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 Washington State. Washington has the nation’s 10th largest immigrant population. Using the latest Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study reveals that the state’s immigrants are significantly poorer and less-educated than the native-born population.

“There is considerable concern in this country about issues like poverty and the large uninsured population.  But what has generally not been acknowledged is the impact of immigration on these problems,” notes Steven Camarota, the Center’s Director of Research. “Absent a change in policy, 11 to 15 million new immigrants are likely to settle in this country in the next decade and may further exacerbate present problems.”

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

• Washington’s Immigrants:

Washington’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 44 percent (272,000) from 2000 to 2010. Nationally the immigrant population grew 28 percent over the same period.

Immigrants (legal and illegal) accounted for 13 percent of the state residents in 2010 and 17 percent of workers in the states.

Of Washington immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 20 percent live in poverty compared to 10 percent of natives and their children.

Immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 18 percent of the state’s overall population and 30 percent of all persons in poverty.

Of Washington immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 22 percent lack health insurance, compared to 12 percent of natives and their children (under 18).  Immigrants and their children account for 29 percent of the state’s uninsured.

Of households headed by immigrants in Washington, 40 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 21 percent of native-headed households. Although they tend to be significantly poorer than natives, homeownership is relatively high among Washington’s immigrants (55 percent), compared to 65 percent for natives. The lower socio-economic status of Washington’s 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 immigrants in the state tend to be poor and access welfare programs at high rates is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adults with relatively low levels of education.

Of adult immigrants (25 to 65) in the state 22 percent have not completed high school, compared to 4 percent of natives. However, the share of immigrants in the state that have a bachelor’s degree matches that of natives —34 percent.

In 2010, 23 percent of public school students in Washington were from immigrant households. Overall, 23 percent of public students in the state speak a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in Washington:

Our best estimate is that 40 percent of Washington immigrants are in the country illegally. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 7 percent of the state’s overall population, 12 percent those in poverty, 18 percent of the uninsured and 9 percent of the school age population, 5 to 17 years of age.

• National Figures:

The number of immigrants (legal & illegal) in the country hit a new record of 40 million in 2010, a 28 percent increase over the total in 2000. Immigrants (legal and illegal) account for 16 percent of all workers in the country.

In 2010, 23 percent of immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) lived in poverty, compared to 13.5 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their children accounted for one-fourth of all persons in poverty in the United States.

Immigrants make significant progress the longer they live in the country. However, even immigrants who have lived in the United States for 20 years have not come close to closing the gap with natives.

The poverty rate of adult immigrants who have lived in the United States for 20 years is 50 percent higher than that of adult natives. The share of households headed by an immigrant who has lived in the United States for 20 years using one or more welfare programs is nearly twice that of native-headed households.

The share of households headed by an immigrant who has lived in the United States for 20 years that are owner occupied is 22 percent lower than that of native households.

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Following the Venezuelan independence day last Wednesday, US presidential nominee Mitt Romney issued a statement saying that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez “failed to honor the spirit of freedom with which Venezuela was established. Hugo Chávez is promoting ideas in Venezuela and other Latin American countries that run counter to freedom, prevent prosperity and expand tyranny.”

The statement is typical US discourse opposing Chavez, who has long been a hate figure in US media. The populist ideas Chavez is promoting have long been a concern for the US. This was illustrated by a similar statement by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, then reacting to Salvardo Allende’s election in Chile in 1970.

Chile was then on the verge of becoming an independent socialist state rather than a Soviet satellite, a development which, according to Kissinger, “would be far more dangerous… because its ‘model’ effect can be insidious… our main concern is the prospect that [Allende] can consolidate himself and the picture projected to the world will be his success.”

Washington’s greatest fear, far greater than communism or the rise of totalitarianism, is, and always has been, successful independent nationalism. That has currently become a reality across Latin America following the last ten year’s remarkable development known as the “pink tide.” This movement is characterized by the election of leftist governments (with notable examples such as Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Rafael Correa in Ecuador and Evo Morales in Bolivia, among others), increased government control over natural resources with new social reforms favoring the poor and former marginalized indigenous populations, and a region-wide opposition to Washington influence stretching from Venezuela to Argentina.

Venezuela has been on the forefront of this socialist movement, initiated by the 1999 election of Hugo Chavez.

Hugo Chavez was elected President following two decades of economic turmoil in Venezuela. Chavez, coming from poor conditions himself, immediately set out to introduce reforms specifically targeting the poor majority – a former invisible group in a Venezuela dominated by a small and wealthy elite with close ties to the US.

Today, Venezuela has free health care and free education, as well as some of the highest literacy rates in the region. In 2002, the disgruntled upper class, rendered powerless under the Chavez government, staged a coup with the help of Washington. The US had been channeling millions of dollars to the coup makers through US Aid and the National Endowment for democracy. Chavez was replaced by Pedro Carmona, a businessman who suspended all members of the Supreme Court, the National Assembly and the National Electoral board and assumed dictatorial powers.

The IMF was not late to jump aboard; during a press briefing the day after the coup, Thomas C. Dawson, Director of the External Relations Department in the IMF, immediately pledged allegiance to the Carmona government, saying that “we stand ready to assist the new administration in whatever manner they find.”

All the while, official US spokesmen backed a phony story about Chavez supporters shooting innocent civilians. However, the poor masses were not going to accept being marginalized once again, and thus emerged with great numbers from the Barrios demanding Chavez reinstatement. As they approached the presidential palace, the army turned against the coup makers and reinstated Chavez, a mere 48 hours after his ousting.

Philip Agee, a former CIA agent operating in Latin America, explains why the US would back a coup overthrowing an elected government and replace it with a dictator: “In the CIA, we didn’t give a hoot about democracy. It was fine if a government was elected and would co-operate with us, but if it didn’t, then democracy didn’t mean a thing to us, and I don’t think it means a thing today.”

Venezuela is home to the largest oil reserves in the world outside of the Middle East, and is thus a country of vital strategic importance to the US. Detrimental to US designs, Chavez is forming close ties with China instead of Washington. Chavez is also cooperating closely with Cuba, Argentina and other South American nations under the premise of achieving a Latin American “grand unity,” in which Washington is not included.

The US often condemns Venezuela and its current form of democracy, while paradoxically praising and supporting the neighboring government of Colombia, a country with one of the worst human rights record in history. According to virtually unreported Latinobarometro polls, Venezuela is annually the highest ranking in all of South America when it comes to trust in democracy, assessment of the current and future economic situations, equality, justice, and education standards.

Venezuela has got its far share of problems, such as mounting inflation and continuous corruption, but compared to the pre-Chavez Venezuela, where the majority of the population were completely marginalized, the democratic development is nothing far from remarkable.

As Latin America is steadily slipping out of US control, Washington is waking up to a new multipolar world in which its powers are no longer taken for granted. The continent has seen a remarkable reversal of detrimental financial and social policies during the last ten years. The region, which contemptuously has been known as Americas “back yard,” is moving towards a future in which a bewildered Washington no longer has a place.

