The Daily Populous

Tuesday May 2nd, 2017 morning edition

image for Flower shop owner stole plants from cemetery for months, police say

PEQUANNOCK TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- Police say a flower shop owner stole plants and other items from graves at a New Jersey cemetery for months.

Christopher DePuyt says police installed surveillance cameras at the First Reformed Church Cemetery in Pequannock Township after two plants disappeared from the mausoleum and replacement plants were stolen two days later.

He says the cameras caught a woman in a minivan taking the plants and Riverdale officers recognized her as a former police dispatcher and current flower shop owner.

Authorities charged 59-year-old Lynda Wingate, of Riverdale, with the disorderly person's offense of theft of moveable property.

DePuyt says Wingate claimed she was cleaning up old flowers from graves of people she knew, but he says that isn't the case.

A message seeking comment was left at her flower shop. »

Hong Kong just got a major ruling on rights for same-sex spouses

Authored by qz.com

The judge disagreed with the civil services’ stance that extending the benefits would undermine the integrity of marriage in Hong Kong, the Post reported.

A lawyer for Leung said the decision was a major one—an instance of “rare judicial recognition” of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the city.

There have been other attempts to expand the rights available to same-sex relationships by turning to Hong Kong courts, but they haven’t been successful. »

Trump memo outlines end to Michelle Obama's girls education program

Authored by cnn.com
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Washington (CNN) The Trump administration is discontinuing a signature girls education initiative championed by former first lady Michelle Obama, according to officials.

While aspects of the initiative's programming will continue, employees have been told to stop using the "Let Girls Learn" name and were told that, as a program unto itself, "Let Girls Learn" was ending.

In October of last year, the Obama administration attempted to reinforce "Let Girls Learn" ahead of a new administration. »