November 2010

FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director David Vladeck will discuss a soon-to-be-released FTC report on online privacy and establishing an online "Do Not Track Me" list at a conference convened by Consumer Watchdog Wednesday at the National Press Club. Vladeck will offer an 8:45 a.m. keynote speech about the FTC's much anticipated report, which is expected to be released in advance of Thursday hearing on "Do Not Track Me" legislation in the House of Representatives. At 1 p.m. , the Department of Commerce's Associate Administrator for National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Daniel Weitzner will speak. Commerce is also on the verge of releasing a report on online privacy protections. Full release

The Hispanic Leadership Fund, a national non-partisan advocacy organization that promotes limited government and free enterprise, today reiterated its opposition to the FCC's planned vote next month on net neutrality that will impose harmful new regulations on broadband companies across the country. The organization cited negative impacts to job growth, private investment and small business growth, and urged Congress to intervene to prevent a government takeover of the internet. Full release

Erik D. Olson, director of the Pew Health Group food programs, issued the following statement commending the U.S. Senate for passing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510): "We applaud the U.S. Senate's passage of historic bipartisan food safety legislation. It is a major step toward improving how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protects people from preventable illnesses that sicken millions and kill thousands of Americans every year. Repeated disease outbreaks from contaminated foods, including eggs, lettuce, spinach, cookie dough, peanut products and so many other foods illustrate how serious foodborne disease problems continue to harm consumers and the food industry's bottom line." Full release

An analysis by Aon Hewitt, the human capital consulting and outsourcing solutions business of Aon Corporation (NYSE: AON), indicates that HMO plans will have the highest premium increases in five years. According to Aon Hewitt proprietary data, derived from its Hewitt Health Resource™ (HHR)—a website that captures HMO rate information for 160 large companies representing approximately 1 million participants—average HMO rates for 2011 increased 9.8 percent after plan changes, negotiations and terminations. This is the highest rate increase since 2006 (10 percent). Final rate increases were 9.4 percent and 9.0 percent in 2010 and 2009, respectively. Full release

USA Funds®, a nonprofit organization that helps American families benefit from postsecondary education, provided a total of more than $7.6 million to support programs that helped Americans prepare for and pursue higher education during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2010. USA Funds supported a variety of scholarship and outreach programs designed to help low-income students and families prepare for, access, pay for and succeed in higher education. Headquartered in Indianapolis, USA Funds is a nonprofit corporation that works to enhance postsecondary education preparedness, access and success by providing and supporting financial and other valued services. For more information about USA Funds, visit www.usafunds.org. Full release

Following three months of dramatic ups and downs, the Dow Jones Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) landed at 43.9 in November, even with October's figure. "The ESI signals that the economy is in a holding pattern," Dow Jones Newswires "Money Talks" Columnist Alen Mattich said. "If it had risen sharply, confirming October's strong rise, then it would have been a very positive sign. Instead we are seeing an economy still poised between modest growth and a slipping back." The ESI is determined by in-depth analysis of national news coverage across 15 daily newspapers. The ESI's back-testing to 1990 shows that the ESI clearly highlighted the risk that the U.S. economy was sliding into recession in 2001 and 2008 and suggests the indicator can help predict economic turning points as much as seven months in advance of other indicators. Full release

Consumer Watchdog today welcomed the European Union's antitrust investigation of Google and reiterated its call for the U.S. Justice Department to launch its own investigation of the Internet giant. Google's monopolistic practices will be discussed at 11:30 am tomorrow (Dec. 1) during Consumer Watchdog's conference, "The Future of Online Consumer Protections," at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The panel, "Competition and antitrust issues on the Internet," will feature Gary Reback of Counsel, Carr & Ferrell LLP; Scott Cleland, President, Precursor LLC; and Melanie Sabo, Assistant Director for Anticompetitive Practices, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission. Read a copy of the study, "Traffic Report: How Google is Squeezing out Competitors and Muscling Into New Markets" here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/TrafficStudy-Google.pdf [PDF] Full release

