Daily Archives: 05/23/2013

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If being sexually assaulted wasn’t bad enough…


National Women's Law Center
Failing Our Girls
                Help us protect girls from sexual assault and bullying and continue other vital work with a generous donation.
Donate Now

When you see the news, it’s the same disturbing story. The four-letter word our friends, sisters and daughters face in school? Slut. Sometimes even after experiencing sexual violence. Here is the story of one Michigan high school student.
She was sexually assaulted at school in a soundproof band room by a star player on the basketball team and then felt discouraged by the principal from filing charges. The girl and her parents filed charges anyway. Despite an obligation under Title IX, which requires federally funded schools to ensure an environment free from sex-based discrimination, school officials took virtually no action. And the victim was subsequently subjected to intensive harassment and bullying by the assailant and other students — both at school and online.
The National Women’s Law Center has joined with a Michigan law firm to file a lawsuit in federal court to hold this school district accountable for its failure to adequately address the harassment and to send a nationwide message that sexual assault, bullying and harassment is never okay. Your help allows us to take on cases like this and continue our work to protect women and girls. Please donate $10 to support our work.
Sadly, this student is far from alone. Every two minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. As we’ve seen in Steubenville, Ohio and across the country, this problem is not going away. And often after a sexual assault, survivors are made to feel ashamed instead of supported.
The chilling message students are receiving from some schools is that they should remain silent in the face of sexual assault. It’s time to end that. Please donate $10 to support the Center’s work.
Thank you for helping us continue to stand up for women and girls.
Sincerely,
Judy Waxman Judy Waxman  Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights  National Women’s Law Center
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tom Coburn & Spending


By  ThinkProgress War Room

One of the more unfortunate developments in recent years is the new status quo within the GOP of demanding that emergency disaster aid be offset with cuts elsewhere in the budget, something previously only a minority of members of Congress like Sen. Coburn demanded.  This callous new standard led Republicans, including Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe (R), to vote en masse against aid to the victims of Superstorm Sandy.

To justify his vote against Sandy aid in view of the clear need for aid to Oklahoma, Inhofe claimed yesterday that aid to victims of the Oklahoma tornado is somehow “totally different” than the Sandy aid he opposed.

Extending federal aid to victims of disasters like the Oklahoma tornado is obviously just the right thing to do, but it’s troubling that Republicans now hypocritically demand aid for their own states while attempting to withhold help other Americans who are the victims of tragic disasters.

Rep. Peter King (R), for one,  got it right when he called out his fellow Republicans for “hypocrisy” while calling for immediate aid — without offsetting spending cuts — for the victims of the tragedy in Oklahoma:

I think they should get every penny they need. I’ve been through this. We can do the political games later on, the important thing is to get them the aid as quickly as they need it and not to make a political issue out of it.

BOTTOM LINE: Taking care of our fellow citizens when they are in need is what we do in America. Instead of playing politics with tragedies, we need to make sure people get the help they need when disaster strikes.

If you want to help the victims of this week’s tornado in Oklahoma and other disasters, you can make a contribution to the Red Cross HERE.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Gitmo


click above to sign petition
by Dalia Hashad – Avaaz.org
Avaazpix
In 24 hours, President Obama could finally move to close Guantanamo —
With inmates on a 100-day hunger strike and massive calls for Obama to act, our president has been pushed to respond with a major speech about the prison. If enough of us demand a plan — he could free the prisoners already cleared for release, and appoint a White House official with one mission: close Guantanamo down!
We’re at a tipping point. Sign up to demand Obama close this shameful gulag down, and share the shocking facts below so others join this urgent call.
The facts speak for themselves:
• Detainees in Guantanamo now: 166
• Detainees facing active charges: 6
• Detainees cleared for immediate release, but stuck in the camp: 86
• Guantanamo inmates on hunger strike: 103
• Hunger strikers strapped down and force fed: 30
• Prisoners who have died in custody: 9
• Children the US has held at Guantanamo: 21
• Detainees tried in civilian court: 1
• “Unreleasable” detainees who can’t be tried for lack of evidence or torture:50
• Prisoners released by the Bush administration: 500+
• Prisoners released by the Obama administration: 72
• Current annual cost to US taxpayers: $150 million
• Days since Obama first pledged to close Gitmo: 1579
• Time since first prisoners arrived at Guantanamo: 11 years, 4 months, 11 days …
For years, Obama has blamed the US Congress for the failure to close Guantanamo. But since Congress granted the Defense Department waiver authority that allows prisoners who have been cleared to be transferred out, Obama himself can free these 86 men. And while he will need Congressional cooperation to close the prison completely, if he truly wants to shut it down, he can task someone at the White House right now to show it is a priority and make it happen.Sign now to demand Obama announce a plan to close Guantanamo, and then let’s up the pressure by flooding the White House with calls in these final hours  — it’s time we end this shame!

