Recent Food Recalls

Turkey Hill Dairy Issues Voluntary Recall of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Premium Ice Cream,
Fudge Ripple Premium Ice Cream, and Moose Tracks Stuff’d Frozen Dairy Dessert

Recall due to possible foreign matter; limited to select stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia

Haute Health, LLC Conducts Voluntary Nationwide Recall of All Lots Of Virilis Pro, PHUK And Prolifta Capsules Due To Undeclared Ingredients

09/30/2013 05:36 PM EDT

Haute Health, LLC is voluntarily recalling all lots of Virilis Pro, PHUK and Prolifta at the retail and consumer level. Virilis Pro, PHUK and Prolifta have been found to contain amounts of the PDE-5 Inhibitor sildenafil, which is an active ingredient in an FDA-approved drug for erectile dysfunction (ED).

Big Blue Fisheries, Llc Recalls All Smoked Products From All Lots, Various Sizes, in Vacuum Packaging Because of Possible Health Risk

09/30/2013 09:33 PM EDT

Big Blue Fisheries is recalling ALL smoked products from all lots and codes, various sizes, in vacuum packages because the products may not have been properly cooked and have the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

Carefusion Provides Update On Voluntary Recall Of Avea® Ventilator

09/30/2013 08:08 PM EDT

CareFusion issued the following update regarding its previously announced voluntary recall of AVEA® ventilators. The company initiated the voluntary recall on Sept. 3, 2013

Afikim Electric Vehicles Issues Nationwide Recall of Breeze C Scooter

09/30/2013 05:18 PM EDT

On September 27, 2013, Afikim Electric Vehicles initiated a nationwide recall of 69 Breeze C Scooters. The Breeze C Scooter may become unresponsive during operation due to an electrical contact which may fault due to extensive wear, which potentially could result in the driver not being able to stop the scooter during operation except by turning off the ignition key.

Black History

the Senate CONGRESS 10/8 the House

10/08/2013 Nativegrl77

The Senate stands adjourned until 10:00am on Tuesday, October 8, 2013. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business for debate only until 12:30pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

The Senate will recess from 12:30pm until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

The period of morning business for debate only has been extended to 5:00pm, with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minute each.

Senator Murray asked unanimous consent that when the Senate receives a Message from the House that they have passed H.J.Res.59, as amended by the Senate, the Senate go to conference on the Budget resolution (H.Con.Res.25, as amended with the text of S.Con.Res.8)

Senator Sessions objected and said that a unanimous consent request he could agree to would be to go to conference on the Budget resolution and that it not be in order for the Senate to consider a conference report that includes reconciliation instructions to raise the debt limit.

Senator Cruz asked unanimous consent the Senate take up and pass H.J.Res.72, a joint resolution making continuing appropriations for veterans benefits for fiscal year 2014. Senator Reid asked that the request be modified to include an amendment to allow a clean CR to fund the entire government. Senator Cruz objected to the modification and Senator Reid objected to the original request.

Morning business for debate only has been extended until 7:00pm, with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each and in an alternating fashion between sides.

WRAP UP

ROLL CALL VOTE

1) Motion to instruct the Sergeant at Arms to request the presence of absent Senators; Agreed to: 84-14

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Began the Rule 14 process of:

– S.1569, To ensure the complete and timely payment of the obligations of the United States Government until December 31, 2014 and

– H.J.Res.77, Food and Drug Administration Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014.

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

***********************************************************

Last Floor Action:
1:57:59 P.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

10:00:22 A.M.		The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
10:00:29 A.M.		The Speaker designated the Honorable Thomas Massie to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
10:00:56 A.M.		MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate. At the conclusion of Morning-Hour Debate, the House will recess until 12:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.
11:33:10 A.M.		The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 P.M. today.
12:00:10 P.M.		The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of October 8.
12:01:00 P.M.		Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.
12:02:16 P.M.		POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS ON APPROVAL OF THE JOURNAL – The Speaker announced that he had examined the Journal of the last day’s proceedings and had approved it. Mr. Wilson(SC) demanded that the question be put on agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal and by voice vote, the Speaker announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Wilson(SC) objected to the voice vote based upon the absence of a quorum and the Speaker postponed further proceedings on the question of agreeing to the approval of the Journal until a time to be announced.
12:02:48 P.M.		PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Ms. Kelly of IL to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
12:03:05 P.M.		ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches which by direction of the Chair, would be limited to 15 per side of the aisle.
12:35:51 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 371. H.J. Res. 84 — “Making continuing appropriations for Head Start for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes.”
12:36:07 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	DEBATE – The House proceeded with 40 minute of debate on H.J. Res. 84.
1:16:33 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
1:17:04 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	Mrs. Capps moved to recommit with instructions to Appropriations.
1:17:18 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	DEBATE – The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Capps motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to report the same back to the House forthwith with an amendment to the replace the underlying bill with the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, pending reservation of a point of order.
1:21:37 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	Mr. Rogers (KY) raised a point of order against the motion to recommit with instructions. Mr. Rogers (KY) stated that the provisions of the proposed amendment were not germane. Sustained by the Chair.
1:24:23 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	Mrs. Capps appealed the ruling of the chair. The question was then put on sustaining the ruling of the chair.
1:24:30 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	Mr. Rogers (KY) moved to table the motion to appeal the ruling of the chair
1:51:02 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	On motion to table the motion to appeal the ruling of the chair Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 226 – 191 (Roll no. 529).
1:57:25 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	On passage Passed by recorded vote: 248 – 168 (Roll no. 530).
1:57:26 P.M.	H.J. Res. 84	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
1:57:59 P.M.		The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

