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Vol. LIX, Issue 874
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Fall of the machines While Greece asks for a three-year debt bailout from the European Union the New York Stock Exchange crashed for four hours after technical glitches. By Madison D’Ornellas Opinions Editor
Photos by Sean Gallagher | Daily 49er
The New York Stock Exchange was shut down for four hours Wednesday morning after reported technical glitches halted all activity until midday. The same morning an economic-collapsing Greece’s requested for a three-year bailout from the European Union. At 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning orders from numerous small stocks failed to send. Traders on the floor of the NYSE had no warning of the crash, according to the New York Times. “The issues we are experiencing is an internal technical issue and is not the result of a cyber breach,” the NYSE tweeted after the initial technical problems. The shut down occurred soon after the United Airlines grounded all of its current flights due to technical issues and a brief crash of the Wall Street Journal’s website. “There’s a lot of uncertainty at the moment. You just don’t know what happened in New York,” said Wade Martin, Chair of the Economics Department at California State University, Long Beach. “If you rely more on a software-driven world we’re going to have more glitches in the software.” Later that morning the problems at the NYSE were more widespread and started to affect more
After 600 man-hours and a quarter million LEGO parts, a Queen Mary made of children’s blocks looks almost as seaworthy as the real deal.
Q ueen of the L ego age A 21-foot long professionally built model of the Queen Mary is being displayed to the public on board its inspiration ship.
See SHUTDOWN, page 2
By Sean Gallagher Contributing Writer
A DAY OF GLITCHES?! 8:00 a.m. - United orders grounding of all domestic flights. 9:30 a.m. - The New York Stock Exchange opening bell rings.Soon after orders for smaller stocks fail to go through. Panic and a loss of control ensue amongst traders. 9:49 a.m. - Service resumes for all United Airlines domestic flights. 11:32 a.m. - NYSE announces that it will shut down all trading. 3:10 p.m. - Trading resumes.
News 2
(Above) The smallest seafarers in the world stand atop the world’s largest LEGO model ship. (Below) A sailor contemplates the perplexities of the universe while standing on the deck of a Queen Mary LEGO replica housed inside the real Queen Mary.
Diversions 4
Opinions 5
A 600-pound LEGO model of the Queen Mary has rendezvoused with the mother ship. The model, made up of over 250,000 LEGO parts, is being displayed in an exclusive space called the Shipyard aboard the Queen Mary’s fourth floor. Bright Bricks Inc., the company behind the creation is one of only a handful of model builders certified by LEGO. “I chose the Queen Mary because I visited it about 15 years ago and I had always liked its design,” Bright Bricks Inc. co-founder and master builder Ed Diment said. Complete with it’s own portholes, lifeboats and even a tiny top-hatted Sir Winston Churchill, the ocean liner’s diminutive double is being called the world’s largest LEGO Brick model ship. From stem to stern the model comes in at just under 26 feet long. Diment, his wife, and two other colleagues spent 600 hours constructing the plastic replica. Diment said that the Queen Mary’s administration found his work through an Internet search and contacted Bright Bricks Inc. to unite the model and ship. Diment, who has a master’s degree in statistics, founded Bright Bricks Inc. about four years ago after meeting co-founder and fellow LEGO-maniac Duncan Titmarsh at a LEGO fan club in the UK. “It was a bit of a gamble at first going from making good money as a consultant to doing LEGO models based on commission, but growth has been exponential,” Diment said.
See LEGO, page 4
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Police respond to disturbance at CSULB bookstore By Greg Diaz Editor-in-chief
University Police responded to a report of a verbal disturbance at the Forty-Niner Shops Bookstore on Wednesday. A call was placed at 12:13 p.m. claiming a man was causing a loud nuisance in the bookstore, according to California State University, Long Beach Crime Prevention Sergeant Keith Caires. Campus police arrived moments later but were unable to locate the person allegedly creating the incident. An officer remained outside the bookstore after the incident, but the man did not return. Any store has the right to ask someone to leave for creating a nuisance that disrupts the flow of business, Caires said.
Jesus A mbrosio | Daily 49er
University Police arrived at the CSULB bookstore shortly after noon on Wednesday searching for a man causing a verbal disturbance.
