On April 26, 2013, American country music star George Jones passed away at the age of 81. During his lifetime he was known for his numerous hits and his distinctive voice. He had more than 150 solo and duet hits during his career, and was frequently referred to as the greatest living country singer during the last twenty years of his life. In writing about Jones, country music scholar Bill C. Malone wrote, “For the two or three minutes consumed by a song, Jones immerses himself so completely in its lyrics, and in the mood it conveys, that the listener can scarcely avoid becoming similarly involved.”  In his song “It’s Alright,” Waylon Jennings sang: “If we all could sound like we wanted to, we’d all sound like George Jones.” Jones’ astounding career wasn’t without its countless personal and professional difficulties, but he overcame many of them towards the end of his life.

Early Years

Born in Saratoga, Texas, and raised in Vidor, Texas, along with his brother and seven sisters, he heard country music for the first time at the age of seven after his parents purchased a radio. When he was nine he was given a guitar and he was hooked and soon playing on the streets of Beaumont with his father earning some spare change. When he was sixteen, he left home for Jasper, TX where he performed at a local radio station. In 1950, at the age of nineteen, he married his first wife Dorothy but within a year the couple divorced. In 1951, Jones enlisted in the Marines as the Korean War was underway, and never served overseas as he was stationed in California for his entire service. When he was discharged, Jones began performing again and this is when his music career took off.

The 50’s

Record producer and co-owner of a local Texas label Starday Records, Pappy Daily, discovered Jones and signed him to the label in 1953. Jones’ first single “No Money In This Deal” was released in early 1954 to little attention. Three more of Jones’ singles were released by the label that same year and all were ignored. Jones’ first hit came late in the summer of 1955. Titled “Why, Baby, Why,” it peaked at number four on the country charts, but never gained momentum, as it was halted by a cover version by Webb Pierce and Red Sovine which hit number one.

Despite these setbacks, Jones was on his way as he was secured a spot by Daily on the Louisiana Hayride where he co-billed with Elvis Presley. In 1956 Jones’ songs were regularly featured on the Top Ten. Among them were “What Am I Worth” and “Just One More.” In August, Jones joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry and his first album appeared by the end of the year.

Jones’ records began appearing under a new label in 1957 as Starday Records had signed a distribution deal with Mercury Records. He began recording in Nashville and his first single under the new label “Don’t Stop the Music” was a Top Ten hit.  Throughout 1958, his songs were landing near the top of the charts, culminating with “White Lightning,” which spent five weeks at number one in the spring of 1959. Two years later, his next big hit “Tender Years” arrived and stayed for seven weeks at number one. This hit pointed the way toward Jones’ later success as a singer of ballads, since the song displayed a smoother production and larger arrangement than his previous hits.

Read more about George Jones’ struggle and success in part two and part three.

Image credit: George Jones via Facebook

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Washington, U.S.A. — A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies provides a detailed picture of immigrants (legal and illegal) in the United States and in Texas. Using the latest Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study reveals Texas’ immigrant population as one of the largest, fastest growing and poorest of the top immigrant receiving states.

The report is online at http://cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population.

• Texas Immigrants:

Texas’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 43 percent from 2000 to 2010. Nationally the immigrant population grew 28 percent over the same period.

The immigrant population in the state stood at 4.1 million, up 1.5 million in the last decade. Immigrants account for one out of six Texas residents in 2010, the highest level ever recorded by the Census Bureau. Immigrants account for 20 percent of workers in the state.

Of Texas immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 28 percent live in poverty compared to 15 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 23 percent of the state’s overall population and 36 percent of all persons in poverty.

Of Texas immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) 41 percent lack health insurance, compared to 21 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their children account for 37 percent of those without insurance in the state.

While a large share of Texas immigrants have low incomes, their rate of home ownership (58 percent) tends to be relatively high both compared to natives (65 percent) and relative to immigrants in other states.

Of households headed by immigrants in Texas, 45 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 24 percent of native-headed households.

The lower socio-economic status of Texas’ immigrants is not because most are recent arrivals. Their average length of residence in the United States is 18 years.

One of the primary reasons so many immigrants in Texas are poor, lack health insurance and access the welfare system is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adults with relatively low levels of education.

Of the top immigrant receiving states, Texas immigrants are among the least educated— 46 percent of adult immigrants in the state have not completed high school, compared to 10 percent of natives.

The share of immigrants (25 to 65) in the state that have a bachelor’s degree is 21 percent compared to 30 percent of natives. In 2010, 31 percent of students in Texas public school were from immigrant households.  Overall 37 percent of public school students speak a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in Texas:

Our best estimate is that slightly less than half of the immigrants in Texas are in the country illegally. They comprised one in ten workers in the state. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for ten percent of the state’s overall population and one-fifth of those in poverty, one-fourth of the uninsured and one seventh of the school age population, 5 to 17.

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Dallas, U.S.A. — The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) will hold the latest C.A.R.E. (Communities Are Responding Everyday) Clinic for uninsured people in Dallas in September. The free clinic, held in conjunction with the Lone Star Association of Charitable Clinics (LSACC) and the North Texas Association of Charitable Clinics (NTACC), is scheduled for September 29 at the Dallas Convention Center, Hall A, 650 South Griffin St., and will be open for patients from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“While the political pundits discuss at length the pros and cons of the Supreme Court’s decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, free and charitable clinics remain committed to providing health care to the medically underserved throughout the country,” NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux said. “With future implementation of the Affordable Care Act and expansion of Medicaid in question in Texas and other states, we recognize that it is critical for the medically underserved to receive access to health care today and in the immediate future.”

Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the country with about 26 percent of residents in general and 22 percent of children lacking health insurance. The overall uninsured rate is about the same in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but the situation for children is even worse with 26.4 percent lacking health insurance. Further, among people living in poverty, the rate of being uninsured soars to 46 percent.

“In 2009 the first C.A.R.E. Clinic was held in Houston and now three years later the needs in Texas and in the Dallas area remain incredibly high,” LSACC Executive Director Jody Hopkins said. “Charitable clinics provide health care to many of our state’s residents with little to no state or federal support. Charitable clinics are an important, critical and often overlooked member of the safety net and we look forward to not only providing health care to those who need it, but also shining a light on those clinics who provide care daily in Texas.”

Both medical and nonmedical volunteers are needed from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. on the day of the clinic, Sept. 29, as well as for setup on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 27, and all day Friday, Sept. 28.

Medical volunteers needed for the Dallas clinic include doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, emergency medical technicians, medical administrators, licensed clinical social workers and more. Non-medical volunteers are needed to help with documentation, logistical support, patient intake and translation, as well as to be patient greeters and escorts.

Information on the event and how to register is available online at: www.nafcclinics.org/. Information on how to donate to support this and future clinics is also available at that address by clicking on the “Donate Now” button.

This will be the 12th in a series of large C.A.R.E. Clinics held around the country to bring together physicians and other health care professionals, as well as non-medical volunteers, to serve the needs of thousands of people who might otherwise go without medical care and to connect them to local safety-net resources.

Since September 2009, more than 15,000 uninsured patients have received medical care at C.A.R.E. Clinics. The clinics have been held in: Houston; New Orleans (three times); Little Rock; Kansas City; Hartford; Atlanta; Washington, D.C.; Charlotte; and Tacoma, Wash.

“Our C.A.R.E. Clinics have continued to show that volunteerism is alive and well in our nation,” Lamoureux said. “We look forward to working with the Dallas community to provide health care to those who may not have access and to connect the uninsured with safety-net providers such as charitable clinics, sliding-scale clinics and federally qualified health centers near where they live so that patients can receive regular treatment on an ongoing basis.”

Image Courtesy of  spirit of america / Shutterstock.com

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Washington, U.S.A.  – The states of Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina and Texas will receive grants totaling $3 million to develop strategies aimed at helping returning Army veterans find employment more quickly through the public workforce system, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced. This funding represents an initiative of the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Army under the Unemployment Compensation for Ex-service Members program.

“The Labor Department is deeply committed to providing employment services and benefits that best support the men and women who have served our country, and the grants announced today are an example of that commitment,” said Secretary Solis. “Ensuring Army veterans have expedited access to job training and job placement services is one way our nation honors their sacrifices.”

This initiative will provide each of the four states with $750,000 to develop new strategies to enhance outreach and re-employment services for Army unemployment compensation claimants.

Examples of strategies include improved tracking of claimants across federal programs to better link unemployed veterans to potential job opportunities; increasing staff capacity to help claimants understand which military skills can be transferred to civilian careers; expanding service delivery through agency partnerships, such as opening employment service satellite offices in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs locations; and expanding outreach activities to better connect these veterans to American Job Centers, job fairs and other services that can expedite their return to work.

