Gay-marriage supporters rally for 'death of discrimination' before Supreme Court ruling

The chants were emphatic and enthusiastic outside the state Capitol in Harrisburg Saturday.

“What do we want? Marriage equality. When do we want it? Now!”

About 75 gay-marriage supporters from all over Pennsylvania came for the first Statewide Rally for Equality. They listened to speeches and marched around the Capitol building waving rainbow flags and carrying “Equality Now” signs.

The rally comes on the cusp of what could be a watershed moment in the debate oversame-sex marriage. Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on cases that could broadly expand the rights of gay Americans to marry.

The event also was designed to support state legislation (Pa. House and Senate Bills 300, Pa. House Bill 719 and Pa. House Bill 156) which would provide marriage equality and an end to discrimination and bullying in the LGBT community.

Dawn Sears, 29, and Jen Morley, 36, drove four and a half hours from Warren, Pa., for the marriage equality rally for one simple reason.

“So we can get married,” Morley said. “That’s what it comes down to. We want to have kids and be married before that.”

The couple has been together for almost two years. This was Sears’ first rally, but Morley has been to a few others, including the Millennium March in Washington D.C. about 13 years ago. This rally was a bit different from the others she has been to because it was the first one in which she didn’t see any protesters.

“I was shocked,” she said. “I anticipated somebody. I was ready to go. I had backup bible quotes ready to battle with them, but I didn’t have to. That’s a good thing.”

Morley and Sears said they were also surprised by the turnout, which was fewer than 100.

"I was disappointed that more people didn't come out," Morley said. "But I don't think it's a matter of people not wanting to come. Lives are busy."

Though the rally was small in number, the group seemed to have plenty of supporters on the streets. Many cars honked their horns and waved to the crowd to show their support during the rally.

Katie Somers, one of the rally organizers, said that she wasn't expecting a crowd.

"It's not about the number of people," she said. "It's about being unified and having unity in the community."

Sixteen speakers spoke at the rally included Harrisburg City Controller Dan Miller, Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Hanger, members of Marriage Equality for Pennsylvania and members of the Capital Region Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Somers said that it was a group effort to bring a wide variety of speakers. All gubernatorial candidates were requested, but only Hanger came.

Miller came to the rally as a gay activist, and still is deciding if he will continue his campaign in Harrisburg's mayor's race. After losing in the Democratic mayoral primary to Eric Papenfuse last month, Miller won enough votes to be the Republican nominee but has yet to decide if he will do so. When asked about it Saturday, he said he had not made up his mind.

“One of the main reasons to be an openly gay elected official is to push equal rights,” Miller said. “Gays aren’t second class citizens. If they can be elected officials and positive role models, they can help to educate the public about the importance of equal rights.”

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First day of summer 2013 has nothing on northern Norway's 60 days of sun

The first day of summer 2013 in the United States, the longest day of the year, still has less sunlight than northern Norway right now. Territories in the arctic circle have, effectively, 60 first days of summer. 

Today the sun will shine for 18 hours, 50 minutes and 1 second.

Now I realize that in December, when the days are short and the imposing darkness begins to wear on me, I’ll regret having said this: I’m tired of the sun. My body needs the kind of peace that only a dark, starry night can provide.

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At first I was looking forward to being in Oslo on June 21, the longest day of the year. The best remedy for a grim Norwegian winter is the buildup to the summer solstice. But I went on a whirlwind trip with the Foreign Press Association into the Arctic Circle where, for five days, I didn’t see a cloud in the sky. Just the intense, bright yellow sun. In northern Norway towns like Kirkenes, Honningsvåg, and Vardø, the sun doesn’t set for 60 days. Even when the peak of the midnight sun has passed, twilight increases by just 40 minutes each day. There isn’t a proper dark night from April through August.

The first two days I was charmed by the whole thing. Sunshine all the time! Having to wake up about four hours earlier than I’d like didn’t feel so tough because the brightness and surprisingly warm weather lifted my spirits.

After a few days I started to feel tired. The sun was there when I got up at 6am for a press conference with the prime ministers of Russia and Norway, and at 2pm when we drove to the Norwegian-Russian border for a ceremony. When I clambered into bed at 11pm, I could see the sunshine bursting through the ineffective hotel curtains. My eyes opened for a moment around 3am and the blazing sun made me feel like I had fallen asleep watching television in the middle of the day. Even after eight hours of sleep I still felt like all I’d had a power-nap.

By the end of the week I was programmed to fall asleep when the lights were simply turned off. I nearly nodded off during a Power Point presentation by an oil company executive.

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With Flurry Of Goals Against S. Korea, Abby Wambach Makes History

Last night, history was made on the pitch in Harrison, N.J.: Abby Wambach scored four goals against South Korea and became the all-time top female scorer in the world.

