All posts by nedhamson

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

The Day in Gun Violence – NYTimes.com

A teen shot and killed himself in a woods near Dowagiac Middle School in Dowagiac, Mich., Monday morning. 13-year-old Darren James Price, who was a 6th grader at the school last year but was home-schooled this year, was spotted with a handgun on school grounds about 6:40 a.m. When the principal tried to make contact, Price ran into the nearby woods. Soon after that, a single gunshot was heard.

via The Day in Gun Violence – NYTimes.com.

The Day in Gun Violence – NYTimes.com

A 3-year-old boy is at the hospital after being shot with a .22 rifle in a North Bossier Parish, La., home Monday afternoon. Detectives believe the rifle was knocked over by a sliding glass door that had been bumped by another child. The boy was struck in the left side and airlifted to the hospital. His condition has not been released.

via The Day in Gun Violence – NYTimes.com.

Senate Votes on Changes to International Food Aid

The Senate farm bill would allocate $40 million annually for a local purchase program – an increase from current dollars, but still a small portion of the $1.8 billion spent on food aid. The amendment sponsored by Republican Mike Johanns, of Nebraska, and Democrat Chris Coons, of Delaware, would boost that to $60 million annually. (Welfare for large brokers of corn, wheat, and soy – not farmers)

Many food aid groups have long argued that buying food abroad would be quicker, less expensive and more beneficial to local farmers than the current method that benefits U.S. farmers and shippers. The Obama administration in April proposed shifting almost half of the international food aid money to more flexible accounts that allow for cash purchases abroad, saying such a move would be more efficient.

via Senate Votes on Changes to International Food Aid.

(He really said that!) Mississippi governor: Educational troubles began when ‘mom got in the workplace’ — VIDEO

(He also believes that sweet/iced tea causes crime, since crime increases when sale of sweet/iced tea goes up in the summer time! – kidding but he’s not)

America’s educational troubles began when women began working outside the home in large numbers.

Bryant was participating in a Washington Post Live event focused on the importance of ensuring that children read well by the end of third grade. In response to a question about how America became “so mediocre” in regard to educational outcomes, he said:

I think both parents started working. The mom got in the work place.

via Mississippi governor: Educational troubles began when ‘mom got in the workplace’ — VIDEO.

Food Safety, Humane Slaughter Laws Ignored, says U – QA – Quality Assurance & Food Safety

Food Safety, Humane Slaughter Laws Ignored, says U – QA – Quality Assurance & Food Safety.

Table 1: Enforcement Actions for Food Safety Violations

FYs 2008-2011

Type of Enforcement Action

No. of Enforcement Actions

Noncompliance Record 44,128

Regulatory Control Action 7,413

Notice of Intended Enforcement 140

Suspension 28

Withholding the Mark of Inspection 0

Withdrawal of Inspection* 0

Total 51,709

* FSIS considered a Withdrawal of Inspection for one plant but elected not to pursue the action.

The community gardens of Fresno, CA

In The New York Times, Patricia Leigh Brown writes about community gardens in Fresno, California, as places of support for various communities, including the Punjabi Sikh Sarbat Bhalla Community Garden, which provides a safe space for conversation for Sikh women:

“Young women have to prove ourselves more than our brothers do,” she said. So the group members supports one another, “especially if a girl is down,” [Parmeshvar Kaur Dhaliwal] said.

…and Sikh men:

Amandip Singh Gill, a 32-year-old garden organizer, observed that in the Gurdwara, or temple, “guys have to maintain a successful persona. You can’t say: ‘Oh, man, I just lost my job. How will I support my family?’ But here,” he said of the garden, “a shared history kicks in.”

Read more at The New York Times.

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(No more NATO? Just German High Command? Lose the war/Win Europe?www.german-foreign-policy.com

The German Bundeswehr has announced the formation of a permanent military unit of foreigners under German command. Beginning in January 2014, approx. 2,100 soldiers from the Netherlands will be integrated into the “Rapid Reaction Force Division” as a result of a declaration of intent signed in Berlin last week by the defense ministers of both countries. Three dozen projects for closer cooperation between the two armed forces are planned. A second, similar declaration of intent, stipulating closer naval cooperation was also signed between the defense ministers of Germany and Poland. This cooperation includes combat missions. Specialists in military policy have been calling for intensifying military cooperation to increase the Bundeswehrs military clout. Berlin would be well advised to seek cooperation particularly with the smaller countries, because they, it is said, unlike France or Great Britain, are more pliable allies due to their lesser power potentials.

via www.german-foreign-policy.com.

Get Involved | Habitat For Humanity® Manitoba | Families thrive. Communities prosper. Everyone wins.

Today, new research was released demonstrating that affordable Habitat for Humanity homeownership contributes to families becoming happier and healthier, and enjoying improvements in their children’s well-being and school performance. The research, led and funded by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), shows that of the families surveyed, 86 percent report being happier since moving into their Habitat home and 89 percent said their family life had improved.

via Get Involved | Habitat For Humanity® Manitoba | Families thrive. Communities prosper. Everyone wins..