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WASHINGTON (AP) — Latest developments in Pope Francis' visit to the United States. All times local:

 Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, making history as the first pontiff to do so. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) (Associated Press)

 Pope Francis is applauded as he arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, to address a joint meeting of Congress, making history as the first pontiff to do so. (AP Photo/Carolyn... (Associated Press)

 Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, making history as the first pontiff to do so. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) (Associated Press)

 Pope Francis smiles as he walks into the House chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, before addressing a joint meeting of Congress. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (Associated Press)

 Pope Francis arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, to address a joint meeting of Congress. (Michael Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP) (Associated Press)

 Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, making history as the first pontiff to do so. Listening behind the pope are Vice President Joe... (Associated Press)

 11:20 a.m.

 From the balcony of the U.S. Capitol, Pope Francis asked a crowd of tens of thousands to pray for him.

 It's a plea he traditionally makes. But this time, speaking in Spanish, he added a line to acknowledge that not everyone in the crowd was Christian, much less a believer.

 Through a translator, the pontiff said: "If among you there are some who don't believe or who cannot pray, I ask that you send good wishes my way."

 After his speech to Congress, the pope walked onto a balcony of the Capitol and greeted the throngs with "Buenos Dias."

 He expressed gratitude for their presence and asked God to bless "the most important ones here — children."

 Francis ended his remarks in English, saying "Thank you very much and God bless America." The crowd cheered boisterously.

 ___

 11:10 a.m.

 Pope Francis has taken his call for action on climate change to Congress. In his address to lawmakers, Francis urged a "courageous and responsible effort" to avert the most serious effects of what he called the "environmental deterioration caused by human activity."

 Francis says he's convinced that working together, nations can make a difference to slow global warming. He says the U.S. and "this Congress" have an important role to play. Now, he says, is the time for a "culture of care."

 ___

 11 a.m.

 Pope Francis is lamenting that the very basis of marriage and family life today is being put into question — an allusion to gay marriage in a country that recently legalized same-sex marriage across the land.

 Speaking before Congress in the first-ever papal address, Francis said the family today is "threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without."

 While Francis has shown great openness to gays as individuals, he has staunchly upheld the church teaching that marriage is a union between man and woman.

 Sitting in front of Francis for his speech was John Roberts, chief justice of the Supreme Court, which legalized gay marriage across the country.

 Francis is expected to speak in greater depth about the threats to families at a big church rally in Philadelphia later this week.

 ___

 11 a.m.

 Pope Francis is demanding an end to the arms trade, delivering a tough message to a country that is the world's largest exporter of weapons.

 Speaking before Congress, the pope asked why weapons are being sold to people who intend only to inflict suffering on innocents. He said: "Sadly, the answer as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood."

 Francis has in the past denounced weapons makers and dealers as "the root of evil" and questioned how weapons manufacturers can call themselves Christian.

 Francis has, however, said that it is legitimate to use military force against an "unjust aggression," such as the attacks by Islamic extremists against Christian and other religious minorities in Syria and Iraq.

 ___

 10:50 a.m.

 Pope Francis has used his speech to Congress to express sympathy for American Indians for their "turbulent and violent" early contacts with arriving Europeans. But he says it is hard to judge past actions by today's standards.

 Francis did not specifically use the term American Indians. He said the rights of "those who were here long before us" were not always respected.

 He says that "for those people and their nations," he wants to express his highest esteem and appreciation.

 Francis has been criticized by some Native Americans for his decision to canonize an 18th century missionary, Junipero Serra, on Wednesday. Indigenous groups say Serra was part of the violent colonizing machine that wiped out indigenous populations. Francis has defended Serra as a great evengelizer who protected indigenous peoples from the abuses of colonizers.

 ___

 10:35 a.m.

 Speaking to Congress, Pope Francis is calling for an end to the death penalty in the U.S. and across the world.

 Francis says that every life is sacred and society can only benefit from rehabilitating those convicted of crimes.

 The pope noted that U.S. bishops have renewed their call to abolish capital punishment. That idea is unpopular, however, with many American politicians.

 The pontiff did not specifically mention abortion — a particularly contentious issue in Congress at the moment that threatens to force the shutdown of the U.S. government next week.

 Still, his remarks referred to the Catholic church's opposition to abortion. He urged lawmakers and all Americans to "protect and defend human life at every stage of its development."

 ___

 10:30 a.m.

 Pope Francis is urging Congress members — and the United States as a whole — not to be afraid of immigrants but to welcome them as fellow human beings.

 He says people are not things that can be discarded just because they are troublesome.

 The pontiff's admonition comes as the presidential race is roiled by questions about immigration from Mexico and Latin America, and the nation is weighing how many migrants to accept from wars in the Middle East.

 The son of Italian immigrants to Argentina himself, Francis noted that the United States was founded by immigrants, that many lawmakers are descended from foreigners, and that this generation must not "turn their back on our neighbors."

 His plea: "Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated."

 ___

 10:15 a.m.

 Pope Francis is calling for a "delicate balance" in fighting religious extremism to ensure that fundamental freedoms aren't trampled at the same time.

 He says in his speech to Congress that "no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism."

 He says religious, intellectual and individual freedoms must be safeguarded, while combatting violence perpetrated in the name of religion.

 The pope cautions against simplistically breaking the world into camps of good and evil.

 Francis has expressed deep concern about the slaughter of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East at the hands of Islamic extremists, fearing that the Christian presence in the region is risk. He's dispatched envoys to Iraq with money and other forms of assistance to help refugees.

 ___

 10:05 a.m.

 Pope Francis has opened his historic speech to Congress by describing himself as a "son of this great continent" joined in a common purpose with America.

 The Argentine-born pope is the first from the Americas. And his speech to Congress is the first by any pontiff.

 A bipartisan group of congressional leaders escorted him up the aisle for his speech in the House chamber, as tens of thousands waited outside.

 ___

 10:05 a.m.

 Pope Francis has arrived in the House chamber for his speech to Congress.

 The pontiff walked up the aisle to thunderous applause from standing lawmakers, and paused to shake the hand of Secretary of State John Kerry.

 House Speaker John Boehner told lawmakers he had the "high privilege and distinct honor" of presenting the pope.

 ___

 9:30 a.m.

 With a handshake and a smile, House Speaker John Boehner has welcomed Pope Francis to his ornate ceremonial office in the Capitol prior to the first papal address to Congress in history.

 The Ohio Republican told Francis, "Your Holiness, welcome, really glad that you're here."

 Boehner's eyes moistened as the pope told him he was glad to be there, too.

 The two men then sat next to each other, accompanied by Vatican and church officials and Boehner aides.

 Boehner told the pontiff that his staff had urged him to wear the green tie he was sporting. That drew a compliment from Francis, delivered through an interpreter.

 The interpreter told Boehner, "He says it's a tie with the color of hope."

 Before the pope's arrival, Boehner told those waiting with him that the pope's visit was "a big deal" for him, as a Catholic.

 ___

 9:20 a.m.

 Pope Francis met briefly with House Speaker John Boehner in an opening act of his historic visit to Congress.

 Awaiting the pope's arrival, Boehner repeatedly straightened his tie and shifted from foot to foot, and joked and chatted with reporters about the history of the House furnishings. Their visit lasted only a few minutes. Tens of thousands wait outside, with lawmakers and guests seated in the House chamber for the first speech by a pope to Congress.