3:20:58 P.M.		The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of October 8.
3:21:07 P.M.		Mr. Sessions filed a report from the Committee on Rules on H. Res. 373.
3:22:00 P.M.	H. Res. 373	Considered as privileged matter. H. Res. 373 — “Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 89) making appropriations for the salaries and related expenses of certain Federal employees during a lapse in funding authority for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3273) to establish a bicameral working group on deficit reduction and economic growth, and providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 90) making continuing appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes.”
3:25:30 P.M.	H. Res. 373	DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 373.
4:43:56 P.M.	H. Res. 373	POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on H. Res. 373, the question was put on ordering the previous question, and by voice vote, the Chair announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. McGovern demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
4:44:00 P.M.		POINT OF PRIVILEGE – The Chair recognized Mr. Grayson for the purpose of rising to offer a resolution of privilege. Subsequently, the Chair ruled that the resolution did not constitute a question of privilege.
5:01:00 P.M.		UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of ordering the previous question on H. Res. 373, which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
5:02:57 P.M.	H. Res. 373	Considered as unfinished business. H. Res. 373 — “Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 89) making appropriations for the salaries and related expenses of certain Federal employees during a lapse in funding authority for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3273) to establish a bicameral working group on deficit reduction and economic growth, and providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 90) making continuing appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes.”
5:29:11 P.M.	H. Res. 373	On ordering the previous question Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 226 – 186 (Roll no. 531).
5:37:17 P.M.	H. Res. 373	On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 227 – 186 (Roll no. 532).
5:37:19 P.M.	H. Res. 373	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
5:38:33 P.M.	H.J. Res. 89	Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 373. H.J. Res. 89 — “Making appropriations for the salaries and related expenses of certain Federal employees during a lapse in funding authority for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes.”
5:39:06 P.M.	H.J. Res. 89	DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 373, the House proceeded with 40 minutes of debate on H.J. Res. 89.
6:13:22 P.M.	H.J. Res. 89	The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
6:14:58 P.M.	H.J. Res. 89	POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – The Chair put the question on adoption of the Joint Resolution and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Crenshaw demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the Joint Resolution until a time to be announced.
6:16:10 P.M.	H.R. 3273	Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 373. H.R. 3273 — “To establish a bicameral working group on deficit reduction and economic growth.”
6:16:35 P.M.	H.R. 3273	DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 373, the House proceeded with 40 minutes of debate on H.R. 3273.
7:01:59 P.M.	H.R. 3273	The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
7:02:15 P.M.	H.R. 3273	Ms. Brownley (CA) moved to recommit with instructions to Rules.
7:03:58 P.M.	H.R. 3273	Floor summary: DEBATE – The House proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the Brownley motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to replace the underlying bill with the Senate Amendment to H.J. Res. 59, Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014.
7:07:13 P.M.	H.R. 3273	Mr. Sessions raised a point of order against the motion to recommit with instructions. Mr. Sessions stated that the proposed amendment contained in the motion to recommit with instructions was not germane. Sustained by the Chair.
7:07:13 P.M.	H.R. 3273	Point of order sustained against the motion to recommit with instructions.
7:09:39 P.M.	H.R. 3273	Ms. Brownley (CA) appealed the ruling of the chair. The question was then put on sustaining the ruling of the chair.
7:10:05 P.M.	H.R. 3273	Mr. Sessions moved to table the appeal of the ruling of the Chair.
7:34:34 P.M.	H.R. 3273	On motion to table the appeal of the ruling of the Chair Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 227 – 194 (Roll no. 533).
7:41:46 P.M.	H.R. 3273	On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 224 – 197 (Roll no. 534).
7:41:47 P.M.	H.R. 3273	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
7:41:52 P.M.	H.J. Res. 89	Considered as unfinished business. H.J. Res. 89 — “Making appropriations for the salaries and related expenses of certain Federal employees during a lapse in funding authority for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes.”
7:49:45 P.M.	H.J. Res. 89	On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 420 – 0 (Roll no. 535).
7:49:46 P.M.	H.J. Res. 89	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
7:49:47 P.M.		APPROVAL OF THE JOURNAL – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal which had been postponed from earlier in the legislative day.
7:49:48 P.M.		On approving the Journal Agreed to by voice vote.
7:49:57 P.M.	H.R. 3273	Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 373, and upon the adoption of H.J. Res. 89, the text of H.R. 3273, as passed by the House, is appended as new matter at the end of H.J. Res. 89 and the Clerk is directed to make conforming modifications in the engrossment of H.J. Res. 89.
7:50:43 P.M.	H.R. 3273	Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 373, H.R. 3273 is laid on the table.
7:51:23 P.M.		ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.
8:01:29 P.M.		SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

