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Tag Archives: black people
Money Money Money
On the First Anniversary of McCutcheon v. FEC, Activists Call for Action on Money in Politics
Today marks the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in McCutcheon v. FEC that removed restrictions on how much individuals can spend in political races each cycle. This decision was seen as the sequel to Citizens United. Prior to the court’s decision in McCutcheon, individual donors could contribute a maximum of $123,200 in any two-year election cycle. Now, the wealthiest few individuals are allowed to give as much as an aggregate $5.9 million to candidates and political parties each election cycle— drowning out the influence of regular citizens even more than they are already were with the Citizens United ruling.
In conjunction with the anniversary of the McCutcheon decision, money-in-politics activists from groups around the country, including CAP’s Vice President of Legal Progress Michele Jawando, held a press conference today in front of the White House calling on the President to issue an executive order requiring contractors that do business with the government to disclose their political spending. Organizers also delivered a petition to the White House with over 500,000 signatures in support of the executive order. As a part of the movement, rallies and events are scheduled to be held in 55 cities and towns across 30 states. Follow along at #BetterPolitics and #GetMoneyOut.
An executive order requiring federal contractors to disclose political spending is an important first step in blunting the influence of big money in our political system. Here’s what you need to know about what this executive order would look like:
Why do we need an executive order? Voters deserve to know who is trying to influence our political leaders. Dark money is a problem no matter where it comes from, but it is especially concerning coming from government contractors who the government relies on for many critical services like defense supplies, infrastructure repairs, and environmental protections.
How would an executive order help? If the President were to issue an executive order, citizens would be able to see which elected officials benefit the most from government contractors, making it easier to see whether those same officials sought to influence the contracting process on behalf of their supporters.
What else could be done? The best long-term solution to the problems that come along with dark money would be Congress passing legislation requiring campaign finance disclosure for all political spenders. But in Congress’s current state of gridlock, that fix doesn’t seem imminent.
In the meantime, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) also has an important role to play in repairing some of the damage done by Citizens United. A recent petition for the SEC to require corporations to disclose their political spending has seen broad, bipartisan support and a record-breaking over one million comments in support— but so far, the SEC has done nothing. A new campaign has launched calling for SEC chair Mary Jo White to take action on this issue, including releasing a video and blanketing DC’s Union Station with comic-book style ads depicting Mary Jo White as the superhero who can save us from dark money— if she answers the call and takes action on this crucial issue. Add your voice at #WhereIsMJW.
BOTTOM LINE: Due to the Supreme Court’s decisions in McCutcheon and Citizens United, a few wealthy individuals and corporations have an outsized influence in our political process. And there are a few common sense steps that can be taken now to help ensure that every person’s voice is heard—not just the wealthy few.
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LARC …
| Right now in Washington, fair access to affordable birth control doesn’t exist and it’s going to get worse. Everyone deserves fair access, no matter who we are or where we live.Long acting reversible contraception (LARCs, such as IUDs and implants) are the most effective birth control methods, with a failure rate of less than 1%. Unfortunately, unfair reimbursement rates from Medicaid drive the lowest income women toward less effective methods. This leaves providers with the impossible choice of either offering LARCs or closing health centers. |  |
This means that the lowest income Washington women have unequal access to the best contraceptives available. Women should be able to choose the birth control method that works best for them, without interference from the government.
Washington could save significant money on unintended pregnancies by ensuring all women have access to the most effective birth control method they choose to use. In fact, it’s estimated that fair access to LARCs saves the state a net $8 million annually by preventing associated pregnancy costs. Over time these savings would grow while costs fall as more women stay on LARC and transition off other methods.
We’ve seen what increased access to LARCs has meant for other states. In Colorado, the teen birth rate dropped 40% between 2009 and 2014.* Providing IUDs and implants at little or no cost saved their state over $40 million in the same time frame. This is a clear model for the future that we can achieve in Washington.
IUDs and implants are more effective than other forms of birth control, and save the state more money in the long-term. It just make sense.
Thank you,
Jennifer Allen
Director of Public Policy
Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest
*http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/12/how-colorados-teen-birthrate-dropped-40-in-four-years/
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End Payday Lending …
Market your loan as a one-time quick fix, charge 300-400% interest, and dig borrowers into a hole they can’t climb out of – it’s the payday lenders’ business model. We’re talking about an industry that generates 75% of its $3.4 billion in annual revenues from borrowers who get stuck in a long-term cycle of debt. “You borrow money to pay for the money you already borrowed” is how President Obama described the routine in a speech at Lawson State College in Alabama last week. Loan fees usually end up exceeding the amount of the original loan. (Car-title lenders play a similar game, to the tune of close to another $5 billion in annual revenues.)
But now, finally, there’s a real chance to end this debt trap. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – the agency conceived by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and created in response to the financial and economic meltdown of 2008 – is preparing to regulate abusive payday, car-title and installment lending, and it has put out a promising first look at the rules it has in mind.
