pull away, but Calhoun wouldn't let go, Castro said.
"Gomez punched or swung her arm at him and knocked his glasses off," Castro said. "The instructor picked Gomez up and slammed her on the ground."
Castro told police students pulled Gomez away from Calhoun, but Calhoun still tried to go after her.Gomez, a graduate of Sunnyside High in Fresno, is in her first semester at FCC. She also is a reporter for the campus newspaper, The Rampage.
Her attorney said Gomez was able to defend herself because in her youth she took judo lessons. "She got in a good punch," Campbell said.
Calhoun served as an Army intelligence officer during the Vietnam War era and spent seven years as a county supervisor in Wisconsin. He has a doctorate in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Elected twice to the Fresno City Council, Calhoun termed out in January 2009. A year before he made an unsuccessful bid to become a Fresno County supervisor.
He was arrested for drunken driving in 2004 just hours after he won re-election to the City Council. Through his attorney, Calhoun entered his guilty plea.
At FCC, Calhoun's job was to train students to become teachers.
Monday, the first day back from spring break, Calhoun's suspension caught his students off-guard. They learned of it through a note posted outside his classroom door on the second floor of the Old Administration Building.
"He seems like a nice guy," said student Bradley Olsen, 19. "But he also could be sub-weird."
Calhoun started every class session by playing music, usually the band Journey, Olsen said. During class, he liked to show photographs of his vacations, talk about his time in the Army and extol the virtues of duct tape.
But he was serious, too, especially when he talked about gun control and violence in school, Olsen said. He reminded students frequently that "the world has changed from the time when he was a little kid in school," Olsen said.
Cori Murphy, 19 and also a student in Calhoun's class, agreed with Olsen's assessment. But Calhoun's likability changed on March 22.
"It was pretty traumatic," said Murphy, who said she witnessed Calhoun's altercation with Gomez. "He not only scared her, but he scared us, too."
The altercation showed that Calhoun is easily "snapable," and "not a good role model for future teachers," Murphy said.
A campus police report says at least a half-dozen students and a substitute instructor support journalism major Kevynn Gomez's account of what happened inside the Old Administrative Building on March 22, a day before spring break.
In the police report, Gomez admits cursing at Calhoun because she said he was being rude to students and a substitute teacher in her class. She said she punched Calhoun in the face because Calhoun grabbed her left arm and he used his forearm to pin her neck against a wall, the report says.
After being punched, Calhoun lifted Gomez and slammed her onto the ground. He then towered over the 5-foot, 101-pound Gomez before students pulled him away, the report says.
Calhoun wanted to continue his attack, but several students stepped in front of him, the report says.
Calhoun was cited for misdemeanor battery and ordered to appear in Fresno County Superior Court on June 19.
Calhoun, 69, is a former Fresno City Council member who has worked at FCC since 1988 and makes $109,766 per year. Monday, he referred questions to his attorney Roger Nuttall, who insisted Gomez started the fight. "This wouldn't have happened if she hadn't lashed out," Nuttall said Monday.
But Gomez's attorney, Catherine Campbell, said Nuttall's assertion was ridiculous. "His attack was flagrant and violent," Campbell said, noting that Calhoun is at least 6 feet tall. "He was out of control."
At least a half-dozen students and substitute teacher Michael Medrano gave their accounts to campus police. All agree the incident started near the end of the 10 a.m. Chicano-Latino Studies class that Medrano was teaching.
When Calhoun arrived to teach his Survey of American Education class, which was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., he got angry because Medrano's class was running late. Typically, three-unit college classes that meet three times a week are scheduled for 50 minutes with a 10-minute break between classes.
In the report, Medrano says he informed Calhoun that students needed an extra couple of minutes to finish a mid-term test, but Calhoun insisted he "wanted the classroom."
Gomez says Calhoun yelled at the students to leave. After she turned in her exam, she cursed at Calhoun, who then followed her into the hallway, demanding her name and saying, "You can't talk to me like that."
David Castro, a student in Gomez's class, is quoted in the report telling police that Calhoun "just snapped."
"The instructor went out after her and grabbed her left arm and grabbed her around the neck with his other arm," Castro said. Gomez tried to pull away, but Calhoun wouldn't let go, Castro said.
"Gomez punched or swung her arm at him and knocked his glasses off," Castro said. "The instructor picked Gomez up and slammed her on the ground."
Castro told police students pulled Gomez away from Calhoun, but Calhoun still tried to go after her.Gomez, a graduate of Sunnyside High in Fresno, is in her first semester at FCC. She also is a reporter for the campus newspaper, The Rampage.
Her attorney said Gomez was able to defend herself because in her youth she took judo lessons. "She got in a good punch," Campbell said.
Calhoun served as an Army intelligence officer during the Vietnam War era and spent seven years as a county supervisor in Wisconsin. He has a doctorate in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Elected twice to the Fresno City Council, Calhoun termed out in January 2009. A year before he made an unsuccessful bid to become a Fresno County supervisor.
He was arrested for drunken driving in 2004 just hours after he won re-election to the City Council. Through his attorney, Calhoun entered his guilty plea.
At FCC, Calhoun's job was to train students to become teachers.
Monday, the first day back from spring break, Calhoun's suspension caught his students off-guard. They learned of it through a note posted outside his classroom door on the second floor of the Old Administration Building.
"He seems like a nice guy," said student Bradley Olsen, 19. "But he also could be sub-weird."
Calhoun started every class session by playing music, usually the band Journey, Olsen said. During class, he liked to show photographs of his vacations, talk about his time in the Army and extol the virtues of duct tape.
But he was serious, too, especially when he talked about gun control and violence in school, Olsen said. He reminded students frequently that "the world has changed from the time when he was a little kid in school," Olsen said.
Cori Murphy, 19 and also a student in Calhoun's class, agreed with Olsen's assessment. But Calhoun's likability changed on March 22.
"It was pretty traumatic," said Murphy, who said she witnessed Calhoun's altercation with Gomez. "He not only scared her, but he scared us, too."
The altercation showed that Calhoun is easily "snapable," and "not a good role model for future teachers," Murphy said.
Irene Stokes uses prejudice as defense
Irene Stokes uses prejudice as defense, A self-confessed racist teacher in Humble, Texas has denied fondling a 6-year-old student, saying she doesn’t like to touch black people even if only on the hand. Irene Esther Stokes, 61, is accused of touching the “private parts” of the first-grade girl at Northwest Prep Academy.
A self-confessed racist teacher has denied fondling a 6-year-old student saying she doesn’t like to touch black people even if only on the hand.
Irene Esther Stokes, 61, is accused of molesting the “private parts” of the first-grade girl at Northwest Prep Academy in Humble, Texas, on March 1.
Court documents allege Stokes told all her children, apart from one, to leave her classroom – and then put her hand on the outside of the girl’s clothes on her “vaginal area.”
The girl asked her to stop – and Stokes ordered her to leave the room.
She then allegedly made her stand in a hallway and banned her from having lunch.
Stokes, who was arrested last Thursday and charged with indecency with a child, denies the allegations.
“She said she doesn’t like to even touch the black children on their hand, she shies away when they try to hug her – she admitted to being prejudiced,” Humble Police Department Detective J. Blanchard told KHOU.com.
The school issued a statement on Tuesday revealing that Stokes, who was released from jail on a $10,000 bond, has lost her job.
A self-confessed racist teacher has denied fondling a 6-year-old student saying she doesn’t like to touch black people even if only on the hand.
Irene Esther Stokes, 61, is accused of molesting the “private parts” of the first-grade girl at Northwest Prep Academy in Humble, Texas, on March 1.
Court documents allege Stokes told all her children, apart from one, to leave her classroom – and then put her hand on the outside of the girl’s clothes on her “vaginal area.”
The girl asked her to stop – and Stokes ordered her to leave the room.
She then allegedly made her stand in a hallway and banned her from having lunch.
Stokes, who was arrested last Thursday and charged with indecency with a child, denies the allegations.
“She said she doesn’t like to even touch the black children on their hand, she shies away when they try to hug her – she admitted to being prejudiced,” Humble Police Department Detective J. Blanchard told KHOU.com.
The school issued a statement on Tuesday revealing that Stokes, who was released from jail on a $10,000 bond, has lost her job.
Mike rice abused player
Mike rice abused player, A key member of the executive search committee that selected embattled Julie Hermann to be Rutgers’ next athletic director says she fully expects Hermann — who is scheduled to visit the New Brunswick campus later this week — to take over the position on June 17.
“I think she is an excellent choice,” Candy Straight, who serves on both Rutgers’ Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, said Monday. “I supported the decision to hire Julie. She has my full support today. I look forward to her joining the Rutgers family.”
Straight said she had not been aware of allegations that Hermann physically and verbally abused students when she was the Tennessee women’s volleyball coach in the 1990s until after they were reported by the Newark Star-Ledger following Hermann’s hiring.
“At the time we hired her, and I was on the search committee, I was unaware of the student allegations from the volleyball team. I was made aware of them when The Star-Ledger broke the story,” Straight said. “Since that time, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to Julie and ask her hard questions about that situation. After talking with her, I am very comfortable with her answers, and the situation.
“I’m very comfortable with the due diligence that was done by Rutgers and me personally, after this story broke, and I see no reason that that should disqualify Julie,” Straight added. “In my mind, given the experiences that she has had, she said it was a difficult experience for her. She’s learned from it.”
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany attended Monday’s press conference at Yankee Stadium announcing an eight-year partnership between the Pinstripe Bowl and the Big Ten and was asked about the drama unfolding at Rutgers over Hermann’s hiring. Rutgers will join the Big Ten for the 2014 football season.
The issues at Rutgers are essentially local decisions. If I was asked what my opinion was, I would give it to them,” Delany said. “But it would be a private conversation.”
While he acknowledged that circumstances at Rutgers were “uneven” at the moment, he said he thought things “will calm down.
“It’s a great institution,” he said. “I fully recognize it’s a story. It’s appropriate for me to stay above the fray at this point.”
Delany and Hermann are scheduled to be at Rutgers on Thursday and are expected to talk about the university’s impending entry to the Big Ten.
New Jersey Assemblyman John F. McKeon said the meeting is bound to be awkward and that the Hermann scandal has already damaged the school’s standing with the Big Ten.
“How can it not hurt?” he asked.
Straight said the executive search firm that screened Hermann had made her aware of discrimination lawsuits stemming from Hermann’s management decisions during her years at Tennessee and Louisville.
“I’m fully comfortable with the information that we received and I am today, too,” she said.
But one New Jersey lawmaker said Hermann is already so tainted that it will be difficult for her to actually assume the AD job later this month.
“The whole thing is so awkward,” said Assemblyman John Burzichelli. “She arrives here so compromised. We’re not talking about a high school athletic director. She has to manage a big budget and raise a lot of money. She has to have the confidence of a lot of important people.
“I don’t know how she can fit in after being so compromised,” Burzichelli said. “The press has done a better job vetting her than the executive search firm they hired.”
Hermann, who spent the last 15 years as a senior associate AD at the University of Louisville, was hired for the Rutgers post after former athletic director Tim Pernetti resigned under fire. Pernetti took heat for failing to fire men’s basketball coach Mike Rice after seeing video in which the coach physically and verbally abused his players.
McKeon and a major Rutgers donor, meanwhile, ripped the university’s general counsel for an op-ed piece that compared Hermann to President Clinton and attacked the credibility of Tennessee volleyball players who claim Hermann was verbally and physically abusive.
“Did he really compare Julie Hermann to President Clinton? Is he really questioning the integrity and veracity of her former student-athletes?” asked real estate developer Steven Plofker, a donor who serves on the board of the Rutgers University Foundation.
“If the university administration insists on Ms. Hermann assuming her office, I hope in her upcoming visits that she will be forthcoming about incidents in her past and how she has been able to overcome any mistakes she has previously made,” Plofker added.
John Farmer Jr., the state’s former attorney general, wrote in Sunday’s Star-Ledger that some Americans had doubts about Clinton before the 1992 presidential election because the Democratic candidate had claimed he had tried marijuana but had never inhaled. Farmer also claimed that voters were wary of Clinton because he had “prevaricated about his enlistment and resignation from the National Guard.” (Clinton never actually served in the military; Farmer may be confusing him with President George W. Bush, who served in the Texas Air National Guard.)
Clinton went on to become one of the nation’s most popular and effective Presidents in recent history, Farmer said, and he suggested the scandal-stained Hermann will accomplish great things for Rutgers, too.
Farmer also claimed critics have embraced allegations that Hermann physically and verbally abused athletes when she was the Tennessee women’s volleyball coach in the 1990s without concrete proof. “They have overlooked the proven tendency of memory and gossip to exaggerate events,” he wrote.
McKeon said it was clear that Hermann was not properly vetted for the athletic director job — and that Farmer, who got his job after former university general counsel John Wolf resigned in the wake of the Rice scandal — should understand the need for transparency.
“The school seems to be in a four-corner defense, stalling for time,” McKeon added. “To hope this goes away is not proper.”
“I think she is an excellent choice,” Candy Straight, who serves on both Rutgers’ Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, said Monday. “I supported the decision to hire Julie. She has my full support today. I look forward to her joining the Rutgers family.”
Straight said she had not been aware of allegations that Hermann physically and verbally abused students when she was the Tennessee women’s volleyball coach in the 1990s until after they were reported by the Newark Star-Ledger following Hermann’s hiring.
“At the time we hired her, and I was on the search committee, I was unaware of the student allegations from the volleyball team. I was made aware of them when The Star-Ledger broke the story,” Straight said. “Since that time, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to Julie and ask her hard questions about that situation. After talking with her, I am very comfortable with her answers, and the situation.
“I’m very comfortable with the due diligence that was done by Rutgers and me personally, after this story broke, and I see no reason that that should disqualify Julie,” Straight added. “In my mind, given the experiences that she has had, she said it was a difficult experience for her. She’s learned from it.”
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany attended Monday’s press conference at Yankee Stadium announcing an eight-year partnership between the Pinstripe Bowl and the Big Ten and was asked about the drama unfolding at Rutgers over Hermann’s hiring. Rutgers will join the Big Ten for the 2014 football season.
