Joshua Chuang, the highly regarded chief curator of the Center for Creative Photography, has resigned his position. According to Terry Etherton, proprietor of Etherton Gallery and a regular donor to the center, Chuang quit because the university was not going to renew his contract.

Etherton was informed about Chuang’s departure by the office of Kimberly Andrews Espy, the UA's senior vice president for research and discovery, who supervises all three museums on campus.

“Dr. Espy called me yesterday (Wednesday, Nov. 18),” Etherton says. “I told her this is a colossal mistake. It’s going to do a lot of damage. This is a major step backward for the center. Josh’s reputation in the photography world is really good.”

Chuang was traveling in Europe and could not be reached for comment. He was in Paris last week attending the international Paris Photo exhibition when terrorists attacked the city and killed 130 people. The last days of the expo were canceled; Chuang was unharmed.

Asked on Friday morning whether Chuang was still employed by the center, assistant director Denise Gose says, “I cannot comment on that.”

Chuang, a graduate of Dartmouth and Yale, was hired with great fanfare not quite two years ago. 

“Joshua brings a rare blend of imagination and rigor to his exhibitions, lectures, and publications, and has a gift for sharing his knowledge in a highly engaging way,” CCP director Katharine Martinez wrote at the time. “He will play a major role in shaping the center’s future as we acquire and promote photographic collections of extraordinary quality to stimulate imagination, advance scholarship, and encourage creativity.”

These days, isn't every weekend a Netflix binge weekend? It's cold outside, take-out is delicious and, well, that's reason enough for me.

But as tempting as it is to rediscover whatever old show is streaming this month (I may have rewatched all of House, M.D. because the guy who wrote the Hamilton musical is in, like, three episodes), maybe that's not the best way to waste your weekend in front of the television.

This week, the list of Casa Video's most popular rentals is pretty much exactly the list of movies I had hoped to watch this summer. So, get out your 3D glasses and have this weekend's watchlist support a local business (one of Tucson's Best!)—but if some suit tries to reach over and snatch your popcorn, give him a smack for me.

Trainwreck

Terminator: Genisys

Inside Out

Jurassic World

The Obama administration officially asked the U.S. Supreme Court today to review a federal appeals court decision to continue blocking the two executive actions on immigration the president issued exactly one year ago.

A statement to the media by Tom Jawetz, vice president of Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress:

The Center for American Progress is encouraged by the action taken by the U.S. Department of Justice and we look forward to the Supreme Court taking up this case of national importance without further delay. Expanded DACA and DAPA are quintessential examples of prosecutorial discretion that are well within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s statutory authority. As has been widely documented, the economic and societal impacts of expanded DACA and DAPA would benefit not only the millions of families and American citizen children who would be directly affected, but also the country as a whole. This time last year, we were celebrating the secretary of homeland security’s decision to use his authority to allow hard-working immigrant families the opportunity to live and work without fear of deportation. This time next year, we should again be celebrating how much these parents and DREAMers are contributing to the strength and prosperity of their communities and the country.

Earlier this month, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled both programs—Deferred Action for Parental Accountability, known as DAPA, and an extension to 2012's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA—should remain on hold, while Arizona, Texas and 24 other states challenge the constitutionality of the reliefs. The legal battle began when a lower court in Texas issued a temporary injunction against DAPA and DACA II back in February. 

After the 5th Circuit decision, U.S. Rep.Raúl Grijalva said in a statement to the media that the decision is "prolonging the agony of countless families suffering in our broken immigration system. Each additional day means more families torn apart, more kids turned away from the only country they've ever called home, and more missed opportunities for our society as we reject talented and hardworking people for no good reason at all." He urged the Supreme Court justices to rule in favor of the reliefs.

The programs went into effect on Nov. 20, 2014.

DAPA would grant parents of U.S. citizen or legal resident children (among other requirements) a renewable three-year work permit and temporary permission to be in the country.

DACA II is an extension of Obama's 2012 DACA, which allows for undocumented immigrants brought here as children to apply for a two-year work permit and also remain the country. Extended DACA got rid of the age restrictions (with DACA I, the person had to be under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012 and have arrived to the U.S. before turning 16 to apply), and extended the renewable work permit to three years. 

According to the American Immigration Council, the Supreme Court will likely decide early next year whether it will hear the case. If the High Court tackles it, the ruling could come some time in June 2016, the council says.

Adam (Joseph Mawie) moves his family to a house in the Irish countryside. He has a nice wife (Bojana Novakovac), a beautiful child, and a bunch of demonic creatures living in the backyard that want to kidnap the kid.

The creatures are a variety of tortured souls, some of them people who were kidnapped and transformed into slimy monsters. In short, they are really gross and scary, and Adam picked the wrong place to live. Writer-director Corin Hardy does good things with a small budget.

