Today will mark the first time
visitors can tour the crown of the Statue of Liberty
since it was closed following the 9/11
attacks.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will officially reopen the crown to the public this morning. About 20 lucky visitors will be among
the first to climb the 354 steps to the top, but
thanks to the power of technology, everyone can join in the celebration. The public can view photos of the day’s events on Flickr and follow Lady Liberty on Twitter.
About 240 visitors per day will be able to tour the crown,
but you can visit the Statue of Liberty anytime from home by taking the
new Statue of Liberty National Monument virtual tour.
Read all about Lady Liberty activities and order crown reservations at www.nps.gov/stli.
Katelyn Sabochik is the Director of New Media for the U.S. Department of the Interior
In a historic judgement Thursday, India's high court decriminalized homosexuality striking down a 150-year colonial ban against gay sex between consenting adults for violating fundamental rights protected by the constitution.
“The inclusiveness that Indian society traditionally displayed, literally in every aspect of life, is manifest in recognizing a role in society for everyone,” said Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice S. Murlidhar.
“Oppressive laws such as Section 377 drive people underground, making it much harder to reach them with HIV prevention, treatment and care services,” UN AIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said. "On top of violating individuals’ human rights, the prohibition of homosexuality in over 80 countries impedes the response to HIV, hampering treatment to access for people living with the disease, according to UNAIDS."
Enrollment is up for Jewish and Arab students attending the Hand-in-Hand bilingual school in
Jerusalem. Kids study together learning the language of friendship and goodwill with two teachers guiding each class in both Hebrew and Arabic.
Despite being in the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, these kids know nothing of ethnic hatred.
Watch the Common Ground video below, or on YouTube.
Malawi, which launched a free AIDS drug program five years ago with 5,000 initial beneficiaries, is now supplying 250,000 HIV positive citizens with the life-saving treatments.
President Mutharika had more exciting news on Sunday. Malawi is beginning an effort to establish a local company to produce these anti-retroviral drugs locally, enough to even export to neighboring countries.
The Supreme Court ruled against Arizona school officials saying they violated the constitutional rights of a
13-year-old girl when they strip-searched her on the suspicion she
might be hiding ibuprofen in her underwear. The decision put school districts on notice that such
searches are "categorically distinct" from other searches.
The court ruled 8 to 1, with the sole dissenter being Clarence Thomas.
Today will mark the first time
visitors can tour the crown of the 
In a historic judgement Thursday, India's high court decriminalized homosexuality striking down a 150-year colonial ban against gay sex between consenting adults for violating fundamental rights protected by the constitution.
Malawi, which launched a free AIDS drug program five years ago with 5,000 initial beneficiaries, is now supplying 250,000 HIV positive citizens with the life-saving treatments.
The Supreme Court ruled against Arizona school officials saying they violated the constitutional rights of a
13-year-old girl when they strip-searched her on the suspicion she
might be hiding ibuprofen in her underwear. The decision put school districts on notice that such
searches are "categorically distinct" from other searches.