The issues at Rutgers are essentially local decisions. If I was asked what my opinion was, I would give it to them,” Delany said. “But it would be a private conversation.”
While he acknowledged that circumstances at Rutgers were “uneven” at the moment, he said he thought things “will calm down.
“It’s a great institution,” he said. “I fully recognize it’s a story. It’s appropriate for me to stay above the fray at this point.”
Delany and Hermann are scheduled to be at Rutgers on Thursday and are expected to talk about the university’s impending entry to the Big Ten.
New Jersey Assemblyman John F. McKeon said the meeting is bound to be awkward and that the Hermann scandal has already damaged the school’s standing with the Big Ten.
“How can it not hurt?” he asked.
Straight said the executive search firm that screened Hermann had made her aware of discrimination lawsuits stemming from Hermann’s management decisions during her years at Tennessee and Louisville.
“I’m fully comfortable with the information that we received and I am today, too,” she said.
But one New Jersey lawmaker said Hermann is already so tainted that it will be difficult for her to actually assume the AD job later this month.
“The whole thing is so awkward,” said Assemblyman John Burzichelli. “She arrives here so compromised. We’re not talking about a high school athletic director. She has to manage a big budget and raise a lot of money. She has to have the confidence of a lot of important people.
“I don’t know how she can fit in after being so compromised,” Burzichelli said. “The press has done a better job vetting her than the executive search firm they hired.”
Hermann, who spent the last 15 years as a senior associate AD at the University of Louisville, was hired for the Rutgers post after former athletic director Tim Pernetti resigned under fire. Pernetti took heat for failing to fire men’s basketball coach Mike Rice after seeing video in which the coach physically and verbally abused his players.
McKeon and a major Rutgers donor, meanwhile, ripped the university’s general counsel for an op-ed piece that compared Hermann to President Clinton and attacked the credibility of Tennessee volleyball players who claim Hermann was verbally and physically abusive.
“Did he really compare Julie Hermann to President Clinton? Is he really questioning the integrity and veracity of her former student-athletes?” asked real estate developer Steven Plofker, a donor who serves on the board of the Rutgers University Foundation.
“If the university administration insists on Ms. Hermann assuming her office, I hope in her upcoming visits that she will be forthcoming about incidents in her past and how she has been able to overcome any mistakes she has previously made,” Plofker added.
John Farmer Jr., the state’s former attorney general, wrote in Sunday’s Star-Ledger that some Americans had doubts about Clinton before the 1992 presidential election because the Democratic candidate had claimed he had tried marijuana but had never inhaled. Farmer also claimed that voters were wary of Clinton because he had “prevaricated about his enlistment and resignation from the National Guard.” (Clinton never actually served in the military; Farmer may be confusing him with President George W. Bush, who served in the Texas Air National Guard.)
Clinton went on to become one of the nation’s most popular and effective Presidents in recent history, Farmer said, and he suggested the scandal-stained Hermann will accomplish great things for Rutgers, too.
Farmer also claimed critics have embraced allegations that Hermann physically and verbally abused athletes when she was the Tennessee women’s volleyball coach in the 1990s without concrete proof. “They have overlooked the proven tendency of memory and gossip to exaggerate events,” he wrote.
McKeon said it was clear that Hermann was not properly vetted for the athletic director job — and that Farmer, who got his job after former university general counsel John Wolf resigned in the wake of the Rice scandal — should understand the need for transparency.
“The school seems to be in a four-corner defense, stalling for time,” McKeon added. “To hope this goes away is not proper.”
Bridgeport substitute teacher slammed student in head with basketball
Bridgeport substitute teacher slammed student in head with basketball, Cell phone video obtained by News 8 shows a grown man standing over a seventh grader and slamming a ball down on the student's head.
Bridgeport ISD confirms the incident happened at its middle school last Thursday during a gym class. The district said the substitute teacher was promptly removed from campus and that the student is okay.
But the 14-year-old's mother is still visibly upset and shaken. Her son is in remission from leukemia.
"The substitutes... they're supposed to be people you can trust," she told News 8.
On the video recorded by another student, a game of dodgeball is being played when it appears to spiral out of control.
The teacher — who the district said substituted occasionally during the past few years — is seen suddenly grabbing a basketball and slamming it down on the teen's head. He then says something to the effect of, "You want to be down there crying like he is?"
News 8 isn't naming the 65-year-old man because he hasn't been officially charged or arrested.
Bridgeport police are investigating and expect to make a decision on charges shortly.
The district said it is still trying to determine what led up to the incident, but said that under no circumstances would the teacher in question be allowed to return to the classroom.
Bridgeport ISD confirms the incident happened at its middle school last Thursday during a gym class. The district said the substitute teacher was promptly removed from campus and that the student is okay.
But the 14-year-old's mother is still visibly upset and shaken. Her son is in remission from leukemia.
"The substitutes... they're supposed to be people you can trust," she told News 8.
On the video recorded by another student, a game of dodgeball is being played when it appears to spiral out of control.
The teacher — who the district said substituted occasionally during the past few years — is seen suddenly grabbing a basketball and slamming it down on the teen's head. He then says something to the effect of, "You want to be down there crying like he is?"
News 8 isn't naming the 65-year-old man because he hasn't been officially charged or arrested.
Bridgeport police are investigating and expect to make a decision on charges shortly.
The district said it is still trying to determine what led up to the incident, but said that under no circumstances would the teacher in question be allowed to return to the classroom.
Stockton student and teacher fight over makeup
Stockton student and teacher fight over makeup, An argument between a student and her teacher in Stockton escalated into a full-blown fight, and it was all caught on camera.
Cellphone video shows the math teacher pushing 15-year-old student Marlina Martinez at Cesar Chavez High School. Punches were thrown, and at one point, Martinez says she was thrown to the ground.
Martinez was arrested by school police for assault. She has been suspended for five days and faces expulsion.
School district officials say the teacher was injured and is on paid leave.
According to Martinez, the fight was over makeup. Her teacher took it away, so she called her mom on her cellphone to demand the teacher give it back.
“She pushed me and then she started going like (swings). Right after she pushed me, she started hitting me,” Martinez said. When asked what she did next, she replied, “I hit her back.”
School officials say an investigation is under way into the incident.
Cellphone video shows the math teacher pushing 15-year-old student Marlina Martinez at Cesar Chavez High School. Punches were thrown, and at one point, Martinez says she was thrown to the ground.
Martinez was arrested by school police for assault. She has been suspended for five days and faces expulsion.
School district officials say the teacher was injured and is on paid leave.
According to Martinez, the fight was over makeup. Her teacher took it away, so she called her mom on her cellphone to demand the teacher give it back.
“She pushed me and then she started going like (swings). Right after she pushed me, she started hitting me,” Martinez said. When asked what she did next, she replied, “I hit her back.”
School officials say an investigation is under way into the incident.
Fifth-grade teacher arrested for cocaine
Fifth-grade teacher arrested for cocaine, A 23-year-old fifth-grade teacher in Clay County was arrested Wednesday and charged with possessing cocaine in her classroom.
Ashlea Meshel Eucker was in a meeting with administrators at Plantation Oaks Elementary School in Oakleaf about noon when school counselor Priscilla Dobson offered to go get Eucker’s purse from her classroom so she could go home, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said.
Eucker agreed and then called to the classroom and told a teacher filling in for her how to unlock her drawer to get the purse, her arrest report said. It said she also told him to zip the purse shut.
Upon retrieving the purse, Dobson noticed a small baggie with the white powder in it as well as a straw cut to a few inches in length sticking out of another pocket, the report said.
Dobson notified school principal Lee Oliver and gave the purse to assistant principal Kimberly Marks, who locked it in a cabinet as authorities were called.
Eucker, who has no criminal history and has been employed with the Clay school system for about a year, is also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Cocaine possession is a felony.
Ashlea Meshel Eucker was in a meeting with administrators at Plantation Oaks Elementary School in Oakleaf about noon when school counselor Priscilla Dobson offered to go get Eucker’s purse from her classroom so she could go home, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said.
Eucker agreed and then called to the classroom and told a teacher filling in for her how to unlock her drawer to get the purse, her arrest report said. It said she also told him to zip the purse shut.
Upon retrieving the purse, Dobson noticed a small baggie with the white powder in it as well as a straw cut to a few inches in length sticking out of another pocket, the report said.
Dobson notified school principal Lee Oliver and gave the purse to assistant principal Kimberly Marks, who locked it in a cabinet as authorities were called.
Eucker, who has no criminal history and has been employed with the Clay school system for about a year, is also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Cocaine possession is a felony.
Gilbert High teacher accused of slapping a student
Gilbert High teacher accused of slapping a student, No criminal charges will be brought against a Gilbert High School teacher accused of assaulting a student in April.
Daniel Dunn was placed on administrative leave after he was arrested for allegedly slapping a 15-year-old student in the face with the back of his hand.
According to the police report, Dunn allegedly was yelling at a student in class when another student started to laugh. Dunn was accused of slapping the student who was laughing.
After Dunn's arrest, his lawyer told 3TV that it was an incidental-contact situation and that he did not intentionally touch the student.
Dunn won't be charged in the case, according to Gilbert town prosecutor Lynn Arouh.
The school is offering Dunn his job back.
Dunn is a popular teacher and former football coach.
Daniel Dunn was placed on administrative leave after he was arrested for allegedly slapping a 15-year-old student in the face with the back of his hand.
According to the police report, Dunn allegedly was yelling at a student in class when another student started to laugh. Dunn was accused of slapping the student who was laughing.
After Dunn's arrest, his lawyer told 3TV that it was an incidental-contact situation and that he did not intentionally touch the student.
Dunn won't be charged in the case, according to Gilbert town prosecutor Lynn Arouh.
The school is offering Dunn his job back.
Dunn is a popular teacher and former football coach.
Nyack explosion
Nyack explosion, An explosion in a college campus building north of New York City blew out windows, and officials say there are reports of injuries.
The explosion at Nyack (NY’-ak) College happened just before noon. A spokesman for the Rockland County executive’s office says county fire departments are responding.
Witnesses tell The Journal-News that the explosion blew out windows and the door of the building.
Nyack College is a Christian college about 25 miles north of New York City. The explosion happened at a building on South Highland Avenue, a main campus road.
The explosion at Nyack (NY’-ak) College happened just before noon. A spokesman for the Rockland County executive’s office says county fire departments are responding.
Witnesses tell The Journal-News that the explosion blew out windows and the door of the building.
Nyack College is a Christian college about 25 miles north of New York City. The explosion happened at a building on South Highland Avenue, a main campus road.
Bond girl
Bond girl, Rumors are swirling that Penélope Cruz will become the oldest Bond girl ever.
The actress is said to be in talks to star in the follow-up to “Skyfall,” the latest film in the franchise, in which her husband Javier Bardem played the villain, Yahoo! News reports.
Filming is scheduled to start next summer, when Cruz will be 40. Currently, the oldest Bond girl is Honor Blackman, who played Pussy Galore in 1962′s “Goldfinger.”
Let’s hope that the rumors are true, because who wouldn’t want to see Cruz emerge from the ocean in a bikini, as happens in pretty much every single Bond movie ever? The answer: Nobody.
The actress is said to be in talks to star in the follow-up to “Skyfall,” the latest film in the franchise, in which her husband Javier Bardem played the villain, Yahoo! News reports.
Filming is scheduled to start next summer, when Cruz will be 40. Currently, the oldest Bond girl is Honor Blackman, who played Pussy Galore in 1962′s “Goldfinger.”
Let’s hope that the rumors are true, because who wouldn’t want to see Cruz emerge from the ocean in a bikini, as happens in pretty much every single Bond movie ever? The answer: Nobody.
Obama email
Obama email, Some of President Barack Obama's political appointees, including the secretary for Health and Human Services, are using secret government email accounts they say are necessary to prevent their inboxes from being overwhelmed with unwanted messages, according to a review by The Associated Press.
The scope of using the secret accounts across government remains a mystery: Most U.S. agencies have failed to turn over lists of political appointees' email addresses, which the AP sought under the Freedom of Information Act more than three months ago. The Labor Department initially asked the AP to pay more than $1 million for its email addresses.
The AP asked for the addresses following last year's disclosures that the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency had used separate email accounts at work. The practice is separate from officials who use personal, non-government email accounts for work, which generally is discouraged - but often happens anyway - due to laws requiring that most federal records be preserved.
The secret email accounts complicate an agency's legal responsibilities to find and turn over emails in response to congressional or internal investigations, civil lawsuits or public records requests because employees assigned to compile such responses would necessarily need to know about the accounts to search them. Secret accounts also drive perceptions that government officials are trying to hide actions or decisions.
"What happens when that person doesn't work there anymore? He leaves and someone makes a request (to review emails) in two years," said Kel McClanahan, executive director of National Security Counselors, an open government group. "Who's going to know to search the other accounts? You would hope that agencies doing this would keep a list of aliases in a desk drawer, but you know that isn't happening."
Agencies where the AP so far has identified secret addresses, including the Labor Department and HHS, said maintaining non-public email accounts allows senior officials to keep separate their internal messages with agency employees from emails they exchange with the public. They also said public and non-public accounts are always searched in response to official requests and the records are provided as necessary.
The AP couldn't independently verify the practice. It searched hundreds of pages of government emails previously released under the open records law and found only one instance of a published email with a secret address: an email from Labor Department spokesman Carl Fillichio to 34 coworkers in 2010 was turned over to an advocacy group, Americans for Limited Government. It included as one recipient the non-public address for Seth D. Harris, currently the acting labor secretary, who maintains at least three separate email accounts.
Google can't find any reference on the Internet to the secret address for HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Congressional oversight committees told the AP they were unfamiliar with the non-public government addresses identified so far by the AP.
Ten agencies have not yet turned over lists of email addresses, including the Environmental Protection Agency; the Pentagon; and the departments of Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Treasury, Justice, Housing and Urban Development, Homeland Security, Commerce and Agriculture. All have said they are working on a response to the AP.
