Tag Archives: United States Congress

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Support the Maasai Tribe … repost


Middle Eastern kings and princes are about to force up to 48,000 people in Tanzania from their land to make way for corporate-sponsored big game hunting. But Tanzanian President Kikwete has shown before that he will stop deals like this when they generate negative press coverage. Click to deliver a media blitz that will push President Kikwete to stop the landgrab and save these Maasai.

At any moment, a big-game hunting corporation could sign a deal which would force up to 48,000 members of Africa’s famous Maasai tribe from their land to make way for wealthy Middle Eastern kings and princes to hunt lions and leopards. Experts say the Tanzanian President’s approval of the deal may be imminent, but if we act now, we can stop this sell-off of the Serengeti.

The last time this same corporation pushed the Maasai off their land to make way for rich hunters, people were beaten by the police, their homes were burnt to a cinder and their livestock died of starvation. But when a press controversy followed, Tanzanian President Kikwete reversed course and returned the Maasai to their land. This time, there hasn’t been a big press controversy yet, but we can change that and force Kikwete to stop the deal if we join our voices now.

If 150,000 of us sign, media outlets in Tanzania and around the world will be blitzed so President Kikwete gets the message to rethink this deadly deal. Sign the petition now and send to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_maasai/?biEWLbb&v=17109

The Maasai are semi-nomadic herders who have lived in Tanzania and Kenya for centuries, playing a critical role in preserving the delicate ecosystem. But to royal families from the United Arab Emirates, they’re an obstacle to luxurious animal shooting sprees. A deal to evict the Maasai to make way for rich foreign hunters is as bad for wildlife as it is for the communities it would destroy. While President Kikwete is talking to favoured local elites to sell them on the deal as good for development, the vast majority of people just want to keep the land that they know the President can take by decree.

President Kikwete knows that this deal would be controversial with Tanzania’s tourists — a critical source of national income — and is therefore trying to keep it from the public eye. In 2009, a similar royal landgrab in the area executed by the same corporation that is swooping in this time generated global media coverage that helped to roll it back. If we can generate the same level of attention, we know the pressure can work.

A petition signed by thousands can force all the major global media bureaus in East Africa and Tanzania to blow up this controversial deal. Sign now to call on Kikwete to kill the deal:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_maasai/?biEWLbb&v=17109

Representatives from the Maasai community today urgently appealed to Avaaz to raise the global alarm call and save their land. Time and again, the incredible response from this amazing community turns seemingly lost causes into legacies that last a lifetime. Lets protect the Maasai and save the animals for tourists that want to shoot them with camera lenses, rather than lethal weapons!

With hope and determination,

Sam, Meredith, Luis, Aldine, Diego, Ricken and the rest of the Avaaz team

For More Information:

The Guardian: “Tourism is a curse to us” http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/06/masai-tribesman-tanzania-tourism

News Internationalist Magazine: “Hunted down” http://www.newint.org/columns/currents/2009/12/01/tanzania/

Society for Threatened People: Briefing on the eviction of the Loliondo Maasai http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/session12/TZ/STP-SocietyThreatenedPeople-eng.pdf

FEMACT: Report by 16 human rights investigators & media on violence in Loliondo http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/58956/print

Voices of Loliondo: Short film from Loliondo on impact of eviction on Maasai http://vimeo.com/35311385

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Underpaid workers, deplorable health conditions, exploitation, active racism, wage theft


Beauty

New York Nail Salon Workers Get Their Own Bill of Rights

Nora Crotty
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Today’s Headlines … As the Clock Strikes Midnight…



Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times

The LA Times Logo
Time ran out on the National Security Agency’s authority to collect massive amounts of Americans’ telephone calling data Sunday night. The Senate appears poised to pass a House bill this week to reform the NSA’s domestic surveillance practices, but debate among Republicans especially has become a major element in the 2016 presidential campaign.

A Soccer Tournament in Jeopardy
The federal corruption investigation of FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, may jeopardize the much ballyhooed 2016 Copa America tournament in the United States. The alleged bribery connected with the tournament was one of the major examples in the 161-page indictment handed down last week. The tournament has never been held here and its coming was taken as a validation of the sport’s growing prominence in this country. Now, it’s uncertain if the tournament will take place in the U.S. after all.

