January 08, 2010

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a major speech today to mark the 15th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Her strong message showed top-level U.S. Government support for the ICPD and other such UN goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, by 2015. These include achieving universal access to reproductive healthcare (RH) and education (especially for girls), and reductions in maternal and child mortality. But Secretary Clinton's address today indicated much more - a commitment to women and girls' health and progress worldwide, which in turn relates to development and climate change. "It signals a critical five-year window to not only achieve the ICPD objectives, but also make tremendous gains on global environmental and climate sustainability," said Vicky Markham, Director of the Center for Environment and Population (CEP). This is because the world's environment and development issues are inextricably linked so new, strong U.S. commitment to the ICPD's principles is also critical to achieving environmental sustainability worldwide. Now, changes to global climate, water and forest resources, species' habitat and biological diversity are all occurring in unprecedented ways from human activities. "Strong, clear U.S. leadership to achieve the ICPD goals for women's health and equality is one sure way to maintain an important balance between people and nature on our finite planet," said Ms. Markham. Full release.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on a new report released today by the Center for American Progress that shows that health insurance reform will create up to 4 million more jobs over the next decade than would be created without reform. The report finds that health care reform could increase the number of jobs in the United States by about 250,000 to 400,000 per year over the coming decade. "We know that health insurance reform will help save lives, save money, and save Medicare. But Americans need to know that reform will actually save and create millions more jobs -- lessening the burden of skyrocketing costs on small and medium-sized businesses all across America. Reform is critical to the health of our economy and to the health of our people." Full release.

In light of new unemployment figures released today, Bread for the World urged the government to make investments that would create jobs and achieve a sustainable economic recovery. Government data released today shows the unemployment rate held steady at 10 percent for December 2009. However, the United States still lost 85,000 jobs last month -- many more than economists expected -- with a majority in the construction, manufacturing and wholesale trade industries. Asma Lateef, director, Bread for the World Institute, described today's unemployment statistics as a grim reminder that poor working families have been the hardest hit. She said that according to the organization's new report, Hunger 2010: A Just and Sustainable Recovery, we have seen an increase in hunger around the world, and in the United States alone, the number of people who struggle to put food on the table has surged to 49.1 million. "The focus now for our nation's lawmakers should be on job creation," said Lateef. "One of the best investments we can make -- one that would both create jobs and put our economy on a sustainable path -- is to invest in clean energy, and re-tool our aging infrastructure for the 21st century. This would create millions of green jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and would be a very effective long-term investment." Full release.

Older just may be wiser when it comes to U.S. entrepreneurs. New research shows that entrepreneurial behavior among older Americans (44-99) rose significantly in 2008. Younger adults in the 18-44 age range -- traditionally the hotbed of US entrepreneurial activity -- reduced their entrepreneurial activity in 2008. This shifting pattern is a key finding in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2008 National Entrepreneurial Assessment for the United States of America, produced by Babson College and Baruch College. Babson College Entrepreneurship Professor and GEM author Julio O. de Castro, believes the increase in entrepreneurial activity by older Americans presents some interesting questions to consider in the next GEM report. "Is this a temporary or permanent trend? Or just a reaction to the economic recession?" asks de Castro. Full release.

In response to egregious human rights violations against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Uganda, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) has established the URGENT LGBT UGANDA FUND. The fund will support Ugandan grassroots organizations working to defend the rights of sexual minorities and to defeat a dangerous piece of proposed legislation -- "The Anti-Homosexuality Bill." The bill seeks to broaden the criminalization of homosexuality and penalize supporters and funders of LGBT programs and rights. The passage of this bill would severely impede human rights and development groups' efforts to ensure the safety and security of the Ugandan LGBT community. It would also make it extremely difficult for groups to implement effective prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Moreover, the bill violates the freedom of every person to live a safe and dignified life -- a core value that unifies all of AJWS's work and is central to the Jewish experience. "AJWS's work is propelled by a very basic value: the essential dignity of every human being," AJWS president Ruth Messinger said. "In the spirit of b'tselem elohim -- the understanding that each person is made in the divine image -- we recognize that every human life is of equal value. Full release.