No wonder Mitt Romney is disgruntled.

Image COurtesy of   ¡Que comunismo!

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Nashville, U.S.A - Country music’s newest sweetheart, Colby Dee, has been tapped as the exclusive artist to perform her inspirational single, “I Will Fight On,” at the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure flagship event on Saturday, June 2; in Washington, D.C. Colby Dee will appear on the Race’s Main Stage on the National Mall.

Written specifically for her close friend, Joni Moore Kanazawa, who is currently battling breast cancer, “I Will Fight On” is extremely personal for Colby Dee. The song has been described by fans as a ‘cancer fighter’s battle cry’ and provides a message of strength and empowerment over the disease. Proceeds from iTunes sales go directly to help Joni offset medical costs.

“I am incredibly honored to be part of this year’s Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure,” said Colby Dee. “Not only is it exciting to perform in Washington, DC, but this fantastic event is a rewarding opportunity for everyone involved to give back and have fun.”

The annual race draws thousands of people to the National Mall for a 5K walk around the historic monuments. The event features entertainment, kids activities and represents Washington in a unique way with teams made up of congressional members and their staff. Moreover, 75% of the money raised from the race goes right back to programs in the greater Washington, D.C. area, focusing on Wards 7 & 8 and Prince George’s County, areas with some of the highest mortality rates in the country.

The other 25% goes to the foundation’s global community engagement in more than 50 countries. It’s an inspiring and uplifting morning, featured last year prominently in over 85 news stories.

“When I first heard Colby Dee’s song, ‘I Will Fight On,’ I knew it would be perfect for this year’s Global Race,” said Nancy Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen. “Its message of never losing hope is an inspiration, to me personally, and to the millions of women and families living through a breast cancer diagnosis.”

Image Courtesy of   Colby Dee Music

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Three school student teams in the fifth through eighth grades have been selected as the winners of NASA’s second annual Spaced Out Sports challenge. The students designed science-based games that will be played by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The games illustrate and apply Newton’s laws of motion by showing the differences between Earth’s gravity and the microgravity environment of the space station. The challenge is part of a broader agency education effort to engage students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities.

To design their game, students use up to five items from a two-page list of objects aboard the ISS. The list includes such items as socks, exercise putty, bungees, cotton swabs, tape, rubber bands, zipper-top bags, chocolate-covered candies and drink bags.

Students at Pierremont Elementary MOSAICS Academy in Manchester, Mo., earned the top prize with their game “Starfield.” In this activity, astronauts will travel through a course to gather “power stars” and throw them through a “black hole target.”

Second-place honors went to students at East Brook Middle School in Paramus, N.J., for their “Outstanding Obstacles” game. It calls on astronauts to race through obstacles including “hair band shooting” and “ring toss.”

Third-place winners were students at Tyngsborough Middle School in Tyngsborough, Mass., for their “Learning Takes You around the World” game, in which astronauts will propel through rings, collecting slips of paper.

“Congratulations to the 2012 Spaced out Sports winners,” said Leland Melvin, associate administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington and two-time shuttle astronaut. “By combining solid STEM skills with imagination and teamwork, these students have demonstrated that they have what it takes to be our next generation of engineers and designers.”

The Spaced Out Sports challenge is a NASA Teaching from Space activity and was first offered in 2010. Using an accompanying curriculum, teachers lead students through a study of Newton’s laws, highlighted by hands-on activities and video podcasts featuring NASA scientists and engineers explaining how the laws are used in the space program.

“The three top games were selected but everyone really is a winner in this challenge,” said Katie Wallace, director of NASA’s Stennis Space Center Office of Education near Bay St. Louis, Miss., where the challenge and accompanying curriculum were developed. “Every student involved wins by learning more about science and establishing an educational foundation that will serve them well throughout their careers and life.”

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On April 4, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and four of its local member organizations announced the results of an undercover investigation into the ways the nation’s financial institutions are failing to maintain and market Real Estate Owned (REO) properties in African-American and Latino neighborhoods.

The investigation of REO properties in nine major U.S. cities found striking incidents of discrimination in the care and maintenance of properties, with foreclosed properties in White areas being much better maintained and marketed than those in neighborhoods of color. 

A report of the investigation, “The Banks Are Back, Our Neighborhoods Are Not: Discrimination in the Maintenance and Marketing of REO Properties,” was released on Wednesday, April 4.  It details the results of the evaluation of more than 1,000 REO properties located in and around Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Dallas, TX; Dayton, OH; Miami/Fort Lauderdale, FL; Oakland/Richmond/Concord, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; and Washington, DC.

“This report offers evidence that banks responsible for peddling unsustainable loans to communities of color and triggering our current foreclosure crisis are continuing to damage those communities by failing to properly maintain and market the properties they own,” said Shanna L. Smith, President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance.

“This is an investigation – not a study –- that will culminate in the filing of administrative complaints with HUD and/or lawsuits in federal district court,” continued Smith.  “The first complaint will be filed shortly.”

The National Fair Housing Alliance in Washington, D.C., and four of its member organizations – the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center in Dayton, OH; Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence in Miami, FL; Metro Fair Housing Services in Atlanta, GA; and North Texas Fair Housing Center in Dallas, TX – evaluated the maintenance and marketing of REO properties on a 100-point scale, subtracting points for broken windows and doors, water damage, overgrown lawns, no “for sale” sign, trash on the property, and other deficits.

The evaluations took into account 39 different aspects of the maintenance and marketing of each property.  Overall, REO properties in communities of color were 42 percent more likely to have more than 15 maintenance problems than properties in White neighborhoods.

Some trends the investigation revealed include:

• REO properties in communities of color were 82 percent more likely than REO properties in White communities to have broken or boarded windows;
• REO properties in White neighborhoods were 32 percent more likely to be marketed with the proper signage than African-American neighborhoods and 38 percent more likely than in Latino neighborhoods; and
• Newer homes generally scored higher than older homes, but racial and ethnic disparities persisted with non-structural factors such as curb appeal and signage.

“We hope that banks will heed the information in this report and take immediate action to correct the disparate treatment we have found,” continued Smith.  “The proper maintenance and marketing of REO properties is a key factor in the sale of homes to families rather than to investors.”  The report contains details specific to each city and gives extensive recommendations on how to fix these problems.

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or familial status, as well as the race or national origin of residents of a neighborhood.  This law applies to housing and housing-related activities, which include the maintenance, appraisal, listing, marketing and selling of homes.

To read the full report, please go to www.nationalfairhousing.org.

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As access to skilled workers becomes increasingly vital to the U.S. economy, AT&T is launching a quarter-billion-dollar campaign to help more students graduate from high school ready for careers and college, and to ensure the country is better prepared to meet global competition

AT&T Aspire, already among the most significant U.S. corporate educational initiatives with more than $100 million invested since 2008, will tackle high school success and college/career readiness for students at-risk of dropping out of high school through a much larger, “socially innovative” approach.

