June 03, 2010

The Council of Ministers of Interior and Justice of the European Union today adopted a U.S.- EU and EU Member States Declaration on Counterterrorism. Below is a statement from Attorney General Eric Holder, who attended the EU/G6 Conference of Interior Ministers in Italy this past weekend, on the Declaration: "The Council's adoption of this Declaration is a crucial step forward in our mutual fight against terrorism. I attended the Meeting of the EU/G6 Ministers of Interior in Italy last weekend, where we discussed this Declaration, and I welcome the EU's swift action following those discussions." Full release.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins today joined concerned religious and pro-family leaders for a tele-news conference condemning Viacom's Comedy Central station over its planned upcoming show, "JC." The show will be a situation comedy about God and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Perkins was joined by fellow members of the Citizens Against Religious Bigotry (CARB), a coalition created in response to Comedy Central's show. In attendance were Media Research Center President Brent Bozell, nationally syndicated talk radio host Michael Medved, Catholic League President Bill Donahue, American Alliance of Jews and Christians President Rabbi Daniel Lapin, and Parents Television Council President Tim Winter. Full release.

Lisa Jo Rudy is a writer, a social media guru, and above all a parent of a child with an autism spectrum disorder. She knows first hand what it takes to get out, have fun and explore the world with autistic children. In her groundbreaking new book, "Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun: How Families of Children with Autism or Asperger Syndrome Can Get the Most Out of Community Activities," Lisa Jo Rudy explores options, offers tips and guides parents in their steps to get their children involved in life outside of home, school, and therapists' offices. Full release.

More than 100 people have called Gulf region poison centers since the Deepwater Horizon oil platform caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico April 20, either to receive information or to report side effects from the resulting oil spill. Dr. Mark Ryan, managing director of the Louisiana Poison Center, said he expects to see that number rise as the oil continues to leak and spread. "Louisiana is a particularly difficult area to clean because the marshes are grassy with muddy bottoms that have very low oxygen content," he said. "It's not conducive to breaking oil down. We may be dealing with this for decades." As of June 2, Gulf region centers reported a total of 45 calls reporting a poison exposure related to the spill. An additional 64 callers have contacted their poison center to seek medical information about the spill. Full release.

An Adweek/Harris Poll conducted recently by Harris Interactive shows that 56 percent of Americans are opposed to a tax on soft drinks, with less than a third supporting the idea. This poll is the latest in a national trend of independent public opinion research that reinforces Americans are tired of new taxes and extremely uncomfortable with the government using taxes to dictate what they eat or drink. In March, a national poll released by Rasmussen Reports also found that a majority of Americans oppose a tax on soft drinks, strongly believing that lawmakers are far more interested in raising money for more government than in using tax revenue for public health. Full release.

The Hurricane Katrina deluge was Biblical. When it hit Louisiana and Mississippi the morning of August 29, 2005, the storm caused fearsome destruction. Then the disaster grew worse. The levees, the man-made walls built to protect New Orleans from the water surrounding it, failed. Their collapse flooded 80 percent of the city. By the time the waters receded and the survivors regrouped, Katrina, and then Hurricane Rita, had claimed more than 1,400 lives and the dreams of hundreds of thousands. Full release.

The U.S. Senate's failure to act before this week's 21 percent Medicare physician payment cut has put seniors' health care at grave risk. A new American Medical Association (AMA) physician survey shows that many physicians are already limiting the number of Medicare patients they treat. The AMA today launched a multi-million dollar national advertising campaign, with ads on TV and radio and in newspapers, including The New York Times, USAToday and The Wall Street Journal. Full release.

Rick Wade, senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, will lead a Haiti Reconstruction Forum Monday in Philadelphia. The forum, "Haiti Reconstruction: Accessing Opportunities in the Medium to Long-Term," is hosted by the Philadelphia U.S. Export Assistance Center and World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia. Wade is heading the department's Haiti business outreach. Full release.

Despite a global recession, investment levels in energy efficiency have remained strong according to the Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) released today by Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the global leader in delivering products, services and solutions that increase energy efficiency in buildings. The survey of more than 2,800 executives and managers responsible for making investments and managing energy in commercial buildings worldwide found that 56 percent of respondents say they have invested the same or more in energy efficiency over the last 12 months. A regional comparison indicates that respondents have invested the same or more in energy efficiency in China (60 percent), followed by the United States (59 percent), Europe (55 percent) and India (45 percent). Full release.

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