Latest news with #RememberUs
Time Out
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
You can now rep the New York Liberty with a special-edition library card
The 2024 WNBA champs just pulled off another slam dunk—this time, for bookworms. Starting June 2, Brooklyn Public Library will release 100,000 limited-edition library cards celebrating the New York Liberty, complete with an appearance by the team's viral mascot and fashion icon, Ellie the Elephant. Available at all open BPL branches, the special-edition card is part of a summer-long collaboration between the Liberty and the library system to boost access to reading, sport and community engagement across the borough. Whether you're a diehard fan, a library regular or just obsessed with Ellie's tunnel fits, the Liberty card is yours to claim, one per account, while supplies last. The collab is a centerpiece of Brooklyn Basketball, a seasonal partnership between the team and BPL that includes curated book lists, themed programming and, naturally, a few flashy activations. The launch will be celebrated during Ellie's Birthday at the June 1 Liberty game at Barclays Center. Expect a full-court press of literary fun, including a photobooth, bookmobile, and custom bookmarks linking to Ellie-approved reads like Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson and Lola Joins the Team by Keka Novales. If you already have a library card, you can still snag the new one—just visit your local BPL branch and ask to activate your Liberty edition. Any New Yorker who lives, works, pays property taxes or goes to school in the state qualifies for a card (proof required, so bring that paystub or utility bill). Of course, this isn't just a cute piece of plastic. A BPL card unlocks access to millions of free books, media, classes, cultural passes and even musical instruments. And this summer, it's also a badge of honor for fans of one of the most talked-about teams in sports. Fresh off a record-breaking season, with 26 sellouts, 152-percent growth in season ticket holders, and viral merch moments led by Ellie, Liberty fever is real. The team was recently named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2025, proving what fans already know: this is more than basketball. So go ahead—rep your team, support your library and get reading.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fort Worth pilot is among those the Dutch remember for their WWII sacrifice
With the end of World War II in Europe, letters from American families seeking information about their loved ones began arriving at town halls across the southern Netherlands. Postmarked from big cities and small towns, from those of privilege and those barely scraping by, each one contained a heartbreaking request similar to that of a young widow from Demopolis, Alabama: 'My husband … was killed in Germany on his birthday, April 18, 1945, and is buried in the U.S. Military Cemetery at Margraten, Holland, near your town of Maastricht … He was my whole life to me … Since you live so near … I will be grateful all of the days of my life if you can get me a snapshot of his grave.' Oftentimes, the next of kin only knew the country where their loved one was buried, nothing more. The Dutch, though, knew this hallowed ground well. They had watched American quartermaster troops turn one of their fields into a cemetery in late 1944. They had watched the endless trucks full of bodies drive past their homes. Many of these young, heroic soldiers they did not know. Some, with whom they had shared their homes during the bitter cold winter of 1944-1945, they knew and loved. Wanting to express their boundless gratitude to the liberators, especially those who had given everything to end a brutal Nazi occupation and restore their freedom, the citizens of Limburg Province created a unique grave adoption program – an inspiring story I tell in my new book, 'Remember Us.' A local volunteer was assigned to care for each of the 17,000 Americans memorialized at what today is known as the Netherlands American Cemetery, including 2nd Lt. Clyde J. Williamson Jr. from Fort Worth. Williamson was born and raised in Fort Worth. He graduated from Paschal High School in 1942 and joined the Army Air Forces in December that year. He went to flight school in May 1943. After training, he became a copilot in a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and joined the 305th Bomb Group. On March 18, 1945, Williamson's group was bombing Berlin. While over the target, the bomber took flak damage, and the crew bailed out. Five were taken prisoner, three were killed, and Williamson went missing in action. His father died after being notified that Clyde was unaccounted for. Clyde is listed among the 1,722 names on the Walls of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery. The Dutch adopters made every attempt to reach across the ocean, into American homes, to connect with their soldier's family members. When U.S. officials refused to provide them with next of kin addresses, Emilie Michiels van Kessenich, the wife of the mayor of Maastricht – and the woman who provided the widow from Alabama with a photo of her husband's grave – left her 11 young children to travel to the United States to meet with families who had loved ones buried overseas. 'Leave your boys with us,' she promised them. 