U.S. President Joe Biden is traveling Monday to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to take part in celebrations for the annual Labor Day holiday.
The White House said Biden will use speeches in both Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to highlight the “dignity of American workers.”
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is joining Biden for the events.
The president on Sunday expressed his support for a California state measure that would give agricultural workers expanded ways to vote in union elections.
“Government should work to remove — not erect — barriers to workers organizing. But ultimately workers must make the choice whether to organize a union,” Biden said.
California’s legislature has approved the bill, which would let workers cast union ballots by mail. But California Governor Gavin Newsom has opposed the measure in its current form, with a spokesperson citing concerns about the system being untested and lacking necessary steps to protect election integrity.
Monday’s holiday honoring workers in the United States was first celebrated in 1894, and it includes parades and other events in cities across the country.
Labor Day also represents an unofficial end to summer with a last busy long weekend for travelers and many children set to begin their school year.
Some information for this story came from The Associated Press.
Results on Meet Mobile: “2022 American Long Course”
A few incoming college freshmen posted fast times at the 2022 NT American Long Course Meet last month in one of their final competitive tune-ups before the NCAA season begins this fall.
Leading the way wasZhier Fan of Metroplex Aquatics, who clocked three times that would qualify for Olympic Trials if he can repeat them in the qualifying period after November 30. The Stanford commit shaved nearly four seconds off his previous best in the 400-meter IM, swimming a 4:21.93 that ranks him sixth among 18-year-old boys this season. Fan also set a new personal best in the 200 IM, reaching the wall in 2:02.48 to remain the sixth-fastest performer this season for his age. He was under the Paris Olympic Trials cut in the 100 breast with a 1:02.10, but he was more than a second slower than his personal best from April’s International Team Trials.
Sage Sungail tallied four wins, all in personal-best times, including some huge time drops by sprint event standards. The SMU commit took .44 seconds faster off his previous-best 50 freestyle time from prelims, in the process moving up to fifth this season among 18-year-old boys. In the 100 free, Sungail went more than half a second faster than his previous best from last month with a 50.83. He also dropped almost half a second in the 100 fly (54.99) and added a 1:51.69 in the 200 free to rise the ranks to No. 12 this season for his age.
Nova Southeastern University commit Luka Samsonov lost the 100 back title by .01 seconds to John Culver of Dallas Mustangs, but the 18-year-old Samsonov had already earned his first Junior Nationals cut during prelims with a personal-best 58.36. He may have also hit his stride prematurely in the 200 back, where he went slower than his personal best from prelims (2:07.81) on his way to taking third place in the final (2:08.05).
On the girls side, Scarlet Aquatic Club’s Kathleen Turano chipped away at five personal bests, becoming a top-10 performer among 14-year-old girls this season in three events. She dropped nearly five seconds in two months in the 400 free, firing off a 4:23.76 that ranks No. 8 this season for her age. Turano took four seconds off her personal-best 800 free time of 9:03.32, moving up to No. 8 this season. She also posted a personal best in the 1500 free, improving by nearly seven seconds from just a couple months ago.
Scarlet teammates Chloe Kim and Iris Kim had impressive meets, too. Chloe recorded five personal bests and three victories, including a 2:25.36 in the 200 breaststroke that ranks eighth this season among 15-year-old girls. Chloe also threw down a 2:17.46 in the 200 fly, moving up to 13th this season for her age. Her other individual win came in the 100 fly (1:02.84).
Iris, 14, just missed a few personal bests in the 200, 400, and 800 free races, but she did make her mark with a record 100 free split of 58.03, which ranks 13th this season for her age.
Fellow Scarlet swimmer Richard Poplawski broke the 52-second barrier for the first time in the 100 free (51.99), one of four personal bests for the 16-year-old. His 1:54.17 in the 200 free ranks ninth this season for his age while his runner-up effort in the 200 IM (2:06.27) leaves him as the No. 12 performer this season. Poplawski also cruised to a win in the 400 free (4:03.18).
Jacob Turner achieved a Junior Nationals standard in the 100 breast with 1:05.35, finishing about three seconds behind Fan. Fellow Metroplex 16-year-old Grant Hu climbed into the top-20 rankings this season with a 4:31.17 in the 400 IM that sits at No. 20.
The year-long countdown is on for Halifax to host the North American Indigenous Games, and while it is one of the biggest multi-sport events in Atlantic Canada, organizers also see it as another step toward reconciliation.
To kick off festivities, the host society threw a party on the waterfront Friday to bring people together through traditional song and dance.
“Every opportunity that we have to create opportunities for people to learn and experience our culture is a step towards the right direction,” said Cheryl Copage-Gehue, Halifax’s Indigenous adviser.
“The more you know, the more you understand, the more chance you will be an ally and support these events.”