The American League of Lobbyists (ALL) today unveiled a new video about the lobbying profession, part of its ongoing education campaign about the role lobbyists play in shaping good public policy. "Lobbying: Your Constitutional Right," explains what constitutes lobbying and why it is essential to the democratic process. There are two-minute and six-minute versions of the video. "A lobbyist's role is to communicate about issues vital to all Americans," said Dave Wenhold, president of ALL. "The American League of Lobbyists promotes good government through transparency, accountability and integrity." Four ALL members outline why lobbying is essential — Wenhold, former Rep. James Walsh (R-NY), Patricia Adkins (non-profit) and Pamela Whitted (association). The videos will be used on the ALL website (www.alldc.org), social media outlets, in classrooms and presentations given by ALL members. Full release

In a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), researchers say they may have an explanation as to why African Americans, despite having lower amounts of coronary artery calcification, are at increased risk for heart attacks and other cardiovascular events compared with Caucasians. The answer, according to researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, S.C., may be increased levels of non-calcified plaque, which consists of buildups of soft deposits deep in the walls of the arteries that are not detected by some cardiac tests. Non-calcified plaque is more vulnerable to rupturing and causing a blood clot, which could lead to a heart attack or other cardiovascular event. Full release

On the eve of the presidential deficit commission's report, a new Public Agenda survey shows the nation's movers and shakers remain convinced that practical solutions to the nation's fiscal problems are out there - but there's a partisan gap on how urgent the problem is, and an increasing gap in views on the prospects for actually getting those solutions in place. This is the second round of "The Buck Stops Where? What D.C. Influencers Say About the National Debt," a series of surveys conducted by Public Agenda and funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which is committed to informing the American public and policymakers of the fiscal realities facing the country. Full release

Veteran newsman Ron Kaye, editor of L A Daily News (1984-2008) is featured in an on-going Full Disclosure Network® cable television series covering politics and policies that led to government corruption in California. During his 40-year career in journalism, Kaye acquired first hand knowledge of the inner workings of the City of Los Angeles. He describes Los Angeles as a "go along to get along" city where people feeding on grants must go along with City Hall. He asks where are the "Ethics" or is there just "Municipal Socialism"?... pointing out that providing vast sums of money to advocates for homeless is not helping the homeless. Watch this eight minute video segment from the interview. Full release

Which is better for the country - when Congress and the White House are both held by the same party or when there is a divided government, that is one party holds a majority in Congress and the other party holds the White House? For years political scientists have debated this question and there are many ways to analyze the outcomes of past divided governments. More than two in five Americans (43%), however, believe that it is good for the country to have a president and a majority in Congress belonging to different parties, a number that is the same as when this question was asked in both 2006 and in 2008. One in five U.S. adults (21%) say it is a bad thing and over one-third (36%) are not sure if it is good or bad for the country. These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,151 adults surveyed online between November 8 and 15, 2010 by Harris Interactive. Full release

The Lupus Foundation of America-DC/MD/VA Chapter will celebrate its newly expanded services to more than 80,000 lupus patients throughout Washington, Maryland and Virginia‚after tripling its members in just three years. Emceed by WUSA-TV Channel 9 News Anchor Anita Brikman, the Chapter's Annual Gala Luncheon and Auction on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Old Ebbitt Grill will include an exceptional silent auction. The event comes just as BENLYSTA—the first drug for lupus in 52 years from Human Genome Sciences—is expected to be approved by the FDA. Proceeds will benefit people with lupus, a chronic, autoimmune disease with no known cure that can damage any part of the body including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and the brain. Details/tickets: http://lfadmvannualgala.eventbrite.com/. Full release

Eight cities from across the country will receive the National League of Cities' (NLC) 2010 Awards for Municipal Excellence for creating outstanding programs which improve the quality of life in America's communities. These awards recognize city programs that demonstrate community determination and individual commitment at the local level. "The collaboration and creativity shown in these eight programs are outstanding models for other cities to emulate," said Donald J. Borut, NLC's executive director. "As cities continue to struggle financially, the Awards for Municipal Excellence exemplify the innovation and determination needed to solve some of our nation's most pressing challenges." Full release