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Get the facts. Then share them


Rainforest Action Network
 Gemma Tillack, Rainforest Action Network
Help spread the word about palm oil’s destructive impact on Indonesia’s rainforests—and how we can stop it!
Image Description

We’ve been writing to you about the deforestation in Indonesia caused by palm oil production for years now. But you might still be connected to the problem and not even know it.
Palm oil is in roughly half of all the products on your grocery store shelves, including many of the most popular snack foods. Cookies, crackers, ice cream, peanut butter, chocolate bars… You get the point. Palm oil is difficult to avoid, especially if you don’t even know what to look for.
How can you find out if palm oil is an ingredient in your favorite snack? Why are rainforests being cut down for palm oil in the first place? And what can you do about it? Everything you need to know is in this blog post, which you can easily share with your friends and family!
To stop a problem as large as the destruction of Indonesia’s rainforests for palm oil, though, it’s not enough to arm ourselves with the facts. We need to spread the word as far and wide as possible. Everyone needs to know their connection to rainforest destruction and how they can be part of the solution.
Is your favorite snack food contributing to rainforest destruction? Get the facts. Then share them.
If you look for “palm oil” in the ingredients list of your favorite snack food, you may not find it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Palm oil often gets listed as something seemingly harmless (though generally with more syllables than real food), like Ascorbyl Palmitate or Palm Kernel Stearin .
We put together all the information you need about palm oil’s destructive impact on the rainforests of Indonesia, and outlined ways you can take action to break the link between America‘s favorite snack foods and rainforest destruction. Arm yourself—and your friends and family—with the facts now.

Campaigner Name

For the forests,
Gemma Tillack             Senior Agribusiness Campaigner
Black History

CONGRESS


  • UScapitoltakenfromkenschramstory
  • The Senate stands in adjournment until 9:30am on Thursday, May 23, 2013
  • Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 10:30am with the time equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
  • At 10:30am, there will be 2 roll call votes. The first vote will be on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #95, the nomination of Srikanth Srinivasan, Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Senate will then resume Legislative Session and consideration of S.954, the Farm bill.  There will then be a roll call vote on the Sanders amendment #965 (GMO foods)(60 affirmative-vote threshold).
  • If cloture is invoked on the Srinivasan nomination, the time during consideration of S.954, the Farm bill, will count post-cloture on the nomination.
  • As a reminder, there will be 2 roll call votes at 10:30am:-          motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #95, the nomination of Srikanth Srinivasan, Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia; and-          Sanders amendment #965 (GMO foods)(60 affirmative-vote threshold).Today we will work towards a finite list of amendments to the Farm bill. We hope we can work something out so we can finish our work today. If we don’t then we’ll have to be here tomorrow in the afternoon to finish the  Srinivasan nomination.
  • The cloture vote on Executive Calendar #95, the nomination of Srikanth Srinivasan, Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia, has been vitiated. At 1pm today, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session and debate the Srinivasan nomination for one hour, with the time equally divided and controlled in the usual form. Upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate will proceed to vote on confirmation of the nomination.Now that the Circuit Court nomination vote has been scheduled for later this afternoon, we will shortly lock in an agreement to resume consideration of S.954, the Farm bill, at 10:30am and have 2 minutes for debate equally divided prior to a vote in relation to the Sanders amendment #965 (GMO food labels) (60-affirmative vote threshold) at 10:30am.10:30am Vote:–          Sanders amendment #965 (GMO food labels) (60-affirmative vote threshold) 2:00pm Vote:–          Confirmation of Executive Calendar #95, the nomination of Srikanth Srinivasan, Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia
  • 10:38am The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on Sanders amendment #965 (GMO food labels) (60-affirmative vote threshold);Not Agreed To: 27-71
  • The Sanders amendment #965 (GMO food labeling) was not agreed to 27-71. We are working on an agreement to have additional votes after the 2pm vote on the Srinivasan nomination. Another message will be sent if an when an agreement is reached.
  • Senator McCaskill asked unanimous consent to go to conference on the Budget resolution and that 2 motions to instruct conferees on each side relative to the debt limit and taxes/revenue be in order.Senator Lee asked that she modify her request to prohibit consideration of a conference report that includes reconciliation instructions to increase the debt limit. Senator McCain urged Senator Lee to allow the Senate to vote on motions to instruct conferees to go to conference. Senator McCaskill objected to modifying her request. Senator Lee objected to McCaskill’s request.Senator Rubio asked consent to go to conference on the Budget resolution and to prohibit consideration of a conference report that includes reconciliation instructions on the debt limit. Senator McCain objected
  • The time until 1pm is equally divided on the Feinstein-McCain amendment #923 (crop insurance-tobacco). Following the 2pm vote on the Srinivasan nomination, the Senate will proceed to vote in relation to the Feinstein amendment.
  • The Feinstein-McCain amendment is subject to a 60-vote threshold. There will be 2 minutes for debate prior to the vote.2pm votes:–          Confirmation of Executive Calendar #95, the nomination of Srikanth Srinivasan, Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia; and-          Feinstein-McCain amendment #923 (crop insurance-tobacco) (60-vote threshold)
  • The following amendments are pending to S.954, the Farm bill:

