Latest news with #AIDSMemorialQuilt
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Nancy Pelosi honors those lost to AIDS epidemic with Gay Men's Chorus of D.C. during WorldPride
In the hushed sanctuary of St. Thomas' Parish in Dupont Circle, there is a sacred memorial in fabric and thread. During WorldPride, the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C., in partnership with St. Thomas' and the National AIDS Memorial, unveiled a deeply personal display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt that includes panels for chorus members who were lost to the epidemic in the 1980s and '90s. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The exhibit features full quilt blocks and a companion photo display, honoring dozens of chorus members who died of AIDS complications. Some panels are decades-old, sewn by grieving loved ones at the height of the crisis. One in particular, the first made by and for chorus members, holds special meaning. 'For us, this is not just history. These are our people,' said Michael Hughes, the chorus's outreach manager, who has sung with the group for more than 20 years. 'We estimate that about 100 members of our chorus died of AIDS. A hundred voices silenced.' The idea for the exhibit was sparked earlier this year after chorus members visited a local high school class reading Angels in America. 'The students had no context for what life was like in the '80s and '90s,' Hughes explained. 'We told them about the fear, about watching friends die, and about the quilt.' Related: Democrat Adam Schiff to be the first U.S. senator to participate in California's AIDS/LifeCycle bike ride After that visit, chorus member Larry Cohen emailed Hughes with an idea and a question: What if they searched for quilt panels made in honor of their fallen members? 'So we spent two and a half months digging into the National AIDS Memorial database, the Names Project records, and the digitized archives in the Library of Congress,' Hughes said. 'We were able to confirm 33 individual chorus members who had panels made. Some we remembered personally.' The setting of St. Thomas' Parish is itself part of the story. 'During the AIDS crisis, only two or three churches in the city would even hold funerals for someone who had died of AIDS,' Hughes said. 'St. Thomas' was one of them.' On Friday night, the exhibit drew a special guest, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a longtime and fierce advocate in the fight against AIDS. Pelosi spent time with chorus members and viewed the panels while the group performed two songs in honor of her visit under the direction of Artistic Director Thea Kano. Addressing the chorus members, Pelosi recalled her own early skepticism about the quilt's power. 'At first, I thought a quilt was a bad idea,' she said. 'But I was wrong. The beauty was in the art. And the art became the most unifying thing.' 'People who may not think they have anything in common suddenly find that they do through these panels,' Pelosi continued. 'You see someone's story laid out before you, and the love they had in their lives. The grief, the anger, the joy, all of it. And it moves you.' Related: Pelosi also reflected on the political and cultural battles of the time, and how vital the LGBTQ+ community's activism was to making change. 'When I made my first speech in Congress about HIV/AIDS, people said, 'Why would you talk about that? Why would you lead with that?'' Pelosi recounted. 'I said, because that's why I came here. I came to fight.' 'Yes, we worked to change policies, pass laws, allocate resources," she said. "But the real miracle was the outside mobilization of the LGBTQ+ community who refused to be silent. That's what made the difference. That's what changed the world.' As Pride Month unfolds, the quilt serves as a memorial, a call to action, and a loving and prophetic testament to the quilt's ability to humanize loss, to transform mourning into music. The AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibit is open to the public through Sunday at St. Thomas' Parish. Daily visiting hours and more information are available at
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LGBTQ Pride in Asbury Park, and more things to do this weekend at the Shore
Are you rainbow ready? New Jersey's 33rd annual LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration takes place from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday in Asbury Park. The parade kicks off at noon at Asbury Park City Hall and heads south on Main Street. It turns left on Cookman Avenue toward the ocean, then left on Grand Avenue It continues north on Grand Street to Sunset Avenue, where it turns right and ends at the rally and festival grounds. The festival provides an opportunity for community groups and businesses to distribute information, including job opportunities, housing options, family issues, disease prevention and screening, sources of support for victims of violence and abuse, legal rights and services, and the availability of support for issues that the queer community faces. This family- and pet-friendly event also features New Jersey's largest outdoor display of the Names Project's AIDS Memorial Quilt, rides in the Family Zone, and plenty of eating options in the food court. There also will be music from local and national artists. The festival takes place in Bradley Park. Enter on Fifth Avenue at Kingsley Street. There are also two entrances on Sunset Avenue at