——————————————————————————————————————

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

what happened after I signed the petition?

10/07/2013 Nativegrl77

Dear amazing community,

I often get asked by Avaazers, “what happens after I sign a petition?” And the truth is, a HECK of a lot! Every Avaaz campaign springs from a massive global mandate, and then zeroes in on the best way for our voices to win. Here’s just two of our victories from the last few weeks:

Remember when 2 million of us came together to stop the flogging of a 15-year old rape victim in the Maldives? Her sentence has been quashed! Here’s what our team did to win:

Our ads threatened the profits of officials who owned parts of the tourism industry

Spoke for hours with the Maldivian Attorney-General and Ministers and emailed the President at his personal account.
Commissioned opinion polls showing massive support for reforms to protect girls. And wrote an Op-Ed in a major national paper.
Persuaded a top Islamic scholar to speak out against flogging.
Threatened to run an ad (right) in tourism publications, affecting the country’s major industry.
Visited the Maldives and the location where the girl was held, pressing officials directly.

Ahmed Shaheed, former Foreign Minister of the Maldives said “The Avaaz contribution was the spearhead of the campaign to overturn the flogging sentence; a petition signed by millions, a country visit, a public opinion survey, and persistent follow-up all proved irresistible.”

Another example: Remember how almost 2 million of us rallied to stop the Maasai tribe in Tanzania from being kicked off their land for a hunting reserve? Last week, the Prime Minister announced they could stay! The petition provided a powerful basis for what the team did next:

Maasai women gather to protest the eviction. Photo by Jason Patinkin

Got CNN and the Guardian to visit the Maasai and break the wider story to the world.
Advised Maasai elders on their campaigning strategy.
Flooded Ministers and the President with messages — forcing a debate in cabinet and Parliament.
Ran a hard hitting newspaper ad in an influential paper which publicly shamed the government.
Persuaded diplomats worldwide to raise the issue — embarrassing the government.
Financially supported Maasai elders to travel to the capital where they gathered to ‘occupy’ land outside of the Prime Minister’s office for weeks, refusing to leave until he met them.

Gordon Brown said: “A million dollars has been raised via the brilliant Avaaz.org, in just a few days.” Brazil Open Vote

Key Brazilian Senator joins Avaaz “open vote” naked protest sending a clear message: “we have nothing to hide”

The victory belongs to the Maasai people, but our community helped them win by making this a global issue the government could no longer ignore. This hopefully ends a 20 year land battle!!

Of course, our community does a LOT more than petitions. Last week, we raised a $1 million challenge grant in a few days to donor governments to put Syrian refugee kids in school. At a UN meeting, I was able to put a cheque on the table and issue the challenge on behalf of over 40,000 Avaaz donors. UN Education Envoy Gordon Brown, who chaired the meeting, called our community’s effort a “magnificent and impactful intervention” in getting other governments to give!

And often it’s not the Avaaz team but our community that does the direct lobbying. For example in Brazil, we’re inches away from winning a massive fight to end the shady practice of ‘secret voting’ in the Congress. Our huge push helped win the vote in the lower house and right now, Senators’ telephones are ringing off the hook as Avaaz members across Brazil use our online calling tool to directly tell them to stop this corruption — experts say a win is likely in days!

It’s this unique magic mix between a gigantic and spirited community of citizens able to speak out, donate, and lobby, and a small team of top notch advocates able to take smart, strategic actions at the highest level with democratic legitimacy, that makes our campaigns increasingly unstoppable.

If we keep believing in each other, and growing in size and in commitment, there’s no limit to the good we can do in the world. Thank you so much for the honour and the joy to be part of and serve this community. It’s something truly precious we have here — let’s keep building Avaaz.

