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Kara Menini

Kiribati may move its entire population 1,400 miles south

Kiribati officials expect climate change may make living on islands impossible in the future

Kiribati, an island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, has a very unusual back-up plan in the case of extreme climate change. Global warming has always been a looming, distant problem, but the people of Kiribati are experiencing it for real. Kiribati President, Anote Tong, has told the Associated Press (AP) that the government has “endorsed a plan to buy nearly 6,000 acres on Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu.” Tong claims that the land in Fiji is fertile and is smart insurance for the over 100,000-person population of Kiribati who could easily loose their culture if climate change keeps affecting the chain of islands. 

Kiribati, composed of 32 atolls, or coral islands, is located on the equator, near the International Date Line. President Tong said that tidal and storm patterns have posed a threat to the livelihood of the islands as well as rising ocean levels. According to NY Daily News, scientists estimate per year, the Pacific sea level rises approximately .1 inches a year. However, with a number of Kiribati atolls rising just a few feet above sea level, a back-up plan is definitely a smart move.

President Tong has said that some Kiribati villages have already moved because, There have been increasing instances of sea water contamination the island’s underground fresh water, which remains vital for trees and crops,” said NY Daily News

“We’re trying to secure the future of our people,” said President Tong, “The international community needs to be addressing this problem more.” The land in Fiji, which is being sold for $9.6 million by a church group, will, at the very least, be an option to relocate the people of Kiribati as a unit so that the culture can live on for future generations.

However, President Tong is waiting for full parliamentary approval to purchase the Fiji land, which is set to happen in April, before he discusses the plan, in full, with officials in Fiji.

Mario Batali agrees to pay $5.25 million to employees whose tips he skimmed

Restaurant owner pocketed percentage of employees tips at the end of the night and is now paying for it

Mario Batali has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought against him and his business partner, Joseph Bastianich, by waiters, bartenders, runners and busboys of Batali’s Manhattan restaurants. Mario Batali and his business partner will pay $5.25 million to over 1000 employees who claim the chef illegally skimmed from the tip pool every night.

Mario Batali, according the court documents, put in place a company policy that an equivalent of four to five percent of total wine sales would be taken from the tip pool at the end of the night. Employees were told the money was used for wine research and to pay for broken glassware. In reality, the money was pocketed by the house. The Global Post said, “according to the complaint, employees said that ‘Mr. Batali, Mr. Bastianich, and their restaurants unlawfully confiscated a portion of their worker’ hard-earned tips in order to supplement their own profits.” The Huffington Post, however, said the tip skimming went “to pay sommeliers’ salaries.” 

The settlement made by Mario Batali, according to the Huffington Post, “will be available to ‘all individuals who worked at the Restaurants as captians, servers, waiters, bussers, runners, back waiters, bartenders, and/or barbacks from July 22, 2004 to February 14, 2012’ … The exact amount due to each plaintiff is determined by the number of hours he or she has worked for the restaurants.” 

After the initial suit two years ago, the business partner of Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianich, tried to discourage others from joining the suit by wrongly assuming and saying, “Only the lawyers make money on these lawsuits.”  

Mario Batali owns a number of restaurants in Manhattan, and a good number of them are involved in this lawsuit. The restaurants include Babbo, Del Posto, Casa Mono, Lupa and Otto, Bar Jamón and Esca.  Employees of Batali’s restaurants are eagerly awaiting a judges’ approval of the settlement.

Pat Robertson supports legalization of marijuana

700 Club host believes legalizing the drug could save billions

Pat Robertson has recently re-stated his stance on marijuana: legalize it! The evangelical Christian host of The 700 Club has claimed that the government’s war on drugs has failed, and this failure is costing billions to taxpayers.

Even though Pat Robertson is the same man who went public with his belief that Haiti had a “pact with the devil,” feminists “practice witchcraft” and the gay community “brings about terrorist bombs,” Pat Robertson is becoming popular among those who may have hated the religious broadcaster in the past. His logic on the legalization of marijuana is simple; regular citizens are put in prison for a small amount of a relatively harmless drug and become criminals because of their time. On March 1st, Pat Robertson said on his show, “I just think it’s shocking how many of these young people wind up in prison, and they get turned into hardcore criminals because they had a possession of a very small amount of a controlled substance. The whole thing is crazy. We’ve said, ‘Well, we’re conservatives, we’re tough on crime.’ That’s baloney.”

Pat Robertson appeared in the New York Times on Thursday, confirming his support for the regulation and legalization of marijuana. The NYTimes quoted Pat Robertson, “I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol. If people can go into a liquor store and buy a bottle of alcohol and drink it at home legally, then why do we say that the use of this other substance is somehow criminal?”

Pat Robertson has been publicly supporting this legalization in light of an upcoming legislation. In November, Colorado and Washington State will vote to legalize the substance giving those older than 21 the right to possess a small amount of marijuana and would allow commercial pot sales. Though if the vote goes through, there will be conflicts as federal law states that marijuana use of all kinds is banned. Pat Robertson said he “absolutely supports” these ballots.

