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The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against several thousand acres of land in South Texas on Monday in an effort to move forward with construction of the controversial and long-stalled border wall.

Submitted on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the lawsuit names 5,934 acres of land, more or less in Hidalgo County as well as Mary Francis Chupick Bennett as the defendants in the eminent domain action.

Presented as a complaint in condemnation, the lawsuit is a typical Department of Justice (DHS) filing used to condemn private property in order for the government to forcibly gain control, access and title when the landowner refuses to sell the real estate in question.

Declarations of takings were originally permitted and limited by the Bill of Rights via the Fifth Amendment and later further elaborated upon via the Federal Declaration of Taking Act, both which provide that any such taking is conditioned on the government providing just compensation for the property sought by the state.

Per that statute, such information includes:

(1) a statement of the authority under which, and the public use for which, the land is taken; (2) a description of the land taken that is sufficient to identify the land; (3) a statement of the estate or interest in the land taken for public use; (4) a plan showing the land taken; and (5) a statement of the amount of money estimated by the acquiring authority to be just compensation for the land taken.

Here, the DOJ is relying on a 2017 defense appropriations bill for the statutory authority necessitated by the act. The Trump administration has consistently broadcast their intent and argued their authority to reallocate traditional military funds for the purpose of constructing the 45th presidents long-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border due to Congress generally refusing to directly fund the project.

The lawsuit also describes the intent of the proposed seizure: The public purpose for which said property is taken is to construct, install, operate, and maintain roads, fencing, vehicle barriers, security lighting, cameras, sensors, and related structures designed to help secure the United States/Mexico border within the State of Texas.

Also contained are the necessary land descriptions and maps of the property the government is trying to claim for its own.

The just compensation outlined in the proposal looks to be a decided bargain for the federal government. For the nearly 6,000 acre plat, the DOJ is suggesting the landowners are only entitled to $113,202. That equates to roughly $19.08 per acre.

The average market value of rural acreage in Texas is just shy of $3,000 per acre, according to Texas A&M Universitys Real Estate Center. The government clearly believes they are entitled to an exponential discount on the would-be land grab.

Assistant United States Attorney Manuel Muniz Lorenzi signed the lawsuit on behalf of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Ryan K. Patrick.

Perhaps curiously, or perhaps not, complaints in condemnation generally contain a jury demand instruction. Patricks filing on behalf of DHS, however, expressly disclaims that typical request.

[image via Joe Raedle/Getty Images]

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Trump Admin Files Lawsuit Against 5,934 Acres of Land, More or Less in Order to Build the Wall - Law & Crime

Chico celebrated Juneteenth on Friday with back-to-back events. The first focused on building better relations with Chico police while the second included speakers seeking to defund the police and demanding justice.

The Orion covered the second event, Juneteenth: Gathering for Justice and Healing, organized by the Justice for Desmond Phillips campaign. The event sought to honor the lives of people of color killed by police across the country.

Speakers strongly advocated for holding Butte County and Chico Police officers accountable. They also sought to educate citizens in Chico about the killings of Desmond Phillips and Marc Thompson, two cousins both killed in Butte County.

Desmond Phillips was a Black man who was shot dead in his home after having a PTSD attack on March 17, 2017. When his father David Phillips called an ambulance to diffuse the situation. Chico police arrived and tased Desmond, then shot him multiple times.

For over three years, father David Phillips has been speaking out against police brutality, advocating for police accountable and organizing events in hopes of seeing justice for his son Desmond Phillips and Desmonds cousin, Marc Thompson.

This is a peaceful event, Phillips said. And you will hear the truth, the real story in the capital murder of Desmond Phillips as well as the murder of Marc Thompson.

Thompson was a Chico State student. His body was found in his burned car 28 miles northeast of Oroville on Sept. 3, 2014. Almost six years later police have not made any arrests.

The plaza stage doubled as an altar. Pictures, candles, signs and flowers were placed at the foot of the stage to honor Desmond Phillips and other Black citizens killed by the police. The stage featured two large posters of Desmond.

The rest of the event focused on educating the public on Black history, the significance of Juneteenth and knowing ones rights when encountering law enforcement.