Kingsley. Pride takes place rain or shine; tickets are $11.84 (including a fee). Go: Jersey Pride, noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, Bradley Park, Asbury Park, $11.84; Here are other Pride events and things to do this weekend: The QSpot Pride BBQ takes place at 4 p.m. Saturday at the community center's backyard garden in Asbury Park. Special guest performer is Monte, a singer/songwriter from Red Bank. Tickets for this QSpot benefit are $60, $40 for those under 25, $100 for couples. Go: QSpot BBQ, 4 p.m. Saturday, QSpot LGBTQ Community Center, 1601 Asbury Ave., Asbury Park, $40 to $100; The first Barnegat Pride Festival takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at 382 N. Main Street, on the field next to the firehouse in between Route 9 and Birdsall Street. Hosted by Desiree Moonshine, there will be live events and music throughout the day. Suggested donation is $5. There will be food trucks, more than 70 vendors, a kid zone, a raffle and a drag show. The Philadelphia Gay Men's Choir will perform, as will DJ Philip James from Asbury Park. Attendees are asked to bring "nonperishable, nonexpired, kid-inspired" food items for Waretown United Methodist Church to provide the Barnegat and Waretown School district families in need during summer break. Go: Barnegat Pride Festival, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 382 N. Main St., $5 suggested donation; Put on your cowboy boots and bring your appetite to BBQ, Beer & Boots, an event being hosted by the Point Pleasant Beach Chamber of Commerce on Sunday. The festival, taking place in the borough's municipal parking lot on Arnold Avenue, will feature live music from country band BIG HIX, food from Point Pleasant Beach restaurants Jersey Shore BBQ, Bam Bam Burger Co. and Prime 13, and beer from Last Wave Brewing. You can also take your turn riding a mechanical bull, and the event will feature games and children's activities. Go: BBQ, Beer & Boots, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, 714 Arnold Ave., Point Pleasant Beach, $10 for those 5 and older, food prices vary by vendor; 732-899-2424, These are the best of times? At the Basie in Red Bank, that will be true at 8 p.m. Friday when rocker Glen Burtnik plays the music of Styx. An all-star lineup of rock legends will join Burtnik: Jimmy Leahey, August Zadra, Dave Anthony, Eric Troyer and Kasim Sulton. Big Styx hits include "Mr. Roboto," "Come Sail Away," "Renegade," "The Best of Times," "Too Much Time on My Hands" and "Babe." Go: Glen Burtnik plays the music of Styx, 8 p.m Friday, Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank, $29 to $59; 732-842-9000, Capital Singers of Trenton presents its annual Shore concert at 4 p.m. Sunday at Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church in Beach Haven. "Lighter Fare: A Cabaret" features American Songbook and Broadway selections, including "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me," "Round Midnight," "We Can Be Kind," as well as songs from "Cabaret," "Hair" and "Wicked." A reception will follow the concert. Go: "Lighter Fare: A Cabaret," 4 p.m. Sunday, Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church, Marine Street, Beach Haven, free will offering; 609-492-7571. Vibraphonist Behn Gillece and guitarist Brian Betz perform at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Gia Maione Prima Foundation Studio Theatre (Building 12) at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts in Toms River. Gillece will preview selections from his new album "Pivot Point." A winner of DownBeat Magazine's 2018 Rising Star Vibraphonist award, Gillece has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and festivals in Canada and Europe. A two-time winner of the Betty Carter International Jazz Competition, Betz gives concerts, clinics and masterclasses throughout the United States. Gillece and Betz are both professors at Rowan University. Tickets are $28, $24 for seniors, $16 for students. Go: Behn Gillece and Brian Betz, 3 p.m. Sunday, Gia Maione Prima Foundation Studio Theatre(Building 12), Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts, College Drive, Ocean County College, Toms River; 732-255-0500, Sarah Griesemer contributed to this story. Have an event coming up? Tell us about it. Email Bill Canacci at bcanacci@ This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore things to do include Asbury Park Pride
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
DOGE cuts millions in funds targeted to HIV research at Florida universities
The federal government has terminated almost $2.5 billion in health care grant funds to the state of Florida. About $1.7 billion of those funds had already been distributed, but $680 million had yet to be dispersed to state agencies and universities before the federal government began slashing grants under President Donald Trump's "Radical Transparency About Wasteful Spending" memo. And almost one-third of the number of awards, about $42 million in grants with almost $17 million in terminated funds, are explicitly for HIV research. Florida has the third highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in the country, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Those working to end the HIV epidemic say this cut in funding will have a "devastating impact." A medical assistant tests blood drawn from a patient on National HIV Testing Day at a Planned Parenthood health center on June 27, 2017 in Miami, Florida. "These are funds