Which is better for the country – when Congress and the White House are both held by the same party or when there is a divided government, that is one party holds a majority in Congress and the other party holds the White House? For years political scientists have debated this question and there are many ways to analyze the outcomes of past divided governments. More than two in five Americans (43%), however, believe that it is good for the country to have a president and a majority in Congress belonging to different parties, a number that is the same as when this question was asked in both 2006 and in 2008. One in five U.S. adults (21%) say it is a bad thing and over one-third (36%) are not sure if it is good or bad for the country. Full release

Even with federal incentives and tremendous media attention over the past year, weak laws in a majority of states continue to be the greatest barrier to charter school success, according to an analysis of the country's 41 charter school laws by The Center for Education Reform (CER). CER's 2011 ranking and scorecard - their 12th annual overview - gives 29 states a grade of C or lower for their law, showcasing a real need for substantive changes to their laws if they are to permit the creation of innovative and successful charter schools. Full release

UBM Electronics, a UBM company and the daily source of essential business and technical information for the electronics industry's decision makers, today announced the launch of a new event - the EE Times Medical Electronics Summit (www.medical.eetimes.com), which will take place January 31 through February 1, 2011, co-located with the annual DesignCon Conference at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. The high level executive summit was created to assist senior level executives from across the medical electronics industry overcome regulatory, legal and funding hurdles to drive innovation and bring medical electronics products to market. Full release

The American Freedom Defense Initiative's Stop Islamization of America program is hosting a panel discussion on the Ground Zero mosque controversy at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). CPAC, the largest conservative gathering in the country, will hold its annual conference February 10-12 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. The AFDI/SIOA event will be an independent event held during CPAC at the Marriott Wardman Park. This year's AFDI/SIOA conference at CPAC will focus on the Ground Zero mosque debate. The name of panel is "The Ground Zero Mosque: Why There?" The event will feature an exclusive preview of portions of the new AFDI/SIOA documentary film, "The Ground Zero Mosque: The Second Wave of the 9/11 Attacks." A question-and-answer session will follow the screening. Full release

On the eve of World AIDS Day December 1st, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, is spearheading two simultaneous protests in Washington, DC and Los Angeles targeting the Government of China over its misuse of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. Over the past ten years, China—now the world's second largest economy—as received nearly $1 billion ($940M) from the Fund, yet has contributed just $16 million. Over the same years, the United States has contributed $5.1 billion to the Fund—more than 28 percent of all contributions to the Fund. Full release

Nationwide, the 2010 midterm election experienced unusually high participation from older and wealthier voters who strongly favored Republican candidates. However, according to an analysis released today by the national voting rights group Project Vote, strong turnout in California, especially among minorities, helped propel the Democratic Party into a highly contested U.S. Senate seat and a sweep of the top offices in the state. Two years ago, African Americans, lower-income Americans, and young Americans across the country participated in the 2008 presidential election in historic numbers. This November, however, these groups largely stayed home in most state elections, as did most Americans. Non-voters, the report shows, were the majority in 2010. Full release

The looming water crisis in the American Southwest - and the role of immigration-driven population growth - is the topic of a paper published this month by the Center for Immigration Studies and authored by New Mexico journalist Kathleene Parker. The paper, "Population, Immigration, and the Drying of the American Southwest," online at http://cis.org/southwest-water-population-growth, explores the link between the possibility of the potentially catastrophic economic and environmental water crisis and the fact that the Southwest is the fastest-growing region of the world's fourth-fastest-growing nation - a growth rate earlier cautioned against by various presidential commissions. It also looks at how that growth rate is driven by historically unprecedented immigration - legal and illegal - into the United States, the world's third-most-populous nation after China and India. Full release

Newly released FBI hate crime data provide conclusive evidence that there is no connection between a serious national debate about immigration policy and hate crimes committed against Hispanics, says the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). For the third consecutive year, the number of Hispanics nationwide who fell victim to hate crimes decreased dramatically. In 2009, the FBI recorded 692 victims of anti-Hispanic hate crimes compared with 792 in 2008 and 830 in 2007. This decline is further magnified when one takes into account that the number of law enforcement agencies contributing data to the FBI hate crime reports has increased 9 percent since 2007. Full release

