September 25, 2009

New data from the Deep Impact spacecraft and the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), an instrument aboard India's recently ended Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, provide, for the first time, clear evidence that water exists on the surface of the Moon. "The Deep Impact observations of the Moon not only unequivocally confirm the presence of OH/H2O on the lunar surface, but also reveal that the entire lunar surface is hydrated during at least some portions of the lunar day," write University of Maryland astronomer Jessica Sunshine and co-authors in a paper on the Deep Impact data published online in the September 24 issue of the journal Science. "Finding water on the Moon in daylight is a huge surprise, even if it is only a small amount of water and only in the form of molecules stuck to soil," said Sunshine, lead author of the Deep Impact paper and a co-author of a companion Science paper based on data from the M3 instrument that first detected the presence of lunar water. Prevailing scientific opinion long has been that there probably is no water on the Moon and that, even if it does exist, it would be only in permanently cold, shadowed craters at the lunar poles. Full release.

Statement by Eric Halperin, Director CRL, Washington, D.C. on announcement of overdraft policy changes by three major U.S. banks "Americans are fed up with bank overdraft practices. Media scrutiny and proposed legislation in Congress prompted three of the nation's largest banks to unveil changes to their overdraft policies this week. But the changes are far from enough and, in fact, underscore the need for comprehensive overdraft reform as quickly as possible. Only one of the three banks has announced significant improvements: It will stop charging overdraft fees on debit card transactions unless customers have explicitly signed up for that kind of coverage. And it will stop the unfair practice most banks follow of re-ordering a day's debit card transactions to maximize the number of overdraft fees generated. Full release.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has released an enforcement report examining civil rights issues with respect to the mortgage crisis: Civil Rights and the Mortgage Crisis. The Commission addressed the question of whether the actions taken to affirmatively further homeownership unintentionally weakened underwriting standards and lending policies to the point that too many borrowers were vulnerable to financial distress and a heightened risk of default. The report examines federal policies adopted to increase minority homeownership as well as critiques regarding the relationship of such policies to the mortgage crisis. In addition, the report analyzes the policies and activities of various federal agencies charged with enforcing laws against predatory lending, mortgage fraud, and mortgage lending discrimination. The report also examines the role of credit scoring and other factors used by lenders in the granting and pricing of loans and the issue of whether such tools are objective predictors of creditworthiness. Full release.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today concerning revelations that Iran has built a covert facility for uranium enrichment: "Iran's effort to conceal a major nuclear facility sends a clear signal that the regime has not worked in good faith to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons in the Middle East and around the world. "One of the strongest pillars of America's national security is non-proliferation, and I commend President Obama for standing with fellow leaders to condemn this development and call on Iran to cooperate in our pursuit of a world free of weapons of mass destruction. "An Iran with nuclear weapons is simply unacceptable. It is a threat to the region, to the United States, and to our allies across the globe. Iran must take the necessary steps to demonstrate its willingness to live as a peaceful partner in the international community. And we must use the tools at our disposal -- from diplomacy to sanctions -- to stop Iran's march toward nuclear capability." Full release.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), five United Nations organizations (UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNIFEM, WHO) and private sector supporters will join together later today via the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in a new approach to address the rights violations and health impacts of sexual violence against girls. According to the World Health Organization, in 2002 approximately 150 million girls experienced some form of sexual violence with physical contact. "Sexual violence against children is a gross violation of their rights, a moral and ethical outrage and an assault on the world's conscience," said Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF. "Sexual abuse can lead to lost childhoods, abandoned education, physical and emotional problems, the spread of HIV, and an often irrevocable loss of dignity and self-esteem." In 2007 CDC, UNICEF and several local institutions partnered to implement a national survey on violence against girls and young women in Swaziland. Swaziland has the highest prevalence of HIV among adults globally. The survey showed that approximately one-third of girls had a history of sexual violence. Additionally, more than 40% of those who experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes had two or more incidences prior to age 18. Full release.

Plaintiffs learned this week that the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Edith H. Jones, immediately approved their request to convene a three-judge panel in District Court regarding a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the current size of the United States House of Representatives. The lawsuit argues that the provision in the United States Code (2 USC section 2a) that freezes the size of the House at 435 members is unconstitutional, egregiously violating the well-established principle of "one person, one vote" affirmed in multiple Supreme Court decisions. Convening a three-judge court is rare, and only occurs in cases of apportionment. The implications are significant. If the plaintiffs prevail in District Court with this three-judge panel, the case will move directly to the Supreme Court of the United States. Full release.

President Bill Clinton today announced the launch of the Global Impacting Investing Network (GIIN), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting more effective impact investing around the world, at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City. Impact investing is the use of for-profit investment to address social and environmental problems. The GIIN will promote the infrastructure, activities, education, and research that enable more effective impact investing, and will ultimately lead to a coherent, well-developed marketplace for the impact investing industry. Two major initiatives begin this work: The GIIN Investors' Council -- a group of leading impact investors representing a diverse range of institutions from around the world. The Investors' Council will provide leadership in the industry, disseminate the latest research and best practices in the field, and support the creation and adoption of industry infrastructure, including impact metrics. The Impact Reporting and Investment Standards (IRIS) -- initiative to provide a common framework for measuring social and environmental impact of investments. IRIS addresses a major barrier to the growth of the impact investing industry -- the lack of transparency and credibility in how funds define, track, and report on the social and environmental performance of their capital. Full release.

Eight stars from the four major broadcast networks - ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC - join together in new public service announcement that encourages viewers to tune in to an unprecedented week of television, October 19 -25, as part of EIF's iParticipate national initiative to promote service and volunteering. EIF is mobilizing the entire entertainment community around the ground-breaking, multi-year iParticipate campaign, which promotes a new way of thinking about service and seeks to persuade millions more Americans to volunteer regularly. As a centerpiece, the major broadcast networks and others will spotlight service through scripted programming, segments and PSAs with inspirational messages and storylines about volunteerism. More than 60 shows have signed up to participate. Full release.

On Wednesday, at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, Philip Berber was one of three members to present a progress report during the Economic Empowerment Session emceed by James Carville. Berber was selected from the hundreds considered because his Austin, Texas-based organization - A Glimmer of Hope - exemplifies the CGI's mandate to turn ideas into action. Since 2006, the organization has fulfilled two commitments to the CGI by issuing $2.25 million in microloans to more than 6,000 rural Ethiopians. Full release.

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