Heal the Bay launches pilot program to predict water quality at SoCal beaches By Greg Diaz Editor-in-chief
Checking the weather is a key first step of any beach outing, but now, beachgoers can check water quality before f lip f lopin’ to the sand. Heal the Bay, in a partnership
with UCLA and Stanford University, unveiled a new model that predicts the water quality at three beaches in Southern California, providing realtime updates, similar to a weather forecast. The pilot program will monitor and predict water quality at Doheny State Beach in Orange County, Santa
Monica Beach at the Santa Monica Pier and Arroyo Burro Beach in Santa Barbara County. Those three beaches have historically struggled with bacterial pollution, according to Heal the Bay. “We are very excited about the prospects of using a real-time predictive model that will result in more
informed beachgoers and reduced risks of swimmer related illness,” said Mark Gold, UCLA’s Acting Director at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, in a release. “A day at the beach should not make you sick.” Swimmers at beaches with high bacterial pollution run a greater risk
for contracting illnesses like stomach f lu, ear infections and skin rashes, according to Heal the Bay. This pilot program will run through Labor Day weekend, at which point researchers will assess its effectiveness. Beachgoers can find the water quality forecast at www.beachreportcard.org.
SHUTDOWN continued from page 1
stocks, according to the New York Times. Trading resumed during the shut down due to the United States’ 10 other global stock exchanges. “So much of the trading volume relies on program trading, that it is a major issue if there’s a glitch in the software,” Martin said. “Until [the NYSE] really know and release what happened…from what I’ve seen, they don’t expect it to be related to hackers or terrorism or anything like that.” Although the NYSE has crashed several times, this particular shut down weighs a bit more heavily on the affected traders due to the current economic situation in Greece. After the countrywide closing of banks, Greece requested a three-year bailout loan from the European Union. Instead of negotiating with the central bank, Greece decided to speak directly to EU parliament, Martin said. “The magnitude of it [is] very difficult to predict,” Martin said. “Greece is a small part of our trading inset; it’s not a direct Greece to U.S. problem as much as it is to the EU and what happens to the Eurozone. Stable currencies are always important.” Greece may be an ocean away, but their crashing economy could affect the United States’ stock exchange. “Particularly with trades occurring in Nano-seconds, any glitch is problematic. I don’t think it’s anything that would change the future of Greek debt negations,” Martin said. “It’s not like there was a major sell-off in New York due to the Greek’s proposal in the investment market.” While traders, economists and passersby wait for a clear reason to the NYSE’s out-of-the-blue shut down, the Chinese stock exchange is in the midst of a major sell-off. A number of Chinese companies’ shares were suspended across China’s two stock markets Wednesday morning after their value dropped by 10 percent, according to the Guardian. On Tuesday almost 1,400 companies filed for a “trading halt” in an attempt to prevent future drops in stock value. “Students [at CSULB] who are from China and know what’s happening at the Chinese stock exchange would only be affected if they are here on their parent’s money or [if they had] money invested in that market,” Martin said. Martin added that Chinese exchange students sponsored by the government would most likely not notice an impact.
Mike Roy | TNS
The Wall Street Bull, located in the financial district of New York City. The New York Stock Exchange was shut down for four hours on Wednesday due to technical issues with trading software.
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Ranger’s gun stolen 4 days before it was used in fatal SF pier shooting A Bureau of Land Management ranger’s service pistol was stolen from a car four days before police said a Mexican national and five-
TNS
time deportee used it to shoot and kill Kathryn Steinle on a San Francisco pier. But it isn’t clear how he got the gun, and police aren’t saying whether he was involved in the theft. The agency-issued handgun was stolen from a car June 27 while the agent was in downtown San Fran-
cisco on official government travel, said Dana Wilson, a spokeswoman for the federal agency that administers 15.2 million acres of public land in California. The agent immediately reported the theft to San Francisco police, she said. “The officer made a stop while he was en route to an assignment in another location. … BLM policy regarding weapons is that the officer is responsible for ensuring that their firearms are secure,” Wilson said. Four days after the gun went missing, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, a 52-year-old felon, reportedly shot and killed Steinle with the weapon as she walked along a pier with her father and a friend on July 1. Lopez-Sanchez pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murdering Steinle with a handgun. His bail has been set at $5 million. He has not been charged with theft or burglary, and how he came to possess the ranger’s handgun is a big question. In a jailhouse interview with ABC7, Lopez-Sanchez said he found the gun wrapped in a T-shirt on a bench, and that he accidentally shot Steinle when he picked it up. He told the reporter that he kicked the gun into the Bay, lit a cigarette and walked away. San Francisco Police Officer Grace Gatpandan, a department spokeswoman, confirmed police received a report of a car burglary from the BLM officer in downtown San Francisco, and that no arrests have been made. Gatpandan would not release any other information about the circumstances of the theft, as the case has now been merged with the homicide investigation. Wilson said her agency is cooperating with investigators. She said law enforcement was reviewing how the firearm was stored, but declined to provide any more information. “We are cooperating with the SFPD and DA’s office and do not want to release any information that could potentially compromise their investigation at this time,” she said. Wilson said the officer’s name would not be released due to safety concerns, but that the agent was assigned to the California division of
