This and every Friday, the site will only post news stories and features from around the world that melt the heart and soothe the soul. This will be the case regardless of breaking news. America needs a break from the 24-hour Trump news cycle and negative news coverage, and From The G-Man will happily oblige.
You and your loved ones have a good and safe weekend.
This video was published on YouTube on October 5, 2013. Mr. Murrow's appearance begins at the 17:00 mark, but the entire episode is very entertaining. Enjoy!
CBS News: A Barneveld, New York, firefighter was in the middle of a training drill
when she looked up and saw her firefighter boyfriend down on one knee.
Her emotional reaction to the surprise proposal has gone viral.
Aitchison pictured with pro-wrestling icon Triple H. (Photo credit: WWE.com)
By Gary Glennell Toms
From WWE.com: Sue Aitchison, a 30-year veteran of WWE’s corporate office, has been
named the recipient of the fifth-annual Warrior Award. Named after WWE
Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior, the Warrior Award is presented to an
individual who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance and
who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the
indomitable spirit of The Ultimate Warrior.
To say I'm elated that Ms. Aitchison will be honored during the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on April 6 would be an understatement. In my humble opinion, and with all due respect to WWE executives, the award is long overdue. Allow me to explain.
It
was approximately 20 years ago that Aitchison played a significant role in helping save an 8-year-old boy's life. The Far Rockaway (NY) resident was
viciously attacked and mauled by a pit bull, and his parents, nor the
doctors, didn't think he would survive. I met with his parents and
published their heartbreaking story in the newspaper I worked for, which was The Wave of Long Island.
During
the interview, I asked the parents what were some of the things he
liked and they said he absolutely loved Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was a mega-star in professional wrestling. Upon
hearing this, I contacted WWE headquarters, which was the WWF at that time, and was directed to Aitchison's
office. I explained the situation and she became very emotional, asking..."How can I help?" I requested that she send the boy a "Stone
Cold Package" because I suspected it would prove instrumental in his recovery effort. She happily obliged.
Shortly
after receiving the tee-shirt, wristbands, 60-minute video and autographed
photo from the "Texas Rattlesnake", which urged the youngster to fight
hard to get better, his doctors and parents indicated his
emotional and mental state dramatically improved. Ultimately, he made a
full recovery.....thanks to Aitchison's (and Stone Cold's) involvement.
I won't have an opportunity to appear on stage and share this incredibly powerful story with
the WWE superstars and universe during the Hall of Fame ceremony, so I decided to do the next best thing and post this commentary. I'm doing so out of genuine admiration and respect for the longtime WWE employee, but I'm also posting it because the world needs to know she is a woman of compassion, integrity and honor.
I congratulate and salute you on your award, Ms. Aitchison. You truly are a WWE superstar in every sense of the word.
The Independent Advisory Committee on Applied Climate Assessment is releasing a report after being disbanded by the federal government in 2017, and reconvened by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2018.
The report includes recommendations to help federal, state, and local governments, communities, and the private sector plan for the effects of climate change.
"While the federal government continues to deny climate change and ignore the dire need to strengthen the resilience of our communities, New York and the U.S. Climate Alliance are taking action," Governor Cuomo said. "Last year we proudly reconvened the advisory committee to put a spotlight on this global catastrophe, and this report will provide important recommendations to communities across the country as we work to address climate change."
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced the selection of 19 experienced, dedicated immigration attorneys to serve as full-time legal counsels in all regions of the state to provide free services to immigrants that need assistance. These attorneys will work in conjunction with Governor Cuomo's Office for New Americans' Opportunity Centers across the state.
"While the federal administration tries to build a wall and roll back rights of immigrants across the country, New York is prioritizing support and protection for these New Yorkers to make sure they know their rights and legal options," Governor Cuomo said. "These attorneys and their parent organizations will be a trusted resource for immigrants seeking assistance across the state."
Democracy Now!: "The Laquan McDonald case was really the pivot of [Chicago's mayoral]
election in a lot of ways," says Barbara Ransby, author of "Making All
Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the Twenty-First Century.”
"It was the issue that Rahm Emanuel could not run away from."
The lawyer’s work for Mayor Bill de Blasio may resurrect questions of
whether the mayor blurs the line between city business and political
fund-raising.
The NYPD’s chief surgeon determined that Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo
didn’t use a chokehold against Eric Garner — and argued against
disciplining the officer, the cop’s attorney said Thursday.
Click here for details. Source: The New York Daily News
The first question on everyone’s lips is “What is in those old boxes?" Remember the boxes the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office “found” in a storage closet late last year from Mumia Abu-Jamal’s original trial?