'We will watch over them like our own, forever.' Today, all these years later, the Dutch adopters continue to fulfill that 'forever promise,' watching over every American grave. There is even a waiting list containing a thousand names of those hoping to become an adopter. Monday, May 26, marks the 80th Memorial Day since the end of World War II. The Dutch will be at the cemetery in force, placing flowers, saying prayers, and honoring each American. So will I. More than just a somber day of remembrance, this Memorial Day is an opportunity for each of us to search our hearts, just as the Dutch did 80 years ago, and ask: 'What can I do to honor each American who fought and died in World War II, and all conflicts since, to preserve our freedom?' For my part, I will be placing flowers on service members' graves, supporting the Forever Promise Project to connect the next of kin of all American service members memorialized at the Netherlands American Cemetery with their Dutch adopters ( I will give thanks for the Dutch adopters who for eight decades have set an inspiring example of the transcendent power of gratitude. Their actions remind us that grief is universal, that humanity knows no national or racial boundaries, and that we all want to be remembered, somehow, someway, by somebody. Robert M. Edsel is the founder and chairman of the Monuments Men and Women Foundation and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 'The Monuments Men.' His new book, 'Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and A Forever Promise Forged in World War II,' tells the story of the Dutch grave adoption program and the American heroes it honors. Find out more about the Forever Promise Project at
The Star
17-05-2025
- The Star
Two teens in Singapore died of overdoses in January 2025: minister
SINGAPORE: Two teenagers aged 16 and 18 died of suspected drug overdoses in January, as Singapore continues its battle against drug abuse, a growing problem among young people. Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam told the audience at the second Drug Victims Remembrance Day observance ceremony on Friday (May 16) that methamphetamine, also known as Ice, was likely to have been involved. 'There are many other tragic cases, but thankfully they remain small in number,' he said at the event at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. Shanmugam added: 'We are finding that we are arresting younger and younger abusers. (In 2024), the youngest was 13 years old. Over the last two years, more than half of new abusers arrested were below 30 years old.' A 2016 study by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) found that the cost to Singapore society of dealing with drug crimes was more than $1.2 billion in 2015, said Shanmugam. The financial impact of drug abuse on individuals is equally staggering. A 2020 NTU study found drug consumption significantly impacts abusers' income and income growth even after they quit the habit. An abuser can stand to lose close to $620,000 through spending on drugs and potential lost income. The Drug Victims Remembrance Day campaign is an initiative by the Inter-Ministry Committee on Drug Prevention for Youths to highlight the impact of drugs on abusers and their loved ones. The 2025 campaign will be held at the Suntec City Level 1 Atrium until May 18. It features an interactive Museum Of Us exhibition, inspired by the personal stories of real-life drug victims, who are families and friends of abusers. The campaign also features five short films titled Remember Us, seen from the perspectives of the loved ones of a fictional drug abuser, John. While the characters in the films are played by actors, the experiences portrayed are based on research and interviews with Singaporeans affected by drug abuse, said Tan Hui Er, the films' director. Tan, 29, said: 'The very important thing for me was making sure that the pain and the love that they (characters in the short films) feel and their experiences are felt and seen.' The pain that drug abuse causes families is something that former abuser Shaun Yeo, who has three children, knows too well. Yeo, 41, a delivery driver, said he cannot forget the 'countless times' his then seven-year-old daughter saw him dragged away to the police station while he was high on drugs. Said Yeo, who was first arrested for drug abuse at age 15: 'I couldn't fulfil my responsibility as a father because I was constantly broke. Even when I had money, the first thing I thought of was drugs... not my family.' Yeo, who has been drug-free since 2020, is trying to rebuild his relationship with his children, now aged 12 to 18. He spent a total of four years in prison for drug crimes over a 20-year period. Former drug abuser and gang leader Kim Whye Kee, 49, is grateful for his mother, who never gave up on him during his 10-year sentence for drug abuse and extortion. Said Kim, who was released from prison in 2008: 'Her love is unconditional, something that I realised during my years of drug addiction... She always stood by me, even when I relapsed or got arrested.' Kim, who began learning pottery in his final months in prison, held his first solo exhibition in 2019. He is scheduled for another exhibition in Suzhou, China, in a few weeks. He said he could not imagine what he had put his mother through, especially during occasions like Chinese New Year, when relatives would discuss what their children were doing. A lot of that time, he was in prison. Added Kim: 'It was a bit strange when I saw my mother tearing up (at my solo exhibition)... she was not sad but very happy when Shanmugam came and visitors asked if I was her son. For me, (seeing that) was enough.' Showing support and caring for drug abusers are vital to their reintegration into society, said Amy Ronshausen, executive director of Drug Free America Foundation and Save Our Society From Drugs. Events such as Drug Victims Remembrance Day bring families together in support of recovering drug abusers. Ronshausen, 51, who was at the ceremony, told The Straits Times: 'It reminds them why recovery is important and why they need to stay (clear of drugs) and have their families around them. It's not an individual thing but a community thing.' - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