“These grants are an important step toward ensuring that the soldiers who so valiantly and selflessly served our nation get the help they need transitioning back to civilian life,” said Secretary of the ArmyJohn McHugh. “By sharing information, improving access to re-employment services and increasing outreach opportunities, we can help Army veterans get better access to and information about job opportunities. I’m grateful to Secretary Solis and the Department of Labor for their support. This is great news for the Army and its veterans.”

The four states selected have large populations of Army veterans who are unemployment compensation claimants and have been actively collaborating with both the Labor Department and the Army to improve veterans’ access to the public workforce system. These grants will be implemented over the next two years, and the promising practices developed with these investments will be shared with other states and expanded to include other branches of the military.

Image Courtesy of  Anthony Correia / Shutterstock.com

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Austin, Texas, U.S.A. - The Supreme Court of Texas issued a landmark decision June 22 in Texas Mutual Insurance Company v. Timothy J. Ruttiger that strengthens a law affecting millions of Texans—the Workers’ Compensation Act—and found that a bad faith cause of action is inconsistent with the current workers’ compensation system.

In a 5-4 decision, the Court overruled its 1988 “Aranda” decision that had created the bad faith claims-handling tort in workers’ compensation.

“The Supreme Court has acted with courage and integrity by upholding the remedies and protections that the Legislature has granted to injured workers,” Mary Barrow Nichols, General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Texas Mutual, said. “This decision is fundamental to the health of the entire workers’ comp system.”

When the Ruttiger case first came to the courts in 2004, lawsuits claiming “bad faith” against all insurance carriers, Texas Mutual included, were on the rise. Texas Mutual disputed Mr. Ruttiger’s claim for an on-the-job injury because his employer reported that he was hurt at a non work-related softball game. Texas Mutual ultimately entered into a compromise agreement with Mr. Ruttiger over the claim.

In 2006, a trial court found that the company’s adjuster had acted in “bad faith” by believing the employer instead of Mr. Ruttiger. The court awarded money to Mr. Ruttiger in excess of the amounts Texas Mutual had already paid him to cover his medical costs and replace his wages. He was awarded additional money for his “mental anguish over having his claim disputed.”

The First Court of Appeals in Houston upheld the original decision in 2008, and Texas Mutual appealed to the Supreme Court. In August 2011, the Supreme Court of Texas reversed the Houston Court of Appeals decision and rendered judgment that Mr. Ruttiger take nothing on his Insurance Code and Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act claims. The Court also remanded the plaintiff’s common law good faith and fair dealing claims to the Houston Court of Appeals for further consideration.

Both sides requested a rehearing, suggesting that the Court reconsider fully the question of whether the 1989 overhaul of the Texas workers’ compensation system “eliminated the need for” a common law cause of action for breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing. The requests were granted by the Court on Feb. 17, 2012.

In his concurring opinion, Justice Don R. Willett explained as follows: ”[T]he continued existence of bad-faith claims will subvert the Legislature’s meticulous soup-to-nuts system, one augmented by an immense regulatory and adjudicatory framework that, taken together, now regulates virtually every aspect of how a carrier handles a workers’ comp matter. . . [T]he inherently fuzzy nature of the bad-faith tort has a tendency to produce conflicting liability standards inconsistent with the Legislature’s statutory approach to carrier malfeasance and accountability.”

Justice Willett’s opinion continues: “I think it unwise to invite these potential complications, particularly in an area so imbued with public policy trade-offs, and where the Legislature has specifically addressed our concerns over how comp claims are processed. “Aranda” was rooted in specific claims-handling inequities in the pre-1989 comp system, inequities the Legislature has re-balanced. Accordingly, in light of the Legislature’s hermetic workers’ compensation regime, the time has come for the Court—exercising its authority to define and delimit common-law remedies—to overrule “Aranda,” a judicial gap-filler whose underlying rationale no longer exists.”

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The career of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Sergio Kindle has certainly been a bumpy road thus far, but with the University of Texas graduate heading into his third season in the NFL, it is make or break time for the 24-year old.

The versatile outside linebacker, who also has experience playing both inside linebacker and defensive end, looked like a real first round prospect in the run up to the 2010 NFL Draft. Standout performances during his years in Texas saw him named a First Team All-American in 2009 and culminated in a eye-catching performance in the 2010 BCS National Championship game against Alabama, dramatically raising his draft stock.

His ability on the field was never in question, but a number of non-playing issues swirled around Kindle and were enough reason for many of his potential suitors to pass on him. These issues involved persistent knee injuries as well as off-field controversies including a charge for driving while intoxicated following his inaugural season in Texas. Ultimately these problems caused Kindle to drop to the second round where the Ravens picked him up with the 43rd overall pick, clearly impressed by his game footage and impressive showing at the Combine.

The Ravens, known for their shrewd drafting policy, clearly believed that the experienced heads of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs on defense would be enough to help Kindle mature both on and off the field. This, however, was not to be, as Kindle suffered head trauma following a fall down two flights of stairs and spent the rest of the season on the injured reserve list.

Although Kindle fractured his skull in the fall, a severe loss of hearing in his left ear has hampered his professional career even more significantly. The damage to his hearing prevented him from making any meaningful contribution to the Ravens in his second season as he looked to adjust to his injury, an unenviable task given the frequency of pre-snap audibles used in the NFL.

Whilst Kindle was given little opportunity to shine last season with Paul Kruger deputising for both Suggs and Jarret Johnson at the outside linebacker position, the departure of Johnson to San Diego likely means Kruger will become a starter and leave Kindle as the first choice replacement at the position. If this scenario does play out, Kindle would be more than happy to emulate Kruger’s performances a year previously, with the Utah graduate highlighting himself as a very effective pass rusher in the limited opportunities he enjoyed.

If given an opportunity to shine this season, which Head Coach John Harbaugh will undoubtedly be keen to give him, the pass rushing threats of Suggs, Kruger and Haloti Ngata will almost certainly help create space for Kindle to do damage and establish himself as a player who can excel in the NFL. He has the chance to learn from some of the best defensive players currently playing in the NFL and Baltimore seems to be the perfect fit to get Kindle back to the kind of form he showed in college prior to his accident.

The fact remains however that the challenge ahead of Kindle is great. He will have to work harder than anyone else on the team just to be able to keep up with his defensive colleagues and will have to spend Ray Lewis-esque time studying game tape of upcoming opponents.

If he can overcome these obstacles though, the Ravens renowned defense will have added another weapon to their already formidable arsenal. The NFL would be wise not to sleep on Kindle who, if he reaches his potential, will be a fierce prospect indeed. Ben Roethlisberger, Andy Dalton, Colt McCoy, you have been warned.

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The government recently unveiled a new set of rules outlining better care for immigrants and asylum seekers detained while waiting for their deportation hearings.

The guidelines, issued by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement service (ICE), have been assailed by congressional Republicans, who say they amount to coddling illegal immigrants.

The controversy heated up last week in a hearing called “Holiday on ICE,” held by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, who has referred to the new rules as “a hospitality guideline for illegal immigrants.” He pointed in particular to a new federal facility in Texas that the administration has held up as an example of a less penal approach to non-criminal immigration detainees.

The guards there don’t wear uniforms, and the facility has, as Smith pointed out, a soccer field, volleyball court and cable TV. The $32 million center was built by a private contractor, and ICE claims it will cost less per day to house detainees there than in other facilities.

Smith, as well as the head of the union representing ICE agents, says the new guidelines are too loose on security, and that the government’s focus should be on deporting undocumented immigrants faster. Meanwhile, immigrant rights advocates say detainees who aren’t criminal offenders shouldn’t be treated as such.

So, what are the new guidelines, and what prompted the changes to ICE’s policy?

The government detains about 400,000 illegal immigrants each year. On a given day, roughly 32,000 people are held, about half of them in jails rather than immigrant detention facilities. (PBS’ “Frontline” provides a useful history of changes to U.S. detention policy and an interactive map of ICE detention centers.)

The rules, which are gradually taking effect, are meant to address areas of detention that have long been problematic.

Access to medical care: More than 100 immigrants in detention have died since 2003, many from lack of access to medical care or proper medication. The New York Times reported in 2010 that immigration officials covered up many deaths and that few safeguards for transparency were in place. The new guidelines promise better regular medical care, including mental health and separate standards for women’s health.

Protection against sexual abuse: The American Civil Liberties Union found 185 reported incidents of sexual abuse between 2007 and 2010. Immigration detention centers are not covered by legislation aimed at reducing prison rape, and the new guidelines are supposed to improve supervision of detainees as well as the process for reporting sexual abuse.