the federal agency. Retired FBI Agent James Wedick said that weapons should be stored in the trunk of a car, in a locked box. A properly stored firearm would be extremely difficult to steal from a car, he said. “It’s got to be locked in the trunk, locked inside a box,” Wedick said, adding that the interior box would likely be built into the vehicle’s frame. “To steal it, you’ve got to steal the car,” he said. He said that leaving a weapon exposed inside a vehicle’s passenger compartment would be “an incredibly negligent act.” Wedick said that he has never heard of an officer charged with a crime in connection to the theft of his or her weapons. He also said that stealing the ranger’s gun was “theft of (federal) government property” that would automatically be referred to the FBI. A call to the FBI on Wednesday was not returned. The BLM employs about 200 uniformed rangers and 70 special agents that investigate crimes, all enforcing “laws and regulations in the prevention, detection and investigation of crimes affecting public lands resources,” according to the bureau’s website. Wilson said BLM agents all carry service weapons. “They are fully armed, fully f ledged law enforcement officers,” Wilson said. “Their jurisdiction is BLM land, but they often respond to other types of crime.” Federal law enforcement agencies have had some high-profile gaffes in the past with lost weapons. In 2003, a Government Accountability Office report on 18 federal agencies that issue firearms to employees found that over a four-year period, 1,012 guns were unaccounted for. The report found that only 188 of those firearms had been recovered. The report did not include BLM. In April, an FBI sniper rif le was stolen from an agent’s car at a Utah hotel days before President Barack Obama visited. — By Matthias Gafni and Thomas Peele, Contra Costa Times, TNS
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Thursday, July 9, 2015
Federal officials call for access to encrypted messages on private devices Setting up a clash between counterterrorism priorities and constitutional protection against unwarranted intrusion, three top federal law enforcement officials urged Congress and Silicon Valley to provide government agencies special access to encrypted cellphones and other Internet devices. The pitch Wednesday came amid renewed concern about American vulnerabilities as a cascading series of coincidental computer malfunctions brief ly grounded United Airlines aircraft and brought the New York Stock Exchange and other high-profile digital networks to a halt. Testifying before two Senate committees, FBI Director James B. Comey warned that without legal access to encrypted emails, texts and other communications, “we may not be able to identify and stop terrorists who are using social media to recruit, plan and execute an attack in our country.” Even with a warrant, FBI investigators often can’t read encrypted text messages and are unable to open locked files stored on computers. Companies such as Google and Apple have built encryption into messaging software. The FBI wants Congress and the industry to come up with a solution. Comey expressed disbelief Wednesday that Silicon Valley companies couldn’t develop secure encryption methods that also allowed companies to use a backdoor key when served with a warrant. “I don’t exactly know where the great demand for this is coming from,” Comey said of encrypted devices. “I don’t know ordinary folks who say, ‘I want a phone that can’t be opened.’ ” Encryption technology has been embraced by civil liberties groups and others who want to keep the government out of private communications. Public concern has grown since former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden disclosed numerous government efforts to access emails and other digital systems at home and abroad.
Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates warned that if encrypted devices and communications remained off-limits, “we are creating safe zones where dangerous criminals and terrorists can operate and avoid detention.” Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, in a speech to a Washington think tank, called for more efforts to protect crucial digital networks from destructive cyberattacks. “To be frank, our federal cybersecurity is not where it needs to be,” he said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noting the recent hack of security background checks and millions of other files at the federal Office of Personnel Management. He urged Congress to help protect companies who report cyberattacks from liability, and to create a national standard for reporting data breaches. On Tuesday, the nation’s top cryptographers sharply objected to any government demands for companies to alter their technology to allow law enforcement to secretly see what Americans are sending and receiving. “Lawmakers,” the scientists and engineers warned in a letter to Comey, “should not risk the real economic, geopolitical and strategic benefits of an open and secure Internet for law enforcement gains that are at best minor and tactical.” Some Silicon Valley and other California lawmakers strongly oppose any law enforcement intrusion into personal Web activities. Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., in a recent letter to Comey, said, “I cannot imagine Congress passing legislation that would further weaken our information security and privacy.” The House has twice voted against allowing law enforcement access, and Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, acknowledged Wednesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that no new legislation was pending. — By Richard A. Serrano and Brian Bennett, Tribune Washington Bureau, TNS
Corrections In the July 2 issue of the Summer 49er, the article “‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ explores self-doubt and esteem” should have been credited to Michelle Vasquez. In the same issue, the article “Bernie Sanders: For the people, by the people, Facebooking the people” should have been credited to Doreen Jones
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A whole world of films Broaden your cinematic palate by delving into some foreign films this summer By Kevin Flores Diversions Editor
Whether you’re trying to learn a new language or just trying to escape the American-centric lens of domestic blockbusters, exploring the cinematic oeuvre of other cultures will certainly broaden your horizon. Here are four f licks from far-f lung lands to get your feet wet in the world of foreign film.
