Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation’s premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering.
Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs.
American Red Cross - Donation
Monday Mar. 14, 2011
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
10:20 AM
Pres Obama visits a classroom at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, VA.
10:40 AM
Pres Obama delivers a speech on reforming education.
11:00 AM
11:55 AM
Pres Obama meets with senior advisers.
12:00 PM
12:30 PM
Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
1:00 PM
1:45 PM
Pres Obama holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark.
2:00 PM
2:25 PM
Pres Obama and Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark deliver statements to the press.
3:00 PM
Pres Obama meets with General David Petraeus.
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:30 PM
Pres Obama attends a DNC event.
Mar 14, 2011
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
10:40 AM EDT
Presdient Obama delivers a speech on reforming education.
12:30 PM EDT
Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
2:25 PM EDT
President Obama and Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark deliver statements to the press.
—
CNN http://live.cnn.com/
10:40 AM EDT
Presdient Obama delivers a speech on reforming education.
12:00 PM EDT
U.S. House of Representatives Session
House lawmakers return from their weekend recess to discuss the earthquake in Japan, efforts to fund the federal government and other issues.
12:30 PM EDT
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
1:00 PM EDT
State Department briefing
The State Department holds its daily briefing with reporters.
2:00 PM EDT
Senate Session
Senators return from their weekend recess to discuss the situation in Japan, efforts to fund the federal government and to consider a judicial nominee.
2:25 PM EDT
President Obama and Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark deliver statements to the press.
—
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
Secretary Clinton to Meet With Libyan Opposition Forces
Trip includes G8 meeting, visit to Egypt and Tunisia http://www.cspan.org/Events/Secretary-Clinton-to-Meet-With-Libyan-Opposition-Forces/10737420194/
9:00 AM EDT
American Public Transportation Assn
2011 American Public Transportation Association Legislative Conference, Morning Session http://www.cspan.org/Events/Funding-Challenges-Highlight-Transportation-Association-Conference/10737420193/
10:40 AM EDT
Presdient Obama delivers a speech on reforming education. http://www.cspan.org/Events/President-Continues-Push-for-Education-Spendng-Increase/10737420179/
12:00 PM EDT
U.S. House of Representatives Session
12:30 PM EDT
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
1:00 PM EDT
State Department briefing
The State Department holds its daily briefing with reporters. http://www.cspan.org/Events/Secretary-Clinton-to-Meet-With-Libyan-Opposition-Forces/10737420194-1/
2:00 PM EDT
U.S. House of Representatives Session
2:25 PM EDT
President Obama and Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark deliver statements to the press.
3:00 PM EDT
American Public Transportation Assn.
2011 Legislative Conference 3
4:30 PM EDT
U.S. Senate
Nomination of James Boasberg to be a U.S. District Judge http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/298472-2
5:00 PM EDT
House Rules Committee
2011 Federal Spending http://www.cspan.org/Events/House-to-Take-up-New-Short-term-CR/10737420192/
5:30 PM EDT
U.S. Senate
Tentative Roll Call Votes
6:30 PM EDT
U.S. House of Representatives
Tentative Roll Call Votes
—–
US Department of Defense http://www.defense.gov/
10:30 AM EDT
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen Holds Virtual Town Hall
—-
Japan Broadcasting Corporation
NHK LIVE FEED: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/
—-
Middle East Protest
Al Jazeera – English http://english.aljazeera.net/
Middle East and North Africa unrest- BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698
American Red Cross
Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation’s premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering.
Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs.
The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—across the street, across the country, and across the world—in emergencies. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new—the more than half a million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through nearly 700 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world.
Some four million people give blood—the gift of life—through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. And the Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of 186 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world’s most vulnerable people.
An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
The American Red Cross is in virtually every community in the United States and in many around the world. For broadcasters, this means tremendous opportunities to localize your news. Many of the nearly 720 Red Cross chapters, Blood Services regions and stations have personnel immediately available to help meet your media needs. You can find your local Red Cross by entering your zip code in the box on the right side of this page or by browsing through their list.
Members of the American Red Cross media relations team are available to serve members of the national media . If you are a member of the local media, please contact your local American Red Cross chapter.
Please contact any of the following people based on your area of interest:
Blood and Biomedical Services
Stephanie Millian
millianst@usa.redcross.org
Office: (202) 303-4488
Domestic Disaster Response and Relief/Service to the Armed Forces
Media relations
Office: (202) 303-5551
International Services
InternationalCommunications2@usa.redcross.org
Office: (202) 303-5551
RedCross.org Online Store – http://www.redcrossstore.org/
Product Information:
customerservice@redcrossstore.org
Office: (866)-632-7751 Monday – Friday 9:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M. EST
Preparedness and Health and Safety Services
Media relations
Office: (202) 303-5551
The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—across the street, across the country and across the world—in emergencies.
For the entire article: http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d229a5f06620c6052b1ecfbf43181aa0/?vgnextoid=892c7210684c0210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD
Preparing and Getting Trained
The Red Cross offers a wide selection of CPR/AED, first aid, lifeguarding, swimming and water safety, caregiving, disaster response and emergency preparedness training.
Red Cross Instructors
* Manage class records and print certificates
* Access instructor resources at Instructors Corner
* Become a Red Cross instructor
* Browse class offerings
* Learn more about arranging training for your employees or members
Companies and Organizations Seeking Training
Preparedness Information
* Prepare your home and family
* Preparedness for workplaces and employees
* Preparedness for schools and students
* Preparedness fast facts
* Shop their store for preparedness supplies
American Red Cross
Give and Get Involved
You can help save someone’s life by performing CPR because you’ve been certified. Or enjoy going to the beach without fear of drowning because you took Red Cross swimming lessons. Getting involved with the Red Cross leads to many possibilities. Here are some ways to give and get involved with the Red Cross:
Donate
You have the power to make a difference in someone’s life. All you have to do is make a contribution. Every donation helps provide services to those in need. When disaster strikes, your contributions can help bring comfort to those in distress.
Volunteer
You can make a difference every day. You can help comfort victims of a house fire or teach a pet first aid class. Whether you are interested in community services, international services, disaster services or any of the other lines of services in the Red Cross, you’ll find something that fits your niche.
Give Blood
You can help prevent-life threatening reactions of patients. Donor blood must be compatible with the recipient’s blood, and it is very likely that a donor within the same racial/ethnic group will be a better match.
Become an Employee
You can make a difference every day. No matter what your interests are, you’ll find something that you enjoy at the Red Cross. Become an employee and see first hand how we work together to provide relief and help save lives.
Make a Difference
The American Red Cross helps people in emergencies every day. Whether its half a million disaster victims or one sick child who needs blood, our vital work is made possible by people like you, who learn how good it can feel to lend a helping hand.
The American Red Cross needs you!
* Various Opportunities to Help
* Red Cross volunteers provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
Typical Volunteer Opportunities (Checklist)
* Fits Your Schedule
* Your local Red Cross chapter can work with you to provide rewarding experiences, whatever your schedule.
How much time do you have?
* No Special Skills Required
* The Red Cross needs people with all kinds of different backgrounds, talents and skill levels. And, if you need training, we’ll provide it.
Your Talents
For more information: http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=2c061a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default
American Red Cross Responds to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami
National Headquarters
2025 E Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
http://www.redcross.org
Friday, March 11, 2011
WASHINGTON — The American Red Cross stands ready and willing to assist following a magnitude 8.9 earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami that affected other countries in the Pacific region.
The Japanese Red Cross Society has extraordinary disaster response capabilities, and has mobilized eleven teams to heavily-damaged communities to provide assessments and first aid and prepare to supply emotional support and relief. The American Red Cross is in communication through its global partners with the Pacific nations that sustained the most damage, and stands ready to provide assistance as needed. To date, the Red Cross has not received any requests for blood from the Japanese Red Cross, the Japanese government or the U.S. State Department.
With potential danger headed to the west coast of the United States, Red Cross chapters are on alert and stand ready to provide assistance as needed in their communities in coordination with local and federal response partners. Red Cross warehouses in Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands), California, Washington and Hawaii are mobilizing resources; and approximately 100 mobile feeding vehicles are on standby. Evacuation shelters are open with additional locations on standby in Oregon, Washington and California.
The Red Cross does not collect blood in Hawaii but has reached out to other blood collection agencies to offer services and is on standby to support any blood needs across the mainland as well.
For the entire article: http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=bfc13a56d35ae210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD
American Red Cross Responding to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami
March 12, 2011
Saturday,— The American Red Cross is offering assistance to the Japanese Red Cross following Friday’s magnitude 8.9 earthquake and resulting tsunami that left towns and villages in Japan devastated.
The earthquake triggered fires and caused severe damage to buildings, leaving five million households without electricity and 1 million without water. Early assessments indicate that more than 2,500 houses have collapsed completely, with 2,500 more damaged.
In addition, as part of preparations for the impact of the tsunami on Hawaii and the West Coast, the American Red Cross provided shelter and comfort to people forced to evacuate from their homes. Red Cross chapters in California, Oregon and Washington opened evacuation centers supporting more than 2,500 people seeking refuge from the tsunami waves. Warehouses and mobile feeding vehicles remain on alert in case they are needed.
Since early Friday morning, we have been in close contact with our colleagues in the Pacific region to offer our support and learn more about the humanitarian needs. The Japanese Red Cross has indicated that it would accept financial support from the American Red Cross for its role providing first aid, emotional support and relief items to those displaced.
For more information: http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=f9efd2a1ac6ae210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD
Uploaded by AmRedCross on Mar 11, 2011
Danelle Schlegelmilch from the American Red Cross updates you on what the American Red Cross is doing to help those affected by this mornings earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the Pacific.
President Obama on Devastation Throughout the Midwest: “We Are Here For You”
Posted by Kori Schulman on May 24, 2011
Ed. Note: You can help people affected by disasters like the recent floods, tornadoes and wildfires, as well as countless other crises at home and around the world, through American Red Cross Disaster Relief. If you are in the affected areas, you can also register as “Safe and Well” to let your friends and family know you are OK.
Before starting the day in London, President Obama took a moment to discuss the devastation in Missouri, Minnesota and across the Midwest. On Sunday, the President will travel to Missouri to talk with people who’ve been affected and local officials about response efforts to offer his assurance that the entire country is behind them. “The American people are by your side,” President Obama said, “We’re going to stay there until every home is repaired, until every neighborhood is rebuilt, until every business is back on its feet. That’s my commitment, and that’s the American people’s commitment.”
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/24/president-obama-devastation-throughout-midwest-we-are-here-you
——
American Red Cross – Safe and Well Message Center
After a disaster, letting your family and friends know that you are safe and well can bring your loved ones great peace of mind. This website is designed to help make that communication easier.
Register Yourself as “Safe and Well”
Search for Loved Ones
Concerned family and friends can search the list of those who have registered themselves as “safe and well” by clicking on the “Search Registrants” button. The results of a successful search will display a loved one’s first name, last name and a brief message.
Click on the “List Myself as Safe and Well” button to register yourself on the site: https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php
Thank u for this amazing meeting place & all that u do CR
Thanks for being here!
From my twitter timeline:
RT @thinkprogress: Thousands gather to protest @govwalker’s arrival in Green Bay http://twitpic.com/498u19 (via @wisaflcio)
GO GREEN BAY GO!
He can run but he can’t hide. I love it. He is in the middle of a hornet’s nest.
Great!!! This is much better than the teabaggers because this is a genuine grassroots movement. This is just the beginning.
This gives me hope
From my twitter timeline:
RT @Jeff__Gabriel: .@mlekat is teaching #ofa vols how to use social media to organize. #ofacatraining cc @BetsyHoover http://yfrog.com/h4m5virj
Thanks Tigerfists!