Access to family and legal help: Because detainees are spread across hundreds of facilities, often in isolated areas, and frequently transferred, it was difficult for family members or lawyers to remain in close contact with them. A Human Rights Watch report found that 46 percent of detainees were moved at least twice, and 3,600 detainees were transferred 10 times or more.

The new guidelines improve access to bilingual interpreters, and call for better communication with families and legal counsels about transfers. (ICE also issued a directive this year to minimize transfers.) Facilities are “encouraged to provide opportunities for both contact and non-contact visitation.”

Advocates have pointed out that many aspects of new guidelines and the new Texas facility, such as increased freedom of movement and contact visitation, bring the ICE guidelines in line with the standards at many federal correctional facilities, especially low-security ones.

The government plans to build more facilities like the one in Texas, though most detainees will still find themselves housed in less plush environs. Only about 14 percent are expected to be held in new facilities like the one in Texas.

The administration has continued a policy begun under President George W. Bush in which asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants are detained until their court dates. Arrests and deportations have risen steadily since Obama took office.

The administration is billing the rules and new construction as part of a shift in focus away from non-criminal immigrants to catching and deporting criminal immigrants.

by Cora Currier, ProPublica, April 3, 2012, 1:35 p.m.

Image  Courtesy of   CREATISTA / Shutterstock.com

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The American Red Cross is operating shelters, serving meals and distributing disaster relief supplies in Texas after several powerful tornadoes hit the greater Dallas-Fort Worth April 3, destroying or damaging hundreds of homes and leaving thousands without power.

About 150 people came to Red Cross shelters throughout the day Tuesday for help after the tornadoes struck. The Red Cross also provided 1,400 blankets for stranded travelers at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport where hundreds of flights were canceled and many aircraft were damaged by hail.

Red Cross disaster workers are teaming up with the Southern Baptist Convention and Salvation Army to see people get the help they need. Nine emergency response vehicles will be out in the affected areas today, distributing meals and disaster relief supplies. Red Cross teams will also be out assessing tornado damage to determine the level of help people will need in the days to come.

“Yesterday we had the uncertainty of not knowing what Mother Nature was doing on the other side of someone’s shelter,” said Red Cross spokesperson Anita Foster. “Today reality is setting in and our mental health workers will help people recover from the devastation.”

SAFETY STEPS The Red Cross reminds those affected that they should not return to their neighborhoods until authorities say it is safe to do so. Other safety steps include:

• Stay out of damaged buildings.
• Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts and sturdy shoes when examining homes for damage.
• Watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas lines and report them to the utility company immediately.
• Use battery-­powered flashlights when examining buildings—do NOT use candles.
• If someone notices a gas smell or hears a hissing noise, they should open a window and get everyone out of the building quickly. They should also call the gas company or fire department.
• Keep animals under control.
• Clean up spilled medications, bleaches, gasoline or other flammable liquids that could become a fire hazard.

April is historically a busy month for tornadoes in the United States. People can visit the preparedness section of the Red Cross website for more information about what to do if a tornado threatens.

HOW TO HELP People can help those affected by disasters like the tornadoes, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Consider making a donation today by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Contributions may also be sent to someone’s local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Contributions enable the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters.

There has not been increased need for blood products for the tornado victims in Texas. However, the Red Cross wants to remind individuals that it’s the blood already on the shelves that helps during emergencies. Every day 44,000 blood donations are needed to help trauma victims, surgical patients, burn victims, patients with blood disorders and many others. When disasters strike, this need may be even greater.

Potential blood donors must be 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height) and be in generally good health. People should bring their Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when they come to donate. Eligible donors can give whole blood every 56 days.

To schedule a donation time or get more information about giving blood or platelets, people can visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

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Richard A. Viguerie, the Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, along with conservative activists Bill Wichterman and Rebecca Hagelin, hosted a luncheon and hour-long question and answer period for 90 national conservative leaders at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C.

“Four weeks ago, a large group of national conservative leaders met in Texas and came to the consensus that we should back Rick Santorum’s campaign for President,” noted Viguerie. “With relatively few resources, but lots of grassroots conservative support, Rick went on to win the Republican contests in Minnesota, Missouri, and Colorado,” observed Viguerie.

“Today’s meeting will build more grassroots conservative momentum behind Rick’s campaign.” “Rick Santorum is the only reliable conservative left in the race.  Whatever others may say, no other candidate can be counted on to populate his administration with conservatives the way Santorum can be.  No other candidate can be depended upon to govern as a conservative the way Santorum can be,” said Viguerie.

Santorum’s unscripted remarks at the luncheon focused on his commitment to the conservative agenda, the importance of the conservative movement in winning the 2012 election, and the important role conservatives will play in a Santorum administration. “Conservative principles are the things that win elections,” said Santorum, who also noted, “Conservatives aren’t merely a wing of the Republican Party–they are the Republican Party.”

Santorum’s biggest applause came when, in a not-so-subtle reference to Mitt Romney, he promised the conservative leaders that, if elected, he “would not walk away from the conservative message. It is who I am.  I do what I do from the heart, not because some consultant or focus group tells me this is what to do or what to say.”

“Rick Santorum is no stranger to the conservative movement.  We know Rick Santorum.  He walks with us, eats with us, and prays with us. He has celebrated our victories and mourned our losses,” concluded Viguerie.

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickgensel/

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In a move to protect their right to pursue individual and class action pay and promotion claims against Wal-Mart Stores  more than 500 former and current Wal-Mart women employees who had been part of a national class action lawsuit have filed a charge of discrimination against the retailer with the U.S. Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as of Friday, Jan. 27.

That was the deadline for women in five states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina – to pursue their claims, according to plaintiffs’ attorneys Joseph Sellers, Cohen Milstein Sellers& Toll PLLC, and Brad Seligman, the Impact Fund, who represent the women.

The vast majority of the EEOC charges – some 430 – were filed in those states since the June 2011 U.S. Supreme Court decision reversing a lower court ruling certifying class action against Wal-Mart. Women in all other states who previously filed class action claims against Wal-Mart, and its subsidiary Sam’s Club, have until May 25, 2012, to file a claim with the EEOC.

“The Supreme Court did not give Wal-Mart a free pass to discriminate.  Filing an EEOC claim is one more way current and former women employees of Wal-Mart can assert their rights,” Sellers and Seligman said in a statement.  More than 12,000 women have contacted plaintiffs’ counsel directly or through the informational website, www.walmartclass.com, to discuss pursuing claims of gender-based pay and promotion discrimination.

Even in the five states with the Jan. 27, 2012, filing deadline, women with pay and promotion discrimination charges against Wal-Mart from July 2011-on can file EEOC claims against the company.

“These EEOC charges are just the down-payment—we expect to file thousands of additional charges by the May 25, 2012 deadline.  We urge women throughout the country who feel they have been discriminated against by Wal-Mart in pay and promotions to log onto the www.walmartclass.com site and register,” said Seligman.

Regional class action lawsuits on behalf of women plaintiffs who worked in California and Texas region Wal-Mart stores were filed in federal courts in those states in October 2011.  An expanded class action was filed in Texas federal court in January 2012.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/walmartcorporate/

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The Residential Recycling Conference will convene for its third annual gathering at the Gaylord Texan on March 28-30, 2012. The nation’s premier recycling conference features municipal recycling leaders, executives from privately owned recycling companies and leaders from non-profit groups and associations.

The two-and-a-half-day event includes more than 25 speakers, an adjoining exhibit floor featuring the latest recycling technology and equipment, networking receptions, classes to earn professional education credits and a tour of a nearby recycling facility. Waste & Recycling News and Republic Services Inc. are the co-organizers of the Residential Recycling Conference.

“I love the RRC because it is singularly focused on residential recycling. It’s a business that deserves special emphasis, given its complexity and reach into our daily lives,” said Brennan Lafferty, publisher of Waste & Recycling News. “Our attendees make great connections with their peers, and exhibitors consistently tell us that they are now doing business with someone they met at the RRC.”

The general session is a diverse mix of panel discussions and singular presentations. Highlights include a panel on the challenges of recycling in apartments and other multi-family locations, a session on educating community residents using schools and social media, and a discussion on how recycling managers can maximize the prices they receive for their collected material..

Speakers include experts from Coca-Cola Co., Sims Municipal Recycling, ERI Electronics Recyclers, ReCommunity and several municipalities, including the city of San Antonio, Texas.

“There is always something new and exciting about this event,” Conference Chairman Kurt Blascoe said. “I look forward to hearing from the team of all-star speakers and to seeing the latest in technology from our valued vendors.

