Added August 20, 2006: A 1977 decision of an Indiana superior court ruling against a textbook produced by the Creation Research Society. In some respects this case resembles a young-earth creationist version of the 2005 Kitzmiller case. Introductory material, links, as well as the full text of the judge's memorandum opinion are provided.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has reached an exciting milestone in its Centennial Campaign, raising $203 million toward its overall campaign goal of $250 million by 2027. This represents the largest amount ever raised in a UA Little Rock campaign, exceeding the previous campaign by $100 million.

[Culture] :
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will run a campaign to promote standardized naming of Korean dishes in foreign languages. According to city officials on Thursday, the campaign, in cooperation with the Seoul Tourism Organization and the Korea Food Service Industry Association, is set to continue through ...

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Brad and George Takei, the new typical American married couple.; Credit: John Rabe/Grant Wood/Michael Uhlenkott

UPDATE: “Allegiance” will be performed Feb. 21-April 1, 2018, at the Aratani Theater at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center in downtown L.A.'s Little Tokyo.

ORIGINAL STORY: In an intimate interview, George Takei tells Off-Ramp host John Rabe about crafting the Japanese-American internment camp history into compelling Broadway musical theater. "Allegiance," with Takei, Lea Salonga and Telly Leung, played at the Longacre Theater.

George Takei and his husband Brad were putting their house in mothballs when I arrived for our interview in August. They'd already been spending a lot of time in New York because of George's recurring role on "The Howard Stern Show," but now, with the Broadway opening of "Allegiance" just a couple months away, they were preparing to move for as long as the musical brings in the crowds.

While Brad went off to deal with the mundane domestic tasks around the move, I sat with George in their living room to talk about turning one of America's most shameful episodes — the internment of some 120,000 loyal Japanese-Americans during World War II — into a musical that could make it on the Broadway stage.

George, you just sent an email to your fans with the subject line: "I've Waited 7 Years to Send You this Email. Seven years!" Inside, you wrote: "Few things are as difficult and complex as taking a show to ‪Broadway‬. It's both thrilling and terrifying." What was terrifying?

"The terrifying part is, you've poured your passion, your energy, your resources ...  you make all that investment in that project, and then you're hoping the seats are going to be filled.That 'what if' is terrifying. But in San Diego, we had a sold-out run and broke their 77-year record. But now we're going to Broadway, and that same fear is there. Will they come? What will the critics say? Because it's life or death."

It took a long time just to get a Broadway theater.

"It took a long time to get a theater.You think there are a lot of Broadway theaters, but there are even more productions that want those chunks of New York real estate. So we thought we'd get in line. But then the other discovery we made is that the theater owners have relationships with grizzled old producers who have brought them a vast fortune with enormous hits, and they can cut in line. They have a track record. And so, 'will we ever get a theater' became a big question. But we have this time now — let's use it creatively, productively."

So, Takei says, the team tweaked the show, removing parts that didn't work didn't advance the story, inserting numbers that worked better and kept the story moving. They doubled down on social media, building and proving demand in the show.

"We have a Shubert theater (the Longacre), and Bob Wankel is head guy there, and I remember pouring my heart out, telling the story of my parents, hoping that touches. And he was understanding, but I understood his problem, too. Everybody is trying to get a theater and he has to make a good business decision and was initially skeptical. An internment camp musical? But music has the power to make an anguished painful situation even more moving, even more powerful. It hits you in the heart."

Highlights from "Allegiance" at the Old Globe in San Diego

This is your Broadway debut, right? Are you petrified?

"Yes, yes. I've done a lot of stage work, and I've done a lot of public speaking, but it's Broadway, and I'm a debutante... at 78 years old! And it's the critics, too. The New York Times, Ben Brantley. That's who I'm going to be facing, and so it's both exciting and absolutely filling me with ecstasy, but what makes it ecstatic is the fear."

For much more of our interview with George Takei, listen to the audio by clicking the arrow in the player at the top of the page ... and hear George Takei and John Rabe's duet of "Tiny Bubbles."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Tents housing the homeless at an encampment in Echo Lake Park in Los Angeles, California on March 24, 2021.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

The Los Angeles City Council votes Thursday on a proposal to ban sleeping or camping in certain parts of the city, including near schools, parks, libraries, and other “sensitive” facilities like daycares. It would also ban tents and encampments from blocking sidewalks if wheelchair users cannot access them. The motion is a departure from the city’s previous approach to the homelessness crisis.

Council members voted 12 to 3 on Tuesday to pull the draft ordinance out of Homelessness and Poverty Committee, where it had been stuck since November, and directed City Attorney Mike Feuer’s office to draft the new rules. Today on AirTalk, we’re speaking with Los Angeles Times reporter Ben Oreskes about the proposed rules, what Thursday’s vote means, and what we know about possible legal ramifications of the proposed changes. 