Good night Tigerfists and Jackie and all the ships at sea!
Japan Quake 30 Times More Powerful Than 1906 San Francisco Quake
March 11, 2011 sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS News) ― It can be difficult to grasp the power of Friday’s earthquake. The dramatic video and photos coming out of Japan paint a devastating picture, but in order really understand the magnitude of this event — you have to look at the numbers.
To gain some perspective, the U.S. Geological Survey compared Japan’s earthquake with two well known quakes: last year’s earthquake in Haiti and the historic 1906 San Francisco quake.
The USGS calculated Friday’s magnitude 8.9 earthquake in Japan to be 700 times stronger than Haiti’s recent magnitude 7.0 earthquake, which devastated Port-au-Prince and killed more than 300,000 people.
When comparing to the 1906 earthquake, USGS Seismologist Lucy Jones figured that Japan’s earthquake was equivalent to 30 of the devestating San Francisco earthquakes. That earthquake, a magnitude 7.7, struck just after 5 a.m. on April 18. It killed more than 3,000 people and left 225,000 homeless. A total of 28,000 buildings were destroyed.
For the entire article: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/03/11/japan-quake-30-times-more-powerful-than-1906-san-francisco-quake/
USAID Responds Immediately to Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
March 11, 2011 usaid.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is dispatching a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and has mobilized its partners, the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team and the Los Angeles County Search and Rescue Team. Each USAR team will be composed of approximately 72 personnel, search and rescue canines and approximately 75 tons of rescue equipment.
The USAR teams will be accompanied by USAID disaster experts who will assist with assessments of the situation.
“On behalf of the American people, I wish to convey our sympathy, thoughts and prayers to the people of Japan who have been affected by this devastating earthquake and tsunami,” said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. “We are working with the government of Japan to provide any assistance needed in the rescue effort as quickly as possible.” USAID will continue to provide additional support as needed.
For more information about USAID’s emergency humanitarian assistance programs, please visit: http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/.
The Ongoing Response to the Earthquakes and Tsunami in Japan
Posted by Macon Phillips on March 13, 2011
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has released an overview of the United States’ reponse in support of our friends in Japan.
* For information on how you can help directly, USAID has pulled together options for donating to support the response effort.
* Any U.S Citizens in need of emergency assistance should send an e-mail to JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov with detailed information about their location and contact information, and monitor the U.S. Department of State website at travel.state.gov.
Statement from the Press Secretary on the Ongoing U.S. Response to the Earthquakes and Tsunami in Japan
Our thoughts and our prayers remain with the people of Japan. The President has been kept fully briefed on developments and the response throughout the weekend. As directed by the President, we have offered our Japanese friends whatever assistance is needed as America will stand with Japan as they recover and rebuild.
We have already been helping in a number of ways. USAID is coordinating the overall U.S. government efforts in support of the Japanese government’s response to the earthquakes and subsequent tsunami that hit Friday and are currently directing individuals to http://www.usaid.gov for information about response donations. The U.S. Ambassador declared an emergency which opened up an immediate funding of $100K from USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. They set up a Response Management Team in DC and sent a Disaster Assistance Response Team to Tokyo, which includes people with nuclear expertise from the Departments of Energy and Health and Human Services as well the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC members are experts in boiling water nuclear reactors and are available to assist their Japanese counterparts. Two Urban Search and Rescue Teams (LA County and Fairfax County teams) which total 144 members plus 12 search and rescue canines and up to 45 metric tons of rescue equipment are also on the ground in Misawa, Japan and will begin searching at first light March 14. The Department of Defense has the USS Reagan on station off the coast of Japan and the USS Essex en route, and is currently using an air facility in Misawa as a forward operating base. The American Red Cross (ARC) International Services team is supporting the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) to assess the impact, determine response efforts, and assist the people of Japan.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/03/13/ongoing-response-earthquakes-and-tsunami-japan
From Ambassador Roos to American Citizens in Japan – March 13 at 4:30 p.m.
March 13, 2011 at 16:30
This warden message is to inform U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Japan that they should notify family and friends of their status. This information is also being posted on the Embassy website to help family members learn the status of the person they are looking for.
The U.S. Government is communicating closely with the Japanese Government on events as they unfold. We have and will continue to mobilize all appropriate resources. The U.S. Government and all necessary experts are fully engaged in analyzing the issues, including the Fukushima reactor issues, in close consultation with the Japanese Government. We are committed to providing you with all necessary information as we receive it. There is no double standard – what we advise our Embassy personnel will be provided to all U.S. citizens.
For the entire article: http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-warden20110313-01.html
US Embassy of United States- Tokyo, Japan
Warden Message
How to Contact the U.S. Embassy, your family and friends
March 12, 2011 at 14:20
This warden message is being issued by the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to advise U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Japan of ways to let family and friends know your status. This information is also being posted on the Embassy website to help family members to get the status of the person they are looking for.
For information regarding tsunami warnings issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency, please see the JMA website or http://www.jma.go.jp/en/tsunami
This Google Crisis Response website is a good clearing house of updated information, some information is in Japanese.
We understand that there are limited flights departing from Narita and Haneda airports in the Tokyo area. If you trying to fly out from Japan, please contact your airline to see if it is scheduled to depart.
For the entire article: http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-warden20110312-03.html
Secretary Clinton’s Travel to Europe and the Middle East
Philip J. Crowley -Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public Affairs
Washington, DC
March 10, 2011 state.gov
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in Paris from March 14 – 15 to participate in the G8 meetings and meet with foreign government counterparts.
The Secretary also will visit Egypt and Tunisia from March 15 – 17. At each stop, she will consult with government officials and elements of civil society on recent events and the full range of regional and bilateral issues.
Chairman Tackles Tough Issues at Virtual Town Hall
March 10, 2011 By Cheryl Pellerin- American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON– Civil unrest in parts of the Middle East and North Africa, Somalia piracy, the U.S.-Pakistan relationship and North Korea’s nuclear posture were among the topics Navy Adm. Mike Mullen took on during a virtual town hall meeting that will air March 14 on the Pentagon Channel.
Questions came in to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from service members, spouses and veterans who posed them online via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Skype.
Mullen taped his answers yesterday in a session that marked the third edition of the Pentagon Channel’s “Ask the Chairman” program, which began in 2009.
“What happened in Egypt really started in Tunisia, and is an incredibly rare and significant change,” Mullen said in response to a question from Spc. Steven Wolf of the Army National Guard.
“We’ve had a long-term relationship with the Egyptian military. We continue to stay in touch with them, and they’ve done the right thing as they move through a time of incredible change after a long time of no change whatsoever,” the chairman added.
Over a week that began Feb. 20, Mullen visited U.S. troops and military and government leaders in seven Persian Gulf nations.
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63111
Good morning everyone!
Happy Pi day! We are going to have chicken pot pie and pumpkin pie for π day!
I HOPE that you have a good day!
Funny! I’ll start celebrating now!
Good morning CR. HOPE you have a terrific Monday.
Good Monday morning Jackie!
March 14, 2011
President Obama Calls on Congress to Fix No Child Left Behind Before the Start of the Next School Year
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a speech at Kenmore Middle School, President Obama urged Congress to fix No Child Left Behind (NCLB) before the start of the next school year. The President articulated key priorities for reforming NCLB that will enable us to win the future and prepare our students to out-educate and out-compete the world in the 21st century economy:
* A fair accountability system that shares responsibility for improvement and rewards excellence, and that is based on high standards and is informed by sophisticated assessments that measure individual student growth;
* A flexible system that empowers principals and teachers, and supports reform and innovation at the state and local level;
* And a system focused on the schools and the students most at risk — that targets resources to persistently low-performing schools and ensures the most effective teachers serve students most in need.
“We need to make sure we’re graduating students who are ready for college and a career.,” President Obama said. “In the 21st Century, it’s not enough to leave no child behind. We need to help every child get ahead. We need to get every child on a path to academic excellence.”
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/14/president-obama-calls-congress-fix-no-child-left-behind-start-next-schoo
We must seek agreement on gun reforms
3/13/11 – Barack Obama – azstarnet.com
It’s been more than two months since the tragedy in Tucson stunned the nation. It was a moment when we came together as one people to mourn and to pray for those we lost. And in the attack’s turbulent wake, Americans by and large rightly refrained from finger-pointing, assigning blame or playing politics with other people’s pain.
But one clear and terrible fact remains. A man our Army rejected as unfit for service; a man one of our colleges deemed too unstable for studies; a man apparently bent on violence, was able to walk into a store and buy a gun.
He used it to murder six people and wound 13 others. And if not for the heroism of bystanders and a brilliant surgical team, it would have been far worse.
But since that day, we have lost perhaps another 2,000 members of our American family to gun violence. Thousands more have been wounded. We lose the same number of young people to guns every day and a half as we did at Columbine, and every four days as we did at Virginia Tech.
Every single day, America is robbed of more futures. It has awful consequences for our society. And as a society, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to put a stop to it.
Now, like the majority of Americans, I believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. And the courts have settled that as the law of the land. In this country, we have a strong tradition of gun ownership that’s handed from generation to generation. Hunting and shooting are part of our national heritage. And, in fact, my administration has not curtailed the rights of gun owners – it has expanded them, including allowing people to carry their guns in national parks and wildlife refuges.
The fact is, almost all gun owners in America are highly responsible. They’re our friends and neighbors. They buy their guns legally and use them safely, whether for hunting or target shooting, collection or protection. And that’s something that gun-safety advocates need to accept. Likewise, advocates for gun owners should accept the awful reality that gun violence affects Americans everywhere, whether on the streets of Chicago or at a supermarket in Tucson.
For the entire article: http://azstarnet.com/article_011e7118-8951-5206-a878-39bfbc9dc89d.html
March 14, 2011
Op-ed by Vice President Biden in the International Herald Tribune: The Next Steps in the U.S.-Russia Reset
The full text of the op-ed by Vice President Biden is printed below. The piece, published in today’s International Herald Tribune, can be read online HERE.
The Next Steps In the U.S.-Russia Reset
International Herald Tribune
March 14, 2011
By Joseph R. Biden Jr.
When we came into office two years ago, our relationship with Russia had reached a low point. The war between Russia and Georgia played a role in that decline, but even before that conflict erupted in August 2008, a dangerous drift was under way.
While we no longer considered each other enemies, you couldn’t always tell that from the rhetoric flying back and forth. Ironically, this came at a time when American and Russian security interests, as well as economic interests, were more closely aligned than ever.
That’s why President Obama made it a priority to reset our relationship with Russia — and asked me to launch it just three weeks into the new administration at the Munich Security Conference. I said then that “the United States and Russia can disagree and still work together where our interests coincide. And they coincide in many places.”
We focused the reset on concrete outcomes that serve both countries’ interests — “win-wins,” as President Obama calls them.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/14/op-ed-vice-president-biden-international-herald-tribune-next-steps-us-ru
FEMA, NOAA and Partners Encourage U.S. Residents to Prepare For Springtime Flooding
March 14th through 18th Marks 2011 Flood Awareness Week
Release Date: March 14, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. — With many communities throughout the nation facing threats of spring flooding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are once again joining forces to commemorate Flood Safety Awareness Week March 14 – 18.
FEMA and NOAA’s National Weather Service are providing tips and information to help individuals and families prepare for flooding dangers during the week and throughout the spring season. The resources can be accessed at the Flood Safety Awareness Week landing page, located at http://www.ready.gov/floodawareness.
“As the nation’s most common and expensive natural disaster, floods can strike virtually every community,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “We’re encouraging individuals and families to take a few simple steps to protect themselves and their property. These include learning about their risk of flooding, having an emergency preparedness kit, storing important documents in a safe place and considering the purchase of flood insurance. Most homeowners insurance policies don’t cover flooding, and most policies take 30 days to go into effect so it’s important to act now.”