With love and appreciation,

Ricken and the team

PS — You might not know that Avaaz is different from just about every other global organization in that we are 100% funded and guided by our community. Every campaign we run is first polled and tested to a random sample (you might think of it as a jury) of our community, that tells us exactly how the whole the community will react. I may be the CEO, but you’re my boss. If you don’t like something (and I don’t mean 51% like it, but 81% like it) then our team go back to the drawing board and come up with a better option for you. We have never, ever, broken this rule. So at the end of the day, it is your wisdom, the collective wisdom of our community, matched with the smartest suggestions the team hears from you and come up with ourselves and from our partners and experts, that determines what we do every single day.

When you add to that the fact that 100% of our funding comes from small online donations (we strictly refuse any donations from corporations, governments, foundations, and even individual donations over 5000 Euros), I think Avaaz may be one of the purest organisational expressions of people-powered change in the world today. Make that an organisation served by a beautiful team of wonderfully talented and deeply committed people that I wish I could introduce you all to, and we’ve got a kind of magic that can build the world we dream of.

PPS — If you want to chip in to help keep it all going, click here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/october_reportback_a/?biEWLbb&v=29788

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

You Should Forward This …

10/07/2013 Nativegrl77

The Top Nine Ways a Government Shutdown Affects Real Americans

1. 800,000 federal employees will go without pay — and it’s unclear if they’ll receive back pay for time missed.

2. 3.6 million veterans may not receive benefits if the shutdown lasts over two weeks.

3. The Centers for Disease Control will have to stop its flu prevention program, just as flu season begins.

4. Food safety inspections will scale back their work, exposing millions to risk.

5. About nine million moms and pregnant women will no longer receive nutritional assistance from the Department of Agriculture’s Women, Infants, and Children program.

6. The Small Business Administration will be unable to process new loans, potentially slowing new small business growth.

7. National parks and museums will close across the country, damaging our travel and tourism industries by millions for each day the government remains shut down. (Yes, that means the Statue of Liberty is closed for business…)

8. Head Start programs across the country will start closing, ending educational and health benefits for low-income children.

9. Disability benefits could be interrupted, leaving vulnerable Americans without the support they rely on.

For more info, you can read the full article here:

http://my.barackobama.com/9-Facts-On-Government-Shutdown

Some House Republicans might be treating this showdown like a game — but its impacts are real for millions of Americans who are starting to feel the shutdown in their lives.

Help get the word out — forward this email, and share the impacts of a government shutdown with everyone who should know:

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

House Republicans could open The Government

10/07/2013 Nativegrl77 2 Comments

By CAP Action War Room

House Republicans Could Open The Government Back Up Right Now

After just five days, the government shutdown is having a real, severe impact. Here are just a few of the many stories of how the shutdown is impacting Americans across the country:

Leo Finn, a 48-year-old father of three, is unable to get cancer treatment because new clinical trials cannot begin during a government shutdown.

The 401 National Parks that have shut down are costing local communities $76 million per day.

The widow of a New Mexico forest firefighter and her three-year-old son have seen their survivor benefits delayed as a result of the shutdown.

A rescue mission for a missing women was put on hold because workers were furloughed.

A Head Start program in Bridgeport, Connecticut was forced to shut down completely on Tuesday. The program serves over 1,000 young children.

Meals for more than 85,000 children in Arkansas: gone. And 2,000 newborns there won’t receive infant formula.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper: The shutdown “seriously damages our ability to protect the safety and security of this nation.”

And the list goes on.

Meanwhile, Republicans in Washington continue to offer political spin that nobody else is buying. The initial Republican strategy to defund Obamacare has fallen apart as people successfully enroll in the insurance marketplaces. Their latest, a piecemeal funding strategy, is in fact a reminder of the important role government plays in every American’s life — from nutrition aid and veteran benefits, to national emergency and disaster recovery. But the American people want the shutdown to end for the entiregovernment, and they blame the Republicans for causing it. Republicans aren’t even sure what they stand for anymore. This quote from conservative Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) pretty much sums it up:

“We’re not going to be disrespected. We have to get something out of this. And I don’t know what that even is.”

You don’t even know what that is? That’s leadership.

Increasingly, some House Republicans have come out in opposition to this attitude, and in support of a ‘clean’ government spending bill that would re-open the government. In fact, enough have now publicly supported such a bill that it would pass with majority Democratic support. Speaker John Boehner knows this — but is so scared of the extreme right-wing of his party that he won’t even allow it to come to a vote.

BOTTOM LINE: One faction, of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government, has shut down major parts of the government — all because they didn’t like one law. And there are now enough House Republican defectors from this strategy to open the government back up. If John Boehner just allowed the vote to happen, we could stop this unpopular, economically devastating shut down right now.