Guest: 

Ben Oreskes, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times; he tweets @boreskes

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A passenger wearing a protective face covering to combat the spread of the coronavirus, checks her phone while travelling on a bus along Oxford Street in central London on July 5, 2021.; Credit: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Professor Kristen Choi of UCLA. 

Topics today include:

• Biden to announce new efforts on vaccination campaign as Delta variant spreads

• Hospitalization rates getting worse for black residents of L.A. County 

• Which parts of the U.S. could be breeding grounds for variants?

• New Israeli data about effectiveness of Pfizer against Delta variant

• England to lift mask restrictions

• Cases on rise in immigration detention centers in the U.S. 

• Bay area zoo is vaccinating big cats and some other animals 

Guest:

Kristen R. Choi, professor of nursing and public health at UCLA; registered nurse practicing at Gateways Hospital, based in Echo Park

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A hazing-related student death at Bowling Green State University has renewed conversations about hazing on college campuses.; Credit: Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

There were zero reported deaths from college hazing incidents in 2020, but as campuses reopen to students, there have already been two hazing-related deaths this year. Eight men face a range of charges, including involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, evidence tampering and failure to comply with underage alcohol laws, after Stone Foltz, a sophomore at Bowling Green State University, died on March 7 of alcohol poisoning.

At a news conference on April 29, Wood County Prosecutor Paul Dobson described the fraternity event in which initiates were told to drink 750 milliliters of hard alcohol — or about 40 shots, according to Hank Nuwer, author of Hazing: Destroying Young Lives. Dobson said Foltz's death was "the result of a fatal level of alcohol intoxication during a hazing incident."

Experts like Nuwer are concerned that as students return to in-person learning and are eager to take part in "the college experience," more hazing-related deaths may be on the way.

"There seems to be a disconnect — not seeing that alcohol-related hazing can kill," he says.

Nuwer is a professor emeritus of journalism at Franklin College and the author of five books on hazing. He spoke with NPR's All Things Considered about how the Stone Foltz case could reshape hazing prosecution, how college campuses create a "perfect storm" for hazing and how to put an end to the practice, once and for all.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Interview Highlights

On the legal history of prosecuting hazing

There've been charges all along, but often they get dropped or they're unsuccessful. I would consider this to be a landmark case because of the possibility of at least five years of imprisonment, if the prosecutor is successful.

We have 44 state laws out there on hazing, but some are very, very weak. And Ohio's is weak now, but they're trying to strengthen it after a death at Ohio University [in 2018] and now Bowling Green.

On what the return to college campuses means for hazing

What I'm seeing is, in effect, we have two freshmen classes in that the sophomores have been taking online classes. Now they're going to be out there, and they haven't had any hazing or alcohol education programs. They're coming out there with a gusto because now they're the people of status, who have power over these pledges. And then the regular freshman class is coming in, all excited as usual, and we've seen so many times where a death occurs within the first couple of days of the students on campus, sometimes before they've taken a single class.

On the challenges to end fraternity hazing

In my opinion, campuses are the perfect storm for something like this because we're all about status and power. All of these obstacles have led to today, when alcohol has been added to the mix. There wasn't a single alcohol death before 1940. Now, it's one of the most major [causes of hazing-related deaths]. There were 62 deaths from 2009 to 2021; 39 were alcohol related.

On whether this is a chance for colleges to reset this part of campus culture

I want a hard approach. You have to go after the alumni who are encouraging this. You have to punish all of the hazing — not temporarily. This tradition has to stop, and it can't be looked at as tradition. As Mr. [Paul] Dobson, the prosecutor, is doing in the Stone Foltz case: You have to prosecute to the fullest extent [of the law].

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A bold national initiative is needed to reduce the enormous health burden of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States, according to a new report from a committee of the Institute of Medicine.

Evidence exists that people who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune Marine Base in North Carolina between the 1950s and 1985 were exposed to the industrial solvents tricholorethylene (TCE) or perchloroethylene (PCE) in their water supply, but strong scientific evidence is not available to determine whether health problems among those exposed are due to the contaminants, says a new report from the National Research Council.

Cognitive training, blood pressure management for people with hypertension, and increased physical activity all show modest but inconclusive evidence that they can help prevent cognitive decline and dementia, but there is insufficient evidence to support a public health campaign encouraging their adoption, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls for an international, multi-institutional comprehensive campaign of research, observation, and analysis activities that would help improve understanding and prediction of the Gulf of Mexico’s Loop Current System (LCS).

Following recommendations from a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report released earlier this year, the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program (GRP) is developing a long-term research campaign to improve understanding and prediction of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current System (LCS).

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies promising strategies for reducing consumer food waste nationwide, including a national campaign to change consumer behavior, federal standardization of food date labeling, and changes to retailer marketing and food service practices, among other measures.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls on U.S. colleges and universities to take comprehensive, campuswide approaches to more effectively address mental health and substance use problems among students and to develop cultures that support well-being.