Floods do more than damage property; they can also threaten lives if safety precautions are not followed. “Floods occur somewhere in the United States or its territories nearly every day of the year, killing nearly 100 people on average annually, and causing damage in the billions of dollars,” said Jack Hayes, Ph.D., director of the National Weather Service. “Awareness, preparedness and action are the key ingredients to protecting lives and property when floods threaten. One essential safety tip is to never cross a road that is covered by water. Remember, Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
For the entire article: http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=53925
U.S. Forces Provide Relief Aid to Japan
March 13, 2011 By Fred W. Baker III – American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, – U.S. military forces are working alongside their Japanese counterparts to provide aid as the country digs out in the aftermath of the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck March 11.
“Because of the longstanding and close working relationship between the U.S. military and its Japanese counterparts on a daily basis, the United States military has humanitarian assistance capabilities positioned in the affected regions that are ready to support emergency relief efforts and minimize human suffering,” U.S. Ambassador to Japan John V. Roos said in a statement to the media yesterday.
Dubbed Operation Tomodachi — Japanese for “friendship” — U.S. military assets mobilizing in the area include a wide range of equipment, air, sea, and ground capability and expertise.
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63144
Uploaded by 3rdID8487 on Mar 15, 2011
This is the initial airlift of USAID, Search and rescue, and FEMA supplies to Japan by C-17. 3 Airlift Sq, Dover AFB, Del. performed the airlift originating at Andrews AFB with a 15 hour non-stop flight to Misawa AB, Japan. The flight required aerial refueling (A/R, unit not known). Misawa AB personnel downloaded the gear at Misawa. Produced by Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Books,
Radiation Emergencies
CDC.gov
BRIDGING THE GAPS: Public Health and Radiation Emergency PreparednessCDC has a key role in protecting the public’s health in an emergency involving the release of radiation that could harm people’s health. This site provides information to help people protect themselves during and after such an event. It also provides information for professionals involved in planning for and responding to this type of emergency.
2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
Current Situation
* Nuclear Regulatory Commission
* Department of Homeland Security
* Environmental Protection Agency
* What is CDC’s Role in Emergencies?
Radiation and Health
* Radioisotope Brief: Iodine-131 (I-131)
* Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS)
Radiation and Treatment
* Potassium Iodide (KI)
* Prussian Blue
Information for Specific Groups
* Travelers
* Clinicians
* More groups…
The Week Ahead: Time is ticking
3/14/11 By Emily Cahn – TheHill.com
The possibility of a government shutdown is once again looming, as the current continuing resolution funding the government expires on Friday.
House Republican released a three-week CR that will cut another $6 billion from the budget. The House is expected to vote on it Tuesday. It remains to be seen if Senate Democrats will accept that plan.
Timing is ticking as both parties continue to negotiate on a way to fund the rest of the 2011 fiscal year.
Both the House and Senate are scheduled to be on recess the week of March 21 and President Obama is scheduled to leave on a trip to Brazil, Chile and El Salvador on Friday.
In the meantime, Obama will welcome Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen to the White House, while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton travels to Paris, Egypt and Tunisia for the week.
Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, will be in town to testify before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
Many members of Obama’s cabinet are also testifying again before various House and Senate committees on the proposed 2012 budget.
And, on Thursday, the Obamas will host a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the White House.
Monday, March 14
Obama welcomes Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Lokke Rasmussen to the White House. Obama and Rasmussen will discuss the common global and security challenges both Denmark and the U.S. face, including “counterterrorism, the situation in the Middle East and economic and environmental issues,” according to a White House press release. The two leaders will also discuss Afghanistan, where more than 700 members of the Danish military are serving.
Obama will visit Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Va., where he will deliver a speech on education. The speech is scheduled to begin at 10:40 a.m.
Clinton heads to Paris for G8 meetings. She leaves Paris Tuesday to head to Egypt and Tunisia, where she will “consult with government officials and elements of civil society on recent events and the full range of regional and bilateral issues,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. The trip concludes on Friday.
For the entire article: http://thehill.com/homenews/news/149187-the-week-ahead-another-vote-expected-on-a-short-term-measure-to-fund-the-government
Next Up…
US Department of Defense http://www.defense.gov/
10:30 AM EST
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen Holds Virtual Town Hall
Ask The Chairman: A Virtual Town Hall III
From: DODvClips | Mar 14, 2011
ADM Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, answers questions submitted on You Tube, Facebook, Skype and other social media in his third virtual town hall.
That was very interesting!
Next Up…
10:40 AM EDT
President Obama Speaks on Education -Arlington, Virginia
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream1
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/Events/President-Continues-Push-for-Education-Spendng-Increase/10737420179/
March 14, 2011
Remarks by the President on Education in Arlington, Virginia
Kenmore Middle School, Arlington, Virginia
10:24 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody! Hello! (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you so much. (Applause.) Thank you. Everybody have a seat. Have a seat, everybody.
It is wonderful to be here at Kenmore. And I want to, first of all, thank our principal, Mr. — Dr. John Word. Doctor. (Applause.) Superintendent of Arlington Public Schools, Patrick Murphy. (Applause.) I believe that the Arlington County School Board is represented here — where are they? There they are over there. (Applause.) All doing great work. We’ve got your own congressman, Jim Moran, here in the house. (Applause.) And we’ve got somebody who I believe is going to go down as the finest Secretary of Education we’ve ever had — Arne Duncan. (Applause.)
Now, before I begin, let me just say that like all Americans, I continue to be heartbroken by the images of devastation in Japan. And I know all of you, young and old, have been watching the full magnitude of this tragedy unfold. I want to reiterate America’s support for the people of Japan, who are some of our closest friends and allies. And I’ve said directly to the Prime Minister of Japan, Prime Minister Kan, that the United States will continue to offer any assistance we can as Japan recovers from multiple disasters, and we will stand with the people of Japan in the difficult days ahead.
Now, I just had a chance to talk with some of your teachers, as well as some students, who told me about your all-school project that’s weaving the life and music of Duke Ellington into your classes. And by getting students engaged in learning, you’re teaching the kinds of skills about how to think and how to work together that young people are going to need in college and beyond. That’s what all of our schools need to be doing.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/14/remarks-president-education-arlington-virginia
March 14, 2011
Remarks By The President In Drop-By- To Student Overflow
Kenmore Middle School, Arlington, Virginia
10:04 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hey, Kenmore! How are you? Good to see you guys. (Applause.) Hello, everybody! Hello, everybody! How are you? All right, everybody, have a seat. Everybody, have a seat.
Well, you know, I was just wandering out and I suddenly — suddenly all of you were here. (Laughter.) Well, it is wonderful to see you guys. First of all, I want to introduce — this is Arne Duncan, who is the Secretary of Education, and a good friend of mine. Give him a big round of applause. (Applause.)
How is everybody doing today?
AUDIENCE: Good!
THE PRESIDENT: Good. Well, I wanted to come by partly because we’ve designated this Education Month at the White House, and what we are doing is traveling all across the country, finding schools that are doing a great job, and highlighting how we can make sure that every school is doing a great job.
So I want to congratulate your principal. I want to congratulate your teachers. And most of all, I want to congratulate the students for doing some outstanding work here at Kenmore. You guys have made us proud. When we look at the improvement that you’re making, day in, day out, what that tells me is, is that you’ve got a lot of hardworking young people who are really focused on learning.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/14/remarks-president-drop-student-overflow
Good morning everyone! HOPE-ing for a great Monday!
Good Monday morning Sandy!
Good Monday afternoon (here, at least!)!
Nice touch to link to the donation site of the Red Cross, CR. Appreciate it.
Hi Ms O’Boomer!
Red Cross is an organization that is always ready to help locally and internationally. We donate to them regularly.
France says G8 will seek agreement on Libya action
3/14/11 Vicky Buffery -Reuters
PARIS (Reuters) – Group of Eight foreign ministers will try to agree in Paris on what action should be taken in Libya, to speed up a U.N. Security Council decision on whether to impose a no-fly zone, France said Monday.
The current G8 president, France said Libya would be a priority during talks Monday and Tuesday between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia.
With violence worsening, “no option could be ruled out,” foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told an electronic press briefing as Muammar Gaddafi’s troops battled rebel fighters for control of the oil town of Brega.
“The conclusions from the March 11 European summit and the Arab League’s March 12 resolution clearly demonstrate the international community’s firm commitment to protecting Libyan civilians,” Valero said.
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110314/wl_nm/us_france_g8
Everyone prospers under health law
3/14/11 KATHLEEN SEBELIUS – POLITICO
Just 12 months after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became law, the American people are enjoying new protections, greater freedoms and lower costs.
Children are now protected from being turned away by insurers because of a pre-existing condition. Seniors enrolled in Medicare now have the freedom to get preventive care — such as mammograms and colonoscopies — for free. A Patient’s Bill of Rights is freeing families from some of the worst abuses of insurance companies, including canceling coverage when you get sick because of a paperwork error.
Early signs show that, after years of decline, the number of small businesses offering coverage to employees is increasing.
Perhaps less widely recognized, but no less significant, has been the way the law is demanding transparency and accountability from the insurance industry to bring down premiums.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51205.html
Next Up…
1:00 PM EDT
State Department briefing
The State Department holds its daily briefing with reporters.
CNN http://live.cnn.com/
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/Events/Secretary-Clinton-to-Meet-With-Libyan-Opposition-Forces/10737420194-1/
Humanitarian Situation in Libya
Eric P. Schwartz -Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
USAID Assistant Administrator Nancy Lindborg
Washington, DC
March 14, 2011
MR. TONER: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the State Department. It’s our good fortune today to have with Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration, Eric Schwartz and the U.S. Agency for International Development, Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance Nancy Lindborg. They’ve just returned from a weeklong trip to Tunisia and Egypt and are here to brief you on U.S. assistance efforts to address the humanitarian situation resulting from the crisis in Libya.
But before handing them the podium, I just wanted to respond briefly to a number of queries that we’ve gotten regarding the possible return of former President Aristide to Haiti ahead of the second round of elections on March 20th. The decision to allow Mr. Aristide to return is up to the Government of Haiti. Under the Haitian constitution, he has the right to return to his country. However, former President Aristide has chosen to remain outside of Haiti for seven years. To return this week could only be seen as a conscious choice to impact Haiti’s elections. We would urge former President Aristide to delay his return until after the electoral process has concluded to permit the Haitian people to cast their ballots in a peaceful atmosphere. A return prior to the election may potentially be destabilizing to the political process.
For the entire article: http://www.state.gov/g/prm/rls/rmks/2011/158330.htm
Please join me in lighting a candle for those suffering from natural disasters and political strife. Please also remember our President, First Family and our Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Next Up…
2:25 PM EDT
President Obama and Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen brief reporters on relations between the two countries, the situation in Afghanistan and the Japan earthquake.
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com/
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
President Obama Meets with Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen
From: whitehouse | Mar 14, 2011
President Obama and Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen speak to the press after meeting in the Oval Office. The two leaders discussed the tragic events in Japan, Afghanistan, the Middle East and other issues. March 14, 2011.
Obama Meets With Rasmussen on Afghanistan
March 14, 2011 By Lisa Daniel – American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama today thanked Denmark’s prime minister for his country’s contributions in Afghanistan and said the two will continue to work closely on that issue and others.
Obama welcomed Lars Lokke Rasmussen to the White House where the two discussed “a wide range of issues,” including Afghanistan, Libya and Japan, as well as their cooperation on antiterrorism efforts, the president said in a statement following the meeting.