Squiggling L.A.
The Sixth Street Viaduct has been one of the most revered — and dilapidated — icons in the city. Due to a fatal flaw in its concrete, the bridge will soon be replaced with a new span designed not just as a utilitarian crossing between Boyle Heights and downtown, but as a squiggling connector, destination, urban artwork and playground. Demolition begins this summer. The $428-million project is scheduled to open in 2019.

Sheriff’s Deputies Admit Lying
Two sheriff’s deputies have broken ranks and changed their stories in a jail beating case. The deputies now say in a plea agreement that the victim, a visitor to the jail, was handcuffed while he was beaten. The two deputies have agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and testify against three other deputies who have been indicted on federal assault and civil rights charges.

Gastronomical Science
Do you eat your food or subject it to weights and measures? Chef-turned-food writer Christopher St. Cavish does both. In his quest to find the perfect Shanghai soup dumpling known as xiao long bao, he set off across the city of 24 million to rate dumplings. Inspired by the ones he enjoys at Din Tai Fung, the Taiwanese restaurant that has expanded to the United States, St. Cavish studied how thin the dough was, how much soup was served with the dumpling and the weight of the filling inside. Then he published his findings. Restaurateurs weren’t impressed, but he was satisfied. In more ways than one.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Mary Jane could be executed any day


Earlier this month, Mary Jane Veloso’s scheduled execution was paused because of global outcry to save her life. But her fate remains uncertain, and she could still face execution any day. Read on for more information.
Petitioning Joko Widodo

Save the Life of Mary Jane Veloso! End Human Trafficking!
Petition by church response
Philippines
366,405
Supporters
~ FDA/USDA ~~ Alerts & Safety

FDA/USDA ~~ Alerts & Safety May


USFDA_footer

05/30/2015 09:50 AM EDT
Paleteria La Jalpita of Pasco, Washington is recalling ice cream bars and popsicles because it may contain undeclared milk and sulfite. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk or sulfite run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

 

05/27/2015 05:12 PM EDT Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets Inc., a Lakewood, Colo., based natural grocery chain, is recalling two lots of Natural Grocers brand Macadamia nuts as the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
05/26/2015 05:56 PM EDT  Jose Madrid Salsa of Zanesville, Ohio has issued a voluntary recall of Jose Madrid Salsa Original Mild Salsa packaged in 13oz jars, due to potentially improperly sealed jars. An unknown number of jar lids may have been convex instead of vacuum sealed.
05/26/2015 05:57 PM EDT House of Spices of Flushing, NY is recalling its 200 gm packages of “Laxmi Dry Apricot” food treats because they contained undeclared sulfites. Consumers who have severe sensitivity to sulfites run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.
05/26/2015 05:56 PM EDT
Jose Madrid Salsa of Zanesville, Ohio has issued a voluntary recall of Jose Madrid Salsa Original Mild Salsa packaged in 13oz jars, due to potentially improperly sealed jars. An unknown number of jar lids may have been convex instead of vacuum sealed.
05/23/2015 08:20 PM EDT Falcon Trading Company, Inc./SunRidge Farms of Royal Oaks, CA announced that it has taken the precautionary measure of voluntarily recalling the one bulk item mentioned below. This item was distributed to the East Coast on May 7, 2015.
05/23/2015 09:11 AM EDT  Falcon Trading Company, Inc./SunRidge Farms of Royal Oaks, CA announced that it has taken the precautionary measure of voluntarily recalling the one bulk item mentioned below. The product may contain very small stainless steel wire, the kind and type used in the screening process during manufacturing.

 

Recall Summary Name of product: Nest Booster SeatOXO Nest Booster Seat

Hazard: if you bought one from September 2014 – present

Consumer Contact:

OXO at (800) 545-4411 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at info@oxo.com or online at www.oxo.com and click on Customer Service under the Contact Us tab at the bottom of the page for more information.