1. Betty Blue
(Director’s Cut) (1986) Unrated Director: JeanJacques Beineix Almost Shakespearean in its tragedy, this French drama is a three-hour-long emotional gouge-fest. The film is centered on free-spirited Betty (Jean-Hugues Anglade) and would-be writer Zorg (Béatrice Dalle), two star-crossed lovers whose idyllic relationship slowly descends into a psychotic maelstrom of
pain and chaos. Behind Betty’s charmingly reckless personality is a raging self-destructive depression that spares no one. Mental illness and love collide in “Betty Blue,” becoming indistinguishable in their intensity and violent irrationality. This haunting film evokes a deeply visceral sense of love’s screwed-up machinations, leaving a tight knot in your throat by the end credits.
2. 7 Boxes
(2012) Unrated Director: Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schémbori The Paraguayan thriller is pretty much one long chase to the death. Set in a sprawling bazaar, Victor (Celso Franco), a young pushcart porter obsessed with celebrity and money, is asked to transport seven boxes of unknown contents away from a butcher shop. The butcher is clearly an unscrupulous character, but Victor, looking to buy his first cell phone, accepts the job. It soon becomes clear that the boxes contain something nefarious, but Victor’s love of expensive gadgets negates any moral dilemma. The tension is constantly throttled up as Victor runs into cops, a desperate rival looking to take over the job,
and a whole gang of people hired to hunt him down. “7 Boxes” is a wild ride through a world of dog-eat-dog poverty with underlying themes pointing to the effects of encroaching Western ideals on impoverished nations.
3.
Delicatessen (1991) MPAA rating: R Director: JeanPierre Jeunet, Marc Caro Deliciously dark and demented, but at the same time whimsical and surreal, “Delicatessen” verges on a social experiment gone awry. Set in a decrepit apartment building in post-apocalyptical France where food is scarce and grain is the currency of the day, Louison (Dominique Pinon), a former circus performer, shows up answering an ad for a room. The rubber-faced landlord and butcher who operates on the ground f loor (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) quickly offers him a room in the building. But something grotesque is afoot, something rather cannibalistic. In a more sinister version of drifterc he c k s -i n-but-ne ver- c he c k s - out , Louison has unwittingly become the next piece of meat on the butcher’s block, and everyone is in on it. The dark comedy’s troupe of id-
Diversions LEGO
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iosyncratic characters keep the film outrageous and unpredictable. Aesthetically, the film’s faded yellow atmosphere adds an unsettling fog-of-dreams effect that keeps you pinching yourself until the movie is over.
4. Breathless
(2008) MPAA rating: Unrated Director: Ik-Joon Yang Sang-Hoon (Ik-Joon Yang) is a hardknuckled, foul-mouthed small-time debtcollector who sees everyone as a walking punching bag. He deploys violence at the slightest hint of unwillingness to pay down a debt. Witness to the domestic violence his father unleashed on his mother and sister, Sang-Hoon’s entire life has been a long history of violence. After encountering high school girl Yeon-Hue (Kkobbi Kim), who doesn’t shrink away after Sang-Hoon spits on her skirt, they strike up an unlikely and unconventional relationship. Not quite friendship but never romantic, their relationship is nonetheless cathartic, cemented by their unspoken and shared experiences with brutal fathers. Underneath all the on-screen violence, this raw and brooding South Korean film is about forgiveness, redemption and the vicious cycle of patriarchal violence.