The United States is especially grateful “of the sacrifices that have been made by Danish troops in Afghanistan, and the extraordinary leadership that Denmark has shown as part of” NATO’s International Security Assistance Force there, Obama said.
Denmark is a small country and, proportionate to its size, “it’s made as significant an effort and made as many sacrifices as anybody in helping to stabilize Afghanistan and now help to effectuate a transition to Afghan leadership,” the president said.
Danish troops “are fighting in some of the toughest areas, without caveat,” Obama said. “We have discussed how 2011 is going to be a year of transition” with Afghans taking over more of their own security. Under Rasmussen’s leadership, “he has been able to build a consensus within Denmark about how that transition would proceed that I think is a model for all our allies and participants in Afghanistan.
“So, we are grateful for the excellent work that he has done personally, and obviously most grateful for the sacrifices of Danish troops in helping to underwrite the security of all of us,” he continued.
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63159
The Freedom of Information Act: What The Numbers Tell Us
March 14, 2011 Posted by Steve Croley
New numbers are in. Agencies’ Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) records show that agencies have indeed made disclosure through FOIA a priority this past year. According to the latest annual reports collected by the Justice Department, the use of FOIA exemptions by the fourteen cabinet departments decreased over the last year. Agencies are sharing more and withholding less.
Agencies also report that they relied on exemptions 2 and 5—those most within their discretion—far less frequently over the past year, down 20 percent and 26 percent respectively. And of all FOIA requests processed for the possible applicability of exemptions across all agencies to which FOIA applies, the government made partial or full disclosures about 93 percent of the time; in only some 7 percent of those cases did agencies withhold all requested documents. What’s more, in about 56 percent of the cases, the agency made a full disclosure, up a full 6 percent over last year. Agencies reduced their FOIA backlogs as well—the cabinet agencies by 10.9 percent and all agencies across the government by 10.2 percent.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/03/14/freedom-information-act-what-numbers-tell-us
Twitter is all abuzz about Evan Bay, he is now a Fox contributor. I’m not surprised. He will be right at home.
Evan Bayh? What a turncoat.
USAA‘s 10 Best Places for Military Retirement
2/21/2011
1. Waco, Texas
2. Oklahoma City, Okla.
3. Austin/Round Rock, Texas
4. College Station/Bryan, Texas
5. Harrisburg/Carlisle, Pa.
6. San Angelo, Texas
7. Madison, Wis.
8. Pittsburgh, Pa.
9. New Orleans/Metairie/Kenner, La.
10. Syracuse, N.Y.
How soon can you retire?
USAA’s online tools can help you figure it out.
For the entire USAA article: https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/usaamag_best_retirement_places
Women in Uniform, From World War Two to Today
Posted by Kate Hoit on March 14, 2011
Cross-posted from the VA’s blog.
In honor of Women’s History Month, VA is celebrating the accomplishments female service members have made while serving our country. In doing so, we reached out to women Veterans and their family members to supply photographs for a montage. The response was amazing—in less than a week, we’ve received 170 photographs of women in uniform that stretch beyond the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan back to World War II. The photos reflect a diverse group of women who are timelessly united by their willingness to serve.
Kate Hoit is the New Media Specialist at the Department of Veterans Affairs. She is also an Iraq War Veteran.
Families Facing Foreclosure With Facts Not Fear: HUD Foreclosure Conference
Posted by Linda Ayala on March 14, 2011 at 11:02 AM EDT
Foreclosure may be preventable with facts! The HUD Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnership Center is hosting the Neighborhood Leaders Strengthening Neighborhood People Facing Foreclosure Conference in Washington, DC, on March 23, 2011, from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. This conference will also be broadcast online.
We want to equip faith-based and community non-profit leaders with knowledge of programs and services necessary to help their congregations and clients prevent foreclosure. Participants will learn about programs and resources available to those facing foreclosure and scam prevention, becoming a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency (HCAs), how existing HCAs can help families facing foreclosure, and how families can find housing if foreclosure occurs. Banks will also be represented to give participants a clear understanding of their role and how they can help you during foreclosure.
Join us at the HUD Headquarters in Washington, DC. Be a part of our audience and help educate your community on saving their homes and bringing hope to those facing foreclosure.
Guest seating is limited for Audience Participation so register now. If you want to view the national broadcast, email us for information at: partnerships@hud.gov
Migrant Interdiction: Safety of life at sea
March 14, 2011Posted by: Christopher Lagan
Post written by LCDR Matt Moorlag, public affairs officer, 7th Coast Guard District
As the United States’ primary maritime law enforcement agency, the Coast Guard is tasked with enforcing immigration law at sea. The Coast Guard conducts patrols and coordinates with other federal agencies and foreign countries to interdict undocumented migrants at sea, denying them entry via maritime routes to the United States, its territories and possessions. Thousands of people try to enter this country illegally every year using maritime routes, many via smuggling operations.
The Coast Guard and its partner agencies use a layered approach to maritime migrant interdiction operations. Cutters patrol offshore, effectively pushing America’s borders outward. Aircraft and patrol boats add speed and agility to our patrol efforts, covering large areas and resulting in faster responses to intelligence reports or visual sightings of potential migrant vessels. In the nearshore areas, federal, state and local law enforcement boats conduct regular patrols and provide the last maritime line of defense against migrants reaching shore illegally.
Many attempts to illegally migrate to the U.S. involve some type of smuggling venture, which makes them inherently dangerous. Smugglers focus on maximizing profits, not the safety of their passengers. This frequently results in grossly overloaded vessels or vessels that aren’t carrying the necessary safety equipment. Oftentimes smugglers go out of their way to avoid detection departing late at night and without lights; sometimes with deadly results. When vessels are detected by law enforcement authorities, brazen smugglers, who choose to refuse to comply with lawful orders to stop, force authorities to compel compliance through the skillful application of approved use of force techniques.
For the entire article: http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/index.php/2011/03/migrant-interdiction-safety-of-life-at-sea/#
DHS Announces Key Step toward Reducing Regulatory Burden
March 14, 2011 DHS.gov
Washington, D.C — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced the opening of a 30-day comment period to solicit public input on whether any existing significant regulations should be modified, streamlined, expanded, or repealed to better serve the American people and reduce regulatory burden – a key step in the Obama administration’s efforts to measure, and seek to improve, the results of federal regulatory requirements.
To better engage with the American public as it implements Executive Order 13563, DHS is encouraging individuals and organizations, and State, local, and tribal entities to submit comments using the IdeaScale public dialogue tool—a simple, web-based forum that facilitates a two way conversation about how DHS regulations can best serve the public while still meeting their regulatory objectives.
“We are committed to continuing to increase efficiency, transparency and accountability in the regulatory process,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. “I look forward to working with the American people and the business community to determine how DHS regulations can best serve the interests of the public.”
In January, President Obama signed Executive Order 13563, requiring all federal agencies to review existing regulations and determine what, if any, should be amended, supplemented, or retracted. The Executive Order sets out principles and requirements that promote public participation in government and encourage agencies to coordinate, simplify, and harmonize regulations to reduce costs and promote consistency for businesses and the public.
DHS today published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment on how best to develop a preliminary plan for a Department-wide review of significant existing regulations. Under this plan, DHS will review current regulations to identify and eliminate obsolete or unnecessary rules while strengthening and modernizing requirements, where applicable.
To view the Federal Register notice and provide comments, please click here. Public comments may also be submitted here using the IdeaScale public dialogue tool.
For the entire article: http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1300114864135.shtm
Service Members Assist Japanese Quake Victims
March 14, 2011 By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – Japan’s earthquake and tsunami are tragedies on an epic scale, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today, and the U.S. military will do all it can to help.
The United States has about 50,000 military personnel in Japan and already has responded to some immediate needs for the people of northern Japan.
“We’ve got about … a dozen ships that are either there or en route, a lot of aircraft associated with those ships.” Morrell said in an MSNBC interview this morning. “They have been doing search-and-rescue operations, and they have been providing relief supplies as well.”
The situation is further complicated by the conditions of Japanese nuclear plants affected by the quakes. Some Navy airmen and sailors participating in relief missions off the USS Ronald Reagan have been exposed to radiation that leaked from these plants. The exposure was at such low levels that they washed it off with soap and water, Morrell said.
“They’ve since moved the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group [from the] downwind area of that Fukushima plant,” Morrell said.
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63155
Pentagon Official Discusses Libya No-Fly Zone
March 14, 2011 By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON– Amid reports from Libya that indicate Moammar Gadhafi’s troops are gaining the upper hand over the opposition, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell spoke during an MSNBC interview today about the situation in Libya and possible responses.
Morrell, who has just returned from accompanying Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to NATO for discussions on the situation in North Africa, said NATO defense ministers agreed “to continue planning for any and all military options, including a no-fly zone.”
What happens with the no-fly zone will depend on a political decision that has not been made yet, Morrell said.
“However, as we saw over the weekend, now the Arab League is calling for it,” he added. “So that will undoubtedly factor into the decision-making of the president and other European leaders as they go forward.”
Three American ships remain off the Libyan coast: the USS Kearsarge, the USS Ponce and the USS Barry. Other NATO nations also have positioned ships in the Mediterranean.
“But remember,” Morrell said, “this is to monitor the arms embargo that the U.N. put in place, as well as to provide humanitarian assistance if needed.”
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63157
Reid Spokesman: “Inserting The Word ‘Jobs’ Into Republicans’ Talking Points Won’t Magically Create Them”
March 14, 2011 democrats.senate.gov
Washington, D.C. – Jon Summers, spokesman for Nevada Senator Harry Reid, released the following statement today in response to reports that “GOP leaders have recently begun inserting the word ‘jobs’ into talking points, floor statements and press conferences” in order to “shore up [Republicans’] credibility on job creation”:
“Inserting the word ‘jobs’ into Republicans’ talking points won’t magically create them. Instead of just talking about jobs, Senate Democrats have passed two bills that will create or protect 580,000 American jobs, and we are working on a third this week that will help small businesses innovate and expand. But all we’ve seen from Republicans is empty talk and a reckless spending bill that would kill 700,000 American jobs.”
To Increase Domestic Production, Oil Companies Should Use The 60 Million Acres They Are Leasing
March 14, 2011 democrats.senate.gov
Oil and gas companies are currently sitting on approximately 60 million acres of oil and gas leases that are going unused. At the same time they are holding back on domestic production, these same oil companies are reaping record profits from high gas prices. And Republicans are protecting this shell game, at a high cost to consumers. Meanwhile, an extreme Republican spending proposal would fire a third of the watchdogs guarding against the reckless speculation that is further driving up prices and gut investments in clean energy sources that reduce our reliance on foreign oil from dangerous regions of the world.
Here are the facts Republicans ignore:
Fact: U.S. oil production, including that on federal lands and waters, has been increasing since 2008, with its largest single-year increase in decades in 2009. [Bureau of Land Management and Energy Information Administration (EIA)]
Fact: Nearly 20 percent of U.S. oil refinery capacity currently sits idle, the highest idle capacity rate in over a decade; clearly, we do not have a problem with lack of refinery capacity. [EIA]
Fact: EPA’s current Clean Air Act standards for vehicles are projected to save consumers money at the pump – $130 – $160 per car per year – and save 1.8 billion barrels of oil. [EPA]
Fact: Oil production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico continued unabated throughout the Deepwater Horizon disaster.[EIA]
Fact: The best way to reduce our long-term dependence on oil from dangerous regions of the world is by investing in alternative fuels. [NYTimes 02/14/11, Forbes 03/03/11]
For the entire article: http://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=331869&
Reid: With Budget Deadline Looming, Republicans Have Yet To Bring New Ideas, Reasonable Offer To The Table Since Senate Rejected Their Reckless Plan
March 14, 2011 democrats.senate.gov
Washington, DC—Nevada Senator Harry Reid made the following remarks today regarding the natural disaster in Japan, an agreement on a three-week Continuing Resolution and Senate Democrats’ third jobs bill, the Small Business Innovation Research Reauthorization. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
“My thoughts and those of the entire United States Senate are with the people of Japan. The earthquake that shook that nation has made the entire world tremble, and the tsunami that swept over its shores has engulfed us all with grief.
