October 20, 2009

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Urban Caucus, told the nation's leading urban-market venture capitalists that investing in minority communities in the United States is smart business as well as a route to national economic recovery. Fattah is the keynote speaker at tonight's banquet and gala of the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC), which wraps up its 39th Annual Meeting and Convention at the Fairmont Hotel. NAIC members control more than $10 billion in capital for investment in ethnically diverse American markets. "Even though emerging markets abroad are touted as hot prospects, the fact is that the greatest untapped market for American business can be found right here at home in the economic shadows," Fattah said in remarks prepared for the NAIC. "If the urban markets catering to African Americans and Hispanics were a separate country, those markets would represent the world's ninth largest economy." Full release.

The Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, Inc. (AIAM) today expressed its ongoing support for a comprehensive, national approach to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while improving fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks. The first of three joint hearings is to be held today in Detroit, Mich., by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on proposed harmonized rulemaking for GHG emissions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) for model years 2012 through 2016 vehicles. "Today's joint hearing marks the next important step in the process of aligning EPA, NHTSA and California regulations in an effort to help curb global climate change and improve energy security through the reduction of oil consumption," said Michael J. Stanton, AIAM's President and CEO. "We believe that the successful implementation of a single national program will help preserve the widest range of choice in new vehicle purchases for American consumers and allow sufficient lead time for manufacturers to thoroughly engineer and test next-generation vehicles for timely introduction to the market," Stanton continued. "We are grateful that EPA and NHTSA are working together to seek harmonization of their two regulatory programs despite the significant structural differences of their enabling statutes. We will continue to offer our cooperation in support of this ongoing effort." Full release.

The following is being released by the Palm Center: The military's prohibition of consensual sodomy invites arbitrary enforcement and may be unconstitutional according to a report released by the Commission on Military Justice today. The Commission recommends repealing the ban. The report was sponsored by the National Institute of Military Justice and a committee of the American Bar Association, and was authored by a distinguished panel of judges, scholars and military personnel. It noted that military laws already provide an "adequate basis to prosecute any criminal sexual misconduct," rendering the sodomy ban unnecessary. Proponents of "don't ask, don't tell" often point to the sodomy ban as justification for excluding gay and lesbian service members. But scholars dispute the soundness of that rationale. According to Dr. Nathaniel Frank, "public opinion about private, consensual sexual conduct has shifted dramatically since the military sodomy ban was written into law almost a hundred years ago. To say that gays should be banned from the military for this outdated reason makes no sense." Frank is Senior Research Fellow at the Palm Center and author of Unfriendly Fire, a history of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Full release.

In testimony to a U.S. House of Representatives Committee, the American Red Cross offered recommendations on ways to better meet the needs of every community member affected by disaster, especially those with special requirements. Trevor Riggen, Red Cross senior director of disaster services testified Tuesday as to how the Red Cross is meeting the needs of the very young, the elderly, and those with disabilities. While there is no "one size fits all" answer, the Red Cross has put in place plans to help this most vulnerable population. "Our nation continues to make improvements in our ability to respond to and recover from disasters," Riggen said. "As a nation, we are better prepared for disasters than at any time in our history." During a disaster, children may feel ill at ease in a shelter. Their daily routine is disrupted. The Red Cross has special help for children during this traumatic time, such as special areas for families to sleep, and space in the shelter for family interaction and child care. Full release.

The American Association for Homecare praised a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives for backing introduction of H.R. 3790, a bill to eliminate the controversial, deeply flawed "competitive" bidding program for durable medical equipment and services in Medicare. Durable, or home medical equipment, such as oxygen, wheelchairs, diabetic supplies, and hospital beds, enables seniors and people with disabilities to receive quality care at home. Home-based care represents a cost-effective alternative to institutional care, and seniors prefer to receive care at home rather than in an institution. To ensure that seniors and taxpayers receive the savings projected for the bid program, the bill would reduce Medicare reimbursements to home medical equipment providers in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. At the same time, the bill will allow thousands of home medical providers to keep their doors open to serve the millions of Americans who require home-based care and will allow patients to continue to receive services from the providers of their choice. Full release.

