As slavery split the nation in two, both Northern abolitionists and
Southern slaveholders turned to the Bible to support their cause. Former
slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass condemned Christianity for
sanctioning slavery.
In the White House, Abraham Lincoln struggled to make sense of the war's
carnage and the death of his young son. He had always kept his beliefs
about God to himself. But the president, who previously had put his
faith in reason over revelation, embarked on a spiritual journey that
transformed his ideas about God and the ultimate meaning of the war.
Explore much more on the God in America website, including a timeline
of how religious ideas have shaped America's public life, a survey of presidential religious beliefs and their
impact on politics, and a
behind-the-scenes video with actor Chris Sarandon on portraying
Abraham Lincol JI4uM
Trenton, NJ -- Fifty-six new districts will take
part in the Interdistrict Public School Choice program in the 2011-2012
school year, increasing and improving educational opportunities for
children and families, Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf
announced today.
The Interdistrict Public School Choice program allows students the
option of attending a public school outside their district of residence
without cost to their parents.
“The Christie Administration wants all children to have the same
hope and opportunity that comes with attending a school that fits their
needs. The Interdistrict Public School Choice program empowers parents
to make the best educational choices for their children, so they have
the best chance for a successful future,” Acting Commissioner Cerf
said.
“I also want to commend the 56 districts for participating in the
program. It’s a clear sign that districts are taking steps to make
better and more efficient use of their available space,” the Acting
Commissioner added. “Choice is good for students because it expands
opportunities, and it benefits taxpayers because districts are tapping a
new revenue source.”
In the 2011-12 school year, students will be able to choose to go to
a school outside their district of residence if the selected school is
participating in the choice program. Transportation of up to 20
miles, or funds to pay for transportation, will be provided by the
district of residence to a student going to a choice school. If the
school is outside of the 20-mile radius, transportation will be the
responsibility of the student, parents or guardians.
Currently, 15 districts are in the program. Today’s announcement
brings the total number of districts participating in the program to
71. The students benefiting from choosing their own public school will
nearly triple, from about 1,000 students now to nearly 2,900 students
in the fall.
District participation in the program is optional. The decision to
apply to participate is made by the local board of education. The
district then sends an application to the Department of Education for
processing and review.
The choice school sets the number of openings per grade level. If
there are more students requesting admission to the school than there
are available openings, the school chooses the students by lottery. Any
student currently attending New Jersey public schools is eligible to
take advantage of this program.
For Immediate Release:Contact: Alan
Guenther, Director
Yes, I know, the news is
quite unexpected. Jobless claims have again jumped to over 400,000.
I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you! But not to worry, a Labor Department
official tells us that it’s not at all unusual for jobless claims to
spike in the beginning of a new quarter.
“New claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose
last week, bouncing back above the key 400,000 level, while core
producer prices clumbed faster than expected in March, government
reports showed on Thursday.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 27,000 to a
seasonally adjusted 412,000, the Labor Department said.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims slipping to 380,000.
The prior weeks figure was revised up to 385,000 from the previously
reported 382,000.
The four-week moving average of unemployment claims—a better measure
of underlying trends—climbed 5,500 to 395,750.”…
To add to the misery, the cost of living continues to rise.
Thanks, Obama! That’s some recovery you’ve got going there.
The (anti-Hamas) Palestine
Press Agency reports that Hamas has been actively stopping rocket
fire from Gaza.
Starting yesterday, plainclothes Hamas members have been seeking out and
stopping other parties from firing rockets, arresting them and placing
them into "secret detention centers." They have been stopping and
inspecting vehicles along the border, according to the report, all to
enforce the current "truce."
The pro-Fatah PalPress is generally accurate, although it has to rely on
unofficial sources in Gaza. But it also tries to portray Hamas as
colluding with the Zionist enemy, a charge that Hamas regularly hurls at
Fatah.
In yet another liberal left move to demonize
parents, and place "the state" over parents in the lives of children, a
Chicago public school has decided to ban homemade lunches. School lunch
served on campus is going to be mandatory at Chicago’s Little Village
Academy public k-8 school, in a blatant move against parents, saying
that the schools know better on how to feed the children than the
parents.
The reasoning, we are told, is that with the new lunch
program the school is guaranteed to provide healthy meals without
running the risk of children bringing sugary treats and salty chips from
home. The parents, you see, can't be trusted. Only the authoritarian
state, apparently, understands how to feed your children.
Parents
have shown anger at the move, but the leftists aren't listening.
