January 13, 2010

Google acted correctly in ending self-censorship of its Chinese search engine, Google.cn, but the cyber attacks that prompted the decision demonstrate the company must give American consumers better security and privacy controls, Consumer Watchdog said today. "Google should never have agreed to censor itself as the price for admission to the Chinese market; it's good they have reversed themselves. It sends a strong message to China about an open Internet," said John M. Simpson, a consumer advocate with the nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer group. "But the most important takeaway from the incident is how vulnerable our data is on Google's cloud. Google must immediately implement better security and give us more control of our own data." Google compiles more information about consumers' online behavior than any Internet company and consumers should have the right to control how that information is used or if it is even gathered, Consumer Watchdog said. "Google has emphasized speed and efficiency over security and privacy," Simpson said. "With so much of our information in Google's worldwide network of servers, its time that security and privacy got proper attention from the Internet giant." Full release.

Plan, an international child-centered community development organization, has announced the release of USD $100,000 in emergency funds to help Haiti recover from the country's worst earthquake in recorded history. While the death toll from the 7.23 magnitude quake is not yet known, some three million people may have been directly affected. When the earthquake struck, buildings and public infrastructure, including at least one major hospital in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, were destroyed or severely damaged. Many houses, office buildings, and schools collapsed with many people still trapped inside. Plan, which has worked closely with Haitian communities since 1973, has launched an international appeal for funds for Haiti that will support immediate emergency operations, with a special concern for meeting the needs of the children. Plan disaster response teams are now coordinating an immediate response with government agencies, emergency services, and other organizations. Roger Yates, Plan Director of disasters and humanitarian response, said that "of all the countries in the region, Haiti is the most vulnerable. Plan's priority is assisting children and their families and getting people at risk into safe accommodation wherever possible." Full release.

The American Red Cross is sending money, supplies and staff to Haiti to support relief efforts there after yesterday's earthquake, which caused catastrophic damage and loss of life. According to reports, as many as three million people may have been affected by the quake, which collapsed government buildings and caused major damage to hospitals in the area. The Red Cross is contributing an initial $1 million from the International Response Fund to support the relief operation, and has opened its warehouse in Panama to provide tarps, mosquito nets and cooking sets for approximately 5,000 families. In addition to Red Cross staff already in Haiti, six disaster management specialists are being deployed to the disaster zone to help coordinate relief efforts. At this time, the American Red Cross is only deploying volunteers specially trained to manage international emergency operations. There has been an outpouring of support from the public. To help, people can make an unrestricted donation to the International Response Fund at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). The public can also help by texting "Haiti" to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross, through an effort backed by the U.S. State Department. Funds will go to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. Full release.

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the small island nation of Haiti on the evening of January 12, the worst earthquake to strike the region in more than 200 years. Thousands are feared dead; the quake's epicenter was located just 10 miles from the capital city of Port-au-Prince. "As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the people of Haiti will desperately need the help of the international community in the wake of this horrifying disaster," says Trevor Knoblich, LWR's Program Coordinator for Emergency Response. "A large response will be needed to even begin helping the people of Haiti," he adds. Throughout the night and into the morning, powerful aftershocks, some as strong as 5.9 magnitude, continued. The initial quake toppled the presidential palace and destroyed the shanty homes where most Haitians live. Their homes destroyed, people are in the streets with nowhere to go. The greatest damage appears to be concentrated in Port-au-Prince, where critical services, such as electricity, water and phone services, are severely affected. Access to the capital city is limited due to debris and other obstacles on the roads. Reports of injuries and death tolls are still unknown because of communications problems; however, early indications suggest a large number of causalities and extensive damage. Full release.

The Children's Place Association, a Chicago-based nonprofit, continues to monitor the situation in Haiti after at 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the country late Tuesday afternoon and the status of clients and workers remains unknown. The organization currently cares for more than 500 clients in Haiti. The Children's Place Association began programming in this poverty-ridden country to help families affected by HIV/AIDS meet the needs of their children. "We have been attempting to contact our field workers in Haiti since we learned of the quake yesterday afternoon," said Cathy Krieger, president and CEO of The Children's Place Association. "At this time we have not been able to reach our team or families and we are deeply concerned for their safety and well-being as the devastation in the area is wide spread." A relief effort is already underway. "We have begun to mobilize support for our employees and clients. While we do not yet know what the specific needs, monetary donations will help us to quickly provide aid once we are able to reach them. We anticipate these needs will include medical supplies, clean water and food." Full release.

Following a major 7.0 earthquake near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, international aid agency Oxfam announced that its teams are ready to respond. Early reports state that over two million people have been affected near the Port-au-Prince area, Haiti's capital city. Oxfam has a staff of about 200 people on the ground in Haiti and a team of 15 highly-experienced emergency specialists based in the capital will be responding with public health, water and sanitation services to prevent the spread of waterborne disease. "The first step in an emergency will be getting clean water to people who need it as we know from experience that shocks like this disrupt water lines, and transportation is completely broken down," said Michael Delaney, director of Oxfam America's humanitarian response department. The agency announced that as soon as assessment teams have a fuller understanding of the emergency needs Haitians across the region face, Oxfam will work urgently to meet them now and in the coming days. Full release.