On Nov. 20, more than 22,000 people came out in 63 cities across the country to kick off the holiday season by participating in the third annual Give thanks. Walk., a 5k walk that raised $2.2 million to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the nation's top children's cancer hospital. In just its third year, the event expanded into more than 20 new markets and raised nearly a million dollars more than the previous two year's combined totals. With registration free for this family-friendly event, walkers rallied friends and family members to sponsor them with a donation and national sponsors New York & Company, Brooks Brothers, Window World, AutoTrader.com and Breitling encouraged nationwide employee participation in the event. Full release

In the wake of the State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2010, which cites Japan as a nation in which forced conversions of Unification Church members are reportedly allowed with impunity, independent researchers have come forth to confirm allegations of government inaction to protect the rights of religious believers. Failure to stop the abduction and faith-breaking of religious believers in Japan has been mentioned in the report every year since 2002. Several U.S. Congressmen have also raised the issue with Japan's ambassador in Washington D.C. According to the State Department: "…there were some reports of societal abuse based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice…. The Unification Church reported some adherents were pressured by family members and professional deprogrammers to leave the church." Full release

The Census Bureau will hold a webinar prior to the Dec. 6 release of the 2010 Demographic Analysis estimates of the national population by age, sex and race. The webinar will help explain the methodology behind demographic analysis, why it is conducted and how it relates to 2010 Census numbers and other U.S. population figures being released by the Census Bureau. Although not 2010 Census counts, these estimates provide one way of measuring the size of the U.S. population and will be used to analyze 2010 Census results. The webinar will consist of a simultaneous audio conference and online presentation. Reporters will be able to ask questions following the online presentation. Full release

CFACT, the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, will feature two prominent experts on climate science and policy at COP 16, the UN conference on climate change which convenes next week in Cancun. Last year COP 15 in Copenhagen ended without serious progress on a successor treaty to the Kyoto protocol. A series of meetings in Germany and China were likewise inconclusive. The UNFCCC is under severe pressure to jump start the treaty process in Mexico, however, public doubts about climate science and policy coupled with an inability of developed and developing nations to find common ground leave the UNFCCC with a daunting task ahead. Full release

While the 2008 electorate was the most diverse in American history, and voters gave the majority of their votes to Democrats, the 2010 midterm election experienced unusually high participation from older and wealthier voters who strongly favored Republican candidates, according to an analysis released today [PDF} by the national voting rights group Project Vote. Two years ago, African Americans, lower-income Americans, and young Americans participated in the 2008 presidential election in historic numbers. This November, however, these groups largely stayed home, as did most Americans. According to the new memo by Dr. Lorraine Minnite, "non-voters were the majority in 2010," a fact that "throws cold water on any victor's claims for a mandate." Full release

Average mortgage rates dropped this week, according to the LendingTree Weekly Mortgage Rate Pulse, a snapshot of the lowest and average mortgage rates available within the LendingTree network of lenders. On November 23, average home loan rates offered by LendingTree network lenders fell week-over-week to 4.55 percent (4.79% APR) for 30-year fixed mortgages, 3.95 percent (4.32% APR) for 15-year fixed mortgages and 3.47 percent (3.73% APR) for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages (ARM). On the same day, the lowest mortgage rates offered by lenders on the LendingTree network were 4.25 percent (4.39% APR) for a 30-year fixed mortgage, 3.375 percent (3.61% APR) for a 15-year fixed mortgage and 2.63 percent (3.13% APR) for a 5/1 ARM. Full release

