Category Archives: ~ Recent Post

UCS is standing up for science. Will you stand up for UCS?


Please help UCS expose and challenge attacks on science by becoming a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists today.

 http://www.ucsusa.org/forms/sign-up-for-ucs-science-network.html

Amidst the inflammatory rhetoric of media personalities and polarizing politics found in our national and state capitols these days, it’s becoming harder and harder to find leaders who are willing to stand up for science and for practical solutions to America’s energy and climate challenges.

“The fact that there may be some global warming doesn’t necessarily establish that it’s caused by humans. If you look at climatological data going back centuries or millennia, we have periods of cooling, like the Ice Age, and warming. So it’s cyclical. We’re going to have public hearings on the topic.”

—Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL), chair of the House of Representatives’ science committee’s subcommittee for research and science education

You can help UCS expose and challenge attacks like this on science—become a member today.  http://www.ucsusa.org/forms/sign-up-for-ucs-science-network.html

That’s why UCS is leading the charge to beat back fraudulent claims about climate change, educate decision makers and the public about the real facts on global warming, and advance science-based solutions to protect human health and the environment.

Please become a member today.  http://www.ucsusa.org/forms/sign-up-for-ucs-science-network.html

Right now we’re witnessing an all-out war on science and hard-fought environmental and public health protections. Consider these facts:

A Fox News managing editor directed his staff to highlight criticisms of climate science whenever they mention the fact that Earth is warming.

The new vice-chairman of the House Science Committee has threatened to launch hearings to question basic scientific findings by climate scientists.

Oil giant ExxonMobil has spent millions to run a sophisticated disinformation campaign designed to deceive the public about the certainty of climate change science.

Recently elected governors, representatives, and senators have pledged to roll back many of the scientifically sound, global warming emissions reduction measures we’ve won in the last few years.

We need you help to defend science, shine a spotlight on the real facts about climate change, and to protect our environment, health, and security. Please become a member of UCS today. http://www.ucsusa.org/forms/sign-up-for-ucs-science-network.html

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

P.S. When you join UCS, you join more than 77,000 UCS members from all walks of life who understand that climate change isn’t a belief—it’s a scientific fact. People like you who want to work together to protect human health and our environment. Please join us today. http://www.ucsusa.org/forms/sign-up-for-ucs-science-network.html

Changes in the Distributi​on of Workers’ Hourly Wages Between 1979 and 2009


http://www.cbo.gov/ 

This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) study, which was prepared at the request of the chairman and former ranking member of the Senate Committee on Finance, documents changes in the level and distribution of hourly wages received by workers in the United States between 1979 and 2009. It also reviews the leading explanations for changes in the supply of, and demand for, workers with different sets of skills as well as the role of labor market institutions in affecting wages. In keeping with CBO’s mandate to provide objective, impartial analysis, this study does not make any recommendations. A related CBO study published in October 2009 analyzed trends in the distribution of annual earnings (Changes in the Distribution of Workers’ Annual Earnings Between 1979 and 2007); a forthcoming CBO study will examine trends in the distribution of household income between 1979 and 2007.

http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=12051

Bankrate.com


Here are stories published today.

  How to lower credit card interest rates | 2011-02-17

Getting lower credit card interest rates is no easy task, but you can do it yourself. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/lower-your-credit-card-interest-cost.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110216

  3 tricks to pay down credit card debt | 2011-02-17

Paying credit card debt is a major undertaking. Here are some tips to help you organize your attack. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/get-started-on-that-credit-card-debt.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110216

 Credit freeze requires advance thaw | 2011-02-17

A credit freeze is a security measure against identity theft, but has its disadvantages. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/credit-freeze-requires-advance-thaw.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110216

 5 downsides to prepaid debit cards | 2011-02-17

These cards offer a payment solution for the unbanked, but they have their drawbacks. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/5-downsides-to-prepaid-debit-cards-1.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110216

This needs to be a headline …OFA


Yesterday, Democrats in the Senate successfully blocked the repeal of health reform — preventing Republicans from tacking it on as an amendment to a completely unrelated bill.

But Republicans in Congress aren’t finished with the political games.

Instead of focusing on creating jobs and growing the economy, they are insisting on re-litigating the battles of the last two years. They’ve vowed to do whatever it takes to tear apart the Affordable Care Act bit by bit, and they’re already planning to go after it at every turn.

These opponents of reform are in full campaign mode.

But we don’t just have the facts on our side — we also have the millions of Americans who already benefit from reform. And it’s up to us to help tell their stories, to make sure everyone understands the costs of repeal.

So, in the next week, we want to make sure those stories are on the letters pages of your local papers — one place we know lawmakers and folks in your community are sure to look.

http://my.barackobama.com/RepealLTE1?keycode=f73ee748a8755ee96cbf68fb490ba6bac3a1b3eea88077a8e4437e5b3f5b84a5&email=louvenia77@comcast.net

Will you write a letter to the editor exposing repeal — and highlight how the Affordable Care Act is improving lives in your community?

Using our letter-to-the-editor tool is easy, and we’ll even get you started with a few tips and helpful points you can use to make your case.

But, discussion points aside, you already know why we can’t afford repeal. The Affordable Care Act is helping millions of people around the country — and these are our friends and neighbors.

We’re on their side.

We’re on the side of the folks who used to worry about losing their coverage when someone on their plan got sick.

We’re on the side of the young adults who can now stay on their parents’ health plan until they turn 26.

We’re on the side of the seniors who used to pay thousands out of pocket because they fell in the “donut hole” in prescription drug coverage.

We’re on the side of the people the insurance companies can no longer discriminate against, like children who have a pre-existing condition.

That’s why we fought for reform in the first place.

That’s why we can’t stand by while the other side tries to tear it down, exposing millions of Americans once again to the whims of the insurance industry.

It’s why we can’t just sit back while a few activist judges rehash last year’s debate as they attempt to legislate from the bench and strike down provisions in the bill.

Because it shouldn’t be repeal that we should be reading about in tomorrow’s papers. The headlines we see should be about the people whose lives are improving because of reform.

They’re counting on you.

Tell their story — or yours. Write a letter to the editor today to protect our progress:

http://my.barackobama.com/RepealLTE

Thanks,

Yohannes

Yohannes Abraham

Political Director

Organizing for America

Habitat Update from Habitat for Humanity International —January 2011


January 2011 News

 

Haiti Earthquake: one year later

http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=jqLUIZNxHbIGK3J&s=aqJPK5OGIeJHIQMyEqE&m=ekIZLdMSImIXIkL

Habitat has helped thousands of earthquake-affected families by distributing 21,000 emergency shelter kits and over 1,000 transitional or upgradeable shelters.

2010: Year in Review

http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=mtI0I8PJJeKNIdI&s=aqJPK5OGIeJHIQMyEqE&m=ekIZLdMSImIXIkL

In 2010, Habitat volunteers and supporters helped families obtain decent and affordable housing. Take a look back by watching this video of memorable events throughout the year.

Habitat World blog

http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=pwK6JhMVIhJUJnL&s=aqJPK5OGIeJHIQMyEqE&m=ekIZLdMSImIXIkL

Habitat.org’s newest innovation is the Habitat World blog, a place where you can catch up on even more news and stories from around Habitat’s world. Subscribe to the blog RSS feed.

Habitat Success Story

Starting Over

A mother in North Carolina finds homeownership a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=ifISKWNtGaIHL3K&s=aqJPK5OGIeJHIQMyEqE&m=ekIZLdMSImIXIkL