A Treasury Department spokeswoman, Marissa Hopkins Secreto, referred inquiries to the agency's FOIA office, which said its technology department was still searching for the email addresses. Other departments, including Homeland Security, did not respond to questions from the AP about the delays of nearly three months. The Pentagon said it may have an answer by later this summer.
The Health and Human Services Department initially turned over to the AP the email addresses for roughly 240 appointees - except none of the email accounts for Sebelius, even one for her already published on its website. After the AP objected, it turned over three of Sebelius' email addresses, including a secret one. It asked the AP not to publish the address, which it said she used to conduct day-to-day business at the department. Most of the 240 political appointees at HHS appeared to be using only public government accounts.
The AP decided to publish the secret address for Sebelius - KGS2(at)hhs.gov - over the government's objections because the secretary is a high-ranking civil servant who oversees not only major agencies like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services but also the implementation of Obama's signature health care law. Her public email address is Kathleen.Sebelius(at)hhs.gov.
At least two other senior HHS officials - including Donald Berwick, former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Gary Cohen, a deputy administrator in charge of implementing health insurance reform - also have secret government email addresses, according to the records obtained by the AP.
The Interior Department gave the AP a list of about 100 government email addresses for political appointees who work there but none for the interior secretary at the time, Ken Salazar, who has since resigned. Spokeswoman Jessica Kershaw said Salazar maintained only one email address while serving as secretary but she would not disclose it. She said the AP should ask for it under the Freedom of Information Act, which would take months longer.
The Labor Department initially asked the AP to pay just over $1.03 million when the AP asked for email addresses of political appointees there. It said it needed pull 2,236 computer backup tapes from its archives and pay 50 people to pore over old records. Those costs included three weeks to identify tapes and ship them to a vendor, and pay each person $2,500 for nearly a month's work. But under the department's own FOIA rules - which it cited in its letter to the AP - it is prohibited from charging news organizations any costs except for photocopies after the first 100 pages. The department said it would take 14 weeks to find the emails if the AP had paid the money.
Fillichio later acknowledged that the $1.03 million bill was a mistake and provided the AP with email addresses for the agency's Senate-confirmed appointees, including three addresses for Harris, the acting secretary. His secret address was harris.sd(at)dol.gov. His other accounts were one for use with labor employees and the public, and another to send mass emails to the entire Labor Department, outside groups and the public. The Labor Department said it did not object to the AP publishing any of Harris' email addresses.
In addition to the email addresses, the AP also sought records government-wide about decisions to create separate email accounts. But the FOIA director at HHS, Robert Eckert, said the agency couldn't provide such emails without undergoing "an extensive and elongated department-wide search." He also said there were "no mechanisms in place to determine if such requests for the creation of secondary email accounts were submitted by the approximately 242 political appointees within HHS."
Late last year, the EPA's critics - including Republicans in Congress - accused former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson of using an email account under the name "Richard Windsor" to sidestep disclosure rules. The EPA said emails Jackson sent using her Windsor alias were turned over under open records requests. The agency's inspector general is investigating the use of such accounts, after being asked to do so by Congress.
An EPA spokeswoman described Jackson's alternate email address as "an everyday, working email account of the administrator to communicate with staff and other government officials." It was later determined that Jackson also used the email address to correspond sometimes with environmentalists outside government and at least in some cases did not correct a misperception among outsiders they were corresponding with a government employee named Richard Windsor.
Although the EPA's inspector general is investigating the agency's use of secret email accounts, it is not reviewing whether emails from Jackson's secret account were released as required under the Freedom of Information Act.
The EPA's secret email accounts were revealed last fall by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington think tank that was tipped off about Jackson's alias by an insider and later noticed it in documents it obtained the FOIA. The EPA said its policy was to disclose in such documents that "Richard Windsor" was actually the EPA administrator.
Courts have consistently set a high bar for the government to withhold public officials' records under the federal privacy rules. A federal judge, Marilyn Hall Patel of California, said in August 2010 that "persons who have placed themselves in the public light" - such as through politics or voluntarily participation in the public arena - have a "significantly diminished privacy interest than others." Her ruling was part of a case in which a journalist sought FBI records, but was denied.
"We're talking about an email address, and an email address given to an individual by the government to conduct official business is not private," said Aaron Mackey, a FOIA attorney with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. He said that's different than, for example, confidential information, such as a Social Security number.
Under the law, citizens and foreigners may use the FOIA to compel the government to turn over copies of federal records for zero or little cost. Anyone who seeks information through the law is generally supposed to get it unless disclosure would hurt national security, violate personal privacy or expose business secrets or confidential decision-making in certain areas.
Obama pledged during his first week in office to make government more transparent and open. The nation's signature open-records law, he said in a memo to his Cabinet, would be "administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails."
The scope of using the secret accounts across government remains a mystery: Most U.S. agencies have failed to turn over lists of political appointees' email addresses, which the AP sought under the Freedom of Information Act more than three months ago. The Labor Department initially asked the AP to pay more than $1 million for its email addresses.
The AP asked for the addresses following last year's disclosures that the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency had used separate email accounts at work. The practice is separate from officials who use personal, non-government email accounts for work, which generally is discouraged - but often happens anyway - due to laws requiring that most federal records be preserved.
The secret email accounts complicate an agency's legal responsibilities to find and turn over emails in response to congressional or internal investigations, civil lawsuits or public records requests because employees assigned to compile such responses would necessarily need to know about the accounts to search them. Secret accounts also drive perceptions that government officials are trying to hide actions or decisions.
"What happens when that person doesn't work there anymore? He leaves and someone makes a request (to review emails) in two years," said Kel McClanahan, executive director of National Security Counselors, an open government group. "Who's going to know to search the other accounts? You would hope that agencies doing this would keep a list of aliases in a desk drawer, but you know that isn't happening."
Agencies where the AP so far has identified secret addresses, including the Labor Department and HHS, said maintaining non-public email accounts allows senior officials to keep separate their internal messages with agency employees from emails they exchange with the public. They also said public and non-public accounts are always searched in response to official requests and the records are provided as necessary.
The AP couldn't independently verify the practice. It searched hundreds of pages of government emails previously released under the open records law and found only one instance of a published email with a secret address: an email from Labor Department spokesman Carl Fillichio to 34 coworkers in 2010 was turned over to an advocacy group, Americans for Limited Government. It included as one recipient the non-public address for Seth D. Harris, currently the acting labor secretary, who maintains at least three separate email accounts.
Google can't find any reference on the Internet to the secret address for HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Congressional oversight committees told the AP they were unfamiliar with the non-public government addresses identified so far by the AP.
Ten agencies have not yet turned over lists of email addresses, including the Environmental Protection Agency; the Pentagon; and the departments of Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Treasury, Justice, Housing and Urban Development, Homeland Security, Commerce and Agriculture. All have said they are working on a response to the AP.
A Treasury Department spokeswoman, Marissa Hopkins Secreto, referred inquiries to the agency's FOIA office, which said its technology department was still searching for the email addresses. Other departments, including Homeland Security, did not respond to questions from the AP about the delays of nearly three months. The Pentagon said it may have an answer by later this summer.
The Health and Human Services Department initially turned over to the AP the email addresses for roughly 240 appointees - except none of the email accounts for Sebelius, even one for her already published on its website. After the AP objected, it turned over three of Sebelius' email addresses, including a secret one. It asked the AP not to publish the address, which it said she used to conduct day-to-day business at the department. Most of the 240 political appointees at HHS appeared to be using only public government accounts.
The AP decided to publish the secret address for Sebelius - KGS2(at)hhs.gov - over the government's objections because the secretary is a high-ranking civil servant who oversees not only major agencies like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services but also the implementation of Obama's signature health care law. Her public email address is Kathleen.Sebelius(at)hhs.gov.
At least two other senior HHS officials - including Donald Berwick, former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Gary Cohen, a deputy administrator in charge of implementing health insurance reform - also have secret government email addresses, according to the records obtained by the AP.
The Interior Department gave the AP a list of about 100 government email addresses for political appointees who work there but none for the interior secretary at the time, Ken Salazar, who has since resigned. Spokeswoman Jessica Kershaw said Salazar maintained only one email address while serving as secretary but she would not disclose it. She said the AP should ask for it under the Freedom of Information Act, which would take months longer.
The Labor Department initially asked the AP to pay just over $1.03 million when the AP asked for email addresses of political appointees there. It said it needed pull 2,236 computer backup tapes from its archives and pay 50 people to pore over old records. Those costs included three weeks to identify tapes and ship them to a vendor, and pay each person $2,500 for nearly a month's work. But under the department's own FOIA rules - which it cited in its letter to the AP - it is prohibited from charging news organizations any costs except for photocopies after the first 100 pages. The department said it would take 14 weeks to find the emails if the AP had paid the money.
Fillichio later acknowledged that the $1.03 million bill was a mistake and provided the AP with email addresses for the agency's Senate-confirmed appointees, including three addresses for Harris, the acting secretary. His secret address was harris.sd(at)dol.gov. His other accounts were one for use with labor employees and the public, and another to send mass emails to the entire Labor Department, outside groups and the public. The Labor Department said it did not object to the AP publishing any of Harris' email addresses.
In addition to the email addresses, the AP also sought records government-wide about decisions to create separate email accounts. But the FOIA director at HHS, Robert Eckert, said the agency couldn't provide such emails without undergoing "an extensive and elongated department-wide search." He also said there were "no mechanisms in place to determine if such requests for the creation of secondary email accounts were submitted by the approximately 242 political appointees within HHS."
Late last year, the EPA's critics - including Republicans in Congress - accused former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson of using an email account under the name "Richard Windsor" to sidestep disclosure rules. The EPA said emails Jackson sent using her Windsor alias were turned over under open records requests. The agency's inspector general is investigating the use of such accounts, after being asked to do so by Congress.
An EPA spokeswoman described Jackson's alternate email address as "an everyday, working email account of the administrator to communicate with staff and other government officials." It was later determined that Jackson also used the email address to correspond sometimes with environmentalists outside government and at least in some cases did not correct a misperception among outsiders they were corresponding with a government employee named Richard Windsor.
Although the EPA's inspector general is investigating the agency's use of secret email accounts, it is not reviewing whether emails from Jackson's secret account were released as required under the Freedom of Information Act.
The EPA's secret email accounts were revealed last fall by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington think tank that was tipped off about Jackson's alias by an insider and later noticed it in documents it obtained the FOIA. The EPA said its policy was to disclose in such documents that "Richard Windsor" was actually the EPA administrator.
Courts have consistently set a high bar for the government to withhold public officials' records under the federal privacy rules. A federal judge, Marilyn Hall Patel of California, said in August 2010 that "persons who have placed themselves in the public light" - such as through politics or voluntarily participation in the public arena - have a "significantly diminished privacy interest than others." Her ruling was part of a case in which a journalist sought FBI records, but was denied.
"We're talking about an email address, and an email address given to an individual by the government to conduct official business is not private," said Aaron Mackey, a FOIA attorney with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. He said that's different than, for example, confidential information, such as a Social Security number.
Under the law, citizens and foreigners may use the FOIA to compel the government to turn over copies of federal records for zero or little cost. Anyone who seeks information through the law is generally supposed to get it unless disclosure would hurt national security, violate personal privacy or expose business secrets or confidential decision-making in certain areas.
Obama pledged during his first week in office to make government more transparent and open. The nation's signature open-records law, he said in a memo to his Cabinet, would be "administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails."
Egypt pyramids warning
Egypt pyramids warning, Egypt's Antiquities' Ministry has criticized a U.S. Embassy message to American citizens in the country, urging them to be extra cautious because of recent incidents near the pyramids in Giza.
A ministry statement on Saturday says the warning is "baseless." An embassy message earlier this week urged Americans to "elevate their situational awareness"when visiting the pyramids because of a "lack of visible security or police" presence there.
It noted incidents of "angry groups of individuals surrounding and pounding" on cars with visitors, sometimes trying to open car doors.
The ministry insists the pyramids' area in Giza, Cairo's twin city, is "totally secure" and that the overall situation for tourists has improved.
Security deteriorated following the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak and tourism took a sharp hit.
A ministry statement on Saturday says the warning is "baseless." An embassy message earlier this week urged Americans to "elevate their situational awareness"when visiting the pyramids because of a "lack of visible security or police" presence there.
It noted incidents of "angry groups of individuals surrounding and pounding" on cars with visitors, sometimes trying to open car doors.
The ministry insists the pyramids' area in Giza, Cairo's twin city, is "totally secure" and that the overall situation for tourists has improved.
Security deteriorated following the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak and tourism took a sharp hit.
Maxwell's closing
Maxwell's closing, Earlier this year, footage circulated on YouTube of Nirvana's vicious July 13, 1989 set at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey. The venue has more recently played host to hometown indie rockers Yo La Tengo's annual Hannukah residencies. Before all that, the club appeared in Bruce Springsteen's 1985 music video for Born in the U.S.A.'s "Glory Days."
Those glory days are about to be gone for good. As the Star-Ledger reports, Maxwell's is closing when its lease is up at the end of July. Todd Abramson, the venue's co-owner, is quoted as saying the problem isn't so much rising rents as it is "the changing nature of Hoboken and the difficulties of trying to run a business in this town."
Maxwell's plans to close with a July performance by the band a, which was the first group to play there upon its opening in 1978. The group includes members of the Bongos and Glenn Morrow, who went on to start Hoboken-based Bar/None Records. "The explosion of Maxwell’s was something that was so organic," Richard Barone of the Bongos, also set for the final night, told the Star-Ledger.
As Hoboken has become pricier, many of the artists and live-music obsessives who would've gone to Maxwell's in the early days have departed, the Star-Ledger notes. But Maxwell's closing comes at an uncertain time for live music in New Jersey. Elsewhere in the Garden State, the calendar for Montclair's Wellmont Theatre lists no shows after MGMT on June 20. Sayreville's Starland Ballroom, which has been out of commission after Hurricane Sandy, has started scheduling new shows again at last.