Last week the European Commission said: "The EU pays the price for its outdated and poorly interconnected energy infrastructure". Today the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) publishes a new report with a vision for a modern renewable energy power system, which sets out how the grid can integrate increasing amounts of wind energy. 'Powering Europe', launched today at the GRIDS 2010 conference and exhibition in Berlin organised by EWEA, argues there are no major technical barriers - but there are major economic benefits - to integrating large amounts of fuel- and pollution-free wind energy into Europe's electricity grid. The new report identifies infrastructure and markets as the two key barriers to hugely increasing the amount of wind power in Europe's electricity supply. Full release

comScore (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 21 days of the November - December 2010 holiday season, as well as its official spending forecast for the season. For the holiday season-to-date, $9.01 billion has been spent online, marking a 13-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. "The beginning of the online holiday shopping season has gotten off to an extremely positive start, outperforming our earlier expectations," said comScore chairman, Gian Fulgoni. "Despite continued high unemployment rates and other economic concerns, consumers seem to be more willing to open up their wallets this holiday season than last. While this early spending surge reflects, in part, heavy promotional activity on the part of retailers occurring earlier this season, it is nevertheless a very encouraging sign." Full release

The just-released UNAIDS 2010 report on the global AIDS epidemic reflects that there is increased momentum to eliminate pediatric HIV and AIDS worldwide, and documents significant progress in increasing access to services to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, reducing new infections in children, and providing treatment for children, mothers, and families living with the virus. According to the report, 370,000 children were infected with HIV through mother-to-child transmission in 2009, a 24% drop from just five years earlier. During the same period in southern Africa - where the pandemic is at its worst - there were 32% fewer children newly infected, thanks to a rapid scale-up of PMTCT services coordinated by national governments, nongovernmental organizations like the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, communities, and other partners. Full release

Islamic Relief USA (IR USA), a relief and development organization based in the metro DC area, announced today it ranks # 131 on the 2010 Philanthropy 400 list published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, a biweekly newspaper that covers the nonprofit world. Each year, The Chronicle of Philanthropy surveys the nation's charities to determine which have raised the most in monetary donations and noncash gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations over a 1-year period. "We are truly humbled to rank among the most successful charities in the country," said Abed Ayoub, CEO of IR USA. "We see this as a reflection of the growing trust our donors have in us to provide meaningful giving solutions for global poverty. Islamic Relief USA is grateful to its many donors and strategic partners who are collectively helping achieve this mission." Full release

The following letter is being released by the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation: Dear Speaker Pelosi, We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to express our strong, unwavering support for Congressman Bobby L. Rush as he pursues becoming the ranking member on the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet (CTI). Congressman Rush's legislative track record includes fifteen years of service as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee - when, during his first term, the Democratic House leadership selected him as a conferee of the Energy and Commerce Committee on the Telecommunications Act of 1996. His selection as conferee on this landmark piece of communications legislation enabled the ultimate reconciliation of the differences between the House and Senate versions of this contentious bill. Full release

A diverse group of 56 leading denominations and faith-based organizations today released a joint letter calling on the U.S. Senate to leave intact the power of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect the environment and public's health. In particular, the religious leaders noted that the effort by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) to delay EPA controls on greenhouse gas emissions should be turned down. The letter from the 56 national, regional and state faith groups comes as some members of Congress have threatened to undermine the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, including ozone emissions (smog). Full release

Despite assurances from leading economic advisors that the "Great Recession" has officially ended, 87 percent of America's municipalities are struggling with flat or declining revenues. Sixty-one percent are resorting to hiring freezes and layoffs, and 54 percent have delayed or cancelled capital projects to make ends meet according to a national survey released this week from Governing Dynamic, LLC. In addition to cutting back, 68 percent of cities have discussed tax or fee increases to maintain current services. "It is clear cities are still feeling effects of the national recession and municipal leaders are running out of good options for further streamlining their operations. They're having to make some very difficult decisions," explained Brett Sciotto, CEO of Governing Dynamic, the firm responsible for the survey. Full release

With the Congressional elections in his rear view mirror, President Obama looks ahead to working with a Republican House of Representatives with a positive job approval rating of 38% and a negative rating of 62%. This is not much different than where his ratings stood right before the election when 37% of Americans gave him positive ratings and 63% gave him negative marks for overall job he was doing. These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,151 adults surveyed online between November 8 and 15, 2010 by Harris Interactive. Full release

