Gala highlights Asian spirituality
‘Phantoms of Asia’ gala: Wednesday night, the Asian Art Museum in The City hosted a bash to open its first major contemporary art exhibition, “Phantoms of Asia: Contemporary Awakens the Past,” an exploration of Asian spirits and spirituality. The elegant evening included cocktails, fine dining and a preview viewing of the extraordinary show, which covers galleries throughout the museum.
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The Stern Grove Festival, San Francisco’s wildly popular free outdoor summer music series, has announced the lineup for its 75th season, which opens June 24 with R&B singer Anita Baker and a new “big picnic” benefit event after the free concert. As typical, the 10-week festival features an array of pop, jazz and classical offerings.
Here’s the schedule:
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AROUND TOWN
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward J. Larson delves into the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. His lecture focuses on the expeditions of Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott, who reached the South Pole within five weeks of each other, 100 years ago. [6 p.m., Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., S.F.]
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A Cleveland poll monitor assaulted a voter at the polling place, sending him to the hospital for treatment of “human bite.” All voter Greg Flanagan had done was mutter under his breath allegedly that the monitor was being too pushy in an argument with a campaign worker. But then monitor James Williams reportedly head-butted Flanagan from behind and bit his nose. Other poll workers pulled Williams off and he drove away in his car. Police are searching for him.
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DirecTV subscribers may soon lose access to shows such as “The Simpsons,” “Glee” and NFL games due to a dispute with Fox Networks. The satellite provider said Fox wants DirecTV customers “to pay 40 percent more for the exact same Fox channels that they already receive.” DirecTV has threatened to pull the plug on Fox channels Nov. 1.
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WHAT: In the years after 9/11, authorities were so focused on stopping additional terrorist attacks that they ignored a pest invasion that threatened the nation’s food supply quality, an AP investigation discovered.
HOW: Hundreds of agricultural agents who stopped invasive species at the borders were reassigned to anti-terrorism duties in the new Homeland Security Department — costing billions of dollars in crop damage and eradication expenses.
WHY IT’S OUTRAGEOUS: Every American consumer has been affected by higher grocery
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Who's in town
Michelle Branch: The Grammy-winning pop singer-songwriter performs at the Haus of Hipstamatic. [7 p.m., 74 Langton St., S.F.]
Lectures
Salma Arastu: The India-born Muslim artist discusses the contemporary relation of religion to art. [6 p.m., Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., S.F.]
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Who’s in town
Funny man: Comedian Gabriel Iglesias performs a sold-out show at the Punch Line Comedy Club.
Lectures
High-density housing: Architects and other speakers discuss infill projects designed to create environmentally and socially conscious high-density West Coast housing. [12:30 p.m., SPUR, 654 Mission St., S.F.]
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WHAT: Two months after the residents of Namie, Japan, evacuated away from the nearby Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant disaster, they learned a government computer system had shown they were moving directly into the most-radioactive location.
WHY IT’S OUTRAGEOUS: The Namie scandal is only the newest exposé of the Japanese government’s pattern of endangering its people by covering up the severity of the tsunami-triggered nuclear power plant leaks.
WHAT’S HAPPENING NEXT: Public anger is exploding as the Japanese people discover
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WHAT: While most African countries have improved their pregnant women’s survival rate, these deaths have quadrupled in South Africa, the continent’s richest sub-Saharan nation.
WHY: The spike in deaths of pregnant women and newborns is mostly caused by corruption, lack of accountability and just plain bad health care, according to a Human Rights Watch report.
WHY IT’S OUTRAGEOUS: One of at least three South African hospitals being investigated for baby deaths had no gloves, disinfectant spray, soap or toilet paper; 29 babies
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Who's in town
Susan Pohlman: The author of the memoir “Halfway to Each Other” shares how faith and a desire to keep her family together saved her marriage from divorce. [6 p.m., Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., S.F.]
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Who's in town
Comedian: Maria Bamford, from “The Comedians of Comedy Tour,” performs at the Punch Line. [8 p.m., Punch Line Comedy Club, 444 Battery St., S.F.]
Lectures
Transportation plan: San Francisco County Transportation Authority officials discuss San Francisco’s 25-year transportation plan and related funding issues. [12:30 p.m., SPUR, 654 Mission St., S.F.]
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WHAT: Airlines are tossing consumers aside and grabbing the benefit of lower federal taxes on travel tickets. Nearly all major U.S. airlines raised fares this past weekend to offset taxes that expired the night before. That means instead of passing along the savings, the airlines are pocketing the money while customers pay the same amount as before.
WHO: American, United, Continental, Delta, US Airways, Southwest, AirTran and JetBlue all raised fares, although details sometimes differed. Most of the increases were around 7.5 percent.
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Atlanta school officials say 41 educators accused in a cheating scandal have resigned or retired. According to district data, 13 educators have left since the state issued a scathing report detailing cheating. The report alleged cheating on standardized tests dating back to 2001 in nearly half the district’s 100 schools. Officials say 28 educators left before the report was issued. The report implicated 178 educators in what is the nation’s largest cheating scandal.
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