The crowd honored the memory of George Floyd with eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence while three on-stage drummers played a slow cadence symbolizing George Floyds heartbeat.

David Phillips teared up on stage as he began talking about his son. He told the audience of the warnings he gave to emergency responders. He accused Chico Police of entering his home unannounced. He said his grandchildren were in their rooms while Desmond suffered from a PTSD attack and grabbed two knives from the kitchen. Seeing his son dead literally brought him to his knees, Phillips said.

The bullet holes from that night are still scattered throughout his living room, David Phillips said. He shared a picture of his son taken moments after his death.

The Justice for Desmond Phillips team again called for Chico Police officers Alex Fliehr, Jeremy Gagnebin and Sgt. Todd Lefkowitz to be arrested. David Phillips claimed to be in contact with the FBI and expressed deep frustration and anger with the former Chico Chief of Police Mike OBrien and District Attorney Mike Ramsey.

David Phillips wasnt the only person to appear on stage. Other family members and community organizers shared their personal stories, history lessons and poetry.

Lesa Johnson, assistant professor of sociology at Chico State, provided a history lesson on the Emancipation Proclamation

The Bethel AME church had a Juneteenth celebration this time last year, said Johnson. We did research on President Lincoln and the true nature of the emancipation proclamation, the fact that it did not free all slaves, it only freed slaves in states that he needed to negotiate with.

The second lesson concerned the racist legacy of some Northern California orchards.

We also did research on the heritage of some of the orchard owners, Johnson said. The history here is that there were descendants of slave owners who settled in Northern California.

Johnson shared these lessons because she feels her students and the general public often have an inaccurate perception of U.S. history.

It is always important to understand our history, Johnson said. I find that so many of our students do not understand the true history of the places where we live or of the United States. If you cant understand the history of where you are then you dont understand the nature of the relationships between the racial and ethnic groups there. So we have to be able to go back into history and understand where all of this started.

Another session focused on teaching citizens their rights, such as the right to record police or the right to walk away if you are not being detained or arrested. They shared ways to hold police accountable for their actions. Rain Scher, another event organizer who has hosted Cop Watch events in the past, shared her advice and opinions.

This entire event is happening because of the police, Scher said. If it werent for police violating peoples rights and killing people, we wouldnt have this event in the first place. We want to make sure anyone that is interested in supporting people who are affected by police violence know what their rights are and know how to support other people in asserting their rights.

Scher presented a recap on citizens rights when encountering police and provided handouts of Chico police officers involved in fatal shootings.

Scher recommended recording footage of police encounters using the American Civil Liberties Union app. The footage is automatically sent to the ACLU database for review.

One of the most important rights Scher mentioned during an encounter with the police is the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.

A lot of people get bullied and intimidated into talking and incriminating themselves, even saying things that arent true, Scher said.

Chico State student Cami Tillman found out about the event throughout the Justice for Desmond Phillips Facebook page.

Tillman presented her poem Rotating States in Cycles in front of the large audience. The piece focused on the struggles that Black people face through events like the killing of George Floyd.

It was about the different emotions we and Black people are feeling as we navigate all the different deaths and trauma that has been going on consistently, Tillman said. Just having to continue to play the game even though there is so much more being stacked on constantly.

Julian Mendoza can be reached on Twitter @JulianMTheOrion or at [emailprotected]

Read the original:
Juneteenth rally for justice and healing in Chico - The Orion

AFTER the Cork hurlers won their epic All-Ireland semi-final with Waterford in 2006, Brian Corcoran took manager, John Allen, aside in the dressing room.

Corcoran explained that there was a month to get things right for a potential three-in-a-row and the club games fixed for the following weekend would have to be called off. Allen was unsure, but Corcoran spoke to the players and Donal g Cusack called a vote. All the players agreed that they needed a clean run at the All-Ireland final: The clubs could wait. By the following day, Allen was pleading the case for the games to go, for the good of Cork hurling.

The club games werent played; there were no quarter-finals until the last week of September. Cork lost the final and some players admitted theyd had too long a lead-in. Corcoran and Cusack played the senior county final against each other that October. Everybody thought they were doing the right thing and everybody was in some form.