The answer could be previously undisclosed new evidence and the "key” to a new trial. If there is just one piece of evidence that the prosecutor failed to turn over to the defense which could have altered the result of just one juror's vote, then it is a “Brady violation,” (a US Supreme Court precedent). If that happens the court would overturn the criminal conviction, and that is a whole new ballgame. Mumia has one year from the discovery of the evidence to file a petition.
Innocence, Evidence & Misconduct
For decades it was the routine practice for Philadelphia police and prosecutors to illegally strike minority jurors, manufacture evidence, coerce false witness testimony and surpress evidence of innocence.
The Castille appeal which currently sits before the PA Superior Court faces an unsympathetic appellate court and potentially years of litigation. Where as, an amended petition or a new complaint that includes Brady evidence could be a bullet train to a new trial and freedom.
Stunning Words from Philadelphia Judge Leon Tucker
This just in 3/27/19, Common Pleas Court Judge Leon Tucker (Supervising Judge of the Criminal Division)'s supplemental ruling. Click here.
"Justice is being conformable, human, divine, fair, impartial, honest ...no matter what. Not sometimes or most of the time, but at all times, be it at trial or on appeal".
And it gets better.
"[Defendants] appeal has established by a preponderance of the evidence that...there was an unconstitutional potential for bias......[the] claims should be reviewed in the interest of justice." The Pennsylvania Courts are a Star Chamber
Kafka could have taken notes from these folks. It is even possible that they would rule that the Castille petition has to be decided before the suppressed evidence can be offered in a subsequent PCRA. For someone that has spent nearly four decades in prison and is arguably innocent, it would be par for the course in this state, for a court to make that argument. Amnesty International has condemned Mumia's original trial, and he has spent 36 years unjustly in prison.
While Philadelphia DA and Larry Krasner might not feel a sense of urgency, we need to. Mumia Abu-Jamal will be 65 years old in a few weeks. His eyesight has been severely compromised making it hard for him to read, because he is suffering from as yet untreated cataracts and serious glaucoma. He is recovering from life threatening complications of Hepatitis C and diabetic shock caused by a reaction to treatment for debilitating skin rash conditions.
The Tide is Turning - People are Rising
The grassroots movements in Philadelphia are surging. Abolition will be the reality, this is ground zero and a tetonic change is coming. You can just feel it. Mumia Abu-Jamal’s quest for freedom is part of that, but in a far more universal and fundamental way the community is all rising. Because Philadelphia is so "up south", the impact has galvanized, inspired and birthed a powerful grassroots movement that is advocating in the state capital Harrisburg and in cities in every county for decarceration. Google any one of these groups [Human Rights Coalition, CADBI, Decarcerate PA, Lifelines, Abolitionist Law Center, Amistad Law Project]. You will see, feel, and hear thousands of people advocating for their loved ones inside. These are the very people who swept Larry Krasner into power. They are mobilized, they are strategic and they will not be satisfied util their family members are free. It is incredible to see they are bringing the heat, demanding real change, and holding folks accountable.
Resistance Writ Large!
"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." --Frederick Douglass
Mumia Abu-Jamal is closer to freedom than he has been in a quarter of a century, When Mumia comes home, it will be historic. Surviving is the first step, and now real fundamental revolutionary change, abolition is the next step.
“Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest. Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it. Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil, but rather finds the means to put things back in their place. Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments, nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called “I.” Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor. Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others.”
Sir Thomas More, “Prayer for Good Humor,” early 1500’s
Last evening my wife and I watched the 2018 movie, “Pope Francis, A Man of His Word.”
It is not a critical look at the Pope, or an objective assessment of
his strengths and weaknesses and what he has so far accomplished. It is
an unabashed presentation of the Pope as a great man, a moral leader of
the world, essentially a saint.
The
ending surprised me. After an hour and a half of footage of him
speaking and interacting with people all over the world, sharing his
thinking and his prayers and his unquestionably genuine concern for “the
least of these,” the poor, the final minute finds him talking about two
things: the value of a smile and the importance of a sense of humor.
Pope Francis tells the camera that just about every day he reads Sir
Thomas More’s poem quoted above.
I was struck by the Pope doing this. Is he right that smiling and a sense of humor are so important?
I
think there are a lot of people on the political Left who don’t agree
with this. I know a whole bunch of them. They are the way I tend to be:
very upset with the reality of the world in the grip of a mendacious and
maddening, mega-corporation dominated capitalist system that is
literally destroying the world’s ecosystems and causing uncountable
suffering. How can one make jokes and be concerned about having a sense
of humor in such a world?