 ___

 8:50 a.m.

 The pope greeted well-wishers outside the Vatican's diplomatic mission on his way to his historic visit to Congress.

 As he did Wednesday, Francis lingered with the excited crowd outside the mission, on another sunny day. Tens of thousands await him on Capitol Hill.

 The pope shook hands and touched the faces of schoolchildren, dressed up in ties or Sunday dresses. As the pope moved past, one young boy shouted, "Oh yeah! I got a selfie."

 After his speech to Congress, Francis is expected to go to the Hall of Statues, where there is a statue of America's newest saint, Junipero Serra, whom Francis canonized on Wednesday.

 Joined by House Speaker John Boehner, he'll then offer to the Library of Congress a special edition of the Bible. Then he's to go to a balcony to greet and offer a benediction to the throngs below.

 ___

 8:30 a.m.

 The Federal Aviation Administration is reminding people that Washington, New York and Philadelphia are no-drone zones during the pope's visit to the U.S.

 The FAA has put in flight restrictions through Sunday. That means flying a drone or unmanned aircraft anywhere in those cities is against the law and may result in criminal or civil charges.

 Pope Francis leaves Washington on Thursday for New York and goes to Philadelphia on Saturday.

 ___

 8:20 a.m.

 House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is bringing Tom Steyer, who's a California-based environmentalist and top Democratic donor, and Marc Benioff, a business software CEO, to the House gallery for the pope's speech.

 Among other guests, she's also invited Mary Kay Henry, international president of the Service Employees International Union, and Matilda Cuomo, mother of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and widow of former Gov. Mario Cuomo.

 ___

 8:15 a.m.

 Security is tight at the Capitol as crowds gather for Pope Francis' arrival.

 Streets are closed within a three-block radius of the Capitol and police advise visitors to avoid driving to the scene. The city's subway was packed with riders hours before his speech to Congress but few delays were reported.

 Police are visible throughout the Capitol complex and visitors are encountering a series of security checkpoints.

 ___

 8:10 a.m.

 "Mr. Speaker, the pope of the Holy See!"

 Those booming words will announce Pope Francis as he arrives for his historic speech as the first pontiff to address a joint session of Congress.

 The man who will perform the ceremonial call is more accustomed to protecting famous people than introducing them.

 Paul Irving spent his career in the Secret Service. He was a special agent for 25 years and the service's assistant director from 2001 to 2008.

 Speaker John Boehner chose him as House sergeant-at-arms in 2012.

 When he's not introducing dignitaries before Congress, his main duty is to oversee security in the House side of the Capitol.

 ___

 8:05 a.m.

 Tens of thousands already are gathering on the front lawn of the Capitol to watch the pope's speech on Jumbotron screens and maybe catch a glimpse of Francis. He is expected to wave from a balcony a few hundred yards away.

 Libby Miller of Frederick, Maryland, says her friends all told her she was crazy for schlepping to Capitol Hill with her 4-year-old son, Camden, and 2-year-old daughter, Avery.

 She left the house before 5 a.m. and settled into a spot on the lawn by 7:30 a.m., about two hours before the pope's scheduled arrival. And she was prepared to keep her kids occupied — iPad loaded with games, toy trucks, snacks and a sippy cup.

 Miller says she wants her kids to be there for an important moment in history. They won't understand it now, but she says "they'll get it eventually."

 ___

 7:45 a.m.

 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is marking Pope Francis' visit to the Capitol in the modern way: on YouTube.

 The Kentucky Republican says in a video Thursday morning that Francis' elevation to pope "heralded a new beginning for Catholics in Kentucky, across America and from every corner of the world."

 McConnell praises the pope's "unique and engaging style" and says Americans have watched the pope reach new and different audiences, "both from within his flock and far beyond it."

 ___

 7:30 a.m.

 Joint gatherings of Congress for dignitaries' speeches are usually a recipe for competing partisan ovations and chummy backslaps and handshakes.

 This time, House and Senate leaders have asked lawmakers: Please, not when the pope is here.

 The leaders sent an appeal to lawmakers in advance of Pope Francis' speech Thursday morning, asking them to act with decorum in his presence. Among the no-no's — reaching out for handshakes or conversation with the pope and those accompanying him as they walk down the center aisle of the grand House chamber.

 To drum the lesson in, the leaders' letter reminded legislators that the historic event will be seen on television "around the whole world and by many of our constituents."

 Leaders have made similar appeals for State of the Union addresses, with little luck.

 ___

 7 a.m.

 With his speech Thursday morning, Francis will become the first pope to address Congress. But the list of foreign leaders and dignitaries who've done so is long.

 The House historian's office says it's happened 117 previous times.

 Francis won't be the first religious leader to address the House and Senate. Technically that was Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, since the British monarch heads the Anglican Church.

 The most addresses to Congress? Three, by both British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

 The historian's office lists the first such speech in 1874. That's when Congress heard King Kalakaua of Hawaii, still an independent kingdom then.

 The first speech by a foreign leader to lawmakers was in 1824 by the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who helped the colonies win independence. But he addressed only the House.

 ___

 6:45 a.m.

 Francis' speech to Congress is a personal and political coup for House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican and Catholic.

 Boehner unsuccessfully invited the two previous popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, to speak. He began trying in 1994 during his second House term, organizing a petition by lawmakers saying John Paul II was a "world leader, ambassador of peace and an important catalyst in the fall of the Iron Curtain."

 Francis is the fourth pope to meet with a president in the U.S., including presidential visits on six separate trips by John Paul II.

 The first was Paul VI's 1965 New York meeting with President Lyndon Johnson. Benedict XVI met President George W. Bush in 2008.

 Francis' coming speech at the United Nations will be the fifth by a pope.

 ___ ||||| Justice Pope Francis Tells Congress To Abolish The Death Penalty CREDIT: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

 In his first ever visit to the U.S. and first speech ever to Congress, Pope Francis called on the nation’s hundreds of representatives to make the death penalty a thing of the past.

 “Every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes,” he said. “Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty. Not only do I support them, but I also offer encouragement to all those who are convinced that a just and necessary punishment must never exclude the dimension of hope and the goal of rehabilitation.”

 Pope Francis said his stance on the issue stems from belief in the Golden Rule, continuing: “If we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us. The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.”

 Sitting in the House chambers listening to the speech were several members of the U.S. Supreme Court, which earlier this year issued an opinion upholding the use of a controversial lethal injection drug used in several drawn out, painful, botched executions. The decision went beyond allowing the continued use of a method some consider torture, but defended the entire concept of the death penalty as immune to legal challenge.

 Yet one of the Court’s most devout Catholic members, Justice Antonin Scalia, recently suggested they could soon reconsider. Speaking to students at Rhodes College, Scalia said at least four of his colleagues believe the death penalty to be unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment, which bans cruel and unusual punishment.

 The Holy See’s call for death penalty abolition is also likely to energize the millions of American church-goers who agree with him, and who have been pushing across the country for a more humane criminal justice system. Faith-based activism, particularly from Catholics, played a major role in Nebraska passing a bill to end the death penalty earlier this year. ||||| Pope Francis on Thursday exhorted the United States to summon a “spirit of cooperation” to help the poor, save the climate and address the “unjust structures” that he said are afflicting the globe.