Social innovation goes beyond traditional philanthropy – which typically involves only charitable giving – to also engage people and technology to bring different approaches, new solutions and added resources to challenging social problems. The greatly expanded effort centers on a new, $250 million financial commitment planned over 5 years.

To build on this commitment the centre will use technology to connect with students in new and more effective ways, such as with interactive gamification, Web-based content and social media. The company will also tap the innovation engine of the AT&T Foundry to look for fresh or atypical approaches to educational obstacles.

Finally, AT&T Aspire will capitalize on the power of personal connections in the form of mentoring, internships and other voluntary efforts. The Aspire effort already has impacted more than one million U.S. high school students, helping them prepare for success in the workplace and college.

“Working towards an America where every student graduates high school equipped with the knowledge and skills to strengthen the nation’s workforce,” AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said while announcing the extended commitment during a keynote address at the second annual Building a Grad Nation Summit.

The Washington, D.C., event convened by America’s Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises, The Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University and the Alliance for Excellent Education brings together nearly 1,200 U.S. leaders to discuss progress and challenges in ending the high school dropout crisis.

Lacking a high school degree is a serious issue in the United States, where one in four students – more than 1 million each year – drops out, according to a March 19, 2012, report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America’s Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education.

Education experts believe that the lack of a high school degree significantly worsens job prospects in a rapidly changing, increasingly sophisticated job market. And, if dropouts find jobs, they earn less. On average, a high school dropout earns 25% less during the course of his or her lifetime compared with a high school graduate and 57% less than a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

The situation poses a serious risk to American competitiveness as corporations struggle to find talent, especially in the math and sciences fields. The dropout rate, along with inadequate training and education, is keeping many high-paying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs from being filled. And the situation is expected to worsen as STEM jobs grow a projected 17% by 2018. Workers in these positions typically earn 26% more than those in non-STEM positions.

Although the problem is serious, there are signs of progress according to the report issued on March 19, 2012. According to the report High school graduation rate increased by 3.5% nationally from 2001 to 2009.

“It will take all of us working together and supporting the hard work of the education community to continue to improve graduation rates and preparedness for careers and college,” Stephenson said. “American business has an enormous stake in the success of our students. It’s time to commit more innovation and resources to the task.”

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It’s Mitt Romney. No, it’s Rick Santorum. No it’s Newt Gingrich, or Ron Paul. Who really is the front-runner most likely to be the GOP candidate for the U.S. Election for 2012?

Current Republican front-runner Mitt Romney continues to target Obama about his views and promises of what is to come for the United States if the Republicans take office. Romney has been reflecting on all the things Obama didn’t do or did wrong for the U.S. since his election in 2008.

In the same vein, Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul has been knocking on his Republican rivals. Paul has been ridiculing Santorum and Romney, calling Romney a “flip-flopper” in an advertisement. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is doing the same by speaking poorly of his Republican rivals and President Obama equally, by saying, “They all have poor visions for our country.” But some would argue that ridiculing and criticizing Republican Rivals and President Obama is not the way to win over Republican voters. Former Senator Rick Santorum is one of them.

Santorum is taking a very different approach in his appearances, reminding Americans that we should focus on ideas, and “not attack Obama,” while he was campaigning in Georgia. Santorum made a statement, saying how in the past, “one candidate has been able to win the race, by serially destroying their opponent.” He continued that, “it is not a winning formula in the general election. A winning formula is having better ideas and motivating the Republican Party.”

Ron Paul is currently the only Republican candidate yet to win a single primary or caucus. He is hopeful to win over the state of Washington and has publicly announced that he will remain in the race until this year’s Republican Convention.

So far, Romney has won six states with Santorum following second winning four states, as Gingrich trails behind with one. Although Paul is hopeful to win Washington, his chances of winning are about 16% according to a survey taken by the Public Policy Polling. He is expecting that young adults and independents, who have seemed to gravitate toward Paul, will increase his odds of winning what would be his first victory.

As ‘Super Tuesday’ approaches, Republican candidates are making as many appearances as possible to win the primaries and caucuses where Americans will vote in ten states. Primaries will be held in seven states including Georgia, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia. Caucuses will be held in Alaska, Idaho and North Dakota.

Considering those states comprise one-fifth of the country’s states, this day could be a huge turning point that could change everything for the Republican candidates toward their race to the presidency.

Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore (uploaded by JaumeBG) (Flickr) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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D.C. City Council Chairman Kwame Brown joined national advocates for people with disabilities and district residents who use wheelchairs rallied outside the John A. Wilson Building to urge the City Council to support a proposal that would require a greater share of D.C. taxicabs to be wheelchair-accessible and new taxis to be fueled by clean burning compressed natural gas (CNG).

The rally was held as the D.C. Council’s Committee on Environment, Public Works and Transportation held a hearing on two taxicab bills. A coalition of individual taxicab drivers/owners have joined with the disability community to advance a proposed combined taxicab measure that requires any new or different vehicle purchased by a Company or an individual owner for use as a taxicab shall be a CNG vehicle that must be wheelchair accessible and ADA compliant. The proposed combined taxicab measure also requires that 55% of a Company’s taxicabs must be CNG vehicles and wheelchair accessible and ADA compliant within a four-year period.

“These wheelchair-accessible, compressed-gas vehicles will provide desperately needed transportation for thousands of District residents and cleaner air for our city,” said Chairman Brown. “It is both the right and the smart thing to do for our community.”

Fewer than 1% of today’s D.C. taxi fleet can accommodate passengers in wheelchairs. As a result, people in wheelchairs must rely on Metro, MetroAccess, or medical transportation – making it harder to plan and take trips – or they must simply forgo trips.

President Obama spoke about the benefits of natural gas in his recent State of the Union address and a number of major cities – including New York, Chicago and Philadelphia – have recently taken steps toward making their taxi fleets more accessible to wheelchairs. Disability advocates said Washington should follow suit.

“Taxis are a basic part of life in Washington and must be accessible to everyone,” said Mark Perriello, President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities. “Wheelchair accessible taxis are not only good for people with disabilities, but for the businesses that thrive when everyone can get out and participate in all that Washington has to offer.”

“Fourteen million Americans with disabilities face daily difficulty in moving from place to place,” said Kelly Buckland, Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living. “This is a national issue and the nation’s capital has a responsibility to lead our country by providing people who use wheelchairs the same transportation options enjoyed by people who don’t.”

Added Jim Weisman, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the United Spinal Association: “The District of Columbia is an international tourist destination. Senior citizens and people with disabilities needing accessible vehicles visit the city every day and are unable to use the District’s taxicabs. The District is to be congratulated for considering legislation that would require taxis to serve all who reside in, or travel to, Washington, D.C.; not just people who can walk.”

Madonna Long , consumer advocate for Pride Mobility Products  expressed the hope that the city council would act: “Today, the lives of people who have disabilities have changed,” Ms. Long said. “We work, we attend schools and we raise families. We should be able to hail a cab like anybody else, no special phone number to call, just get in a cab and off we go.

