Tag Archives: equality

Weekly Address: America Is Leading the World In this week’s address, the President reiterated the forceful and optimistic message of American leadership that he delivered in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week. America is leading the world against the most pressing challenges, including the fight to degrade and destroy ISIL, the effort to stop the Ebola epidemic, and the movement to confront the threat from climate change.

The world looks to America and its commitment to freedom in the face of uncertainty, and as the President said, it will continue to do so for generations to come.

Click here to watch this week’s Weekly Address.

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President Obama on Climate Change: “We Have to Answer the Call”On Tuesday, at the U.N. Climate Summit, the President highlighted the ambitious clean energy investments and carbon emission reductions the United States has made. And while we’ve stepped up to act on climate change, President Obama made it clear that it’s time for our global partners to stand up too, because “no nation is immune to climate change.”

We have to answer the call. We know what we have to do to avoid irreparable harm. We have to cut carbon pollution in our own countries to prevent the worst effects of climate change. We have to adapt to the impacts that, unfortunately, we can no longer avoid. And we have to work together as a global community to tackle this global threat before it is too late.

Check out the chart below and see why we can’t wait to act on climate change:

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“We Choose Hope Over Fear”

On Wednesday, the President addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York City to discuss matters that demand the urgent attention of our global partners.

During his address, he called on the U.N. to join the United States and reject the cancer of violent extremism. Here’s what the President asked of the international community:

Degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL.
We must bring the world together, especially the Muslim community, to reject the ideologies of terrorists, intolerance, and extremism.
We must address the cycle of conflict that creates the conditions terrorist prey upon.
We must ensure that Arab and Muslim Nations focus on the extraordinary potential of their people.

“We choose hope over fear,” the President said. “We see the future not as something out of our control, but as something we can shape for the better through concerted and collective effort.”

On Thursday afternoon, speaking from the State Dining Room, the President announced that Eric Holder will be resigning from his current position as U.S. Attorney General. He applauded Holder’s passion and commitment to the American justice system and detailed the work he’s accomplished during his six-year tenure.

During his remarks, the President emphasized the superb job that Holder has done:

I chose him to serve as Attorney General because he believes, as I do, that justice is not just an abstract theory. It’s a living and breathing principle. It’s about how our laws interact with our daily lives. It’s about whether we can make an honest living, whether we can provide for our families; whether we feel safe in our own communities and welcomed in our own country; whether the words that the Founders set to paper 238 years ago apply to every single one of us and not just some.

President Barack Obama hugs Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., after statements announcing Holder’s resignation, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Sept. 25, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Holder will continue to serve as Attorney General until the President nominates his successor, and the successor is approved by the Senate.

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Día de Reyes: A Time for Friends, Feasts, and Food Safety

01/10/2015 Nativegrl77

Celebrated in January … Some on the 5th , 6th and or the 10th

Nothing brings people together like the Holidays, or Navidades for Spanish speakers. Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day) would not be complete without some excellent eats. Many Hispanic-Americans have a favorite dish during this special season – from lechón topasteles to tamales to atole.

Nothing brings a party down like poor food safety though. No one wants to be down for the count during this time of the year–think of all the parties that will be missed! And you don’t want to be responsible for getting your guests sick either

Save the Chesapeake from Big Ag’s toxic pollution

01/09/2015 Nativegrl77

The EPA wants to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, but Big Ag and the right wing are trying to stop them.

Undermining the EPA is wrong.
Sign the petition to save the bay today!

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Supporting Millennial Entrepreneurs

01/07/2015 Nativegrl77

Regional Administrator Calvin Goings

Supporting Millennial Entrepreneurs

Millennials, born between 1980 and the mid-2000s, are the largest generation in the United States, representing one-third of the total U.S. population in 2013. Millennials are a technologically connected and diverse generation. Their unprecedented enthusiasm for technology has the potential to spark change in traditional economic institutions and the labor market.

The priority that millennials place on creativity and innovation make them an important economic engine for the U.S. economy. Millennials were born to be entrepreneurs.

In Region 10 we’re making millennial entrepreneurship interest a reality. With the help of Small Business Development Center (SBDC) counseling, millennial entrepreneur Nathan Graham Sleadd, was able to jumpstart his business, Sleaddadventures, LLC. Starting with annual sales of $100,000 in 2008, Sleaddadventures employs 7 full-time and 2 part-time employees and generates over $300,000 of payroll that cycles through the local economy.

Research shows that more than half of millennials are interested in starting their own business. That’s why the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), recently announced the My Brother’s Keeper initiative for millennial entrepreneurs. It’s a new federal outreach and education campaign to help America’s millennials become what SBA calls “enterprise-ready”.

The My Brother’s Keeper initiative was launched to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by young people of color. The President’s new economic opportunity agenda for millennials creates new policies to support this generation, to ensure that all young people can overcome challenges and achieve their potential.

At the SBA, our message to millennials is clear. It’s a message of inclusion and possibility to help jumpstart their small business potential, wherever their talents and interests lie. Overall, we want to help millennials start, grow, and succeed as small business owners.

Entrepreneurship can be the answer if your question is “What’s next for me?” If you’re a potential millennial entrepreneur or know someone who is, visit www.sba.gov/young to learn more.

I hope you have found this information useful. Please feel free to forward this to your friends and colleagues. If you have comments or questions for me, please contact Connie Marshall in my office at connie.marshall@sba.gov. To visit our regional website click this link.
Sincerely,
Calvin
CALVIN W. GOINGS

U.S. Small Business Administration

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How some seniors are losing 15% of their Social Security

01/03/2015 Nativegrl77

We all know student debt is out of control. What you may not know is just how bad it’s gotten:

The government is garnishing senior citizens’ Social Security checks to claw back education loans they co-signed for their children or grandchildren. Seniors are losing up to 15% of their earned benefits each month.

There are no exceptions. Neither the borrower nor the co-signer can have student debt absolved in bankruptcy court.

Campaign for America’s Future is in this fight and we want you to join us. This is no longer an issue simply for young people. There is over a trillion dollars in outstanding student debt.

We’re joining the fight with Senator Elizabeth Warren to allow all student loans to be refinanced at today’s lower rates.

Can you support our campaign to fix our broken student loan system with a donation?

We’ll be reaching out to lawmakers and the media, and keeping the pressure on.

But that’s only a first step. Social Security checks should be off limits. Steps must be taken to control costs, especially at online and for-profit colleges.