 Delivering the first-ever papal address to a joint session of Congress, Francis lived up to his reputation as a provocative figure, at one point denouncing the global arms industry as being fueled by “money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood.”

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 Invoking Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Francis made an impassioned plea for the refugees fleeing Syria, saying the crisis is “of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War.”

 Noting his own status as “the son of immigrants,” the pope pivoted to a more sensitive subject: The flow of illegal immigrants across the United States's southern border.

 He urged compassion for immigrants, warning not to repeat “the sins and the errors of the past” by turning them away.

 “On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation,” Francis said, according to his prepared remarks.

 “Let us remember the golden rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’ ” he added.

 “This rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves.”

 Several Democrats applauded as Francis declared, "We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners."

 Most Republicans did not join in the applause, with GOP presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioRubio unveils bill to strengthen security at Cuban airports Dem senator calls on Congress to oppose Trump's pick for NASA chief Jeff Flake knows the GOP is in trouble, and so does the base MORE (R-Fla.), a son of Cuban immigrants, among the exceptions.

 At the outset of his address, Francis urged lawmakers and the tens of thousands watching from the National Mall to reject a blind adherence to ideology, be it religion or capitalism.

 “We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. … A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms.”

 Citing heavily from his June encyclical on climate change, Francis argued that lawmakers have a responsibility to take steps to address global warming.

 “In Laudato si’, I call for a courageous and responsible effort to redirect our steps and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity,” the pope said. “I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States — and this Congress — have an important role to play. Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies.”

 The climate remarks drew a moment of partisanship into the chamber, with many Democrats jumping to their feet to applaud and most Republicans staying in their seats, silent.

 Francis’s decision to only briefly mention climate change may have fallen short of some lawmakers’ expectations. Rep. Paul Gosar Paul Anthony GosarGOP lawmaker spars with CNN reporter over Charlottesville conspiracy theories Flake's exit gives GOP new hope in Arizona Ex-Arizona GOP chair inches closer to bid for Flake's seat MORE (R-Ariz.), a Catholic, announced last week that he would boycott the speech to protest the pope’s views on climate change, arguing that Francis is acting like a “leftist politician.”

 Capitol Hill gave Francis a rock-star welcome Thursday morning. The complex was buzzing with activity well before sunrise as security personnel, staffers, reporters and guests gathered well ahead of the pope’s arrival at 9:15 a.m.

 Before the speech, Francis met privately with Speaker John Boehner John Andrew BoehnerThe original Tea Partier exits, stage right A tyranny of the minority is raising your health care costs Rivalry on right emerges between ‘the two Marks’ MORE (R-Ohio), a Catholic and the person who had extended the invitation to address Congress.

 “Your holiness, welcome, really glad that you’re here,” John Boehner John Andrew BoehnerThe original Tea Partier exits, stage right A tyranny of the minority is raising your health care costs Rivalry on right emerges between ‘the two Marks’ MORE told Francis, eyes welling up as the pope returned the sentiment.

 The Speaker told Francis he wore a green tie for the event at the urging of his staff. Through an interpreter, the pope replied, “It’s a tie with the color of hope.”

 “I need a lot of hope today,” Boehner replied.

 Francis strode to the dais in the House without stopping to greet individual lawmakers, though he did stop to shake the hand of Secretary of State John Kerry John Forbes KerryBrent Budowsky: Trump debases the nation Time to put Hillary to bed Susan Rice responds to praise of Trump's Iran deal speech: 'BS' MORE. Lawmakers had been advised before the speech that the pope must initiate all handshakes.

 The Vatican kept a remarkably tight lid on the contents of Francis’s address despite the anticipation leading up to the event. Some Republican lawmakers had hoped Francis would mention abortion as Congress debates defunding Planned Parenthood while trying to avoid a government shutdown next week.

 Before arriving in the United States, Francis told reporters it is a mistake to view him as “leftish.” Yet two issues where the Republican Party is in step with the Vatican — opposition to abortion rights and same-sex marriage — received only a passing mention from Francis.

 “The golden rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development,” Francis said, reiterating the Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty.

 Referring obliquely to same-sex marriage, the pope also said he cannot “hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without.

 “Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.”

 Francis, who played an important role in reestablishing ties between the U.S. and Cuba, made no direct reference to the normalized relations between the two countries. His address came two days after he visited Cuba, before his trip to the U.S., which includes stops in New York City and Philadelphia.

 And while the Vatican had offered an endorsement of the Iran nuclear deal earlier this month, Francis did not make a pointed reference to that controversial accord.

 “I would like to recognize the efforts made in recent months to help overcome historic differences linked to painful episodes of the past. It is my duty to build bridges and to help all men and women, in any way possible, to do the same,” he said.

 The pope's sharpest rhetoric was aimed at military-industrial complexes across the world that he argued are using war for profit.

 “Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society?

 “In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade,” he said.

 Francis did not use one particularly sharp line in his prepared remarks, which had warned politics cannot be a "slave to the economy and finance.”

 Throughout his address Francis referred back to the “fundamental values which will endure forever in the spirit of the American people.”

 “Politics is ... an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: That of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life.

 “I do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves,” he added, “but I encourage you in this effort.”

 After the speech, Francis ascended a platform to address the crowd gathered on the Capitol's West lawn, with Boehner and Vice President Biden at his side.

 "I'm so grateful for your presence here. ... And I ask you all please, to pray for me, and if there are among you any who do not believe, or cannot pray, I ask you please to send good wishes my way."

 "Thank you very much, and God bless America."

 As he turned to depart, Biden was heard on a microphone telling Francis: "They love you, and we love you."

 — This story was last updated at 5:20 p.m. Jordain Carney contributed.

  ||||| Pope Francis: Congress needs to help nation grow Thursday, 24 Sep 2015 | 10:04 AM ET | 04:31

 In a historic presentation to Congress, Pope Francis urged lawmakers on Thursday to take "courageous actions" on global warming, poverty and the refugee crisis.

 "I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States—and this Congress—have an important role to play," the pope said in his prepared speech to a joint meeting of Congress.

 The speech was the first time a pope had addressed Congress.

 "Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies, aimed at implementing a culture of care and an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature," the pope said in his prepared remarks. ||||| Toward the end of Pope Francis’ speech to Congress, the pontiff mentions his desire that “the family should be a recurrent theme” through his visit to the United States. He then makes what is almost certainly an allusion to same-sex marriage, stating:

 This oblique criticism may disappoint Pope Francis’ liberal supporters—but it's entirely in keeping with his views on gay rights. The pope briefly encouraged LGBTQ advocates in 2013 when he responded to a question about gay priests by asking, “Who am I to judge?” But if the pope’s discourse on gay people seems progressive, his actual views remain aligned with Catholic orthodoxy. Francis doesn’t really support civil unions or same-sex adoption, and he definitely opposes same-sex marriage, which he allegedly called “anthropological regression.” His description of gay people may be humble and inclusive, but his true views are staunchly conservative. Much of Francis’ speech may have made congressional Republicans uncomfortable. But his “concern for the family” should make them feel right at home. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Pope Francis hit a wide-ranging number of topics in his address to Congress today. Here are five getting attention: Death penalty: He implored Congress to abolish it, reports ThinkProgress. “Every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes." Immigrants: He invoked MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech in asking the US to be more welcoming not only to refugees from Europe but from Mexico as well, reports the Hill. "On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children?" Marriage: In what Slate says is "almost certainly an allusion" to gay marriage, Francis lamented the state of the modern family. It is "threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without," he said. "Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life." Climate change: He said the US has an "important role to play" in reversing the "environmental deterioration caused by human activity," reports CNBC. "Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies." Arms trade: He told lawmakers from the world's largest exporter of weapons that the arms trade must end, reports the AP. Why do weapons get sold to war mongers? he asked. "Sadly, the answer as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. ... It is our duty to confront the problem."