The CNG MV-1, with green compressed natural gas is smart business choice. Taxi drivers will save money on fuel and the people in D.C. will not have to pay the $1 gasoline fuel surcharge as they ride in a vehicle that fits everyone.  This is a win-win situation and the District of Columbia should and can act as a model for the nation to lead on this issue.”

Currently priced up to $1.50 per gallon lower than diesel or gasoline (depending upon local markets), the use of natural gas fuel reduces costs significantly for vehicle and fleet owners, reduces greenhouse gas emissions up to 30% in light-duty vehicles and 23% in medium to heavy-duty vehicles. Additionally, natural gas is a secure North American energy source with 98% of the natural gas consumed produced in the U.S. and Canada.

The union-made MV-1 was designed in close cooperation with the disabled community and numerous taxi fleet owners, said Fred Drasner, Chairman of the Vehicle Production Group, the company that manufactures the vehicle. “The MV-1 provides dignity for the wheelchair passenger who can enter gracefully through a large door opening with plenty of headroom. And with its large cabin, it is an exceptional vehicle that can carry strollers, bicycles, large pets or just about anything a taxi driver could be called on to transport.”

Mark Riley, Vice President of Clean Energy, said the benefits of modernizing the D.C. taxi fleet would be realized throughout the community. “Natural gas is a true win-win for the taxi driver, the citizens, and visitors of the District of Columbia,” Mr. Riley said. “The taxi driver keeps a dollar in their pocket for every gallon of fuel used, and District residents and visitors to our Capitol benefit from cleaner air.”

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When Shalini and Shane Wittstruck of Seattle, Washington were told their baby would be born more than two months premature, they were forced to face the possibility that he might die or suffer lifelong health complications. But against all odds, their son, Kieran, has grown into a healthy 5-year-old boy who is the March of Dimes 2012 National Ambassador, it was announced January 17.

“Never did we imagine pregnancy as a life or death event. Then, one day, our lives and our expectations changed,” said Shalini Wittstruck. As National Ambassador, Kieran will travel the country with his parents, representing thousands of families around the United States whose children have survived prematurity.

The Wittstrucks will tell Kieran’s amazing story and help raise awareness of premature birth, as part of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign, which seeks to educate pregnant women about preterm birth, provide information and comfort to parents of babies in newborn intensive care units, expand access to health insurance for women of childbearing age, and reduce the preterm birth rate.  Watch a video of the Wittstrucks and hear more about their amazing story below:

Kieran,who will be six in March, was born at 31 weeks of pregnancy, weighing only three pounds, one ounce. While their story has a happy ending, the Wittstrucks understand that not all premature babies are as fortunate as Kieran. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and 1 in 8 US babies is born too soon.

Babies who survive an early birth often have breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and other health challenges. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants. Many important organs, including the brain and lungs, are not completely developed until a baby is full-term.

The Wittstrucks do not know why Kieran was born too soon, but they hope the research and work of the March of Dimes continues so that one day more babies will get a healthy start in life. When Kieran was born, his parents were given worst-case scenarios from the doctors. ”I will never forget the sound of Kieran’s first cry. It’s etched in my memory forever,” said Shalini. “Doctors warned me that he might not survive, and I thought I would never hear him.”

As a newborn, Kieran frequently stopped breathing while he slept and fell asleep while eating, which made it difficult for him to gain the weight he needed to safely leave the newborn intensive care unit.  A heart murmur was found, as was a cyst in his brain. After an emotional 31 days in the hospital, Kieran was finally able to go home once he weighed almost five pounds.

Despite his premature birth and initial health complications, Kieran is now a healthy and active five year old.  He is a leader among his friends and frequently invents games and machines.  Kieran has great aspirations and thinks that one day he would like to be an engineer or a pilot.

The Wittstruck family believes the research funded by the March of Dimes resulted in their son’s well-being and significantly improved his odds of survival.  They are encouraging everyone to participate in the March of Dimes signature fundraising event March for Babies. This year, more than 7 million people will join their family, friends, and colleagues in 900 communities to March for Babies across the nation.

The money raised by March for Babies supports community-based programs that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies and research to find answers to the problems that threaten babies’ lives. ”I didn’t think it would happen to me – but it did,” said Shalini, who is an employee of Cigna, a longtime March of Dimes national sponsor. “We need the March of Dimes to help understand what causes preterm birth, so that it doesn’t happen to others.”

The March of Dimes National Ambassador Program is an annual campaign, started in 1946, that puts a face on the March of Dimes mission. United Airlines, who recently joined with Continental Airlines to create the world’s leading airline, will continue to serve as the official airline sponsor of the March of Dimes National Ambassador Program for the seventh consecutive year.

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A study published Thursday December 15 by the American Journal of Public Health provides some of the strongest evidence yet that tobacco prevention and cessation programs not only reduce smoking and save lives, but also save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs.

The study found that from 2000 to 2009, Washington state’s tobacco prevention and cessation program saved more than $5 for every $1 spent by reducing hospitalizations for heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and cancer caused by tobacco use.  Over the 10-year period, the program prevented nearly 36,000 hospitalizations, saving $1.5 billion compared to $260 million spent on the program.  These are real savings in tobacco-related hospitalization costs from 2000 to 2009, not projected savings in future health care costs.

According to the study’s authors, the total savings are even greater when other tobacco-related health and productivity costs are included, in addition to the hospitalization costs. The study further found that Washington’s smoke-free workplace law and the state’s multiple cigarette tax increases also contributed to smoking declines and health care savings.

This study sends a powerful message to the nation’s elected officials that disease prevention initiatives, including programs that prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit, are essential to improving health and reducing health care costs in the United States. It comes at a critical time as funding for such programs is under attack at both the federal and state levels.

The study shows why Congress should protect the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the health care reform law rather than slash funding by as much as 68 percent, as some lawmakers have proposed. The prevention fund is a vital source of support for tobacco prevention and cessation efforts, including state and community grants, telephone quitlines to help smokers quit, and media campaigns to discourage kids from smoking and encourage smokers to quit.

The new Washington study provides concrete evidence that investing in prevention can pay tremendous dividends by reducing the very diseases that cost the most to treat. Cutting the prevention fund would be a fiscally irresponsible step backward that would increase health care costs.

This study also underscores how penny-wise and pound-foolish the states have been in shortchanging tobacco prevention and cessation programs. In the current budget year (Fiscal Year 2012), the states will collect $25.6 billion in revenue from the 1998 state tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only 1.8 percent of it – $456.7 million – on programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit, according to a recent report by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and other public health organizations.

Despite the growing evidence that these programs save lives and save money, states have cut tobacco prevention funding by 36 percent over the past four years and now provide just 12 percent of the funding recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  It is incomprehensible given Washington’s success that the state has virtually eliminated funding for its tobacco prevention and cessation program this year.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people and costing the nation $193 billion a year in health care bills and lost productivity. The new Washington study confirms that tobacco prevention works to save lives and money.  It makes no sense for elected officials to shortchange programs that are proven to reduce health care costs and save money for taxpayers.