that we count on," said Rachel Klein, deputy executive director of the AIDS Institute. "We are so close to achieving an end to the epidemic, but it requires an investment in order to make that happen.' Data from the Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) system, which tracks obligated grant funds from the 12 divisions in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, shows approximately $2.49 billion in Florida grants that were shut down by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in March and April of this year. Other than HIV prevention, the awards included funds for infectious disease control and prevention, childhood vaccines and immunizations, LGBTQ-related medical research and mental health. Some of the funds, like those allocated for childhood vaccines, were part of the American Rescue Plan, the 2021 economic stimulus bill passed by Congress in 2021 and signed into law by President Joe Biden. The recipients of the grants to combat HIV were all Florida universities: Florida State University, Florida International University, and both the University of Miami's medical school and Coral Gables campus. All funds were issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Florida Department of Health, and FSU, FIU and the University of Miami's medical school did not respond to a request for comment. Tim Purcell and Doug Degenhardt with the North Florida chapter of the AIDS Memorial Quilt hang a banner on one of the balconies of Jacksonville's City Hall building atrium ahead of Friday's World AIDS Day ceremony. The City of Jacksonville commemorated World AIDS Day with a quilt ceremony put on by the Northeast Florida chapter of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and attended by Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan who presented the 2023 City of Jacksonville Proclamation, officially designating December 1 as World AIDS Day in Jacksonville Friday morning in the atrium of City Hall. December 1, 2023. The biggest chunk of unspent money was about $15 million for the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS interventions (ATN) at the Scientific Leadership Center at FSU. In a LinkedIn post, Lisa Hightow-Weidman, the director of the university's Institute on Digital Health and Innovation, wrote that the termination letter said 'research programs based primarily on artificial and non-scientific categories, including amorphous equity objectives, are antithetical to the scientific inquiry, do nothing to expand our knowledge of living systems, provide low returns on investment, and ultimately do not enhance health, lengthen life, or reduce illness." Hightow-Weidman argued the program has allowed for the invention of life-saving treatments and HIV prevention medication like PrEP. "The ATN is not a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiative and does not use arbitrary categories for our research," Hightow-Weidman said. "The ATN responds directly to disease burden, healthcare gaps, and population-level health threats using epidemiological data from all adolescents and young adults in the U.S." Florida's own version of DOGE is also reviewing the state's universities and their grants. In February, Gov. Ron DeSantis said over a one-year term, the state will attempt to sunset 70 state boards and commissions, cut 900 positions, require universities to undergo independent reviews and audits and look into local government expenditures. In late March and early April, the governor's office sent letters to universities, asking them to provide information about awarded grants and their research purposes and staffing. That data was due April 30. On May 5, Florida's DOGE announced it discovered a grant at the University of West Florida that has used over $800,000 in federal funding from the National Science Foundation entitled "Educating Science and Mathematics Majors to Teach with Social Justice Models in High-Needs Schools." In a social media post, the agency alleged the funding aimed to" train math and science teachers on how to promote social justice and 'cultural responsiveness' in their classrooms." "No Florida college or university should be focused on social justice or woke ideology over classical education," wrote DeSantis in a post on X. Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@ This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DOGE cuts millions in funds for HIV research at Florida universities
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
5 things to know for April 28: Iran explosion, Vancouver attack, Immigration, Harvard, Noem theft
A rainbow of colored lights used to illuminate the Kennedy Center and cast a reflection of joy and pride in the water. But once President Donald Trump took over as its new chairman and replaced most of the board with loyalists, the center's programming began to change. No longer friendly to those celebrating LGBTQ+ rights or culture, the Kennedy Center has quietly canceled a week's worth of events for this summer's World Pride festival. Some events, such as the display of parts of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, plan to move to different venues. