Source: houzz
This week more than 7,800 candidates will become citizens at more than 100 ceremonies across the country and around the world. Obama Administration officials participated in ceremonies which were part of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services‘ annual celebration of Independence Day.
On July 4, to celebrate our nation’s birth, White House Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, gave remarks at a special ceremony at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon where 101 new citizens recited the Oath of Allegiance and became American citizens. Mt. Vernon is one of the prominent landmarks to host naturalization ceremonies this year in honor of Independence Day.
During the ceremony, Mr. McDonough discussed the ways immigrants have always contributed to the success of our economy:
“Throughout our history, immigrants have enriched our nation. From Albert Einstein who brought us the theory of relativity to Andrew Carnegie who led the American expansion in steel. From Madeline Albright our former Secretary of State to Jerry Yang who founded Yahoo!. America has benefited immensely from the contributions and talents of these and millions of other immigrants.”
Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House
On the 65th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, I join my fellow Americans in wishing the Israeli people a joyous Independence Day. On this date 65 years ago, the Jewish people realized their dream of the ages—to be masters of their fate in their own sovereign state. From that moment on, a free and independent Israel has had no greater friend and ally than the United States. As I said during my visit to Israel last month, our two nations stand together because it makes our countries safer, stronger and more prosperous and it makes the world a better place.
Among the many memories I will always cherish from my visit will be my time at Mount Herzl. There, I was honored to pay tribute to Theodor Herzl who did so much to realize the dream of an independent Israel, to the presidents and prime ministers who guided her, and to those in uniform who have laid down their lives to protect her. The strong and prosperous Israel we see today proves Herzl’s vision—“if you will it, it is no dream.” On this anniversary, we reaffirm the unbreakable alliance between our two nations and our shared determination to realize the dreams of our people to live in security and peace.
From: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/04/16/statement-president-israeli-independence-day
In 65 years, Israel has surpassed the dreams of its founders, emerging as the Middle East‘s strongest military force, a global high-tech powerhouse and a prosperous homeland for the Jewish people.
Yet it remains a divided society, and its most intractable problem — peace with its Arab neighbors — has yet to be resolved.
On the eve of the 65th anniversary of its creation, the Jewish renaissance in the Holy Land remains a work in progress.
Dominating the short term is Iran‘s nuclear program, which Israel believes is aimed at developing an atomic weapon that could be used against the Jewish state, despite Iranian denials. Unrest along Israel‘s borders is equally worrisome.
Over the longer term, reaching peace with the Palestinians remains elusive, with the sides unable to agree even on how to restart negotiations. Palestinians consider creation of Israel a catastrophe that caused a stubborn refugee problem.
The 46-year occupation of Palestinian territories also ignites domestic and international tensions. Without a partition, Arabs could one day outnumber Jews, threatening Israel‘s democratic nature.
Israel began observing its annual Memorial Day on Sunday evening, honoring fallen soldiers and victims of militant attacks. At 8 p.m., air raid sirens sounded nationwide to mark a minute of silence. A two-minute siren was set for Monday morning.
At sundown Monday, the country abruptly shifts its mood to mark its 65th Independence Day with fireworks, military processions and picnics. The transformation from grief to joy is an annual ritual meant to show the link between the sacrifices and the accomplishments.
“Today there are also those who rise up against us and threaten to destroy us. They did not succeed in the past, and they will never succeed,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Memorial Day ceremony Sunday. Netanyahu’s older brother, Yonatan, was killed in a military operation in 1976.
Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, marking the date each year on the Hebrew calendar. Since then, it has been in a constant state of conflict with its neighbors, most recently eight days of exchanges last November with Palestinian militants firing rockets from the Gaza Strip. It has signed peace treaties with just two Arab nations, Egypt and Jordan.
Yet the country
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/YGWTcgvam-Q/
LOS ANGELES, March 27 (UPI) — Director Roland Emmerich says he doesn’t want Will Smith to headline his two “Independence Day” film sequels because Smith is “too big a star” now.
Welcome back to Keepin’ It Reel! In this week’s podcast, Jim Vejvoda, Chris Carle and Roth Cornet bring you the latest in genre movie news.