Through recycling’s evolution, we have begun to see a paradigm shift from doing it for economic reasons only to doing it because it’s the right thing to do,” said Blascoe, who serves as director of marketing materials for Republic Services.

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On January 23, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released the results of its latest survey regarding the number of registered sex offenders located in the U.S.  The organization’s most recent survey of states found there are 747,408 registered sex offenders in the country today, which represents an increase of 7,555 offenders from the previous survey in June 2011.

NCMEC conducted its first survey in 2006, which showed there were 606,816 registered sex offenders in the U.S.  In just five years, an additional 140,592 convicted sex offenders have been added to sex offender registries across the country, an increase of 23.2%.  The three states with the largest number of registered sex offenders are California (106,216), Texas (68,529), and Florida (57,896).

“The courts have long held that the requirement that a convicted sex offender register with authorities is not punitive, it is regulatory,” said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC.  “It is a reasonable measure designed to provide important information to authorities and to help protect the public, particularly children.

These registries are especially important because of the high risk of re-offense by some of these offenders, and the fact that most of the victims of America’s sex offenders are younger than 18 years of age.” The first sex offender registry was created in 1947 in California.  Today, every state has such a registry.

NCMEC created the survey in 2006, following the enactment of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in July of that year.  Each year since the survey was created, NCMEC contacts the sex offender registry in each state as well as registries located in the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and St. Croix maintain separate sex offender registries, bringing the total number of registries surveyed to 57. ”America has awakened to the threat posed by sex offenders,” said Allen.  “Today, there is a system in place.  Law enforcement is more vigilant and common-sense steps have been taken to better protect the public, particularly the children.”

NCMEC has conducted 13 sex offender register surveys since 2006 and were performed quarterly until 2009.  Since then, they have been done twice each year.

In 2006, NCMEC also created a special dedicated Sex Offender Tracking Team.  This group of analysts — working with the U.S. Marshals Service and state and local law enforcement — accesses donated public records data and aids in locating an estimated 100,000 noncompliant or fugitive sex offenders.

To date, NCMEC has received 15,802 requests from law enforcement nationwide to assist in locating noncompliant sex offenders and has provided 15,763 analytical leads packages to law enforcement, resulting in the apprehension of thousands of fugitives.

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In a Texas case that could have implications for other voting rights cases nationwide, the Supreme Court on Friday Jan 20, rejected a lower court’s redistricting plans for the state’s new electoral seats, which could pose constitutional concerns.

According to the 2010 Census, Texas’ population grew by more than four million people in the last decade – 65% of which is attributed to Hispanics – giving the state four additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and requiring changes in the election districts for the State Legislature.

Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, jurisdictions labeled as historically discriminatory in electoral procedures (including Texas) must submit plans for changes affecting voting to the Attorney General or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Texas Legislature’s initial set of election maps had not been approved at the time of Texas’ first primaries, leading the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to create its own map for use in the interim.

The Texas court’s map gives greater voting power to the new population, which is largely minority, whereas the Legislature’s map seems to dilute the electoral power of the Hispanic and African American voters. The Supreme Court determined that the lower court had overstepped its authority, and ordered it to adhere more closely to the original plan.

“Election redistricting is an extremely important and delicate undertaking, with many opportunities for the empowerment or disenfranchisement a particular group of citizens,” said Benny Agosto, HNBA National President and Texas resident. “The HNBA is concerned about the constitutional implications of this decision, and the potential ripple-effect on redistricting disputes in which Latino voters’ rights are at stake.

As a national advocate for Latino voting rights, the HNBA will continue to follow these developments closely to ensure that democracy is not being compromised.”

“Protecting the Hispanic community’s electoral voice and the right to elect their candidate of choice is paramount. HNBA stands behind efforts to ensure that redistricting maps comply with the Voting Rights Act. Maps in Texas, and throughout the country, must account for the growth in the Hispanic population,” added Celeste Villarreal, HNBA Vice President of External Affairs.

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United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard expressed support for the Administration’s decision to challenge partisan politics and not bow to Republican pressure to prematurely approve TransCanada’s permit to develop a proposed 1,700-mile pipeline.  The Keystone XL Pipeline would transport crude oil and bitumen from Alberta, Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast.

“The Administration made the right decision to ensure that a project of this scale is done in a way that is good for both jobs and the environment,” said Gerard. “The White House is facing forces in Congress that have decided to use this project as a litmus test for their commitment to jobs, at the same time as they have blocked the door to every one of the Administration’s job proposals, but the fact is more time is needed to ensure that this project will have the economic and environmental benefits claimed by the developer.”

Proponents of the pipeline estimate that the project will create 13,000 construction jobs, 7,000 manufacturing jobs and allow the U.S. to supply our oil needs with Canada, a long-standing ally instead of unstable nations.

“While the jobs projections are promising, more needs to be done to ensure that North American companies and workers will benefit,” said Gerard. “We’ve seen too many instances where key elements of our nation’s infrastructure were outsourced to foreign producers – such as the $7 billion San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge project that is being built using questionable steel from a state-owned Chinese company.

“That project is a slap in the face to American manufacturing workers at a time when unemployment is still high and U.S. factories are still closing.  We have to make sure that if there is going to be a TransCanada pipeline, manufacturing workers will benefit by using as much North American material as possible in its construction.”

The USW says that the State Department’s decision to deny the current permit does not prevent the potential development and deployment of a TransCanada pipeline as the door remains open for the project to be proposed again.  In fact, TransCanada, the lead company on the pipeline project, already has said it intends to re-apply for the needed permits.

“When dealing with our nation’s infrastructure, we have to make sure that we tap all of our capacity and ingenuity to build and repair it,” said Gerard. “That means making sure that as many of the component parts – from the pipe to the valves and cement – are made using North American materials.”

Much to the dismay of our idled members at U.S. Steel’s Granite City Steel facility, in 2009 TransCanada sourced most of the pipe from India for the initial stages.  At that time, over 2,000 Steelworkers were laid off for lack of orders.  To add insult to injury, the Indian pipe destined for the ConocoPhillips/TransCanada pipeline sat right outside the idled steel plant.

“Ensuring a domestic supply chain is our only chance to grow both the American workforce and our critical manufacturing sector,” said Gerard. “When TransCanada presents its new proposal for a pipeline, the USW looks forward to working with the Administration and others to ensure that the eventual project is done in the safest and most economically beneficial way for our members and their communities,” said Gerard.

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors.

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Nearly one in four American children attend rural schools and enrollment is growing at a faster rate in rural school districts than in all other places combined, according to ‘Why Rural Matters 2011-12’, a biennial report by the Rural School and Community Trust.   In addition, rural schools show increasing rates of poverty, diversity, and students with special needs.

These widespread trends are most evident in the South, Southwest, and parts of Appalachia. ”As the evidence mounts that rural education is becoming a bigger and even more complex part of our national educational landscape, it is becoming impossible to ignore in the quest to improve achievement and narrow achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged groups.

The day of closing our eyes and hoping rural education will just go away are ending,” said Jerry Johnson, a co-author of ‘Why Rural Matters 2011-12’. More than 9.6 million students are enrolled in rural school districts in the United States, which is over 20 percent of all public school students in the United States.

An additional 1.8 million students are enrolled in rural schools in districts not classified as rural by the federal government.  Together, these 11.4 million students who attend rural schools comprise more than 23 percent of all public school students, according to the Rural School and Community Trust, a respected national nonprofit organization.

Of those students attending schools in a rural district, two in five live in poverty, a rate that has increased by nearly a third in nine years.  One student in four in rural areas is a child of color, and one in eight has changed residence in the past 12 months.

Between the 1999-2000 and 2008-2009 school years, rural districts’ enrollment increased by well over 1.7 million students, showing a growth rate of more than 22 percent.  In comparison, non-rural enrollment increased by only 673,000, or by a 1.7 percent increase, for the same time period.  As a result, the rural districts’ share of national public school enrollment increased from 17.4 percent to 20 percent over the decade, according to federal data in the report.

These enrollment gains were particularly strong in the most rural states in the South and Southwest.  Ten states are among the top 13 in both the number and the percentage of rural enrollment growth — Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

The top five states with rural enrollment increases — Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arizona — had a total gain of over 1.1 million, more than half the gain for all states that gained rural enrollment.

“Rural minority students are concentrated in certain states, and that concentration is increasing,” said Jerry Johnson. Over 69 percent of all rural minority students now attend school in states where they represent more than one third of the rural student enrollment.  That is up from 58 percent as reported in ‘Why Rural Matters 2009’.

The report uses 25 statistical indicators grouped into five “gauges” to take the measure of rural education in each of the 50 states.  The five gauges are then combined to produce a “rural education priority” gauge.  The higher the ranking, the more important and challenging rural education is in a state’s overall education system and the more urgent it is for policy makers to pay attention to it.