Sixteen different sports will be showcased at the North American Indigenous Games, including canoe and kayak, lacrosse and archery.
The event is aimed at inspiring the young Indigenous people taking part as they show off their skills on a big stage.
Cheryl Copage-Gehue is Halifax’s Indigenous adviser. She said the games will be an opportunity for people to learn more about Indigenous culture. (CBC)
“This is an opportunity for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to come together around a very positive experience that will enhance the lives of the Indigenous youth coming here,” said Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons, chair of the 2023 North American Indigenous Games Host Society.
“And when they go back to their communities, they’re going to feel great about themselves, they’re going to reflect on their time here as a positive one.”
Hosting the games is another sign Halifax is working hard on building an inclusive community, according to Mayor Mike Savage.
Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons is chair of the 2023 North American Indigenous Games Host Society. She hopes youth will have a positive experience when the games are held in Halifax next year. (CBC)
As the city prepares to welcome athletes from more than 700 Indigenous nations in North America, he’s encouraging people across the region to be a part of it by volunteering for the event.
“I think people will get into this, I think they will learn a lot about the Mi’kmaw history and culture … They’ll also have a lot of fun, so I’m really excited about it,” Savage said.
More than 5,000 Indigenous athletes will be competing at the games at venues in Millbrook First Nation, Dartmouth and Halifax. A cultural village will be set up at the Halifax Common.
Copage-Gehue said the cultural village “will create an opportunity to learn our traditional culture here in Mi’kma’ki, but to also learn about Indigenous people from North America.”
STATELINE, Nev. — Three-time champion Mark Mulder made a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th hole Saturday and scored 25 points to take a three-point lead in the American Century Championship.
Mulder, the former major league pitcher who won the event three straight times from 2015-17, received six points for the eagle under the modified Stableford scoring system. He had 45 points with a round left at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.
“I feed off the fans and the energy,” Mulder said. “I’ve been here before. I know that pars aren’t going to win it. It all depends on putting and I’m putting well.”
Former tennis player Mardy Fish, the 2020 winner, was second after a 27-point day. He finished with an 8-footer for eagle on the par-5 18th.
“I’m playing way better than in 2020, so my confidence is good going into tomorrow,” Fish said.
Derek Lowe and Adam Thielen were tied for third at 38. Lowe scored 22 points Saturday, and Thielen had 20.
Tony Romo, the 2018 and 2019 champion, scored 19 points to match Mike Modano at 37.
Annika Sorenstam and Joe Pavelski had 35 points. First-round leader T.J. Oshie was tied for ninth with 34.
Stephen Curry, who finished tied for 10th after Friday’s play, slipped to a tie for 20th place with 27 points.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The Grand Rapids Art Museum is hosting two events later this month.
“In A New Light: American Impressionism 1870-1940,” runs from June 11-Aug. 27.” The GRAM describes it as a “the first major exhibition of American Impressionism” at the museum in over a decade.” It features “groundbreaking paintings, prints, and drawings from acclaimed artists such as George Inness, Lilla Cabot Perry, Childe Hassam, Thomas Moran, John Sloan, Theresa Bernstein, Ernest Lawson, and Guy Carleton Wiggins, among others.”
“This comprehensive exhibition of American Impressionism traces the emergence and evolution of a truly American style of art,” according to an event announcement.
Another event this month is “SHEEPDOG,” a one-act play by Kevin Artigue being held June 16-18 as part of this year’s West Michigan Loving Day Celebration.
An announcement describes the play in the following way: “This one-act play follows Amina and Ryan, both officers on the Cleveland police force. Amina is Black, Ryan is white, and they are falling deeply and passionately in love. When an officer-involved shooting roils the department, small cracks in their relationship widen into a chasm of confusion and self-doubt. A mystery and a love story with high stakes and no easy answers, SHEEPDOG fearlessly examines police violence, interracial love, and class in the 21st century.”
The play is presented by Ebony Road Players, a Grand Rapids theater company “whose mission is to inspire, educate and engage the cultures of our community with high-quality theater productions focused on the Black experience.”
APA Heritage Month Panel: Allyship as AAPI Geoscientists Friday, May 20, 3:00-4:30 p.m. CDT In this panel, we bring previous speakers for the Virtual ECR Lunch series to highlight a specific part of their experience as AAPI geoscientists: being allies for other marginalized groups, in addition to fellow AAPIs, within the geosciences.
