1/9/2014::Must stop making so much news, I can't keep up

Setting the Scene in Latvia: An Interview with Inga Ābele

Inga Ābele, born in 1972 in Riga, has written plays and screenplays, collections of poetry, stories and novels. Her play Dark Deer was staged in Latvia, at the Stuttgart State Theatre, the Bonner Biennale, and in Greece, being made a feature film in 2006. Iron Weed was staged in Latvia, Denmark, and Finland; Jasmine premiered in Latvia and was staged in Lucerne. Her poetry collections include Night Pragmatist and a collection of prose poems, The Horses of Atgazene Station. Her 2001 novel, Fire Will Not Wake You, was published in Lithuanian in 2007. Her story collection Notes During the Time of Snow won the Annual Award for Literature in 2004, and another collection, Still Life with Pomegranate, was published in French translation in 2005. Ābele’s 2008 novel High Tide was published in in Swedish translation in 2009 and in English translation in 2013.

Not Pono: Hawai'i Republicans Bash Transgender Teacher

Unfortunately, a small but vocal group of right-wing political and religious extremists have made a choice not to be pono when it comes to protecting the health of Hawaiian youth.

They have repeatedly claimed that Pono Choices is being "forced" on students and their families, even though parents actually have the option to request that their child not receive the instruction, as is Department of Education policy for every curriculum or lesson that addresses reproductive health. During the recent contentious legislative hearings on marriage equality in Hawai'i, there were also numerous warnings that Pono Choices "encourages the homosexual lifestyle," even though it is in full compliance with the Board of Educationʻs abstinence-based sex education policy.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers Sam Slom and Bob McDermott held a press conference at which they slammed the program because it "robs children of their innocence." But as revealed by an article in the Honolulu Civil Beat, they had only seen bits and pieces of the curriculum because they refused to participate in an in-person orientation session.

Governor’s Attempt To Find Massive Welfare Fraud Turns Up Next To Nothing

On Tuesday, Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) released data on purchases made with state welfare benefits that he claimed exposed abuse, but they only add up to less than a percent of all benefit transactions.

The data show that there were more than 3,000 transactions at bars, sports bars, and strip clubs made with EBT (electronic benefit transfer) cards loaded with TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or welfare) and food stamp benefits between January 1, 2011 and November 15, 2013. The state doesn’t track what was actually purchased, and some transactions can be withdrawals from ATMs at those locations. Given that there are about 50,000 of these transactions every month, or nearly 1.8 million in that time frame, as the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) spokesman told the Bangor Daily News, they only make up “about two-tenths of 1 percent of total purchases and ATM withdrawals,” the paper calculates.

LePage still expressed outrage at this tiny fraction of purchases. “This information is eye-opening and indicates a larger problem than initially thought,” he wrote when the data was released,,,

Stunning photos of partially frozen Niagara Falls

The polar vortex that has gripped the U.S. and Canada this week has led to some spectacular icy images. The latest come from Niagara Falls, which partially froze Tuesday when the temperature hit a record low of minus 2 degrees.

Aaron Harris, a photographer for Reuters, took several shots of the 167-foot frozen falls Wednesday. The ice formed on the U.S. side of the falls, which straddle the border with Canada.

While unusual, it's not the first time Niagara Falls has frozen. Photographs from the early- and mid-1900s archived at Niagara Falls Public Library appear to show frozen falls, though some experts have questioned their authenticity.

Utah Will Not Recognize Same-Sex Marriages That Occurred After Ban Was Lifted, Says Governor

The office of Utah Governor Gary Herbert stated that same-sex marriages that took place after the state's ban on gay marriage will not be recognized as legal for now. The change comes after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay in the case, putting the state's same-sex marriages on hold.

The governor's chief of staff Derek Miller issued a directive to cabinet members on Tuesday detailing the state's official position.

"With the district court injunction now stayed, the original laws governing marriage in Utah return to effect pending final resolution by the courts. It is important to understand that those laws include not only a prohibition of performing same-sex marriages but also recognizing same-sex marriages," Miller wrote.

Homeless teens and young adults find shelter and a future in Denver

Adolescents and young adults on their own make up a fraction of the nation’s homeless population. Most face rejection or abuse from their families. Traditional programs aimed at the chronically homeless often place them in a potentially dangerous situation at a vulnerable age.

There's a lot that is still unknown about this sector of the homeless population. The numbers are inexact. And it's not clear beyond well-known programs in New York, San Francisco and Cincinnati, to name a few, just how many centers like Urban Peak exist. While more research needs to be done, what is clear is that they offer perspectives on how to prevent homeless teens from becoming homeless adults.

More than 610,000 people were counted as homeless in an annual survey conducted in January 2013 and reported to Congress in November. Of those, 200,000 were under 25, but only about 47,000 of those were estranged from their families, the report said.

Two-time plane crash survivor Austin Hatch sinks first shot in his return

The most satisfying technical foul of Loyola High School coach Jamal Adams' career came midway through the fourth quarter of the Cubs' 87-59 victory over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Wednesday night.

Loyola received it after its entire bench charged onto the floor to mob senior Austin Hatch in celebration of his first basket in a game in nearly three years.

Hatch, a survivor of two deadly plane crashes, has practiced with Loyola since moving from Indiana to Los Angeles in August, but he hadn't felt comfortable playing in a game until Wednesday night's league opener. The 6-foot-7 Michigan signee checked in early in the fourth quarter and buried his first shot four possessions later, a wide-open right-wing 3-pointer set up by two perfect off-ball screens.