The 13 highest priority states are all in the South, Southwest, and Appalachia, except Alaska, and all, but three, of the 12 next highest priority states are adjacent to them with the exception of Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

The report notes that rural education ranks high in importance in many Northern states, including Iowa, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, and Vermont.  However, these states tend to rank low on other measures such as student poverty, diversity, or poor student performance and low graduation rates.

“These states symbolize rural education to many people. They are the basis for a myth that all of rural America is uncomplicated, stable, and reasonably well-off. That myth is part of what keeps rural education on the margins of the national debate about education policy,” said Marty Strange, the policy director for the Rural School and Community Trust and co-author of the report.

“But these classic Yankee and Prairie-Plains states are simply an important part of a much more varied, complex, and challenging rural America that education policy makers must better understand,” said Strange. The report found that states most responsive to rural schools have above average fiscal capacity.

For example, the report points out that of the 13 states with the lowest expenditures for rural teachers, all but Nebraska and South Dakota are below the national average in state fiscal capacity.  On the other hand, states with the highest rural teacher salaries are primarily in the Northeast, the West, and the Mid-Atlantic. All these states are above the national average in state fiscal capacity per capital.

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On January 10, 2012, Liberty Institute announced a major pro-life victory when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit declared constitutional the recently enacted Texas Sonogram Law, also known as HB 15.

The Fifth Circuit’s decision overturned a controversial ruling by U.S. District Judge Sparks, which enjoined the Texas law co-authored by Senator Dan Patrick and Representative Sid Miller and was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry in May 2011. The law requires doctors and certified sonographers to perform a sonogram on women seeking an abortion at least 24 hours before the procedure.

“This is one of the most important victories in the past 10 years for informed consent for women seeking an abortion,” said Jonathan Saenz, Liberty Institute Attorney who heads the office at the Texas Capitol and provided the main legal testimony for the bill during the legislative process. “Women and unborn children in Texas are safer today because of this decision and no longer subject to the abuse of abortion doctors who deny women critical medical information.”

HB 15, which amends the 2003 Texas Woman’s Right to Know Act, requires the physician “who is to perform an abortion” to perform and display a sonogram of the fetus, make audible the heart auscultation of the fetus for the woman to hear, as well as explain to her the results of each procedure and to wait 24 hours, in most cases, between these disclosures and performing the abortion.

Senator Patrick said, “I was always confident that our bill would survive any constitutional question because our goal from the beginning was to protect the woman’s right to know, protect the unborn, and protect the constitution.”

Representative Sid Miller, said, “I commend the court of appeals for this just decision which confirms that women have every right to be fully informed about the abortion decision and that my fellow Texas lawmakers who supported this law stayed within the bounds of U.S. Supreme Court precedent.”

In August, on behalf of Senator Patrick and Representative Miller and in support of the law, Liberty Institute filed an amicus brief in the lawsuit seeking to strike down Texas’ new sonogram law (HB 15), which was originally scheduled to go into effect on September 1, 2011.

Senator Patrick and Representative Miller were the authors of HB 15 in the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives, respectively.  Liberty Institute argued that HB 15 is consistent with The Supreme Court and only requires the disclosure of truthful and accurate information to allow women to make informed decisions regarding their pregnancies.

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Countries across the world are currently experiencing extreme weather and droughts. The largest freshwater lake in China is at its lowest water levels for years thanks to a drought, according to state officials and media. The shrinking lake does not bode well for fishermen who rely on it for their livelihoods and for the local ecology.

The Xinhua news agency stated that Poyang Lake, located in East China’s Jiangxi province, is shrinking quickly and has experienced over a decade-long dry spell. This is due to the Gan River, which is connected to the lake, not receiving enough rain and causing the water levels to hit record lows. “This year’s level is very low,” an anonymous official declared, affirming that the rainfall for the area was 65 percent less than average for December.

Texas is also experiencing its worst drought on record. The year 2011 was the driest ever for the state, says the National Weather Service, and it was the second hottest. Meteorologists do not believe this will improve for the year 2012 and the result will be further restrictions on water and the death of millions of trees. Lake Lavon has shrunk by 12 feet due to North Texas’ lack of rain and record-setting heat. “It is a challenging time, especially to bring awareness to our consumers and businesses how critical our drought has impacted our reservoirs,” stated Denise Hickey, spokesperson for the North Texas Municipal Water District. “As we’re planning to move through this drought period, we’re also planning and initiating additional strategies to bring additional sources online.” The Texas Forest Service believes that so far, the severe drought has killed 500 million trees.

In Latin America, nations have also been dealing with a plethora of problems stemming from the extreme weather, including wildfires, droughts, and floods. Many have wondered if climate change and global warming are responsible for the unusual weather and according to experts, this is most likely the case. Chile experienced an uncharacteristic heat wave, which resulted in rampant burning wildfires, while Northern Mexico has been dealing with its worst drought in 70 years.

On the other hand, Colombia has had two seasons of heavy rain, which has killed 182 people and resulted in about $2 billion in damage. A rose farm in a Colombian town named Chia sustained an estimated $6 million dollars in damages from the April and December floods. Javier Castellanos, the rose farm manager, stated, “Never in the history of this farm- and it’s a business with 30 years in the market- have we ever had any such problem.” Researchers assert that Latin America is at more risk to the extreme weather changes worsening in the future than any other region in the world because of deforestation and its sprawling construction. These elements cause it to be more vulnerable to landslides and flooding.

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Texas Bollywood fans can now watch their favorite celebrity interviews, music videos and latest movies from the comfort of their own homes as Bollywood Hits On Demand is now available to Time Warner Digital Cable customers in Dallas, Greenville and Wichita Falls. For existing cable subscribers, the service is available for only $9.99 per month.

In Dallas and Greenville, Bollywood Hits On Demand can be found on Channel 683 while in Wichita Falls the service is on Channel 842. Bollywood Hits On Demand subscribers on Time Warner Cable have unlimited access to a variety of entertainment choices from Eros Entertainment each month, including approximately 25 blockbuster Bollywood movies and 50 music videos, as well as a selection of TV shows, behind-the-scenes specials and other popular Indian programming.

In addition, subscribers will have exclusive access to new release titles before they debut on DVD. Some of India’s top new releases and blockbuster movies that are currently, or will soon be, available on Bollywood Hits on Demand include:

• The biggest blockbuster of the year, Ra.One starring Shar Rukh Khan as Bollywood’s first superhero (available in January)
• Rockstar, the journey of one man’s road to fame (available in February)
• Desi Boyz, a comedy about two friends who become male escorts to make ends meet.

“We are thrilled to expand the availability of Bollywood Hits On Demand to Time Warner Cable Texas customers,” said Ken Naz, President North America, Eros International. “Bollywood fans will now have the opportunity to see blockbuster new releases on their schedule with the convenience of digital cable.”

Bollywood Hits On Demand is a partnership between International Media Distribution, a leading provider of in-language and multi-ethnic programming in the U.S., and Eros International, the largest international distributor of Indian films worldwide. Bollywood Hits On Demand features exciting new Bollywood blockbusters and allows unlimited access to subscribers.

Customers are able to watch their favorite films, Bollywood-related content and hit songs with the convenience of total control to start, stop, pause, rewind and fast-forward on their own schedule. New titles are added weekly for virtually unlimited viewing.

Current highlights on Bollywood Hits On Demand Include:

• Ra.One

Hindi, subtitled in English. Shekhar strikes gold when he designs an incredible video game – but finds himself in a new and dangerous situation when he unexpectedly becomes part of the game. Available now until Jan.12.

• Rascals

Hindi, subtitled in English. Two competing con men try to out-scheme each other in consistently amusing and surprising setups. Available now until Jan.19.

• Om Shanti Om

Hindi, subtitled in English. Om, who was murdered and then reincarnated into a new life in present times, tries to unfold the mystery of his demise as well as to find the love of his previous life, Shanti. Available now until Jan.12.

• Love Breakups Zindagi

Hindi subtitled in English. A group of friends try to find answers to the questions related to love, breakups and life. Available Dec.23 until Jan.26.

• Rangeela

Hindi, subtitled in English. Mili, an aspiring actress, has a difficult decision to make. Who does she marry: her childhood sweetheart or a famous star? Available Dec.23 until Jan.26.

• Namastey London

Hindi, subtitled in English. A London-based Indian accepts an arranged marriage to appease her family. However, she does not acknowledge her marriage and continues to live her life as a single woman. Available Dec.30 until Feb.2.

testing / Shutterstock.com

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The holidays are always a time of increased focus on giving and charitable activity, but, this Christmas, the Petya I. Edwards Foundation has truly given one deserving family a gift they will not soon forget—a much-needed new car.

