White House Denies Funny Man Stephen Colbert’s Request to Document U.S. Citizenship Ceremony
Political funny man Stephen Colbert had hoped to feature and on-air naturalization ceremony on his Comedy Central show, but the White House has said no to that idea.
“The Colbert Report” was wanting to run the ceremony alongside Colbert’s interview with documentarian Alexandra Pelosi, whose documentary, “Citizen U.S.A.: A 50 State Road Trip” airs on July 4 on HBO.
Pelosi’s documentary revolves around new U.S. citizens across the country who are about to take their oath of allegiance to the Unite States, which is performed by the federal officials. Colbert had hoped to get one of these ceremonies on video.
When the Wrap contacted Pelosi about the government’s refusal to allow the taping, she said, “The government just doesn’t get it. ‘The Colbert Report’ is what America watches. This is Colbert Nation.”
US Ed Sec Duncan Challenges Nation to Work Together to Make Hispanic Education a Priority
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan today urged parents, educators and school leaders at every level of government to make Hispanic educational excellence a national priority. Secretary Duncan’s challenge follows the release of a sobering new report on the Hispanic achievement gap by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the U.S. Department of Education’s statistical center.
Mathematics and reading scores for Hispanic students have increased over time, but the gap between Hispanic students and their white counterparts on the National Assessment of Educational Progress has not changed since the 1990s, according to the comprehensive report by NCES. Over the same period, the gap between non-limited English proficient Hispanic students and their white peers narrowed.
In the knowledge economy, Secretary Duncan said it is more vital than ever that every child in America be able to go as far as his or her potential, talent and energy will allow.
“Race and ethnicity shouldn’t be factors in the success of any child in America,” said Secretary Duncan.