Bill to Slash Food Stamp Funding on House Floor this Week – NSAC

the nutrition-only bill maintains and expands the controversial changes to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) approved earlier on the House floor that are now estimated to total nearly $39 billion in cuts (up from $20.5 billion in the House Committee-proposed bill from June), according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

CBO estimates that 3.8 million people would lose their food stamp benefits in 2014, a number that would decline over time if the economy improves.  Over the coming decade, CBO estimates that 2.8 million people on average would lose their benefits and nearly a million more would have their benefits reduced.

via Bill to Slash Food Stamp Funding on House Floor this Week – NSAC.

Siberoni Recalls 169,655 Pounds of ‘Pelmeni’ For No Inspection | Food Safety News

An Oregon food manufacturer on Monday recalled 169,655 pounds of Eastern European-style frozen meat and poultry ravioli products known as “pelmeni.” Portland-based Siberoni said the “pelmeni” was produced without being inspected by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) as required by federal law. The products recalled are:

1 lb. packages, in 40-pound cases, of “Siberoni” brand Chicken Pelmeni

1 lb. packages, in 40-pound cases, of “Siberoni” brand Beef Pelmeni

1 lb. packages, in 40-pound cases, of “Siberoni” brand Beef and Pork Pelmeni

via Siberoni Recalls 169,655 Pounds of ‘Pelmeni’ For No Inspection | Food Safety News.

If you eat it – Well Done! Chicken Surprise: Antibiotic-Resistant E. Coli Levels Vary With Production Method | Food Safety News

For reasons that could not be immediately explained, kosher chickens carried the greatest amount of antibiotic-resistant E. coli, while organic chicken showed antibiotic-resistant bacteria levels just as high as conventional chicken. Only chickens “raised without antibiotics” (RWA) came in with reduced, but still contaminated, levels of the E. coli “superbug.”

via Chicken Surprise: Antibiotic-Resistant E. Coli Levels Vary With Production Method | Food Safety News.

CDC Threat Report: ‘We Will Soon Be in a Post-Antibiotic Era’ – Wired Science

their top three “urgent” threats:

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae or CRE, a set of ICU germs that are resistant to almost all antibiotics: 9,000 infections per year, 600 deaths

Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, which currently responds to only one drug: 246,000 infections per year

Clostridium difficile, which is growing in resistance to one class of drugs, but more important, serves as a marker for the use of other antibiotics: 250,000 illnesses, 14,000 deaths.

There are 12 resistant bacteria and fungal infections in a second category, which the agency dubs “serious” (requiring “prompt and sustained action”); they include the hospital infections Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and VRE; the foodborne organisms Campylobacter, Salmonella and Shigella; MRSA; Candida, a fungal infection; and TB, among others. The last category, “concerning” (requiring “careful monitoring and prevention”) includes rare but potent vancomycin-resistant staph, VRSA, as well as strains of strep resistant to two different categories of drugs.

via CDC Threat Report: ‘We Will Soon Be in a Post-Antibiotic Era’ – Wired Science.

Demonstrate For Peace, Live from Beirut, Online

I hope that the leaders sign on as well but do not expect much in terms of results – too general – how will leaders know – “How many from this and that city support me or are against my policies”

A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares

Demonstrate for Peace Beirut

The next age of protests is upon us. A new initiative has made its way online today, called Demonstrate for Peace, which calls on an online gathering on September 21st in order to protest for peace. It will be the first of its kind. It is orchestrated by the United Nations.

You can join the movement by following this link. This demonstration, despite the website listing Martyr’s Square, will not take place in any physical locations in Lebanon but is simply Lebanon playing its part in International Peace Day.

I have to ask: what effect could such a rally truly have? Is an online protest as efficient as a real life one that requires people to go down to Martyr’s Square and ask for peace using their voices, not their keyboards? Or does the UN know that such protests may not be as effective or as enticing to people?

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Syria deal shines light on suspected Israeli chemical weapons program

Israel signed the landmark international treaty banning the production or use of chemical weapons two decades ago, but it is among a handful of nations that have never ratified the deal. While foreign experts widely believe that Israel likely possesses a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons, Israeli officials refuse to confirm or deny the existence of any such arsenal.

They say the key issue right now is Syria, not Israel.

In a radio interview Monday, former Defence Minister Amir Peretz declined to discuss the country’s chemical weapons capabilities but said the international community’s attitude toward Israel is “different” from Syria.

“It’s clear to everyone that (Israel) is a democratic, responsible regime,” he told Israel Radio. “I very much hope and am certain that the international community will not make this a central question and we will maintain the status quo.”

Israel has been similarly vague about foreign reports of a nuclear arsenal, a policy of ambiguity aimed at deterring its enemies. But following the weekend deal between the U.S. and Russia to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons by mid-2014, voices have emerged calling on the government to take similar steps.

“I do believe that the Israeli government should be open about this issue, should say what arsenal, if any, it does have and should strive for an international agreement to keep all these kinds of weapons outside of the Middle East,” said opposition lawmaker Dov Khenin.

The liberal daily Haaretz wrote in an editorial Monday that the chemical disarmament of Syria gives Israel an opportunity to finally ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention.

“It would be a pity if in the future Israel finds itself in the position of Syria — forced to sign the convention under international pressure,” the newspaper said.

via Syria deal shines light on suspected Israeli chemical weapons program.

#JFDI: Today we’ll reach 16 million online for #NoKidHungry

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JFDI

I first heard the phrase, “Just Focus, Do It,” at Rapport Leadership. You’ve probably seen it in my Facebook status updates or tweets as, “JFDI” (although, my version of the acronym varies slightly).

Either way, JFDI is a verb to me—it means taking action without making excuses. And, of course, it’s perfect for a hashtag.

The power of focused intention combined with bold action will make huge changes in your life. And, a community that collectively focuses its intentions and takes bold action can change the world.

Over 16 million children in America face an unnecessary struggle with hunger. This is inexcusable. Our nation has plenty of food, and we have the solutions to this problem. What we need collectively is more people with the will to JFDI.

Right now, all across this nation, over 9,000 restaurants are participating in the Dine Out for No Kid Hungry. Our collective goal is to raise…

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Weekend Gun Report: September 13-15, 2013 – NYTimes.com

2-year-old Kyle Moses was shot in the head and killed by his father, who was upset the child’s mother was with another man, in Tununak, Alaska, early Friday. A 9-year-old boy was shot in the chest and wounded while playing in his grandmother’s backyard in Pine Lawn, Mo., Friday night. A 9-year-old boy was shot in the arm as he and two other boys played with a gun in Tampa, Fla., Friday.

via Weekend Gun Report: September 13-15, 2013 – NYTimes.com.

A $40 billion SNAP cut isn’t belt-tightening. It’s life-threatening. | National Women’s Law Center

Tighten our belts? You have to be kidding.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is expected to introduce a bill that could come to a vote this week, which would cut SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) benefits for 4 to 6 million struggling Americans. SNAP provides critical assistance to millions of people, mostly women and children, to stave off hunger. In 2011, SNAP lifted the incomes of almost 3.9 million people above the poverty line (including 1.1 million women and 1.7 million children). And in a nation where nearly 50 million Americans suffer from food insecurity annually – including 15.8 million children – SNAP benefits are tangible, direct, and life-saving. But they’re already modest, averaging less than $1.40 per person per meal.

via A $40 billion SNAP cut isn’t belt-tightening. It’s life-threatening. | National Women’s Law Center.