Open to all (including non-AAPI individuals), live captioning will be available
Panelists: Dr. Kanani K.M. Lee (Associate Adjunct Professor at UC Berkeley & Staff Scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Lab), Dr. George I. Matsumoto (Senior Education & Research Specialist at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute), and Dr. Kartik Sheth (CEO/Founder Empowered Earth Alliance)
APA Heritage Month Panel: International Scholars in Geosciences Friday, May 27th, 1:00-2:30 p.m. CDT Conversations and scholarship about race and structural inequity in United States academic science typically focus on U.S.-born students and scholars, for whom there is more longitudinal data collected. Immigrant scholars have distinct career narratives from U.S.-born students and scholars of color, while representing a substantial proportion of non-white geoscientists working in the U.S. This panel aims to spotlight these experiences by bringing together three earth scientists who have had transnational careers. We hope attendees will come away with insight into how international scholar experiences interplay with efforts to diversity STEM.
Open to all (including non-AAPI individuals), live captioning will be available
Panelists: Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe (Professor, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, UC Merced), Dr. Alejandra Sanchez-Rios (Postdoctoral Scholar, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego), and Dr. Yige Zhang (Assistant Professor, Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University)
The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest dog registry and leading industry authority and advocate for dogs, is pleased to announce that seven exceptional students from seven states have been awarded an American Kennel Club Companion Events Junior Scholarship for 2022. This year $10,000 in scholarships were offered to high school and college students.
“It gives us great pleasure to reward these students with our AKC Companion Events Junior Scholarships. We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors in their studies and involvement with dogs and The American Kennel Club,” said Carrie DeYoung, Director of Agility.
Applicants are evaluated based on academic performance, involvement in AKC events, and community outreach. They are required to submit documentation that they are members of a club and have volunteered to work, as well as an essay on how the applicant has been involved with promoting any Companion Event to others within their school and or community and the impact it has had on their life or the lives of others.
This year’s recipients have accomplished a great deal in the dog world and participate in many sports, including agility, obedience, rally, and conformation. These young adults plan to remain active in the sports and will undoubtedly continue to be great ambassadors of AKC events.
Fathom Events and Spain’s Bosco Films are partnering to bring faith-based documentary “Vivo” (“Alive”) to about 700 North American locations on April 25.
Produced by Hakuna Films and directed by Jorge Pareja, “Alive” narrates four real-life stories filmed in Spain of people who tell how Christian’s Eucharist transformed their lives.
“Alive,” which previously bowed by Bosco in Spain and 14 Latin American territories, marks the Spanish indie distributor’s leap into the international market, where it’s been closing a bundle of exhibition agreements with local and international operators.
The peak in “Alive’s” international theatrical career comes with the U.S. release after the Fathom Events deal.
“In the event cinema business, we see that people come to the theater in groups, having a true community experience,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events.
“To be able to bring this same experience to the Spanish speaking community is very important to us. Our goal is to provide a variety of programming experiences to a wide array of audiences, nationwide.”
“We hope that this window open for Spanish cinema will no longer close,” said Lucía González-Barandiarán, Bosco Films founder.
“There is a huge boom in inspirational cinema in the U.S. Especially in the post-pandemic era, people are looking for other kinds of content and proving they are a loyal and big audience. The platforms, at least in Europe, have not yet realized the gold mine that exists behind that line,” she added.
Released in Spain on April 9, 2021, “Alive” reached the local box office’s top 10 with only six prints, averaging a healthy €5,582 ($6,231). By year’s end, it snagged a $269,021 box office, the third best result for a local documentary last year.
Bosco also launched the film in Mexican theaters in November, in 30 locations, debuting at the eighth position at the local box office. In Colombian theaters, the film has sold nearly 100,000 tickets.
Lucia Gonzalez Barandiaran, Bosco Films
Courtesy of Bosco Films
“Alive” bowed in 14 Latin American territories after Bosco inked deals with regional exhibitors such as Cinemex, Cinemark and Hoyts, but also with local indie theatrical chains for territories such as Argentina and Uruguay.
The film has also been sold to indie distributor Rafael Film in Poland and to Saje for France, Belgium and Switzerland. Deals are in final negotiations in territories such as Brazil and Slovakia, while Bosco is in talks with operators in Germany, Austria and Korea.
Bosco is already preparing the Latin American theatrical releases for this year of two more faith-based Spanish films: “Claret,” a biography of Spanish Roman Catholic archbishop and missionary Antonio Maria Claret, and “La sirvienta,” about Santa Vicenta María.
A fourth title acquired by Bosco to be released in the region is Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai’s French documentary “Lourdes,” which sold 250,000 tickets in France, handled by Mars Distribution.
Since its launch in 2017, Bosco has distributed about 20 films in Spain, at the same time providing communication and marketing services to companies such as Universal, Sony, Diamond Films, Flins & Pinículas, Vercine and Márgenes.
“We specialized in a niche film distribution, studying in depth the needs of an audience and seeking to respond effectively to them. This is what has kept us afloat,” González-Barandiarán said.