That third one — scored about 30 minutes into the first half — was her 159th, and it means that Wambach has overtaken Mia Hamm, another legendary American player.





"I don't think about how I sit in history and the books," Wambach told The New York Times. "At the end of the day tomorrow, the sun comes up and I still have to keep working on my game to get better. I think that's what the best athletes do; they don't dwell on their championships or records. As soon as you win one, all you want to do is find something new and move toward that."

The Los Angeles Times reports that following the game, Hamm issued a statement, congratulating Wambach.

"I'm just so proud of her," Hamm said. "She fights for the ball, she's courageous and she never gives up. Her strength and perseverance is what makes her so great and it's what defenders and opposing teams fear."

The L.A. Times adds:


"The crowd of 18,961 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., was appreciative as well, honoring Wambach with chants of "Abby, Abby" when she was subbed out in the 58th minute. The win extended the Americans' unbeaten streak to 34 games dating to March 2012 and to 72 games at home. And when Wambach scores a goal the U.S. is 101-2-8 overall."

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Xcel Energy reports 44K customers still without power after Minn. storms, down from 157K

MINNEAPOLIS — Xcel Energy says it's making progress toward restoring power to customers after severe thunderstorms pounded Minnesota and western Wisconsin with gusty winds and heavy rains overnight.

The Minneapolis-based utility says about 44,600 customers were still affected as of midafternoon Friday, down from more than 157,600.

Xcel spokeswoman Mary Sandok says crews are working to restore power but it could take a few days to bring it back for everyone because of the extent of the outages.

Most of the affected customers were in the Twin Cities, but they were scattered across Xcel's service area, including about 19,600 in St. Cloud.

The National Weather Service says several communities experienced gusts above 50 mph. A gust of 85 mph was clocked in Benson.

More storms are expected late Friday and early Sunday.

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Does Miami Heat's future still feature Big 3?

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade slipped in the comment in his friendly, easy-going style.

But his words carried a foreboding message, even after the Miami Heat's rollicking championship celebration Thursday night.

"I think people need to enjoy it a little bit, too," Wade said before Game 7 about his union with LeBron James and Chris Bosh, "because one day it won't be here, and people are going to miss it. Let's stop getting rid of it while it's still here."

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He's right. One day, James, Wade and Bosh won't be on the Heat roster together, and because all three will be able to terminate their contracts with Miami after the 2013-14 season, the question becomes, when is that day?

Heat owner Micky Arison recently told the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel that his concern next season is winning another championship, suggesting the Big 3 will play together again in 2013-14. But if the owner considers changing up things, he might entertain offers from other teams for Bosh. Trading James or Wade seems highly unlikely.

The Heat struggled at times in the postseason against teams with size and strength, and they might look to add for size and strength, even if that means dealing Bosh. The Heat's third All-Star did not score a point in the 95-88 Game 7 victory Thursday in the NBA Finals vs. the San Antonio Spurs. He consistently was bettered by Roy Hibbert and Tim Duncan over the past month.

This was a group put together to win championships and they've won two in three years -- and went to the Finals in all three. They have accomplished quite a bit, even if at times they didn't look as sharp as expected.

"It says a lot about where we're at now, the team that we are," Wade said. "(In) 2010 our first year together we tried to make it work. And we just weren't a team that we needed to be to gut a Game 6 out, to win a game like that. To be in the championship three years in a row, to win two of those three, is unbelievable.

"Everybody can't get to The Finals and win six in a row -- like win six and not lose one like Michael Jordan. But we are excited about the future of this organization. We are still a good team. And we're going to do everything we can to make sure that we can stay competitive. And adding a guy like Ray Allen, adding a guy like Birdman (Chris Andersen), this organization doesn't rest on trying to make sure that we can put ourselves in a position to have a trophy like this. So we'll be back next year again, looking to do it again."

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NORTH WEST Give the Kid a MIDDLE NAME!!

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West may not want her to have one ... but their little girl North now has a ton of options for a middle name.

Since TMZ broke the news about North's name -- we've been flooded with suggestions for a middle name and comments about her first name ... some cute, some funny, some not so funny.

Click through the gallery to see some choice selections.

If you have your own idea about completing North's name ... send it in the comments section.

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Aaron Hernandez could lose big financially if legal situation worsens

One point of emphasis for the NFL during the 2011 negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement was inserting language into the new deal that would allow teams to recoup signing bonus money from players who are imprisoned or suspended.

If Aaron Hernandez winds up in legal trouble related to the investigation of a homicide of one of his associates, that tweak in the CBA's language could cost the New England Patriots tight end nearly $37 million.

Hernandez is in the midst of a five-year contract extension through the 2018 season that he signed last summer. With that deal, he got a $12.5 million signing bonus. Under the old CBA, that amount would've been fully guaranteed in the case of imprisonment, as the New York Giants learned.