GE, Whirlpool Corporation and a number of other companies today announced the creation of a new collaborative effort aimed at demonstrating the role of smart grid technologies and practices in the achievement of climate change goals. Called the Smart Green Grid Initiative (SGGI), the effort will include educational events at the upcoming climate change meetings in Copenhagen. SGGI has been approved by the United Nations to be an official smart grid delegation to the Copenhagen meetings. SGGI will also be sponsoring educational events in the U.S. in the weeks preceding the meetings in Copenhagen. One of the groups that SGGI will work with in Copenhagen is the Pew Center Global Climate Change. "It is important that we look at all of the options that can help address and mitigate climate change," said Eileen Claussen, President of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change "and smart grid's role in enabling energy efficiency and other climate-friendly technologies deserves greater attention. We look forward to participating in an SGGI side event in Copenhagen that will help carry this message to the broader climate change community." Full release.

A report released today by Pew's Economic Mobility Project shows that community colleges are an important stepping stone for students of all backgrounds, income levels and high school achievements to improve their economic mobility prospects. Earning a community college degree boosts earnings by an average of $7,900 annually, an increase of 29 percent over those with only a high school diploma. For low-income, high-achieving high school students in particular, community colleges serve as a springboard to further postsecondary education; more than half eventually transfer to four-year programs, and three-quarters of those who transfer earn a bachelor's degree. Strengthening Community Colleges' Influence on Economic Mobility was authored by Diana Furchtgott-Roth of the Hudson Institute and Louis Jacobson and Christine Mokher of CNA. "With unemployment at its highest point in 30 years, policymakers should look for ways to broaden the opportunities for high school graduates to have economic success. Support of community colleges is a key piece of this puzzle," said Ianna Kachoris, manager of the Economic Mobility Project. Full release.

Why have several recent programs designed to encourage loan modifications failed to slow America's still-worsening home mortgage foreclosure crisis? A new report from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) discloses that mortgage servicers - including many large banks - have found it cheaper to foreclose on homeowners than to offer loan modifications that would benefit homeowners and investors. The result: Americans who might be able to stay in their homes under a loan modification plan are being moved right past that option and on to foreclosure. The new NCLC report, "Why Servicers Foreclose, When They Should Modify, and Other Puzzles of Servicer Behavior," reveals that servicers, unlike investors or homeowners, generally don't risk losing money on foreclosures. In fact, servicers usually make money on foreclosures. Full release.

The Safe Internet Alliance, today hosted a Capitol Hill educational event and discussion entitled, "Framework for a Safe Internet: Know the facts, understand the issues, shape the future." The event featured three expert panels of a diverse group of panelists, from technology and software companies including AOL and Microsoft to industry associations like the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. The event commenced with a keynote speech from Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour of the Federal Trade Commission who stressed the importance of cross-collaboration between the government and private sector in developing safe Internet initiatives. In her speech Commissioner Harbour also highlighted emerging crime patterns against consumers online and different methods of user empowerment. The three panels explored perspectives of the "real Internet user" that exists in the U.S., online risks and cyber crime in the U.S., ways to make the Internet safe and the emerging technologies that will offer to aid in creating a safe Internet. Full release.

The Gilchrist Institute for the Achievement Sciences, a behavioral sciences think tank, has developed a methodology for implementing the "Laws of Potential" in decision-making and strategic issues. The Laws of Potential are defined by absolute principles found universally. They describe how human potential can be converted into understanding and achievement. Dr. Robert Flower, Director of the Gilchrist Institute, states, "We have been investigating these principles since 1981 and found that everywhere we looked -- the physical sciences, philosophy, behavioral sciences, etc. -- the Laws of Potential provide a construct for understanding human behavior and decision making." The Laws of Potential encompass three broad categories: Creative, Organizational and Functional. The three categories contain the 13 principles of human achievement. Full release.

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