All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

The Gun Report: October 24, 2013 – NYTimes.com

Two children were hospitalized after a student fired a police rifle during an officer’s drug-awareness presentation at a Chino, Calif., elementary school Wednesday. A student pulled the trigger on an AR-15 mounted on a police motorcycle that was on display at Newman Elementary School. The wounded children were struck by metal debris.

via The Gun Report: October 24, 2013 – NYTimes.com.

McDonald’s Advice To Underpaid Workers: Sign Up For Food Stamps: Gothamist

Looks like the fast food giant has no problem passing the buck to taxpayers when it comes to supplementing their meager compensation. Two studies published last week revealed that McDonald\’s leaves taxpayers responsible for $1.2 billion annually across the nation to fund federal programs like SNAP and Medicaid with other fast food chains not far behind.

The corporation saw profits in the billions last year, which was doubled when adding in dividends and stock buybacks. On top of that, McDonald\’s CEO Donald Thompson is sitting pretty with a sweet $13.7 million per year salary. Meanwhile, Salgado, who has worked for the chain for over a decade, has never seen a raise from the $8.25 an hour rate she started out with.

via McDonald’s Advice To Underpaid Workers: Sign Up For Food Stamps: Gothamist.

Ironic and shameful – Settlers prevent Bethlehem farmers from reaching their land | Maan News Agency

Israeli settlers and military forces prevented dozens of Palestinian farmers from reaching their land east of Bethlehem on Wednesday.

Armed settlers assaulted villagers from Tuqu while Israeli soldiers stood by and prevented them from reaching their land to harvest olives, a Ma\’an reporter said.

Head of Tuqu village council Taysir Abu Mifreh said that settlers from Noqedim also used dogs to intimidate Palestinian farmers.

A confrontation developed between settlers and farmers, with Israeli soldiers intervening on behalf of the settlers, locals said.

via Settlers prevent Bethlehem farmers from reaching their land | Maan News Agency.

ASIA/SRI LANKA – The Commission “Justice and Peace” in Jaffna denounces “the genocide of Tamils” – Fides News Agency

\”A genocide of the Tamil people is in progress in Sri Lanka\”: this is a strong and circumstantial complaint sent by the Commission \”Justice and Peace\” of the diocese of Jaffna in the north of Sri Lanka, to the Apostolic Nunciature and all the Bishops of the country.

In a long and detailed letter, sent to Fides Agency, the President of the Commission, Fr. S.V.B. Mangalarajah, launches the alarm and calls the Vatican to exert political pressure on the government of Sri Lanka in order to propose an \”equitable political solution\” regarding the national structure, in the post-civil war.

via ASIA/SRI LANKA – The Commission “Justice and Peace” in Jaffna denounces “the genocide of Tamils” – Fides News Agency.

Oh, SNAP: The Real Costs of Food Stamp Cuts | Civil Eats

California’s poor are hit doubly hard by poverty and hunger. Not only does California have the highest poverty rate in the country, but it ranks dead last among states when it comes to enrolling eligible families in SNAP. That means that 1.4 million households in California are missing benefits to which they are entitled and that would measurably improve their lives.

This underutilization has crippling human and economic impacts. In Alameda County alone (including the city of Oakland) California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA) found an estimated annual loss of more than $180 million in benefits for residents who qualify for food assistance. Because every dollar spent on SNAP generates $1.79 in stimulative economic activity, much of it in the local economy, this costs the county more than $325 million per year.

We’ll make what has become a bold claim: In a world with more than enough food for all, no one should go hungry. No drought or famine explains why one in seven Americans are hungry. This is a purely political disaster.

via Oh, SNAP: The Real Costs of Food Stamp Cuts | Civil Eats.

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts > Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc. Recalls Refrigerated Ready-to-Eat Products Due to Potential Health Risk

Reser’s Fine Foods of Beaverton, Oregon is recalling approximately 109,000 cases of refrigerated ready-to-eat products because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is an organism which can cause serious and sometime fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems. Healthy people may suffer only short term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant woman.

via Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts > Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc. Recalls Refrigerated Ready-to-Eat Products Due to Potential Health Risk.

Greenhouse Project

As a partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, THE Greenhouse Project will also provide fresh produce to the Fairfield Community School District, which is in a partnership with four other schools that could also benefit from the food at the greenhouse.

Although there will be unavoidable complications with the timing of the readiness of the produce, the added positives that will come from the greenhouse for the schools will be great, Swinton says. Fairfield schools have even agreed to do the preparatory work for the produce, which means they will do all of the washing and refrigeration.

via .