16-05-2025
- Straits Times
Two teens died of overdoses in January 2025: Shanmugam
Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam giving a speech at the second Drug Victims Remembrance Day observance ceremony on May 16. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI SINGAPORE - Two teenagers aged 16 and 18 died of suspected drug overdoses in January, as Singapore continues its battle against drug abuse, a growing problem among young people. Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam told the audience at the second Drug Victims Remembrance Day observance ceremony on May 16 that methamphetamine, also known as Ice, was likely to have been involved. 'There are many other tragic cases, but thankfully they remain small in number,' he said at the event at the Suntec City Convention and Exhibition Centre. Mr Shanmugam added: 'We are finding that we are arresting younger and younger abusers. Last year, the youngest was 13 years old. Over the last two years, more than half of new abusers arrested were below 30 years old.' A 2016 study by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) found the cost to Singapore society of dealing with drug crimes was more than $1.2 billion in 2015 , said Mr Shanmugam. The financial impact of drug abuse on individuals is equally staggering. A 2020 NTU study found drug consumption significantly impacts the abusers' income and income growth even after they quit the habit. An abuser can stand to lose close to $620,000 through spending on drugs and potential lost income. The Drug Victims Remembrance Day campaign is an initiative by the Inter-Ministry Committee on Drug Prevention for Youths to highlight the impact of drugs on abusers and their loved ones. This year's campaign is at the Suntec City Level 1 Atrium until May 18. It features an interactive Museum of Us exhibition, inspired by the personal stories of real-life drug victims, who are the families and friends of abusers. Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam at the 'Museum of Us' exhibition during the second Drug Victims Remembrance Day observance ceremony on May 16. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI The campaign also features five short films titled Remember Us, seen from the perspectives of the loved ones of a fictional drug abuser, John. While the characters in the films are played by actors, the experiences portrayed are based on research and interviews with Singaporeans affected by drug abuse, said Ms Tan Hui Er, the films' director. Ms Tan, 29, said: 'The very important thing for me was making sure that the pain and the love that they (characters in the short films) feel and their experiences, are felt and seen.' The pain of drug abuse on families is something that former abuser Shaun Yeo, who has three children, knows too well. Mr Yeo, 41, a delivery driver, said he cannot forget the 'countless times' his seven-year-old daughter saw him dragged away to the police station while he was high on drugs. Said Mr Yeo, who was first arrested for drug abuse at age 15: 'I couldn't fulfil my responsibility as a father because I was constantly broke. Even when I had money, the first thing I thought of was my family.' Mr Yeo, who has been drug-free since 2020, is trying to rebuild his relationship with his children, now aged 12 to 18 . He had spent a total of four years in prison for drug crimes over a 20-year period. Former drug abuser and gang leader Kim Whye Kee, 49, is grateful for his mother, who never gave up on him during his 10-year sentence for drug abuse and extortion. Said Mr Kim, who was released from prison in 2008: 'Her love is unconditional, something that I realised during my years of drug addiction... She always stood by me even when I relapsed or got arrested.' Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam (right) with (from left) DrugFreeSG Advocate Gopal Mahey, Mr Kim Whye Kee and Mr Shaun Yeo on May 16. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Mr Kim, who began learning pottery in his final months in prison, held his first solo exhibition in 2019. He is scheduled for another exhibition in Suzhou, China in a few weeks. He said he could not imagine what he had put his mother through, especially during occasions like Chinese New Year (CNY), when relatives would discuss what their children were doing. A lot of that time, he was in prison. Added Mr Kim: 'It was a bit strange when I saw my mother tearing (at my solo exhibition)... she was not sad but very happy when Mr Shanmugam came and visitors asked if I was her son. For me (seeing that) was enough.' Showing support and caring for drug abusers is vital to their reintegration into society said Ms Amy Ronshausen, executive director of Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. and Save Our Society From Drugs. Events such as the Drug Victims Remembrance Day brings families together in support of recovering drug abusers. Mr Ronshausen, 51, who was at the ceremony, told The Straits Times: 'It reminds them why recovery is important and why they need to stay (clear of drugs) and have their families around them. It's not an individual thing but a community thing.' Zaihan Mohamed Yusof is senior crime correspondent at The Straits Times. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
