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The history of Memorial Day is a story few ever know.
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incl. Columbus, Miss., April 1866.
According to lore, a group of women visiting a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers, saw neglected graves of Union soldiers and decided to place flowers on ALL the graves despite the war ending a year earlier.
The first “Memorial Day” at Arlington spearheaded by Gen. Logan (Civil War vet who led a veterans group).
Fmr. Union General & soon-to-be-elected President Ulysess S. Grant attended.
About 5,000 people gathered & put small American flags on graves ~ About the same # of people attend in modern times and do exactly the same thing.
MEMORIAL DAY: “a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.”
VETERANS DAY: “largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service…”
“We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance...Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”
Pres. Trump called off the June 12th meeting with North Korea. Is this all part of his strategy? We found something you have to see…
FLIP: LEARN MORE
“I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting….The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. That missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.”
“My tone was more hurt than outraged or angry. I can be a screamer when I want to be, but in this case I felt screaming would only scare them off.”
North Korea says it’s still open to a sit-down.
“We express our willingness to sit down face-to-face with the U.S. and resolve issues anytime and in any format …. we are open-minded in giving time and opportunity to the U.S.”
Are the tactics working? Hours before Trump officially called off the meeting, N. Korea *claimed* it dismantled its only known nuclear test site. Journalists were present; official investigators were not.
“Straws are a luxury, we do not need straws to have our drinks, and I think it’s an easy step forward where we can have a great impact for our environment.”
“Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook 2018 — 70% likelihood of 10-16 named storms of which 5-9 could become hurricanes, including 1-4 major.”
Watch Now“It wasn’t like a movie opening… it was like an earthquake.”
Why it’s blue – and what has officials worried.
When the lava buries plants, methane gas is produced. Methane can seep into the ground & produces a blue flame when ignited.
The blue flames are only visible at night, making it hard to judge how widespread they are.
Scientists are now concerned the methane may cause explosions.
Mother Nature has put on quite a show... Kilauea’s eruption has also generated earthquakes, gushing molten rock, giant ash plumes & sulfur dioxide. No sign when it will end, but scientists say its similar to one in 1955 that lasted 3 months.
Days ahead of Memorial Day, NFL announces new policy on national anthem. Turns out the *new* policy isn’t really *new* at all.
Why Now?
NFL: “It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic. This is not and was never the case.”
Something To Consider: Americans are watching less TV overall & NFL viewership has declined by millions since 2015. Some viewers say they boycotted the NFL because of the players on-field protests.
“This is fear of a diminished bottom line. It’s also fear of a president turning his base against a corporation. This is not patriotism. Don’t get it confused.”
Different sports have different policies for player etiquette during the national anthem. The NBA has a strict one - and Nascar - none at all.
Weeks away from lifting “ban” prohibiting women from driving, Saudi Arabia arrests women’s rights activists who fought for the cause.
What's Going On
Saudi Arabia: only country in world where women can’t drive.
No official law prohibits women from driving but only men are allowed to obtain driver’s licenses. This changes on June 24 when women can get a driver’s license – part of a reform plan called “Vision 2030”
Saudi Arabia follows ‘Wahhabism‘, a form of Islam that says women:
"Rights activists say they (the women) are being targeted because the government doesn’t want human-rights advocates to claim credit for the lifting of the driving ban." WSJ
CLICK FOR A REFRESHER“We will neither beg the U.S. for dialogue nor take the trouble to persuade them if they do not want to sit together with us.”
“We are writing the next chapter of Georgia’s future. Where no one is unseen, no one is unheard, and no one is uninspired. We are writing a history of a Georgia where we prosper — together.”
“This case requires us to consider whether a public official may, consistent with the First Amendment, ‘block’ a person from his Twitter account in response to the political views that person has expressed, and whether the analysis differs because that public official is the President of the United States. The answer to both questions is no.”
“We urge parents, caregivers and retailers who sell them to heed our warnings and not use over-the-counter products containing benzocaine for teething pain.”
“You know it’s been a while since we’ve done a show I had a little health issue — don’t we all…. But I have to tell you, I’m extremely happy to be back. The stage is kind of my home away from home and I have to admit I can barely stand on my feet tonight as I am a little bit nervous.”
The Las Vegas Knights, a team that didn’t even exist last year, faces off against the Washington Capitals, a team tortured by playoff losses.
flip: What You should Know
- New franchise: At one point, 500-1 odds to win championship.
“Everybody on this team has something to prove. We call ourselves ‘The Golden Misfits’ for a reason. We’re doing a good job of proving everybody wrong.”
- Tortured Past: First Stanley Cup appearance in 20 yrs, never won.
“It’s unbelievable… I can’t explain my emotions. I’m just happy for my boys, for our organization, our fans — finally!”
The best of 7 series starts Monday. Who ya got? Click for the full schedule for when to watch.
The New York Stock Exchange names its first female President.
Perfect timing? The news comes as “Fearless Girl”, a symbol of female business prowess, is moved to a new home at the Exchange.
And to naysayers who might say a woman’s place is in the kitchen – she’s got that covered, too.
Cunningham started her NYSE career as an intern in 1994, but she took a break from the stock exchange to go to culinary school, & has been known to whip up grilled peach and burrata snacks in the NYSE’s on-site kitchen.
NYSE’s rival stock exchange, NASDAQ, also has a woman CEO, Adena Friedman. However, the latest Fortune 500 rankings out on Monday show that there were 24 women CEOs at the nation's largest corporations, a drop from 32 in the 2016 listings. Read more here.
Health officials call an unregulated… unlicensed… unnamed vaccine a “milestone” in strategy to prevent Ebola outbreak in Africa & you’re helping pay for it.
Flip: Challenges
Flip: Why This Matters
The Health and Human Services Secretary announced this Tuesday that the U.S. has contributed $8M to the efforts to contain the spread of Ebola in Congo - more than any other country. We'll watch for more $$ & updates.
New study explores whether or not optimistic people live longer.
IS IT TRUE? FLIP
“We find, indeed, that to be the case.”
FLIP: THE DETAILS
Women: “on average happier and more optimistic” (researchers looking at recent readings of “optimism” vs. what women felt in comparison data from 1968-75).
Those with less than a high school education (especially white Americans) suffered from greater declines in optimism over the years (and higher mortality rates).
Education may not *just* impact optimism, but also employment. The U.S. unemployment rate for those without a high school diploma is nearly 6%. With a college degree? 1.9% (U.S. unemployment rate: 3.9%).
Life is too short to waste time filtering through headlines searching for the facts. That’s when we realized the need for a quick, trustworthy news source that makes staying up-to-date easy and interesting.
Our Goal is to Clear the Clutter. We’re committed to providing non-partisan news, in small servings, available wherever you are, whenever you want it.
And for the Record: We Believe You’re Already Smart. We don’t need to tell you what to think or how to feel or what to believe. We just want to equip you with clear facts so you’re prepared for any conversation, any vote, any choice and never feel like you’re falling behind.
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