When the monsters finally attack, Hardy gives the film a true sense of dread. It’ll make you think twice before purchasing a remote home in the wilderness, and will inspire you to purchase a cannon and 57 guns if you should opt for such a home location. The second half of the film is full of dread as Adam’s duties as a father and protector are put to the test. He finds out it in the worst of ways that some of the stories his neighbors warned him about are true.

Hardy’s film owes a lot to The Descent, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark and The Shining, and it continues a good year for horror in 2015 (Available for rent during a limited theatrical release on On Demand).

Democratic Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick, who is seeking the Senate seat now held by Republican John McCain, explained her vote against a bill halting a program allowing Syrian refugees relocation within the United States:

I will vote against this legislation because it presents a false choice and it betrays the core values of the United States of America.

The United States, a country of immigrants, has a long history of welcoming the persecuted and oppressed. Our beloved Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, affirms America’s core values of welcoming these ‘huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.’ And yet today, some politicians are demanding we close America’s door to Syrian refugees as they flee the brutality of ISIS and the Assad regime. These are families reeling from mass murder, teenage girls escaping sexual slavery, toddlers sleeping in dirty, dangerous encampments. The political discourse – and now legislation – targeting these refugees in the wake of the Paris attacks is truly beneath us.

Our nation must fight terrorism and global threats with every resource we have, and with all the might we can muster. We have the greatest military and intelligence operations in the world, and we must do much more to destroy ISIS. Here at home, our top priority is the safety of the American people, and our refugee vetting process must continue to reflect that. The current process involves rigorous screenings by multiple agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security and Defense, to apprehend anyone who poses a danger and attempts to hide among the refugee population.

America must always hold its lamp high as a beacon of hope and opportunity. We must not succumb to fear or paranoia. And we must welcome these ‘huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.’ This is who we are.

The U.S. Congress is now moving forward with legislation to address the uproar over allowing Syrian refugees (or, in the case of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, refugees from anywhere in the world) into the United States. The New York Times reports:

Congressional Republicans increased pressure on the White House on Wednesday to halt a program for Syrian refugees, setting up a confrontation with President Obama over the issue as they head into a battle over spending next month.

Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, introduced a bill on Wednesday that would beef up the screening process for Syrians and Iraqis who enter the United States as refugees. The House is expected to vote on the measure on Thursday, a remarkable pace for legislation that showed the urgency in Congress to respond to the deadly attacks in Paris.

The bill, which received the full support of Speaker Paul D. Ryan, would require that the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and the director of national intelligence confirm that each applicant from Syria and Iraq poses no threat. The bill did not go into specific measures; rather, it said that officials “shall take all actions necessary” for a “thorough” background check.

Congresswoman Martha McSally has concerns about the vetting of refugees. McSally spokesman Patrick Ptak told the Weekly via email:

Top officials at the FBI, DHS, and at National Counterterrorism Center have indicated that we have gaps in our refugee security vetting process. In an October hearing, FBI Director James Comey stated: “We can only query against that which we have collected. And so if someone has never made a ripple in the pond in Syria in a way that would get their identity or their interest reflected in our database, we can query our database until the cows come home, but there will be nothing show up because we have no record of them.”

Over the last six months, Rep. McSally and her colleagues on the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Foreign Fighter Travel have investigated what gaps exist and recently made over 50 recommendations to improve our security programs. Their findings pointed to vulnerabilities not just in the refugee vetting process, but in ISIS fighters from Visa Waiver countries and homegrown threats in America directed or inspired by radical violent extremism. Right now, we know that nearly 30,000 fighters from over 100 countries have traveled to Syria and Iraq, including 4,500 Western fighters. We know that 250 Americans have traveled, or attempted to travel, to Syria to fight, and the FBI has investigations of ISIS supporters in all 50 states.

Late yesterday, a House task force formed to address gaps in our vetting process introduced legislation to require certification that new refugees do not represent a security threat before being admitted. Rep. McSally is currently analyzing that legislation as well as solutions that will ensure all gaps and vulnerabilities are addressed.

Talking Points Memo looks at how the hysteria over refugees developed.

Slate takes a historic look at how some Americans have always voiced fears of refugees and immigrants:

Looks like #sunrise came with some enthusiasm. #GoodMorning #USA from @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/5x8tfv60Cq

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) November 19, 2015

Astronaut Scott Kelly wishes us earthlings a good morning as he continues his year in space.

There is a protest in Tucson Thursday afternoon over Gov. Doug Ducey's recent comments on Syrian refugees.  

On Monday Ducey—and more than a dozen more governors from around the country—said he does not want new refugees to resettle in Arizona. He also called on Congress and President Obama to "immediately amend federal law to provide states greater oversight and authority in the administration of the placement of refugees."