Although playing with the model will evoke the warning “le’go my lego,” the exhibit features Bright Brick building stations for visitors to build their own rendition of the Queen Mary. The model has been on display to the public since July 4. The Shipyard features historical photography of children playing on the Queen Mary, photos of the Queen Mary’s construction and other items linked to the Queen Mary’s intriguing history. In a press release, Queen Mary General Manager John Jenkins said, “I can’t wait to see the look on the faces of the children who come to the exhibit and are confronted by this magnificent LEGO brick model.”
LEGO Brick-down Length of the model: 26 feet Length of the actual queen mary: 1019 feet Weight of the model: 600 pounds Weight of the actual 81,237 gross tons or 182 million pounds
Opinions
HipHop vs Hipocrisy By Micheal Medoza
T
Assistant Opinion Editor
he 28-year-old rapper’s performance was a big, bold statement. Standing on the top of a police cruiser marked with graffiti while rapping, “And we hate po-po, want to kill us dead in the street for sure,” while a huge American flag waves behind him, definitely stands out as a statement against the recent injustices in America. Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the BET Awards and lyrics to his songs are detrimental to society, Fox News pundit Geraldo Rivera said on the Fox News panel show The Five. On the contrary, his lyrics actually represent the voiceless and disenfranchised youth of the new millennium in
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Luis Sinco | Los Angeles Times | TNS
Kendrick Lamar performs during the BET Experience at Staples Center on June 27 in Los Angeles.
America. But instead, it’s being flipped as propaganda. Rivera has misconstrued Lamar’s message to bring awareness to misguided youth. Rivera believes hip-hop music has done more “damage” to AfricanAmerican youth than racism in recent years. Another reporter went on to say that Lamar’s performance “incites violence.” Instead of taking the reporter approach and speaking from an unbiased perspective about African-Americans and hip-hop, Rivera does the exact opposite by viewing it as a tool of destruction. Not viewing hip-hop as a positive outlet for minorities to overcome their life’s obstacles appears as a form of discrimination, giving a black eye to the industry of journalism and what it represents.
Lamar recently responded to Fox News’ comments in an interview by
This is our music, this is us expressing ourselves. Rather going out here and doing the murders myself, I want to express myself in a positive light the same way other artists are doing,” Lamar said. “Not going in the streets, go in the booth and talk about the situation and hope these kids can find some type of influence in a positive manner.” With the current state of injustice to African-Americans in this country, Lamar is making a positive contribution to American culture, pushing the topic of race to the forefront of issues in this country. His latest album “To Pimp a Butterfly,” addresses the inequalities within the African-American community and brings an exceptional delivery in his music, which has allowed him to cross color lines in terms of becoming popular among ethnicities outside of African-Americans. His album reviews certainly have
Hip-hop in American culture is viewed in the mainstream media as a negative more than a positive.
TMZ. “Hip hop is not the problem. Our reality is the problem of the situation.
shown his influence. According to Billboard, Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” album has set the first-day streaming record by having tracks from the album listened to 9.6 million times. A track on the album titled “Alright,” the same song performed at the BET Awards, is based on the harsh conditions many African-Americans have experienced such as police brutality and poverty. But the underlying message of the song is about perseverance. Lamar also directly addressed Rivera’s comments by stating that when Geraldo says hip-hop is the problem, he is “avoiding” the problem. “The oppression of having these guns and drugs in the streets and us being in the mentality where we have to somewhat survive these hostile situations, that’s the real problem,” Lamar said. “The more and more he tries to avoid that, the more and more we’re going to keep talking about it.”
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Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in this issue are those of the writers or artists. The Letters Policy: All letters and e-mail must bear the phone number opinions of the Daily 49er are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Daily 49er reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space. department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily 49er.
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C a m p u s Vo i c e
New York Stock outage?
are your thoughts on the
“I was unaware of that. We live in California, but I really wonder more about how New Yorkers feel about it.” —Gretel Pernas, freshman, political science major
Exchange 4- hour
“For future events they should consider that something like that could happen again , and they should have a plan b so its not down so long” —Naji Muwanas, junior, biology
“Maybe they should think about how to improve the system in case there are other problems in the future.”