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. The cause of a massive explosion that rocked the Shahid Rajaee port dock near Bandar Abbas in Iran over the weekend is still unknown. At least 40 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured when an area filled with shipping containers caught fire and exploded, sending a huge plume of thick smoke into the air. The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency said the blast was likely sparked by containers of chemicals, but did not name which ones. The Customs Administration of Iran blamed a 'stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials stored in the port area.' Reports of the possible presence of a chemical used to make missile propellant remain unconfirmed. Some experts suggested more mundane chemicals might explain the explosion. As investigators search for answers, a state of emergency has been declared due to increased air pollution caused by the blast. A man who crashed into a street festival in Vancouver, Canada, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. Police said Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, was driving a black Audi SUV just after 8 p.m. local time when he allegedly plowed into a large crowd of people attending the Lapu Lapu Day Festival, a celebration of Filipino culture. At least 11 people, ranging in age from 5 to 65, were killed and dozens more were injured, some critically. 'The actions of a single person shattered our collective sense of safety. It is impossible to overstate how many lives have been impacted forever by this lone individual,' Vancouver Police interim chief Steve Rai said. Although no motive has been released, police said there was no indication the incident was an act of terrorism. Further charges are anticipated in the case. The Trump administration's immigration crackdown kicked into high gear over the weekend with hundreds of arrests. On Friday, the FBI arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan and charged her with allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant in her courtroom avoid arrest. Over a four-day period, ICE and Florida law enforcement agencies detained nearly 800 people who were allegedly undocumented immigrants. More than 100 people who were accused of being in the country without proper documentation were arrested in Colorado Springs after a raid at an underground nightclub. Amid these mass arrests, staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency are reportedly building a master database of sensitive data gleaned from the IRS, Social Security and Health and Human Services, among other government agencies. Trump officials said the database will help create 'targeting lists' that can be used to find, detain and deport migrants. Just days into his second term, President Trump began directing America's elite universities to make major policy changes under the auspices of fighting antisemitism. Since then, his administration has taken punitive actions against Columbia, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern and others for not fully adapting to his priorities. But Harvard refused the government's demands to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies, audit the viewpoints of students, faculty and staff, and alter rules for on-campus protests — even with the threat of losing federal funding. Instead, the nation's oldest university sued the Trump administration, claiming such threats were a violation of the First Amendment as well as 'arbitrary and capricious.' Both sides will make their first appearance in a Boston court today. The judge is expected to set deadlines for the government to provide documentation showing its internal deliberations behind the funding freeze. A man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a high-end Gucci purse belonging to Kristi Noem. The Department of Homeland Security secretary was eating dinner with her family at a Washington, DC, restaurant on Easter when the suspect allegedly sat at the table next to hers and took the bag. Inside was a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, Noem's driver's license, medication, apartment keys, passport, her DHS access badge, a makeup bag, blank checks and about $3,000 in cash. The Secret Service also arrested a second person in Miami who was described as a co-conspirator. 'We have also determined that this incident had no protective nexus to Secretary Noem or her role as Secretary of Homeland Security. The investigation revealed alleged criminal activity, including potential device and credit card fraud,' Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool said. 1 dead after boat crashes into ferry in FloridaA recreational boat collided with a ferry carrying 45 people in Clearwater on Sunday and then fled the scene, police said. At least one person was killed in the collision and several others were injured. Model school to closeMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, opened a tuition-free school for low-income families in the Bay Area in 2016. Last week, the Primary School announced it will close at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Parents were reportedly told that the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the couple's philanthropy, had pulled its funding. A Warhol in the wastebasket?A 1980s Andy Warhol print depicting the Netherlands' then-Queen Beatrix has disappeared along with an art collection that was stored in a Dutch town's basement during a renovation. Left unprotected, the print and 45 other works were possibly tossed in the trash. Eugenio's big turnaroundEugenio Suárez has struggled at the plate recently, and now he's in the record books. Over the weekend, the 33-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman became just the 