If theres a tendency to simplify the club-county conundrum as some kind of battle for the soul of GAA, this is just one of hundreds of examples that show its too nuanced and complex for that. Its possible to want to do the best by clubsmake the county team as good as it can be, but, and heres the killer, its very difficult to achieve.

The populist call has been for club action to take priority this year, that its the time for some reckoning on the inter-county scene, amid some nostalgic ideal of knockout club championships and the glory days. Theres the opposite idea, blamed on Davy Fitz, of playing club championship as a kind of two- or three-week blitz to allow the county team more time and priority.

In the middle, any thoughts of trying to cram a season of games into an already bursting calendar have quickly evaporated into logistical issues. Especially in Cork, where an inter-county player is going to face a fairly hectic schedule of games from August onwards, and where an inter-county player who also plays dual might want to cancel any outside plans.

Clubs need games: More than one, but maybe not four in three weeks. County teams need collective time together, but itll be like an international team gathering before a Fifa World Cup, trying to freshen up players after an intense end of season.

This isnt an easy fix and Anthony Daly, a pure GAA man, explained the difference in focus and analysis between the club and county games. Its grand to wonder at the point of all this inter-county preparation and make suggestions about not needing weeks or months to be ready, but then theres someone picking apart the lack of a puck-out strategy on , or calling out some poor full-back line for getting the runaround in the papers on Monday morning thats the reality of the inter-county expectation of consistent excellence now.

Another reality? The GAA needs the inter-county scene for finances, for the sponsorship and TV money that filters down to the county boards and clubs.

Another reality? The inter-county is important in winning hearts and minds. It might be a wonderful thought that the club is where it all begins, but for an awful lot of children, their first real love of the game will come from watching Munster finals and wanting to wear the county jersey.

Ronan McCarthy has said that itd be unfair on clubs to get only one knockout game after a summer of waiting and a year of being promised more games. Its hardly the right timing for a statement for the future with a grand gesture on the club/county scene, and even if theres a sense that something new is needed for them to work together, its almost impossible to meet club and county needs when both are competing for the same time.

A new and separate calendar might come into conversations again.

For now, compromise will have to do, along with the understanding that everybody players, clubs, inter-county managers is looking for the same basic needs to be met: Everyone wants games. Everyone wants the best chance to win.

Were still worlds away from providing everyone with that.

See more here:
Cork GAA forever struggles to find the balance between club and county - Echo Live

Feels Good Man took home the Best Feature-Length Documentary award. (Courtesy of LIFF)

The 2020 Lighthouse International Film Festival announced its award winners on Sunday afternoon, June 21, in a virtual ceremony.Not surprisingly, films that dealt with Americas racial crisis did well.

The Subject, directed by Lanie Zipoy, won the Best Narrative Feature competition, beating out Her Name Was Jo, Milkwater, A Case of Blue and 1986. The scripted feature is about a documentary filmmaker who had success with his last film, which caught the murder of an African American teen on tape. Now someone else is videotaping his every move, threatening his idyllic life.

A timely film that explores the complex issue of race in America, greatly acted not only by Jason Biggs but the entire cast, wrote the judges. A very compelling story, well told of a very conflicted character.

Feels Good Man took home the Best Feature-Length Documentary award. Directed by Arthur Jones, it follows Matt Furie, who created the indie comic character Pepe the Frog. Pepe was appropriated as a symbol of the alt-right movement, and the film follows Furie as he attempts to regain control of his creation, confronting far-right-wing personalities such as Richard Spencer and Alex Jones. Feels Good Man competed against Higher Love, The Long Haul, No Fear No Favor and Shoot to Marry.

We were impressed by the arc of the story, wrote the judges, the storys relevance, high stakes, and broad appeal. What impressed us most was how the filmmaker visualized Matt Furies jouney paralleled Pepes jouney and how their lives intersected. This of course concluded with Matt killing Pepe in order to redeem a part of himself.

Lost In Traplanta, directed by Mathieu Rochet, took home the Episodic competition honors. This French and Belgian production was filmed in Atlanta and tells the story of Larry, a slightly whimsical Frenchman who explores the music scene in Atlanta, where Trap, a subgenre of hip hop that originated in the southern United States, rules the roost. In his acceptance speech, Rochet declared, Everybody in France is looking at you.