— Brenda Verduzco, freshman, graphic design
“Seems like there is a loss of accountability during those four hours. I think the accountability for something of that magnitude is really important being down for four hours is unacceptable” — Kevin Nguyen, junior, biochemistry
Same-sex marriage ruling a dire threat to religious groups The world isn’t coming to an end now that same-sex marriage is legal in all states. But the way that the U.S. Supreme Court forced this historic change on everyone is a clear, present and grave danger. In Obergefell v. Hodges, the court unnecessarily interrupted the formation of a national consensus approving gay marriage and set the stage for unremitting, costly and fruitless battles over how the high court’s dictum should be applied. It’s reminiscent of how Americans were forging a middle ground on abortion on demand in their state legislatures decades ago — until the high-handed high court stepped in with unchallengeable, autocratic and poorly argued decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. So, the fight over same-sex marriage isn’t over. Not by a long shot. People on opposite ends of the argument will make sure of that. Justice Anthony Kennedy’s majority opinion in Obergefell comes down to the argument that gay marriage is fair and good, not because it conforms to any law passed by Congress. To justify the decision, Kennedy had to twist the equal protection clause of the Constitution into an unrecognizable form that will open the door to many and fantastic claims for
equality. The Supreme Court’s job as set down in the Constitution and case law is to decide what actions are lawful. But in this overreaching decision, the Supreme Court determined that it could exclusively divine what is wise and proper, no matter what a Congress, elected by the American citizens, has determined. In this, the court has cast its role as the Supreme Leader, like that guy running things in Iran, who can veto any government action he opposes. A pyramid with the Supreme Court sitting atop dangerously deviates from the formula of three co-equal branches of government the Constitution created. Having taken over the question of marriage, lock, stock and barrel, the Supreme Court now will be the only body allowed to craft the compromises and settle the hair-splitting disagreements about just how the right to same-sex marriage should be applied. An example of the most immediate issue: Just how much coercion can the government apply to force religions to bend to the will of government. Obergefell is the beginning of an endless chain of expected challenges to religious liberty, the first of all rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights. How odd that the high court’s slightest majority found an unwritten right in
the Constitution that could supersede the First Amendment’s clearly written directive that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. The threat to religion lurking ahead was starkly revealed during oral arguments when Justice Samuel Alito asked the government’s lawyer, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, if a religious-affiliated college that opposes samesex marriage could lose government funding, as if it opposed interracial marriage. Verrilli’s response: “It is going to be an issue.” Indeed. That prompted the heads of more than 70 religious-affiliated schools to warn that the ruling would endanger those that adhere to “traditional religious and moral values.” Will the tax-exempt status and government grants be cut off to schools that still respect, teach and uphold those values? What of a college that refuses to provide student housing to married same-sex couples? What of a church that refuses to rent its basement hall for a same-sex wedding reception? Numerous religious charities and hospitals could be targeted. State civil rights commissions and private lawsuits will round out the threat. About 29,000 religiously affiliated pre-, elementary and high schools and 1,700 colleges and universities are endangered. To punish
those institutions for their beliefs is a profound and momentous betrayal of the people who came to this continent hundreds of years before the Constitution was ratified seeking religious liberty. Then there are the bakers, photographers and other small businesses that decline to provide services for same-sex weddings based on their religious beliefs. They’ve already been found guilty and punished, even though their services are widely available to same-sex couples elsewhere. In response, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, introduced the First Amendment Defense Act that would ban discriminatory government treatment — such as the withholding of government grants — against any person or institution that supports traditional marriage. That bill would plug the loophole that Obergefell creates in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, enacted nearly unanimously in 1993 as a response to an earlier Supreme Court case that weakened religious liberties. Of course, if the law is enacted, the Supreme Court could always, in its infinite wisdom, kill it. - By Dennis Byrne, Chicago Tribune, TNS
Hamas and Israel must account for Gaza violence Last month, the United Nations Human Rights council accused both Israel and the Palestinian party Hamas of war crimes during their clash last summer in the Gaza Strip, and last week the council called on both parties to be accountable. Each bears responsibility for killing and destruction and each must address the U.N.’s concerns. Investigators said Israel violated international law in its two-month offensive against Hamas. Israel Defense Forces, the report said, bombed
residential buildings with no demonstrable military function, used weapons that threatened people and structures around intended targets, and sometimes failed to warn civilians of operations ahead of time. Israeli soldiers, the document concluded, did not exercise enough caution when they fought in built-up areas in Gaza. This contributed to a high number of Palestinian casualties — more than 2,000, including more than 500 children. Israel’s aggression came after a Hamas affiliate murdered three Israeli teenagers and the terror