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In 2008, the Giants tried to withhold a $1 million payment of Plaxico Burress' signing bonus after he shot himself in the thigh. The NFL Players Association and the league went before a special master, with the Giants arguing Burress' actions should've voided the guarantee on his signing bonus.

At the time, the only language in the CBA concerning such issues stated a player would forfeit bonus money via a "willful" action, such as a holdout. The Giants argued Burress' carrying a gun into a club and discharging it himself constituted a willful action; the special master disagreed and ordered the team to pay Burress the $1 million remaining payment of his signing bonus.

The NFL wanted to strengthen the language to allow teams to recoup bonus money, and they did just that.

The new CBA states a player commits a "forfeitable breach" when he "willfully fails to report, practice or play" while healthy, retires, suffers an injury due to "an activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury" or "is unavailable to the team due to conduct by him that results in his incarceration."

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Teen Rapper Lil Snupe Killed in La.

Police in north Louisiana are investigating the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old rapper known as Lil Snupe.

The Winnfield Police Department says the entertainer, whose real name was Addarren Ross, died Thursday morning after he was shot twice in the chest at an apartment building in the city. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ross, who lived in Jonesboro, La., recently signed a recording deal with Meek Mill's Dream Chasers label.

Police say they are searching for an unidentified "person of interest" but have not established a motive for the shooting.

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Happy Summer Solstice 2013!

Happy summer!*

At 05:04 UTC (01:04 a.m. EDT) on June 21, the Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, which we call the summer solstice. It also means in general it’s the longest day of the year. Since this happens in the middle of the night for us in the United States, it means Thursday and Friday are about the same length; in fact the difference is too small to worry about. For me, in Boulder, Colo., the day is 15 hours and one minute long; compare that to the dead of winter when it’s only about 9.3 hours long!

I’ve written about this about a bazillion times, so check Related Posts below for more info on how this all works. I’ll note that the length of the day depends on your latitude; if you live in Alaska, your days are longer than mine, and if you’re at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, it’s been nighttime for a few weeks now. Living on a great spinning tilted ball is weird, but that’s the hand we’re dealt.

*Well, if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, that is. For the 10 or so percent of you below the equator, happy winter!

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Students embrace Instragram video, but still want Vine

Some colleges students understand Instragram's move to embrace video, but they are not ready to dismiss Twitter's six-second Vine application.

One meeting in Menlo Park, Calif., has changed the way people see posts on Instagram.

No longer will users see only filtered photos of sunsets, animals and flowers. Company co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom announced Thursday that a video feature has been added to the photo-sharing app.

"It's everything we know and love about Instagram, but it moves," Systrom said in the announcement

The Facebook-owned company is in direct competition with the Twitter-owned Vine, which allows its 13 million users to share six-second video clips.

Both functions allow the user to press and hold a button to film; however, video on Instagram comes with many features Vine doesn't have.

On Instagram, clips can be focused, edited and deleted, and a cover frame can be selected. A feature Instagram calls Cinema, a stabilization technology, will enhance the video and make sure it is not shaky.

"(Those features are) going to hurt Vine a lot," said Melanie Loff-Bird, a junior studying graphic design at American University. "Having the ability to delete the last segment (of the video) is really useful. If you start a Vine and mess up, then you have to start completely over, and sometimes you can't do that."

Another key difference between the two: clip length. Similar to its parent company, Vine specializes in brevity: six seconds. Instagram allows for up to 15 seconds of video to be recorded.

Nicole Marrow, a junior studying decision science at Carnegie Mellon University, said the time difference is not that significant, saying extra time may be less appealing because of people's short attention spans.

"You have more room to make things happen, but it's fun to see how creative people are to fit things into six seconds," she said. "It forces you to put in the best six seconds as opposed to filler time. … You're going to feel obligated to fill up those 15 seconds when six seconds is all you may have needed."

Instagram, which has 130 million users, has added its trademark filters to the video menu, rolling out 13 new choices.

Marrow, 20, said these filters are pointless and too similar, but she still felt compelled to use them.

"Without the filters, it's just a longer Vine," she said. "(The video filters) all look brownish. I like the photo filters much better than the video ones."

Loff-Bird said having one app to take pictures and video might work toward Instagram's advantage because of society's lazy nature.

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USPS to Close Three Capitol Hill Post Offices

The U.S. Postal Service will close three post offices on the House side of Capitol Hill, the agency has announced.

The post offices -- located in the Rayburn and Cannon office buildings, as well as the Capitol building -- were first identified for closures for “extremely low usage” in 2011. USPS issued the three Final Determination to Close notices Wednesday, estimating the closures would save about $2 million over 10 years.

House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and House Administration Chairman Rep. Candice Miller praised the decision, saying it sets a good precedent for the cash-strapped agency.

