Join us for a short conversation with Morris Pearl, chair of a group called Patriotic Millionaires. Morris used to work for the powerful financial monolith Blackrock, a topic we touch on lightly. His current fixation is on taking the money out of politics. Seriously. Patriotic Millionaires are interested in aligning the interests of millionaires with those of the rest of the country. Check it and hit that share button!

Some members of Turkey's military attempted a coup last week and failed. Game over? Not quite. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is arresting thousands of people who he says were connected to the coup. And he's asking the U.S. to extradite Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen who lives in Pennsylvania and has a strong following here and in Turkey, including people who are now or have been part of the Turkish government. Secretary of State Kerry says he hasn't gotten a formal request from Turkey but will review any information he receives from its government. Gulen denies he is in any way connected to the failed coup.

Here's where the charter school connection comes in. Fethullah Gulen is connected indirectly—or directly depending on who you're talking to—to the Sonoran charter schools and other charters around the country. There are three Sonoran Science Academies in Tucson, including one on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and three Sonoran charters in the Phoenix area.

I began writing about the Sonoran Science Academies and their connections to Gulen in 2010, as did Tim Vanderpool in the Weekly and Tim Steller in the Star. The connection was even the subject of a 60 Minutes investigation in 2012. A group of people around the country believe the charters are too closely connected to Gulen and violate the requirement that public schools have no religious affiliation. They make a strong circumstantial case, but they've never proven a direct connection.

What we know is that the Arizona charters have a strong academic reputation, especially in the areas of science and math. We also know that many of their directors and administrators are of Turkish descent, and they have a number of Turkish teachers, some of whom have been brought to the U.S. on H-1B visas for the express purpose of teaching at the schools. We also know that the schools teach Turkish culture, though it may be in a similar way that a French school teaches French culture. Some say the schools have direct links to Gulen, which the schools deny.

Expect to hear more about the schools if the story linking Gulen to the failed coup stays in the news.

All these recordings were done Monday, July 18 at the GOP Convention in Cleveland ::

These recordings were done all over downtown.

A guide to what you're hearing:
Intro music (street performers)
Bryan intro
Ms. Montani
Sosha
Chris from Minnesota
Morris Pearl of Patriotic Millionares
Trolls on Bullhorns @ Public Square
Pauline from Cleveland
Guy with Cross, yelling
People who don't want you to masturbate
Vinny from Street Medics
Melissa from Cleveland
Outro music (same street performers—thanks guys!)

Come and Get It: Next Thursday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. the Fox Theatre (17 W. Congress St.) is screening In My Life: A Musical Theatre Tribute and we're giving out tickets to the event.

In My Life - A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles is an award winning, smash hit musical biography of the Beatles and is widely considered by industry insiders to be the most unique Beatles show in decades!

The music of the Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—continues to stand the test of time. Offering a fresh perspective on the band's history, you'll see the Fab Four through the eyes of their late manager, Brian Epstein, who serves as narrator to renowned Beatles tribute band Abbey Road as they perform 33 of the group's classic hits.

The heat may seem unbearable as Tucson experiences one of its hottest summers on record, but the City of Tucson has taken note and is offering kids a chance to swim for free the rest of the summer. 

Tucson Parks and Recreations has granted youth 17 and under free admission at 17 city pools in Tucson. 

While most pools are participating, a fee will still be charged at the Edith Ball Adaptive Recreation center, Catalina park splash pad and Balboa heights splash pad, $2 for adults and $1 for youth. 

We all know it's only going to get hotter before leaves start to fall and it gets cooler, but don't worry. Tucson Parks and Recreations will be offering this scorching deal until Aug. 3. 

Grab the kids, the floaties and some sunscreen and head over to your nearest city pool for a relaxing family swim. 

In a proclamation worthy of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, the Arizona Theatre Company Board of Trustees has announced in a release that fundraising efforts to save the 2016-17 season has succeeded, and the 50th Anniversary season will indeed launch with Kind Charles III as previously scheduled. Arizona audiences will have their shows, and ATC company and staff will keep their jobs.

The number capped at 448 Tucson donors and 320 from Phoenix. Mike Kasser, Tucson business leader and stalwart ATC patron sent a heartfelt thank you to the generosity of Arizona's loyal theatre-goers:

 “I’m so happy that this effort came together and reached the goal. With over 700 small-to-medium size donors, It was like a crowd-funding campaign without the Internet. I also very much appreciate the support from Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild as well as several large donors. We know that this does not represent the end of our fund-raising focus, but now ATC can move forward with a very exciting season and plan for the future.”

Other leaders within ATC, including Artistic Director David Ira Goldstein and Board of Trustees Chair Lynne Wood Dusenberry, expressed their deep gratitude for the outpouring of support, but qualified the statements by reminding the community of all the fundraising and reorganizing that still needs to be done to ensure company sustainability. 

"And to those who so generously donated to the effort, at whatever level they could afford, we can only offer our deep thanks and a promise to take every necessary step to ensure that ATC is in a position to produce 50 more seasons," Dusenberry said. "At the same time, as wonderful as this day is, there is still much work to be done on both the fund-raising side and organizationally to ensure ATC’s long-term financial and artistic stability.”

You can now, finally, check out the ATC website for more information on tickets and dates for the upcoming season of shows. King Charles III will open in September, followed by An Act of God in October, and closing with Fiddler on the Roof at the end of the year. 

A few weeks ago I wrote a post trying to sort out what looked like contradictory information about the amount of Prop 123 money TUSD devoted to teacher salary raises. An article in the Star made it look like TUSD devoted far less of the new funding to increasing teacher salaries—about a third of the money, which amounted to a $700 raise—than neighboring districts, which would mean TUSD was shortchanging its teachers. But the article also mentioned the possibility that the district had found other ways to increase salaries. Meanwhile, the TUSD website states that returning teachers will make $2,000 more in 2016-17 than they made in the previous year. I ended the post by scratching my head and admitting I didn't know how to figure out the actual pay raises based on the information I had.