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The story catching everyone’s attention from Sunday’s Patriots Redskins showdown wasn’t tight end Rob Gronkowski breaking the NFL record for most touchdown receptions by a tight end. It wasn’t how the Patriots barely escaped Washington with a victory, or how the defense managed to do just enough to win the game despite surrendering 463 yards.

It was how Tom Brady and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien had a screaming match on the side line after Brady threw an interception. The Patriots were up by 7, and Brady tried to sneak one into Tiguan Underwood, but was picked off with just over 6 minutes to go in the game.

The Redskins got the ball and started marching down the field trying to send things to overtime as Brady and O’Brien were engaged in a screaming match. ”I threw a pretty bad interception, so he wasn’t happy about it,” said Brady, ”And there was probably a long line of coaches and players that were pretty (upset) at me after that, but Billy got to me first. He let me have it; I deserved it.”

Brady finished 22 of 37 for 357 yards three touchdowns and his first interception in over a month. He also passed Warren Moon for sixth on the all time touchdown list and crossed the 4000 yard mark for the fourth time in his illustrious career. Gronkowski had quite the day catching six passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns propelling him past Antonio Gates and Vernon Davis for most touchdowns by a tight end ever.

The Patriots hardly won an easy one, needing a penalty and a tipped pass to save the day. Santana Moss made a catch for the score, but it was negated by a pass interference call on Moss. On another play, Moss tipped a pass right into the hands of Jerod Mayo to seal the deal for the Patriots who have the worst defense in football.

Rex Grossman finished 19 of 32 for 252 yards with two touchdowns and the one interception. Roy Helu had another big day rushing for 126 yards on 27 carries. ”You kind of don’t want to give up those yards in the first place,” Patriots safety James Ihedigbo said. “But at the same time, we’re going to bow our necks once we get down there, and say, ‘Hey, they’re not getting in the end zone.’”

The Redskins had a great day despite missing both left and right tackles and tight end Fred Davis. The loss was bad, but the officiating really had the Redskins upset after the game. There was the flag on Moss late in the game, but another call where linebacker London Fletcher was flagged for hitting a sliding Brady with a forearm to the head. Replay showed that he clearly hit him in the chest. Coach Mike Shanahan said the call was “horrible.”

“We don’t get no calls around here, man,” Moss said. “You guys have been covering us for a long time. Y’all see what goes on out there. We blow our breath on one of the doggone guys over there and it’s a penalty. Our quarterback gets killed — and you just almost hit somebody that’s a quarterback and we get flagged. So a lot of stuff goes on. But I guess we’ve got to play against a team and the ref.”

New England continues their quest for the best seed in the AFC with a trip to Denver to face Tebow-mania and then back home to finish against the Dolphins and Bills. Washington, looking to finish the season strong heads to New York to try to play spoilers against the Giants, then home to play Minnesota and finish up their season at Philadelphia.

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The Bills come into the game on Sunday looking to avoid losing two in a row for the first time this season when they travel to Jerryworld to square off with the Cowboys who are trying to keep pace with the Giants for the NFC East. “The focus is trying to win a game. … We got everything in front of us — we hold our own destiny in our own hands, so we gotta go take care of business,” coach Chan Gailey said.

Buffalo, who sit at 5-3 tied atop the AFC East with the Patriots and the Jets, failed to take care of any business last Sunday against the Jets. They fell 27-11 and saw their high power offense, which is tied for the highest scoring in the AFC with the Patriots at 27.8 points per game, sputter as the Jets made them look like the one win Dolphins. The Bills went 3 for 11 on third down and turned it over three times.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions and had his worst game of the year going 15 of 31 for 191 yards and a touchdown. ”It was a bad game,” said Fitzpatrick. “We certainly didn’t have our best effort out there, and I think that’s where a lot of disappointment and frustration comes in.”

Fitzpatrick will look to bounce back facing a Cowboys pass defense that’s right in the middle of the pack ranked 16^th giving up 232.5 yards per game. The Bills are led by running back Fred Jackson who is having a career year leading the AFC at 100.4 yards per game and helping the Bills to the 7^th ranked rushing attack with 135 yards per game.

However, the Jets held the team to only 96 yards on the ground and forced Jackson’s first fumble of the year. They will look to get back to the run, as Dallas has struggled lately giving up 401 yards on the ground the past two weeks. Dallas will get Sean Lee back who is their leading tackler and this should help them somewhat.

For Buffalo to keep pace for the AFC East title they’ll have to go at least 2-1 on their three game road trip facing Dallas, Miami, and then the Jets again before heading home to face Tennessee. ”It will be a difficult stretch, but we don’t have to play all three of them at the same time,” Jackson said. “If we go out and continue to make plays like we have been throughout the season, we feel like we’ll be OK.”

Buffalo has struggle so far on the road this year by going 1-2, but the losses came against the Giants and the Bengals, both who are in first place in their divisions. Each loss was only by three points. The Cowboys sit at 4-4, but are looking to make a push in the second half of the season as they benefit from an easy schedule. They also benefit from the first place Giants having a tough stretch over the next few weeks.

After the Bills the Cowboys face Washington, Miami, and Arizona who have a combined record of 6-18. After that, the Giants come to town in what looks to be a pivotal matchup. ”We’ve done a lot of things to build on over the first eight games, a lot we can be positive about. … But we have to get better,” said Garrett

When starting running back Felix Jones got hurt, people expected the running game to take a step back, but the opposite has happened with rookie DeMarco Murray shining rushing for 466 yards in three games. They hope he can keep it up against a Bills run defense that ranks 20^th giving up 120.8 yards per game.

“We are going to have a great 1-2 punch when Felix gets healthy,” Witten said. “It’s going to put us in a great situation.” The Cowboys are a little banged up with Felix Jones still being questionable and wide receiver Miles Austin out for possibly a month after he reinjured his hamstring last week.

With no Austin, Dez Bryant figures to see a lot more targets, along with tight end Kevin Ogletree and wide receiver Laurent Robinson. Buffalo’s defense, while rich with playmaking ability, they lead the AFC with 15 interceptions, isn’t that great. They rank 25^th against the pass giving up 260.4 yards per game.

The game should be a close contest as both teams can put up a lot of points in a hurry. Both teams need to win to keep pace in their respective races, but with the Bills on the road and Dallas’ defense being run by Rob Ryan, Rex’s twin brother, they will see a dose of the same stuff they saw against the Jets. The Cowboys should be able to get a win at home. Final Prediction: Bills 17 Cowboys 27.

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A new Associated Press/ GfK poll found that Congress really really sucks. Not surprising to plenty of us, but still it is nice to see the actual numbers. The survey, conducted Aug. 18-22, found that approval of Congress has dropped to its lowest level in AP-GfK polling – 12 percent. That’s down from 21 percent in June, before the whole debt ceiling fiasco.

The poll brought bad news to all members of Congress, but particularly the Republicans. The poll found that the tea party is losing support. Speaker of the House John Boehner is becoming more unpopular and more respondents are okay with the idea of raising taxes in addition to cutting spending, something the GOP has been fiercely fighting against.