“We are heartbroken at the images we’ve seen and the stories we’ve heard. We share the agony of the families who have lost loved ones, and the anguish of those still searching for the missing.
“The earthquake, tsunami and subsequent catastrophes have created a humanitarian crisis of the first order, and the United States will do everything we can to ease Japan’s pain and help it heal. As the devastation and rescue efforts both continue, we know Japan and the world will meet this tragedy with tenacity, and will respond to the immense loss with immeasurable hope.
For the entire article: http://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=331868&
Schumer Statement On Decision By GOP Conservatives Such As Senator Rubio To Oppose Three-Week Spending Measure
March 14, 2011 democrats.senate.gov
WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer released the following statement today after both Senator Marco Rubio and Rep. Jim Jordan—who heads the conservative House Republican Study Committee—announced their plans to oppose a three-week continuing resolution containing $6 billion in spending cuts that was negotiated by their own party’s leadership:
“We agree that running the government two weeks at a time is not good for anyone, but it is the far right that is preventing any compromise on a long-term budget. These Republicans’ decisions to abandon the three-week proposal negotiated by their own party’s leadership suggests that Tea Party lawmakers are unwilling to accept anything short of the extreme cuts in the House budget, even if it risks a shutdown. This is a bad omen that shows how difficult it will be for Speaker Boehner to bring the Tea Party along for any long-term compromise. It is becoming clear that the path to a bipartisan budget deal may not go through the Tea Party at all. In order to avert a shutdown, Speaker Boehner should consider leaving the Tea Party behind and instead seek a consensus in the House among moderate Republicans and a group of Democrats.”
And the Tea Party-backed candidates come back to haunt the Republicans, with the help of the Democrats who keep reminding them! Buyer’s remorse, anyone?
Good afternoon CR and O friends.
Good Monday afternoon COS!
Hi, COS!
Hi Ms O’Boomer! Had any pi yet?
Ha! No, but I’ve been spreading the Happy π Day greeting to one and all!
March 14, 2011
Nominations Sent to the Senate
NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
Dan Arvizu, of Colorado, to be a Member of the National Science Board, National Science Foundation, for a term expiring May 10, 2016. (Reappointment)
Rear Admiral Jonathan W. Bailey, NOAA, to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission.
Madelyn R. Creedon, of Indiana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense, vice Michael Nacht.
Alan F. Estevez, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness. (New Position)
Robert C. Granger, of New Jersey, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences for a term expiring November 28, 2014, vice James R. Davis, resigned.
Alan I. Leshner, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National Science Board, National Science Foundation, for a term expiring May 10, 2016. (Reappointment)
Lewis Alan Lukens, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Senegal, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.
Ariel Pablos-Méndez, of New York, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, vice Kent R. Hill, resigned.
Major General Michael J. Walsh, United States Army, to be a Member and President of the Mississippi River Commission.
Paul D. Wohlers, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Macedonia.
Prop. 8 backers say initiative powers are supreme
3/14/11 sfexaminer.com
The backers of California’s same-sex marriage ban are asserting that ballot proposition sponsors can step in to defend voter-approved laws in court even though the state Constitution is silent on the subject.
Lawyers for the groups that sponsored the 2008 ban told the California Supreme Court on Monday that judges always have given the broadest possible interpretation to the powers granted to the state’s citizens through the initiative process.
The question of whether measure sponsors can fight for their initiatives if state officials refuse to do so is crucial to the future of the Proposition 8.
Its sponsors are appealing a federal judge’s decision striking down the measure, but an appeals court says it would have to dismiss the challenge if state law does not grant them authority to intervene.
Court: CA gay marriage ban is (un)constitutional
2/7/12 Associated Press – 3 mins 47 secs ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal appeals court has declared California’s same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional, paving the way for a likely U.S. Supreme Court showdown on the voter-approved law.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled 2-1 Tuesday that a lower court judge interpreted the U.S. Constitution correctly in 2010 when he declared the ban, known as Proposition 8, to be a violation of the civil rights of gays and lesbians.
The measure, which passed with 52 percent of the vote in 2008, outlawed same-sex unions just five months after they became legal in the state.
Lawyers for Proposition 8 sponsors and for two couples who sued to overturn the ban have said they would appeal to the Supreme Court if they did not receive a favorable ruling from the 9th Circuit.
Romney slams judges for Prop. 8 same-sex-marriage ruling
2/07/12 By Cameron Joseph – TheHill
GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney slammed a Tuesday appellate court ruling that would overturn California’s ban on gay marriage.
“Today, unelected judges cast aside the will of the people of California who voted to protect traditional marriage,” he said in a Tuesday statement.
“This decision does not end this fight, and I expect it to go to the Supreme Court. That prospect underscores the vital importance of this election and the movement to preserve our values.
“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and, as president, I will protect traditional marriage and appoint judges who interpret the Constitution as it is written and not according to their own politics and prejudices.”
Conservatives have expressed concerns about Romney’s record on social issues, and are suspicious he would not strongly oppose gay marriage if elected. But Romney has said he is against same-sex marriage.
Tuesday’s ruling forces the issue back into the spotlight, and while Romney prefers to talk about economic issues, this topic provides him an opportunity to brush up on his social conservative bona fides.
I know this was discussed upthread but I found this statement by Rubio very telling. Didn’t he know that Washington was a political theater? If not, he would not be there. These teabaggers are in over their heads.
“An absurd pattern has clearly developed in Washington,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a Tea Party-aligned freshman, wrote in a column Monday posted on the conservative blog Redstate.com. “I did not come to the U.S. Senate to be part of some absurd political theatre.”
Of course he knew it was a political theater, built brick by brick by the Republicans. What’s more theatrical than the Party of No? So was everything around him in Florida (including his entire campaign), before he got elected to the U.S. Senate.
You are right – he’s in way over his head, and now doesn’t know what to do next.
I think by calling it a political theater, he’s covering himself for NOT accomplishing anything good on behalf of the Floridians who put him there. He can blame his fellow “thespians” in Washington for his ineptitude.
Jacqueline, I also think that a lot of these teabaggers are bored and if they had this to do over again, they would not. This entire bunch is clueless. Politics on the local level is a bit different than nat’l politics.
Tuesday Mar. 15, 2011
All Times Eastern
8:45 AM
First lady Michelle Obama addresses the National League of Cities’s Congressional City Conference at the Marriott Hotel
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
Press Secretary Jay Carney convenes an off-air gaggle with Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs Mike Froman.
Pres Obama and VP Biden receive the presidential daily briefing.
11:00 AM
11:25 AM
Pres Obama conducts interviews with KOAT Albuquerque, KDKA Pittsburgh and WVEC Hampton Roads.
12:00 PM
12:30 PM
Pres Obama and VP Biden meet for lunch.
1:00 PM
1:30 PM
Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
1:45 PM
Pres Obama meets with student finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search 2011 competition.
2:00 PM
Pres Obama meets with senior advisers.
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
4:30 PM
Pres Obama and VP Biden meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
5:00 PM
5:30 PM
Pres Obama and VP Biden meet with the Combatant Commanders.
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
Pres Obama and First Laday Michelle Obama host a dinner for the Combatant Commanders and spouses; VP Biden and Dr Jill Biden also attends.
8:00 PM
Mar 15, 2011
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
1:30 PM EDT
White House Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney
—
CNN http://live.cnn.com/
8:15 AM EDT
Frank Buckles memorial
Friends, family and others remember World War I veteran Frank Buckles, who died last month at age 110, at a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
9:30 AM EDT
Senate Armed Services Committee
Gen. David Petraeus – Situation in Afghanistan
10:00 AM EDT
U.S. House of Representatives Session
SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro will testify before the House Appropriations Committee’s Financial Services and General Government subcommittee on the SEC’s budget.
10:00 AM EDT
The Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing to examine the report of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task Force
10:00 AM EDT
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Donovan will testify before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on “The administration’s report to Congress: Reforming America’s housing finance market.”
10:00 AM EDT
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the Freedom of Information Act, titled “Ensuring transparency and accountability in the digital age.”
10:00 AM EDT
U.S. response to piracy hearing
A House transportation subcommittee holds a hearing on making sure Americans are safe from pirates on the high seas.
11:00 AM EDT
U.S. House of Representatives
FY 2011 Temporary Federal Spending Bill
1:00 PM EDT
House Medicare hearing
A House ways and means subcommittee holds a hearing on the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee’s annual report on updating Medicare payment policies.
1:30 PM EDT
White House Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney
2:00 PM EDT
House Armed Services Subcmte
Long-term Readiness Challenges in the Pacific
2:30 PM
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security will hold a hearing on “Enhancing the president’s authority to eliminate wasteful spending and reduce the budget deficit.”
6:00 PM EDT
Office of the Ohio Governor: Town Hall Meeting – Gov. John Kasich (R)
9:00 PM EDT
Space station crew members say farewell
Three crew members who have called the international space station home for more than five months leave the station for good and prepare to return home.
—
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
8:15 AM EDT
Frank Buckles memorial
Friends, family and others remember World War I veteran Frank Buckles, who died last month at age 110, at a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. http://www.cspan.org/Events/Last-WWI-Veteran-to-be-Buried-in-Arlington/10737420224/
8:30 AM EDT
Council on Foreign Relations
Government Involvement in Economic Recovery Alan Greenspan http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Involvementi
9:30 AM EDT
Senate Armed Services Committee
Gen. David Petraeus – Situation in Afghanistan http://www.cspan.org/Events/Gen-Petraeus-to-outline-Progress-in-Afghanistan/10737420202/
10:00 AM EDT
U.S. House of Representatives Session
SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro will testify before the House Appropriations Committee’s Financial Services and General Government subcommittee on the SEC’s budget.
10:00 AM EDT
The Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing to examine the report of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task Force
10:00 AM EDT
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Donovan will testify before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on “The administration’s report to Congress: Reforming America’s housing finance market.” http://www.cspan.org/Events/Restructuring-the-Nations-Housing-Finance-Programs/10737420203/
10:00 AM EDT
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the Freedom of Information Act, titled “Ensuring transparency and accountability in the digital age.”
12:00 PM EDT
U.S. House of Representatives
FY 2011 Temporary Federal Spending Bill http://www.cspan.org/Events/House-to-Debate-Continuing-Spending-Bill/10737420204/
1:30 PM EDT
White House Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney
2:00 PM EDT
House Armed Services Subcmte
Long-term Readiness Challenges in the Pacific http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Readinessin
2:30 PM
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security will hold a hearing on “Enhancing the president’s authority to eliminate wasteful spending and reduce the budget deficit.”
6:00 PM EDT
Office of the Ohio Governor: Town Hall Meeting – Gov. John Kasich (R) http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/KasichT
—
Department of Defense
The Pentagon Channel http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/
8:15 AM EDT
Frank Buckles memorial
Friends, family and others remember World War I veteran Frank Buckles, who died last month at age 110, at a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
9:30 AM EDT
Michèle Flournoy, under secretary of defense for policy, and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, will testify in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the situation in Afghanistan.