More than a dozen cases were dismissed after defense attorneys asked to examine, or raised doubts about, computer programs that track illegal images to internet addresses.
Actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are among 15 wealthy parents
due in Boston federal court on Wednesday to face charges that they
participated in what prosecutors call the largest college admissions
scam uncovered in U.S. history.
The governor and lawmakers promised a major overhaul at the transit
agency, which runs New York’s subways, but advocates said the plans were
a bureaucratic reshuffling.
The
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today reminded
taxpayers that the filing deadline—April 15—is quickly approaching. With
only two weeks remaining, the Tax Department is highlighting the free
filing resources available online and at locations around the state.
“It’s crunch time for taxpayers who’ve waited until now to start
thinking about filing their income tax returns, but not time to panic,”
said New York State Taxpayer Rights Advocate Margaret Neri. “The Tax
Department has plenty of free and convenient resources to help file an
accurate return on time and receive any refunds due promptly.
Benefits of e-filing
E-filing is safer and more efficient than sending paper returns
through the mail. About 92% of all personal income tax returns in New
York State are electronically prepared and filed. All returns,
regardless of how they’re filed, undergo the same systematic review.
Use direct deposit
To use direct deposit, simply check direct deposit on your tax
return, then enter your bank’s nine-digit routing number and your
account number. For checking accounts, this information is available on
your checks; for savings accounts, contact your bank. Taxpayers can
receive their refund up to two weeks sooner by choosing e-file and
direct deposit.
Free filing options available
Taxpayers with adjusted gross household incomes of $66,000 or less in 2018 may use free, user-friendly software at www.tax.ny.gov to electronically prepare and file both their state and federal tax returns. Taxpayers can search Free File
on the Tax Department website to be directed to the software. Using the
software can reduce filing errors that delay return processing and
refunds, and prevent valuable credits from being overlooked.
Eligible taxpayers can also visit a Tax Department free tax
assistance site. For a schedule of dates, times, and locations for
sessions statewide see Facilitated Self-Assistance (FSA) program.
Tax Department experts will be available at each site to assist low-
and middle-income New Yorkers through the filing process at no charge.
At certain locations, they can assist taxpayers in multiple languages,
including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Italian, Japanese,
Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu.
The Tax Department is also partnering with the IRS to offer free
in-person assistance. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offers
free tax help to those who generally make $55,000 or less, persons with
disabilities, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need
assistance in preparing their own tax returns. Visit the IRS at Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers to find a location near you.
Check your refund status
Taxpayers can quickly view the status of their New York State tax refund anytime by using the Check your Refund tool on the Tax Department website: www.tax.ny.gov.
Updated daily, it’s the fastest and most convenient way to know when to
expect your refund. It provides the same information available to our
phone representatives—only without the wait!
You can also find out when your refund will be issued by signing up
for Tax Department email alerts. Visit the Tax Department homepage at www.tax.ny.gov and select subscribe at the bottom of the page.
Don’t have a computer or smart phone? Call the Tax Department’s automated refund status line anytime at 518-457-5149.
Source: The
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
THE G-MAN INTERVIEWS: ARCHBISHOP MARY FLOYD PALMER
Beloved Clergymember Discusses Her Historic Appointment, Prison Ministry, Nicki Minaj and Domestic Abuse by Church Leaders
Welcome.
The following excerpts are from an article published in the March 22nd edition of the Philadelphia Sunday Sun.
"On Saturday, March 16, Bishop Mary Floyd Palmer made history when she became the first female presiding archbishop installed as the president of the Philadelphia Council of Clergy. The event took place at the historic Bright Hope Baptist Church, where Rev. Dr. Darron K. McKinney is the pastor. The sanctuary was packed with religious, elected and civic leaders, as well as family and friends of Bishop Palmer. It was significant that Bishop Mary, as many call her, was installed in March, Women’s History Month, because she was making history in her own right."
“I am excited for change and I’m elated for everything that has happened,” said Archbishop Palmer. “I’m honored by Bright Hope Baptist Church. I’m blessed by the Samaritan Temple and I’m absolutely humbled by the Chief Celebrant David Hartman and my uncle, (Bishop Anthony Floyd), for such an affirmation of support and love.”
The beloved clergymember joins me for this special edition to discuss her historic appointment, prison ministry, the power of Nicki Minaj and other female rappers, domestic and sexual abuse by church leaders and other major issues.
The interview was conducted on April 1, 2019.
Additional information pertaining to this episode is available here.
Photo credit: Kat with the Hat Photography
Closing song credit: "Always Hopeful" by Silent Partner
