April 17, 2008

The International Peace Institute (IPI) announced today that Warren Hoge, United Nations bureau chief for The New York Times, will be joining IPI in June as Vice President and Director of External Relations. Full release.

Azteca America, the fastest-growing Hispanic television network in the United States, is proud to feature Texas Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz on the Monday, April 21 broadcast of "Issues: Caras y Voces" (Issues: Faces and Voices), hosted by veteran Latino journalist Armando Guzman. Full release

NBC Nightly News last night underscored the dramatic effect rising fuel costs are having on the trucking industry and consumers in a segment titled "Food Inflation." The report, delivered by CNBC reporter Erin Burnett, outlined how the cost of filling up a tractor trailer translates into higher prices for all consumer goods, including food. Full release

Ever stop to wonder how day-to-day life is for girls living in other countries around the world? And how fair and equal it is for them? In Thailand, for example, trafficking in the forced labor of women and girls is commonplace. More than 100 girls will learn about social injustices such as this when they grab a Passport to Global Tolerance, a day-long series of workshops. During Passport to Global Tolerance, girls will survey prevalent issues challenging girls and women today and find ways to tap into their potential to effect positive change and sharing across borders, language barriers, and backgrounds. Full release

Citing the recent and troubling news of a USA Today reporter being held in contempt of court for refusing to publicly name her source, Congressmen Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Conyers (D-Mich.), Mike Pence (R-Ind.), and Rick Boucher (D-Va.) urged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to quickly take up legislation already passed in the House to protect the media's rights to confidentiality. Full release

Activists from Catholics Speak Out! claimed that Pope Benedict's first visit to Washington, DC serves to highlight sharp differences between Catholic social teaching and the foreign and social policy of the Bush Administration. Full release

John McCain says he is against earmarks and has promised that as president he would "veto every bill with earmarks" that came across his desk. [CQ, 4/15/08]. He also claims to have "been a very strong proponent to the State of Israel." [Haaretz.com, 2/3/2008] But John McCain has a problem. Aid to Israel is an earmark. As reported by thinkprogress.org, "congressional directives specifying spending amounts that are the same as shown in the Administration's illustrative listing for country distributions also are regarded as earmarks. Annual earmarks for economic and military aid to Israel and Egypt are examples of such directives." [http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/16/mccain-aid-israel/] Full release

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan today announced that the RNC will report over $31 million cash-on-hand through the end of March 2008 in its upcoming filing with the Federal Election Commission. Full release

After months of intense effort to secure renewal of tax credits and other incentives which have helped spur record growth in the use of renewable energy, solar and wind power companies were rewarded when the U.S. Senate passed The Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008 with strong bi-partisan support in an 88 to 8 vote. Full release

The website HumanitarianDream.com has launched an online call to action encouraging key decision makers to invite the Dalai Lama to carry the torch as a symbol of peace and unity during the Olympic truce. Full release.

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