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 Visitors take photos with their mobile phones at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes on Dec. 2, 2014. (Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

 A German tourist has died while trying to take a photo atop Machu Picchu.

 The tourist, identified by the BBC and Peruvian media as 51-year-old Oliver Park, died Wednesday after slipping from a ledge and falling approximately 130 feet.

 He was posing for a mid-leap photo when he fell off Machu Picchu mountain, which overlooks the ancient Incan citadel of the same name.

 [Watch: Google captures ‘360’ view of Machu Picchu]

 Peruvian officials said the tourist bypassed a security cordon and ventured into an off-limits area before tumbling to his death, El Comercio reported.

 “He asked a man who was there to take a photo of him,” Guillermo Mestas, a Peruvian tourist, told television station Canal N. “The man came over to take the photo and in the moment he was handing him the camera, he lost his balance and fell.”

 By the time rescuers reached the tourist about an hour and a half later, the man was dead, Mestas said.

 His body was removed from the mountainside and taken by train to a morgue in Cusco on Thursday night, according to Canal N.

 The German’s death was the latest in a long string of accidents suffered by tourists as they posed for photographs in scenic locations.

 A day earlier, a South Korean tourist fell to his death while taking a selfie in the north of Peru. The tourist plunged more than 1,600 feet off the Gocta waterfall in the Amazonas region, according to Canal N.

 Selfie-distracted tourists have become a safety hazard around the globe in recent years as smartphones and selfie sticks spread. People snapping selfies have been gored by bison in Yellowstone and hit by oncoming trains.

 Last year, a Japanese tourist died after falling down stairs while taking a photo of himself at the Taj Mahal. In December, a family of four drowned in southern India after a woman’s selfie went awry, according to the Times of India. And this June, seven men drowned in the Ganges in another river-side selfie gone wrong, the Telegraph reported.

 Earlier this year, a Washington state man accidentally killed himself while taking a selfie with his gun.

 [More people died taking selfies in India last year than anywhere else in the world]

 Machu Picchu is a particularly dangerous location for attempting a selfie. The stone temple was built by the Incas around 1450 and abandoned roughly a century later after the arrival of Spanish conquistadors. The site, which is considered sacred by many Peruvians, is located 8,000 feet above sea level. Perched atop a crest in the Andes mountains, the temple offers stunning views of surrounding peaks as well as a river valley more than 1,000 feet below.

 A general view of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu as seen on Dec. 2, 2014. (Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

 The UNESCO World Heritage site is Peru’s top tourist attraction. It is so popular that the Peruvian government decided in 2014 to limit the number of tourists per day to 2,500 for safety reasons and to preserve the ruins.

 Machu Picchu’s beauty has long proved beguiling, however.

 In 1997, an American tourist plunged to her death after slipping on a mountain path overlooking Machu Picchu. Ingrid Mason, 70, and two friends were walking down Huayna Picchu, a mountain that overlooks the stone citadel, when she fell 400 feet, according to the Miami Herald.

 In 2004, a Russian tourist died after being struck by lightning while climbing the same peak.

 And in 2011, an Australian man died inside a tower at Machu Picchu after suffering a suspected heart attack.

 [Bison selfies are a bad idea: Tourist gored in Yellowstone as another photo goes awry]

 The mountain and the surrounding area saw a spate of deadly accidents in 2013.

 In January, an American tourist named Rachel Cecilia Ianni died after falling down a ravine while hiking a lower section of the Inca Trail.

 A month later, a German couple were visiting Machu Picchu when a rock fell on top of them. Heize Beat, 49, fell down a slope to his death. His girlfriend, 46-year-old Hein Achira, was injured but survived, according to UPI.

 A tourist jumps from a terrace at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru on Dec. 2, 2010.

 That August, an Argentine tourist died after falling into an abyss near Machu Picchu. And that fall, two tourists — another Argentine and a Dane — died after suffering heart attacks while visiting the temple.

 In May 2014, a Belgian man died while ascending Huayna Picchu.

 Wednesday’s death appears to be the first linked to photography at Machu Picchu.

 According to Guillermo Mestas, the Peruvian witness, a park ranger was roughly 20 feet from the German tourist when he fell.

 The incident occurred on a sunny day around noon on a flat area atop the Machu Picchu mountain overlooking the citadel, Mestas told Canal N.

 “He was at the edge with his back to the abyss, taking a photo of himself,” Mestas said of the German. The man then asked a stranger to snap a photo of him mid-air, but he never got the chance to jump.

 Mestas said the German fell about 10 feet, hit a narrow ledge and kept falling.

 “What happens is that many tourists from all over, especially foreigners, always get very close to the edge of the abysses even though the park rangers are always asking them to back up,” the Peruvian told Canal N.

 “It seems like his desire to get the best photo led to this accident.”

 Correction: An earlier version of this story inaccurately reported Rachel Cecilia Ianni’s name. It has been corrected.

 Read more about the dangers of selfies:

 Endangered baby dolphin dies after swimmers pass it around for selfies

 Another reason why taking selfies with adorable wild animals is a terrible idea

 No, selfies have not killed more people than sharks. That’s ridiculous. ||||| Image caption More than one million visitors made the journey to Machu Picchu in 2014 alone

 The body of a German tourist has been recovered from a ravine after he fell while visiting the ancient site of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes.

 Oliver Park, 51, ignored safety signs and warnings from wardens and went into a restricted area close to the edge of a cliff on Wednesday, officials say.

 They say he tried to pose for a photograph of himself leaping as if in flight but lost his footing.

 Rescuers found the body on Thursday and took it to a local police station.

 Police said his body would be taken to a morgue in the city of Cusco. ||||| German tourist dies on Machu Picchu June 30, 2016 Flor Bojorquez Tragedy strikes for a German tourist visiting the mountain of Machu Picchu.

 (Photo: El Comercio)

 Oliver Park, a 51 year old German, died after falling into an abyss with a depth of 100 meters while visiting Machu Picchu in Cusco. While another tourist took his photo on the edge of a hill, the victim had lost his balance and fell causing his untimely death.

 According to the Regional Culture-Cusco, prior to the incident, the man had taunted the safety measures and entered an area restricted to visitors due to the proximity of the ravine.

 Rescuers retrieved the body at 4pm and transported it to a police station in a Machu Picchu village. The police informed that the remains of the German tourist will be taken to a morgue in the city of Cusco. |||||

– It wasn't quite death-by-selfie, but it wasn't far off. Peru This Week reports that a German tourist died Wednesday while posing for a photo at Peru's famed Machu Picchu site. Oliver Park, 51, went into a restricted area of the mountainous tourist locale in the Andes, despite warning signs and instructions from wardens, reports the BBC. The news agency says that while posing for a photo at the edge of a ravine, Park apparently decided to jump in the air to make it look like he was flying. Instead, he ended up falling off the cliff. A witness gives a slightly different take to TV station Canal N, as translated by the Washington Post: "He asked a man who was there to take a photo of him," recounts the Peruvian tourist. "The man came over to take the photo and in the moment he was handing him the camera, he lost his balance and fell.” Both accounts agree that Park had ventured into an area of Machu Picchu, home to an ancient Incan citadel, that's supposed to be off limits to tourists. His body was recovered Thursday. (In 2014, Machu Picchu was plagued by streakers.)