The stitching on the restraint straps can loosen which allows the straps to separate from the seat, posing a fall hazard to children

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2015/OXO-Recalls-Nest-Booster-Seats/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=Recalls+RSS#remedy

 

LQNN, Inc. Recalls Poultry, Beef and Pork Products Produced Without the Benefit of Inspection and Misbranded With Unauthorized Use of the USDA Mark of Inspection

LQNN, Inc., a Garden Grove, Calif. firm is recalling approximately 213,192 pounds of chicken, beef and pork products that were produced without the benefit of inspection and misbranded because of the unauthorized use of a USDA mark of inspection. The products which were moved and sold in commerce, included the unapproved use of another facility’s mark of inspection, which has been identified as Establishment number 18995. LQNN, Inc., operating as Lee’s Sandwiches, has been processing products from federally-inspected establishments and re-packaging them without the benefit of inspection. Products produced without inspection present potential of increased human health risk.

05/19/2015 06:50 PM EDT  A&S FOOD TRADING INC at 4425B 1ST AVE, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11232 is recalling HUA ZHI YING BRAND GOURD CANDY because it contains undeclared sulfites. People who have severe sensitivity to sulfites run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.

NHTSA Statement on Takata Air Bag Inflators

“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received notification from BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota that they are conducting limited regional recalls to address a possible safety defect involving Takata brand air bag inflators.

“Today’s action is influenced by a NHTSA investigation into six reports of air bag inflator ruptures, all of which occurred in Florida and Puerto Rico.

“Based on the limited data available at this time, NHTSA supports efforts by automakers to address the immediate risk in areasthat have consistently hot, humid conditions over extended periods of time.

Consumers impacted by the recalls should have their vehicles serviced promptly once they receive notification from their vehicle manufacturer. NHTSA remains in close communication with the supplier and automakers to gather additional data and will take appropriate action based on our findings.”

05/18/2015 11:15 AM EDT ZYK Enterprises, Inc. a Duvall, WA establishment, is recalling 2,522 pounds of boneless veal trim and whole veal muscle cut products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
05/15/2015 08:48 PM EDT OC Raw Dog of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA is voluntarily recalling 2055 lbs. of Turkey & Produce Raw Frozen Canine Formulation, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. An organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
05/15/2015 10:09 PM EDT Aurora Products, Inc. is conducting a voluntary recall of RAW MACADAMIA NUTS packaged under the Aurora brand label and various Store brand labels. Products are being recalled because they have the potential to contain Salmonella which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Blue Bell Ice Cream Recalls 3 oz. Institutional/Food Service … leads to layoffs of 1450 of listeria

Safety 2015-04-21 | http://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/ucm439533.htm

… Firm’s Press Release Third Recall Expansion. FDA Investigates Listeria monocytogenes in Ice Cream Products from Blue Bell Creameries. …

Related Results

More results from www.fda.gov/safety/recalls

FDA Investigates Listeria monocytogenes in Ice Cream … Food

2015-05-14 | http://www.fda.gov/food/recallsoutbreaksemergencies/outbreaks/ucm438104.htm

… contact with the potentially contaminated ice cream, it is … Blue Bell urges consumers who have purchased these items … pm CST or go to bluebell.com …

05/14/2015 07:15 PM EDT AA Poultry Processing, LLC, a Ridgeland, Wis. establishment, is recalling approximately 2,191 pounds of chicken and 21 pounds of turkey products, which may have been contaminated with trichloro-s-triazinetrione, which is not approved for use in poultry processing.
05/11/2015 12:44 PM EDT  Good Seed Inc. of Springfield, VA is recalling all packages of soybean sprouts and mung bean sprouts because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections to individuals with weakened immune systems.
05/02/2015 02:14 AM EDT Sun Rich Fresh Foods Inc. of Richmond, BC, Canada is voluntarily recalling sliced apple and products containing sliced apples, from its Northeast Fresh Facility located in Brampton, ON, Canada because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
05/02/2015 01:17 AM EDT
Bi-Lo Supermarket #5406, a Rossville, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 11-22 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with pieces from a small plastic pop-up timer.
05/02/2015 01:17 AM EDT
Victory Kitchens, a Toronto, Ontario, Canada firm, is recalling approximately 4,672 pounds of chicken noodle soup products that contain chicken from a country that is not eligible to send product to the U.S.