Those glory days are about to be gone for good. As the Star-Ledger reports, Maxwell's is closing when its lease is up at the end of July. Todd Abramson, the venue's co-owner, is quoted as saying the problem isn't so much rising rents as it is "the changing nature of Hoboken and the difficulties of trying to run a business in this town."
Maxwell's plans to close with a July performance by the band a, which was the first group to play there upon its opening in 1978. The group includes members of the Bongos and Glenn Morrow, who went on to start Hoboken-based Bar/None Records. "The explosion of Maxwell’s was something that was so organic," Richard Barone of the Bongos, also set for the final night, told the Star-Ledger.
As Hoboken has become pricier, many of the artists and live-music obsessives who would've gone to Maxwell's in the early days have departed, the Star-Ledger notes. But Maxwell's closing comes at an uncertain time for live music in New Jersey. Elsewhere in the Garden State, the calendar for Montclair's Wellmont Theatre lists no shows after MGMT on June 20. Sayreville's Starland Ballroom, which has been out of commission after Hurricane Sandy, has started scheduling new shows again at last.
Ceo mcdiet
Ceo mcdiet, McDonald Corp.’s CEO Don Thompson revealed at an analyst conference this week that he shed about 20 pounds in the past year by getting his “butt up” and “working out again.” But he said he hasn’t changed his habit of eating at McDonald’s “every, single day.”
Thompson, who has been on the job for less than a year, was responding to a question about how the world’s biggest hamburger chain is adapting amid growing concerns about obesity.
Thompson said that he lost the weight by getting active again. He noted that Europeans walk a lot and that it’s rare to see Europeans that are “very, very heavy.”
“And so I think that balance is really important to people,” he said.
Thompson did not provide any other details about his weight or diet. A representative for McDonald’s did not immediately respond to a request for more details.
The remarks come as fast-food chains and packaged food companies face criticism about making products that fuel obesity rates. Coca-Cola Co., for example, recently started a campaign seeking to highlight its healthier, low-calorie drinks as well as the importance of physical activity in a balanced lifestyle.
For its part, McDonald’s in recent years has boosted its marketing to highlight healthier menu options, including salads, chicken wraps and egg white breakfast sandwiches.
At the Sanford Bernstein conference on Wednesday, Thompson noted that customers have many options at McDonald’s, which has more than 34,000 locations worldwide. For example, he said someone might get a Big Mac one day and a grilled chicken salad with balsamic vinaigrette another day.
Earlier in the talk, however, Thompson also said that salads make up just 2 percent to 3 percent of sales. He said there were other ways the company, which is based in Oak Brook, Ill., could incorporate fruits and vegetables into its menu, pointing to the chicken wraps it recently introduced.
But going forward, he said: “I don’t see salads being a major growth driver.”
Thompson, who has been on the job for less than a year, was responding to a question about how the world’s biggest hamburger chain is adapting amid growing concerns about obesity.
Thompson said that he lost the weight by getting active again. He noted that Europeans walk a lot and that it’s rare to see Europeans that are “very, very heavy.”
“And so I think that balance is really important to people,” he said.
Thompson did not provide any other details about his weight or diet. A representative for McDonald’s did not immediately respond to a request for more details.
The remarks come as fast-food chains and packaged food companies face criticism about making products that fuel obesity rates. Coca-Cola Co., for example, recently started a campaign seeking to highlight its healthier, low-calorie drinks as well as the importance of physical activity in a balanced lifestyle.
For its part, McDonald’s in recent years has boosted its marketing to highlight healthier menu options, including salads, chicken wraps and egg white breakfast sandwiches.
At the Sanford Bernstein conference on Wednesday, Thompson noted that customers have many options at McDonald’s, which has more than 34,000 locations worldwide. For example, he said someone might get a Big Mac one day and a grilled chicken salad with balsamic vinaigrette another day.
Earlier in the talk, however, Thompson also said that salads make up just 2 percent to 3 percent of sales. He said there were other ways the company, which is based in Oak Brook, Ill., could incorporate fruits and vegetables into its menu, pointing to the chicken wraps it recently introduced.
But going forward, he said: “I don’t see salads being a major growth driver.”
Bouncer accused of killing three
Bouncer accused of killing three, They made fun of him for misfiring his gun — so a Florida bouncer shot and killed three of his colleagues, police say.
The senseless shooting Sunday stemmed from a filmed incident, a prank that caused the killer to harbor “ill will towards the three since this had occurred,” police said in a statement.
After being “punked” by his co-workers, Andrew Joseph “Punchy” Lobban, 31, was allegedly so upset that he shot Josue “Sway” Santiago, 25, Benjamin Larz Howard, 23, and Jerry Lamar Bynes Jr., 20, outside an Ocala nightclub early Sunday morning.
The men weren’at working at the time and reportedly were friends. But the incident at a shooting range, when Lobban misfired his gun, was caught on tape and apparently humiliated the accused murderer, Ocala Police Department spokeswoman Sgt. Angy Scroble told the Ocala Star Banner. The slay victims reportedly teased the hulking accused killer about the incident.
He just kept harping on that" when speaking with detectives after the shooting, Scroble said. "It really bothered him."
Lobban allegedly shot each man once in the back of the head with a 9-mm pistol as the group left AJ’s around 12:45 a.m. Sunday. Lobban fled and ditched the gun and a black T-shirt in a nearby trash can. The weapon was found by a police K9 and Lobban was tracked down at his girlfriend’s home later that day. He’s charged with three counts of first-degree felony murder and held without bail.
Santiago and Bynes were both fathers who leave behind young children.
"These guys all hung out on a regular basis. I'm surprised," Bobby Tillander, who owns the nightclub where the men worked, told the Star Banner.
The senseless shooting Sunday stemmed from a filmed incident, a prank that caused the killer to harbor “ill will towards the three since this had occurred,” police said in a statement.
After being “punked” by his co-workers, Andrew Joseph “Punchy” Lobban, 31, was allegedly so upset that he shot Josue “Sway” Santiago, 25, Benjamin Larz Howard, 23, and Jerry Lamar Bynes Jr., 20, outside an Ocala nightclub early Sunday morning.
The men weren’at working at the time and reportedly were friends. But the incident at a shooting range, when Lobban misfired his gun, was caught on tape and apparently humiliated the accused murderer, Ocala Police Department spokeswoman Sgt. Angy Scroble told the Ocala Star Banner. The slay victims reportedly teased the hulking accused killer about the incident.
He just kept harping on that" when speaking with detectives after the shooting, Scroble said. "It really bothered him."
Lobban allegedly shot each man once in the back of the head with a 9-mm pistol as the group left AJ’s around 12:45 a.m. Sunday. Lobban fled and ditched the gun and a black T-shirt in a nearby trash can. The weapon was found by a police K9 and Lobban was tracked down at his girlfriend’s home later that day. He’s charged with three counts of first-degree felony murder and held without bail.
Santiago and Bynes were both fathers who leave behind young children.
"These guys all hung out on a regular basis. I'm surprised," Bobby Tillander, who owns the nightclub where the men worked, told the Star Banner.
Europe flooding
Europe flooding, Waters from three swollen rivers gushed into the old town of Passau in southeast Germany on Monday, as officials warned that water levels — already the highest in 70 years — could rise further.
The city was one of the worst hit by flooding that has spread across a large area of central Europe following heavy rainfall in recent days. At least eight people were reported to have died and nine were missing due to floods in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
"The situation is extremely dramatic," Herbert Zillinger, a spokesman for Passau's crisis center, told The Associated Press.
Much of the city was inaccessible on foot and the electricity supply was shut down as a precaution, he said. Rescuers were using boats to evacuate residents from flooded parts of the city.
But with water from the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers relentlessly pouring into the city, water was advancing into previously dry streets — in one case going from dry to ankle-deep within half an hour. Markers set in 1954, when the city suffered its worst flooding in living memory, have disappeared beneath the rising water.
The German army said it has sent 1,760 soldiers to help local authorities and volunteers reinforce flood defences particularly in the south and east of the country. Chancellor Angela Merkel planned to visit flood-hit areas Tuesday, her spokesman said.
Evacuations
Elsewhere, authorities in the Czech Republic said more than 7,000 people had to be evacuated as of Monday afternoon as the flood-swollen Vltava River continued to rise.Those evacuated included residents of southern neighbourhoods in Prague and the town of Terezin also known as Theresienstadt, the former Jewish concentration camp during the Nazi WWII occupation, which is located north of the capital.
Prague's central sewage treatment plant was shut down on Monday to prevent its damage by the high water. That means that the sewage from the capital goes directly to the river. The plant may be restarted Tuesday or Wednesday.
Interim Mayor Tomas Hudecek said animals from a zoo located by the river had been taken to safety. Parts of the city's subway transportation network also were shut down because of flooding.
The city was one of the worst hit by flooding that has spread across a large area of central Europe following heavy rainfall in recent days. At least eight people were reported to have died and nine were missing due to floods in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
"The situation is extremely dramatic," Herbert Zillinger, a spokesman for Passau's crisis center, told The Associated Press.
Much of the city was inaccessible on foot and the electricity supply was shut down as a precaution, he said. Rescuers were using boats to evacuate residents from flooded parts of the city.
But with water from the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers relentlessly pouring into the city, water was advancing into previously dry streets — in one case going from dry to ankle-deep within half an hour. Markers set in 1954, when the city suffered its worst flooding in living memory, have disappeared beneath the rising water.
The German army said it has sent 1,760 soldiers to help local authorities and volunteers reinforce flood defences particularly in the south and east of the country. Chancellor Angela Merkel planned to visit flood-hit areas Tuesday, her spokesman said.
Evacuations
Elsewhere, authorities in the Czech Republic said more than 7,000 people had to be evacuated as of Monday afternoon as the flood-swollen Vltava River continued to rise.Those evacuated included residents of southern neighbourhoods in Prague and the town of Terezin also known as Theresienstadt, the former Jewish concentration camp during the Nazi WWII occupation, which is located north of the capital.
Prague's central sewage treatment plant was shut down on Monday to prevent its damage by the high water. That means that the sewage from the capital goes directly to the river. The plant may be restarted Tuesday or Wednesday.
Interim Mayor Tomas Hudecek said animals from a zoo located by the river had been taken to safety. Parts of the city's subway transportation network also were shut down because of flooding.
Disneyland price hike
Disneyland price hike, A Disneyland price hike has upset some families planning to visit Disney's U.S. parks over the summer season.
The company has announced that Disneyland and Disney World will both be subjected to price hikes in time for the summer season, which will hit thousands of families budgeting for a family vacation to Florida or California in the coming months.
It has been announced that Disney World in Orlando Florida will see the price of a one day adult pass increase by about $6 per person. That means entrance will be $95 for one adult for the day.
There is almost no discount for children, and only under 10s will be able to demand a paltry $6 discount, and enter the park for $89.
Disneyland will also see a price hike, but it will not quite be as much as its Florida counterpart. It has been announced that a one day pass at the Anaheim park will cost an adult $92 for the day. Again children are able to enter the park for just $6 less at $86 for the day.
That means a family of four consisting of 2 adults and 2 under 10s would have to pay $368 just to get into the park for the day. Many families then spend hundreds of dollars on souvenirs and refreshments inside the park through the course of the day.
Of course thousands of visitors will also have to splash out hundreds of dollars more for hotel, food outside the park, as well as parking fees.
It has also been announced that those who purchase annual passes will also have to swallow a price hike. There are various tickets that can be purchased by Disney lovers, but most can expect about a $20 or so increase in the annual ticket prices.
"A ticket to our theme parks represents a great value, particularly when you look at the breadth and quality of attractions and entertainment we offer and the special moments guests experience with our cast," spokesman Bryan Malenius has attempted to explain.
The company has announced that Disneyland and Disney World will both be subjected to price hikes in time for the summer season, which will hit thousands of families budgeting for a family vacation to Florida or California in the coming months.
It has been announced that Disney World in Orlando Florida will see the price of a one day adult pass increase by about $6 per person. That means entrance will be $95 for one adult for the day.
There is almost no discount for children, and only under 10s will be able to demand a paltry $6 discount, and enter the park for $89.
Disneyland will also see a price hike, but it will not quite be as much as its Florida counterpart. It has been announced that a one day pass at the Anaheim park will cost an adult $92 for the day. Again children are able to enter the park for just $6 less at $86 for the day.
That means a family of four consisting of 2 adults and 2 under 10s would have to pay $368 just to get into the park for the day. Many families then spend hundreds of dollars on souvenirs and refreshments inside the park through the course of the day.
Of course thousands of visitors will also have to splash out hundreds of dollars more for hotel, food outside the park, as well as parking fees.
It has also been announced that those who purchase annual passes will also have to swallow a price hike. There are various tickets that can be purchased by Disney lovers, but most can expect about a $20 or so increase in the annual ticket prices.
"A ticket to our theme parks represents a great value, particularly when you look at the breadth and quality of attractions and entertainment we offer and the special moments guests experience with our cast," spokesman Bryan Malenius has attempted to explain.
Alyssa Milano host
Alyssa Milano host, Prepare to be charmed by Project Runway All Stars' new host!
Alyssa Milano is set to host the upcoming third season of Lifetime hit fashion-design competition, the actress confirmed during an appearance on Live With Kelly and Michael. "I'm so excited about doing the show," Milano said of her new gig.
Milano, whose new series Mistresses debuts tonight on ABC, replaced Carolyn Murphy as the series' host, who took over for Angela Lindvall after season one.
Though she's known for her work on hit TV shows Charmed and Who's the Boss, Milano is no stranger to the fashion world: She has her own clothing and jewelry line, Touch by Alyssa Milano.
Judges Isaac Mizrahi and Georgina Chapman will both return for season three. Though season three's returning competitors have yet to be unveiled, the series goes back into production later this month and is expected to premiere in the fall.
Alyssa Milano is set to host the upcoming third season of Lifetime hit fashion-design competition, the actress confirmed during an appearance on Live With Kelly and Michael. "I'm so excited about doing the show," Milano said of her new gig.
