Articles for May, 2017
$400 billion price tag for California single-payer bill
by Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines | May 22, 2017 at 11:05 pm
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 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California bill that would eliminate health insurance companies and provide government-funded health coverage for everyone in the state would cost $400 billion and require significant tax increases, legislative analysts said Monday.
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I Am Groot: He is Groot
by Marvel Comic Book News | May 22, 2017 at 10:53 pm
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Don’t call him a sapling! He may be 1/12th his usual size, but he’s still the universe’s most powerful walking, talking tree. He is Groot! Alone at the far side of the cosmos, unable to find the rest of the Guardians, and really, really small—that’s where we’ll find the galaxy’s most lovable piece of timber on May 24 with the start of the brand-new series I AM GROOT! With writer Christopher Hastings and artist Flaviano at the helm, the three-word wonder jumps headfirst into his own adventure as an underdeveloped, unintelligible, and very unlikely hero. To find out more, we spoke with Hastings about the difficulties—and unexpected benefits—of writing Groot. Marvel.com: What’s the greatest challenge of writing Groot given his signature three word limit? Christopher Hastings: Well that’s the challenge right there, he can’t quite express complex ideas the same way w’’re used to with the fancy language we communicate with every day. But with some body language, and the occasional assist from another character in the book translating for him, Groot can communicate all the base level important stuff we need in a story. Marvel.com: And since there’s nothing else like it in comics, what’s the greatest advantage that Groot’s linguistic style brings to a story? Christopher Hastings: It is a great relief to drop the need for a snappy protagonist who always has the right zinger. But that’s just for me! I’d say in the story, it is nice to change the focus to physicality, to non-verbal expression. Comics is a visual medium after all, so I like to see a character communicate in a purely visual fashion.  I Am Groot #2 cover by Marco D’Alfonso Marvel.com: He might not say much, but he has such a defined personality. How would you describe Groot’s characteristics as this series begins? Christopher Hastings: He’s a kid who is just enjoying being a kid. Now, he’s doing that in the most hazardous conditions that space adventure would suggest, so it causes a good amount of trouble. He gets separated from the Guardians, and he’s scared and alone in a place where nobody can understand him, that draws out a few characters that are pretty hostile to Groot for reasons unknown. So he’s still really impulsive, and curious and just running all over the place, but he’s trying to figure out how to get home. Marvel.com: One of the greatest elements of any Groot story is witnessing other characters interact with—and attempt to understand—Groot. So who might we see hanging with the tree in this new series? How would you describe the dynamic they bring to the book? Christopher Hastings: Groot’s first ally is some kind of alien dog’s head on a robot body named Buddy, because who doesn’t love a doggie buddy, especially in space? Buddy’s helpful, but dim, frustrating Groot’s issues with communication. Later on we meet Dhamsus, kind of a Ron Swanson type space farmer/ice elemental, and Diplatessa, a woman split into multiple versions of herself at different points in life. They all want to help Groot, and find that Groot awakens them out of a sort of complacency they had on this dead and corrupted world Groot lands on. Each one of them ties into the mystery of the planet’s past, and its key to reuniting Groot with the Guardians. Also there’s a swarm of shape shifting robots set out to trick and capture Groot at every turn. They’re creepy! I AM GROOT #1, by writer Christopher Hastings and artist Flaviano, is available this week on May 24, with issue #2 following June 28!
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Texas bathroom bill could expose secrets of transgender kids
by Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines | May 22, 2017 at 10:49 pm
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 AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Each morning, Joanna Smith's 7-year-old son pulls on a T-shirt and shorts, boasts how fast he can tie his sneakers and heads to school. An honor-roll student who loves science and spelling, he often stays after class to run on the playground with his large group of friends.
