4UMF Present Today Headlines as on 16 July 2013 Current Events | Current News | Entertainment News | Celebrity Gossip

1. California Supreme Court Refuses Halt For Same Sex Marriage 2. Hit The Floor Gets Seond Season 3. Three Florida Cases 4. Chicago School Closings And The Joyce Foundation The Obama Connection 5. Feds Watchin How They Tune In When We Get Turnt Up 6. Knock, Knock- A Poem By Paradise Gray For Trayvon 7. Phil Ade Philluminati R.O.S.E. 8. Lil Wayne Tour Passport Part 6 9. Wells Fargo Donates $300 Million 10.Jay Z Explains His Beef With Timbaland

CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT REFUSES HALT FOR SAME SEX MARRIAGE

In a terse, one-sentence ruling Monday, the California Supreme Court refused to halt the same-sex marriages taking place in counties across the state. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Protect Marriage, the group that sponsored Proposition 8 which eliminated marriage equality rights from the California Constitution had no standing to challenge U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Williams ruling that the initiative violated the federal Constitutions equal protection clause. State officials, including governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown and State Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris had declined to defend the proposition in court. Protect Marriage appealed to Californias high court, arguing that Williams ruling applied only to the two counties in which the plaintiffs who brought the federal suit against Prop. 8 reside. The group asked the court to halt same-sex unions in other parts of the state until its appeal is heard, which now appears will occur sometime next month. On Monday, the court curtly declined to issue such a stay, ruling: The request for an immediate stay or injunctive relief is denied. The justices gave no reason for their decision. California Atty. Gen. Harris argued to that Protect Marriage is asking the states high court to unconstitutionally interfere with a federal court order. In Washington, Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign and organizer of the federal suit against Prop. 8, said Our opponents have failed in a desperate attempt to deny happiness and protections to lesbian and gay couples and their children and no amount of legal wrangling is going to undo that joy. Marriage equality has returned to the Golden State.

HIT THE FLOOR GETS SEOND SEASON

The cable network has renewed the scripted drama, centered on a group of professional basketball dancers, for a sophomore run, it was announced Monday. According to VH1, Hit the Floor is the highest-rated freshman scripted cable series among the advertiser-coveted adults 1849 demographic, where it averages a 1.2 rating. The series draws an average of 1.9 million total viewers. We always knew that Hit the Floor was a strong project from the beginning and we are thrilled that so many of our viewers agree with us, said Jill Holmes, VH1s senior vp West Coast production and development. With creator James LaRosa at the helm, everyone in front of and behind the camera has created a compelling, addictive series with high-energy dance numbers, and we cant wait to continue the storyline thats made it the No. 1 cable show in its time period among adults. Hit the Floor follows fictional basketball team the Los Angeles Devils, whose players share the fame, money, sex and power with their dancers, the Devil Girls. Hit the Floor stars Dean Cain, Kimberly Elise, Charlotte Ross, Taylour Paige, Logan

THREE FLORIDA CASES

CHICAGO SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND THE JOYCE FOUNDATION THE OBAMA CONNECTION

Chicago School Closings And The Joyce Foundation The Obama Connection by Steve Horn The Windy City is is undergoing a tumultuous historical moment, with the uprising of the Chicago Teachers Union occurring alongside the ongoing restructuring and privatization of the Chicago Public Schools system. Most recently, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel oversaw the closing of 50 public schools, many of which will be replaced by charter schools. A bulk of the 550 laid-off teachers will be replaced by Teach for America contractors, many of whom teach in charter schools. Statewide enrollment in charter schools has surged from 6,152 students in 2000 to 54,054 this school year with most of them in Chicago according to the Illinois State Board of Education, an April Chicago Tribune editorial explained. The first charter school in Illinois opened in 1996. Now there are 132 campuses operating under 58 charters. A thus-far underreported story of the retooling of CPS concerns a foundation close the epicenter of it all: the Joyce Foundation.

FEDS WATCHIN HOW THEY TUNE IN WHEN WE GET TURNT UP

Many people across the country are upset over the outcome of the George Zimmerman trial for the murder of Trayvon Martin. And rightly so. The trial was a miscarriage of so called justice if Ive ever seen one. However, the fact that we cant sleep on. is that for the past two weeks the whole hood has been on trial. From the day that the George Zimmerman trial began, most of the focus of the media was not on the death of an innocent 17 year old Black kid, but on how Black folks in Sanford, Florida and hoods across America were gonna react if Zimmerman was found not guilty. While people in this country claimed to be on a nightly verdict watch, in reality, they were on a 24/7 riot watch. What is interesting is that the tactics the Feds used to monitor black rage in Sanford were the same ones that they have, historically, used over and over again when they think that there is the possibility of urban unrest. The preemptive strike against the hood has gone on for decades.

KNOCK, KNOCK- A POEM BY PARADISE GRAY FOR TRAYVON

Knock knock, whos there? George Zimmerman, George Zimmerman who? George Zimmerman who got away with murder! Who was profiled for his skin color and the way he dressed? Who Had the nerve to wear a hoodie in the rain no less. Who was riding? Who was walking? Who called what on who? Who was just on the phone talking? Who was scared? Who was brave? Who is the master? Who was the slave? Who is the man? Who is the boy? Who, plays with guns? Who, plays with toys? Who is privileged? Who is poor? Who left the crib armed? Who was just going to the store? Who was skinny? Who was fat?

PHIL ADE PHILLUMINATI R.O.S.E.

Phil Ade Philluminati R.O.S.E.: Check the video!

LIL WAYNE TOUR PASSPORT PART 6

Check the video!

WELLS FARGO DONATES $300 MILLION

San Francisco based bank Wells Fargo beat seven-year winner Wal-Mart after giving over $300million to charity. The USs fourth largest bank jumped ahead of Wal-Mart in 2012 after they spent almost 50 per cent more than the year before, according to a new survey of 100 companies by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Wells Fargo gave away $315.8 million in cash last year, increasing its giving to support a new program that provides down-payment assistance to home buyers in neighborhoods with high foreclosure rates. The company donated 47.9 per cent more than they did in 2011, giving them the push they needed to jump ahead of big givers, Wall-Mart. Wal-Mart has led U.S. corporate giving for the last seven years. Their donations were down 9 per cent from 2011 at $311.6 million. This does not include the sum of money they have agreed to give to settle federal civil charges. They will pay $6.6million for charges saying that the bank failed to inform investors about the risks tied to mortgages it sold.

JAY Z EXPLAINS HIS BEEF WITH TIMBALAND

Jay Z Explains His Beef With Timbaland: Check the video!