Employment data released today by the U.S. Department of Labor indicates that the pace of job losses has slowed tremendously compared to a year ago. However, job creation remains elusive as lawmakers pursue legislation that would harm, not help, employers efforts to retain and add jobs, noted the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). According to the report, the U.S. economy shed 85,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate remained steady at 10 percent. Over the same period, the retail industry shed 10,200 jobs, the smallest decline since the start of the recession. "The most effective consumer stimulus continues to be a steady job," said RILA President Sandy Kennedy. "Today's report suggests we are entering 2010 in better shape than we entered 2009, but the economy remains fragile and job creation continues to be elusive. Congress must focus on measures that will increase consumer confidence and boost spending, and avoid actions that would impose costly burdens on employers as they seek to create and retain jobs." RILA has spoken out strongly against House and Senate health care reform legislation that would undermine the quality and affordability of health care insurance RILA members offer their employees and stifle retail job growth for years to come. Full release.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) a preliminary injunction in its suit against the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), the ESA said today. The case, which the ESA filed in July 2009, challenges CTA's prohibition of certain computer and video game advertisements as a violation of the guarantees of free speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. In her opinion, Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer stated, "...the advertisements the CTA wishes to ban promote expression that has constitutional value and implicates core First Amendment concerns." "This ruling is a win for Chicago's citizens, the video game industry and, above all, the First Amendment," said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA, which represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. "It is our hope that the CTA sees the futility of pursuing this case further. To do so will waste taxpayer money and government resources. Chicago deserves better and we look forward to bringing this matter to an end." Full release.

With Puerto Rico's unemployment rate now at 16.5 percent, the Chairman and President of the National Puerto Rican Coalition today urged the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status to develop "a government-wide 'Marshall Plan' to rebuild the economy of Puerto Rico," just as the federal government did in the Post-War years in restoring the economies of Western Europe. "In calling together the Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status, President Obama recognized both the need to move forward on the question of Puerto Rico's status and to respond to what is an emerging economic crisis in the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico," said Chairperson Miguel Lausell. "The White House has brought together representatives of each and every cabinet department and agency," added President and CEO Rafael A. Fantauzzi. "With a crushing unemployment rate of 16.5 percent - higher, even, than the nation experienced during 1931, two years into the Great Depression - the Task Force must recognize that Puerto Rico is in crisis." Full release.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the December 2009 Employment Situation report released today: "This past December, the economy lost 85,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 10 percent. "Today's numbers underscore that we still have work to do before we can be sure that all Americans have access to good jobs. We are working aggressively to reverse these conditions for American workers and their families. "Despite the bumpy road to recovery, we have made progress. One year ago, our economy was losing close to 700,000 jobs a month. We met this challenge head on through the Recovery Act -- putting a plan in place designed to create jobs and drive economic growth through a combination of tax relief for individuals and businesses, aid to hard-hit families and state and local governments, and funding for science, technology and infrastructure projects across the country. Thanks to this program, we have saved or created more than 1 million jobs. Full release.

The American Clinical Laboratory Association's Results for Life Campaign today applauded the American Diabetes Association for its decision to recommend the hemoglobin A1C laboratory test as a means of diagnosing diabetes and identifying pre-diabetes. The new ADA clinical practice recommendation was published as a supplement to the January issue of Diabetes Care. "This recommendation will help in the battle against diabetes because the HbA1C test, unlike other tests, does not require individuals to fast ahead of time," said David Mongillo, Vice President of Policy and Medical Affairs for the American Clinical Laboratory Association. "We hope this increased convenience will allow more individuals to get tested and find out whether they are at risk." The test has long been recommended as a way to monitor blood glucose levels for people who already have diabetes, but the new ADA recommendation encourages its use in diagnosing new cases as well. Full release.

Election Defense Alliance (EDA) has released a new study challenging the election results for Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot initiative that ended marriage equality in California through a constitutional amendment. Renowned election fraud investigator and data analyst Richard Hayes Phillips, Ph.D., best known for his investigation (http://www.witnesstoacrime.com/) of Ohio's 2004 presidential election results, has now called into question yet another high-profile election. The culminating report is hosted at WasProp8Straight.org (http://www.wasprop8straight.org/). Data was collected through exit polls in 19 Los Angeles County precincts on Election Day, 2008. Voters leaving the polls were asked to fill out a simplified paper ballot anonymously and deposit it into a locked box; 6,326 voters did so, a sample larger than that for the entire state of California in the exit poll used by news outlets around the country to predict election outcomes. Full release.

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