group fired rockets at the country’s major cities. The U.N. report said Hamas also committed war crimes: hiding weapons in schools, building subterranean tunnels near the border with Gaza to raid enemy towns and aiming rocket fire at civilian communities in Israel. Hamas is known for dispensing mob-style justice against opponents and calling for a second Holocaust against the Jewish people. Both Israel and Hamas objected to the report’s findings, but last week’s U.N. council vote, 41-1 with five abstentions, called on both sides to take
responsibility. The United States cast the sole “no” vote. The American jurist — and Jewish nationalist — Louis Brandeis wrote that sunlight is the best disinfectant. Israel and Hamas should respond to the allegations in the U.N. report, punish those responsible for war crimes and change military protocol as needed. Evading the truth will only lead to more conflict for two peoples who have suffered enough. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, TNS
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ANGELS
continued from page 8
But, how is a team that won its division last year, a team with the best record in the entire league, a team with the reigning American League MVP, Mike Trout, in danger of such a collapse? All the problems lead back to one man and his often-poor decisions. Unfortunately for the Angels, this man is team owner Arte Moreno. Moreno took control of the Angels after buying the team from the Walt Disney Company – and it was a change welcomed by most fans. Even though the Angels won the World Series in 2002, the team’s front office was always scrimping and saving and constantly fielding teams put together by scotch tape under Mickey Mouse’s ownership. When Moreno arrived in Anaheim, he made it a point to bring in big name players capable of taking the Angels back to the top. Moreno hit a home run with his first big signing by bringing in four-time all-star Vladimir Guerrero in 2004. Guerrero immediately proved his worth and won A.L. Most Valuable Player in his first year with the Angels and won five division crowns in his six year stint in Anaheim. Since then, however, Moreno has struck out more often than not. He continuously dishes out money for stars at the end of their careers like Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui, Gary Matthews Jr., Vernon Wells and none more head-scratching than the five-year, $125 million contract he gave to the 32-year-old, injury prone Josh Hamilton. Hamilton brings us to Moreno’s other major flaw besides his impulsive acquisition of washed-up sluggers; his relationship with his employees. During his tenure as the Angels’ owner, Moreno has fired dozens of members of the front office. Moreno’s players have also felt the owner’s wrath, the latest being the troubled Hamilton. Moreno knew what he was getting into when he chose to go after Hamilton over re-signing the much-needed arm of pitcher Zack Greinke. Hamilton has a history of substance abuse problems and had relapsed before the 2012 season, but Moreno took the risk anyway and signed the slugger 10 months later. After two-years full of injuries and sub-par hitting with the Angels, Hamilton relapsed again in Feb. 2015 and Moreno wasted no time in cutting ties with the slugger. Fans, teammates and even Scioscia were about ready to embrace Hamilton, but Moreno saw Hamilton’s slip as a way of getting some of that $125 million back. Hamilton was ultimately shunned by the Angels’ high command and shipped back to his former team, the Texas Rangers, in exchange for nothing. Moreno actually took a $68 million hit to deal Hamilton because tensions grew so high. Moreno loves baseball, and he loves his team. But, it seems like these days he is smothering the Angels within his tight embrace. There are glimmers of hope like Trout, Albert Pujols and even young players like Garrett Richards. The on-field performance of the Angels hasn’t been affected so far, but there is no doubt a storm is coming. Hopefully Moreno and Scioscia can right their ship before it hits.
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Thursday, July 9, 2015
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Sports
Thursday, July 9, 2015
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FIFA
Column
The unequal spoils of victory Gender inequality did not stop the U.S. Women’s National Team from bringing home the FIFA World Cup Championship. By Kayce Contatore Assistant Sports Editor
The U.S. Women’s World Cup team just became stars. In addition to the team winning the cup in dominating fashion, the final game became the most viewed soccer game in the history of American television, with more than 25 million viewers. But what will that accomplish as far as gender equality in sports? The gender gap for sports has always been evident. Not only do women athletes get paid far less than their male counterparts, but they are treated differently both on and off the field with the organizations they are part of and trouble in their personal life. As the 2015 Women’s World Cup kicked off in Canada on June 6, there were many issues surrounding FIFA. The most notable was the scandal with nine FIFA officials arrested for allegedly accepting bribes. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter was not indicted on any charges and was even voted in as president for his fifth term before stepping down. Awash the scandal, Blatter was not in attendance at the women’s world cup final between USA and Japan. According to ESPN, Blatter said that until the scandal had been cleared up, he did not
A llen J. Schaben | L os A ngeles Times | TNS
The U.S. women’s soccer team celebrates after winning the FIFA Women's World Cup during a championship celebration on Tuesday. want to risk traveling. We know Blatter could not care less about women’s soccer. Especially since he thinks that the women wearing shorter and tighter shorts will increase viewership for the games. There is not just an issue between the viewership of the two genders, but the pay gap as well. According to CNN, the total prize money this year for all the Women’s World Cup teams was $15 million compared to $576 million for last year’s Men’s World Cup, or 38 times less, according to NBC Sports. The U.S. women’s national team will take home $2 million for its win, while a men’s teams who loses in the group stage of the cup takes home $8 million.
