James Pollard
It's sung at baseball stadiums around the United States. But the impact of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' goes much further than simply getting fans out of their...
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Miami Herald
7 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Thousands Mobilize for ‘No Kings' Demonstrations Across All 50 States
EDITORS NOTE: EDS: SUBS throughout to update; REVISES headline and byline; ADDS related story; RECODES as an added Page 1 refer.); (ART ADV: With photos.); (With: TRUMP-MILITARY-ASSESS, CALIF-PROTESTS-RECONSTRUCT Many thousands of protesters filled plazas, streets and parks across the country Saturday, mounting a mass mobilization against a president that many demonstrators decried as authoritarian. The protests, in small towns and major cities including Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta, came as President Donald Trump was set to host a military parade in Washington in the afternoon. The "No Kings" events in all 50 states were animated in part by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, domestic military mobilization, spending cuts and parade in Washington that coincided with the president's 79th birthday. With many demonstrators waving American flags, the protest crowds at times recited the Pledge of Allegiance and carried signs referencing the nation's founding fathers. In Newark, New Jersey, Rep. LaMonica Mclver stood in front of a statue of Abraham Lincoln and struck a tone of defiance. She faces federal charges of interfering with federal law enforcement outside a migrant detention center. "They will not silence, intimidate or bully me," Mclver said. "We have to be on the front lines to fight for democracy." That message took a particularly ominous tone as news spread from Minnesota that a person pretending to be a police officer had assassinated a Democratic state lawmaker and attempted to kill a second. The state patrol asked people to refrain from attending "No Kings" events in the state, reporting that materials referencing the gatherings were found in the vehicle of the suspect, who remained at large Saturday afternoon. Hours later, authorities in Texas evacuated the state Capitol and its grounds "out of an abundance of caution" after receiving what they described as a credible threat toward state legislators who were expected to attend the protest in Austin. The collective action encompassed some 2,000 planned events. Those protests came amid building outrage over raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Los Angeles that led to mass demonstrations and conflicts with law enforcement. In San Francisco, hundreds of protesters blocked the entrances of a building that houses ICE offices after dozens of immigrants who lack permanent legal status received phone alerts telling them to check in for appointments Saturday. The agency has been detaining immigrants who show up at routine check-ins. In Atlanta, thousands of people packed into Liberty Plaza, carrying signs that included the message "Stop Trump's Terrorism" and singing a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" adjusted with the words "Take Trump out of the White House." In Westerly, Rhode Island, hundreds of people stood in a light rain along U.S. Highway 1, some with signs and bullhorns. One sign read: "Not a paid protestor, I hate him for free." People marched in the rain down Queens Boulevard in New York City, occupying 10 blocks of a service lane. The mood was boisterous as people chanted "No Kings in Queens," and people in passing cars honked their horns and cheered. In Staten Island, the city's most conservative borough, demonstrators on Victory Boulevard also were met with supportive honks from cars and, in some cases, heckling. "Long live the king," one driver shouted as he passed the group. Thousands swelled the area outside City Hall in Los Angeles, which has emerged as the epicenter of anxiety over immigration enforcement and has seen days of sustained protests. Members of Russian dissident group Pussy Riot, their heads covered in red balaclavas, climbed the steps of City Hall with a banner that read, "It's beginning to look a lot like Russia." Authorities in Los Angeles had said they were bracing for crowd sizes that could be "unprecedented." Elected leaders and law enforcement officials in California and across the country encouraged protesters to remain peaceful, and organizers of the No Kings demonstrations called on participants to focus on "nonviolent action." In Houston, some demonstrators handed out flowers to police officers who were securing the route of the protest. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Copyright 2025
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
James Pollard
It's sung at baseball stadiums around the United States. But the impact of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' goes much further than simply getting fans out of their...