AmeriCares is sending $3 million worth of medical aid to survivors of yesterday's deadly, 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti from its Stamford warehouse. The shipment includes antibiotics, pain relievers, bandages and medical supplies for survivors with trauma injuries. AmeriCares is working with partner organizations to distribute the medicines and supplies to hospitals and health clinics in the affected areas. AmeriCares relief workers are en route to Haiti to oversee the aid distribution. Additional shipments will follow in the days and weeks ahead, including an additional 10,000 pounds of emergency relief from our warehouse in Amsterdam. AmeriCares has pledged $5 million in aid for the people of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, in the wake of the catastrophe. "Medicines and supplies are critically needed in Haiti right now and our emergency response experts are working around-the-clock to get those lifesaving products into the hands of medical personnel treating survivors," said AmeriCares President & CEO Curt Welling. "AmeriCares has been working in Haiti for more than 25 years, and we are committed to helping the country recover from this horrific disaster both in the coming days and the weeks and months ahead." Full release.

peaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on a report issued by the White House's Council of Economic Advisors finding that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created or saved up to 2 million jobs, and added between 1.5 and 3 percentage points to the growth in gross domestic product in the final quarter of 2009: "When we passed the Recovery Act nearly one year ago, we pledged to create and save 3.5 million jobs over two years rebuilding our roads and bridges, expanding the clean energy economy, keeping teachers in the classroom, and cutting taxes for 95 percent of our nation's households and small businesses. This analysis shows that we are on track so far — with only half the money committed. But years of inaction and lax oversight crippled our economy — and we have more work to do to help it recover. Full release.

While the nation's economy may be approaching the late stages of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, local government budget tightening and spending cuts over the next several years could well impose a significant drag on the nation's economic recovery. Cities face layoffs, canceled contracts with small businesses and vendors, reduced services, cuts in state aid, and sizable budget shortfalls for 2009 that are expected to grow much more severe and widespread from 2010 to 2012. To ensure city conditions do not slow the pace of economic recovery, the National League of Cities (NLC) board of directors at their meeting in Washington, D.C., last week called for more federal action to help cities accelerate job creation and stabilize their budgets. The board's action came in the wake of a new NLC report projecting the municipal sector will face budget shortfalls combined with cuts in state aid to range between $56 billion and $83 billion over the next three years. Federal investment through a jobs package would help stabilize city budgets allowing cities to save and create local, public and private sector jobs. Full release.

Despite heavy damages to its own offices in Port-au-Prince, UNICEF is ready to provide immediate support to the estimated 3 million victims of the unfolding humanitarian crisis following the earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday. UNICEF officials estimate that half of those affected by the quake are children. In coordination with other UN agencies present on the ground, UNICEF will provide supplies to allow access to adequate sanitation, safe water and basic health care. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF has already released $500,000 to assist in the emergency response. "Children are always the most vulnerable population in any natural disaster, and UNICEF is there for them before, during and after any emergency situation," said Caryl Stern, President and CEO, U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "More funds are urgently needed to provide safe water, temporary shelter systems, hygiene kits, essential medicines, water purification tablets, portable toilets and family kits containing blankets and soap." In addition to emergency supplies and funding, UNICEF advisors and psycho-social materials have been dispatched to help reduce the traumatic effects of the disaster and ensure that children are able to continue learning and studying. The creation of safe, child-friendly recreation areas is essential for Haitian children while their caretakers turn to rebuilding their lives. Full release.

Pennsylvania and six other states vying with one another to grow their high-tech economies will best succeed by focusing on their existing employers and shunning the "economic war among the states" involving costly tax-break competitions. That's the finding of a major study released today by Good Jobs First. Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia are the states compared. As states experience their most severe revenue crisis in post-war history, the study charts a positive alternative strategy for the most effective job-creation investments. The study draws its conclusion from two unique analyses of Pennsylvania. One details where the state's high-tech jobs have come from since 1990; the other reveals the effective tax rate for high-tech companies in all seven states. It finds only minimal differences among tax rates -- even when the states' most lucrative economic development incentives are accounted for. "Over time, all the growth in Pennsylvania high-tech jobs comes when existing workplaces expand and new ones are born -- not from smokestack-chasing," said Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First and primary author. "We believe the same analysis would find similar results for the six other states." Full release.

The Treasury Department recently released data on activity in its Making Home Affordable (MHA) loan modification program during November 2009. As expected, borrowers continued to enter the program under trial modifications. More than 728,000 borrowers are actively participating in loan modifications. Matthew Smith, founder of ModPilot consumer advocate program, points to several reasons why homeowners are taking advantage of loan modification programs in record numbers: -- With interest rates poised to rise, now is a good time for homeowners to modify or reduce their mortgage payments. -- The timing is right; at the first sign of a market turnaround, lenders will cease loan modifications. -- Thanks to the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007, debt reduced through mortgage restructuring is tax-free. This provision applies to debt forgiven in calendar years 2007 through 2012. Full release.

Thirty-four percent of new male HIV infections are in the 40-plus age range and 36 percent of new female HIV infections are in the 40-plus age range. Yet according to the Black AIDS Institute, there have been very few campaigns targeting this population. "Last year Washington D.C. reported that one in 10 residents between the ages of 40 and 49 had the virus," says Black AIDS Institute Founder and CEO Phill Wilson. "That is an epidemic that rivals the worst AIDS epidemics in the poorest countries on the planet." The Black AIDS Institute has found an innovative way to help Black people ages 40 and up become more aware of HIV/AIDS while raising money to fight the disease in Black communities. The campaign is called Trump AIDS. The campaign uses the traditional Black pastime of bid whist, popular with Black Americans aged 40-plus, as a unique way to target this often overlooked HIV/AIDS demographic. The Martin Luther King Jr. weekend kick-off event in Atlanta, GA includes a Bid Whist Qualifying Tournament and Health Fair in partnership with local Atlanta organizations Sister Love and AID Atlanta. Full release.

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