The Texas-based charity is known for offering vital financial assistance to families in need, but what they do is far from merely giving handouts. On the contrary, the Petya I. Edwards Foundation chooses individuals and families who have been dealt difficult hands, such as unemployment or health expenses, but who are resolved to regain their footing.

The Foundation offers the family help and educational services and ultimately allows them to stabilize, which is precisely what is happening through their work with one Texas family. The family in question is made up of mom Sally*, her husband, and their three daughters. Sally lost her job in June, following which the family lost their apartment.

Sally has since found new work, but her husband is still diligently searching for employment. The family has been staying with friends, and remains in need of such essentials as clothing for the girls, a washing machine, and more. But, up until this holiday season, their greatest need was for an automobile. Sally’s new work requires her to make an hour-and-a-half commute, by bus, every morning.

However, as a gesture of Christmas charity and compassion to the family, the Petya I. Edwards Foundation gifted them with a new car over the holiday season, something that will surely prove to be a great and immediate blessing to Sally and her entire family.

While the new car is certainly a great asset to the family, their needs remain very numerous, and very urgent. Says Sally, “I am just trying to make it through the holidays without them seeing all their friends getting presents and knowing I cannot afford to get them much.” The girls, ages 5, 14, and 16, are in dire need of clothing and other life essentials. The Petya I. Edwards Foundation is asking for its patrons to become involved with the wellbeing of this highly deserving family.

All of the charitable actions of the Petya I. Edwards Foundation are made possible by the generous donations of caring supporters. Checks and cash donations can be sent directly to the charity, where they will be administered to families in need, such as Sally’s.

* Name changed to protect the privacy of the family.

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Illegal immigration was the fastest growing federal arrest offense between 2005 and 2009, increasing an average rate of 23 percent each year, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. In 2009, 84,749 suspects were arrested and booked for immigration offenses, up from 38,041 in 2005.

A federal arrest is a formal charge of violating federal law. Persons who were apprehended, detained, released or deported without a formal arrest charge were not included in the number of federal suspects arrested and processed.

During 2009, a record 183,986 suspects were arrested for federal offenses, up from 140,200 in 2005 and nearly double the 83,324 suspects arrested in 1995. Illegal immigration (46 percent) was the most common offense at arrest in 2009, followed by drug (17 percent) and supervision (13 percent) violations.

More than half (56 percent) of all federal arrests occurred in the five federal judicial districts along the U.S.-Mexico border: Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Western and Southern Texas. The federal caseload handled in these five districts in 2009 comprised more than a third of all federal defendants prosecuted (35 percent), convicted (35 percent) and sentenced to prison (37 percent).

Most federal defendants (77 percent) in cases terminated in 2009 had been detained prior to case disposition. Defendants were most likely to be detained when charged with immigration (95 percent), violent crime (87 percent), weapons (82 percent), and drug (81 percent) offenses. About 88 percent of defendants charged in the five judicial districts along the U.S.-Mexico border were detained in 2009.

Of the 193,234 matters concluded by U.S. attorneys in 2009, two out of three involved immigration (46 percent) or drug (20 percent) offenses. Immigration matters concluded increased an annual average of 31 percent since 2005, while drug matters declined an annual average of 1.4 percent.

About 48 percent of suspects in matters concluded were prosecuted by U.S. attorneys in 2009, compared to 60 percent of suspects in 2005. One reason for the decrease in prosecution by U.S. attorneys is the growth in immigration matters disposed by U.S. magistrates. About 67 percent of immigration offenders were disposed by U.S. magistrates in 2009, up from 46 percent in 2005.

Of the 95,000 federal cases concluded in 2009, 40 percent were represented by a public defender (up from 22 percent in 1995), 36 percent by a panel-appointed attorney (up from 32 percent in 1995) and 21 percent by a private attorney (down from 37 percent in 1995). Among cases terminated with a public defender in 2009, nearly 49 percent involved immigration offenses.

About 95,900 federal defendants were adjudicated in 2009, and most were convicted following a guilty plea (88 percent) or a bench or jury trial (3 percent). The median time from case filing to disposition was 6.5 months in 2009.

More than three-quarters (78 percent) of convicted defendants were sentenced to prison in 2009. The average prison term imposed on federal offenders in 2009 was 57 months, down from 61 months in 2005. Prison sentences in 2009 were an average of 82 months for drug offenses, compared to 113 months for violent offenses and 87 months for weapons offenses.

At year-end 2009, 393,810 persons were under some form of federal supervision. Of these, 62 percent were in secure confinement and 38 percent were in the community. Of offenders under active federal post-conviction supervision in the community, the majority of offenders (98,465) were on supervised release, compared to probation (22,748) and parole (2,158).

The number of federal prisoners age 55 and older nearly doubled, from 8,221 in 2000 to 15,323 in 2009. The median age of prisoners increased from age 35 in 2000 to age 37 in 2009. Most federal prisoners in 2009 were male (93 percent), black non-Hispanic (37 percent), and U.S. citizens (74 percent).

The reports, Federal Justice Statistics, 2009 and Federal Justice Statistics, 2009 – Statistical Tables, were written by BJS statistician Mark Motivans. The reports, related documents and additional information about the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ statistical publications and programs can be found on the BJS website at http://www.bjs.gov/.

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Texas Christian University, with the help of quarterback Casey Pachall, Brandon Carter, and Josh Boyce, was able to come back from behind to defeat Boise State 36-35 on Saturday.

Pachall carried TCU through the game, earning MVP by throwing for 473 yards on 24 completions and five touchdowns. Boyce and Carter were Pachall’s main targets. A total of 183 receiving yards was collected all together between the two, while Boyce got three of the touchdowns, and Carter got the remaining two.

Boise quarterback Kellen Moore had a great game as well.  He threw two touchdowns and a total of 320 yards on 28 catches. Matt Miller and Dallas Burroughs were his valuable receivers with one touchdown catch apiece and a total of 127 yards receiving collected all together. Running back D.J. Harper helped move the ball on the ground, running a total of 125 yards in 24 attempts for two touchdowns.

Boise State was the first team to get on the scoreboard, with Moore throwing a 22-yard pass to Miller four minutes into the first quarter. TCU responded three minutes later with a 74-yard pass from Pachall to Carter, tying the game up at seven points apiece. TCU struck again early in the second quarter with another 75-yard pass from Pachall, this time to Brandon Carter.

Boise State tied the game up almost halfway through the second quarter with Harper rushing 17 yards for the touchdown. TCU ended the first half with another big pass from Pachall, this time throwing 69 yards to Boyce to get the go-ahead touchdown. The Broncos took the lead away from TCU in the third quarter.  Tyrone Crawford recovered a TCU fumble and ran for a 32-yard touchdown.

Harper ran for a 3-yard touchdown later on in the quarter. TCU did not show any signs of giving up by getting another touchdown with two minutes left in the quarter.  Another pass from Pachall to Boyce ended with a two-point conversion. Going into the final quarter with a one-point lead, Kellen Moore was able to strengthen their lead with a 54-yard pass to Burroughs that ended with a touchdown.

However, Pachall threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Carter with 1:05 left, then got the two-point conversion with a pass to Boyce to get the lead. Boise State’s kicker, Dan Goodale, could have won the game with a 39-yard field goal, but his attempt went wide to the right as the time expired with TCU winning 36-35.

TCU (8-2) travels back home to face Colorado State on Saturday, while Boise State (8-1) travels to face the San Diego State Aztecs.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/TCUTexasChristianUniversity

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Winter is coming. No that wasn’t a tagline for the hit HBO show Game of Thrones, winter really is coming. The Northeast region of the United States was hammered this weekend by a freak snowstorm that dropped up to 2 feet in some areas. The record setting October storm spanned across five states and cut off power to more than three million customers during the weekend.

On Monday morning there were still almost 2 million people without power and officials have reported that power may not be restored to all areas until Friday. Most of the damage to the power lines was caused by falling tree limbs. The limbs were more susceptible to falling because leaves still on the trees caught more snow, overloading the branches and eventually caused them to snap.

These overburden limbs have also done numerous amounts of damage to houses and cars as well as blocked several roads. The snowstorm has wreaked havoc and caused many transportation issues. Icy road conditions are being blamed for a 30 car pileup in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania on I-95.

Multiple railroad stations had to be shut down after hundreds of lines were covered with wire damage and toppled tree limbs. New Jersey Transit service on the Morris & Essex Lines is expected to be out until Tuesday and Amtrak service between major routes like Albany to Boston, New York City is out as well.

