In N.Y., White House poised to create first monument to gay rights struggle

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President Obama is poised to declare the first-ever national monument recognizing the struggle for gay rights, singling out a sliver of green space and part of the surrounding Greenwich Village neighborhood as the birthplace of America’s modern gay liberation movement.

While most national monuments have highlighted iconic wild landscapes or historic sites from centuries ago, this reflects the country’s diversity of terrain and peoples in a different vein: It would be the first national monument anchored by a dive bar and surrounded by a warren of narrow streets that long has been regarded the historic center of gay cultural life in New York City. Source

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German couple tortured two women to death, police say

89550128_1d3ef764-edbd-4b29-896a-5b35042f24c1Police in Germany investigating the deaths of two women say they were the victims of a couple who held them hostage and tortured them.

They say a man and his ex-wife placed dating advertisements to lure the women to their home.

The suspects – Wilfried W, 46, and Angelika B, 47 – were arrested last Wednesday and charged with manslaughter.

The man denies any wrongdoing but his partner is reported to have confessed. Source

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Food Theft in Italy May Not Be a Crime, Court Rules

Canzio, reato immigrazione clandestina inutile,dannosoROME — Stealing food from a supermarket may not be a crime in Italy if you are homeless and hungry, the nation’s highest appeals court has ruled.

In a case that has drawn comparisons to“Les Misérables,” the Supreme Court of Cassation threw out the conviction of a homeless man from Ukraine, Roman Ostriakov, who was caught trying to take 4.07 euros — about $4.70 — worth of cheese and sausage from a store in Genoa without paying for it. A trial court sentenced him in February 2015 to six months in jail and a fine of €100.

“The condition of the defendant and the circumstances in which the merchandise theft took place prove that he took possession of that small amount of food in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment, acting therefore in a state of need,” and therefore the theft “does not constitute a crime,” the appellate court wrote in its decision, which was reported on Monday by the Italian news agency ANSA.  Source

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Wildfire in Canada’s Fort Mac energy heartland forces evacuation

Vehicles are seen on highway 63 as they are detoured near wildfire burning near Fort McMurray Alberta
Vehicles are seen on highway 63 as they are detoured near wildfire burning near Fort McMurray, Alberta May 1, 2016. Courtesy Gregory Hong/Handout via REUTERS

An uncontrolled wildfire burning near Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, the heart of Canada’s oil sands region, has forced the evacuation of nearly all the city’s 80,000 residents, local authorities said on Tuesday.

A number of flights from Fort McMurray airport were canceled and the airport advised passengers to check with their airlines for updates.

“This is the biggest evacuation we have seen in the history of the province in terms of fire,” said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.

However, the 2,650-hectare (6,540-acre) fire, which was discovered on May 1, is not close to any oil sands facilities, according to Alberta government online maps. Source

 

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Half of American teenagers feel addicted to their phones

us-families-struggling-with-teens-phone-addiction-report-2016-5WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Half of teenagers in the United States feel addicted to their mobile phones, with most checking the devices at least every hour and feeling pressured to respond immediately to messages, a survey released on Tuesday found.

The majority of parents concurred, with 59 percent of those with children between ages 12 and 18 saying their kids cannot give up their phones, according to a poll of 1,240 parents and children by Common Sense Media.

The findings from the nonprofit group, which focuses on the effects of media and technology on children, highlighted the tension such close ties to devices can cause, with it disrupting driving, homework and other time together. Source

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Treasury Secretary Jack Lew: Puerto Rico crisis is ‘immediate and real’

la-1462314014-snap-photoTreasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew strived to light a fire under congressional leaders Tuesday by calling the fiscal crisis confronting Puerto Rico “immediate and real,” with dire consequences for the island commonwealth’s 3.5 million citizens as well as investment markets nationwide.

Puerto Rico defaulted Monday on most of a debt payment of roughly $400 million; another $1.3 billion in bond payments are due July 1, and the island’s administration has made clear that it can’t meet the obligation. The island has been shut out of the debt markets, while creditors await action on legislation that would restructure its debt under the supervision of an independent oversight board.

Hospitals continue to lay off workers, ration medication, reduce services and close floors. … Despite the intensifying threat from the Zika virus, financial constraints have made it extremely difficult to counteract.

— Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew warns congressional leaders about the situation in Puerto Rico

Source

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‘Frozen’ fans tweet Disney: Make princess a lesbian

frozenHundreds of “Frozen” cartoon film fans took to Twitter to press Disney, the producer of the children’s mega-hit musical, to make a sequel – only this time, give the leading lady, Elsa, a lesbian love interest.

 The hashtag “#GiveElsaAGirlfriend” took off on Twitter, with posters and media pundits noting that the takeaway song from the Disney film, “Let It Go,” was already a big deal among LGBT community members.  Source
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NY state to consider assisted suicide law

05062016p07phAdvocates for physician-assisted suicide are on a roll as they hope to parlay their West Coast momentum to the Empire State.

Bills introduced in the New York State Legislature this session would allow terminally ill patients — those who have been given a diagnosis of six months or less to live — to request a lethal dose of drugs from two physicians. They must prove themselves mentally capable and have two witnesses to their request.

Physician-assisted suicide, also known as aid in dying, is legal in Oregon and Washington, and will soon be in California, as a newly passed bill there becomes law. Vermont and Montana also allow for the practice. It has been legal in Oregon for 18 years, longer than any other state.

Among its opponents are the New York state Catholic bishops, who, as in other states, argue that allowing physicians to kill dying patients violates medical ethics and will be used against the poor, the lonely and the forgotten.  Source

The bill’s supporters “see this as a bellwether state,” Kathleen Gallagher, director of pro-life activities for the New York State Catholic Conference, told NCR.

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Study: Suicide is 12th leading cause of death in Mississippi

10459644_gAccording to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in Mississippi.

WDAM 7 reported that a suicide took place at Purvis High School last week and in April a man took his life in Jasper County after a traffic accident.

Psychologist Mallory Malkin from Pine Grove said it is important to reach out to loved ones that are showing signs of depression like anger, shame, hopelessness or withdrawal.

“It’s one of those things that you really can’t dance around. It’s better to address it straight forward instead of being afraid to offend someone or hurt their feelings,” Malkin said.

In Mississippi, suicide is the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 to 24 and Malkin said this is not surprising.  Source

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Francis rails against child sexual abuse, saying abusers must be ‘severely’ punished

Pope Francis Visits SardiniaPope Francis railed against the sexual abuse of children in a weekly address in St. Peter’s Square Sunday, calling any such abuse a “tragedy” and saying the church cannot tolerate the matter and “must severely punish the abusers.”

Greeting members of an Italian association that has worked to raise awareness against pedophilia and to report sexual abuse crimes, who were present in the Square for the recitation of the Regina Coeli prayer, the pontiff thanked them for their work before departing from his prepared text.

“This is a tragedy,” said Francis off the cuff, his voice raised and his arm extended from the window of the Vatican’s apostolic palace above the Square. “We must not tolerate the abuse of minors. We must defend minors. And we must severely punish the abusers.”

The Catholic church around the world has been embroiled in scandals over its handling of sexually abusive clergy for decades, with survivors, advocates, law enforcement agencies, and some local jurisdictions saying members of the hierarchy covered up crimes in order to protect the institution at the risk of children’s well-being.  Source

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