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via Jake Malooley, Time Out Chicago The sign made only a brief appearance this morning on windows of the Chicago Board of Trade Building, but the message lingers. Four pieces of white paper pasted up in as many windows of the historic 141 West Jackson Boulevard building, declaring in dark marker, WE ARE THE 1%. … Continue reading
via Amanda Terkel, The Huffington Post President Obama forcefully called for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act on Saturday night at the annual Human Rights Campaign fundraising dinner, but he did not come out in support of marriage equality, as some hoped he would do. The 3,000 attendees at the dinner, which took … Continue reading
via Felicia Sonmez, The Washington Post Five months after House Republicans announced that they had set a $500,000 salary cap for the lawyer hired to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, a revised contract shows that the pay limit has been lifted to three times that amount. According to a new contract dated Sept. 30, … Continue reading
Sesame Street has a new muppet who is hungry for more than just cookies. The iconic kids show is set to unveil a new impoverished puppet named Lily, whose family faces an ongoing struggle with hunger issues. Lily will be revealed in a one-hour Sesame Street primetime special, Growing Hope Against Hunger, which is being sponsored by … Continue reading
This June the United Nation Human Rights Council narrowly passed its first-ever resolution calling for universal gay rights with the support of more than 80 countries. It was an historic milestone, a global recognition that gay rights and human rights were finally synonymous, at least on paper, here in New York at the world body. … Continue reading
UK passport forms are being updated to include options for same-sex parents. New forms including “parent one” and “parent two” alongside “mother” and “father” are expected to be brought in by the end of the year. The Home Office says the additional terms will ensure passports are issued safely to the right person. Gay rights … Continue reading
Four states have announced that they will be raising their minimum wage rates for 2012, led by Washington state, which will become the first in the country with a minimum wage over $9 per hour. The 37-cent bump in Washington will hike the wage to $9.04, or $1.79 per hour more than the federal minimum … Continue reading
Starbucks Corp CEO Howard Schultz, decrying a lack of leadership in Washington, said his chain of coffee shops is helping to launch a nationwide fund designed to stimulate U.S. job creation. Starbucks introduced on Monday the “Create Jobs for USA” fund in partnership with Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), a group of private financial institutions that … Continue reading
Protesters camped out in Manhattan’s Financial District on Sunday, a day after more than 700 of them were arrested during a demonstration against what they view as corporate greed. Police start making arrests on New York’s Brooklyn Bridge during Saturday’s march by Occupy Wall Street. Protesters speaking out against corporate greed and other grievances attempted … Continue reading
Rick Perry’s tuition troubles have a lot to do with the difference between politics in Texas and politics everywhere else. His support for in-state tuition for the children of illegal immigrants — and the fact that he’s sticking with it — started a political tornado. It was enough to make Herman Cain say he would vote … Continue reading
A few weeks ago, Katy Butler, 16, updated her status on Facebook with an enthusiastic shout-out for Google+, the social network’s latest rival. “Oh my God Google! I love it! I was signing up for Google+ and they asked me my gender and the choices were male, female or OTHER!!!!! Oh ya Google!” Katy, a high … Continue reading
In a tense showdown above the East River, the police arrested several hundred demonstrators from the Occupy Wall Street protests who took to the roadway as they tried to cross the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday afternoon. The police did not immediately release precise arrest figures, but said it was the choice of those marchers that … Continue reading
NEW YORK — Police confronted protesters in a heated exchange on the Brooklyn Bridge, where thousands of Occupy Wall Street marchers snarled traffic and blocked both sides of the expanse Saturday. Police made arrests but would not release the number because the protest is continuing, NBC New York reported. Protesters speaking out against corporate greed and … Continue reading
Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) is a proud father of a newborn baby, making him the first openly gay parent in the U.S. Congress. On Friday, Polis and his partner, Marlon Reis, sent out an announcement about the arrival of their son, Caspian Julius, who is 8 pounds, 12 ounces. “Baby and parents are doing well, … Continue reading
The Pentagon will permit military chaplains to perform same-sex marriage as long as such ceremonies are not prohibited in the states where they reside, it said Friday. Defense Department guidance issued to military chaplains said they may participate in ceremonies on or off military bases in states that recognize gay unions. Chaplains are not required … Continue reading
In lower Manhattan the Occupy Wall Street protests have been growing with tremendous speed, adding leftist luminaries, elected officials, and hundreds of others to its ranks. Here, the Occupy Chicago protests have persevered with the same message and energy—but not the same numbers. On Wednesday seven protesters braved the rain for morning rally. Around 25 … Continue reading
Note to women in the South Park Slope and surrounding Brooklyn: You might want to think twice before wearing shorts or skirts when you walk home alone at night. That’s the message some women say police officers are spreading as they step up patrols in the area in response to at least 10 unsolved sexual … Continue reading
Facebook took a huge step toward ubiquitous sharing with its new timeline and sharing features. And it rightfully creeps some people out. Not everybody wants to share their life story on their profile, see their friends’ activities in real time or have their preferences in music, movies and reading shared as they’re consuming media. But … Continue reading
Fort Dodge, Iowa – Same-sex marriage is a temporary aberration that will dissipate, Newt Gingrich said here today. “I believe that marriage is between a man and woman,” Gingrich said. “It has been for all of recorded history and I think this is a temporary aberration that will dissipate. I think that it is just … Continue reading
A federal judge refused Thursday to block enforcement of a new Kansas law that restricts insurance coverage for abortions. U.S. District Judge Wesley Brown rejected a request from the American Civil Liberties Union for a temporary injunction while the group challenges the law in court. Brown said the ACLU, which filed its lawsuit in August, … Continue reading
This week, a judge once again shot down an appeal by Catholic Charities, which wants to continue handling adoptions and foster care applications in Illinois while refusing to place children with same-sex or unmarried couples. The state decided to end its contract with the charity–and now Catholics are fighting back against the “gay agenda” in … Continue reading
Bank of America announced Thursday it will charge its debit card users a $5 monthly fee beginning in early 2012, provoking fury from a senior Democrat. The bank, the largest in the nation by assets, blamed its decision on the so-called Durbin Amendment, a provision of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law put into place by … Continue reading
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (Oct. 5.) will hear one of most important religion cases in decades, centered on the degree to which religious institutions should be exempt from anti-discrimination laws. The case started at a Lutheran elementary school in Michigan where a teacher claimed she was fired in violation of the Americans With Disabilities … Continue reading
Spanish scientists at the National Biotech Centre in Madrid say a new vaccine could reduce HIV to a “minor chronic infection.” The researchers report that 90% of participants given the MVA-B vaccine showed an immune response to the virus and 85% kept the immunity a year later. According to a press release from The Spanish … Continue reading
Facebook has said that it has “fixed” cookies that could have tracked users after they logged out of the site. The issue was brought to light by an Australian blogger who has conducted a year-long analysis of the social network’s use of cookies. He concluded the company might still be able to track members’ web … Continue reading
The Brandt Standard 