Milano, whose new series Mistresses debuts tonight on ABC, replaced Carolyn Murphy as the series' host, who took over for Angela Lindvall after season one.
Though she's known for her work on hit TV shows Charmed and Who's the Boss, Milano is no stranger to the fashion world: She has her own clothing and jewelry line, Touch by Alyssa Milano.
Judges Isaac Mizrahi and Georgina Chapman will both return for season three. Though season three's returning competitors have yet to be unveiled, the series goes back into production later this month and is expected to premiere in the fall.
Chandler Parsons party bus
Chandler Parsons party bus, It wasn’t what she originally wanted, but Houston Rockets fan, Stephanie Flores, showed up to prom Saturday in style courtesy of Chandler Parsons.
Flores originally asked Parsons to prom but he was unable to make it because he out of town, and while another NBA player may of just left it at that, he went out of his way and arranged for her and friends to arrive to prom in a party bus on their special night.
Flores originally asked Parsons to prom but he was unable to make it because he out of town, and while another NBA player may of just left it at that, he went out of his way and arranged for her and friends to arrive to prom in a party bus on their special night.
Game of thrones
Game of thrones, One thing I have noticed is that many people love to record vertically, even when there are multiple people in the shot.
Karilene watches the Red Wedding – One of THE best videos out there. Great lighting, Great emotion (Even though she was a book reader!). Also LOVE that there is a screen in screen showing the scenes.
Karilene watches the Red Wedding – One of THE best videos out there. Great lighting, Great emotion (Even though she was a book reader!). Also LOVE that there is a screen in screen showing the scenes.
China poultry plant fire
China poultry plant fire, A fire at a locked poultry slaughterhouse in northeast China killed at least 113 people on Monday with several still unaccounted for, the local government and state media said, triggering online outrage at the high death toll.
The fire broke out just after dawn near Dehui in Jilin province, the provincial government said on its official microblog.
More than 300 workers were in the plant when the fire broke out, with employees reporting hearing a sudden bang and then seeing dark smoke, state news agency Xinhua added.
“About 100 workers have managed to escape from the plant whose gate was locked when the fire occurred,” Xinhua said. “The complicated interior structure of the prefabricated house in which the fire broke out and the narrow exits have added difficulties to the rescue work,” it added.
The exact number of people unaccounted for was unclear, as was the cause of the fire, Xinhua said. The Jilin government said 54 people were injured and had been rushed to hospital.
People took to social media sites to express their anger at the fire and the high death toll.
“Was this place never regularly inspected by fire safety authorities?” wrote one user on China's popular Twitter-like service Sina Weibo.
“Senior officials need to be sacked because of this,” wrote another. Pictures carried by state media showed smoke rising from a long, low-rise building, whose roof had been almost totally burned away, with fire engines and other rescue vehicles parked in front.
Jilin is a largely agricultural province and an important grower of corn and soy beans.
China has a poor record on fire safety. Fire exits are often locked or blocked and regulations can be easily skirted by bribing corrupt officials.
A fire at a nightclub in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong, killed 44 people in 2008. A senior policeman was jailed for taking bribes to allow the unlicensed venue to remain open.
One of modern China's worst fire disasters occurred in late 2000, when fire engulfed building workers at a discotheque in a mall in the central city of Luoyang, killing 309.
The fire broke out just after dawn near Dehui in Jilin province, the provincial government said on its official microblog.
More than 300 workers were in the plant when the fire broke out, with employees reporting hearing a sudden bang and then seeing dark smoke, state news agency Xinhua added.
“About 100 workers have managed to escape from the plant whose gate was locked when the fire occurred,” Xinhua said. “The complicated interior structure of the prefabricated house in which the fire broke out and the narrow exits have added difficulties to the rescue work,” it added.
The exact number of people unaccounted for was unclear, as was the cause of the fire, Xinhua said. The Jilin government said 54 people were injured and had been rushed to hospital.
People took to social media sites to express their anger at the fire and the high death toll.
“Was this place never regularly inspected by fire safety authorities?” wrote one user on China's popular Twitter-like service Sina Weibo.
“Senior officials need to be sacked because of this,” wrote another. Pictures carried by state media showed smoke rising from a long, low-rise building, whose roof had been almost totally burned away, with fire engines and other rescue vehicles parked in front.
Jilin is a largely agricultural province and an important grower of corn and soy beans.
China has a poor record on fire safety. Fire exits are often locked or blocked and regulations can be easily skirted by bribing corrupt officials.
A fire at a nightclub in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong, killed 44 people in 2008. A senior policeman was jailed for taking bribes to allow the unlicensed venue to remain open.
One of modern China's worst fire disasters occurred in late 2000, when fire engulfed building workers at a discotheque in a mall in the central city of Luoyang, killing 309.
Sophia grace video
Sophia grace video, Adorable 10-year-old Sophia Grace Brownlee, Ellen DeGeneres's red carpet correspondent, has released her first original music video.
Only not everyone thinks the video of Sophia and her partner-in-crime Rosie McClelland is harmlessly cute -- a number of commenters are suggesting they are too young for such a video.
"WTF she should be singing about Barbie dolls, not partying," writes one top commenter.
"This's sick!! So auto tuned and Sophie is too young to release song and music videos. The lyrics weren't good nor catchy. This's just rubbish," another says.
Still the negative comments seem to be far outweighed by the positive. The video has nearly 2 million views, and more than twice as many people have liked the video than have hit the "dislike" button.
What do you think? Is Sophia too young? Or is her "Girls Just Gotta Have Fun" video all in good fun?
Only not everyone thinks the video of Sophia and her partner-in-crime Rosie McClelland is harmlessly cute -- a number of commenters are suggesting they are too young for such a video.
"WTF she should be singing about Barbie dolls, not partying," writes one top commenter.
"This's sick!! So auto tuned and Sophie is too young to release song and music videos. The lyrics weren't good nor catchy. This's just rubbish," another says.
Still the negative comments seem to be far outweighed by the positive. The video has nearly 2 million views, and more than twice as many people have liked the video than have hit the "dislike" button.
What do you think? Is Sophia too young? Or is her "Girls Just Gotta Have Fun" video all in good fun?
Worker licks taco shells
Worker licks taco shells, Here's a Taco Bell employee who was thinking a bit too outside the bun.
On Monday, the Consumerist, a blog that's a subsidiary of Consumer Reports, posted a hard-to-swallow photo of a Taco Bell employee holding a long stack of about 25 empty taco shells — while licking them with his long tongue fully exposed.
The posting — which the employee originally posted on his Facebook page, has since gone seriously viral. The situation is eerily reminiscent of a video from 2009 that a Domino's Pizza employee posted of another worker putting pizza cheese into his nose and blowing mucous on a sandwich. The unfortunate message to consumers: Unhappy fast-food employees will do disgusting things to the food they sell.
"It's not a brand problem — it's a brand practices problem," says Erika Napoletano, a brand strategy consultant. "If you hire people who treat your brand as disposable, that's the kind of PR you'll get."
To its credit, Taco Bell responded quickly.
"We have strict food and handling procedures and zero tolerance for any violations," Taco Bell says in a statement. The company insists that the franchisee — whose name and location it hasn't revealed — did not serve the taco shells to any customers. "They were used for training only and in the process of being thrown out," the company says.
Taco Bell declined to specify whether the employees behind the photo were fired. "We will not tolerate this type of behavior, and particularly its impressions on our customers, fans, franchisees and team members." The statement says, "We are working with the franchisee to take appropriate action against everyone involved."
Is that enough to satisfy consumers?
Probably not, says PR consultant Chris Ann Goddard. While the response was rapid, she says, "Who really knows if the tacos were served or not?"
Taco Bell will see incidents like this repeat if it doesn't change its hiring practices, says Napoletano. "You need to hire people who hold as much integrity for your brand as you do," she says.
Besides the need for Taco Bell to establish clearer guidelines for its workers, the brand needs to make even more clear to consumers that this is "not a normal occurrence," Goddard says. "People need to feel comfortable in whatever they purchase, whether it's pudding or tacos. This picture is pretty wild."
On Monday, the Consumerist, a blog that's a subsidiary of Consumer Reports, posted a hard-to-swallow photo of a Taco Bell employee holding a long stack of about 25 empty taco shells — while licking them with his long tongue fully exposed.
The posting — which the employee originally posted on his Facebook page, has since gone seriously viral. The situation is eerily reminiscent of a video from 2009 that a Domino's Pizza employee posted of another worker putting pizza cheese into his nose and blowing mucous on a sandwich. The unfortunate message to consumers: Unhappy fast-food employees will do disgusting things to the food they sell.
"It's not a brand problem — it's a brand practices problem," says Erika Napoletano, a brand strategy consultant. "If you hire people who treat your brand as disposable, that's the kind of PR you'll get."
To its credit, Taco Bell responded quickly.
"We have strict food and handling procedures and zero tolerance for any violations," Taco Bell says in a statement. The company insists that the franchisee — whose name and location it hasn't revealed — did not serve the taco shells to any customers. "They were used for training only and in the process of being thrown out," the company says.
Taco Bell declined to specify whether the employees behind the photo were fired. "We will not tolerate this type of behavior, and particularly its impressions on our customers, fans, franchisees and team members." The statement says, "We are working with the franchisee to take appropriate action against everyone involved."
Is that enough to satisfy consumers?
Probably not, says PR consultant Chris Ann Goddard. While the response was rapid, she says, "Who really knows if the tacos were served or not?"
Taco Bell will see incidents like this repeat if it doesn't change its hiring practices, says Napoletano. "You need to hire people who hold as much integrity for your brand as you do," she says.
Besides the need for Taco Bell to establish clearer guidelines for its workers, the brand needs to make even more clear to consumers that this is "not a normal occurrence," Goddard says. "People need to feel comfortable in whatever they purchase, whether it's pudding or tacos. This picture is pretty wild."
Charice pempengco
Charice pempengco, Filipino singer and actress Charice Pempengco, who played exchange student Sunshine Corazon in the hit series Glee, has told talk show host Boy Abunda on Filipino television station The Buzz that she is a lesbian. “Yes, I am a lesbian,” she said in her native Tagalog, in response to the direct question. "Now, I feel free. I can go out of the house without fear and be certain that I'm not stepping on anybody's toes." Through tears, she added, "To those who can accept me, thank you very much… We are all equal, whether you are gay or straight.” A video of the interview can be seen here. The announcement came after speculation surrounding the 21-year-old star’s sexual orientation swirled in the local press in recent weeks, following her decision to shed her teen starlet look, cutting her once long locks in favor of short, dyed hair. Charice was originally discovered on YouTube by Ellen DeGeneres who asked her to perform on her show in 2007. Since then, she has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and has sung alongside Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. Following her decision to come out, she thanked her supportive fans in a video that shows her relief. “Honestly, I’m very, very happy,” she said. “I can’t explain how happy I am right now hearing all these positive things.” "Dear @OfficialCharice have you any idea how many young people you inspired today? More power, blessings and love to you!" tweeted Leah Salonga (@MsLeaSalonga), a Tony award-winning Filipina actress and singer. “So Charice is out of the closet. Did that take her talent away? Did it change her voice? NO. Same talented person, just happier,” tweeted local celebrity Bubbles Paraiso (@bubblesparaiso). Similar support came from overseas. “So proud of you!” tweeted American celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. “You are opening doors and hearts and minds with your bravery and honesty! Leading by example! BIG HUG!” While the outpouring of support for Charice has been significant, it has not been universal in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, where conservative views on LGBT issues often color public discourse. No less than Manny Pacquaiao, Filipino boxing legend-cum-politician and entrepreneur extraordinaire, has made comments that reflect the attitude of the conservative strain in Filipino society. "God only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally married, only if they so are in love with each other,” he said in May 2012. “It should not be of the same sex so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah of Old.” In the case of Charice, perhaps most notably of all, she told Abunda on The Buzz that she was estranged from her mother. For those who may not understand her, she is empathetic. "I have deep gratitude for the Filipinos because they are the ones who know who I really am,” she told Abunda on The Buzz. “I don't know what the problem is because for me, there is no problem with that. So now I ask for forgiveness from those who don't understand. And those who cannot accept. I apologize: I understand you." She added: "I just want to say to all of you that I feel very light – that I can leave the house knowing I am not hiding anything. I love myself, that's why I'm able to do this.”
Tyler the creator bieber
Tyler the creator bieber, It's always good to see rappers taking responsibility for their actions. Tyler, The Creator is coming out publicly to say that it was he who illegally sped through a residential neighborhood in California in a Ferrari and not Justin Bieber, as was previously reported.
According to TMZ, the Odd Future frontman admitted it was him and not the teen heartthrob, who broke the speed limit. "That Was Me Behind The Wheel Of Justins Vehicle. Don't Blame Him. People Are Actually Evil Swearing Up And Down That It Was Who It Wasnt.
Biebs responded that it was all good and threw in a dig against those who accused him of fathering a child a few years ago. "all good buddy. i deal with this everyday. thanks though. the baby aint mine either," Bieber shared.
According to TMZ, former NFL player Keyshawn Johnson said that he personally witnessed Justin in the driver's seat after the luxury vehicle sped through their ritzy hood. The site reports that "at least three other people also saw Justin behind the wheel" and the neighbors are not happy.
Legal issues aside, Tyler has been keeping busy musically this summer. He's slated to appear on Mac Miller's upcoming Watching Movies With the Sound Off on June 18 alongside the likes of Earl Sweatshirt, Jay Electronica and Action Bronson.
According to TMZ, the Odd Future frontman admitted it was him and not the teen heartthrob, who broke the speed limit. "That Was Me Behind The Wheel Of Justins Vehicle. Don't Blame Him. People Are Actually Evil Swearing Up And Down That It Was Who It Wasnt.
Biebs responded that it was all good and threw in a dig against those who accused him of fathering a child a few years ago. "all good buddy. i deal with this everyday. thanks though. the baby aint mine either," Bieber shared.