Write a summary based on this article:

Rick Santorum said they would come this week, and here are four years worth of his taxes, from years 2007 through 2010.

 They can be found here, here, here and here. The returns are the most in number that have been released by any of the major GOP contenders - Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney didn't release several years' worth.

 Santorum and his wife Karen filed joint returns for all four years. As you'll see from the returns, the Santorums' adjusted gross income went from about $659,000 in 2007, his first year out of the Senate, to $952,000 in 2008, to $1.1 million in 2009 and about $923,000 in 2010.

 They paid about $167,000 in taxes in 2007, about $262,000 in 2008, $310,000 in 2009, and $263,000 in 2010.

 There is depreciation on a condo property over the various years. The Santorums' charitable giving was a small percentage of his income each year.

 In 2010, the couple reported some modest gains and losses from sales of Brandywine and United Health Services shares. Santorum had served on the UHS board until he declared his presidential campaign. And in 2008, they bought an Audi A6, which was claimed as a depreciated business expense.

 UPDATE: And I was remiss in failing to mention that the Santorums claim several of their seven kids as dependants, a reminder of why their household income doesn't stretch perhaps as far as they'd like, although it's still a sizable annual income. However, the Santorums reported far less than either Gingrich or Romney in income - Romney in 2010 reported $21.7 million in income, while Gingrich and his wife had an adjusted gross income of over $3.1 million for the same year.

 Also, their tax rate appears to be close to 29 percent in the highest-earning years, and closer to 25 percent for the lower ones. Romney made headlines when he said his effective rate was about 15 percent, which is being paid on income that is not wages, but from investments.

 The Santorums' returns indicate they were self-prepared.

 UPDATE II: Via POLITICO's Juana Summers, Santorum had this to say about his taxes tonight in North Dakota: ||||| Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum released four years of federal income tax returns on Wednesday night, showing a sharp rise in his personal wealth spurred by his growing work as Washington-based corporate consultant and media commentator.

 Santorum's returns show that his federal income taxes rose from 2007, when he paid $167,000, to $310,000 in 2009, then dropped to $263,000 in 2010. During that same period, his annual income surged from nearly $660,000 in 2007 to $1.1 million in 2009 before slipping to $923,000 in 2010.

 Santorum, 53, has sold himself in the Republican primaries as both a Washington outsider and a social conservative, stressing his family's coal-mining background and his appeal to religious and working-class voters. His personal finances tell a different story, detailing the trajectory of a politician who grew more prosperous in the Senate and became a millionaire afterwards, at times capitalizing on his Beltway connections.

 His 2010 tax returns show he made more than $550,000 in media and consulting fees _ paid to him through a corporation he set up, Excelsior LLC. The previous year, Santorum made more than $820,000 in fees, also paid through the same firm.

 Santorum's wealth doesn't come close to the multimillion-dollar fortune amassed by Mitt Romney's high-finance prowess or Newt Gingrich's smaller but still-lucrative blend of foundation and consulting work. But his newfound affluence reflects his close ties to Washington's business and lobbying circles during his 12 years in the Senate and his smooth transition into their world after he left office.

 Both Romney and Gingrich recently disclosed income tax returns.

 Last year, the former Pennsylvania senator disclosed investment and real estate assets totaling as much as $2.5 million. In his presidential financial disclosure spanning 18 months between 2010 and 2011, Santorum also listed $1.3 million in income as a consultant _ much of it coming from media appearances and corporate work on behalf of health care, energy and social conservative interests.

 Rising to GOP leadership in the Senate as Republican Conference chairman, Santorum pushed to expand the influence of Republican-leaning business interests. As conference chairman, he headed GOP Senate communications efforts and met regularly with GOP-leaning business and lobbying figures. He raised more than $550,000 from lobbyists during his unsuccessful 2006 Senate re-election campaign.

 After his Senate defeat, Santorum did not register as a lobbyist, but he aided corporate and other interests as a consultant. He was paid $142,500 by Consol Energy, a Pennsylvania-based energy firm with numerous Appalachian coal mines. The firm has lobbied against Obama administration efforts to tighten limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

 Santorum also was paid $65,000 by the American Continental Group, a D.C. lobbying firm with an assortment of corporate clients, and $125,000 by the Clapham Group, a Virginia firm that aids religious rights organizations. He benefitted from media work, paid $230,000 for appearances on Fox News, as well as more than $80,000 for stints as a radio commentator.

 Santorum was also paid nearly $400,000 in compensation and stock options as a board director at Universal Health Services, a hospital management firm, after he left the Senate in 2006. He also owns up to $250,000 in Universal stock. As a senator, Santorum had sponsored several unsuccessful bills that would have secured more Medicaid funding hospitals run by Universal and other medical firms in Puerto Rico.

 Santorum also owns five rental properties in State College, Pa., worth $500,000 and $11.25 million, but also with as much as $750,000 in mortgage debt, according to his presidential disclosure. His taxes show that he took mortgage and depreciation deductions on those properties, and also that he sold more than $23,000 worth of stocks in 2010.

 Santorum and his wife, Karen, took standard deductions each year for their five children, the returns show. In 2007, the Santorums took a $4,000 charity deduction for giving away "clothing, footwear, accessories and household items." That year, the family moved into a larger home in the Virginia suburbs of Washington.

 Santorum and his family now live in a four-bedroom northern Virginia house on five acres assessed at $1.4 million in 2010.

 The tax returns were first made available Wednesday night by Politico. |||||

– Rick Santorum has released four years of his tax returns to Politico, and they show that while his income falls a long way short of Mitt Romney's or Newt Gingrich's, his Washington connections have helped him prosper since leaving Congress. His income hit $1.1 million in 2009—up from nearly $660,000 in 2007—much of it coming from media appearances and consulting work on behalf of health care and energy interests, AP reports. It slipped to $923,000 in 2010. Santorum and his wife, Karen, appear to have paid a tax rate close to 30%—nearly double the rate Mitt Romney's tax returns revealed. Santorum—whose disclosure forms last year showed investment and real estate assets of up to $2.5 million—has now released more tax returns than either Romney or Gingrich. Ron Paul has not released his. "I don’t want to be embarrassed because I don’t have a greater income" than the other candidates, Paul quipped during a debate last month.


Summarize this article:

NEW YORK (AP) — In the annals of film festival flops — from unexpected boos to red-carpet gaffes — the premiere of the Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart comedy "Get Hard" will go down as a doozy.

 In this image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Kevin Hart, right, and Will Ferrell appear in a scene from "Get Hard." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Patti Perret) (Associated Press)

 In this image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Kevin Hart, top, and Will Ferrell appear in a scene from "Get Hard." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Patti Perret) (Associated Press)

 After the film premiered last week at the South By Southwest Film Festival, during a Q&A with director Ethan Cohen, an audience member voiced not so much a question as a harsh judgment. "This film seems racist," he said, using an expletive. Another audience member also asked if the film, about a hedge fund manager (Ferrell) who witlessly hires a law-abiding acquaintance (Hart) to prepare him for maximum security prison after being sentenced for fraud, was perpetuating stereotypes.