The Shorts competitions are always hard fought because of sheer numbers. This year no fewer than 59 were shown virtually.

The Best Short-Documentary award went to Ashes to Ashes, directed by Taylor Rees and Renan Ozturk. It was practically a shoo-in in an age of racial tensions, considering it centers around Winfred Rembert, the only living survivor of a lynching, and Shirley Whitaker, who is on a mission to memorialize the forgotten 4,000 African Americans lynched during the Jim Crow era.

The level of the short films is equivalent to the level of cinema documentary that you can see in feature films, opined the judges. We wanted to give the award to a film we felt is even more outstanding, especially dealing with such an important topic right now in the U.S. and in the world, but also doing so in such a sensitive and interesting way.

Ashes to Ashes also won the Social Impact award.

Many parts of American history are hidden from us and now, better late than never, is time to educate ourselves, to know the history, to learn from the mistakes, not to shy away from them, and Ashes to Ashes shows personal stories we had no idea about, said the judges. We are grateful to the filmmakers of this documentary, for reminding us that movies do not only make us laugh, cry, escape to other worlds, but educate us.

The Best Short Narrative Film category was topped by White Eye, directed by Tomer Shushan. A man finds his stolen bicycle and it now belongs to a stranger. In his attempts to retrieve the bicycle, he struggles to remain human.

Tomer Shushan, already awarded with SXSW Grand Jury Award, made a heartbreaking story about African refugees in Israel and how important to stay human, be compassionate, and to not follow your ego, but your heart and soul, said the judges.

Empty, directed by Vic Pater of Middletown High School, took the Student Films competition, beating out 14 other entries. The Convergence, directed by Noah Lipsitz of Pennsylvanias Lower Merion High School, was rewarded with an honorable mention.

By using poetic language, the narration of the film was lyrical, wrote the judges of Paters film. The animations moved beautifully along with the narration, making the piece feel dreamlike. The films ability to highlight mental illness through various metaphors of bugs and animals allowed for the audience to understand a different perspective and way of life.

The Jennifer Snyder Bryceland Award, with its $3,500 special prize, went to Why Is We Americans? directed by Udi Aloni and Ayana Stafford-Morris.

The 2020 prize is proudly awarded to Why Is We Americans? an intimate and inspiring window into the poetic, progressive, and complex world of the renowned Baraka family and their revolutionary relationship with the city of Newark, New Jersey, said the judges. An insightful and layered film that would be an important and necessary story to tell at any point in time, Why Is We Americans? is even more timely and essential in todays world.

Chip Parham, who has volunteered with the LIFF for a decade and who coordinated the shorts competitions this year, won the festivals Volunteer Award. Beach Haven Mayor Nancy Taggart Davis won this years Community Award.R.M.

Read more here:
And the 2020 Lighthouse International Film Festival Award Winners Are - The SandPaper

Good morning, BroadwayWorld!

American Buffalo, written by David Mamet and directed by Neil Pepe, will officially open at the Circle in the Square Theatre (235 W 50th Street) on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, exactly one year after its originally scheduled opening date. Performances for American Buffalo will begin the week of March 22, 2021 on Broadway.

Steppenwolf's production of The Minutes by Tracy Letts, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, will return to Broadway opening exactly one year after its original opening date of Sunday, March 15, 2020 at the Cort Theatre (138 W 48th Street).

Read more about these and other top stories below!

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1) VIDEO: Ben Platt Responds to DEAR EVAN HANSEN Film Rumorsby TV News Desk

Ben Platt was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday to talk about the new season of The Politician on Netflix. During the interview, Platt also addressed the rumors that the Tony-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen will be made into a feature film!. (more...)

2) QUIZ: Only People Who Had a Hamilton Phase Can Get an A+ on This Trivia Quiz

All of this hype for #Hamilfilm is making us feel like it's 2015 again! So many #Ham4Ham episodes and memorizing the entire show... take our ultimate Hamilton Phase quiz and see how well you do!. (more...)