“Congress should lead by example and not treat itself to a higher level of service than it needs or is available to the average American,” the chairmen said in a joint statement. “The cost savings from these consolidations are a small but symbolically important step in restoring USPS to long-term financial solvency.”

Issa and Miller wrote a letter to USPS in April asking the Postal Service to move forward with the plan.

“The bottom line is that employees and members of the House of Representatives enjoy a level of postal service well in excess of that received by most of their fellow Americans,” they wrote. “Congress should not treat itself to such privilege at the expense of the ratepayer.”

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Miley Cyrus’s ‘We Can’t Stop,’ is par for course of pop stardom

If Miley Cyrus’ ‘We Can’t Stop’ video — released Wednesday via Twitter — is a final plea to disassociate herself from her past life as Hannah Montana and cast off the shackles of the Disney Channel once and for all, then mission accomplished.

Miley is just bein’ Miley, guys. Point taken.

The clip is three minutes and thirty four seconds of sensory overload. And it has already grabbed the Interwebs by the scruff and forced a view, or two, or three (don’t worry, no one’s counting).

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Game 7 of N.B.A. Finals Draws High TV Ratings

The Miami Heat’s defeat of the San Antonio Spurs in the N.B.A. finals averaged nearly 17.7 million viewers on ABC, the most to watch the Spurs play for the league championship. The higher numbers were helped by a series that went seven games and because the Spurs’ opponent was the LeBron James-led Heat.

The Spurs have generally needed a larger market team as a partner in the finals to help attract viewers. In 1999, the Spurs-Knicks finals were seen by an average of 16.0 million viewers. But the Spurs’ sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007 averaged just 9.3 million. Only slightly better was the Spurs’ 2003 finals victory over the Nets, which averaged 9.86 million viewers.

Game 7 on Thursday night drew 26.3 million viewers, the second most to watch an N.B.A. game on ABC. The viewership peaked from 11:30 to 11:45 p.m. Eastern, at 34.2 million viewers.

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Soccer: Tahiti Loses, 10-0, And Keeps Celebrating In Brazil

There were no miracles for Tahiti at the Confederations Cup Thursday. After all, they were facing Spain, currently the No. 1 soccer team in the world. But even a stark 10-0 loss, a record result this late in a FIFA tournament, didn't dampen the enthusiasm the Tahitians have brought to Brazil.

The game was played in a stadium that held a crowd reported at 71,000 people — equal to a bit more than a quarter of the total population of Tahiti, which different estimates place at between 267,000 and 277,000.

The team from Tahiti, nearly all of them amateur players who live on the French territory's islands, made headlines earlier this week simply by scoring a single goal. That strike came against Nigeria, and it sparked a celebration in which its players lined up on the turf and pretended to row a boat together.

In that game, Tahiti lost to Nigeria handily, 6-1. But that lone goal fulfilled the mission of the Toa Aito, as the team is called (it translates to Great Warriors).

Tahitian striker Marama Vahirua, who plays in France for Nancy, is the only professional player on the squad, which also includes several promising young players. He recently said that scoring one goal in Brazil is the highest aspiration for his team.

"A goal for us, it will be a victory in the competition, no matter who scores," he said, according toTahiti News. "I did not come here to have fun but to defend the colors of Tahiti and French football. If we can at least score a goal."

And when they achieved that goal, the team's celebration solidified its status as the darlings of this tournament, where fans chant for Tahiti and boo teams from Spain and Nigeria. Ranked No. 138 in the world, Tahiti is one of eight teams competing in Brazil, alongside such elite squads as Italy and the host country itself.

"Wow, we are in Brazil to play the best teams in the world," Tahiti coach Eddy Etaeta, according to The New York Times, which also notes that the coach shook his head as he made the comment.

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Bill Russell Yawns During Game 7, Stick Around To Present NBA Finals MVP Trophy (GIF/PHOTOS)

At age 79, Bill Russell can still turn in a memorable Game 7 performance.

The man with more appearances (5) and wins (5) in seventh games of the NBA Finals as well as more overall NBA championships (11) than any other player in history had a courtside seat for the climactic contest between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. Despite his prime viewing location and the back-and-forth nature of the thrilling Finals finale, Russell didn't seem particularly absorbed by what he was watching at one point deep into the third quarter.

The NBA icon yawned the yawn GIF'd 'round the Internet.

GIF: Bill Russell Yawning During Game 7

While the 9 p.m. start to the game could be more responsible for the yawn than the quality of the play, Russell would certainly be forgiven for not being in awe of the event. It's no accident that the trophy awarded to the NBA Finals MVP bears his name. After the Heat clinched their second straight championship, Russell was on hand -- and seemingly wide awake -- to hand off that trophy to LeBron James.

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