"These acts serve as a reminder that the world remains at war with radical Islamic terrorists. Our national leaders must react with the urgency and leadership that every American expects to protect our citizens," he said in a prepared statement earlier in the week. 

Needless to say there was some heated backlash, prompting demonstrations, such as the one the Tucson Anti-War Committee is leading Thursday at 4:30 p.m., outside the State of Arizona Building, 400 W. Congress St. 

"By claiming he will refuse Syrian refugees, AZ Gov. Doug Ducey is not only threatening to violate Federal law but also threatening the lives of the existing Syrian refugee population here in Arizona and all Muslims and Arabs," the group says on Facebook. "Thanks to reactionary politicians like Ducey, Russell Pearce, and John Huppenthal and policies like HB 2281 and SB 1070, Arizona already has a climate of racism, hatred, and bigotry. This has provided the conditions for other forms of bigotry such as the white supremacist protest outside a mosque in Phoenix."

"We Tucsonans will not stand for this hatred and bigotry as this governor attempts to go rogue against Federal law, UN Human Rights, and common human decency," the group adds. "We will demand the Ducey and all the other racist Governors follow Federal law and peacefully admit refugees from all areas, most urgently from war-torn Syria."

For more information, visit the protest's Facebook page.

Congressman Raul Grijalva takes to the New York Times opinion page to challenge Republican lawmakers over their reluctance to help modernize coal-burning power plants:

It’s not that simple, and my colleagues help no one by pretending otherwise. Coal companies are struggling largely because domestic coal is not economically competitive with the country’s cheap and abundant natural gas. That would be true no matter who was president or what climate quality standards we had in place.

The “blame Obama” argument essentially boils down to ignoring economics and pretending that the implementation schedule for the Clean Power Plan, which requires mandatory emissions reductions beginning in 2022, is a bureaucratic overreach rather than the compromise it represents. (The original implementation date was 2020.)

Coal’s would-be friends in Washington have decided to bash the administration and defend the status quo rather than offer a way forward. They’ve also largely ignored legislative attempts to help the industry comply with incoming climate standards. It’s worth examining why.

Companies will need advanced technologies to meet the new standards. Whether it is capturing carbon at the smokestack or some other method, breakthroughs will be required for coal to stay viable in a new world of emissions rules. If you’re a lawmaker who wants to keep today’s coal industry alive under the Clean Power Plan, standing pat is not an option.

Given that reality, you’d think that support for efforts to reduce coal’s climate-changing emissions would be in the Republican Party’s platform by now. But ask almost any Republican on an environmental committee — or better yet, ask the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, of the coal state of Kentucky — where his or her bill is to support these options, and it’s a good bet you’ll get a blank stare.

That’s because, for all their sound and fury on the importance of American coal mining, some of my colleagues have boxed themselves in so tightly by denying the science of climate change that any solution is impossible for them to support. In the unusual world of climate politics, Republicans who help coal companies reduce their carbon emissions would have to admit that those emissions are a problem worth discussing — and for a variety of reasons, they can’t do that.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to add gender identity and expression to the county's non-discrimination policy. 

The effort, pushed by the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance and Service Employees International Union of Arizona, was in the works for five months.

During the May discussions for the new Memorandum of Understanding—an annual meeting process between SEIU Arizona (the union that bargains on behalf of county workers) members and leaders, and Pima county management—the advocacy groups presented the board with several proposals to increase protections for transgender workers, as well as to start offering paid parental leave, and other issues affecting county employees. 

"It means that no person can be denied employment or a promotion, or otherwise be discriminated against, because someone else doesn't think they look the way they are 'supposed' to, look or act in a manner they are 'supposed' to act...that is what gender identity and expression are about," Abby Jensen, vice president and general counsel for SAGA, and an assistant Pima County public defender, told the Weekly. "This protection is not just for transgender people. It protects everyone from being discriminated against."

The groups also had private meetings with the supervisors, and Jensen says it was a grand success to have all of them come on board. Some, such as Supervisor Ally Miller, even wondered why the county didn't offer these gender identity and expression protections before. 

This is a big win, but the next major step is to have the county stop excluding transition-related coverage from its healthcare's policy. 

Yesterday's vote also opened up the conversation to eventually offer county employees paid parental leave. The board said it would vote on that issue in January.

“Today was a victory for Pima County, working people, and taxpayers” said a statement by Art Mendoza, president of SEIU Arizona. “This MoU makes the county more attractive to the best and brightest potential employees and helps to retain the quality employees we already have. Our union and our allies look forward to working with Pima County to implement policies that support working families like paid parental leave and are thrilled we could win new protections for transgender employees in our community.”