After tackling last weekend’s box office — where The Croods was No. 1 — the fellas discuss the biggest movie news of the week, including The Wolverine, Ninja Turtles, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Independence Day 2, Tomb Raider, World War Z, and more.
Lastly, we predict whether G.I. Joe: Retaliation has the firepower to take down The Host at this weekend box office.
…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Movies
It’s been awhile since we’d heard anything on Roland Emmerich‘s two Independence Day sequels, tentatively titled ID Forever Part One and ID Forever Part Two. In a recent interview, Emmerich was able to reveal a few story details filling us in on what’s in store for our humble little planet.
According to EW.com, ID Forever picks up 20 years after the first film, when a distress call sent from the first wave of aliens brings reinforcements back to Earth. “The humans knew that one day the aliens would come back,” the director explained. “And they know that the only way you can really travel in space is through wormholes. So for the aliens, it could take two or three weeks, but for us that’s 20 or 25 years.”
…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Movies
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at AOL
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Director Roland Emmerich was born in Germany, but for the last 17 years he’s had his sight (and sights) set on the White House.
“I always jokingly say that they should put a plaque somewhere in one of the rooms,” Emmerich told HuffPost Entertainment. “Or my portrait: ‘The man who destroyed the White House the most.'”
Emmerich indeed has experience causing carnage on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In 1996, he let aliens blow up the White House in “Independence Day”; 13 years later, Emmerich used a tsunami and the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy to destroy the executive mansion of the United States in the disaster blockbuster “2012”; and this summer, Emmerich directs the film “White House Down,” which finds Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx teaming up to prevent the domestic enemies from toppling the presidency. The first “White House Down” trailer premieres exclusively on HuffPost Entertainment; watch it above.
The Statue of Liberty is scheduled to reopen by Independence Day, about eight months after it was closed because of Superstorm Sandy.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar made the announcement Tuesday along with U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York.
The statue itself was spared damage from the late October storm, but Liberty Island, where the statue sits, was badly damaged. Railings broke, paving stones were torn up and buildings were flooded. The storm also destroyed boilers, sewage pumps and electrical systems on the island.
Officials have estimated that as much as three-fourths of Liberty Island‘s 12 acres was flooded, with water reaching as high as 8 feet.
Sandy came one day after the Statue of Liberty’s 126th birthday and the reopening of the crown after a yearlong, $30 million upgrade.
He pulled off one of soccer’s greatest historic upsets. Now Otto Rehhagel has been handed a task equally challenging: to make Germany popular again in crisis-hit Greece.
Germany is widely seen here as the country pressing hardest for the toughest cuts in Greece. Germany is the lead creditor in Greece‘s financial bailout program, but its reputation has been devastated by successive austerity measures, which have caused a rapid increase in poverty and unemployment. Greece is receiving emergency loans from the eurozone as a whole, as well as the International Monetary Fund.
Rehhagel, a German, coached Greece to a stunning victory in the 2004 European Championships, building a team that went on to qualify for two other European tournaments and the 2010 World Cup. Germany hopes to use his national hero status in Greece as a diplomatic tool. Rehhagel, 74, will visit Greece this month as a goodwill ambassador, traveling with officials in a regional government cooperation program, the German Embassy said Friday.
A visit to Greece last October by German Chancellor Angela Merkel triggered mass protests in Athens.
Rehhagel is due in Greece on March 25, the country’s Independence Day.
“The purpose of the visit is to make clear the deep bond between Greece and Germany … He will visit Greece with the slogan ‘We encourage the Greeks, our friends!'” a statement from the German Embassy said.
“There will be no political review of the current situation. The visit is aimed at encouraging the Greeks.”
Rehhagel coached Greece for 107 matches between 2001 and 2010, rising from 61st to 12th place in the world rankings.
No criminal charges will be filed following an investigation into the fatal capsizing of a yacht off Long Island last July 4 that killed three children.
Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice says a unique combination of circumstances were responsible for the accident. But she says the investigation uncovered no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
She says the investigation would continue. A report on the accident and recommendations will be issued at a later date.
The attorney for the operator of the boat, Sal Aureliano, says his client was relieved to hear the news.
The children and two dozen other people were on a 34-foot-long motor yacht to watch Independence Day fireworks off Oyster Bay when the boat overturned and sank.
Authorities had suggested that overcrowding may have been a factor.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
