Tag Archives: councilman

In this week’s address, the President spoke about his upcoming trip to Alaska, during which he will view the effects of climate change firsthand. Alaskans are already living with the impact of climate change, with glaciers melting faster, and temperatures projected to rise between 6 and 12 degrees by the end of the century.

In his address, the President spoke to ways in which we can address these challenges, including the transition away from fossil fuels to more renewable energy sources like wind and solar, an effort in which America is already leading. And he stressed that while our economy still has to rely on oil and gas during that transition, we should rely more on domestic production than importing from foreign countries who do not have the same environmental or safety standards as the United States.

The President looked forward to his upcoming trip, and promised that while he is in office, America will lead the world to meet the threat of climate change before it’s too late.

Watch the President’s Weekly Address here.

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U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services ~ Public Health Emergency Weekly Report

09/07/2015 Nativegrl77

National Preparedness Month 2015

National Preparedness Month serves as a reminder that we must take action to prepare for disasters now and throughout the year. Learn what we are doing and what you can do to help keep yourself, your family, and even your community safe and healthy in a disaster. Learn More >>

Series of icons: people, health, city, computer

Don’t Wait! Communicate! Make your Emergency Plan Today!

When disaster strikes, your family might not be together. Make a plan so that your family can get in touch with each other. Learn about your area’s emergency alerts, have a plan for finding your loved ones in a disaster, share information, and practice your plan. Get started today! Learn More >>

Staying Healthy with a Hurricane and a Baby on the Way

Shelly Lopez Gray, MSN, RNC-MNN, IBCLC; Labor and Delivery Nurse at Houston Methodist San Jacinto, recalls how she relied on her mom, her neighbors, and some emergency supplies to help her make it out of Houston, TX safely during a 17 hour evacuation in advance of Hurricane Rita. Learn More >>

Overpacker or Prepared? A Plan & a Go-bag Helped this Dad’s Family When Seconds Counted.

Ron Piedrahita has an unusual talent: he can get a lot of stuff into a very small space. He is also meticulous about keeping his family’s go-bags up to date. When a derecho blew through his neighborhood, Ron was able to get his family out of the house in minutes with everything from clothes that fit his growing toddler to her favorite stuffed animal, “piggy”, thanks in part to his well-stocked and frequently updated go-bags. Learn More >>

Public Health Emergency. Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.

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Child laborers poisoned — in the US?!

09/07/2015 Nativegrl77

Children as young as 12 are being slowly poisoned because US laws still let tobacco farms hire kids. It’s outrageous, but the Labor Department can act now to stop more children from suffering. Sign now to build a call for action too loud to ignore:

SIGN THE PETITION

Dear friends,

Children as young as 12 are being slowly poisoned as they work excruciating hours in tobacco fields. Dizzy and unable to breathe, their developing bodies absorb dangerous levels of nicotine — all because US laws still let tobacco farms hire young kids to work the fields.

It’s unbelievable, but we can ban this outrage before the 2015 harvest begins.

Three years ago, the farm lobby teamed up with Monsanto and spent millions to beat back a proposed ban on under-age hiring. This time we can win — evidence of health dangers to young children has just convinced some tobacco companies to implement age restrictions, so a burst of public pressure is all that’s needed to get our government to act.

Once we build a 50,000 strong call to action that Obama and his Secretary of Labor cannot ignore, the Avaaz team will deliver the petition straight to Secretary Perez and bring child laborers’ testimonies to politicians and the media. Sign now — then share with everyone:https://secure.avaaz.org/en/us_ban_child_labor_full_/?biEWLbb&v=55386

Dear friends,

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In the Library: 51 day War

09/07/2015 Nativegrl77

The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza

Book by Max Blumenthal

Published: June 30, 2015

Author: Max Blumenthal

On July 8, 2014, Israel launched air strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza, followed by a ground invasion. The ensuing fifty-one days of war left more than 2,200 people dead, the vast majority of whom were Palestinian civilians, including over 500 children. During the assault, at least 10,000 homes were destroyed and, according to the United Nations, nearly 300,000 Palestinians were displaced. Max Blumenthal was in Gaza and throughout Israel–Palestine during what he argues was an entirely avoidable catastrophe. In this explosive work of intimate reportage, Blumenthal reveals the harrowing conditions and cynical deceptions that led to the ruinous war—and tells the human stories.

Blumenthal brings the battles in Gaza to life, detailing the ferocious clashes that took place when Israel’s military invaded the besieged strip. He radically shifts the discussion around a number of highly contentious issues: the use of civilians as human shields by Israeli forces, the arbitrary targeting of Palestinian civilians, and the radicalization of Israeli public officials and top military personnel. Amid the rubble of Gaza’s border regions, Blumenthal recorded the testimonies from scores of residents, documenting potential war crimes committed by the Israeli armed forces while carefully examining the military doctrine that led to them.

More than a chronicle of war and devastation, The 51 Day War is an urgent warning that the aftermath of the conflict has made another military assault on Gaza almost inevitable. And while the people of Gaza will once again prove their resilience, the world can no longer just stand aside and watch.

Resource: Amazon.org

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Breaking News: Victory for Pregnant Workers at Supreme Court

09/03/2015 Nativegrl77

Take Action

Rally at the Supreme Court in Support of Peggy Young

ABB’s Elizabeth Gedmark MC’ing the rally in support of pregnant workers before the Supreme Court.

Photo Credit Jeffrey Martin

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Peggy Young, a pregnant worker, in the Young v. UPS case today.

Today marks a significant victory for Peggy Young and for the principle that pregnant women cannot be treated worse than many of their peers in the workplace. The Supreme Court’s ruling affirmed the intent of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, as we argued in our amicus brief this fall.

Peggy’s case is still alive, and will return to the lower court to determine, as the Court put it, “why, when the employer accommodated so many, could it not accomodate pregnant women as well?”

While we celebrate the Court’s opinion, pregnant workers seeking accommodations still face an uphill battle, in many instances. Today’s decision leaves much uncertainty surrounding their rights, especially when they have no way to know how other comparable workers are being treated.

Now that the Court has weighed in, it’s time for Congress to step up.

Please send an urgent message to Washington in support of pregnant workers.

Urge your representatives to support and co-sponsor the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would ensure that all workers with medical needs arising out of pregnancy have a right to accommodations—just as workers with disabilities do. States and cities across the country have passed similar laws and now Congress must act so that all women have the same right.

Today’s families rely on women’s salaries to make ends meet. They need the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act–they simply cannot afford anything less.

Thank you for all that you do to support women and families,

The A Better Balance Team,

Sherry, Dina, Phoebe, Jared, Elizabeth, Risha, Morenike, Rachel, Jake, Molly & Lynn

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