    The following amendments have been considered to S.954, the Farm bill:

    • Cantwell amendment #919 (Indian tribes – land and soil conservation programs) Agreed to: 87-8
    • Sessions amendment #945, as modified (eligibility criteria for agriculture irrigation assistance) Agreed to by unanimous consent
    • Roberts amendment #948 (SNAP) Not Agreed to: 40-58
    • Gillibrand amendment #931 (SNAP funding) Not Agreed to: 26-70
    • Inhofe amendment #960 (repeal SNAP and establish nutrition assistance block program) Not Agreed to: 36-60
    • Franken amendment #992 (access to grocery delivery for homebound seniors and persons with disabilities) Agreed to by unanimous consent
    • Vitter amendment #1056 (end food stamp eligibility for convicted violent rapists, pedophiles, and murderers) Agreed to by unanimous consent
    • Shaheen amendment #925 (Federal sugar program) Not Agreed to: 45-54
    • Sanders amendment #965 (GMO foods) Not Agreed to: 27-71 (60 vote threshold)
    • Feinstein amendment #923 (crop insurance – tobacco) Not Agreed to: 44-52 (60 vote threshold)
    • Hagan amendment #1031 (crop insurance fraud) Agreed to: 94-0
    • Durbin-Coburn amendment #953 (crop insurance premiums) Agreed to: 59-33
    • 2:00pm The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #93, the nomination of Srikanth Srinivasan, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit;Confirmed: 97-0
    • 2:28pm The Senate began a roll call vote on Feinstein amendment #Feinstein-McCain amendment #923 (crop insurance-tobacco) (60-vote threshold);Not Agreed To: 44-52The managers of the Farm bill would like to have additional votes this afternoon. Senator Reid said that if we are able to get consent to have the votes today, it would be before 5pm. The managers are trying to get a finite list of amendments to the Farm bill. Senator Reid is talking to members about proceeding the Immigration bill the week we get back or wait a week.
    • There will be a vote Monday, June 3 around 5:30pm.
    • At 3:15pm, the Senate will proceed to a series of 2 roll call votes in relation to the following amendments:-
    • Hagan #1031 (crop insurance fraud)
    • Durbin-Coburn #953 (premium subsidy)No amendments are in order prior to the vote. There will be 2 minutes for debate equally divided. Upon disposition of the amendments Senator Merkley will be recognized.
    • 3:14pm The Senate began a roll call vote on Hagan amendment #1031 (crop insurance fraud)Agreed to: 94-0
    • 3:41pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the Durbin-Coburn amendment #953 (premium subsidy)Agreed to: 59-33
    • Senator Merkley asked unanimous consent to call up amendment #978 (Plant Protection Act) and Senator Cochran objected.
    • At 5:30pm on Monday, June 3, the Senate will proceed to a series of 2 roll call votes in relation to the following amendments to S.954, the Farm bill:
    • –          Moran #987 (alfalfa); and-          Coons-Johanns #1079 (food aid).No amendments to either amendment are in order prior to the votes. There will be 2 minutes for debate equally divided between the votes.The Senate is in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
    • WRAP UP
    • ROLL CALL VOTES1)      Sanders amendment #965 (GMO food labels) to S.954, the Farm bill; Not Agreed to: 27-71 (60 affirmative-vote threshold)2)      Confirmation of Executive Calendar #95, the nomination of Srikanth Srinivasan, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit; Confirmed: 97-0

      3)      Feinstein amendment #923 (crop insurance – tobacco); Not Agreed to: 44-52 (60 affirmative-vote threshold)

      4)      Hagan amendment #1031 (crop insurance fraud); Agreed to: 94-0

      5)      Durbin amendment #953 (crop insurance premiums); Agreed to: 59-33

      LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

      Discharged the Judiciary committee and adopted S.Res.129, S.Res.129, a resolution recognizing the significance of May 2013 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States with a Hirono amendment to the preamble.

