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Children or Political footballs


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The Border Crisis Is Not An Opportunity To Play Politics

A growing humanitarian situation at the Mexico-U.S. border, with tens of thousands of children fleeing violence and organized criminal activity in Central America to the U.S. and neighboring countries, has brought immigration to the forefront of the political conversation again, highlighting both the need for immediate action and long-term reform. Tens of thousands of children and families have come across the border recently, leaving immigration officials with overcrowded detention facilities and little capacity to process them.

President Obama has issued a request for Congress to provide $3.7 billion in emergency funds to care for and speed up the repatriation of the more than 57,000 children. Vice President Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson have all either visited Central America or the border to assess the crisis.

Meanwhile, too many Republicans are exploiting child refugees to score political points. Gov. Rick Perry, after meeting with Obama in Texas last week, asked “I don’t know whether [Obama’s] inept, or there’s something else going on.” Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) went even farther, going on a diatribe against the migrant children and urging Texas to unilaterally declare war. Here’s what he said:

Even with $3.7 billion that’s requested, there’s no way for what’s being called for is going to stop the invasion that’s occurring. That’s why I’m hoping that my governor will utilize Article 1, Section 10, that allows a state that is being invaded — in our case more than twice as many just in recent months, more than twice as many than invaded France on D-Day with a doubling of that coming en route, on their way here now under Article 1, Section 10, the state of Texas would appear to have the right, not only to use whatever means, whether it’s troops, even using ships of war, even exacting a tax on interstate commerce that wouldn’t normally be allowed to have or utilize, they’d be entitled in order to pay to stop the invasion.

Article 1, Section 10 of the Constitution provides that “[n]o state shall, without the consent of Congress, . . . engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay.” We are not talking about war. We are talking about children—many younger than 10—who have experienced horrible conditions in their home countries and on the journey, and who are alone and scared.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) stressed this point and called out the xenophobia in this debate yesterday: “There is American exceptionalism, I believe in it,” Gutierrez said. “I say we are the strongest, wealthiest, most powerful nation in the world, and children are coming to our borders, we should protect them.”

BOTTOM LINE: We need to show compassion and take care of these children who have traveled thousands of miles from three of the most dangerous countries in the world. They deserve a hearing to determine if their claims are valid, and we should treat them humanely throughout that process, while sending resources to expedite it. Meanwhile, House Republicans must take responsibility to fix the long-term issue of a broken immigration system and stop refusing to vote on the bipartisan, comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Senate a year ago.

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Recall …


Wolverine Meat Recall

 

E. coli is found in cow poop. Yummy. 

Why on earth are we still having E. coli outbreaks in this day and age? Don’t beef producers know how to avoid it at this point? Apparently not. Today, Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Company recalled 1.8 million pounds of ground beef because—you guessed it—it’s contaminated with E. coli. With a name like Wolverine, maybe they produce mutant beef? Probably not, but I’d be willing to guess they’re not taking the proper precautions in production. E. coli—which is potentially deadly—contaminates ground beef when parts of the intestine make their way into the final product, because …

E. coli is found in cow poop. Yummy.
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“Making Use of America’s Talent”


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We hope this message finds you well. As President Obama’s “Year of Action” continues, Senior White House Officials are joining him in taking this work to the Nation.

Valerie Jarrett, Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, recently participated in the New York Regional Forum on Working Families to talk about issues ranging from paid leave to flexible scheduling. Click here to read more about Jarrett’s personal journey to balance the schedules of work and family.

On Monday, May 19th, Dr. Betsey Stevenson, a Member of the Council of Economic Advisers, spoke at the Boston Regional Forum and talked about Making Full Use of America’s Talent. As Dr. Stevenson writes, “Workplaces can change — many already have. Workplaces that offer part-time schedules, scheduling flexibility, or work-from-home options have found that these policies can help recruit and retain workers, increasing productivity.” Click here to read more and be sure to visit www.workingfamiliessummit.org.

In related news, President Obama continued his push for an increase in the minimum wage. Women disproportionately work in low-wage jobs, and more than half of the workers who would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage are women. Read below or click here to learn more.

We couldn’t possibly finish our note without asking you to mark your calendars (May 27th) for the 2014 White House Science Fair! This year, there will be a special focus on girls in STEM. Click here to learn more and stay tuned for updates.

Visit us on the web at www.whitehouse.gov/women and follow @vj44 for updates on all this and more.

Thank you so much for all that you do!

White House Council on Women and Girls

A 21st Century Workplace for Today’s Working Families

Valerie Jarrett, Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls shares her thoughts:

Every day in America, there are single moms struggling to take sick children to doctors’ appointments because missing work isn’t an option. Working dads find themselves straining to focus at work, because their employer doesn’t provide paternity leave that would enable them to contribute at home and bond with their new babies. Young women are questioning their ability to thrive in the workplace as they try to balance the needs of their families with their responsibilities at work.

 

Nearly half of America’s workforce is now comprised of women, and three-fourths of households are headed by a working single parent, or two working parents. Still, our workplaces have yet to catch up by implementing policies which empower women, and provide flexibility for parents.

 

Click here to read more.