Now that we have seen a rough outline of the Bureau’s thinking, the real battle begins. The initial proposal, while strong in some ways, includes worrisome gaps that could allow triple-digit-interest lenders to skip the essential process of verifying a borrower’s ability to repay. We need the CFPB to close this loophole before it puts out a final rule. Meanwhile, payday and car-title lenders will be fighting back hard – pushing to make the rules weaker or narrower, and doing all they can to undermine the authority and funding of CFPB itself.
Experience in the states tells us to demand strong, evasion-proof rules. State after state has tried to crack down predatory small dollar-loans, and too often the lenders have figured out a way to keep their abusive business model going. We must not allow that to happen again.
Together we have won and defended a CFPB willing to take on tough jobs like this one. Together we can keep pushing, and end the payday and car-title debt trap once and for all.
Sincerely,
Lisa Donner
Americans for Financial Reform
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FDA/USDA ~~ Alerts & Safety March 2015 p2
03/27/2015 04:58 PM EDT
Best Foods Inc. 75 Midvale Rd Edison, NJ 08817 is recalling its 7 ounce packages of Deer Brand Raisin Golden because they contain undeclared sulfites. Consumers who have severe sensitivity to sulfites run risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.
03/27/2015 07:23 PM EDT
Aurora Products, Inc. is expanding its voluntary nationwide recall of certain lots of NATURAL WALNUTS and TRAIL MIXES CONTAINING WALNUTS, because they have the potential to contain Salmonella which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
03/25/2015 03:29 PM EDT
Due to receiving a recall notice from its organic spinach supplier because of possible Listeria monocytogenes exposure, La Terra Fina is recalling the products outlined in the chart below. Following its voluntary recall of Organic Spinach Dip last Friday, La Terra Fina is expanding the recall to include these products that were manufactured on the same production equipment on the same day as the Organic Spinach Dip and are being recalled out of an abundance of caution.
03/24/2015 06:32 PM EDT
Twin City Foods, Inc. of Stanwood, Washington is recalling the following products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
03/24/2015 09:40 PM EDT This recall is based on a recall notice from one of Superior Foods, Inc., organic frozen spinach suppliers that Superior Foods, Inc., may have received organic spinach with the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
03/24/2015 11:15 AM EDT
Hayward, CA. Carmel Food Group today issued a voluntary recall of certain Rising Moon Organics frozen Ravioli items, because of possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes.
03/23/2015 09:51 PM EDT
Blue Bell Ice Cream of Brenham, Texas, is recalling three 3 oz. institutional/food service ice cream cups- chocolate, strawberry and vanilla with tab lids because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
03/23/2015 07:15 PM EDT Stock Yards Meat Packing Co., Inc., a Tucson, Ariz. establishment, is recalling approximately 2,149 pounds of roast beef due to misbranding.
03/23/2015 02:50 PM EDT
Amy’s Kitchen, Inc. is voluntarily recalling approximately 73,897 cases of select code dates and manufacturing codes of the products identified on Attachment A. This recall is based on a recall notice from one of Amy’s organic spinach suppliers that Amy’s may have received organic spinach with the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
03/23/2015 01:08 PM EDT
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is recalling approximately 12,540 packages of Wegmans Organic Food You Feel Good About Just Picked Frozen Spinach, 12 oz. (UPC 77890-32932) due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The product was sold in the frozen food department of the company’s 85 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts between January 27 and March 21, 2015.
03/22/2015 11:36 AM EDT
Nutiva, an Organic Superfoods company, has initiated a voluntary product recall of the following O’Coconut™ products after being notified by supplier that samples of a raw material in this product have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. “We are choosing to voluntarily recall three of our O’Coconut items as a precautionary measure to provide the safest products for our customers,” states John Roulac, Nutiva’s CEO.
03/20/2015 03:15 PM EDT
Van Lang Foods, a Countryside, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 232 pounds of pork potstickers and chicken dim sum due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen.
03/21/2015 09:41 AM EDT
Texas Star Nut and Food Co., Inc. of Boerne, Texas is voluntarily recalling Nature’s Eats Natural Macadamia Nuts, Lot Code #31435001, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis
03/21/2015 09:20 AM EDT
La Terra Fina is issuing a voluntary recall of its Organic Spinach Dip due to a potential health risk from Listeria exposure. The recall of product available in Bay Area Costco stores is a precaution.
Boa Vida Imports Recalls Pork And Beef Products Imported From An Ineligible Country Without Benefit Of Import Inspection Boa Vida Imports, a New Bedford, Mass., establishment, is recalling approximately 385 pounds of pork and beef products imported from Portugal because this country is not eligible to export meat products to the United States.
03/21/2015 03:59 PM EDT Aurora Products, Inc. is conducting a voluntary nationwide recall of certain lots of NATURAL WALNUTS and TRAIL MIXES CONTAINING WALNUTS because they have the potential to contain Salmonella which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
03/18/2015 03:28 PM EDT Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., a Lakewood, Colorado based natural grocery chain, is expanding their recall of Natural Grocers brand Organic Garlic Powder to all lots as the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Consumption of products containing Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
03/18/2015 04:20 PM EDT
First Source, LLC of Buffalo, New York is voluntarily recalling 3,276 plastic tubs (6 oz.) of Wegmans Organic Walnut Halves & Pieces because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
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