Archive for July, 2010
Friday, July 30th, 2010
Civil rights leaders are criticizing Obama administration education reforms aimed at turning around low performing schools and closing the achievement gap for minority students.
“We want to be supportive, but more important than supporting an administration is supporting our children across the country and ensuring that they have an opportunity to learn,” said John Jackson, president of the Schott Foundation for Education, one of the groups that developed the document.
The proposal calls into question many of the Education Department’s initiatives, including the $4.35 billion Race to the Top competition and the $3.5 billion to turn around low performing schools.
“No state should have to compete to protect the civil rights of their children in their states,” John Jackson said.
But the plan has one glaring omission: no Hispanic groups signed on to support it.
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Dorie Turner reported from Atlanta and Christine Armario reported from Miami.
“To suggest that a charter school started by community members who want to help kids in their community cannot serve 100 percent Hispanic kids in a community that’s 100 percent Hispanic — that they should be penalized for that or they shouldn’t be allowed to open up — that doesn’t make sense,” he said.
The Obama administration’s education reforms have drawn criticism from education advocates, including prominent teachers’ unions like the American Federation of Teachers, which gives money to many of the groups that signed the civil rights document. AFT President Randi Weingarten said she supports the proposal but that her organization had nothing to do with writing it.
Citing federal data, the groups say just 3 percent of the nation’s black students and less than 1 percent of Latino students are impacted by the first round of the Race to the Top competition, which awarded about $600 million for Tennessee and Delaware to undertake innovative reforms. Finalists for the second round of grants are to be announced Tuesday.
Duncan has called education “the civil rights issue of our generation,” and many of the reforms the administration has pushed aim to improve educational opportunities for the most vulnerable students.
The document also proposes creating standards for equal access to early childhood education, effective teachers, college preparatory curriculum and quality resources. And it takes a critical viewpoint of the administration’s approach to turn around failing schools, including closing them or replacing much of the staff.
“Low-performing schools will not improve unless we also change the resources, conditions and approaches to teaching and learning within the schools or their replacements,” the assessment states.
But he applauded the civil rights groups for pushing for more financial support for programs that would help increase parental involvement in schools.
“The administration is dedicated to equity in education and we’ve been working very closely with the civil rights community to develop the most effective policies to close the achievement gap, turn around low performing schools and put a good teacher in every classroom,Christian Dior,” Education Department spokesman Justin Hamilton said.
“I think the civil rights movement has done something really important here,” Weingarten said. “They are setting a very different prescription for how to ensure quality education for all.”
Education Secretary Arne Duncan and a White House adviser met with the groups Monday, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson,Ankh Royalty, the Rev. Al Sharpton and the presidents of the National Urban League and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. The groups distributed the document to members of Congress last week.
Raul Gonzalez from the National Council of La Raza said his organization decided not to endorse the document because there were concerns with how the groups see charter schools. The civil rights groups want charter schools to focus more on attracting diversity than the needs of the children in their community, Gonzalez said.
Eight civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, contend in a document released Monday the Education Department is promoting ineffective approaches for failing schools. They also claim the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” grant competition — a program with a goal of spurring innovative reform in states — leaves out many minority students.
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Action sequences are bigger and often more violent than in the 1970s, and the new show fills out the characters of McGarrett and Williams.
Both actors said they had refrained from watching tapes of the original "Hawaii Five-O," because they wanted to start fresh.
The free-wheeling cop drama that put Hawaii on the international TV map in 1969,Crystal Rock, returns to CBS in September in what producers said on Wednesday was a re-imagining, rather than a remake or sequel, to the beloved original, and with more emphasis on character.
That means that not only is the old, "Book 'em, Danno" catch phrase back, but so is the iconic theme tune.
"We felt we had to find the spirit of the original and bring it into modern times," Kurtzman said, adding that the new version "pays tribute to everything that was good about original show."
Scott Caan, the son of actor James Caan, plays McGarrett's sidekick Danny "Danno" Williams, a former New Jersey cop and a recent, reluctant transplant to the paradise islands.
But the show, filmed on location, is again a showcase for the natural beauty of Hawaii and its surfing culture. "The original series is a real badge of honor for Hawaii. We had to make sure the legacy endured in the right way,Diesel," said Kurtzman.
"A great theme song is a lost art, and this is one of the best ever. To not have it would be a huge disservice," said Kurtzman, adding that the original musicians had been found and brought together to re-record the tune.
"A remake suggest we are doing exactly the same thing again," executive producer Alex Kurtzman told TV reporters.
Not so for producers Kurtzman and Peter Lenkov. Both are big fans of the 1969-80 "Hawaii Five-0", which in its time was one of the longest running dramas on U.S. television.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Classic detective series "Hawaii Five-O" is riding a big wave back to television with new stars and grittier action, but with the same legendary theme tune and idyllic surf culture that made it a worldwide hit more than 35 years ago.