The snowstorm affected air travel the hardest. A JetBlue flight from Fort Lauderdale, FL was diverted to Hartford International Airport, and the passengers were stranded on the tarmac for an excruciating eight hours. The pilot of the flight became inundated with problems after the plane could no longer supply running water and food.

Passengers began to fight one another and the pilot had to call for police support multiple times. The freak snowstorm is also supposedly the culprit for more serious damage as the snowstorm is being blamed for up to 13 deaths, although there are no reports as to what exactly caused the deaths as of now.

This issue has become so serious that President Barack Obama has signed an emergency declaration for Connecticut on Monday, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts. In Massachusetts, state officials said utility crews had come from as far as Louisiana and Texas to help.

If this snowstorm is any indication of what mother nature is going to throw at us this season, winter is definitely coming and it’s not going to pretty.

Dainis Derics / Shutterstock.com

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The heat wave that smothered much of the central portion of the United States in July might have moved eastward in August, but Texas continues to feel the burn through September. Cities across the state, such as Dallas, saw the weather stay hot, and even began seeing record-breaking streaks for triple digit temperatures.

Wichita Falls, a city in northern Texas along the Texas-Oklahoma border, saw their 100th day of triple digit temperatures on September 13. The city was also the first city in Texas to reach 100 days of 100-degree weather. The longest consecutive number of days with 100 degree or higher temperatures in Wichita Falls was 79 days in 1980.

Wichita Falls is another city that can be added to the list of cities in Texas that have seen such a streak. Dallas reached a 100-degree plus weather on the same day as Wichita Falls. Laredo, a city approximately 220 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, has already seen over 100 days of 100- degree plus temperatures. Laredo also saw similar streaks in 1989 and 1998.

The temperatures are not helping wildfires that are continuing to scorch the state. What little rainfall the state saw in August was not helpful, either. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the average amount of rainfall in Texas was 0.73 inches, which is far below average. Lack of rain has been contributing to the current drought in Texas, which is at D4 – Exceptional, the most severe level of drought on the US Drought Monitor.

When the amount of rainfall is small, less moisture in the soil is available to be evaporated into the air. Temperatures then rise faster because there is not enough moisture in the atmosphere to slow rising temperatures and keep the temperatures cool, writes Brett Israel in OurAmazingPlanet.com.

Forecasters at Weather.com predicted cooler temperatures and thunderstorms for Wichita Falls for the following days after the 100-degree temperature streak. Predictions hovered between the high-80s to high-90s for the city.

Temperatures immediately began falling on September 14, and stayed within the predicted range. There were also small amounts of rain, though still way below the average amount Wichita Falls usually sees by this time of the year.

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Rep. Michele Bachmann attacked Governor Rick Perry during the last debate in Florida. She strongly criticized the Texas governor for his executive order in 2007 that mandated human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for sixth-grade girls. However, after the debate, Bachmann appeared on Fox News and spoke about a woman from the audience.

“There’s a woman who came up crying to me tonight after the debate. She said her daughter was given that vaccine,” Bachmann said. “She told me her daughter suffered mental retardation as a result. There are very dangerous consequences.”

Perry said Wednesday morning that Bachmann’s comment “had no truth in it, no basis in fact.” Other people have criticized Bachmann’s comments as well, including her former campaign manager, Ed Rollins. “She made a mistake. The quicker she admits she made a mistake and moves on, the better she is,” Rollins said in an interview on MSNBC on Wednesday.

“Ms. Bachmann’s an emotional person who basically has great feeling for people. I think that’s what she was trying to project. Obviously it would have been better if she had stayed on the issue,” he said. Rollins admitted to Chris Matthews on MSNBC that Bachmann has taken what was a positive issue for her and at the least tainted it, allowing Perry to escape the full brunt of scrutiny he would have otherwise borne.

“I think the bottom line here is she has made what was a very positive debate and made the issue about Perry to where it’s now an issue about her, and she needs to move on,” Rollins said. After a few days of silence, the Minnesota Congresswoman is on the defensive.

“During the debate, I didn’t make any statements that would indicate that I’m a doctor, I’m a scientist or that I’m making any conclusions about the drug one way or another,” the GOP presidential hopeful told reporters.

Asked whether she would apologize for comments that outraged medical experts say will discourage parents from getting their children immunized, Bachmann said: “Oh, I’m not going to answer that.”

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Utah’s experiment with a four-day workweek for most state workers is over. The state of Utah first instituted the condensed workweek in 2008. The Associated Press reported that lawmakers ended the trial for the majority of state workers, saying it was not saving as much money as predicted. The state will return to a five-day workweek on Tuesday, September 5.

Todd Sutton, of the Utah Public Employees Association, said the adjustment back to a five-day workweek won’t be easy for many employees. Some people had arranged daycare schedules for the four-day week, while others were using their free Fridays to work second jobs or volunteer.

“Employees struggled because they adapted their lives to one schedule,” Sutton said. “And then it goes to a different schedule.” It’s clear that residents and leaders in Utah have mixed reviews on the sudden schedule change.

“I think it’s a horrible idea,” Larry Swift told the Salt Lake Tribune. Swift runs a business that sells construction equipment and was registering his car Thursday evening.”I think it’s really nice to have something open after 5 o’clock so you don’t have to take time off work, ” he said.

According to the Examiner, many state workers were unhappy with the change initially, but have adjusted to long days and three-day weekends. Many are unhappy about adding another day’s commute to their week. At the same time, some are pleased about shorter hours and more time with their families on a daily basis

Jon Huntsman, former Utah Gov., launched the “4/10″ workweek — 10 hours a day, Monday-Thursday — for thousands of employees in 2008, said the AP. The hope was to improve efficiency, reduce overhead costs and conserve energy at a time when budgets are tight and resources are dwindling.

A 2010 legislative audit showed the savings never materialized, in part due to a drop in energy prices. According to the AP, while Utah legislators as a whole found the four-day workweek unproductive, some cities in Utah saw the shorter workweek as a major success.

Mayor John Curtis, of Provo, Utah, said the 4/10 system improved employee morale and saved money. He said the four-day workweek might be more effective at a local level than with a state government. “People don’t have that same interaction with state employees … and the state needs hundreds of offices, while we only need one,” Curtis said.

Provo is one of the state’s largest cities with more than 100,000 people. The four-day workweek has been in place for years, with city offices open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Utah isn’t the only state that has tried an alternative workweek schedule in lieu of the traditional five-day workweek.

In El Paso, Texas, Mayor John Cook, is proposing a year-round four-day workweek after experimenting with it during the past two summers.According to the AP, Cook said the projected savings for the city of about 800,000 people was more than $400,000 annually, primarily because of lowered utility and fuel costs.

Creative solutions are becoming more popular for governments facing tight budgets, said Rex Facer, a Brigham Young University associate professor who has studied the effectiveness of four-day workweeks. Lawmakers in both Oregon and Texas considered four-day workweek bills this year, but neither passed, the AP reported.

According to Facer, more than 200 cities have implemented or experimented with the four-day workweek on some level.

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Texas governor (and Republican presidential hopeful) Rick Perry has condemned a federal judge’s order blocking certain provisions of Texas’ controversial sonogram legislation.

The Texas law requires women who are contemplating an abortion to view a sonogram of their fetus. Furthermore, they must listen to its heartbeat. Their physician must describe its state of development, with particular emphasis on the presence of internal organs and limbs. It easily passed both houses of the Texas legislature, both of which are controlled by Republicans.

U. S. District Judge Sam Sparks ruled that the law was “unconstitutionally vague” and constituted an attempt to force doctors and patients to engage in government-mandated speech. In his judgment, Sparks said that “the Act’s onerous requirements will surely dissuade or prevent many competent doctors from performing abortions, making it significantly more difficult for pregnant women to obtain abortions.”

In addition, he found that the legislation “compels physicians to advance an ideological agenda with which they may not agree, regardless of any medical necessity, and irrespective of whether the pregnant women wish to listen.”

Sparks’ ruling prohibits the state from penalizing doctors who fail to comply with the act or women who fail to obtain the required sonogram within 24 hours of a scheduled abortion. Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, hailed the ruling as a “huge victory for women in Texas.” The Center is the organization that originally challenged the law in court.

“Politicians have no business telling doctors how to practice medicine or meddling in women’s private medical decisions,” she continued.

Gov. Rick Perry disagreed. “Every life lost to abortion is a tragedy and (the) ruling is a great disappointment to all Texans who stand in defense of life,” he said. “This important sonogram legislation ensures that every Texas woman seeking an abortion has all the facts about the life she is carrying, and understands the devastating impact of such a life-changing decision.”