3) Splash Mountain Ride at Walt Disney World & Disneyland to be Reimagined with PRINCESS AND THE FROGby TV News Desk

Disney Parks announced today that the Splash Mountain attraction in Walt Disney World and Disneyland will be reimagined with theming from The Princess and the Frog.. (more...)

4) Broadway Summer Party: How to Host a Virtual Watch Party!by Kaitlin Milligan

BroadwayWorld is here to walk you through the many options that will allow you to virtually watch from your favorite streaming services and enjoy with your family and friends in real time!. (more...)

5) VIDEO: Dame Judi Dench Expresses Concern For the Return of Theatreby Stage Tube

Dame Judi Dench recently chatted with Channel 4 about the future of the theatre and more.. (more...)

Today's Call Sheet - Upcoming Online Events:

- Today at 2pm and 8pm, Seth Rudetsky will continue his Stars in the House series, featuring new Broadway stars performing and answering questions! Watch live on YouTube here!

- The Met continues its Live in HD broadcast series with L'Elisir d'Amore, tonight at 7:30pm. Watch here!

- Lauren Molina and Noodle host Broadway Song/Story Time, and Vasthy Mompoint hosts Broadway Dance Party, for Broadway Babysitters. Check it out here!

- BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge will interview Lea Salonga today at 12pm! Tune in here!

- Marie's Crisis Weekend Warmup returns today at 4pm! Stuck inside and dying for a reason to sing out? Well get your vocal chords stretched and ready, because you're about to belt your way into this weekend! Tune in here!

- Andrew Barth Feldman and Alex Boniello's Broadway Jackbox series returns today at 6pm with special guests! Tune in here!

- BroadwayWorld's Next on Stage continues tonight at 8pm! Today is the grand finale, featuring both groups of students! Tune in here!

Learn about more online streaming events happening today, and in the future, on our streaming calendar at /streaming-schedule/.

BWW Exclusive: Behind the Rainbow Flag: Jenn Colella Shares the Story of Her First Pride Event in 1995

BroadwayWorld is celebrating Pride Month with Behind the Rainbow Flag. This series will feature theatre artists, who are members of the LGTBQ+ community sharing their stories, advice, or other pieces related to their identity.

In an exclusive video, Jenn Colella shared the story of her very first Pride event, in 1995.

What we're watching: Cast and Producers from POSE Perform Billy Porter's 'Love Yourself'

In a first look at the upcoming POSE-A-THON special, the cast and producers of the hit FX series Pose perform Billy Porter's Hit Song "Love Yourself."

The performance of "Love Yourself" features: Steven Canals (Creator, Executive Producer), Janet Mock (Executive Producer) Billy Porter ("Pray Tell") , Mj Rodriguez ("Blanca"), Angel Bismark Curiel ("Lil Papi"), Sandra Bernhard ("Nurse Judy Kubrak"), Dylln Burnside ("Ricky"), Dominique Jackson ("Elektra"), Jeremy McClain ("Cubby"), Indya Moore ("Angel"), Jason Rodriguez ("Lemar"), Angelica Ross ("Candy"), Hailie Sahar ("Lulu"), Ryan Jamal Swain ("Damon"), Charlayne Woodard ("Helena St. Rogers") and Patti LuPone ("Frederica Norman").

News:

AMERICAN BUFFALO Will Now Open in Spring 2021

American Buffalo, written by David Mamet and directed by Neil Pepe, will officially open at the Circle in the Square Theatre (235 W 50th Street) on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, exactly one year after its originally scheduled opening date.

Performances for American Buffalo will begin the week of March 22, 2021 on Broadway.

THE MINUTES Will Arrive on Broadway in Spring 2021

There is big news for Big Cherry! BroadwayWorld has just learned that Steppenwolf's production of The Minutes by Tracy Letts, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, will return to Broadway opening exactly one year after its original opening date of Sunday, March 15, 2020 at the Cort Theatre (138 W 48th Street). The Minutes was a limited engagement and was originally scheduled to close Sunday, July 26.

See you bright and early Monday, BroadwayWorld!

Go here to read the rest:
Wake Up With BWW 6/26: New Opening Dates For AMERICAN BUFFALO and THE MINUTES, and More! - Broadway World