Lenkov said the new show included numerous other touches — such as McGarrett's original car — that he hoped older fans would remember.
Australian actor Alex O'Loughlin plays the part of Detective Steve McGarrett (originally portrayed by Jack Lord) who returns to Hawaii to investigate the murder of his father and is persuaded to set up an elite crime-fighting force.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
They were among nine former employees of Vangent Inc. accused of viewing Obama’s student loan records between 2007 and 2009.
Julie Kline of Ainsworth, Iowa,Iceberg, pleaded guilty Friday to exceeding authorized computer access. Gary Grenell of Iowa City pleaded guilty to the charge July 12. Both face up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Diane Zitner, listed as Grenell’s attorney in court records, declined comment. A telephone message left for Kline’s attorney wasn’t immediately returned.
Three other defendants have pleaded guilty,Versace, and four are scheduled for trial.
DES MOINES, Iowa – Two former employees of a U.S. Department of Education contractor in Iowa have pleaded guilty to illegally viewing President Barack Obama’s student loan records.
Sunday, July 25th, 2010
PHOTOS: Incredible post-baby bodies
“It’s pure love,ugg,” the Real Housewives of New York star, 39, gushed to UsMagazine.com at the opening of the East Harlem Target Tuesday night. “It’s a great, neat thing. It’s really love at first sight.”
Frankel says she hasn’t gotten into a routine with daughter Bryn, whom she welcomed on May 8.
“Babies, they’re not much for a routine. It’s not like a mechanical doll. It’s a baby. If she hasn’t pooped in two days and I have to stick a Q-Tipp up her butt, it’s not a routine. What are you going to do? Not to give too much information, but that’s what happened.”
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PHOTOS: Meet Hollywood’s new moms!
Bryn’s recent milestones include “smiling and pulling my hair,” Frankel says. “I like to think it’s her showing me she needs me, but I’m sure it’s just her hanging on!”
Frankel says she was surprised about how all-consuming motherhood has been. Before having Bryn “I really didn’t understand how every minute of the day is really about the baby,” she says. “It’s crying, she has to burp, it’s every millisecond — so I wasn’t really grasping that. I don’t know how women do it who have several kids.”
Husband Jason Hoppy, whom she wed last April, pitches in for daddy duty: “He fights me to change her and give her a bath. He wants the most interaction with her. It’s really amazing.”
VIDEO: NY Housewife Kelly Bensimon explains meltdown
The two are even planning “a second honeymoon at the Montauk Yacht Club — well,Boss, we’re going to try,” says Frankel. “The combination of my business and the baby and Jason’s work, we’re falling short. Well, I’m falling short with him in that department. Note to self: something to improve!”
Not that she’s slowing down anytime soon. When asked if there will be a second season of her own Bravo show, Bethenny Getting Married, she told Us, “If I were a gambling woman, I would bet there is.”
Bethenny Frankel calls motherhood “magical” — and not just because she was able to drop her baby weight in three weeks to fit in a size-4 swimsuit.
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
He continued: “For 600 years,Juicy Couture swimwear, Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press and its progeny have produced our books, newspapers, and magazines. Now, in the blink of an electronic eye, the application of ink to paper is approaching obsolescence.”
Amazon’s recently reduced prices for the Kindle were the “tipping point,Louis Vittion,” CEO Jeff Bezos said. But his company wasn’t the only one slashing e-reader prices: Barnes & Noble did for its Nook, and Sony recently cut e-reader prices for the second time this year.
Meanwhile, Borders, the nation’s second-largest chain of bookstores, recently launched an electronic bookstore with more than 1.5 million titles.
“A lot of people have said, ‘You’re kind of late to the game,’” the e-book sales are projected to quadruple by 2015 — leading an industry-wide sales increase, even as print book sales fall about 5 percent — according to a Goldman Sachs Group analysis cited by Bloomberg Businessweek.
Is the ability to carry a bookcase’s worth of literature in a thin electronic tablet jeopardizing the future of paper books?
Stanford University’s library director, Michael Keller, seems to think so. The shelves of Stanford University’s new engineering library will hold just an eighth of the books the old library stored, NPR reports, and Keller expects that eventually shelves will hold no books. Librarians now encourage engineering students to access periodicals from a laptop or mobile phone, for instance.
We want to know how you read books. Do you think paper books will one day disappear? If so, when? Tell us how you see the future of books.
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Amazon just reported that over past three months, Amazon Kindle e-book sales have surpassed its hardcover book sales by nearly 50 percent — and last month by nearly double.