19th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game. He is the first player in nearly eight years to do so. Buy the Bard's First FolioIf you can afford it, of course. A set of the first four editions of William Shakespeare's collected works is going up for auction in May. It's the first time since 1989 that all four folios have been offered as a single lot. Sotheby's auction house expects the set to sell for up to $6 million. The secret life of pangolinsThese small and adorable mammals are one of the most trafficked animals in the world. Now, an Oscar-winning director hopes to teach the world more about them with his documentary, 'Pangolin: Kulu's Journey.' Virginia Giuffre, survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged sex crimes, diesGiuffre, 41, publicly alleged Epstein trafficked her and forced her to have sex with his friends, including Britain's Prince Andrew, when she was a teenager. She also claimed the prince was aware she was underage; he denies this. 'Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking,' her family said in a statement. 'She was the light that lifted so many survivors.' Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the US, call or text 988, for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Globally, the International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world. 121,000That's at least how many federal employees have been fired or laid off so far this year. These charts put those losses into context. 'Online bullying is getting more toxic, and I think that somebody needs to call it out. It's shocking to read some of the vile things that people write, there just seems to be this whole online movement where people think that it's OK to say these things that they would never have the courage to say to people in real life; or absolutely shouldn't.' — British racing driver Katherine Legge, who has been inundated with thousands of hateful messages, death threats, vulgar and inappropriate comments since she entered NASCAR in March. Check your local forecast here>>> From the conclave to smoke signalsHow is a new pope chosen? The process is a combination of ancient tradition and politics.
CNN
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
5 things to know for April 28: Iran explosion, Vancouver attack, Immigration, Harvard, Noem theft
A rainbow of colored lights used to illuminate the Kennedy Center and cast a reflection of joy and pride in the water. But once President Donald Trump took over as its new chairman and replaced most of the board with loyalists, the center's programming began to change. No longer friendly to those celebrating LGBTQ+ rights or culture, the Kennedy Center has quietly canceled a week's worth of events for this summer's World Pride festival. Some events, such as the display of parts of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, plan to move to different venues. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Get '5 Things' in your inbox If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. The cause of a massive explosion that rocked the Shahid Rajaee port dock near Bandar Abbas in Iran over the weekend is still unknown. At least 40 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured when an area filled with shipping containers caught fire and exploded, sending a huge plume of thick smoke into the air. The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency said the blast was likely sparked by containers of chemicals, but did not name which ones. The Customs Administration of Iran blamed a 'stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials stored in the port area.' Reports of the possible presence of a chemical used to make missile propellant remain unconfirmed. Some experts suggested more mundane chemicals might explain the explosion. As investigators search for answers, a state of emergency has been declared due to increased air pollution caused by the blast. A man who crashed into a street festival in Vancouver, Canada, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. Police said Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, was driving a black Audi SUV just after 8 p.m. local time when he allegedly plowed into a large crowd of people attending the Lapu Lapu Day Festival, a celebration of Filipino culture. At least 11 people, ranging in age from 5 to 65, were killed and dozens more were injured, some critically. 'The actions of a single person shattered our collective sense of safety. It is impossible to overstate how many lives have been impacted forever by this lone individual,' Vancouver Police interim chief Steve Rai said. Although no motive has been released, police said there was no indication the incident was an act of terrorism. Further charges are anticipated in the case. The Trump administration's immigration crackdown kicked into high gear over the weekend with hundreds of arrests. On Friday, the FBI arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan and charged her with allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant in her courtroom avoid arrest. Over a four-day period, ICE and Florida law enforcement agencies detained nearly 800 people who were allegedly undocumented immigrants. More than 100 people who were accused of being in the country without proper documentation were arrested in Colorado Springs after a raid at an underground nightclub. Amid these mass arrests, staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency are reportedly building a master database of sensitive data gleaned from the IRS, Social Security and Health and Human Services, among other government agencies. Trump officials said the database will help create 'targeting lists' that can be used to find, detain and deport migrants. Just days into his second term, President Trump began directing America's elite universities to make major policy changes under the auspices of fighting antisemitism. Since then, his administration has taken punitive actions against Columbia, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern and others for not fully adapting to his priorities. But Harvard refused the government's demands to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies, audit the viewpoints of students, faculty and staff, and alter rules for on-campus protests — even with the threat of losing federal funding. Instead, the nation's oldest university sued the Trump administration, claiming such threats were a violation of the First Amendment as well as 'arbitrary and capricious.' Both sides will make their first appearance in a Boston court today. The judge is expected to set deadlines for the government to provide documentation showing its internal deliberations behind the funding freeze. A man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a high-end Gucci purse belonging to Kristi Noem. The Department of Homeland Security secretary was eating dinner with her family at a Washington, DC, restaurant on Easter when the suspect allegedly sat at the table next to hers and took the bag. Inside was a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, Noem's driver's license, medication, apartment keys, passport, her DHS access badge, a makeup bag, blank checks and about $3,000 in cash. The Secret Service also arrested a second person in Miami who was described as a co-conspirator. 'We have also determined that this incident had no protective nexus to Secretary Noem or her role as Secretary of Homeland Security. The investigation revealed alleged criminal activity, including potential device and credit card fraud,' Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool said. 1 dead after boat crashes into ferry in FloridaA recreational boat collided with a ferry carrying 45 people in Clearwater on Sunday and then fled the scene, police said. At least one person was killed in the collision and several others were injured. Model school to closeMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, opened a tuition-free school for low-income families in the Bay Area in 2016. Last week, the Primary School announced it will close at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Parents were reportedly told that the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the couple's philanthropy, had pulled its funding. A Warhol in the wastebasket?A 1980s Andy Warhol print depicting the Netherlands' then-Queen Beatrix has disappeared along with an art collection that was stored in a Dutch town's basement during a renovation. Left unprotected, the print and 45 other works were possibly tossed in the trash. Eugenio's big turnaroundEugenio Suárez has struggled at the plate recently, and now he's in the record books. Over the weekend, the 33-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman became just the 19th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game. He is the first player in nearly eight years to do so. Buy the Bard's First FolioIf you can afford it, of course. A set of the first four editions of William Shakespeare's collected works is going up for auction in May. It's the first time since 1989 that all four folios have been offered as a single lot. Sotheby's auction house expects the set to sell for up to $6 million. The secret life of pangolinsThese small and adorable mammals are one of the most trafficked animals in the world. Now, an Oscar-winning director hopes to teach the world more about them with his documentary, 'Pangolin: Kulu's Journey.' Virginia Giuffre, survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged sex crimes, diesGiuffre, 41, publicly alleged Epstein trafficked her and forced her to have sex with his friends, including Britain's Prince Andrew, when she was a teenager. She also claimed the prince was aware she was underage; he denies this. 'Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking,' her family said in a statement. 'She was the light that lifted so many survivors.' Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the US, call or text 988, for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Globally, the International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world. 121,000That's at least how many federal employees have been fired or laid off so far this year. These charts put those losses into context. 'Online bullying is getting more toxic, and I think that somebody needs to call it out. It's shocking to read some of the vile things that people write, there just seems to be this whole online movement where people think that it's OK to say these things that they would never have the courage to say to people in real life; or absolutely shouldn't.' — British racing driver Katherine Legge, who has been inundated with thousands of hateful messages, death threats, vulgar and inappropriate comments since she entered NASCAR in March. Check your local forecast here>>> From the conclave to smoke signalsHow is a new pope chosen? The process is a combination of ancient tradition and politics.