"This is a great day in the fight against AIDS. The positive results of the iPrEx oral PrEP study are a major milestone in HIV prevention research and provide important information about how antiretroviral drugs might be used for prevention by HIV-negative people at high risk for HIV infection," said AVAC Executive Director Mitchell Warren. "It's a result that requires immediate action. Because the pill evaluated in iPrEx is licensed and available as treatment for HIV-positive people, gay men and others at risk of HIV need immediate information about what these data tell us and what questions remain. Moreover, gay men and others at risk of HIV need to give crucial input and have influence on what the next steps for this new intervention might be," Warren said. Full release

Zeitgeist Multi-disciplinary Arts Center hosts the 2nd International Muslim Artists Exhibition 2010 (IMAE2010) from November 26 - December 31, 2010 in conjunction with the 4th Annual New Orleans Middle East Film Festival. The opening reception is on November 26th at 6:00 P.M. The reception is free and open to the public. The IMAE2010 features contemporary artwork created by 19 contemporary Muslim artists representing 5 countries: U.S.A., Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. Paintings, photographs, graphic designs, ceramic, installation and mixed media work are the mediums of the displayed work. More than 70% of the participants are female artists. Full release

New Census Bureau data collected in March of this year show that 13.1 million immigrants (legal and illegal) arrived in the previous 10 years, even though there was a net decline of 1 million jobs during the decade. In contrast, during the 1990s job growth was 21 million, and 12.1 million new immigrants arrived. Despite fundamentally different economic conditions, the level of immigration was similar for both ten-year periods. The report, "Immigration and Economic Stagnation: An Examination of Trends 2000 to 2010," is online at http://cis.org/highestdecade. Full release

With a highly innovative and competitive Internet eco-system now a critical resource for consumers and increasingly important to America's economic growth, Congress must act to address telecommunications policies that are broken. "The grinding you hear are the gears churning as policymakers try to fit fast-changing technologies and competitive markets into regulatory boxes built for analog technologies and monopoly markets," said Tom Tauke, Verizon's executive vice president of public affairs, policy and communications, in discussing the Federal Communications Commission's outdated policies. Tauke pointed out that on the issue of net neutrality, the FCC's focus was limited to how Internet service providers might degrade or block Internet traffic, and not on other sectors of the Internet marketplace where similar consumer harm could take place. Full release

Now that the US elections are over, the newest issue of The Family in America: A Journal of Public Policy highlights "Policy Solutions for America" with hard-hitting essays on policy topics important to American families and newly election politicians. This last issue includes Bryce J. Christensen's look at the missing piece (the health effects of marriage) of the current health-care crisis, Elaine Donnelly's exposure of the "diversity" campaign at the Pentagon that subordinates the interests of protecting American interests abroad to a anti-family, social engineering agenda at home, and Robert W. Patterson's appeal for tax-reform that specifically aims to reinforce wedlock and marital fertility (www.familyinamerica.org) . Full release

The Ford Foundation has awarded a grant of $500,000, the second in two years, to support AJC programs to strengthen intergroup relations in the United States and mobilize for comprehensive immigration reform. We deeply appreciate the Ford Foundation's generous support for AJC's pioneering initiatives," said Ann Schaffer, director of AJC's Belfer Center for American Pluralism. The new grant will enable AJC to expand its innovative Bridging America Project to four more communities - Atlanta, Colorado, New York and Washington, D.C. The project was launched last year in Arizona, Chicago, Houston and New Jersey. "Our goal is to strengthen Latino-Jewish relationships and to advocate jointly for reform of our deeply flawed immigration system," said Schaffer, who is directing the Bridging America Project. Full release