According to TMZ, former NFL player Keyshawn Johnson said that he personally witnessed Justin in the driver's seat after the luxury vehicle sped through their ritzy hood. The site reports that "at least three other people also saw Justin behind the wheel" and the neighbors are not happy.
Legal issues aside, Tyler has been keeping busy musically this summer. He's slated to appear on Mac Miller's upcoming Watching Movies With the Sound Off on June 18 alongside the likes of Earl Sweatshirt, Jay Electronica and Action Bronson.
johnny cash stamp
johnny cash stamp, A yearlong celebration of Johnny Cash's legacy will come to an end this week with the issue of a new postal stamp and free public concert.
The new Johnny Cash Forever stamp goes on sale Wednesday and to celebrate Cash's son, John Carter Cash, and several friends and family members will gather at Ryman Auditorium. The stamp is based around a promotional shot for the 1963 album "Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash." To Cash it looks like a 45 or 78 RPM record cover and is unlike the usual offerings — matching his father's legacy.
"It just truly embodies my father's spirit, who he was," Cash said. "It's different. That's one thing: It stands out to me as being unique. It's very commanding when you see the stamp."
Wednesday's concert features Cash family members, including the late singer's brother and sister, Tommy Cash and Joanne Cash Yates, and friends Randy Travis, Marty Stuart, Larry Gatlin and The Oak Ridge Boys. Jamey Johnson and The Roys also are scheduled to perform.
The limited-edition stamp, part of the U.S. Postal Service's Music Icon Series, will be on sale at the concert and at the Country Music Association Festival later this week.
A decade after his 2003 death, Cash remains a popular figure with million-dollar sales. A celebration of what would have been his 80th year started last spring and efforts to preserve his legacy continue in Nashville and his birthplace in Arkansas. The Johnny Cash Museum formally opened in downtown Nashville last week and efforts are underway to save Cash's childhood home in Dyess, Ark.
Cash said he still is contacted with stories of the effect his father had on the lives of his fans.
"He had sort of a magic and a charisma about him," Cash said. "If he walked into the room and your back was turned, you felt the change. He had that strength about him. That legacy that he began still lives on in many ways. It's still alive in the hearts of fans."
The new Johnny Cash Forever stamp goes on sale Wednesday and to celebrate Cash's son, John Carter Cash, and several friends and family members will gather at Ryman Auditorium. The stamp is based around a promotional shot for the 1963 album "Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash." To Cash it looks like a 45 or 78 RPM record cover and is unlike the usual offerings — matching his father's legacy.
"It just truly embodies my father's spirit, who he was," Cash said. "It's different. That's one thing: It stands out to me as being unique. It's very commanding when you see the stamp."
Wednesday's concert features Cash family members, including the late singer's brother and sister, Tommy Cash and Joanne Cash Yates, and friends Randy Travis, Marty Stuart, Larry Gatlin and The Oak Ridge Boys. Jamey Johnson and The Roys also are scheduled to perform.
The limited-edition stamp, part of the U.S. Postal Service's Music Icon Series, will be on sale at the concert and at the Country Music Association Festival later this week.
A decade after his 2003 death, Cash remains a popular figure with million-dollar sales. A celebration of what would have been his 80th year started last spring and efforts to preserve his legacy continue in Nashville and his birthplace in Arkansas. The Johnny Cash Museum formally opened in downtown Nashville last week and efforts are underway to save Cash's childhood home in Dyess, Ark.
Cash said he still is contacted with stories of the effect his father had on the lives of his fans.
"He had sort of a magic and a charisma about him," Cash said. "If he walked into the room and your back was turned, you felt the change. He had that strength about him. That legacy that he began still lives on in many ways. It's still alive in the hearts of fans."
Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow, If Glenn Beck still had a TV show, this would have somehow been a complicated conspiracy theory detailed on a chalkboard. But he doesn’t, so you’re going to have to connect the dots and squiggles in your mind’s eye. Tim Tebow is unemployed and practically destitute because he’s religious and a good person. Beck: “It’s UnBELIEVEable!”
But this rant, brought to you by the good folks at Clear Channel Radio, started out as a discussion on Robert Griffin III’s new house in Northern Virginia. Beck and his co-hosts (don’t make me look up their names — thanks) were talking about the house, which we wrote about last week, and wondered aloud how it only cost $2.5 million, seeing that it had five bedrooms and sat on 19 acres.
But toward the end is where the real gold is buried. The conversation somehow turns to Tim Tebow, and Beck & Friends discuss Tebow’s current lack of employment. Beck, of course, takes the ball and runs with it toward the right-wing conservative end zone. (Check it out above beginning at the 4:44 mark).
When one of the co-hosts mentions that RGIII has never been in trouble, Beck says:
“No, no. Politically. I mean there’s a different kind of trouble now. You can be a good guy — look at Tebow. You can be a good guy, clean life, and be on the wrong side politically, and you’re doomed.
“Hopefully when he no longer has a job and he’s out of football, we’ll have enough money to hire him at this network to do sports. (Co-hosts laugh). Seriously. Who else would hire him to do even sports? ESPN probably wouldn’t hire him. Nobody’s going to hire him, he’s too controversial. And THINK of that. No one’s going to hire him because he’s religious? It’s unbelievable.”
Typical Beck: Create a controversy out of thin air (has Tebow been turned down by ESPN and I missed it?) and blend in his special brand of outrage to gin up ratings. Is Beck aware that Aaron Rodgers is religious? Drew Brees? Former Packer Reggie White had a great career, and he was as outspokenly religious as they come. John Elway stumped for Mitt Romney and is still adored.
But then, Beck is the guy who once displayed a photo of Brian Urlacher on TV, describing him as a “neo-Nazi”, without knowing who he was.
On RGIII’s house, Beck said:
“Now c’mon man. You’re a quarterback. Really? You’re gonna have five bedrooms and four bathrooms? Think of that, four bathrooms. Nine thousand square feet, four bathrooms and five bedrooms. That means at least two [bedrooms] don’t have their own bathroom….
“I mean, three acres in Virginia. Remember, Virginia is not cheap. It’s never been hit by the housing crisis because of the government. So he’s got this house? It must suck. Three acres in Northern Viriginia? I mean, that’s like buying it out of Manhattan. Northern Virginia is like Manhattan. You’re not getting three acres in Northern Virginia. For $2.5 million? I’m surprised it wasn’t $3 million for the acreage….
“I’m looking at the pictures of this — we have to post this — I’m looking at the pictures of this house. It’s got a movie theater in it and everything else. $2.5 million, what is it, on a toxic waste dump? Seriously? It’s in Northern Virginia.”
But this rant, brought to you by the good folks at Clear Channel Radio, started out as a discussion on Robert Griffin III’s new house in Northern Virginia. Beck and his co-hosts (don’t make me look up their names — thanks) were talking about the house, which we wrote about last week, and wondered aloud how it only cost $2.5 million, seeing that it had five bedrooms and sat on 19 acres.
But toward the end is where the real gold is buried. The conversation somehow turns to Tim Tebow, and Beck & Friends discuss Tebow’s current lack of employment. Beck, of course, takes the ball and runs with it toward the right-wing conservative end zone. (Check it out above beginning at the 4:44 mark).
When one of the co-hosts mentions that RGIII has never been in trouble, Beck says:
“No, no. Politically. I mean there’s a different kind of trouble now. You can be a good guy — look at Tebow. You can be a good guy, clean life, and be on the wrong side politically, and you’re doomed.
“Hopefully when he no longer has a job and he’s out of football, we’ll have enough money to hire him at this network to do sports. (Co-hosts laugh). Seriously. Who else would hire him to do even sports? ESPN probably wouldn’t hire him. Nobody’s going to hire him, he’s too controversial. And THINK of that. No one’s going to hire him because he’s religious? It’s unbelievable.”
Typical Beck: Create a controversy out of thin air (has Tebow been turned down by ESPN and I missed it?) and blend in his special brand of outrage to gin up ratings. Is Beck aware that Aaron Rodgers is religious? Drew Brees? Former Packer Reggie White had a great career, and he was as outspokenly religious as they come. John Elway stumped for Mitt Romney and is still adored.
But then, Beck is the guy who once displayed a photo of Brian Urlacher on TV, describing him as a “neo-Nazi”, without knowing who he was.
On RGIII’s house, Beck said:
“Now c’mon man. You’re a quarterback. Really? You’re gonna have five bedrooms and four bathrooms? Think of that, four bathrooms. Nine thousand square feet, four bathrooms and five bedrooms. That means at least two [bedrooms] don’t have their own bathroom….
“I mean, three acres in Virginia. Remember, Virginia is not cheap. It’s never been hit by the housing crisis because of the government. So he’s got this house? It must suck. Three acres in Northern Viriginia? I mean, that’s like buying it out of Manhattan. Northern Virginia is like Manhattan. You’re not getting three acres in Northern Virginia. For $2.5 million? I’m surprised it wasn’t $3 million for the acreage….
“I’m looking at the pictures of this — we have to post this — I’m looking at the pictures of this house. It’s got a movie theater in it and everything else. $2.5 million, what is it, on a toxic waste dump? Seriously? It’s in Northern Virginia.”
Obamacare
Obamacare, Fourteen Republican-led states that oppose expanding Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health reform will leave 3.6 million of their poorest adult residents uninsured, at a cost of $9.4 billion per year by 2017, researchers said on Monday.
The findings, published in the journal Health Affairs, could point to a larger-than-expected impact from the bitter political feud engulfing a major provision of the healthcare reform law due to take full effect next year.
The law calls for Medicaid coverage to be expanded to people with earnings of up to 133 per cent of the federal poverty level, but a Supreme Court decision last year allowed states to decide whether to participate.
Researchers in two separate Medicaid studies say leaving more adults without coverage also risks buoying mortality rates by blocking access to care, leading to higher costs. The poverty line currently stands at $11,490 for an individual and $23,550 for a family of four, and the current threshold for Medicaid eligibility means the services are often limited to dependent children and their parents, pregnant women and those with severe disabilities including the very old.
Republican-led states such as Arizona, Kansas and Maine are nearing the end of legislative debates on whether to join the Medicaid expansion.
"We're trying to sort of inform the debate. If a state policymaker has the goal of covering as many people as possible and reducing the financial risk for that population, expanding Medicaid is the most rational choice," said Carter Price, co-author of a study by RAND Corp, a nonpartisan think tank that receives government funding.
"It's also better for the state fiscally because states fund a lot of programs for uncompensated care," he added.
BIGGER TOLL
Under Obama's 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the federal government is offering to pay states 100 per cent of the cost of expanding Medicaid for three years beginning in 2014, declining to 90 per cent in subsequent years.
Before the Supreme Court decision, the Medicaid expansion was expected to extend coverage to more than 16 million uninsured people, with incomes of about $15,500 for an individual and $32,000 for a family of four.
The latest estimate from the Congressional Budget Office anticipates 3 million fewer Medicaid recipients than predicted before the Supreme Court ruling.
"Our numbers are certainly higher than theirs. But we're all in the three-to-four million range," Price said.
The RAND study found that 3.6 million people, all of them living below the federal poverty line, would be locked out of Medicaid coverage in 14 states with Republican governors who oppose the expansion: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
Those states would forego an estimated $8.4 billion in federal funding for the Medicaid expansion in 2016 alone, while continuing to incur an annual $1 billion cost from caring for the uninsured, RAND found.
The figures could climb higher. According to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, a total of 20 states have failed to move forward on the expansion. Eight more remain undecided. Those include some with large populations, such as Ohio, Michigan and Arizona, where Republican governors who favor expansion have run into legislative opposition from within their own party.
Some states have decided to let would-be Medicaid recipients obtain subsidized private insurance plans instead through new online marketplaces being set up under the health law. But unlike Medicaid, those plans carry copay and deductible charges that would make it harder for people living below the poverty line to cover out of pocket.
RAND found that if all 14 states in its study opted out of the expansion, they would impede a projected reduction in mortality rates. Fully expanding Medicaid would reduce mortality by 90,000 lives per year, the study said. The number would fall to 71,000 without those states.
A separate study led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin looked at a state health program that covers childless adults with incomes of up to 200 per cent of the federal poverty level.
The program, launched in 2009, offers less-generous benefits than the Medicaid expansion that Wisconsin has rejected. But within 12 months of enrollment, beneficiaries had increased outpatient visits 29 per cent and emergency room visits by 46 per cent. At the same time, costly in-patient care fell 59 per cent while preventable hospitalizations dropped 48 per cent
The findings, published in the journal Health Affairs, could point to a larger-than-expected impact from the bitter political feud engulfing a major provision of the healthcare reform law due to take full effect next year.
The law calls for Medicaid coverage to be expanded to people with earnings of up to 133 per cent of the federal poverty level, but a Supreme Court decision last year allowed states to decide whether to participate.
Researchers in two separate Medicaid studies say leaving more adults without coverage also risks buoying mortality rates by blocking access to care, leading to higher costs. The poverty line currently stands at $11,490 for an individual and $23,550 for a family of four, and the current threshold for Medicaid eligibility means the services are often limited to dependent children and their parents, pregnant women and those with severe disabilities including the very old.
Republican-led states such as Arizona, Kansas and Maine are nearing the end of legislative debates on whether to join the Medicaid expansion.
"We're trying to sort of inform the debate. If a state policymaker has the goal of covering as many people as possible and reducing the financial risk for that population, expanding Medicaid is the most rational choice," said Carter Price, co-author of a study by RAND Corp, a nonpartisan think tank that receives government funding.
"It's also better for the state fiscally because states fund a lot of programs for uncompensated care," he added.
BIGGER TOLL
Under Obama's 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the federal government is offering to pay states 100 per cent of the cost of expanding Medicaid for three years beginning in 2014, declining to 90 per cent in subsequent years.
Before the Supreme Court decision, the Medicaid expansion was expected to extend coverage to more than 16 million uninsured people, with incomes of about $15,500 for an individual and $32,000 for a family of four.
The latest estimate from the Congressional Budget Office anticipates 3 million fewer Medicaid recipients than predicted before the Supreme Court ruling.