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Cable: Big in Japan
by Marvel Comic Book News | May 22, 2017 at 8:49 pm
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CABLE #2—due out June 28—finds our hero traveling back in time to feudal Japan in pursuit of a mysterious adversary! Marvel heroes have a long history of traveling to Asia’s island nation, so take a look back at five other stories set in the land of the rising sun. WOLVERINE
Wolverine stories could easily dominate any list of the best comics set in Japan, so let’s start with the “best there is”—the original WOLVERINE #1-4, by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. One of Marvel’s first limited series redefined the character as he traveled to Japan to find his long-lost love, Mariko Yashida. Shingen, her crimelord father, forced her to marry one of his stooges, which did not set well with Logan. Miller and colorist Glynis Oliver provide ninja fights amidst the neon lights of Tokyo, making this not only the must-read Wolverine tale, but also one of the quintessential works within comics as a whole. FANTASTIC FOUR & IRON MAN
While action and drama typically drive Wolverine’s journeys to Japan, “fun” fueled this comic by Zeb Wells and the late Seth Fisher. The Fantastic Four head abroad for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Tokyo’s new Giant Monster Museum and Expo Center, when—you guessed it—giant monsters attack. Luckily Iron Man also had business in the area and joined the fray. Fisher created each monster as a dedicated work of art for an insanely delightful story that never lets up. BIG HERO SIX
Before jumping to the big screen, Hiro, Baymax and the rest of the team starred in two different series: one by Scott Lobdell and Gus Vasquez in 1998, and another by Chris Claremont and David Nakayama in 2008. When the Japanese government decides they need their own team of heroes, they recruit Silver Samurai, Honey Lemon, and the rest of the crew, who battle the likes of Everwraith and Yandroth. 5 RONIN
The 2011 series 5 RONIN recast Hulk, Wolverine, Deadpool, Punisher, and Psylocke as master-less samurai living in 17th century Japan. Featuring the work of Peter Milligan and a variety of artists, including covers by David Aja, each issue told the story of one of the five characters, whose destines became interlinked as they sought revenge against the dreaded Damiyo. Punisher War Journal (1988) #8 - Published: September 10, 1989
- Added to Marvel Unlimited: May 27, 2010
What is Marvel Unlimited? THE PUNISHER
Back in 1989, Carl Potts and Jim Lee introduced The Punisher to a group called the Shadowmasters, who graduated from PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL into their own series. This ancient clan of martial arts masters protected the province of Iga, and Punisher came into contact with one of them, Kathryn Yakamoto, who helped him infiltrate a ninja camp run by a shady American corporation. Later Frank Castle and Black Widow teamed up with them again against the Sunrise Society, a Japanese business used as a cover for a crime syndicate. Travel to Japan once more with CABLE #2 by James Robinson and Carlos Pacheco!
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History of Hydra Pt. 6
by Marvel Comic Book News | May 22, 2017 at 8:18 pm
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For years, Hydra has lurked in the shadows of the Marvel Universe, a corrupting influence that taxed even the greatest of heroes. With the group scoring their greatest victory in Secret Empire, we take a look back at the History of Hydra… Turmoil gripped what once stood as the world’s most fearsome terror group when its creator, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, seemed dead and gone for good. In his wake, some of the worst villains in history lined up to take their turn at trying to forge a Hydra that might withstand any assault, and any inner strife. First came the Hydra Queen, who rallied former members to join with new soldiers and wash away the taint of the old failures. Captain America put down her insurrection, and though she appeared to be defeated, the Queen rose up again to grasp at the organization’s reins, but to no avail. Baron Zemo, son of the World War II despot, took up the leadership of Hydra again and schemed to not only infiltrate Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and attack them from within, but to do what once ranked as an unthinkable thing in Hydra: recruit lowly Inhumans to do his bidding. After creating a toxin that would sterilize human beings, Zemo suffered defeat at the hands of the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, and Steve Rogers’ son Nomad. With no leader, Hydra lost valuable intel on its workings to a deal between Sam Wilson and a genius hacker. This information led Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D, to nearly completely eliminate the group from the face of the planet. The Gorgon, once a high-ranking Hydra leader, directed a cell to kill all super heroes, but he too fell beneath S.H.I.E.L.D.’s unstoppable drive to sever every head and every limb they could uncover. Enter The Red Skull, arguably one of the catalysts of Strucker’s original impetus to create Hydra. With a wish to re-embrace his former Nazi beliefs, the villain began to assemble yet another new Hydra from white supremacists and other like-minded individuals and instituted outgoing assaults on civilians in public, both in the United States and Europe. Though as heinous a program as ever for the group, the Skull’s real evil manifested in his most devious operation ever: the complete rewriting of Steve Rogers’ personal history to place him not as the world’s greatest champion, but a Hydra agent bent on bringing its goals and tenets to the people of the world. Whether or not the Red Skull—and Captain America—will finally succeed in the ultimate win for Hydra remains to be seen. Check Out: CAPTAIN AMERICA #5, ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA #1–6, CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON #4, AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #5–6, CAPTAIN AMERICA: STEVE ROGERS #1–12
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Everything points to Apple launching new MacBooks next month
by Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines | May 22, 2017 at 8:09 pm
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 Apple will unveil the next big thing for its various software operating systems at WWDC 2017, including iOS 11 and the next macOS major update. But the iPhone maker is also tipped to launch a variety of new products at the show, including the Siri speaker, a 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and new MacBooks. A new report says that Apple is indeed expected to launch new laptops this quarter, and there’s reason to be excited.In a new research note to customers, TrendForce said that notebooks are having a little moment, again. Shipments for the first quarter of the year grew by 6.1% compared to last year, totaling around 37.81 million. That’s a 15.6% decline from the Christmas quarter, but still an impressive result for the period.Apple placed fifth in TrendForce's top, with 3.4 million MacBook laptops shipped during the period — that marks a 15.8% decline compared to the December quarter, but a 15.4% increase compared to last year.TrendForce quotes the MacBook Pro with TouchBar as the device that contributed significantly to the overall shipments. Similarly, the researchers believe the 12-inch MacBook will help Apple ship 10% more laptops in the second quarter of this year than last year.That’s because Apple reportedly plans to launch a new version of the 12-inch MacBook that will feature a new processor. The report notes that promotional pricing for some older models might also be in order.A previous report said that Apple will update the MacBook Pro as well, even if it only launched a new model in late 2016. TrendForce makes no mention of other MacBook updates for the quarter.