Rising Rates of Mental Health Problems in U.S. College Students Require a New Response, Report Says

For the first time since the pandemic struck, many colleges and universities are bringing students back to campus at full capacity. Their administrators are turning to new strategies and incentives to get students vaccinated against COVID-19.

This Guidance Document is a product of the National Academies’ Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education, which presents information and identifies guidance based on existing research literature.

Los Angeles, CA (August 17, 2016) Despite their extensive national press coverage, campaign visits might not be worth presidential candidates' time and resources. A new study out today finds that voters are largely unaware of and unresponsive to campaign visits. The study was published as part of a special issue of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (a journal from SAGE Publishing) titled "Elections in America."

read more

The California Walnut Board is launching its fourth consecutive American Heart Month campaign this February, expanding its popular retail marketing program in an effort to bring more attention to Heart Month and encourage consumers to make healthier food choices.

The ad campaign embraces tradition while showcasing the many flavorful ways to use walnuts beyond celebrated recipes.

Chewy granola bar brand debuts new packaging, launches new flavor, and announces new distribution.

Three-year export initiative unveiled at Bakery @ SIAL America.

Pop culture-infused humor, vibrant design, and a catchy Mariachi riff bridge brand awareness from protein bars into savory snacks.

Radians’ new 110,000 sq. ft. facility at 6100 Global Drive in Memphis, TN, represents a major expansion.

World-class blind adventurer Erick Weihenmayer motivated several thousand safety and health pros during the opening session of the 2024 NSC Safety Congress. 

Through its new global brand platform and U.S. ad campaign, White Claw is inspiring even more people to seek out genuine, real-world connections — and “Grab Life By The Claw.” 

Malibu, a brand of Pernod Ricard, New York, unveiled its new summer campaign in partnership with TV personality Paige DeSorbo to bring the vacation anytime, anywhere. 

Seagram's 7 Crown, a brand of Diageo North America, New York, is toasting timeless American staples with an icon in America – the 7&7— with the launch of its new ad campaign, Timeless Taste.

Consumers have hit the road and air this summer, creating more eyeballs on out-of-home ad campaigns. Clear Channel Outdoor offers insights on how beverage brands can create campaigns to help support their summer sales goals.

Piper-Heidsieck, Reims, France, announces the launch of its Twist the Script campaign, a tribute to the brand’s creativity and history, it says.

Pepsi, Purchase N.Y., unveiled its Gladiator-themed campaign titled “Make Your Gameday Epic.” As a longtime NFL sponsor, Pepsi is celebrating the start of the 2024 NFL season and the anticipated theatrical release of Paramount Pictures’ “Gladiator II,” with a short-film that will electrify game days for cola-lovers and NFL fans alike.

Austin, Texas-based Nutrabolt, owner of C4, is shaking up the active nutrition landscape as it announced the rebrand of its C4 pre-workout powders, including new, innovative formulations; an updated look and feel of the product; and the We Hit Harder brand equity platform. 

Welch’s Zero Sugar hits shelves on Sept. 1. The juice line is available in two refrigerated flavors ― Passion Fruit and Grape ―as well as three shelf-stable flavors ― Tropical Punch, Strawberry and Concord Grape ― in multi-serve and single-serve formats. 

Sparkling Ice announced the launch of a new marketing campaign: Anything But Subtle, featuring Emmy Award-winning actress Annie Murphy, best known for her role as over-the-top celebutante Alexis Rose in “Schitt’s Creek.”

Los Angeles-based ZenWTR, renowned for its premium vapor distilled alkaline water, and Travis Kelce, three-time Super Bowl champion, have joined forces to unveil a new national campaign: Find Yours.

Novato, Calif.-based CG Roxane LLC, maker of Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water announced its Thirst for Progress campaign. The initiative includes a series of creative shorts dedicated to promoting hydration and sustainability throughout the summer season.

Sign franchisees will learn how to fire up their business during three days of learning and networking.

Future Stars Welcomes Campers to Baseball Camp in Farmingdale

Future Stars is Excited for Upcoming Baseball Summer Camp

The pandemic has increased demand for RV, campers and boats, exacerbating the risk of carbon monoxide exposure. Forensics Detectors launches their new carbon monoxide detectors to handle the knocks, rain and rough handling while on the go.

24-7PressRelease.com Selected as Top Source For Press Release Distribution

Booking For Fast-selling Popular Youth and Adult Precision Sports Training Offered from July Through December 2021

In Chino Valley Ranchers' latest ad - unprecedented in the egg industry - Leija appears as a boxer mid-fight, wearing trunks featuring "CVR Boxing Club, Can't Beat Em!" on the waistband.

With Free NFT Minting And NFT Rewards

Audrey Campbell lends years of expertise in law to her work in family and immigration law

The GO!GO! Challenge is a plastic-free movement that began in January this year by the Ministry of Environment, and it relays to other participants.

A compact camping stove made with stainless steel launches on Kickstarter

Future Stars Announces Upcoming Tennis Camp in Farmingdale

Future Stars Welcomes Campers to Tennis Camp in Purchase