 That sound you might have heard emanating from Austin was the loud cursing of marketing executives for the film, which opens Friday.

 Though film festival Q&As are often filled with questionable observations, these atypically blunt rebukes received outsized attention, drawing headlines from The Los Angeles Times and others. The damage continued with early reviews that also questioned the movie's handling of homosexuality in various scenes.

 Much of the film's comedy rests on the Ferrell character's fears of being raped in prison, and among his preparations is an attempt to have oral sex with a gay man in a bathroom stall. A critic for The Guardian wrote that future viewers "will be astonished that such a negative portrayal of homosexuality persisted in the mainstream in 2015." Variety wrote that the film was "undone by some of the ugliest gay-panic humor to befoul a studio release in recent memory."

 After initially seeking to avoid the controversy (Cohen, Ferrell and Hart cancelled interviews with The Associated Press before Ferrell and Hart rescheduled them), the film's stars and producers are vigorously defending their comedy as not a representation of stereotypes but a satire of them.

 "Any time you're going to do an R-rated comedy, you're going to offend someone," said Ferrell in an interview alongside Hart. He continued: "But that's kind of what we do. We provoke. We prod. We also show a mirror to what's already existing out there. We're playing fictitious characters who are articulating some of the attitudes and misconceptions that already exist."

 "Get Hard" was written by Cohen along with Jay Martel and Ian Roberts, writing-producers from the sketch comedy show "Key and Peele." This is Cohen's directorial debut after penning screenplays to films like "Idiocracy" and "Tropic Thunder," a film that memorably flirted with racially sensitive territory in Robert Downey Jr.'s lampoon, in black face, of a Method actor run amok.

 In many ways, the comedy of "Get Hard" works similarly. Just as the humor of Downey's actor wasn't in his favor but about his own self-obsessive, racist delusions, Ferrell's character is a parody of the narrow perspective of the elitist one percent. He hires Hart's carwash owner and family man under the mistaken presumption that he's been to prison, that he's "hard."

 "You're looking at two characters that judged each other by their cover," said Hart. "And after peeling off some of the layers to their onion, they realize that, 'Oh my God, this isn't the person I thought it was from the jump. It's a completely different person.' And that road to friendship ensues."

 "Get Hard" was conceived as a way to pair Hart and Ferrell, two of the most popular and bankable stars in comedy. Whether the film succeeds on its own terms or not, it's an attempt (one generally uncommon in wide-release studio films) to comment on contemporary issues of inequality and race within the context of a broad, often crude comedy.

 Adam McKay, Ferrell's longtime collaborator and a producer of "Get Hard," said any backlash has been overinflated by "lazy journalism."

 "Given that we're a country with runaway income inequality, more people in jail than any other country, this is what people are crowing about? Trying to in a funny way deal with these issues?" said McKay in a phone interview with fellow producer Chris Henchy. "It really kind of got me mad. It's just cheap is what it is."

 McKay said the film was fashioned as "a silly, filthy comedy" on the outside, but a satire of income inequality underneath. Seeing the film as racist, he says, is "kind of ridiculous and disheartening," since its intention is to parody those who live in bubbles of wealth and prejudice. To claims of homophobia he protested: "Any individual going to maximum security prison would be afraid of violence and sexual assault. To equate that with homosexuality is ridiculous."

 Others have agreed, albeit more skeptically. In reviewing the movie for Vanity Fair, Eric D. Snider wrote that the film wasn't offensive to him as a homosexual; it's just not funny enough.

 "It's not mean-spirited, and it's panicky straight guys, not gays, who are the target," wrote Snider. "It's just disappointing, that's all."

 Any bad buzz for "Get Hard" has likely been partially alleviated by the goodwill both Ferrell and Hart have in storage, as well as the distraction of Ferrell's dependably entertaining late-night appearances. The NAACP and GLAAD have not commented on the film.

 "Here's the beautiful thing about Will and myself: You're looking at two guys that are no strangers to criticism," said Hart. "The critic's job is to critique. I don't think I've ever had a great review on a film that I've done. Not one. Everybody always has had something to say. And if they're not talking, then you have a problem."

 Whether the talking around "Get Hard" will affect it at the box office remains to be seen.

 "People will go see it and there probably will be some people who are offended. It's definitely a very dirty movie and it's harsh," says McKay. "It's a good-hearted movie at its root. Everything comes out in the wash with movies because they hang around for, like 78 years. You always end up seeing what a movie really is in the long run."

 ___

 Lennox reported from Los Angeles. ||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. |||||

– Will Ferrell's latest comedy about a wealthy white guy who enlists a law-abiding black man to help him prepare for life in prison is proving more controversial than his usual work. With accusations that Get Hard is homophobic and racist, Ferrell defends the flick to the AP, noting he and costar Kevin Hart "show a mirror to what's already existing out there." Do critics agree? "Perhaps there's an edgy dark comedy to be made about race, class, and the prospect of facing prison, but Get Hard is not it," Claudia Puig writes at USA Today. The film's "jokes are a cavalcade of racist and homophobic humorlessness." And though its cracks at class divisions perform better, they aren't worth the price of a movie ticket. Her advice: "Unless you're really hard up for entertainment, stay away from this tone-deaf raunchfest." It "seeks to make you laugh while also risking offense by going too far. It succeeds on both counts," writes Peter Howell more favorably at the Toronto Star. The film will undoubtedly offend a portion of the audience, but "I enjoyed it because, unlike similar films of its ilk, everybody is in on the joke," he writes: white, black; rich, poor; etc. "It's not great cinema, but it's also not just a scattershot of dumbness and vulgarity." And "Ferrell and Hart make a good team." Cary Darling at DFW is less kind. "Since anyone who has seen the trailer has already seen many of the film's best moments, making it through to the end does feel like something of a life sentence," she writes. Excepting a scene in which Hart portrays a black guy, a Latino guy, and a gay black guy within a matter of minutes, the film just doesn't bring the laughs. Instead, it's "weighed down by middle-school jokes." At its best, Get Hard "does a smartly scathing job" of attacking privilege and entitlement, writes Ann Hornaday at the Washington Post. At its worst, it "veers perilously close to committing the very sins it aspires to criticize." Particularly, "the movie is drenched in gay panic" and includes "tiresome 'don't drop the soap' jokes," based on Ferrell's character's fears about being raped in prison. At least "Ferrell and Hart have a genial, easygoing chemistry," Hornaday writes.


News article:

Wearing nothing except a large smile, a man jumped into the largest exhibit at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada in downtown Toronto late Friday and swam among sharks before security asked him to leave — but it didn't end there.

 One minute-long video posted on YouTube shows the man taking off his clothes and diving into the Dangerous Lagoon, a 2.9-million-litre tank that offers an underwater gallery to dozens of marine animals.

 The naked man can be seen doing the breaststroke on the surface of the water while sand tiger sharks swim within centimetres of his feet.

 Green sawfish, green sea turtles, green moray eels and other species of tropical fish are also housed in the tank, according to the aquarium's website.

 Security at the popular tourist attraction asked the man to leave shortly before 10:30 p.m. ET but he refused, said Jenifferjit Sidhu, a spokesperson for Toronto Police Service.