      Adopted S.Res.158, to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs.

      Adopted S.Con.Res.17, the adjournment resolution.

      Began the Rule 14 process of H.R.3, to approve the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Keystone XL pipeline, and for other purposes. (Republican request)

      Began the Rule 14 process of H.R.271, the Resolving Environmental and Grid Reliability Conflicts Act. (Republican resquest)

      EXECUTIVE ITEMS

      Confirmed the following items by voice vote:

      THE JUDICIARY

      Executive Calendar #11 Mark A. Barnett- to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade

      Executive Calendar #12 Claire R. Kelly- to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade

      Confirmed the following items by unanimous consent:

      All nominations on the Secretary’s desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy

      DEPARTMENT OF STATE

      Executive Calendar #93 Deborah Kay Jones – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Libya

      Executive Calendar #94 James Knight – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Chad

      THE JUDICIARY

      Executive Calendar #105 Michael Kenny O’Keefe – to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years

      Executive Calendar #106 Robert D. Okun – to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years

      AIR FORCE

      Executive Calendar #107 Col. James E. McClain – to be Brigadier General

      Executive Calendar #108 Lt. Gen. David L. Goldfein – to be Lieutenant General

      Executive Calendar #109 Col. Robert C. Bolton – to be Brigadier General

      Executive Calendar #110 Col. Andrew P. Armacost – to be Brigadier General

      ARMY

      Executive Calendar #111 Brig. Gen. John F. Wharton – to be Major General

      Executive Calendar #112 Col. Gabriel Troiano – to be Brigadier General

      Executive Calendar #113 Col. Jeffrey B. Clark – to be Brigadier General

      Executive Calendar #114 Brig. Gen. James A. Adkins – to be Major General

      Col. James D. Campbell – to be Brigadier General

      Executive Calendar #115 to be Brigadier General-

      Colonel Wayne L. Black

      Colonel Michael K. Hanifan

      Colonel Daniel M. Krumrei

      Colonel Robert E. Windham, Jr.

      Executive Calendar #116 to be Major General-

      Brigadier General Mark E. Anderson

      Brigadier General Julie A. Bentz

      Brigadier General Courtney P. Carr

      Brigadier General Daniel R. Hokanson

      Brigadier General Francis S. Laudano, III

      Brigadier General Scott D. Legwold

      Brigadier General Roger L. McClellan

      Brigadier General Timothy M. McKeithen

      Brigadier General Michael D. Navrkal

      Brigadier General Bruce E. Oliveira

      Brigadier General Charles E. Petrarca, Jr.

      Brigadier General Kenneth C. Roberts

      Brigadier General William F. Roy

      Brigadier General William L. Smith

      Executive Calendar #117 to be Brigadier General-

      Colonel Steven R. Beach

      Colonel Kenneth A. Beard

      Colonel Fred C. Bolton

      Colonel Michael J. Bouchard

      Colonel Gregory S. Bowen

      Colonel Mark D. Brackney

      Colonel John E. Burk

      Colonel Christopher M. Burns

      Colonel Sean M. Casey

      Colonel Russell A. Crane

      Colonel Richard H. Dahlman

      Colonel Marc Ferraro

      Colonel Robert A. Fode

      Colonel Christopher J. Fowler

      Colonel Paul F. Griffin

      Colonel Gerald E. Hadley

      Colonel Patrick M. Hamilton

      Colonel William M. Hart

      Colonel Robert T. Herbert

      Colonel Marvin T. Hunt

      Colonel Charles T. Jones

      Colonel Hunt W. Kerrigan

      Colonel John F. King

      Colonel Dirk R. Kloss

      Colonel Jeffery P. Kramer

      Colonel Gordon D. Kuntz

      Colonel Masaki G. Kuwana, Jr.