Nick Cannon appears on Good Morning America to discuss recent diagnosis

Father of twins makes drastic life changed to save his health

Nick Cannon appeared on Good Morning America (GMA) in order to further discuss his recent health issues. After being hospitalized twice, once for mild kidney failure and another for blood clots in his lungs, the doctors finally figured out what was going on with him. Nick Cannon was diagnosed with lupus nephritis, a rare form of lupus where his immune system attacks healthy cells, tissue and organs. This autoimmune disease affects about three out of every 10,000 people, and if it is left untreated, could lead to kidney failutre.

Nick Cannon told GMA, “I scared a lot of people. I scared myself.” The father of 10-month-old twins added, “A lot of people have passed away from that and the doctor said luckily I was in such great shape and taking care of myself because al lot of people have been taken down by it.”

In order to maintain his health, Nick Cannon has been directed by his doctors to drastically alter his lifestyle- both personal and professional. He has stepped down for him radio show and has heeded to doctors orders, “I have been ordered to sleep at least six hours a night. They say rest is probably the best medicine. I’m dealing with it. Of course I’m not always used to the medicines, but I feel like I’m starting to figure out a lot of holistic ways, meditation and stuff to get through it.”

Nick Cannon says his wife’s nurturing nature has made these drastic changes easier, he said, “She made me an egg-white sandwich before I left the house this morning. Those are the things I have to be eating now, no more bacon. She takes care of me, makes sure I’m eating what I’m supposed to be.” Nick Cannon also says his children are his motivation to live a healthier lifestyle. “In the hospital, that’s the first thing that comes to your mind. I have to be around for my children and I have to be healthy for my children, so they’re the motivation for the whole thing,” Nick Cannon said on GMA.

Lindsay Lohan hosts SNL with season's second-best ratings

Critics still say Lohan failed at hosting duties

Linsay Lohan hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend, and the reviews are coming back very mixed. Although the starlet brought in the season’s second best ratings, reviewers are saying that Lindsay Lohan was not only one of the worst hosts but that the show overall was just plain bad.

Lindsay Lohan opened up the show poking fun at hersel- something that is not uncommon with celebrities who are constantly followed by rumors (Britney Spears had mechanical boobs that moved when she was trying to tell the audience the rumors about her having a boob job were false when she hosted in the early 2000’s). Kenan Thompson checked her eyes, and Kristin Wiig patted her down, but overall, Lindsay was given a ton of support from the cast and from the audience. During the monologue, Lindsay Lohan expressed her concern that she felt everyone was waiting for her to screw up, and Wiig told her, “Everybody here believes in you, everyone. We wouldn’t have you back otherwise,” and though it was part of the monologue, it sounded truly sincere.

Lindsay Lohan played Rapunzel in the Disney spoof of “The Real Housewives,” and she played herself in a spoof of “Scared Straight.” The Housewives spoof was the best sketch of the night, and the “Scared Straight” sketch would have been hilarious if Lindsey Lohan hadn’t kept tripping up her words.

Jimmy Fallon and Jon Hamm also made some appearance next to Lohan and Hamm had nothing but good things to say about her performance, “I thought she did a great job. There was so much scrutiny and so much pressure on her, but she handled it with grace and aplomb.”

Though critics are saying Lindsay Lohan failed; it definitely wasn’t because she was “over exhausted”; she simply seemed really nervous. She also can’t be blamed for lack-luster skits since that falls on the writers shoulders.

The rumors say that Lindsay Lohans hosting duties are her first steps back into the professional, working world of Hollywood, but some are saying she simply isn’t ready for it yet.

Marshawn Lynch signs contract with Seattle Seahawks

Running back will see another season of skittle showers

Marshawn Lynch, with just hours to spare, signed a four year contract on Sunday with the Seattle Seahawks in the prime of his career.  According to the Chicago Sun Times, the $31 million contract is keeping the skittle-loving running back in a Seattle uniform and, according to head coach Pete Carroll, keeps a player with an attitude that he wants the entire team to embody.

Marshawn Lynch last season rushed 1,204 yards and ran 12 touchdowns. Lynch landed a franchise-record of eleven consecutive games with a touchdown. Marshawn Lynch’s fame grew and by the end of the season, his home touch downs were being celebrated by the crowd showering him with Skittles.

Marshawn Lynch was traded from the Buffalo Bills, where he ran into trouble off the field, to Seattle in 2010. In a Seahawks uniform, he became the first running back to rush 1,000 yards since Shawn Alexander in 2005. According to the Miami Herald, Marshawn Lynch “became a fan-favorite in Seattle after he would routinely break huge runs and squeeze out of almost inescapable tackles to lift his team, something he called going ‘beast mode.’”

Seahawks general manager John Schneider said, “We are excited to keep Marshawn as part of what we are building. This is what we were hoping for when we acquired him from Buffalo.”

According to reports, since Marshawn Lynch is locked in with a contract, the Seahawks have their eye on free agent, defensive end Red Bryant, who has said he can’t imagine playing anywhere else other than Seattle. However, no official deals have been made.

Earthquake wakes up Bay Area early this morning

4.0 magnitude earthquake barely phases San Francisco residents

An earthquake woke up residents of the San Francisco area this morning around 5:33 local time. 