"Our numbers are certainly higher than theirs. But we're all in the three-to-four million range," Price said.
The RAND study found that 3.6 million people, all of them living below the federal poverty line, would be locked out of Medicaid coverage in 14 states with Republican governors who oppose the expansion: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
Those states would forego an estimated $8.4 billion in federal funding for the Medicaid expansion in 2016 alone, while continuing to incur an annual $1 billion cost from caring for the uninsured, RAND found.
The figures could climb higher. According to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, a total of 20 states have failed to move forward on the expansion. Eight more remain undecided. Those include some with large populations, such as Ohio, Michigan and Arizona, where Republican governors who favor expansion have run into legislative opposition from within their own party.
Some states have decided to let would-be Medicaid recipients obtain subsidized private insurance plans instead through new online marketplaces being set up under the health law. But unlike Medicaid, those plans carry copay and deductible charges that would make it harder for people living below the poverty line to cover out of pocket.
RAND found that if all 14 states in its study opted out of the expansion, they would impede a projected reduction in mortality rates. Fully expanding Medicaid would reduce mortality by 90,000 lives per year, the study said. The number would fall to 71,000 without those states.
A separate study led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin looked at a state health program that covers childless adults with incomes of up to 200 per cent of the federal poverty level.
The program, launched in 2009, offers less-generous benefits than the Medicaid expansion that Wisconsin has rejected. But within 12 months of enrollment, beneficiaries had increased outpatient visits 29 per cent and emergency room visits by 46 per cent. At the same time, costly in-patient care fell 59 per cent while preventable hospitalizations dropped 48 per cent
Sharon jones
Sharon jones, Soul group Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings on Monday postponed the release of its forthcoming album and tour after Jones was diagnosed with early-stage bile duct cancer, according to a statement on the band's website.
The singer, 57, is to undergo surgery, and is expected to make a full recovery but will require a "lengthy" rehabilitation period, the statement said.
"Over the last few weeks I haven't felt good and I didn't know what was going on," Jones said in a statement. "We just found out that I have a stage-one tumor on my bile duct. Luckily we caught it really early and fast and the doctors say it's operable and curable!"
Bile ducts carry bile produced by the liver from the gallbladder into the small intestine to aid with digestion.
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are best known for the 2007 song "100 Days, 100 Nights" and 2010's "I Learned the Hard Way."
The group's fifth album, "Give the People What They Want," was scheduled to be released on August 6. A new release date has not been announced.
The band is credited with reviving interest in soul music over the past decade and preceding such acts as the late British soul singer Amy Winehouse.
Without Jones, the brassy Dap-Kings have also provided backing music to such artists as Winehouse and British rockers The Heavy and Muse.
The singer, 57, is to undergo surgery, and is expected to make a full recovery but will require a "lengthy" rehabilitation period, the statement said.
"Over the last few weeks I haven't felt good and I didn't know what was going on," Jones said in a statement. "We just found out that I have a stage-one tumor on my bile duct. Luckily we caught it really early and fast and the doctors say it's operable and curable!"
Bile ducts carry bile produced by the liver from the gallbladder into the small intestine to aid with digestion.
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are best known for the 2007 song "100 Days, 100 Nights" and 2010's "I Learned the Hard Way."
The group's fifth album, "Give the People What They Want," was scheduled to be released on August 6. A new release date has not been announced.
The band is credited with reviving interest in soul music over the past decade and preceding such acts as the late British soul singer Amy Winehouse.
Without Jones, the brassy Dap-Kings have also provided backing music to such artists as Winehouse and British rockers The Heavy and Muse.
US germany soccer
US germany soccer, Clint Dempsey scored twice as the United States held on to beat a below-strength Germany 4-3 in a friendly on Sunday, giving American coach Juergen Klinsmann victory over his former homeland.
Dempsey’s second half double provided the Americans with a commanding 4-1 lead before Germany responded with two late strikes in a seven-goal international at RFK Stadium in Washington DC.
Obviously we are pleased with such an entertaining game as the centennial game," said Klinsmann, who scored 47 goals in 108 games for his country and coached Germany to the 2006 World Cup semi-finals.
"Overall it was a good performance, we saw a lot of things we wanted to see. Having a player like Clint Dempsey on your team it is a privilege, he is one of the best players in U.S. football history."
The Americans, celebrating the centenary of the U.S. Football Federation, had grabbed the lead in the 13th minute thanks to a powerful volley from Jozy Altidore, his first goal for his country since November 2011.
Four minutes later, the advantage was doubled via an appalling error by German keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who somehow allowed a routine back pass from Benedikt Hoewedes slip off his foot into the net.
Germany rebounded strongly after the half-time break, pulling one back in the 51st minute when Heiko Westermann, allowed to get free by Omar Gonzalez, powered in a header from a Max Kruse corner.
Two superbly finished goals from Dempsey, the second a beautiful curling effort from 25 yards, gave the U.S. a three-goal lead, to the delight of the 47,359 crowd, before the Germans began to pile on the pressure.
Kruse was given time to turn and shoot on the edge of the area in the 78th minute before Julian Draxler scored three minutes later.
But the U.S. held on for a morale boosting win after their 4-2 loss to Belgium in Cleveland on Wednesday ahead of three World Cup qualifiers, starting with Jamaica in Kingston on Friday.
Germany, without key players from Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, beat Ecuador 4-2 in Florida on Wednesday but despite the loss, coach Joachim Loew was pleased with the mini-tour.
"It was worth it in all respects. With main players missing for various reasons I think we chose the right squad, they were very motivated and enthusiastic and if you ask them they would say they learned an awful lot," said Klinsmann’s former assistant.
"For me it was worthwhile because even though you know them as players from the Bundesliga, you don’t know them as human beings and it was really good to get a feel for them, what makes them tick".
Dempsey’s second half double provided the Americans with a commanding 4-1 lead before Germany responded with two late strikes in a seven-goal international at RFK Stadium in Washington DC.
Obviously we are pleased with such an entertaining game as the centennial game," said Klinsmann, who scored 47 goals in 108 games for his country and coached Germany to the 2006 World Cup semi-finals.
"Overall it was a good performance, we saw a lot of things we wanted to see. Having a player like Clint Dempsey on your team it is a privilege, he is one of the best players in U.S. football history."
The Americans, celebrating the centenary of the U.S. Football Federation, had grabbed the lead in the 13th minute thanks to a powerful volley from Jozy Altidore, his first goal for his country since November 2011.
Four minutes later, the advantage was doubled via an appalling error by German keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who somehow allowed a routine back pass from Benedikt Hoewedes slip off his foot into the net.
Germany rebounded strongly after the half-time break, pulling one back in the 51st minute when Heiko Westermann, allowed to get free by Omar Gonzalez, powered in a header from a Max Kruse corner.
Two superbly finished goals from Dempsey, the second a beautiful curling effort from 25 yards, gave the U.S. a three-goal lead, to the delight of the 47,359 crowd, before the Germans began to pile on the pressure.
Kruse was given time to turn and shoot on the edge of the area in the 78th minute before Julian Draxler scored three minutes later.
But the U.S. held on for a morale boosting win after their 4-2 loss to Belgium in Cleveland on Wednesday ahead of three World Cup qualifiers, starting with Jamaica in Kingston on Friday.
Germany, without key players from Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, beat Ecuador 4-2 in Florida on Wednesday but despite the loss, coach Joachim Loew was pleased with the mini-tour.
"It was worth it in all respects. With main players missing for various reasons I think we chose the right squad, they were very motivated and enthusiastic and if you ask them they would say they learned an awful lot," said Klinsmann’s former assistant.
"For me it was worthwhile because even though you know them as players from the Bundesliga, you don’t know them as human beings and it was really good to get a feel for them, what makes them tick".
Supreme court dna
Supreme court dna, A sharply divided US supreme court on Monday said police can routinely take DNA from people they arrest, equating a DNA cheek swab to other common jailhouse procedures like fingerprinting.
"Taking and analysing a cheek swab of the arrestee DNA is, like fingerprinting and photographing, a legitimate police booking procedure that is reasonable under the fourth amendment," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the court's five-justice majority.
But the four dissenting justices said that the court was allowing a major change in police powers. "Make no mistake about it: because of today's decision, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason," conservative justice Antonin Scalia said in a sharp dissent which he read aloud in the courtroom.
"This will solve some extra crimes, to be sure. But so would taking your DNA when you fly on an airplane, surely the TSA must know the 'identity' of the flying public. For that matter, so would taking your children's DNA when they start public school."
Twenty-eight states and the federal government now take DNA swabs after arrests. But a Maryland court was one of the first to say that it was illegal for that state to take Alonzo King's DNA without approval from a judge, saying King had "a sufficiently weighty and reasonable expectation of privacy against warrantless, suspicionless searches" under the fourth amendment.
But the high court's decision reverses that ruling and reinstates King's rape conviction, which came after police took his DNA during an unrelated arrest. Kennedy wrote the decision, and was joined by chief justice John Roberts and justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer. Scalia was joined in his dissent by justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
Maryland's DNA collection law only allows police to take DNA from those arrested for serious crimes like murder, rape, assault, burglary and other crimes of violence. In his ruling, Kennedy did not say whether the court's decision limits DNA only to those crimes, but he did note that other states' DNA collection laws differ from Maryland's.
Scalia saw that as a flaw. "If you believe that a DNA search will identify someone arrested for bank robbery, you must believe that it will identify someone arrested for running a red light," he said.
Getting DNA swabs from criminals is common. All 50 states and the federal government take cheek swabs from convicted criminals to check against federal and state databanks, with the court's blessing. The fight at the supreme court was over whether that DNA collection could come before conviction and without a judge issuing a warrant.
According to court documents, the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, or Codis, a co-ordinated system of federal, state and local databases of DNA profiles already contains more than 10m criminal profiles and 1.1m profiles of those arrested.
"Taking and analysing a cheek swab of the arrestee DNA is, like fingerprinting and photographing, a legitimate police booking procedure that is reasonable under the fourth amendment," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the court's five-justice majority.
But the four dissenting justices said that the court was allowing a major change in police powers. "Make no mistake about it: because of today's decision, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason," conservative justice Antonin Scalia said in a sharp dissent which he read aloud in the courtroom.
"This will solve some extra crimes, to be sure. But so would taking your DNA when you fly on an airplane, surely the TSA must know the 'identity' of the flying public. For that matter, so would taking your children's DNA when they start public school."
Twenty-eight states and the federal government now take DNA swabs after arrests. But a Maryland court was one of the first to say that it was illegal for that state to take Alonzo King's DNA without approval from a judge, saying King had "a sufficiently weighty and reasonable expectation of privacy against warrantless, suspicionless searches" under the fourth amendment.
But the high court's decision reverses that ruling and reinstates King's rape conviction, which came after police took his DNA during an unrelated arrest. Kennedy wrote the decision, and was joined by chief justice John Roberts and justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer. Scalia was joined in his dissent by justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
Maryland's DNA collection law only allows police to take DNA from those arrested for serious crimes like murder, rape, assault, burglary and other crimes of violence. In his ruling, Kennedy did not say whether the court's decision limits DNA only to those crimes, but he did note that other states' DNA collection laws differ from Maryland's.
Scalia saw that as a flaw. "If you believe that a DNA search will identify someone arrested for bank robbery, you must believe that it will identify someone arrested for running a red light," he said.
Getting DNA swabs from criminals is common. All 50 states and the federal government take cheek swabs from convicted criminals to check against federal and state databanks, with the court's blessing. The fight at the supreme court was over whether that DNA collection could come before conviction and without a judge issuing a warrant.
According to court documents, the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, or Codis, a co-ordinated system of federal, state and local databases of DNA profiles already contains more than 10m criminal profiles and 1.1m profiles of those arrested.
Yosemite missing
Yosemite missing, Friends and family of a Sacramento man, swept over a waterfall in Yosemite National Park, are still hoping he will be found alive and safe.
Rangers say Aleh Kalman, 19, was swimming in the Merced River Saturday when swift currents pulled him over the 594-foot Nevada Fall.
A helicopter searched the area for the 19-year-old Saturday and Sunday as rangers and a search team searched on foot.
Park officials say Kalman was visiting with a church group.
The trail below the falls has been closed while the search continues.
Rangers say Aleh Kalman, 19, was swimming in the Merced River Saturday when swift currents pulled him over the 594-foot Nevada Fall.
A helicopter searched the area for the 19-year-old Saturday and Sunday as rangers and a search team searched on foot.
Park officials say Kalman was visiting with a church group.
The trail below the falls has been closed while the search continues.
Transgender Navy SEAL
Transgender Navy SEAL, A former member of the elite U.S. Navy SEALs has come out to say she's now a woman.
Kristin Beck, formerly Chris, served 20 years as a SEAL and fought on some of the most dangerous battlefields in the world, but after she left the service she realized she wasn't living the life she wanted.
"Chris really wanted to be a girl and felt that she was a girl and consolidated that identity very early on in childhood," said Anne Speckhard, co-author of Beck's biography "Warrior Princess," which was published over the weekend. Speckhard told ABC News Beck suppressed that secret for decades, however, through the trials of SEAL training and the harrowing missions that followed, growing a burly beard as she fought on the front lines of American special operations.
Brandon Webb, a former SEAL who served on a different SEAL team than Beck, said that Beck's reputation in the SEALs was a good one and said she was, by all appearances, the "consummate guy's guy."
But the book says that Chris "had considered living as the woman he felt himself to be for a very long time, but while he was serving as a SEAL he couldn't do it."
"For years Chris had turned off his sexuality like a light switch and lived as a warrior, consumed with the battle -- living basically asexual. For Chris the other SEALs were brothers and in the man's man warrior lifestyle, even if he had wanted to entertain sexual thoughts, there really was never any time to be thinking too much about sexuality," the book says.
After her retirement in 2011, however, "Now seemed the right time to go for it -- to make his body match his identity -- or at least start by dressing like a woman in his regular life."
Speckhard said Beck first announced her decision to friends online with the declaration "No more disguises" and the book describes her going out to gay bars in Florida as a woman.