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
How ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game' seeded a music nonprofit supporting the songwriters of tomorrow
NEW YORK — It's sung every summer in baseball stadiums around the United States. But the impact of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' goes much further than simply getting fans out of their seats for the 7th-inning stretch. More than a century after Jack Norworth penned the lyrics, a nonprofit founded with the song's royalties is celebrating 50 years of supporting young musicians — including the talent behind some of today's most popular musicals. The ASCAP Foundation, the charitable arm for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, was established in 1975 after Norworth's estate left a bequest of the licensing payments for baseball's unofficial anthem and his other hits. 'Just as all music begins with a song, the ASCAP Foundation began with a song,' said Paul Williams, the group's president and a composer-lyricist whose award-winning career includes 'Rainbow Connection.' The organization provides money, lessons and mentorship at all career stages in an industry where that support is badly needed by artists who often toil for years working other gigs while trying to get their music before the right ears. To reach its semicentennial, however, the foundation has had to identify new funding streams and reinvent programming. 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame,' written in 1908, has since entered the public domain and no longer generates revenue. The foundation nowadays relies on a mix of philanthropies, corporate sponsors and general public donations. The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation is a longtime backer and storied New York law firm Paul Weiss is another sponsor. And, according to Williams, 'there's not a lot of stingy songwriters out there.' The late Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, as well as Herb Alpert, are among those with named scholarships and awards. Williams said other bequests, which are charitable gifts left through a will, have come from 'Hello, Dolly!' composer-lyricist Jerry Herman and 'Tea for Two' lyricist Irving Ceasar. 'It's really a way of making a mark on the world and extending their values forward,' fundraising coach Claire Axelrad said of bequests, which she added have consistently made up about one-tenth of charitable gifts. With dwindling arts funding and millions of children reportedly going without music education, the ASCAP Foundation is also trying to reach underserved communities. Leaders count nearly 60,000 K-12 students who participated in last year's programs. They help teach guitar to New York summer campers and bring students to free Broadway-caliber productions. Youth are learning to play the djembe, a drum originally from West Africa, through a collaboration with urban farming nonprofit Harlem Grown. Tax filings show the foundation gave away more than $325,000 in grants for scholarships, fellowships and cash awards in 2023. Award-winning songwriter Emily Bear, who co-wrote the soundtrack for Disney's 'Moana 2,' said the foundation took her 'very seriously' when she was a five-year-old prodigy receiving its young composer award. 'That kind of validation at that kind of age means so much when you're just a little girl with very big dreams and you're in a room full of people that you idolize,' she said. Composer Stephen Schwartz, who was honored this week with the ASCAP Foundation Champion Award during a June 10 fundraiser at Tony winner Adam Guettel's Manhattan home, said the nonprofit is filling gaps as the government 'supports the arts less and less.' This April also marked the third year that Schwartz has hosted the foundation's two-day Musical Theatre Fest in Los Angeles. The location allows participants to get feedback from prominent guests and connect with Hollywood studios — one way the foundation is trying to stay relevant by serving the renewed interest in musicals for television and film screens. It's emblematic of the mentorship younger composers say Schwartz — a Broadway icon whose hits include 'Godspell,' 'Pippin' and 'Wicked' — has offered to emerging artists over the years. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriting duo behind 'Dear Evan Hansen,' credited the ASCAP Foundation for 'cementing' their connection with Schwartz. Pasek said such close proximity to a hero, who then became a 'living, breathing person who gives you advice,' made the profession 'more plausible.' 'Typically, you're working on projects on a wing and a prayer and hoping that someday it reaches the stage,' Paul said. 'So, an organization like the ASCAP Foundation breathing life into not just your work, but your pocketbooks, is a huge, huge support.' Schwartz said it was 'scary and bewildering' when he first started out without any connections. He sees an important role for himself as someone who can 'ease the way a bit' to help newcomers' 'talents flourish earlier and more completely.' There's also another motivation. 'It's slightly selfish because I get to see good work and enjoy it,' Schwartz added.