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“E-books are to traditional publishing what the internal combustion engine was to the horse and buggy,” novelist Paul Levine wrote in the Huffington Post.
Even the youngest children are getting in on the act: “Sesame Street” now offers enhanced interactive versions of some of its classic titles as in its 121-title e-bookstore. And for children who want their own e-reader of their own, VTech recently introduced its V.Reader.
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
PHOTOS: Today’s top celeb news pics
Though he isn’t calling off any dates with his 1990s alt-rock band, he told fans he might be performing slower ballads than raucous rock songs. (He is set to return to the stage tonight in Knoxville, Tenn.) See more rock ‘n’ roll front men.
“That wasn’t a stage move or clumsiness,Prada,” the rocker, 43, Twittered. “That was me blacking out and wiping out.”
Said Corgan, “I have no memory of falling against the drum riser and my guitar cabinet,Juicy Couture tracksuits, but I can tell you I’ve got quite a good bruise + am moving slow.”
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Smashing Pumpkins frontman (and former Jessica Simpson collaborator) Billy Corgan collapsed on stage Thursday while performing in Tampa, Fla.
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
PHOTOS: Hollywood’s new moms!
PHOTOS: Stars and their soulmates
“I have a small but mighty support system and Martyn has really been an incredible part of my life,” Applegate previously told Us. “Without him, I don’t know if I could’ve gone through any of it. He came around at a time when there was a lot of loss in my life on many levels, so he’s been a really incredible help.”
Applegate and Lenoble, 41, got engaged this past Valentine’s Day after two years of dating. (They have not revealed a wedding date. This will be the second marriage for both.)
Christina Applegate is going to be a mother.
PHOTOS: Stars who battled cancer
The actress, 38, and her fiance, musician Martyn Lenoble, are expecting their first child,New Era, her rep tells UsMagazine.com.
Applegate has credited Lenoble, a founding member of 90s alternative rock band Porno for Pyros, with helping her overcome her battle with breast cancer. After her 2008 diagnosis, she underwent a double mastectomy, then reconstructive surgery.
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She also told Us she wants to have children. When asked what’s on her bucket list, she told Us last year: “Babies, lots of babies. Not lots of babies, but a couple.”
Friday, July 16th, 2010
Us Rating: **
–THELMA ADAMS
In Stores Now
Catherine (Julianne Moore) hires call girl Chloe (Amwholesale anda Seyfried) to get proof her husbwholesale and (Liam Neeson) is unfaithful.wholesale clothing. Never a good idea! The middling thriller lands Catherine and Chloe in bed together in a movie that’s more middle-aged voyeurism than edgy sexual suspense. (Sony Pictures Classics,Wholesale Ed hardy jeans Jeans, $28)
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
PHOTOS: See what the celebs are up to today
The Hot in Cleveland star poses with shirtless, hunky men in a calendar to raise money for her fave charity, Morris Animal Foundation.wholesale clothing. The group, of which White is a trustee,Wholesale Boss clothing, helps promote health and welfare research for animals wholesale and wildlife worldwide.
She may be 88, but that’s not keeping Betty White from posing in a pin-up calendar!hdmi hdmi cable hdmi cable
The $12.99 calendar hits stores this September; it features a mix of new and archived photos of the star.
VIDEO: Watch Betty White’s Snickers commercial
White has been in the midst of a career resurgence since appearing in a hilarious Snickers ad that aired during the Super Bowl. Her sitcom, Hot in Cleveland, was renewed for a second season after just one month on the air, wholesale and her Saturday Night Live appearance in May was one of the highest-rated episodes of the season.
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
![]( "mdlr-for-mango") If the sudden spring weather has you thinking fling, Moises de la Renta is all for it. “New York has that whole masculine vibe in fashion, but with Mango I wanted to go back to something more classic wholesale and very romantic,” the young designer said this afternoon about his Spring collaboration with the Spanish retailer. Debuting the collection’s eight T-shirts at a presentation at the Crosby Hotel,Wholesale Juicy Couture belts, the avowed New York kid took a turn away from your commonplace drapey wholesale and destroyed tees. Instead, inspired by a trip with his girlfriend to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the junior de la Renta (his father is Oscar) was thinking flowers. One tee featured crystal-studded flowers and tulle accents, while a black number balanced gold chain-link hardware with pink petals and a sweet ribbon bow.wholesale clothing. Prices are far lower than the maison level—they range from $49.90 to $69.90—but MDLR.brand clothing,Wholesale Abercrombie swimwear Jeans, as he’s occasionally known, hasn’t lost the lofty dreams. “I would love to make my own line one of the big labels,” de la Renta mused.”But I also appreciate the intimate feel. My father’s line is run like a family.”
—Bee-Shyuan Chang
Photo: Courtesy of Mango
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