The earthquake measured at a 4.0 magnitude that hit the Bay Area did not cause any damage, though BART (Bay Area Railroad Tranist) temporarily stopped service but quickly resumed. L.A. Times reports that the U.S. Geology Survey said the epicenter was about a mile from East Richmond Heights- about 13 miles from San Francisco City Hall. Apparently, there have been two other earthquakes 3.0 or greater in the past ten days.

One Twitter user perfectly summed up how native Californians react to most every earthquake, “All of San Francisco just woke up, tweeted, and are now going back to bed for an hour.”

San Francisco wasn’t the only place to feel an earthquake today; a 4.9 was felt halfway around the world in New Delhi, India. According to Daily Bhaskar, the earthquake “shook the capital and certain areas in its neighbouring states of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh,” and was “the 19th tremor in the country this year so far and the third in the past five days.” A scientist with IMD’s Seismic Department, RS Dattatrayam, said “Dehli will continue to experience these quakes and tremors as it falls on the junctures of faults and ridges.”

Army Wives season six premier

Army wives find out their fate after hurricane hits North Carolina

“Army Wives” debuted its sixth season last night and boy was it a rollercoaster. Season five left off with the threat of Fort Marshall’s closure and the disbandment of the 23rd Airborne Division and the army wives’ having to pack up and wondering what life will be like without each other.

“Army Wives” sixth season started off on the same morbid note; everyone had been packing for weeks and had been dreading the day the base would be closed. The characters were then hit with a massive hurricane that hit Fort Marshall and large portions of North Carolina. Spoiler alert! Fortunately for the “Army Wives”, the hurricane ended up destroying large parts of a nearby base, Fort Hope. The Huffington Post’s recap of the episode quotes General Fleming telling Major-General Holden about the damage at Fort Hope, “Hell, it’ll take six months and a boatload of money just to get Fort Hope up to 40 percent capacity.”

The army wives are relieved when the army decides on a change of action; closing Fort Hope instead of Fort Marshall. On top of the amazing news, they army wives learn that Fort Marshall will be getting some updates, “It will be expanded to accommodate the 32nd Airborne Division as well as the 17th Corps. Airborne Headquarters,”” said General Fleming.

This season of “Army Wives” sees Kelli Williams as a new cast member as well as several guest appearances from Susan Lucci.

“Army Wives” airs on Lifetime on Sundays at 9 pm/8 central time.

Shepard Fairey pleads guilty in "Hope" poster case

Street artists admits destroying documents to hide his mistake

Shepard Fairey, the street artists whose Obama “Hope” poster is recognizable to every American, entered a guilty plea last week in his criminal case with the Associated Press (AP). According to reports, Shepard Fairey pleaded guilty in New York to one count of criminal contempt for destroying documents and manufacturing evident.

Shepard Fairey had previously sued the Associated Press in 2009 after it claimed he had committed copyright infringement by using an AP picture to create his “Hope” poster.  In his suit, Shepard Fairey claimed he had used a different picture and that he was protected by fair-use laws. The civil case was settled out of court, but the 42-year-old artist later admitted he had been mistaken about, which picture he used and tried to hide his mistake by fabricating and destroying documents. The actions of Shepard Fairey caused the launch of the criminal investigation that ended last week with his guilty plea.

“I was ashamed that I had done these things, and I knew I should have corrected my actions,” said Shepard Fairey on Friday in court in Manhatten. 

Shepard Fairey is facing up to six months in prison and up to $5,000 in fines; his sentencing date is set at July 16. Daniel Gitner, Fairey’s lawyer, said his client took “full responsibility” for his actions and had “cooperated fully.” 

The president of the AP, Tom Curley, released a statement, “The A.P. hopes that some good may come of this, by alerting judges and parties to the possibility that fake evidence may exist.”

AIPAC convention heard positive words from President Obama

Israeli Prime Minister pleased with U.S. support; talks of Iran nuclear weapons continue

AIPAC, the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee, was addressed by President Barack Obama yesterday where he assured the audience that the U.S. would stand by Israel, and the president expressed his concern over Iran having nuclear weapons.

During his AIPAC speech, Obama “urged continued use of sanctions, travel restrictions and efforts to choke off the Iranian regime,” said CBS, in order to keep Iran from having nuclear weapons.  “Iran’s leaders should understand that I do not have a policy of containment; I have a policy to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” the president said at AIPAC. He does not want to jump into any military action if it is not necessary and wanted to squash any rumors of it, “I only use force when the time and circumstances demand it.  Already, there is too much loose talk of war.”  The President continued during his AIPAC speech, “I have said that when it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, I will take no options off the table, and I mean what I say.”  

The AIPAC conference came one day before Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu are scheduled to meet at the White House to further discuss Iran.  According to CBS, Netanyahu spoke in Canada with a positive attitude towards President Obama speech at the AIPAC convention, “I very much appreciate the fact that President Obama reiterated his positions that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons and that all options are on the table.” 

Apparently the two leaders have not had the smoothest relationship, and the issues with Iran have caused tensions to rise; Netanyahu would prefer the U.S. “to take a stronger stance and recognize Israel’s right to strike Iran,” said CBS.