Tag Archives: connecticut

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Victims of Gun Violence Deserve a Vote


Yesterday President Obama traveled to Connecticut, where he spoke with families of children and teachers of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. He reiterated that we have not forgotten our promise to help prevent future tragedies and reduce gun violence in our country — and that now more than ever we need to act:

“Now is the time to get engaged. Now is the time to get involved.  Now is the time to push back on fear, and frustration, and misinformation. Now is the time for everybody to make their voices heard from every state house to the corridors of Congress.”

See more from President Obama’s visit, and the common-sense plan to reduce gun violence.

President Obama Asks Americans to Stand Up and Call for Action to Reduce Gun Violence

President Barack Obama and Jillian Soto exit Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., April 8, 2013. Soto is the sister of Victoria Soto, a first-grade teacher who was killed during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In Case You Missed It

Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:

Recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and Americans are urged to support survivors to continue the progress towards addressing sexual assault.

Weekly Address: The President’s Plan to Create Jobs and Cut the Deficit President Obama tells the American people about the budget he is sending to Congress, which makes the tough choices required to grow our economy and shrink our deficits.

Weekly Wrap Up: “We Have Not Forgotten” Here’s what happened last week on WhiteHouse.gov.

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Ten Letters


Watch live at 5:45 p.m. ET: President Obama delivers remarks in Connecticut on common-sense measures to reduce gun violence. Watch on WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

Ten Letters

Every day, President Obama reads ten letters from Americans across the country. In this from-the-archives video, “Letters to the President,” we take you behind the scenes to see the process of how those ten letters make it to the President’s desk — from among the thousands of letters, faxes, and e-mails that get sent to the White House each day.

Watch “Letters to the President.”

Watch "Letters to the President"

In Case You Missed It

Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:

Weekly Address: The President’s Plan to Create Jobs and Cut the Deficit
President Obama tells the American people about the budget he is sending to Congress, which makes the tough choices required to grow our economy and shrink our deficits.

Weekly Wrap Up: “We Have Not Forgotten”
Here’s what happened last week on WhiteHouse.gov.

President Obama Marks the End of Easter Season at Prayer Breakfast
Last week, the President and Vice President marked the end of the Easter season with a prayer breakfast at the White House.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

My 4yo daughter shakes when she sees police


 

Change.org
My 4-year-old daughter was traumatized when police simulated a hostage crisis in our housing complex without warning residents. Tell HUD to stop allowing military-style trainings in public housing.
Sign My Petition

On March 21, my four year old daughter and her babysitter were trapped in our apartment in Albany, New York in the middle of a police drill to simulate a hostage situation. She woke up to flash grenades, assault rifles and real tear gas being used in our home. The police threatened my neighbors with arrest if they tried to leave.

I don’t disagree with the police providing training to their officers, but nobody in the complex, not even the tenants’ association, was warned about this drill. People thought it was real.

Last week, the Albany police department apologized for holding the training so close to occupied residences. But my daughter still shakes with fear when she sees the police and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which actually allowed the police to conduct the training in our community, hasn’t said anything.

I started a petition calling on HUD to pass a national policy to prevent public housing communities from being used as military-style training grounds. Click here to sign my petition now.

The Albany police department says that they chose our neighborhood, which is lower-income and mostly African American, for their training because they wanted it to be “more realistic.” I don’t think this ever would have happened in one of Albany’s wealthier neighborhoods.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, either. Similar exercises have happened in public housing in Illinois, Connecticut, Kentucky and Pennsylvania in the past two years and have even included fake bombs and helicopters.

Public housing is meant to help hardworking people like me build better lives for ourselves and our families through safe and stable communities. Allowing our homes to be used for war games is completely counter to HUD’s mission. That’s why I’m confident that HUD will tell local housing authorities not to allow trainings like these on HUD property — if the department hears from you and many others.

Click here to sign my petition now, calling on HUD to prevent public housing from being used for police or military trainings ever again.

Thank you.

Lauren Manning
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Devastatin​g


By  ThinkProgress War Room

Sequester Pain, Local News Edition

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed

RIP Roger Ebert.

Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate wants to make 90 percent of 25-44 years olds felons.

What you should know about Connecticut’s historic new gun law.

They still have segregated proms in Georgia, in 2013.

Women who were murdered after their stalkers got guns.

Should you be worried about North Korea?

South Carolina Republicans belittle Elizabeth Colbert Busch.

Fast food workers in New York City go on strike.

For the first time in four decades of polling, majority now favor legalizing marijuana.

~ FDA/USDA ~~ Alerts & Safety

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)


Wethepeople
03/15/2013 07:44 PM EDT
Nishimoto Trading Co., Ltd of Santa Fe Springs, CA, is recalling its 4.37 ounce packages of Kameda Brand Rice Cracker “Kotsubukko” snack food because they may contain undeclared milk. People who have allergies to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.
03/15/2013 07:24 PM EDT
Grippo Foods, Inc, Cincinnati, OH, is initiating a nationwide recall of all bags and boxes of their Plain Potato Chips, Bar-B-Q Potato Chips, Cheddar Cheese with a touch of Jalapeno Potato Chips, Hot Dill Pickle Potato Chips, Sweet Bermuda Onion Potato chips and Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips. These products may have the potential to contain metal fragments.
03/15/2013 07:35 PM EDT
On February 28, 2013, Vascular Solutions Zerusa Ltd., a subsidiary of Vascular Solutions, Inc., initiated a nationwide recall of Guardian® II and Guardian II NC hemostasis valves used in catheterization procedures. Specific lots of the products have been recalled because they pose a slightly increased risk of air leakage that may lead to an air embolism, which could result in serious injury or death.
03/17/2013 08:49 PM EDT
Tinton Falls, NJ., Med Prep Consulting, Inc. is voluntarily recalling all lots of all products compounded at its facility. The level of recall is to the user, that is, regional hospital pharmacies and related departments, and physician’s office practices. The recall resulted from the pharmacy being notified by a Connecticut hospital, that it observed visible particulate contaminants in 50 ml bags of MAGNESIUM SULFATE 2GM IN DEXTROSE 5 PERCENT IN WATER, 50ML FOR INJECTION intravenous solution confirmed to be mold.
03/16/2013 08:52 PM EDT
Tinton Falls, NJ., Med Prep Consulting, Inc. is voluntarily recalling all lots of Magnesium Sulfate 2 grams in Dextrose 5 percent for Injection products compounded at its facility. The level of recall is to the user, that is, regional hospital pharmacies and related departments. The recall resulted from the pharmacy being notified by a Connecticut hospital, that it observed visible particulate contaminants in 50 ml bags of MAGNESIUM SULFATE 2GM IN DEXTROSE 5 percent IN WATER, 50ML FOR INJECTION intravenous solution confirmed to be mold.Â