Carbonfund.org, the leading U.S. nonprofit climate change solutions organization, is calling for the U.S. to stay out of the way of international climate negotiations which begin November 29 in Cancun, Mexico. The organization is encouraging participating countries to extend the Kyoto Protocol-set to expire in 2012-or agree on a new emissions reduction treaty without the United States. "The U.S. has been the 800-pound gorilla in the room at climate negotiations," said Eric Carlson, President, Carbonfund.org. "As the largest global emitter per capita with enormous entourages at the meetings, all attention goes toward the U.S. Put simply, the problem is that there are not 67 votes in the U.S. Senate to ratify any climate deal the President might negotiate." Full release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service reported earlier this week that more than 50 million Americans, including 17 million children, live in hunger. The 2009 report on Household Food Insecurity [PDF] in the United States illustrates how the issue of hunger is affecting our country. To raise national awareness among adults about the growing problem of hunger, Feeding America and the Ad Council today announced the launch of a new series of national public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and other actors, designed to motivate Americans to get involved in the fight against hunger. Full release

Watch the unbelievable court video where Appellate Court Justices try to avoid making a decision on whether or not the Superior Court Judges in Los Angeles can continue to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in double benefits from the County, above and beyond their State salaries. A three-judge panel in the California Court of Appeal. 4th District, San Diego. heard oral arguments on October 13, 2010 for the second time in two years in the ongoing case brought by the non-profit public interest law firm Judicial Watch known as "Sturgeon II"/ originally filed in 2006 as Sturgeon v County of Los Angeles. Watch video here: http://www.fulldisclosure.net//Blogs/92.php Full release

Even as USA Today reports that more Americans are cutting out cable and satellite and replacing these services with set-top devices that stream TV shows and movies from the Web, many of us are now using these devices to attend church in people's homes. Case in point: More than 4,000 owners of the Roku player have installed a new channel from Northland, A Church Distributed (http://www.northlandchurch.net) that streams live worship services, along with past sermons, music and classes. A pioneering church that has brought live worship to mobile devices including the iPhone and to Facebook's 500 million users, Northland launched the first-ever church channel on Roku this October. Full release

The U.S. population is becoming increasingly diverse, and while statistics aren't really necessary to confirm the obvious, the soon-to-be-released 2010 U.S. Census figures likely will support the multicultural boom over the past decade. Last week, national advertisers and marketers convened at a conference to discuss the implications of today's broad and progressively more complex marketplace. Identifying "best practices" for communicating with multicultural consumers, some presenters indicated that a singular insight focused on commonalities between cultural segments should drive marketing strategy; however, the voice of Hispanic-specialized agencies, the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA), disagrees with this one-size-fits-all approach. Full release

The shipment of cargo containers is a critical component of international trade and plays a fundamental role in the global economy. According to the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, about 90 percent of the world's trade is transported in cargo containers, with almost half of incoming U.S. trade arriving by containers aboard ships. As terrorist organizations have increasingly turned to destroying economic infrastructure to make an impact on nations, the vulnerability of international shipping has come under scrutiny. Researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park, have developed a technique to detect use of dirty bombs. Ionization of air surrounding crates is a sign of radioactive material. Full release

In a report, "The Great Tax Debate - Myths and facts," printed and featured today in Truthout, one of the country's leading progressive news sources reaching 260,000 readers with one million web hits per month, former Clinton White House staff and House Government Operations Committee spokesman Robert Weiner debunks "the myth of tax breaks helping the economy" and lays out "the failure of trickle down." The report charts presidential economics since Truman. In the report, Weiner and policy analyst Varun Saxena assert: "In the lame duck Congress, President Obama and most congressional Democrats want to extend the Bush tax cuts for 98% of Americans, everyone making under $250,000. Republicans want to extend the tax cuts for everybody despite Bush's bill in 2001 to suspend the cuts at the end of 2010 to restore revenue." Full release

Homeowners will be protected by a new Federal Trade Commission rule that bans providers of mortgage foreclosure rescue and loan modification services from collecting fees until homeowners have a written offer from their lender or servicer that they decide is acceptable. "At a time when many Americans are struggling to pay their mortgages, peddlers of so-called mortgage relief services have taken hundreds of millions of dollars from hundreds of thousands of homeowners without ever delivering results," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said. "By banning providers of these services from collecting fees until the customer is satisfied with the results, this rule will protect consumers from being victimized by these scams." Full release

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