Making Full Use of America’s Talent

Dr. Betsey Stevenson, Member of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors, shares her thoughts:

I told a friend recently that I thought that I was failing at everything — my kids weren’t getting enough of me, I wasn’t doing everything that I wanted to at work, and I wasn’t spending enough time with my partner. Her response was to congratulate me for getting my work-life balance just right…

 

Workplace flexibility enabled us to bridge the gap between our care and career responsibilities, but many working women still don’t have this option. Research shows us that women are deterred from entering certain professions with long hours or inflexible schedules because they worry about balancing work and family responsibilities, and are often forced into a less productive career paths as a result. Many workers — both men and women — also lack access to paid family leave and high quality affordable child care, forcing them to make difficult choices between work and family. By limiting career options of some talented workers, we are failing to build an economy that can operate at its full potential and jeopardizing our ability to compete on the world stage. In order to continue making the kind of economic progress we’ve seen in the last 100 years, we’re going to have to reshape the workplaces of today and tomorrow.

 

Click here to read more.

The Benefits of Raising the Minimum Wage for America’s Women

Raising the minimum wage is especially important for women, who are highly concentrated in low-wage jobs and occupations.

Learn more and then share this graphic with others.

Check out the infographic

Announcing the White House Science Fair and Celebrating Girls Excelling in STEM

President Obama checks out a White House Science Fair presentation

President Barack Obama gets down on his hands and knees as he looks at the inner workings of a robot that plays soccer, built by a team from Blue Bell, Pa., as he tours science projects on display in the State Dining Room of the White House. President Obama hosted the White House Science Fair for winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions. October 18, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Next week – on Tuesday, May 27 – the White House is going to be filled with robots, science projects, and more. Students from around the country are headed to the 2014 White House Science Fair hosted by President Obama, and we couldn’t be more excited. With students from a broad range of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions, this year’s Fair will include a specific focus on girls and women who are excelling in STEM and inspiring the next generation with their work.

Stay tuned, because this week, we’ll be previewing some of the amazing girls who will be presenting their projects at the White House Science Fair. Since day one, the President has been committed to getting more underrepresented groups, including women and girls, excited to excel at STEM subjects. For example, in the Administration’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top competition, President Obama granted states competitive preference if they demonstrated efforts to close the STEM gap for girls and other groups that are underrepresented.

The President began the tradition of hosting White House Science Fairs in 2009 when he launched his Educate to Innovate campaign to inspire more girls and boys to excel in STEM subjects. As the President has noted, “If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you’re a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too.” In the run up to the Science Fair, we also want you to share your stories, and we want to highlight YOUR First Science Fair project. So for this Thursday’s Throw Back Thursday, tweet us a photo of your science fair projects and other STEM work from when you were a kid using #TBTsciencefair!

Follow us here @WhiteHouse and @WhiteHouseOSTP as we plan to join in the fun as well.

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Drinking Chemical Out Of a Tank


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5 Terrible Things That Happened In A Charleston Jail During The West Virginia Chemical Spill

It’s been over four months since West Virginia was thrown into a state of emergency after roughly 10,000 gallons of coal chemicals leaked in the water supply and left 300,000 people without potable water. The state took immediate action for many of its residents, shutting down schools and calling the National Guard to help distribute water. But in a detailed investigation released today, Think Progress reports on one group that didn’t receive the proper treatment: the 429 prisoners locked in Charleston’s overcrowded jail,entirely dependent on the state to provide them clean water.

The investigation, based on interviews with multiple current and former inmates, their family members and internal documents obtained by Think Progress, paints a dire picture. We’ve pulled out five of the most disconcerting pieces of information. Head over to the blog to read the entire story.

1. Jail officials initially said they provided inmates with a “plentiful supply of water,” then acknowledged later that was untrue. The only article prior to the Think Progress investigation included jail officials claiming they gave inmates eight 8-oz bottles of water per day. When confronted with jail documents instructing guards to give inmates four bottles per day, and inmate allegations that they sometimes received just two, officials openly said that “some of the information provided to the paper was in fact untrue.” The Institute of Medicine recommends men over 19 years old drink at least 12 8-oz bottles of water per day:

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2. Inmates spoke of choosing between chemical-laced tap water or severe dehydration. One inmate, Eric Ayers, initially opted for the latter option. “That lasted about a day,” he said. “I was just extremely exhausted. I got headaches, felt like I couldn’t do anything. My urine was dark yellow, almost orange.” Some started selling bottles of water for $1.60 a piece, while another “saw a guy make coffee out of toilet water.”

3. Jail officials also exaggerated the extent of the flushing process for cleaning out the taps. Prior to the Think Progress investigation, the public thought that the jail went through a “very extensive” flushing process that lasted two to three days–similar to other public facilities. Jail logs show, however, that flushing occurred in a single day, not three. Officials said they followed formal protocol and ran taps for 20 minutes, but here is how one inmate described it: “After two to three minutes they said good to go you can drink the water. It tasted real strong. Just like drinking that chemical out of a tank.”

4. Inmates may have been placed in solitary confinement for getting sick from drinking the polluted water. From the Think Progress report: “In February, inmates say they were notified of a new policy. Anyone that made more than three sick calls in a month would be moved to medical isolation until they saw a doctor. If there weren’t any bunks there, inmates say they could be put in solitary confinement.”

5. The jail where this all took place has been called “the worst in the state” when it comes to overcrowding. South Central Regional Jail houses 476 inmates, which is over 50 percent above the jail’s intended capacity (currently, sixteen inmates are sleeping on mats on the floor). Perhaps as a consequence of this, the jail has also struggled to keep corrections officers on staff; one former administrator acknowledged that “the good people we do get, we work them to death, they burn out, and then they’re gone.” That’s led to a jump in assaults.

BOTTOM LINE: Thanks to breakthrough investigative reporting, the ramifications of the West Virginia chemical spill are still being discovered. When society’s more basic resources — like running water — disappear, it hits the most vulnerable among us the hardest. And when those people are already in a situation that is under-resourced, the negative impacts are magnified.

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