Another blaring issue was the fact that this year’s tournament took place on artificial turf instead of real grass. Turf not only increases the risk of injury for the athletes, but can also raise temperatures on the field by up to 20-30 degrees according to USA Today. It has even generated a lawsuit against FIFA. U.S. National Team forward Abby Wambach was at the forefront of the lawsuit against FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association, and said in an interview with ESPN that there were many companies who offered to pay for grass to be put into the stadiums. “They offered FIFA, offered the Canadian Soccer Association to do it for
free [in] all the stadiums,” Wambach told ESPN. “To me, it wasn’t about that there was grass or no grass, it was about FIFA not wanting to do anything that anybody else wanted, except them wanting to do what they wanted to do.” Even before the World Cup started, issues regarding one of the most recognized names in women’s sports, Hope Solo, came to the forefront of sports news. Solo, arguably the best goalie in women’s soccer, did not face any domestic assault charges for an alleged attack against her half-sister and nephew in June 2014 from the courts as her case was dismissed. When Ray Rice was charged with
domestic violence, it was dealt with before the 2014 NFL season. It was not handled correctly at first, but Rice got the punishment he deserved and was let go from his team and did not play that season. Perhaps Solo’s presence on the field and resonance with fans of the sport caused the courts to dismiss her trial until after the World Cup. But if Solo were male, her case would have been handled differently. No one is complaining about the incredible 5-2 victory that brought the FIFA Women’s World Cup Championship trophy back to the states, but there is a long line of problems surrounding FIFA that need to be addressed.
film “Moneyball.” The difference here is that Dipoto didn’t have enough pull in the organization to make the same strong-armed decisions Billy Beane made in the film – and real life. Dipoto decided to walk away from a team with the potential to be a baseball powerhouse, and lifted the mask on a dysfunctional team that is the Angels. The mishandling of outfielder Josh Hamilton’s drug relapse before the sea-
son – the Angels openly wanted their own player suspended so they wouldn’t have to pay him while he conveniently recovered from shoulder surgery – was an early warning that something smelled foul in Anaheim. The signing Hamilton in the first place was an even earlier that something was rotten.
MLB
Falling Angels The Los Angeles Angels are on the verge of an epic meltdown if they continue mishandling situations on and off the field. By Josh Barajas Sports Editor
April 2003
Bought the team from Walt Disney Company.
2003
The Angels are currently playing their best baseball of the season; they are on a four game win streak, have won eight of the last nine and have two starters in the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. The Angels are also on the cusp of falling apart as an organization. General manager Jerry Dipoto’s resignation last Tuesday was only the latest sign the end is nigh for the
November 2006
Angels. Dipoto and 15-year manager Mike Scioscia were never on the same page, the former being a more analytical mind and the latter taking a much more traditional approach to America’s pastime. Scioscia, the longest tenured manager in baseball, is known for circumventing his GMs and making decisions on his own, much like Oakland A’s skipper Art Howe did in the
Angels sign center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. to a five-year, $50 million contract; he never hitting over .252 with the Angels and demanded a trade in 2009.
January 2005
A llen J. Schaben | L os A ngeles T imes | MCT
Column
Changed the team name from Anaheim Angels to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
December 2009
Angels failed to re-sign World Series heros John Lackey and Chone Figgins.
December 2012
Moreno signed an injury prone, 32-year-old Josh Hamilton, to a fiveyear, $125 million deal instead of re-signing pitcher Zack Greinke and clubhouse leader Torii Hunter.
Timeline of Arte Moreno’s ownership of the Angels December 2008
Angels failed to re-sign first baseman Mark Teixeira and all-time singleseason saves leader and 2002 World Series champion Francisco Rodriguez.
February 2015
See ANGELS, page 7
April 2015
Hamilton was traded to the Rangers with Moreno eating up most of the $83 million still owed to the slugger over the next three years.
2015
After Josh Hamilton seeks treatment for substance abuse, Arte Moreno and his front office issued statements that publicly denounced Hamilton and asked for a suspension of their own player.