January 21, 2011

Over 10,000 worshippers, many of them youth from schools around the nation, are expected to gather in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to pray for an end to abortion at the Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life, Sunday, January 23, at 6:30 p.m., the eve of the 2011 March for Life. January 22 marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the Vigil Mass, concelebrated by fellow cardinals and many of the nation's bishops and priests. Full release

The National League of Cities is pleased to announce it is partnering with the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Treasury to host a delegation of Chinese mayors, senior business executives and economic officials. The delegation will take part in NLC's Leadership Academy on Local Economic Competitiveness in a Global Era in Seattle in April. The Academy is designed to provide local officials and city staff with the tools and knowledge they need to facilitate global economic linkages within the context of their own community. In Washington, D.C., earlier this week, President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao hailed the importance of the bilateral economic relationship and called on both countries to further strengthen ties at local levels. The China portion of the Academy program will allow U.S. and Chinese local officials to share best practices on core issues of local economic growth and development. Full release

Author and activist Wayne Besen will kick-off an eleven-state speaking tour next week to discuss the harm caused by programs that claim to turn gay people straight through prayer and therapy. He will appear in Milwaukee to show a multi-media presentation pointing out the psychological damage caused by these unscientific religious programs. "The message of this tour is that you can't 'pray away the gay' and LGBT people are fine just the way they are," said Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out. "Organizations that claim they can change one's sexual orientation are committing consumer fraud and harming a great number of people." The Milwaukee speaking venue is free and open to the public. Full release

The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) has authorized an additional $50,000 in funding to the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), a coalition created to address the needs of animals in Haiti following the country's devastating earthquake last January. This 2011 grant brings the total to $110,000 in funding provided by the ASPCA to support ARCH's relief efforts. "One year later, the ASPCA continues to recognize the need to support the devastation facing animals in Haiti, and toward that end we continue to make financial resources available as appropriate," said ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. Full release

A new multi-industry voluntary agreement announced today by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation brings together leading food manufacturers, group purchasing organizations and technology companies to help America's schools serve healthier meals at more affordable prices. As a result of these agreements, more than 30 million students across the country will have access to healthier school meals - including at least 14 million students who currently participate in the free and reduced lunch program. AdvancePierre Foods, Domino's Pizza, JTM Food Group, McCain Foods USA, Rich Products Corporation, Schwan's Food Service, Trident Seafoods, HPS, Premier healthcare alliance, Summa/Provista, Interflex, Dole Food Company, Inc., and the National Turkey Federation have joined the effort to combat childhood obesity by agreeing to increase the availability of products that can lead to healthy schools meals. Full release

As Congress considers national medical liability reform; the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) today said that the state of Texas is a model of reform for the nation. Responding to testimony provided Thursday at a U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary hearing, Dr. Sandra Schneider, president of ACEP said that the new law has drawn more emergency and critical care physicians to the state and improved patient safety. "Since the passage of reform in Texas, 799 emergency care physicians have moved to the state, including rural areas, giving more people access to medical care and increasing patient safety," said Dr. Sandra Schneider, president of the ACEP. "Since the passage of reforms, 26 Texas counties that had no emergency physicians now do." Full release

Babson College's Mark Donohue, Clean Technology Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Mary Gentile, director of the business curriculum Giving Voice to Values and Babson Senior Research Scholar, and Mark Albion, who served as Babson's first director of the Lewis Initiative, are among the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior in 2010. The Top 100 Thought Leaders represents the culmination of two years of research by Trust Across America, a company dedicated to unraveling the complexities of trustworthy business behavior. TAA sought the counsel of and requested nominations for this honor from over 150 professionals across the nation. The list was narrowed through an extensive vetting process. Full release

In his capacity as Vice President of the European Parliament's delegation on relations with South Asia, Christian Democratic MEP Thomas Mann has criticised religious animosity toward the Christian minority in Pakistan. Recent manifestations of the government's anti-Christian stance include the death sentence imposed against Ms. Asia Bibi and the charge of blasphemy against the Governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, who was recently murdered. In Pakistan Christians account for around 2% of the population, yet 50% of those accused of blasphemy are Christians. In 2009, 6 Christians were burned alive when extremists attacked their houses in the village of Goira in Punjab. Since the murder of Governor Taseer, many Christians in Pakistan report feeling isolated. This is a sad situation that clearly contradicts the desire of Muhammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. He promoted religious freedom and tolerance. Full release

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