      Colonel Donald P. Laucirica

      Colonel Mark S. Lovejoy

      Colonel Mark A. Lumpkin

      Colonel Robert K. Lytle

      Colonel Tammy J. Maas

      Colonel Francis B. Magurn, II

      Colonel Mark G. Malanka

      Colonel Thomas R. McCune

      Colonel Francis M. McGinn

      Colonel Michael D. Merritt

      Colonel Richard J. Noriega

      Colonel Robert D. Pasqualucci

      Colonel Val L. Peterson

      Colonel Christopher J. Petty

      Colonel John M. Rhodes

      Colonel Scott H. Schofield

      Colonel Linda L. Singh

      Colonel Danny K. Speigner

      Colonel Bryan E. Suntheimer

      Colonel Michael A. Sutton

      Colonel Steven A. Tabor

      Colonel Gregory A. Thingvold

      Colonel Michael C. Thompson

      Colonel Kirk E. Vanpelt

      Colonel William A. Ward

      Colonel Steven R. Watt

      Colonel Ronald P. Welch

      Colonel David B. Wiles

      Colonel Giselle M. Wilz

      Colonel James P. Wong

      Colonel Jerry L. Wood

      Colonel Gary S. Yaple

      Executive Calendar #118 to be Major General-

      Brigadier General Louis H. Guernsey, Jr.

      Brigadier General Kenneth L. Reiner

      to be Brigadier General-

      Colonel Stephen G. Kent

      Colonel Juan A. Rivera

      Executive Calendar #119 Col. Richard J. Torres – to be Brigadier General

      Executive Calendar #120 Col. Michael Dillard – to be Brigadier General

      Executive Calendar #121 Col. Donald E. Jackson, Jr. – to be Brigadier General

      Executive Calendar #122 Lt. Gen. William T. Grisoli – to be Lieutenant General

      Executive Calendar #123 Col. John M. Cho – to be Brigadier General

      Executive Calendar #124 Col. Brian E. Alvin – to be Brigadier General

      Executive Calendar #125 to be Major General-

      Brigadier General William F. Duffy

      Brigadier General Ronald E. Dziedzicki

      Brigadier General Mark T. McQueen

      Brigadier General Lucas N. Polakowski

      Brigadier General Ricky L. Waddell

      to be Brigadier General

      Colonel Steven W. Ainsworth

      Colonel Ronald A. Bassford

      Colonel Jose R. Burgos

      Colonel John E. Cardwell

      Colonel Daniel J. Christian

      Colonel John J. Elam

      Colonel Bruce E. Hackett

                     With the exception of  Colonel Joseph J. Heck

      Colonel Thomas J. Kallman

      Colonel William B. Mason

      Colonel Kenneth H. Moore

      Colonel Thomas T. Murray

      Colonel Michael C. O’Guinn

      Colonel Miyako N. Schanely

      NAVY

      Executive Calendar #126 Rear Adm. Terry J. Benedict – to be Vice Admiral

      Executive Calendar #127 Rear Adm. (lh) Joseph W. Rixey – to be Vice Admiral

      Executive Calendar #128 to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half)-

      Captain John W. V. Ailes

      Captain Babette Bolivar

      Captain Daryl L. Caudle

      Captain Kyle J. Cozad

      Captain Randy B Crites

      Captain Daniel H. Fillion

      Captain Lisa M. Franchetti

      Captain Marcus A. Hitchcock

      Captain Thomas J. Kearney

      Captain Roy J. Kelley

      Captain James T. Loeblein

      Captain Brian E. Luther

      Captain William R. Merz

      Captain Michael T. Moran

      Captain Christopher J. Murray

      Captain John B. Nowell, Jr.

      Captain Timothy G. Szymanski

      Captain Richard L. Williams, Jr.

      Executive Calendar #129 Capt. Timothy J. White – to be Rear Admiral (lower half)

      Executive Calendar #130 Capt. Nancy A. Norton – to be Rear Admiral (lower half)

      Executive Calendar #131 Capt. Robert D. Sharp – to be Rear Admiral (lower half)

      Executive Calendar #132 Capt. Louis V. Cariello – to be Rear Admiral (lower half)

      Executive Calendar #133 Mark I. Fox – to be Vice Admiral

      Executive Calendar #134 Vice Adm. Michelle J. Howard – to be Vice Admiral

      Executive Calendar #135 Rear Adm. Ted N. Branch – to be Vice Admiral

      Executive Calendar #136 Rear Adm. Sean A. Pybus – to be Vice Admiral

      Executive Calendar #137 Rear Adm. Paul A. Grosklags – to be Vice Admiral

      Executive Calendar #138 Vice Adm. Scott H. Swift – to be Vice Admiral

      MARINE CORPS

      Executive Calendar #139 Maj. Gen. Robert R. Ruark – to be Lieutenant General

      Executive Calendar #140 Maj. Gen. Glenn M. Walters – to be Lieutenant General

    • At 5:30pm on Monday, June 3, the Senate will proceed to a series of 2 roll call votes in relation to the following amendments to S.954, the Farm bill:-

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