—-
Japan Broadcasting Corporation
NHK LIVE FEED: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/
—-
Middle East Protest
Al Jazeera – English http://english.aljazeera.net/
Middle East and North Africa unrest- BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698
The Week Ahead: Time is ticking
3/14/11 By Emily Cahn – TheHill.com
Tuesday, March 15
First lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan and Erskine Bowles, former chief of staff for President Clinton, will address local elected officials during the National League of Cities’s Congressional City Conference. Obama, Donovan and Bowles will speak at an 8:45 a.m. session, which takes place at the Marriott Hotel.
Petraeus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, will testify at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, which starts at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen G-50.
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro will testify before the House Appropriations Committee’s Financial Services and General Government subcommittee on the SEC’s budget. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in Rayburn 2362.
The Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing to examine the report of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task Force. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in Dirksen 608. Former Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and former Federal Reserve Vice Chairwoman Alice Rivlin, co-chairmen of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task Force, will testify.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Donovan will testify before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on “The administration’s report to Congress: Reforming America’s housing finance market.” The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in Dirksen 538.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the Freedom of Information Act, titled “Ensuring transparency and accountability in the digital age.” The hearing starts at 10 a.m. in Dirksen 226.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security will hold a hearing on “Enhancing the president’s authority to eliminate wasteful spending and reduce the budget deficit.” The hearing begins at 2:30 p.m. in Dirksen 342.
For the entire article: http://thehill.com/homenews/news/149187-the-week-ahead-another-vote-expected-on-a-short-term-measure-to-fund-the-government
Arlington Burial Planned for Last ‘Doughboy’ Frank Buckles
March 11, 2011 By Jim Garamone – American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, – America will pay its respects to its last World War I veteran March 15, as former Army Cpl. Frank Buckles is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Buckles — the last of the more than 5 million Americans who served during World War I and were known as “doughboys” — died Feb. 22 at his home in West Virginia. He was 110.
He will lie in honor at Arlington’s Memorial Amphitheater Chapel from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 15 for the public to pay its last respects. The interment will be at 4 p.m., and the corporal will be buried near the site where General of the Armies John “Black Jack” Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Force, is buried.
The Pentagon Channel will carry the service.
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63140
It’s March 15th here in the Midwest already, so Beware the Ides of March! And all I mean by that is don’t have Caesar salad!
Goodnight!
But I love Caesar salads!
CR – With all that “Pi” you had yesterday, go ahead and have your salad!
Thanks!
SELL, SELL, SELL
3/15/11 POLITICO44
President Obama is taking the local route on Tuesday, sitting down for three interviews with reporters from news outlets in Albuquerque, Pittsburgh and Hampton Roads, Va., to spread his message on changing the education system. The White House billed the interviews in guidance to reporters as a chance for Obama to talk about “the importance of education reform and the need to fix No Child Left Behind.” There’s always the chance, though, that he’ll get a question about Bradley Manning, Tim Kaine or gun laws.
The interviews, in the Map Room, are closed to the press (except for the reporters interviewing Obama).
Tuesday: First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks At National League of Cities Conference
March 14, 2011 obamafoodorama.blogspot.com
On Tuesday morning in Washington, First Lady Michelle Obama will address the 2011 Congressional City Conference, hosted by the National League of Cities. Mrs. Obama will speak to elected leaders and policy makers from across the US about Let’s Move Cities and Towns, which focuses on helping communities create long-term, sustainable, and holistic approaches to fighting childhood obesity.
The National League of Cities has been collaborating with the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services to encourage communities to join Let’s Move Cities and Towns, which as of March 3 has more than 500 cities and towns participating (the full list is here). Mrs. Obama launched the initiative in June of 2010.
Mrs. Obama will speak during the morning general session at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and former Congressman and current Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough are also scheduled to address the conference, which will focus on “federal policy issues and NLC’s economic growth agenda for America’s hometowns and the country.” Click here for the schedule.
Become a Let’s Move! City or Town
The First Lady is calling on mayors and elected officials across the country to join her Let’s Move! campaign. Let’s Move Cities and Towns engages mayors and other municipal leaders in the campaign to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. Let’s Move Cities and Towns emphasizes the unique ability of communities to solve the challenge locally, and the critical leadership mayors and elected officials can provide to bring communities together and spur action.
Let’s Move! Cities and Towns is designed to encourage mayors and elected officials to adopt a long-term, sustainable, and holistic approach to fight childhood obesity. This initiative recognizes that every city is different, and every town will require a distinct approach to the issue. Once an elected official signs up as a prospective Let’s Move City or a Let’s Move Town, he or she will have the option of choosing at least one significant action to take over the following twelve months in each of the four pillar areas.
1. Giving Parents and Caregivers the Tools They Need to Make Healthy Choices in Early Childhood
2. Improving Nutrition in Schools
3. Increasing Physical Activity Opportunities
4. Making Healthy Food Affordable & Accessible
If you are an elected official who is interested in participating in Let’s Move! Cities & Towns, sign up to join here.
Mayors and elected officials can help take a stand and be leaders on this effort across the country. With all of us working together, this problem can be solved.
If you have any questions, please contact your city’s HHS Regional Director.
View a list of Let’s Move! Cities and Towns.
Visit this page to read the Call to Action and view steps for mayors and elected officials.
Good Tuesday morning everyone! I HOPE that you have a good day!
Good morning everyone..!!
I saw this on my twitter timeline:
RT @WestWingReport: 2012: #Obama 5.2% over #Romney, 5.5% over #Huckabee, 10.7% over #Daniels, 14.0% over #Gingrich, 15.2% over #Palin, 15.6% over Pawlenty
Thank you Tigerfists. I love it. I wish his lead was much more. I cannot understand people still liking any of the Republican hopefuls.
Good Tuesday morning Tigerfists!
Now Streaming….
9:30 AM EDT
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and Michèle Flournoy, under secretary of defense for policy, will testify in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the situation in Afghanistan.
CNN http://live.cnn.com/
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/Events/Gen-Petraeus-to-outline-Progress-in-Afghanistan/10737420202/
The Pentagon Channel http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/
Coalition Has Momentum in Afghanistan, Petraeus Says
March 15, 2011 By Jim Garamone- American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – The Taliban’s momentum has been reversed in most areas of Afghanistan, but the progress achieved there is fragile and reversible, the commander of NATO and U.S. forces said here today.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee that much dangerous work remains ahead for coalition and Afghan government forces in the country.
“Nonetheless, the hard-fought achievements in 2010 and early 2011 have enabled the joint Afghan-NATO transition board to recommend initiation this spring of transition to Afghan lead in several provinces,” he said. The progress also will factor into his recommendations in drawing down the number of U.S. forces in the country, now at around 100,000, the general added.
The progress, Petraeus said, has put the NATO-led effort on the path to turn over security responsibility for the country to Afghan forces by 2014.
The effort in Afghanistan is more than simply a military campaign, Petraeus told the senators. Support and resources the United States and the 47 other troop-contributing countries have provided has allowed the civil-military campaign to work, he said.
And, Petraeus noted, the Afghans themselves are shouldering an increasingly larger share of the defense burden.
“More than 87,000 additional NATO ISAF troopers and 1,000 additional civilians have been added to the effort in Afghanistan since the beginning of 2009,” the general said. “In Afghanistan, security forces have grown by over 122,000 in that time as well.”
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63170
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Senior Officials Meeting
Michael Froman, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs
Via Teleconference – Washington, DC
March 14, 2011
OPERATOR: Welcome and thank you for standing by. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After today’s presentation, we will conduct a question-and-answer session. To ask a question at that time, please press *1. Today’s conference is being recorded. If you have any objections, please disconnect at this time.
I would now like to turn the call over to Ms. Heide Fulton. Ma’am, you may begin.
MS. FULTON: All right, thank you very much. Good afternoon, everybody. Thanks for joining us today. In light of last week’s senior officials meeting for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the meeting that was held in Washington last Wednesday, we have gotten together several senior U.S. Government officials to hold this on-the-record conference call.
Today we have with us Michael Froman, who is deputy assistant to the President and deputy national security advisor for international economic affairs; Wendy Cutler, U.S. Trade Representative*; and Kurt Tong, the U.S. senior official for APEC economy cooperation – Asia-Pacific economic cooperation.
For the entire article: http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2011/03/158334.htm
Concrete Steps Congress Can Take to Protect America’s Intellectual Property
Posted by Victoria Espinel on March 15, 2011
Today, the Administration issued 20 legislative recommendations to Congress, designed to improve intellectual property enforcement. These legislative recommendations exemplify the Administration’s commitment to protect and grow jobs and exports, as well as to safeguard the health and safety of our people.
The theft of American innovation costs jobs and imperils economic growth. This must end. We have recommended legislative changes that will help us ensure that American workers and businesses are protected. Among those changes, we are seeking significantly increased criminal penalties for those selling counterfeits to our military, when counterfeiting and piracy is funding organized criminal activity, for those selling products that can harm or kill American consumers and for those stealing American innovation and transferring it overseas. We are also seeking changes to ensure that our laws can address technological changes, such as illegal streaming, and that law enforcement can share information effectively with businesses.
Selling counterfeit products for use by the military or in national defense risks public safety and the safety of our service men and women. Therefore, we proposed today to significantly increase criminal penalties for those seeking to profit at the expense of our safety. We are working intensely with the Department of Defense and NASA to ensure counterfeit goods are not entering the U.S. Government supply chain. Yesterday, we hosted a White House meeting with DOJ, the FBI, DoD and others to discuss how to prevent procurement of counterfeit products across the Federal government. We look forward to working closely with Senator Levin and Senator McCain as the Senate Armed Services Committee investigates this critical issue.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/03/15/concrete-steps-congress-can-take-protect-americas-intellectual-property
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke remarks at luncheon co-hosted by Center for American Progress and Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON)
March 14, 2011 commerce.gov
Good afternoon, everyone. It’s a pleasure to be here today.
Thanks, John, for those kind words, and for co-hosting this important event.
I would also like to recognize President Meral for his many contributions to our growing commercial relationship.
The Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey, or TUSKON, is only six years old but it has already established itself as a driving force for economic development in Turkey and a trusted partner for businesses around the world. With the opening of your Washington office in the fall of 2007, you have cemented your place as a close friend to the American business community.
Of course, Turkey and the United States have been close strategic partners for decades, working together on a range of issues, including stability and security, trade and investment, and counterterrorism. We have joined forces to contribute to stabilization efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Our countries also have established deep cultural ties as well. Thousands of Americans visit Turkey every year, and many Turks and their descendents have come to the United States, strengthening the rich and diverse fabric of our nation. Over 12,000 Turkish students study in the U.S. – more than from any other European country!
And our cooperation in the economic sphere grows more important every day.
For the entire article: http://www.commerce.gov/news/secretary-speeches/2011/03/14/remarks-luncheon-co-hosted-center-american-progress-and-confedera
UPDATED: Oral Testimony of Energy Secretary Steven Chu at the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development of the House Committee on Appropriations – As Prepared for Delivery
March 15, 2011 energy.gov
Chairman Frelinghuysen, Mr. Pastor, Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Dicks, Mr. Visclosky, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the President’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget request for the Department of Energy. Your support is critical to our mission, and I look forward to continuing our relationship with this committee.
I want to begin by expressing the Administration’s support for the people of Japan, as well as American citizens in Japan, as they respond to and recover from the tragic events of the past few days.
Officials from the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and other agencies have maintained close contact with Japanese officials and have provided the Japanese government with expertise in a variety of areas.
As part of that effort, the Department of Energy has sent two experts to Japan to provide advice and technical assistance. One is an emergency response representative deployed as part of the U.S. Agency for International Development Disaster Assistance Response Team, and the other is a nuclear engineer with Japanese language skills.
We are positioning Consequence Management Response Teams at U.S. Consulates and military installations in Japan. These teams have the skills, expertise and equipment to help assess, survey, monitor and sample areas. They include smaller groups that could be sent out to gather technical information in the area.