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has announced that the state would appeal against Sparks’ ruling.

By coming out strongly in favor of the sonogram law, Perry is bolstering his credentials as a social conservative. His chief rival, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, on the other hand, has a reputation for being much more moderate on social issues. No doubt Perry hopes that his strident social conservatism will win him plaudits from the GOP faithful and catapult him to victory in the primaries.

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Texas governor Rick Perry has a target on his back. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s super PAC- Keep Conservatives United, released a 30 second ad earlier in the week said that Perry took spending from $45 billion to $90.4 billion between 2000 and 2010.

“Rick Perry doubled spending in a decade,” says the ad. “And he’s supposed to be the Tea Party guy?” The ad will begin airing Monday in South Carolina.

Perry’s spokesman Ray Sullivan called the ad “patently and provably false,” and cited numbers showing that spending in the state budget that is paid for with state taxes and other state revenues has gone down since Perry took office, if the figures are adjusted for population and inflation. Perry’s campaign explained that general revenue spending was $55.7 billion for the 2000-2001 budget and is $80.5 billion for 2012-2013.

Keep Conservatives United PAC obtained their numbers from a Texas State Comptroller’s report issued one year ago. Perry’s campaign took its numbers from the state legislature’s budget board report in May.

Bachmann is not the only candidate that has begun attacking Perry. Mitt Romney criticized “career politicians” earlier in the week, a clear dig at Perry who has held an elected position since 1984. Fellow Texan Ron Paul also had some sharp words for Perry during an interview on Friday. The Republican congressman was on a stop in New Hampshire when he called Perry the “candidate of the week.”

“He was the one saying, ‘Oh yeah, I’m all for secession,’ and that kind of talk,” Paul told The Associated Press. “The only thing I would advise is looking into him, looking at his record, and not just taking him at face value. Texas has had a lot of changes in these last eight years, not exactly positive either.”

In a 2009 interview, Perry said there was no reason for Texas to secede from the union, but suggested it was a possibility if Washington political leaders continued to “thumb their nose at the American people.”

Paul suggested he was not worried about Perry’s rapid rise. “There are a lot of candidates who climbed real fast and went down real fast,” Paul said. All this is building up to the GOP’s next debate. Next Wednesday will be the first debate since Perry has joined the republican candidates.

Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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Republican front runner Rick Perry was quick to criticize another stimulus plan, while offering no suggestions on how he plans to boost the economy. The Texas governor said on Monday in Tulsa, Oklahoma that no new economic stimulus package is needed to “get America working again.”

Perry said he would let his “guiding principles” as a fiscal conservative inform his policies if he were elected president. But, when asked for details, Perry resorted to general statements he has often repeated on the campaign trail.

“No. 1 is don’t spend all the money, you can figure out what that means,” Perry said at the Tulsa Press Club event also attended by U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla. “You won’t have stimulus programs under a Perry presidency. You won’t spend all the money.”

Despite Perry’s strong stance against federal funds, his state benefitted greatly from the last economic stimulus package. Texas has used $17.4 billion in federal stimulus money In fact, Texas used the federal stimulus to balance its last two budgets.

Perry said the nation’s “entrepreneurial spirit” would create jobs and that his tax policies would allow Americans to keep more of what they earn. He said his tax system would be “light on job creators” and called for a more predictable legal system “that doesn’t allow for over-suing.”

“We have seen a clear thirst for leadership in this country,” Perry said. In his book — titled Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America From Washington — the Texas governor writes, “We are fed up with bailout after bailout and stimulus plan after stimulus plan, each one of which tosses principle out the window along with taxpayer money.”

Earlier on Monday, Perry’s focus was foreign policy. He said American military commanders should always control U.S. military forces abroad. “It’s not our interest to go it alone,” he said. “We respect our allies and we must always seek to engage them in military missions. But at the same time, we must be willing to act when it is time to act.

We cannot concede the moral authority of our nation to multilateral debating societies, and when our interests are threatened American soldiers should be led by American commanders.”

Although Perry did not say, he seems to be referring to NATO operations in Libya. The Libya operation is being run by a Canadian general from a NATO headquarters in Italy, but an American officer is the top NATO commander.

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Presidential candidate Mitt Romney put on his boxing gloves on Tuesday and began to swing at top rival, Rick Perry. Romney spoke at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in San Antonio and seemed to take aim at Perry without mentioning his name. When talking about whether Obama is responsible for the recession, Romney alluded that Perry is a “career politician.”

“I am a conservative businessman. I spent most of my life outside of politics, dealing with real problems in the real economy,” Romney said. “Career politicians got us into this mess and they simply don’t know how to get us out!”

Romney’s advisors state that the “death by a thousand cuts” strategy will target Perry. Romney’s camp doesn’t believe that the Texas governor, who has been in office since 2000, can be defeated by any one thing.

The strategy instead will focus on highlighting the most negative aspects of Perry’s public record. Although Romney is starting to attack Perry, the plan is also to wait on Rep. Michele Bachmann. Romney’s aides believe that she will soon be forced to go on the offensive against Perry.

However, Bachmann’s camp is content to remain on the sidelines for as long as possible and let the first and second place contenders duke it out. Romney’s strategists think she won’t be able to wait long because of Perry’s surge in the poll numbers. “I think given her financial situation she can’t wait that long,” the Romney adviser said.

Jamie Burnett, who was Romney’s political director in New Hampshire in 2008 but is unaffiliated this cycle, said that “every day that goes by there is less oxygen for [Bachmann] in this primary field.” “[Perry's] stealing a lot of her oxygen.

It’s quickly becoming a two-person race,” Burnett stated. Romney’s camp also believes that Perry will hang himself during the three upcoming debates scheduled in September. “We went through Hurricane Palin and Hurricane Huckabee and Hurricane Trump,” the Romney adviser said, referring to the bright light celebrity names that stoked interest earlier this year: former Alaska Gov.

Sarah Palin, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and businessman Donald Trump. Referring to Perry, the adviser said: “This is just one more hurricane, but I think we’re at the end of hurricane season.”

The first debate is scheduled for Wednesday in California.

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A top Mexican drug cartel figure “El Diego” was captured in northern Mexico, federal officials reported.

Jose Antonio Acosta Hernandez, a key drug cartel figure, also known as “El Diego” was caught in the northern city of Chihuahua according to Ramon Pequeno, the head of the federal police anti-drug unit. He was one of the country’s most wanted criminals, with officials offering a reward of 15 million pesos ($1.3 million) for his arrest.

Acosta is also a suspect in last year’s slaying of a U.S. consulate near a border crossing in Ciudad Juarez. Felipe Calderon, Mexican President, stated on Twitter about Acosta’s capture. He said that with Acosta’s capture happened “the biggest blow” to organized crime in Ciudad Juarez since he sent almost 5,000 federal police to the city in April 2010 in order to try to curb violence in one of the world’s most dangerous cities.

Pequeno said at the press conference that “El Diego” told federal police he ordered 1,500 killings. Investigators believe he also was the mastermind of an attack last year that killed a U.S. consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another consulate worker in Ciudad Juarez.

U.S. prosecutors also want to try him in mention name of case. A federal indictment filed in the western district of Texas says Acosta and nine others conspired to kill the three. The head of federal police anti-drug unit stated he expects an extradition request from the U.S. government.

Until now, Mexican authorities have identified Acosta as head of La Linea; a gang of hit men and corrupt police officers who act as enforcers for the Juarez Cartel. According to the Mexican police, Acosta acknowledged he ordered many notorious crimes such as the detonation of a July 2010 car bomb and a massacre that killed 15 people, mostly teenagers, at a birthday party, both in Ciudad Juarez.

The northwestern Mexican state of Chihuahua, which contains the namesake capital city as well as Juarez, has been a hotbed for drug-related violence. The federal government has been targeting cartels’ operations, and especially its leaders, in an ongoing battle.

Mexican authorities have arrested several others they accuse of being connected to the slayings of three people connected with the consulate last year.

Ciudad Juarez has been the scene of bloody turf battles between the Juarez and Sinaloa drug cartels as well as the street gangs allied with them. The city is also the site of widespread poverty and violence, including an infamous series of unsolved murders of female factory workers.

The violence generated by the drug war translated into more than 2,600 killings in 2008. More than 1,600 of them occurred in Juárez; three times more than the most murderous city in the United States. Between February 17–19, 2011, 53 people were killed, including four police officers. State attorney general’s office spokesman Arturo Sandoval said “This is the worst violence we’ve seen this year.”

The increase in violence left city morgues overwhelmed, causing trouble for storing bodies. As of February 20, 2011, Juárez averages eight homicides per day.

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