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Schooling Spider-Man: Spider-Man No More!
by Marvel Comic Book News | May 22, 2017 at 7:57 pm
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Celebrate the Wall Crawler’s return to the big screen in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” by heading back to school with these adventures available on Marvel Unlimited! AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50 by Stan Lee and John Romita started off like many of the issues that came before, with the title hero making short work of a bunch of wannabe thieves. However, the 1967 comic took more than a few wild turns before the last page. Even though he saved a man and woman from the robbery, the former still worried about the masked man’s presence thanks to all the mud J. Jonah Jameson slung his way. Clearly it bothered the young hero as he thought, “The public! The more I help them…the more they hate me!” after changing back into his civvies. Just as he arrived at the apartment he shared with Harry Osborn, Peter got terrible news that Aunt May had taken ill. Feeling guilty about not being around when she needed him, Peter let May get some rest and headed back into the world—but of course, he couldn’t focus. The stress led to a worried night that distracted him from studying for a big exam the next day. He also had to turn down an invitation to Gwen Stacy’s party and questioned whether he really knew Mary Jane Watson that well or not! Wracked with guilt and feeling unappreciated and even hated because of Jameson’s most recent tirade against him, Spidey took to the streets, wandering around and trying to figure out what to do with his life. Ultimately he decided to literally trash his Spider-Man costume and move on! Of course, the suit soon made its way to Jameson’s office at the Daily Bugle and he made a huge deal about playing such an integral part in getting the Webslinger to apparently quit the vigilante business. Even though he didn’t appreciate Jameson framing his old costume and putting it up in his office, Parker still felt pretty good about leaving the life behind at first. He even got to ostensibly quit his photog gig to focus on school. He spent time with Gwen, Mary Jane ,and Aunt May, which made him feel good about his decision. However, nature and bad guys abhor a vacuum, so with the hero out of the picture, Kingpin kicked off a crime wave that threatened to wipe the whole city away. Pete thought about running off to help, but remembered he’d quit. Later, though, he couldn’t let a mugging go by without jumping in to help. He then remembered how his lack of effort lead to Uncle Ben’s death and made a pledge to return to his alternate identity. “I can never renounce my Spider-Man identity! I can never fail to use the powers which a mysterious destiny has seen fit to give me! No matter how unbearable the burden may be…no matter how great my personal sacrifice…I can never permit one innocent being to come to harm…because Spider-Man failed to act…and I swear that I never will!” With that, Peter scaled the Daily Bugle building, broke into JJJ’s office, donned the costume, waited around to rub it in the old walrus’ face and swung off to take on the Kingpin in the next issue! A Tangled Web After Alistair Smythe accidentally killed Marla Jameson while aiming for her husband, Spider-Man took that pledge from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50 up to another level. In AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #655 by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin, Peter first attended Marla’s funeral and then suffered through a gut-wrenching nightmare. With a new outlook, he climbed up and made a new vow to the world: “I’m done,” he said. “Done accepting things the way they are. I swear to you…from now on…whenever I’m around, wherever I am…no one dies!” That theme became a huge one for the rest of Slott’s run on that volume and on through to the current one. The Wall Crawler tries to deal with Kingpin’s plans and a crisis on campus in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #68 from 1969.
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