Beck is currently on hormone therapy in preparation for sexual reassignment surgery and generally wears long hair, make-up and women's clothes, Speckhard said.
In the book's Preface, Beck said she wrote the book "to reach out to all of the younger generation and encourage you to live your life fully and to treat each other with compassion, be good to each other, especially in your own backyard (where it be high school or your community)."
Kristin Beck, formerly Chris, served 20 years as a SEAL and fought on some of the most dangerous battlefields in the world, but after she left the service she realized she wasn't living the life she wanted.
"Chris really wanted to be a girl and felt that she was a girl and consolidated that identity very early on in childhood," said Anne Speckhard, co-author of Beck's biography "Warrior Princess," which was published over the weekend. Speckhard told ABC News Beck suppressed that secret for decades, however, through the trials of SEAL training and the harrowing missions that followed, growing a burly beard as she fought on the front lines of American special operations.
Brandon Webb, a former SEAL who served on a different SEAL team than Beck, said that Beck's reputation in the SEALs was a good one and said she was, by all appearances, the "consummate guy's guy."
But the book says that Chris "had considered living as the woman he felt himself to be for a very long time, but while he was serving as a SEAL he couldn't do it."
"For years Chris had turned off his sexuality like a light switch and lived as a warrior, consumed with the battle -- living basically asexual. For Chris the other SEALs were brothers and in the man's man warrior lifestyle, even if he had wanted to entertain sexual thoughts, there really was never any time to be thinking too much about sexuality," the book says.
After her retirement in 2011, however, "Now seemed the right time to go for it -- to make his body match his identity -- or at least start by dressing like a woman in his regular life."
Speckhard said Beck first announced her decision to friends online with the declaration "No more disguises" and the book describes her going out to gay bars in Florida as a woman.
Beck is currently on hormone therapy in preparation for sexual reassignment surgery and generally wears long hair, make-up and women's clothes, Speckhard said.
In the book's Preface, Beck said she wrote the book "to reach out to all of the younger generation and encourage you to live your life fully and to treat each other with compassion, be good to each other, especially in your own backyard (where it be high school or your community)."
Taco Bell employee
Taco Bell employee, Taco Bell was investigating a photo Monday posted to its Facebook page of what appears to be an employee licking a stack of taco shells.
The company said they were certain the photo was a prank and that the taco shells were never served to customers.
“We’re currently dealing with it,” Cathy Marx, the manager of the Taco Bell in Ridgecrest., Calif. told CNBC in a brief interview.
Taco Bell declined to specify whether the employees behind the photo were fired, but did issue a statement to CNBC.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and team members, and we have strict food handling procedures and zero tolerance for any violations,” a company spokesman said.
“When we learned of the situation we immediately contacted this restaurant’s leadership and although we believe it is a prank and the food was not served to customers, we are conducting a full scale investigation and will be taking swift action against those involved.”
The company said they were certain the photo was a prank and that the taco shells were never served to customers.
“We’re currently dealing with it,” Cathy Marx, the manager of the Taco Bell in Ridgecrest., Calif. told CNBC in a brief interview.
Taco Bell declined to specify whether the employees behind the photo were fired, but did issue a statement to CNBC.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and team members, and we have strict food handling procedures and zero tolerance for any violations,” a company spokesman said.
“When we learned of the situation we immediately contacted this restaurant’s leadership and although we believe it is a prank and the food was not served to customers, we are conducting a full scale investigation and will be taking swift action against those involved.”
Bruce Jenner
Bruce Jenner, Bruce Jenner is making some out-of-context comments about stepdaughter Kim Kardashian's beau, Kanye West.
The rapper hasn't been around much, the Olympic gold medalist and Kardashian patriarch, 63, told Extra last Friday.
"Actually, I have only met him once," he added, laughing. "He's never … he's not around. He was in Paris the whole time writing, and he just hasn't been around."
It's true, West has spent quite a bit of time in the City of Light prepping his upcoming album. His girlfriend, 32, has visited him during her pregnancy and he's popped back to the U.S. to spend time with his lady love.
And Brody Jenner, 29, Kardashian's stepbro of "Laguna Beach" fame, hasn't had all that much Kanye time either.
"I've never met him," he said, but modified the statement by adding, "Kim says great things about him. And so does the entire family."
This isn't the first time "Absent Kanye" reports have circulated. The singer, 35, wasn't around to learn the baby's gender either, an announcement that confirmed rumors that Kimye was expecting a baby girl and took place on E!'s "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" Season 8 premiere on Sunday.
But that isn't what it looks like, Kim's younger sister Khloe Kardashian told the media. He'd been there for several earlier appointments to learn the gender, but the baby was sitting cross-legged and wasn't revealing if it was a boy or a girl. A later appointment, which was caught on camera for the family's reality TV series, didn't include West because he "was in London or Paris," Khloe said. "He had a concert."
I'm so excited we're having a girl," Kim Kardashian said on the show after learning the gender. The baby girl is reportedly due in June.
"Who doesn't want a girl? They are the best and I know that's really what Kanye has always wanted. He wanted a little girl."
The family celebrated Kardashian's baby shower on Sunday too, with West reportedly making an appearance toward the end of the festivities.
"Like it's weird for him to be the only guy," Khloe Kardashian said on "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" last week. But her husband, Lamar Odom, and Scott Disick, sister Kourtney Kardashian's boyfriend, were expected to bring him to the party, which is said to have taken a garden goddess theme.
"WOW an amazing baby shower! So much luv there Thank u @KrisJenner @KourtneyKardash @KhloeKardashian Shelli & Allison Azoff 4 the magical day," Kim Kardashian tweeted, adding, "Truly such a special day. I honestly feel so blessed and filled with so much love!"
Love and a huge family? We're pretty sure they'll be around to fill in any paternal gaps.
The rapper hasn't been around much, the Olympic gold medalist and Kardashian patriarch, 63, told Extra last Friday.
"Actually, I have only met him once," he added, laughing. "He's never … he's not around. He was in Paris the whole time writing, and he just hasn't been around."
It's true, West has spent quite a bit of time in the City of Light prepping his upcoming album. His girlfriend, 32, has visited him during her pregnancy and he's popped back to the U.S. to spend time with his lady love.
And Brody Jenner, 29, Kardashian's stepbro of "Laguna Beach" fame, hasn't had all that much Kanye time either.
"I've never met him," he said, but modified the statement by adding, "Kim says great things about him. And so does the entire family."
This isn't the first time "Absent Kanye" reports have circulated. The singer, 35, wasn't around to learn the baby's gender either, an announcement that confirmed rumors that Kimye was expecting a baby girl and took place on E!'s "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" Season 8 premiere on Sunday.
But that isn't what it looks like, Kim's younger sister Khloe Kardashian told the media. He'd been there for several earlier appointments to learn the gender, but the baby was sitting cross-legged and wasn't revealing if it was a boy or a girl. A later appointment, which was caught on camera for the family's reality TV series, didn't include West because he "was in London or Paris," Khloe said. "He had a concert."
I'm so excited we're having a girl," Kim Kardashian said on the show after learning the gender. The baby girl is reportedly due in June.
"Who doesn't want a girl? They are the best and I know that's really what Kanye has always wanted. He wanted a little girl."
The family celebrated Kardashian's baby shower on Sunday too, with West reportedly making an appearance toward the end of the festivities.
"Like it's weird for him to be the only guy," Khloe Kardashian said on "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" last week. But her husband, Lamar Odom, and Scott Disick, sister Kourtney Kardashian's boyfriend, were expected to bring him to the party, which is said to have taken a garden goddess theme.
"WOW an amazing baby shower! So much luv there Thank u @KrisJenner @KourtneyKardash @KhloeKardashian Shelli & Allison Azoff 4 the magical day," Kim Kardashian tweeted, adding, "Truly such a special day. I honestly feel so blessed and filled with so much love!"
Love and a huge family? We're pretty sure they'll be around to fill in any paternal gaps.
Deacon Jones dies
Deacon Jones dies, He was a 14th-round afterthought who became one of the greatest defensive ends in NFL history. David "Deacon" Jones brought an entirely new level of fame to his position by authoring the "sack" term used by all who tackle quarterbacks behind the line of scrimmage, and perfecting the head-slap technique that was so devastating, the NFL eventually outlawed it.
Always outspoken, Jones lived a boisterous and happy life throughout his 74 years, but he has passed away of natural causes at his Southern California home. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth.
The news was announced via the Washington Redskins' Twitter account. Redskins general manager Bruce Allen's father George, one of the NFL's great defensive coordinators before he became a head coach, had Jones as part of the Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" defense from 1966 through 1970. That defensive line, which also included Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier, and Lamar Lundy, was one of the finest position groups the NFL has ever known.
“Deacon Jones was one of the greatest players in NFL history," Bruce Allen said in a statement on the Redskins' official site. "Off the field, he was a true giant. His passion and spirit will continue to inspire those who knew him. He was cherished member of the Allen family and I will always consider him my big brother.”
Jones was always a star, though it took some people a while to figure it out. Selected on a whim more than anything else in the 1961 NFL draft after a couple of Rams scouts saw Jones outrunning the backs he was chasing when he played for Mississippi Vocational (now known as Mississippi Valley State), Jones did his thing before tackle and sack totals were kept reliably and officially. But anyone who saw him would tell you that Jones was a true original, and the true spiritual father of all today's quarterback terrorizers.
Years ago, in an NFL Films segment, Jones explained the "sack" term he coined during his great career.
"You take all the offensive linemen and put them in a burlap bag, and then you take a baseball bat and beat on the bag. You're sacking them, you're bagging them. And that's what you're doing with a quarterback."
Jones' playing style resonated with every generation after his.
"Deacon Jones, for me, is an absolute institution," Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp told the NFL Network on Monday evening. "Growing up in Orlando, I heard the stories about Deacon Jones, from Eatonville, Florida, running down wide receivers as a defensive lineman. Then, you heard the stories about the head slap -- helmets ringing inside stadiums, all the way to the top. Deacon Jones signified what it was to be a great warrior on the defensive line - up front, all day long. Pack a lunch, because Deacon was coming, and it was going to be an all-day affair, and he was going to tell you about it. I patterned my game after him, because if you can talk that talk and walk that walk, you could stand beside Deacon.
"He was the best."
The Rams' media guide credits Jones with 173.5 career sacks, and 159.5 with the Rams. Jones, who also played for the San Diego Chargers in 1972 and 1973, and the Redskins to finish his career in 1974, is credited as having recorded double-digit sacks in seven different seasons. In 1967, he became the first defensive end in NFL history to amass 100 solo tackles in a single season. He was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in both 1967 and 1968, was named to five straight first-team NFL All-Pro teams from 1965 through 1969, and is part of the NFL's 75th Anniversary team, established in 1994. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named him the "Defensive End of the Century."
He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility.
Jones had his own charitable foundation, visited the troops in the Middle East several times, and once had his own band, performing at the Cocoanut Grove club and singing onstage with Ray Charles. He appeared in several TV shows, including "Bewitched," "The Odd Couple," "The Brady Bunch," and "The Fall Guy." He also appeared in the 1978 movie, "Heaven Can Wait."
Always outspoken, Jones lived a boisterous and happy life throughout his 74 years, but he has passed away of natural causes at his Southern California home. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth.
The news was announced via the Washington Redskins' Twitter account. Redskins general manager Bruce Allen's father George, one of the NFL's great defensive coordinators before he became a head coach, had Jones as part of the Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" defense from 1966 through 1970. That defensive line, which also included Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier, and Lamar Lundy, was one of the finest position groups the NFL has ever known.
“Deacon Jones was one of the greatest players in NFL history," Bruce Allen said in a statement on the Redskins' official site. "Off the field, he was a true giant. His passion and spirit will continue to inspire those who knew him. He was cherished member of the Allen family and I will always consider him my big brother.”
Jones was always a star, though it took some people a while to figure it out. Selected on a whim more than anything else in the 1961 NFL draft after a couple of Rams scouts saw Jones outrunning the backs he was chasing when he played for Mississippi Vocational (now known as Mississippi Valley State), Jones did his thing before tackle and sack totals were kept reliably and officially. But anyone who saw him would tell you that Jones was a true original, and the true spiritual father of all today's quarterback terrorizers.
Years ago, in an NFL Films segment, Jones explained the "sack" term he coined during his great career.
"You take all the offensive linemen and put them in a burlap bag, and then you take a baseball bat and beat on the bag. You're sacking them, you're bagging them. And that's what you're doing with a quarterback."
Jones' playing style resonated with every generation after his.
"Deacon Jones, for me, is an absolute institution," Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp told the NFL Network on Monday evening. "Growing up in Orlando, I heard the stories about Deacon Jones, from Eatonville, Florida, running down wide receivers as a defensive lineman. Then, you heard the stories about the head slap -- helmets ringing inside stadiums, all the way to the top. Deacon Jones signified what it was to be a great warrior on the defensive line - up front, all day long. Pack a lunch, because Deacon was coming, and it was going to be an all-day affair, and he was going to tell you about it. I patterned my game after him, because if you can talk that talk and walk that walk, you could stand beside Deacon.
"He was the best."
The Rams' media guide credits Jones with 173.5 career sacks, and 159.5 with the Rams. Jones, who also played for the San Diego Chargers in 1972 and 1973, and the Redskins to finish his career in 1974, is credited as having recorded double-digit sacks in seven different seasons. In 1967, he became the first defensive end in NFL history to amass 100 solo tackles in a single season. He was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in both 1967 and 1968, was named to five straight first-team NFL All-Pro teams from 1965 through 1969, and is part of the NFL's 75th Anniversary team, established in 1994. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named him the "Defensive End of the Century."
He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility.
Jones had his own charitable foundation, visited the troops in the Middle East several times, and once had his own band, performing at the Cocoanut Grove club and singing onstage with Ray Charles. He appeared in several TV shows, including "Bewitched," "The Odd Couple," "The Brady Bunch," and "The Fall Guy." He also appeared in the 1978 movie, "Heaven Can Wait."