We have sent our Aerial Measuring System capability, including detectors and analytical equipment used to provide assessments of contamination on the ground.
In total, the DOE team includes 34 people with more than 17,000 pounds of equipment.
For the entire article: http://www.energy.gov/10174.htm
i6 Green and What it Means for America’s Innovation Economy
Posted by John Fernandez on March 15, 2011
President Obama has given us a strong vision of what it’s going to take to win the future – that’s by out-innovating, out-educating and out-building the rest of the world. In order to realize that vision, America must keep up with the pace of technological advances that are greatly impacting the global economy. The truth is that in the 21st Century, world economies are trying to do more with limited resources, and part of that ultimately means we can not have an energy sector that is rooted in the infrastructure of the past.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) realizes that investments in clean technology can help to ensure that these new energy tools enable an America that is as economically sustainable as it is environmentally sustainable.
That’s why we recently launched i6 Green– a $12 million multi-agency competitive grant program designed to identify, support, and reward the nation’s best ideas for technology commercialization in six different regions of the country.This program has a specific focus on regional economic development and environmental sustainability through the advancement of Proof of Concept Centers.
A Proof of Concept Center can literally mean the difference between success and failure for an emerging small technology business. What they do is vital, by supporting all aspects of the entrepreneurship process, from technology demonstration and business plan development to providing early-stage access to capital and other resources to help innovators turn their ideas into real businesses. As part of a Proof of Concept Center, a young business can have access to shared resources such as lab equipment and work spaces, which in turn helps them save money as they “boot-strap” to achieve their personal dream of launching their own company.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/03/15/i6-green-and-what-it-means-americas-innovation-economy
March 15, 2011
Remarks By The First Lady At National League Of Cities Conference
Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, D.C.
This morning, First Lady Michelle Obama addressed the Congressional City Conference of the National League of Cities to make the economic case for communities to address childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is not just a health or family issue alone. It is an economic issue that impacts workforces, job growth, and local budgets across the country.
9:59 A.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. Thanks so much. (Applause.) Thank you all so much. It’s wonderful to be here. It’s great to see you all. Please rest yourselves. You’ve been working hard. Take a seat. (Laughter.) Relax yourselves.
I am just thrilled and honored to be here with all of you for your annual conference. I want to thank Valerie for that very kind introduction and for everything that she does for this administration and for this country.
I also want to recognize President James Mitchell — (applause)– yay — (applause) — as well as Don Borut, Carolyn Coleman, and Leon Andrews for all of their outstanding work for the National League of Cities. Let’s give them a round of applause. (Applause.)
And finally, I’m here because I want to thank all of you for the vitally important work that you’re doing every day in cities and towns all across America.
And that’s why I wanted to be here with all of you today, because you’re the ones who deal with the issues that determine not just the future of our communities, but the future of our country. And I want to talk with you about an issue we face in every city and in every town in America. It’s an issue that has people talking all across the nation, but it’s not always one we think about as a local issue. But, if ignored, it’s an issue that can drastically alter the economic landscape of our cities and towns for generations to come.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/15/remarks-first-lady-national-league-cities-conference
This headline on TPM is very annoying:
“Ohioans Having Incredible Buyers Remorse Over Gov. Kasich”
… but the buyer’s remorse spreads, and I’m enjoying that. I know President Obama’s team will capitalize on the results of voting for these Republican governors and others, who are ruining our country and destroying the middle class.
http://bit.ly/hx2vhS
Jacqueline, I think there is buyer’s remorse all over the place. I think it was Electablog who wrote a piece regarding folks staying at home during the 2010 election to get revenge on PBO. The entire lot of repugs swept into office in 2010 are all the same. In spite of all the nastiness and voting no on anything to help the American people, folks stayed at home and independents voted for the repugs. Be careful what you ask for. PBO and the Dems in congress are responsible for bringing the economy back and they did not get any rewards. I hope it wll be different in 2012. PBO Warned all of us about “D” for drive and “R” for reverse.
COS – You nailed it. So very many people were so very, very dumb in whom they voted for in 2010. “D” for Drive in 2012!!!
Hi COS! Well I hope that voters are clearer thinking when they vote in the next year and vote for the good of all by voting for Democrats!
March 15, 2011
Fact Sheet: The U.S.-Brazil Economic Relationship
STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC TIES CONTRIBUTE TO JOBS AND GROWTH
The United States and Brazil, the two largest economies and the two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere, share one of the most important trade and economic relationships in the world. Brazil is our 10th largest trading partner. U.S. goods and services exports to Brazil in 2010 are estimated to be more than $50 billion, which will support more than 250,000 jobs. U.S. goods and services exports to Brazil are growing twice as fast as overall U.S. goods and services exports.
Brazil is an emerging global player and economic powerhouse. With a 2010 GDP of more than $2 trillion, Brazil is the 7th largest economy in the world and accounts for nearly 60 percent of South America’s total GDP. Brazil’s economy grew by 7.5 percent in 2010 and is anticipated to grow by between 4 and 5 percent in 2011.
As the U.S.-Brazil relationship deepens, we seek to base our cooperation on strong and dynamic private sectors, a commitment to open and fair trade, and continued economic and energy integration. Strengthening the economic and commercial relationship between the U.S. and Brazil through stronger partnerships on energy (including clean energy, biofuels, and petroleum sectors), infrastructure and development cooperation in third countries will allow both countries to grow and at the same time strengthen the bonds between the U.S. and Latin America.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/15/fact-sheet-us-brazil-economic-relationship
March 15, 2011
Fact Sheet: The U.S. Relationship with Central and South America
AN EMERGING PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH
President Obama is committed to enhancing U.S. leadership in Central and South America, and at the same time, recognizing the region’s emerging markets as key players in the global economy. Central and South America’s rapid pace of growth – around 6 percent in 2010 – is creating new opportunities for mutually beneficial trade that creates prosperity abroad and new jobs at home. We are connected to Central and South America not just by a common geography, but by common interests and values.
The President set a goal of doubling our exports by the end of 2014, and with nearly 20 percent growth since 2009, we are on pace to meet this challenge. But as the United States competes globally, strengthening our partnerships for progress with our American neighbors is crucial to winning the future. U.S. trade agreements with Central and South America already cover 7 countries and $471 billion in total goods trade with more set to be added when the outstanding issues with Panama and Colombia are resolved and those FTA’s are put forward for Congressional approval. These agreements, along with extensive trading and investment relationships and government-to-government mechanisms to promote United States economic engagement in the region are positioning the U.S. to successfully compete in Central and South America and around the world.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/15/fact-sheet-us-relationship-central-and-south-america
Please join me in lighting candles for those suffering from natural disasters and political strife. Please also remember our President, First Family and our Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Officials Urge Precautions at Yokosuka, Atsugi
March 15, 2011 By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – Officials told personnel in and around Fleet Activities Yokosuka and Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Japan today to limit outdoor activities and to turn off air conditioning due to the detection of low levels of radioactivity.
U.S. 7th Fleet officials said sensitive instruments aboard the USS George Washington, docked at Yokosuka, detected low levels of radioactivity released from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant.
Limiting outdoor activities and turning off air conditioners “are strictly precautionary in nature,” the announcement said. “We do not expect that any United States federal radiation exposure limits will be exceeded even if no precautionary measures are taken.”
Officials stressed that these are low-level readings and the public is not in danger.
“According to the instrumentation at Fleet Activity Yokosuka, the levels are very low,” said Navy Lt. Anthony Falvo, 7th Fleet deputy public affairs officer. “For perspective, the additional radiation exposure over the past 12 hours was about 20 millirems –- which is less than one month’s exposure to naturally occurring radiation that one would get from the sun, the earth or rocks.”
Officials will continue the monitoring program and will constantly check the weather and prevailing winds, Falvo said. If anything changes, base officials will immediately notify service members and their families, he added.
Remarks With Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto
3/15/11 State.gov
Hillary Rodham Clinton – Secretary of State
Le Meurice Hotel, Paris, France
March 15, 2011
QUESTION: Mr. Foreign Minister, what’s the greatest need from the international community?
FOREIGN MINISTER MATSUMOTO: (Via interpreter.) We have been already receiving a lot of assistance from the international community, but we would like to (inaudible). I much appreciate the United States Government for their assistance and also their encouragement.
SECRETARY CLINTON: And I want to, on behalf of the United States, express both our condolence and our solidarity with the government and people of Japan. Japan is always a very generous donor to any disaster anywhere in the world, and today, the world comes together to support Japan in its hour of need. And the minister and I will be discussing a lot of the specifics that we are working on together.
20th Anniversary of Reestablishment of Relations between the United States and Albania
Hillary Rodham Clinton -Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 15, 2011
On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I send my best wishes to the people of Albania as our two nations mark twenty years of renewed diplomatic relations on March 15. After a break of 52 years, 1991 was truly a new beginning – not only for our bilateral relations, but also for Albania’s development as a democratic country and international partner. This anniversary commemorates our partnership, reminds us of the progress made, and underscores the promise of Albania’s future, especially as you take the necessary steps to achieve the goal of membership in the European Union.
Even during the darkest years of the Cold War, Albanians and Americans did not forget the deep bonds of friendship between our two countries. And after 1991, the United States supported Albania as it began the path of integration into the Euro-Atlantic community. Now a NATO member, Albania has shown a deep commitment to the Alliance, with one of the highest per capita contributions to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Albania’s commitment to stability in its own neighborhood has been demonstrated through its support for the young nation of Kosovo and its contributions toward reconciliation in the Western Balkans.
Secretary Locke Visits Research Triangle for Public Forum on Innovation, Entrpreneurship and Education
March 15, 2011 commerce.gov
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke was joined by North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill today to participate in the first town hall-style public forum of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) and discuss the importance of education to U.S. competitiveness.
At the meeting, NACIE subcommittees presented updates to Locke and the full Council on their work developing recommendations on how to better incentivize innovation and entrpreneurship to help America win the future by out-innovating, out-educating and out-building our economic competitors.
Incorporating a wide range of stakeholder input, reports included initiatives to develop new cross-college, cross-disciplinary educational programs that connect business with science, math, technology and engineering fields and extend these programs to young people in underserved and low-income areas by involving community colleges in consortia for training and mentoring in innovation and entrepreneurial activities.
For the entire article: http://www.commerce.gov/blog/2011/03/15/secretary-locke-visits-research-triangle-public-forum-innovation-entrpreneurship-and
Red Cross Website Links Japan-based Troops to Home
March 15, 2011 By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON– In the wake of Japan’s massive earthquake and tsunami, Red Cross officials are encouraging U.S. service members and families posted there to register with an online resource intended to keep family and friends back home informed of their welfare.
Military members and their families overseas can relay their status and pass on messages to loved ones through the American Red Cross-sponsored “Safe and Well” website at http://redcross.org.
“It’s a great online tool,” Deanna Swanier, senior director of service delivery for the American Red Cross’ Service to the Armed Forces, told American Forces Press Service yesterday. “Family members back here can visit the website and look up loved ones to see if they’re safe.”
Hours after the earthquake and tsunami struck March 11, officials confirmed U.S. military personnel and their families were accounted for. Still, family and friends back home were seeking information.
One woman turned to Misawa Air Base’s Facebook page for information that day. Misawa is about 400 miles north of Tokyo.
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63160
Fed sees economy on firmer footing and holds steady
3/15/11 Pedro da Costa and Mark Felsenthal -Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve maintained its ultra-loose monetary policy on Tuesday, saying the economy was gaining traction while flagging potential inflation risks from costlier energy and food.
The widely expected decision comes on a day of steep selling on stock markets around the world as investors assessed the devastating toll of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, and fretted over the possibility of a broader nuclear crisis.