“I guess I long for the day back in the `70s and `80s when we could disagree but we could get a compromise worked out,” said Republican Scott MacGregor, 45, a Windsor, Conn., police detective. “I don’t think there’s any compromise anymore.”

When respondents asked which party they trust more to handle fiscal issues, it was a statistical tie, 40 percent chose Republicans and 43 percent picked the Democrats. Nearly a third of independents said they trust neither party on the issue.

Republican Speaker Boehner’s favorability rating was only 29 percent, the lowest level of his tenure. Forty-seven percent of Republican respondents said they approve of Boehner; only a fifth of independents have a favorable opinion of him.

According to the poll, unfavorable views of the tea party climbed 10 percentage points since November.  Thirty-two percent have a deeply unfavorable view of the movement and just a quarter of respondents say they consider themselves supporters of the tea party – the lowest in AP-GfK polling and a dip of 8 percentage points since June.

More Democrats and Independents are leaning toward an increase in taxes. Half of Democrats polled said raising taxes should be the focus over cutting services, up 10 percentage points from March.

Independents showed a clear preference for cutting services over raising taxes in March, 64 percent to 28 percent. Now, only 42 percent of independents say focus on cutting services while 37 percent say increase taxes, according to the poll.

Overall, 57 percent of respondents believe both that that taxes will rise and government services will be cut in order to balance the federal budget.

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As heavy wind and rain is still generated by Hurricane Irene, more than a million homes and businesses are without power or phone service today Sunday. And as the storm moves closer, outage are expected to increase in the region.

According to the Washington Post, more than 30,000 Pepco customers had lost power by 9PM on Saturday. A Pepco spokesman declined to say if the numbers had been expected but he did tell the Washington Post that amid criticism of the company’s reliability, he would agreed that the storm will prove “a major test for the company.”

It was expected that the worst of Hurricane Irene was going to hit the American capital between Saturday night and Sunday Morning. Associated Press reported that the residents of Washington was just about to pull themselves together after the earthquake earlier in the week when this new force of nature came knocking. Forecasts expected several inches of rain and wind of up to 60 mph including possible flash flooding.

The consequences of the storm will prove a major test to the capital’s disaster preparation.   “I don’t think Washington is equipped for a big storm or evacuation or anything like that,” Melvin Holloway, a retired District of Columbia water department employee told AP on Saturday. “There’s just no communication.”

One of the issues is the possibility of flooding but as the city has failed to renovate the flood-control system in time, the city must turn to sandbags in order to protect important buildings – not to mention people’s own homes.

AP reports that hundreds were lining up for up to two hours to collect sandbags for their homes. Around 15,000 bags were handed out in two days. “They should have done it earlier,” said one Tina Harris, 36, who had waited an hour and a half on Saturday afternoon.

In New York, the city has been bracing itself for worst case scenario and while the New York Stock Exchange is hoping to open on Monday, Hurricane Irene has the final say according to Reuter’s report. Given the pressure on the American market, investors may be a little anxious – and with good reason, as they rely on the NYSE to open for business. Since the marketplace, including the NYSE, is mostly automated, it is mainly a matter of reliable power. Unless there is a major outage, electronic trading will continue as normal.

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Newt Gingrich likes to believe he is some kind of Washington “outsider” despite holding one of the most powerful positions in the capital for most of the 1990s. I think he is the only one that believes he is a political outsider, but he has clung to that belief.

Gingrich gave a speech on Tuesday criticizing the new “super Congress” and “Washington elites,” but he chose to give his speech in Washington and not in the heartland of America he pretends to be a part of or even early primary states that will be crucial if Gingrich is really running for president like he claims.

“I’m going to say some things that are very bold. I’d like to somehow get across, particularly to the Washington elites, that boldness is sometimes exactly what we need,” the former House speaker said just one minute into his speech.

“I want to start with what I think the biggest mistake that both the president and the Congress are making; it’s something that Reagan really understood and taught me,” Gingrich added a few minutes later. “You lead Washington by leading America. You don’t lead America by leading Washington.”

The event, held by conservative group The Heritage Foundation, was apparently requested by Gingrich’s staff. The late organized event was pulled together on Monday for Gingrich’s Tuesday speech.  Gingrich has spoken at the Heritage Foundation on numerous occasions.

Many Republicans in office cite Gingrich as an influence and an “idea factory” within the party. However, his half-heartened bid at the GOP presidential nomination has been fraught with problems and other Republicans have been critical of the former Speaker of the House. He is apparently trying to change that.

He spent much of the GOP debate last week criticizing the new “super Congress,” the 12-bipartisan member committee that will cut projected deficits by $1.5 trillion over the next ten years. During his speech, Gingrich continued blasting the new committee. “This super committee will become an excuse to do nothing,” he said.

“The Washington press corps will focus all of its attention on the super committee, and the lobbyists will focus of all their attention on the super committee. It’s truly a bad idea.”

Gingrich’s solution to Washington’s spending, he said, is to implement Lean Six Sigma business-streamlining techniques. Texas businessman Mike George came up with the controversial waste-cutting strategies 20 years ago.

Many corporations have since adopted them, and they are now gaining steam with the 2012 presidential field.

Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) made an unexpected return to Congress on Monday to vote on the debt ceiling bill. Seven months after being shot in the head in Tucson, Arizona, Giffords recovery has astounded doctors.

House Minority Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) introduced Giffords to thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Colleagues shook Giffords hand and welcomed her back to her job for the first time since she was critically injured during a political event that left six dead.

“I have closely followed the debate over our debt ceiling and have been deeply disappointed at what’s going on in Washington,” Giffords said, in a statement from her office. “After weeks of failed debate in Washington, I was pleased to see a solution to this crisis emerge.

I strongly believe that crossing the aisle for the good of the American people is more important than party politics. I had to be here for this vote. I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy.”

Giffords voted in favor of raising the debt ceiling which passed through House by a margin of 269 to 161. Her office, in a statement, noted that in December 2009 and again in February 2010, she had objected to raising the nation’s debt limit. This vote, the statement added, “was substantially different, with the strength of the U.S. economy hanging in the balance.”

After the vote was cast, Giffords received multiple additional rounds of applause, as Pelosi called her “the personification of courage.”

“Her presence here in the chamber as well as her service throughout her career in Congress, brings honor to this chamber,” Pelosi said. “Thank you, Gabby.”

Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said he found out that Giffords would show for the vote when he saw her, hinting that Pelosi and others in the know played it close to the vest.  ”I just said, ‘I love you, glad to have you back, great to see you,’” he said. “I only found out when I saw her. [It was] a little emotional.”

Jared Lee Loughner, of Tucson, has been charged in the shootings that injured Giffords and others.

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What if all the pressure was on? What if everything rested on your shoulders? Would you falter?  What if you were in an epic battle for World supremacy? If your country, your home was counting on you to succeed; could you handle that? All by yourself…or should I say; SOLO?

