Tag Archives: New Orleans

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An Update on the Economy, Iraq, and Ukraine

08/30/2014 Nativegrl77

At the White House yesterday afternoon, President Obama made a statement on a number of important issues ahead of his attendance at the NATO Summit in the United Kingdom next week.

The President first talked about the American economy, noting that it’s growing “at a stronger clip” than predicted, and that we have more work to do to continue this momentum. He then discussed the current U.S. operations in Iraq, reiterating his commitment as Commander-in-Chief to “always do what is necessary to protect the American people and defend against evolving threats to our homeland.”

President Obama concluded his statement addressing the situation in Ukraine, noting that the evidence is clear: “Russia is responsible for the violence in eastern Ukraine.”

Learn more about the President's remarks yesterday.

Top Stories

West Wing Week: “Choose the Harder Right Instead of the Easier Wrong”This week, the White House honored two important anniversaries for women’s rights and civil rights, and the President announced new actions to improve access to quality health care for veterans.

According to a new report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis yesterday, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2014. The report affirms that second-quarter economic growth was strong — consistent with the recent string of solid job growth and improvements across other economic indicators.

Though more and more women are becoming the primary breadwinners in their families, they continue to make less than their male counterparts at all income levels — a gender pay gap that only widens as people get older. In fact, women who enter the workforce after graduating college are paid less in almost every field of study.

This isn’t right … Steve Mason via Change.org

08/30/2014 Nativegrl77

My daughter Lisa passed away four years ago, but private student loan companies refuse to forgive her debt. Join us in calling on her lenders to forgive debt after a borrower’s death.

Sign Steve’s petition

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Weekly Share …

06/07/2013 Nativegrl77

Hello! Here are the three hottest progressive videos and graphics that we found on the web this week!

www.MoveOn.org

You’ll Never Guess What 30,000 MoveOn Members Did After Hurricane Katrina

President Obama Visited Chicago And He Got This Surprise

You’ll Never Believe Who Is The Lowest Low Wage Job Creator In America

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HR1406 : Working Families Flexibility Act

05/08/2013 Nativegrl77

As a “Two-Minute Activist,” you know that we still have a lot of work to do to pass laws that will help workers balance the demands of their work and their families. But we can’t – and we won’t – let Congress fool us with the misnamed Working Families Flexibility Act (H.R. 1406).
We’ve heard the House may vote on H.R. 1406 as early as next week. This bill claims to offer flexibility to employees by allowing them to convert overtime work into paid time off (i.e. comp time) for family responsibilities. But this bill is not an improvement for working families: Under the Working Families Flexibility Act (H.R. 1406), employers would still have complete discretion over whether to approve workers’ requests to convert their overtime into comp time. This means that employees will still have trouble using accumulated days for an emergency, or even to plan for things like parental leave or caregiving leave.
Nothing is currently stopping employers from offering more flexible schedules. Creating yet another system of hurdles for workers to access leave, left entirely at the discretion of their employer, is not the way to achieve flexibility. In just a few days, the House is voting on the problematic Working Families Flexibility Act (H.R. 1406): Tell your representative to vote against H.R. 1406!

Don’t forget to register for AAUW National Convention in New Orleans, June 9-12! At Convention you can connect with more than 600 AAUW members from around the country, hear from esteemed speakers such as MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry and fair pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter, and (did we mention?) enjoy the city of New Orleans! Register today so you don’t miss out!
Follow AAUW Public Policy on Twitter, and read AAUW’s blog for discussion, information, and advocacy for women and girls.

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) empowers women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Our nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has more than 150,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 local branches and 700 college and university partners. Since AAUW’s founding in 1881, our members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political.