The heightened uncertainty reinforced the case for a steady-as-she-goes policy decision from the Fed, which markedly upgraded its view of the U.S. recovery and labor market.
In a unanimous decision, the Fed vowed to continue its $600 billion government bond-buying program as scheduled, and reiterated a pledge to keep interest rates at very low levels for an extended period.
“The economic recovery is on a firmer footing, and overall conditions in the labor market appear to be improving gradually,” the central bank said in a statement.
For the entire article: http://yhoo.it/dMYYlI
Good tweet from Andy Borowitz, a couple of days ago:
#Wisconsin: Governor Walker reminds everyone to set their clocks back to the Industrial Revolution. #WIunion
Whoa that was a good one
House votes 3-week stopgap federal spending bill
3/15/11 AP
WASHINGTON – The House Tuesday passed a measure blending $6 billion in budget cuts with enough money to keep the government running for an additional three weeks.
The measure would buy additional time for talks between Capitol Hill Republicans and the Obama administration on a bill to fund the day-to-day operations of the government through the end of September. Those negotiations haven’t gotten very far yet and House GOP leaders haven’t shown much flexibility.
The measure passed by a 271-158 vote despite opposition from some tea party-backed conservatives who said it “kicks the can down the road” instead of imposing steep and immediate spending cuts. The $6 billion cut by the measure includes many items that the Obama administration and Democrats agree can be axed. Fifty-four Republicans opposed the bill, which meant that Democratic support was required to pass it — a prospect that GOP leaders must avoid to keep control of the debate in future rounds.
For the entire article; http://yhoo.it/dGQrcS
Pelosi Floor Speech on Short-Term Continuing Resolution
March 15, 2011 democraticleader.gov
Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor today on the Republican three-week Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government through April 8. Below are the Leader’s remarks.
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his hard work to help keep the government open. While many of us will not agree on the legislation before us today, we know it is necessary for us to proceed. So I don’t rise to support or oppose the legislation but instead to comment on the situation that we are in.
“Again, today we are in a situation where we are debating a short-term bill to keep the government open on a week-by-week basis. This is not any way to run a government or a business. It certainly is not a way, as the military generals, leadership, have told us to protect the national security of our country on a week-to-week basis.
For the entire article: http://www.democraticleader.gov/news/press?id=2086
Democrats Continue to Call on Republicans to Put Forward a Spending Measure to Cut and Compromise
March 15, 2011 democraticwhip.gov
Today the House will consider a short term continuing resolution to fund the government for the next three weeks. Democrats continue to call on Republicans to cut and compromise on a measure that funds the government for the full year so that we prevent a shutdown and stop funding the government in week-by-week increments, which is inefficient and disruptive to the private and public sector. Republicans have criticized short-term resolutions as well:
“I am really not warmed over to that, because if you continue to do that you continue to create a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability for the American people.” –Rep. Allen West [National Journal, 03/11/11]
“The fact is we can’t subject our Nation’s national security to a 2-week by 2-week process. It is not the way the Defense Department can function and this Nation can defend itself and its vital national security interests. We owe it to the men and women serving in harm’s way as we speak.” –Senator John McCain [Congressional Record, 03/09/11]
“I really hope there’s not an endless [continuing resolution]. The reason for that is that the federal offices, the Defense Department, FBI and on and on, they can’t advance… So I’m going to push to get that resolved. … We need a budget. We need this year’s piece done, so we can focus on 2012.” – Rep. James Lankford [Politico, 03/13/11]
For the entire article; http://www.democraticwhip.gov/content/democrats-continue-call-republicans-put-forward-spending-measure-cut-and-compromise
March 15, 2011
Statement by Press Secretary Jay Carney on House Passage of the Three-Week Continuing Resolution
The short-term funding bill passed in the House of Representatives today gives Congress some breathing room to find consensus on a long-term measure that funds the government through the end of the fiscal year. The President urges the Senate to pass this bill to avoid a government shutdown that would be harmful to our economic recovery. But the President has been clear: with the wide range of issues facing our nation, we cannot keep funding the government in two or three week increments. It is time for us to come together, find common ground and resolve this issue in a sensible way. There is no disagreement on whether to cut spending to put us on a path to live within our means, but we can’t sacrifice critical investments that will help us out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build our global competitors to win the future. We have already met Republicans halfway, and we are optimistic that Congress can get this done.
From the DCCC website:
March 15, 2011
Daily Kos: Voters trending towards Obama, away from GOP on deficit, economy (GRAPH) http://dems.me/gcjFTr
Great news CR. The republican budget is not in the best interest of the people. They are only trying to please the tea party. PBO’s budget has more substance and his budget is serious.
President Obama Meets with Fresh Science Talent
March 15, 2011 Posted by Phil Larson
Keeping his commitment to honor remarkable science and math scholars just like sports champions, President Obama today welcomed 40 high school finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search to the White House.
The President congratulated the students for embodying what is needed to out-educate our global competitors, adding that as the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technological leaders, their success is crucial for America to win the future. The students also stand out as role models for the benefits of high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, education in the United States, a key priority for the President.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/03/15/president-obama-meets-fresh-science-talent
Secretary Napolitano’s Visit to Denver
March 15, 2011 dhs.gov
Denver – Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today traveled to Denver to meet with state and major urban area fusion center leaders and deliver remarks at the National Fusion Center Conference, where she announced the expansion of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign to the state of Colorado.
“Homeland security begins with hometown security, and our national network of fusion centers plays a critical role in improving our collective ability to protect our communities,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Ensuring our security is a shared responsibility that requires every individual to be alert and to recognize and report suspicious behavior.”
During her remarks to more than 1,000 fusion center directors, homeland security advisors, law enforcement and intelligence officials, Secretary Napolitano reiterated the Department’s strong support for fusion centers—highlighting the deployment of 70 experienced DHS intelligence officers to work side by side with federal, state and local fusion center personnel nationwide to assess threats and share information.
For the entire article: http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1300218779518.shtm
Coalition, Afghan Troops Have Retaken Advantage
March 15, 2011 By Jim Garamone – American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON,– Coalition and Afghan troops have retaken the advantage, once thought lost, from the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Defense Department’s top policy official said today.
Michele Flournoy, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that following the 9/11 attacks, the United States went into Afghanistan to attack al-Qaida and take down the Taliban regime that supported the terrorists.
From 2001 to 2003, operations in Afghanistan went well. “In the years that followed, however, we lost focus on Afghanistan,” she said. “While our attention was turned away, al-Qaida, the Taliban, and associated extremist groups reconstituted their safe havens along the borderlands between Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
The terrorists returned; the Taliban took over wide swaths of land; and the enemy used narcotics to finance their efforts and intimidate the population.
“When President [Barack] Obama took office, he immediately undertook a thorough review of our strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan and reaffirmed our core goal: to disrupt, dismantle and eventually defeat al-Qaida, and to prevent its return to Afghanistan,” Flournoy said.
That strategy required more American troops on the ground. Since taking office, the president has ordered about 60,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The Afghan surge was finally all in place in September, and it is paying off, Flournoy said.
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63175
Tonight: The Obamas Host Dinner For US Combatant Commanders
March 15, 2011 obamafoodorama.blogspot.com
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host dinner this evening for the high-ranking members of America’s armed forces who make up the US Combatant Commanders. The top brass and their spouses will also be joined by Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden for the 7:00 PM event in the Blue Room, according to the White House.
The Commander in Chief and Mrs. Obama hosted a similar dinner last year, on January 11, 2010. This evening, the dinner follows a series of defense meetings: At 5:30 PM today, the Combatant Commanders will meet in the Cabinet Room with the President and Vice President.
Before that, at 4:30 PM, the President and Vice President will meet with Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the Oval Office. On Monday, Gates also met with the President in the Oval Office, with Gen. David Petraeus, Commanding General of US Forces in Afghanistan. They discussed the drawdown of American troops, which is scheduled to start in four months. The White House gave no other details on the meeting. Gates and Petraeus are both expected at dinner this evening.
For the entire article: http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2011/03/tonight-obamas-host-dinner-for-us.html
Did you see this CR? This is ridiculous. How will this create those jobs they promised? So sad. They have the nerve to declare this as an emergency.
House Republicans are holding an emergency meeting of the Rules Committee on Wednesday to take up legislation that would block funding to NPR in the wake of James O’Keefe’s hidden camera prank on the news organization.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/house-gop-declare-emergencyover-npr-funding.php?ref=fpblg
GOP BETTER NOT CUT NPR FUNDING!
Thought I’d share this; it is really good. I’m Catholic and the only Catholic national weekly magazine is on board, on this topic. This is from their latest online pub:
Congress Kills the Dialogue
Of all the proposed budget cuts, the most shortsighted is the determination to shut down the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which helps support NPR and PBS). The House voted in February to cut all funding. Not one Republican objected.
Perhaps it is a kabuki drama, playacting to threaten a news source like PBS—which bends over backward to be impartial and whose corporate president is a Republican, Patricia S. Harrison—into becoming even more conservative or silent. But a defunded version of PBS and NPR would be more dependent on corporate sponsorship and less free to speak truth to power. Culture would also be dumbed down and democracy’s dialogue reduced to a stammer.
The news media are already gasping for breath. News outlets have laid off reporters, cut investigative staffs and dropped book and classical music reviewers. Meanwhile the public stations have been the closest thing we have to a national university, where high culture is available free to low income people who might otherwise never hear an opera.
Some congressmen want the media to be weak and want to leave the news delivery and classical music to the free market system. So it’s back to the wasteland of laugh-track sitcoms, celebrity gossip and the ravings of Charlie Sheen as the volume surges for commercials and drug ads. And goodbye Beethoven, “American Experience,” the “News Hour,” “The Civil War,” “Frontline,” “Car Talk,” “Prairie Home Companion,” “Charlie Rose” and Sherlock Holmes. The United States, says Congress, just cannot afford you.
Intel CEO: ‘Tax Holiday’ Could Create More Jobs
3/15/11 by NPR Staff
How can the U.S. get people back to work?
It’s a question Paul Otellini, the president and chief executive officer of Intel Corp., signed up to address when he was recently appointed to the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
The unemployment rate fell to 8.9 percent in February — the lowest it’s been in nearly two years — and the private sector added more than 200,000 jobs last month, but nearly 14 million Americans remain unemployed.
In his State of the Union address this year, President Obama called on the country to “out-innovate, out-educate and outbuild the rest of the world.” But is the country in the position to do that?
“An objective view would certainly show that the U.S. is at the top of the technical and innovation heap,” Otellini tells NPR host Michele Norris.
But he cautions that key measures spell trouble for maintaining that lead: the number of graduates, the number of companies being formed and the number of patents inside the country versus outside of the country. “All of those things are pointed in the wrong direction today,” he says. “And if they are not remedied in a way that attracts investment and attracts the right kind of human capital, we will find ourselves not at the top of the heap.”
For the entire article and audio interview: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/15/134568752/intel-ceo-tax-holiday-could-create-more-jobs
Mr. Otellini has some good ideas.
(I understand what he meant and I’m kidding here but) I’d like a five-year tax holiday, myself!
March 15, 2011
Readout of President Obama’s meeting with his national security team on Libya
At today’s meeting, the President and his national security team reviewed the situation in Libya and options to increase pressure on Gaddafi. In particular, the conversation focused on efforts at the United Nations and potential UN Security Council actions, as well as ongoing consultations with Arab and European partners.
The President instructed his team to continue to fully engage in the discussions at the United Nations, NATO and with partners and organizations in the region.
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THIS POST IS NOW CLOSED
NBLB Come on over to my newest post
titled: “ White House Vegetable Garden”
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