Sorry to disappoint Star Wars fans, but this isn’t the Solo you were expecting. We’re talking about Hope Solo; the starting goal keeper for the women’s US National team.  In USA’s match against Brazil, Solo made a spectacular penalty kick save to give the United States the edge in their comeback thriller making her an instant American hero. As great as that save was, it was merely an exclamation point on the play Solo has displayed through this World Cup. Her leadership skills and spectacular skill set has made her the undisputed top women’s goalie in the world today; so where has she been our whole lives?

Hope Amelia Solo grew up in Richland, Washington.  She grew up in a rough child hood setting where the game of soccer was her only constant. When she was six years old, her parents divorced and she lived solely with her mother. Her father was a Vietnam veteran who was homeless for most of his life but stayed a major influence in Hopes life until his sudden death in 2007. Hope became a soccer star while she was in high school but oddly enough not as a goalie. Solo was a forward for Richland High School scoring 109 career goals and becoming a two time All-American.  Solo received a full scholarship to University of Washington where they decided her athletic, and quick reaction abilities would make her a stand out keeper. They were right.

Solo became the Huskies all time leader in saves and shutouts and was a four-time All Pac-10 selection and a three-time All American. While in her sophomore year of college, Solo became a full time member of the USA national team. After her college career, and being an alternate for the 2004 Olympic team, Solo was drafted to the former WUSA team, the Philadelphia Charge. Following the Charges fallout from the league, Solo went and played with a few clubs overseas in Germany and Sweden while working her way up the American depth chart.

In 2007, Solo’s career looked to take off as she was named to the women’s World Cup squad. She was named the starter over veteran Brianna Scurry and gave up only two goals in four games while posting two consecutive shut outs leading up to a semi final match against Brazil.  Then US coach, Greg Ryan, made a shocking move and benched Solo for Brianna Scurry. Scurry went on to have a dismal performance and the US lost 4-0 to Brazil.

Solo, clearly outraged, publicly criticized Ryan’s coaching move saying “It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There’s no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves.” Solo was then dismissed from the team before the third place World Cup game and did not participate in the post World Cup tour.

Hope Solo did not let the 2007 World Cup affect her play and kept training harder than ever. In 2009 Solo joined the Women’s Professional soccer league with St. Louis Athletica and became the WPS goalie of the year. She then went on to play for the Atlanta Beat and currently starts for the Orlando MagicJack and is easily the best keeper in the league. The WPS is where Solo competes and improves her skills, but Solo shines when she steps on the field for the red, white, and blue.

Watching Solo on Sunday vs. Brazil was inspiring to say the least. She is not simply a goalie but she is a leader. She steps out onto the field and commands the respect from the other team, while also imposing fear in their eyes. Solo’s outspoken attitude was seen as arrogance in 2007 and is now seen as, for lack of better terms, “swag” in 2011. Solo has became an American hero, sex symbol, and inspiration after one game and one save vs. Brazil, however Solo has been someone to look up to her whole life.

What if you were in a battle for world supremacy? What if you had your countries fate on your shoulders? Would you falter? Well, we know Solo wouldn’t, and now she looks to continue her fight for World supremacy as she takes on France in the semi final match on Wednesday. I wouldn’t expect her to be benched this time. Good luck Hope; America is behind you.

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The strange battle over marijuana continues. Despite many states legalizing, at least, medicinal marijuana, the stigma continues to prevail. Employers who cannot dismiss a person for being prescribed Xanax or morphine can dismiss an employee for testing positive for marijuana, even if the drug is prescribed.

A Washington State Supreme Court decision concluded that the medical marijuana act in the state protects users from criminal prosecution but it offers no protection from employer’s dismissals. The court ruled on a case that began back in 2006. A woman was fired from her job at a Bremerton customer service firm for failing a drug test. The woman testified that she uses medicinal marijuana for debilitating migraines.

The Washington state Supreme Court issued an 8-1 decision last week, pointing out that while it was legal to use marijuana for medical purposes, the state’s medical marijuana law did not make it mandatory for employers to accommodate pot use outside of work. While the law gives employers the authority to prohibit the use of pot while at work, it does not specifically define how the use of marijuana outside of work will be treated.

In addition, the Supreme Court ruled that the Human Rights Commission, which looks into cases of employee discrimination in Washington State, cannot mediate in medical marijuana cases, as marijuana use – medical or otherwise – is still considered illegal under federal law.

The case exposes ongoing inconsistencies in legislation regarding the rights of medical marijuana users. Michael Subit, the plaintiff attorney in this case, stated he would be “flabbergasted if qualified patients could lose their jobs simply for using medical marijuana at home in accordance with the act.”   The problem with marijuana and drug testing is that there is no accurate test to determine if someone is actually under the influence. Marijuana has such a slow half life that the drug will show up in someone’s system long after the effects have worn off. Employers over the last decade or so have made drug testing the norm, dismissing potential employees for positive drug testing. However, the standard drug test does not work in states where marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes. The drug will show up in drug tests and can be used to unjustly discriminate against those individuals with disabilities. Doesn’t the American with Disabilities Act protect against just this sort of thing?  The inconsistencies and the new challenges suggest that this dilemma may have to be solved by the U.S. Supreme Court.

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The states of Oregon and Washington are attempting to follow in California’s footsteps by expanding the size of cages that egg-laying hens are confined to. In 2008, Californians passed Proposition 2 in a landslide decision which essentially phases out cages to confine hens. Since then, California also passed a law requiring that all whole eggs sold statewide be battery cage-free by 2015. The rest of the Pacific Northwest took notes and are now trying to get their own initiatives on the upcoming ballots.

Washingtonians for Humane Farms has been collecting signatures to place its measure on this November’s ballot, which would require that egg-laying hens have enough room to extend their wings. The measure would require that eggs sold in the state are produced in compliance with this modest standard. It would prevent Washington factory farms from cramming over six million egg-laying hens into tiny cages where they can barely move for their entire lives. And Oregonians for Humane Farms recently began efforts to place a similar measure on the November 2012 ballot—one that would improve the lives of about 2.5 million egg-laying hens in the state.

Various veterinarians, small farmers, businesses, and animal welfare, environmental, and food safety organizations have endorsed the Washington and Oregon initiatives. Many Pacific Northwest restaurants, grocery stores, hospitals, and schools have joined the national movement away from serving consumers eggs from caged hens.

Caged hens are kept in cramped and dismal conditions. They are caged alone for most of their life, even though chickens are social creatures. These factory farms do little in the way of hygiene, allowing the chicken feces to gather up in huge mountains underneath the cages. The hens on lower cages are also covered in feces from roommates on the top levels. A normal hen produces 100 eggs a year; these caged hens are forced to lay 250-300 eggs a year. The nearly daily egg laying has depleted the hen’s system of calcium. Because of the tremendously small cages, nearly 90 percent of egg-laying eggs have osteoporosis.

These factory farms have put rural farmers out of business by forcing the hens to overproduce so dramatically. Whether you care about the chicken’s plights or you want to support small, locally owned businesses, consider paying the extra dime or two to buy caged free eggs at your market. Until all states follow California’s lead, which they will eventually, you can lead the charge in your state.