Since then, more has been written on the subject, and the pay raise situation is clearer. Here's the short version: As the TUSD website states, returning teachers will get a $2,000 raise over the previous year, which is in the same ballpark as neighboring districts. That's because, at the May 10 school board meeting a week before the Prop 123 vote, the board approved a $1,300 teacher raise. After Prop 123 passed, $700 was added to that amount, resulting in a $2,000 raise. Other Tucson-area districts created a variety of salary raise and retention incentive bonus packages, some of which are a bit more generous, and some a bit less generous, than TUSD's.

Here's the longer version, which I believe is accurate. If I've got my facts or numbers wrong, I'm sure people will let me know in the comments section.

At TUSD's May 10, 2016, board meeting, a salary raise was approved. It increased the pay for each salary step by $800, and since returning teachers move up a step which adds another $500, the total increase for returning teachers was $1,300. Since Prop 123 hadn't come up for a vote, the money for the raises was taken from maintenance and operations funds as well as Prop 301 funds. The $1,300 salary increase was guaranteed whether Prop 123 went up or down.

The Obama administration wants the U.S. Supreme Court to rehear a lawsuit involving two immigration relief programs for undocumented parents and youth.

Last month, the court issued a disappointing 4-4 decision in a challenge to President Barack Obama's 2014 immigration actions.

With a split decision, an extension to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals—which grants DREAMers a renewable work permit and temporary permission to be in the country—and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents—a similar relief but for parents of U.S. citizen and permanent resident children—remain blocked.

The Department of Justice wants another shot, this time with the entire nine justices. One seat has been vacant since the sudden death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in February. A Republican Congress has refused to vote for a replacement until a new president takes office in January 2017.

In the filing, the DOJ says that given the impact the case has on the lives of millions of parents, youth and families the court should grant a rehearing when every seat is filled. While the DOJ acknowledges that the Supreme Court rarely grants rehearings, in the past, these have been granted when the court justices have been divided on other issues, according to a post by the American Immigration Council.

In February 2015, a coalition of 26 states, including Arizona and led by Texas, sued the Obama administration, accusing the president of abusing his power by ignoring Congress in an administrative process to change immigration policies. 

Federal District Court Judge Andrew S. Hanen of Texas issued a preliminary injunction blocking the implementation of DAPA and extended DACA. The Obama administration appealed, and a three-judge panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals eventually upheld the injunction. The administration then took the legal battle to the Supreme Court, where it took months to hear a ruling.

If DAPA and DACA II ever go into effect, an approximate 5 million people would benefit. 

I am writing this as we drive into Cleveland on a dark, damp Monday morning. Photographer Jimi Giannatti and I are two of the thousands of people descending upon Cleveland in time for the first day of the Republican National Convention. Later this week, reality TV personality and real estate salesman Donald Trump is expected to be officially crowned GOP nominee for President.

Full disclosure: I oppose the candidacy of Donald Trump and everything it has come to stand for. Back in March (ancient history in the current news tempo) I protested loudly and visibly against Trump at his rally in Tucson. I was assaulted violently by one of Trump's supporters and the video of the attack went viral, forever changing my life and the life of the man who assaulted me. Trump just kept rolling until he had conquered internal GOP opposition to his candidacy and secured the required number of delegates for the nomination. All of which has led Jimi Giannatti and me to be traveling at high speed in the looming darkness outside of Cleveland, on our way to report on the convention for the Tucson Weekly.

Around 9 a.m. Sunday morning the horrific news broke that six Baton Rouge police officers had been shot by a gunman wielding a rifle. Three of the officers died, adding to the five killed in Dallas two weeks ago, in the process managing to add further volatility to an already kinetic security situation at the convention, which is being staged at the Quicken Arena downtown. The head of the Police Officer's Union in Cleveland sent a letter to Ohio Governor John Kasich pleading with him to suspend Ohio's open carry law for the duration of the convention. Kasich immediately refused, saying he does not have the authority to circumvent the open carry laws in his own state, further increasing the dominant hold the 2nd Amendment has over all other Amendments and considerations and rights, including the right to life.

Governor Kasich's refusal to act ensures that people will be allowed to openly carry rifles and handguns anywhere they please during the convention, outside of a small security zone in the immediate vicinity of Quicken Arena and within the arena itself. It is notable that Kasich himself was one of Trump's opponents for the GOP nomination and is reportedly not attending the convention or endorsing Trump for President. Governor Kasich's personal safety is not at risk, which puts him in stark contrast to everyone who will be attending either to support or oppose or report or provide security during the proceedings.

No political neophyte in American politics has had the sort of impact that Trump has had in terms of sheer amperage and hysteria and coverage. Where Trump goes, protesters and supporters and the media follow. Perhaps the only guarantee at this convention is the presence of people protesting against Trump. I have attended three Donald Trump rallies before this convention and spoken with many people, supporters of Trump and those who protest against him. The protesters come from an extremely diverse set of backgrounds. There is no "generic Trump protester"—this is actually true of his supporters as well, contrary to the perception among those who have not actually talked to any Trump supporters.

Hi I'm Jellybean!

I'm a 1.5 year old little girl who needs a home. I play well with other dogs, but don't forget that if you have a current dog in your home that you need to bring them to the shelter to do a meet and greet!

The Humane Society of Southern Arizona wants to make sure that everyone in a home is excited about an adoption from our shelter including your current pets!

Contact HSSA Main Campus at 327-6088 to check on my availability and current location!

Lots of love,

Jellybean (824319)