Blame
it on Michelle Obama’s war on obesity, and your freedom to eat what you
choose.
Murder suspect Joran van der Sloot has stabbed at least three other
inmates during his incarceration at a Peruvian prison, a magazine reports.
The Peruvian magazine
Panorama alleges that van der Sloot stabbed three prisoners, with at
least one victim needing emergency medical
care. The magazine also reports that the Dutchman is a heavy drug user
who has "been put into solitary confinement several times but comes out
even more angry," a source told Panorama.
Rick Santorum (google it), has said he has formed a presidential
exploratory committee. The man-on-dog former Senator made the announcement on
FOX News "On the Record", the NYT reports:
Mr. Santorum, who for months has been
introducing himself to voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,
filed papers with the Internal Revenue Service that permit him to
solicit contributors. He is the fourth potential Republican candidate to
start raising money for a presidential bid.
“The test for me is whether we can raise
the money that’s necessary, so I’m going to set up a committee,” Mr.
Santorum said. “We’re going to determine over the next few weeks as to
whether the resources are going to be there to do it.”
Mr. Santorum has been aggressively
reaching out to social conservatives in early voting states. He received
an initial showing of support by winning a straw poll last week at a
Republican convention in Greenville County, the largest county in South
Carolina.
Lionsgate has released the first trailer for John Singleton’s Abduction,
a chase thriller starring breakout Twilight star Taylor Lautner. Of
course, they debuted it on MTV:
>
In case you missed it, we peeked
at a draft of Shawn Christensen’s script last year following the
studio bidding war to acquire its rights. Essentially, the plot follows
Nathan (Lautner), a “t-shirt and jeans type” and an ordinary high
school teenager who discovers his parents (Maria Bello
and Jason Isaacs) aren’t who they claim to be. When
shady gunmen show up on his doorstep, Nathan and his classmate Karen (Lily
Collins) go on the run.
The trailer is about what I expected, a young Bourne meets the
paranoia of Eagle Eye and the mystery of Wanted. But
while its flashy set pieces make for an exciting trailer, the simple
trajectory and weak pay-off are sure to frustrate anyone expecting more
than a sizzle reel to pad Lautner’s short resume.
Weta Digital To Host Livestream Event On Facebook For Rise
Of The Planet Of The Apes. Oscar-Winning Vfx House (Avatar, The Lord
Of The Rings Trilogy) To Provide A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Magic
Of Rendering, For The First Time In The Film Series, A Photo-Real Ape.
WETA Digital, the industry-leading and Academy Award winning visual
effects house behind the wizardry of films such as Avatar, The Lord of
the Rings Trilogy, and District 9, will host a livestream event on
Facebook, for RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. On April 13, at 2:30PM
PDT, from WETA’s headquarters in Wellington, New Zealand, WETA’s Joe
Letteri and Dan Lemmon will give viewers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes
look at their work on the film, a reality-based cautionary tale that
blends science fiction and science-fact – and is the last big event
movie of the summer.
The event will live on Facebook’s official
fan page for Avatar, which has 14.2 million followers. Last year,
WETA won an Academy Award for its groundbreaking visual effects work
in rendering an entire fantasy world in James Cameron’s history-making
epic. WETA’s work on RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES presented very
different challenges and opportunities. In addition to creating a CG
character that gives a performance of unprecedented emotion and
intelligence, WETA is applying some of the technology it developed for
Avatar to bring to life a real world – the film is set in modern-day
San Francisco – and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of
man and primate.
Letteri, a five-time Oscar winner, and Lemmon will provide a look
into WETA’s process, and explain how working on a Planet of the Apes
film has long been the “holy grail” of visual effects wizardry – and a
driving force behind their own careers. In addition, visitors to the
livestream event will hear from other RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
filmmakers, including director Rupert Wyatt, and get a
behind-the-scenes look at the work of actor Andy Serkis, whose nuanced
performance is playing a key role in WETA’s rendering of Caesar, the
film’s principal ape character.
A five-second preview of WETA’s work on RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE
APES is available on the film’s official Facebook page.
In the film’s story, a single act of both compassion and arrogance
leads to a war unlike any other — and to the RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE
APES. It stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox,
Tom Felton, David Oyelowo and Andy Serkis as Caesar. Peter Chernin and
Dylan Clark are producing for Chernin Entertainment under its pact with
Fox. Rupert Wyatt is directing from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa &
Amanda Silver, who are also producing.
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opens in theaters everywhere August 5,
2011.