 Instead, he swam to the edge of the enclosure and emerged from the tank before doing a backward flip into the water, she told CBC Toronto on Monday.

 The man stripped and dove into the Dangerous Lagoon, police say. (thecityissleeping/YouTube)

 Visitor Erinn Acland said she heard the "big splash" and thought the trainers were feeding the sharks. As Acland and her boyfriend approached it, she said, they saw a man in the water.

 "The guy seemed totally relaxed and there were sharks like everywhere," she told CBC Toronto. "He appeared to be totally nude and like laughing."

 Acland described the display as unexpected and horrifying.

 "I don't know what would possess someone to do that. It's totally insane to me," she explained.

 "I was scared I was going to witness the death of this guy."

 A video by a visitor who captured the man's aquatic adventure has received more than 5,000 views on YouTube.

 On-site security called police, said Sidhu.

 The man got out of the water and evaded security by slipping into a crowd of visitors, a video shows. (thecityissleeping/YouTube)

 But before officers arrived, the man got out of the water.

 A video shows him walking past security standing on the edge of the tank, jump the gate and slip into a crowd of onlookers where a woman appears to be holding his clothes. He put them on and left the aquarium at the request of security, Sidhu said.

 No marine animals were harmed during the stunt, she noted, adding the swim was "extremely dangerous."

 "It put the man's safety in jeopardy, the safety of the marine animals and the safety of the staff who tried to get him out of the water," she told CBC Toronto.

 Police haven't been able to locate the man, but they are looking to speak to him.

 He could be facing charges of trespassing, mischief and indecent exposure, said Sidhu.

 The aquarium was hosting a monthly Friday Night Jazz event, which has a cash bar and live music until 11 p.m.

 Police have launched an investigation into the tank incident. CBC Toronto has reached out to the aquarium, but hasn't received a response. ||||| A man who skinny-dipped in the shark tank at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is wanted for assaulting a man at Medieval Times earlier in the same night, police say. At around 8 p.m. on Friday, a 34-year-old man was randomly assaulted outside of Medieval Times, near Dufferin St. and Saskatchewan Rd.

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 Employees at the venue had apparently asked the suspect to leave for being disruptive, Toronto police Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook told the Star. The suspect later returned and smashed two glass doors, she said. Afterwards, outside the venue, the man allegedly approached the victim who was smoking a cigarette and assaulted him. She said the victim and suspect had no prior contact.

 Article Continued Below

 “The victim was seriously injured enough to be taken to hospital,” Douglas-Cook said, adding that he had black eyes and a broken tooth. The suspect fled the area after the assault. Later that same evening around 10:30 p.m., police said they received a call about a man who dropped his drawers and jumped into a tank full of sharks at Ripley’s Aquarium. “Further investigation revealed the man involved in both incidents was the same person,” Toronto police said in a press release. On Monday night, Douglas-Cook said police were able to identify the man with help from the public as David Weaver, 37, from Nelson, B.C.

 This naked man swam with the sharks at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada before security escorted him out. ( YouTube ) This naked man swam with the sharks at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada before security escorted him out. ( YouTube ) An online video shows a man swimming with sharks at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, doing one final dive before being escorted out. ( Tara Walton / Toronto Star file photo ) Toronto police are searching for this man, David Weaver, who is wanted in connection with two separate incidents that took place on Oct. 12. ( Toronto Police Service )

 He is wanted for assault causing bodily harm and mischief interfering with property. Security camera footage shows a man entering the aquarium in downtown Toronto shortly after 10 p.m. He bought a ticket before immediately taking off his clothes, climbing over the security barrier and jumping into the water, Ripley’s officials said in a statement.

 Article Continued Below

 “Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is co-operating with authorities and is willing to press all appropriate charges once the individual has been apprehended,” the statement read. Videos captured by onlookers show the naked man swimming in the tank as sharks dart by in the water beneath him. As he was climbing out of the tank, in front of the security person who was waving him out, he took a backward dive off the rocks and into the water as people in the crowd cheered. The skinny-dipper then hoisted himself out of the tank, hopped over the gate and headed into the crowd where a woman handed him what appears to be clothing. “There were no injuries to the man, animals or patrons,” police said. Employees brought towels to the man and told him to stay on-site until the police arrived, said Derek Marlow, who saw the stunt. “Once he got his clothes back on, he and his girlfriend walked right out of the aquarium despite security staff yelling at him to wait for police and get back in this small holding room they wanted to keep him in,” Marlow told the Star. His friends saw the man at Union Station later, Marlow said. Police described Weaver as 35-40 years old, five-foot-ten and 220 pounds. He has a shaved head, a dark goatee, a tattoo on his lower leg and is missing a front tooth. He was last seen wearing a dark hoodie, dark jeans, a green teal T-shirt, and grey and white shoes. Police say he may be be driving a green Dodge Caravan with the British Columbia license plate number PL120G. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5200 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477). Stefanie Marotta is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @StefanieMarotta Claire Floody is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @claire_floody |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– "I was scared I was going to witness the death of this guy": That's what one visitor had to say after a man decided to go skinny dipping with the sharks at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada. The man stripped down and then went over a security barrier and jumped, completely naked, into the Toronto aquarium's largest exhibit Friday night. It's called the "Dangerous Lagoon," and a spokesperson for Toronto Police Service tells the CBC the man's stunt was, in fact, "extremely dangerous" to him, the marine animals in the tank, and the staff that tried to get him out of the water. The aquarium was open late at the time for its Friday Night Jazz program. Security personnel asked the swimmer to exit the water but he instead swam to the edge, got out, then did a backward flip right back in. "The guy seemed totally relaxed and there were sharks like everywhere," the aforementioned witness notes. Eventually, the man did get out, put his clothes back on, and slipped into a crowd of onlookers. Security had called police, but the man was gone by the time they arrived; they are currently investigating the incident. They want to speak to the man, and the police rep says he could face charges including trespassing, mischief, and indecent exposure. The aquarium says it will press charges if the man is found, the Toronto Star reports. (This shark likes the taste of plants more than meat.)


Here is a news article: Cryogenic in-and-out.

 I don't know all the nuances of where the cryogenic freezing industry currently stands -- but I do know that we're not yet at the point where we can freeze and unfreeze people on a whim . They're people, not bottles of Jagermeister. Especially if, like Mr. Burns, they're recovering from 17 stab wounds to the back.

 Fox transitioning to a hardcore sex channel.

 Instead of gradually transitioning to a hardcore sex channel, Fox spawned Fox News, which led the charge to levy enormous fines against channels like Fox... for trying to transition to hardcore sex channels .

 Jim Carrey's 40 classic films.

 I was a massive Jim Carrey fan during the "Ace Ventura" era. He has not made 40 classic films. He's barely made four. (My personal Jim Carrey pantheon starts with "Ace Ventura", "Dumb and Dumber" and "Truman Show" and ends with a three-way tie between "The Majestic", "Bruce Almighty" and "Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls". And no, I didn't forget "Eternal Sunshine".)

 When this episode came out, they didn't anticipate Jim Carrey's future efforts to be taken seriously as an actor ... and then his awkward return to rubber-faced comedy when things didn't work out that well.

 News channel consolodation.

 Instead of forming one mega news network, each network decided to tackle the 24-hour news cycle head-on. Which provides us with the same amount of actual news as we got in 1995 -- maybe 90 minutes or so -- now supplemented with 22-and-a-half extra hours of people screaming at us.