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On Tuesday, the fifth of April, the Ecuadorian Government announced the expulsion of the United States ambassador Heather Hodges. The government expressed that the ambassador was not an unwelcome person. This action was taken by consequence of a confidential diplomatic leak, from Wikileaks, and was published by the newspaper El Pais. The leak contained information about the corruption present in Ecuador, mainly in the Police ground.

In a press conference, the foreign minister Ricardo Patiño said: “ We have asked that she abandons the country as soon as she can. Regarding the relationship with United States, he also claimed: “ There is no way, that we would intend to affect the relationship with United States”. In response United States has classified the issue as “unjustified”.

Mr. Patiño called Mrs. Hodges to her office, in order to ask some explanations about the diplomatic leak that was exposed in the media. The ambassador in response, said that the documents had been stolen, and that neither her nor her Government would make any comments about it. The minister explained that once said that she was not a welcome person in the country, it is directed to a functionary who did a leak of this nature and then she resign to give any other explanation about the them”.

Mr. Patiño, also assured that Ecuador would not proceed to contact its ambassador in Washington, because its reaction has is not linked at all towards the American Government, but it’s linked against the leaks that had been signed by the ambassador.”

The leaked material had been released in 2009. Whereas the United States embassy in Quito affirmed that “ the corruption is generalized in the rows of the Ecuadorian Police”. The leaked document exposed the information about a policeman named Jaime Hurtado Vaca, whom resigned his charge on May of the same year. The document contained information about how the referred policeman had utilized his status by being the main authority in his congregation. He recurred to extortionate, accumulated money, facilitated the traffic of people and protected other corrupted agents as well.

Also, the document exposed “ that some of the functionaries of the United States embassy thought that the President Rafael Correa, was conscious about the corrupt activities. Some observers concerned about the issue, believed that Correa took advantage of this situation in order to have a Chief policeman whom could be easily manipulated”.

Mr. Patiño affirmed: “It is absolutely unacceptable, our Government cannot accept this kind of information that has been released by the ambassador of United States in our country.”

On the other hand, the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, had accused United States of spying the country’s policeman. In an interview that was retransmitted by more than ten radio stations, he affirmed that the relationship among both countries “were the best”, he remarked that it was a “pity” about how this things can be done, spying the police, and trying to involucrate the President of the Republic in corruption cases. He classified Mrs. Hodges as “ bad functionary” that he “had never liked” to his executive. And added, that “ he wished that this doesn’t damage the relationship among United States and Ecuador, because if it does, what a shame, but here we will make the sovereignty of the country be respected”.

Grasping also the other side point of view, a spokesman from the Whitehouse declared, “ The ambassador Hodges is one of our most experimented and talented diplomatic. The State department considers her expulsion as unjustified and we are deeply sorry that the Ecuadorian Government proceeded to do so ”.

The American ambassador from her side said that the decision of Correa’s executive has left her “ tremendously sad”.” I hope I can have another opportunity, maybe, to answer questions”. She added that she did not count with enough time to prepare an adequate response regarding the question about the leaking material from Wikileaks, and that before she make any declarations about the issue, she has to consult Washington.

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The soldier Bradley Manning, who was accused by leaking more than 260,000 diplomatic cables, thousands of reports and one military attack video known as “Collateral Murder”. To Wikileaks, has been recently transferred from Quantico, which is a base of the Marine infantry to a military jail in  (Kansas).

The conditions the soldier faced at Quantico had been criticized by the congress, and for many civil rights groups. The Pentagon’s lawyer “ Jeh Johnson announced that Manning’s movement should not be interpret as an acceptance of the critics, since this “is not the case”. The detention conditions of Manning had been adjusted to all the legal standards, in each aspect”. Nevertheless, the Pentagon considers that the installations at Kansas are “ more appropriated for his continuous preventive detention”, Johnson claimed.

Due to the fact that the young soldier of 23 years old, has faced preventive detention from around 10 months, Manning lawyer, has solicited for manning to be submitted into an evaluation in order to determine and analyze if he has the appropriate “mental capability” to affront the trial.

Organization like International Amnesty, human rights organizations have criticize the detainment conditions, which Manning had to experience. Manning’s lawyers denounced by the beginning of March that the soldier had been receiving “inappropriate treatments in Quantico. Manning’s conditions were tough; he had to be in the cell 23 hours a day. The cell was not well equipped. He did not count with a pillow, sheets, and personal objects.

He was obligated to sleep naked, supposedly to guarantee his safety and lower the risk of suicidal attempt. According to the New York Times: President Obama and other administration officials have defended Private Manning’s treatment at Quantico, but Philip J. Crowley resigned as the State Department spokesman last month after publicly criticizing the Pentagon as “’ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid” in its treatment of him.

The new installations at Fort Leavenworth appear to be more suitable and appropriate. Lt. Col. Dawn Hilton, who is the garrison commander at Fort Leavenworth said: “ I encourage you to come out and see how wonderful our facility is,” she told reporters.

She also made clear, that once Manning arrived Leavenworth, he would be conducting an assessment by the mental health professionals at Leavenworth. Once verifying that the chances of him being a threat to himself and others, he would eat three meals a day in a group dining hall, also he will count with recreational time, indoors and out, during three hours per day. Finally he will also be allowed to interact with other prisoners.

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In February, there were reports of an unidentified flying object in the sky near Vancouver, Washington.  But, the mystery has been solved for now.  According to the owner, a Chinese-made kite was in the sky that night.

During the UFO sightings last month, people reported seeing something high in the night sky.  Reports stated that the object danced strangely back and forth and emitted vivid blasts of flowing colors, sort of like large fireworks displays.

The Chinese kite, with parachute fabric in a triangle shape, stands 7 1/2 feet tall and has a wingspan of 13 feet.  It is decorated with hundreds of LED lights in every bright color imaginable.  The battery powered lights display many different flashing light patterns while the kite floats quietly in the sky.  According to the kite’s owner, the first minute of the patterns depict the rising sun, and then there are four more minutes of other patterns and it repeats the cycle.

After seeing a news story about the sightings, kite owner and operator Mike—he did not want to give his last name for privacy purposes– realized that many people thought his kite could be from outer space.  He invited a news team to demonstrate the kite.   Shortly after nightfall, Mike carried his kite to the center of a park for a news crew.

Kites this large are different than the kites that kids fly on windy days.   The reel to Mike’s kite is the size of a small child’s bicycle wheel. He’s harnessed with it, over his shoulders and around his back, to anchor against the wind’s pull. The reel has a big hand crank and two brakes and is wound with 300-pound-test braided string, enough to fly it to 5,000 feet, nearly a mile high.   When it is windy, the kite also has a 60 foot tail, also covered with lights, to weigh it down.  With the tail attached, the kite has 480 LED lights.

Federal Aviation Administration regulations for kites mandate that they stay lower than 500 feet from the ground within a controlled airspace, or in the close vicinity of an airport. Mike isn’t breaking any rules by flying his kite.  He certainly is causing a buzz though.

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