 Redesigned planes.

 The only thing that airlines have redesigned is the "how to turn the passengers upside-down and shake all of the change out of their pockets like a '50s-era bully" handbook. Now available in paperback and Kindle formats too!

 Robot librarians, British servants and inanimate carbon rod handlers.

 We're still at the point where the old Nintendo R.O.B.'s block-stacking ability looks pretty sophisticated. It's becoming less and less likely that our lifetimes will include robot butlers packing our suitcases for a vacation to the Moon.

 Fully sponsored education.

 While I'm sure The Man finds ways to sneak into the education system and imprint himself in the brains of the children... we're not quite at the point where the answer to every arithmetic problem is "Pepsi" . As for classrooms being networked like they are in this clip, I think that does happen some... at least according to the Ellen Page commercial where she sees an elementary school class conferencing with another class in China. That information was implanted in my brain by Cisco.

 (Sigh) ubiquitous video phones.

 No peek at the future would be complete without the requisite video phones. Even "The Simpsons" fell into the trap. Video conferencing sucks. Even yours, iPhone people.

 So, to send this message loudly to the past: Video phones flopped. We have the technology but, like one of the eight billion home runs hit by Cubs opponents this season at Wrigley Field, we're taking it and throwing it back. In fact, here in The Future, we spend a ton of effort to do as little face-to-face connecting as possible.

 World War III.

 In this exchange, Hugh reminds Moe that the British saved America's ass in World War III. And while the British are among the candidates to win the ongoing reality show Last Ally Standing... if WW3 ever does come, I'm betting on a dark horse to help us out. Prove me right, Canada. Prove me right.

 Big Ben going digital.

 Apparently, they didn't just see Big Ben going digital... but being replaced by a VCR clock . Give the British a little more credit than that. I'm sure they'd go laserdisc or better.

  ||||| Soy snacks.

 "30 Rock" did an entire subplot around buying a SoyJoy out of a vending machine. I'd say the idea of soy-based snacks has definitely come to pass . And "The Simpsons" also accurately nailed their horrible, horrible flavor. Even a generation that grew up eating paste as children can't really choke them down.

 More and more celebrities getting arrested.

 During Kent Brockman's newscast, he lets viewers know that if they see any celebrities, consider them dangerous. A few years later "The Simpsons" would have an entire episode centered around Mel Gibson. In 2010, they'd take Brockman's advice and stay the hell away . Celebrities really do get arrested at a prodigious rate today.

 Rolling Stones old but still going strong.

 The Rolling Stones really ignored the whole "live fast, die young" credo of rock-and-roll. Malcolm Gladwell could write a whole new "Outliers" book on the fact that they're all still alive.

 Widespread home satellite dishes.

 Throughout "Lisa's Wedding", pretty much every home and building shown has a small satellite dish on top. And while not all of us have satellite cable, this episode was written around the same time that DirecTV was founded . (Both in 1994.) A decade and a half later we don't all have small satellites on our roofs... but many people do, and we all, at least, have the option. (And, just like the "Simpsons" predicted, they're an unexpected eyesore.)

 The Prius design.

 This cab, driven by the indicted Mayor Quimby, looks surprisingly like the Prius design. And/or they modeled it after the Inspector Gadget car. Honestly, it's right smack in the middle of those two designs.

 Motion controlled video games.

 You probably don't recognize this scene. I didn't. It was cut out for syndication... meaning we saw it when Fox first aired the episode, then didn't see it the subsequent 200 times we watched the episode, and now have it back on the DVD.

 The syndicators do a so-so job on choosing which scenes to chop out of the "Simpsons" episodes to make room for one more precious commercial. This was a good chop. The scene is kind of dumb -- Bart and a random guy wear virtual reality headsets and play motion-controlled video games.

 And while it's not exactly the Wii or the Kinect or the PlayStation we're-so-late-to-this-motion-controlled-party-that-the-kegs-are-tapped-and-the-hosts-are-in-pajamas... and the headsets more resemble Nintendo's ill-fated Virtual Boy... we are in the era of motion-controlled video games . So I'm giving them a "pretty damn enough."

 Classroom overcrowding.

 I'm pretty sure this is what classrooms look like here in California . Well, just with a spicier Latin flavor.

 Communicator watches.

 I'm not sure why People Of The Past were so obsessed with wristwatch communication. Dick Tracy built his entire career around it... and here Hugh uses it for his crucial wedding proposal. Once wrist communication actually became possible, we realized it was NOT going to revolutionize the world as we know it.

 Yes, this technology exists today -- mostly as toy walkie talkies or through Bluetooth from your cell phone. I think they sell both in SkyMall. And I assure you, anything sold in SkyMall is not a cutting edge or indispensable technology.

 A device resembling the Kindle.

 The device on Lisa's dorm room floor here (or is it Hugh's?) looks a bit like the Kindle. Or, at the very least, a slightly larger Apple Newton . The PDA, not the cookie. PDA meaning personal digital assistant, not public display of affection. Why do things always have to mean other things?

 Credit cards at vending machines.

 They nailed this one perfectly. 2010 is the time when we'll happily jam our credit cards into anything -- we haven't quite gotten to widespread wireless/thumbprint/RFID payments yet, but we sure as hell aren't going to carry around a bunch of cash anymore. We're not cavemen after all.

 Thousands of cable channels.

 And yet we still watch the same "Simpsons" episodes over and over and over.

 So yesterday, Lisa Simpson got married.That invitation is from the classic "Simpsons" episode called "Lisa's Wedding"... which was the show's first (of three) episodes to feature a vision of the future. (And also, six seasons in, the first Lisa-centric episode to come anywhere close to "classic" status.)In the tradition of the two lists I did last year discussing "Back to the Future Part II" -- its good predictions and bad predictions -- I decided to look at the vision from "The Simpsons" of what 2010 would look like."Lisa's Wedding" aired in 1995, making predictions about a future 15 years later. Here are the 11 best predictions it made. (And, yes, there will be another list this week with the worst predictions it made.)Coming soon -- the 11 Predictions About 2010 That the Simpsons Got Wrong. |||||
A summary of this is?

– During its sixth season in 1995, The Simpsons gazed into the future—specifically, 2010—in the “Lisa’s Wedding” episode. Writing at 11points.com, Sam Greenspan lists 11 things about this year the episode got right: Soy snacks: Not only did the show predict their popularity, it also “nailed their horrible, horrible flavor.” Celebrity arrests: “During Kent Brockman's newscast, he lets viewers know that if they see any celebrities, consider them dangerous”—and today, “celebrities really do get arrested at a prodigious rate.” Rolling Stones still at it: A poster for the “Rolling Stones Steel Wheelchair Tour 2010” is shown, and the band is now “old but still going strong,” Greenspan writes. They “really ignored the whole ‘live fast, die young’ credo of rock-and-roll.” Credit cards everywhere: In the Simpsons episode, plastic is used at a vending machine. And it’s true: “2010 is the time when we'll happily jam our credit cards into anything. We sure as hell aren't going to carry around a bunch of cash anymore. We're not cavemen after all.” Thousands of cable channels: Yep, got that, Greenspan concludes: “And yet we still watch the same Simpsons episodes over and over and over.” For the complete list, click here—or for the follow-up, 11 predictions the show got wrong, click here.