Category Archives: Uncategorized

Lack of Money Can Cost One Year Old Elie Sadaqa His Life

A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares

One year old Elie Sadaqa is suffering from a form of vasculitis – inflammation that affects blood vessels – and his parents, like so many others in Lebanon, cannot afford the medical measures required to save their son’s life.

I don’t have more information on the child’s diagnosis to explain it. LBC had listed it as temporal arteritis – a condition that affects one of the arteries reaching the head – but I notified them that such a diagnosis is unlikely given its age of onset is usually above 50. But exceptions in medicine do exist. They have since changed their wording on their news link.

According to the child’s father, the lack of a medical code for the procedures required to help Elie – a pure bureaucratic measure – means the ministry of public health in the country won’t cover it. I guess they need any excuse not…

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Bedbugs Found In City’s Department Of Health Building: Gothamist

“The Department of Health is infested with bed bugs.” No, not a discarded lyric from an Alanis Morrissette tune—a real life occurrence happening right now!

Reports of the pests have surfaced over the past several weeks, and lo and behold, “live bug colonies” were found on the Long Island City building’s 11th floor, the Daily News reports. Though the colonies themselves are centralized on one floor, the tiny beasts have been found on at least three floors.

via Bedbugs Found In City’s Department Of Health Building: Gothamist.

Aid Organizations Confront Child Slavery in India – SPIEGEL ONLINE

Anne Backhaus/ DER SPIEGEL

Millions of Indian children work as slaves in factories, brothels or in the homes of families. Out of poverty and desperation, parents sell their daughters, and human traffickers wait at train stations for runaways and scour for orphans in monsoon-ravaged villages.

On the day that Durga Mala was rescued, she lay crying on the stone floor, where she was attempting to cool her back. She was 11 years old and her skin was covered with blisters, from her shoulder blades to her buttocks. A few days earlier, her owners had poured hot oil over her because they thought she was working too slowly.

via Aid Organizations Confront Child Slavery in India – SPIEGEL ONLINE.

Lawmakers “Representing” Most of the Hungriest Counties Voted to Cut SNAP | Environmental Working Group

Lawmakers “Representing” Most of the Hungriest Counties Voted to Cut SNAP

By: Mary Ellen Kustin, Legislative/Policy Analyst

Friday, September 20, 2013

If you live in one of America’s 100 hungriest counties, there is a one-in-three chance that you rely on food stamps.

There is also a pretty good chance that your member of Congress just voted to kick you off food stamps.

And, if you live in Haywood County, Tennessee, or Shannon County, South Dakota, you can be sure your representative not only voted to kick you off food stamps but also voted to give him- or herself more farm subsidies.

Sadly, two-thirds of the 39 legislators who represent America’s 100 hungriest counties voted yesterday to cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, by $40 billion over the next ten years.

What’s more, the same legislators voted last month to increase unlimited subsidies for the largest farm businesses at a time of record farm income.

Two of the members with the hungriest counties in their districts not only voted to increase farm subsidies for their wealthy neighbors. They also voted to increase subsidies for themselves.

As EWG has reported, at least 15 members of Congress or their spouses received a total of $237,921 in farm subsidies in 2012. Ten of the 11 representatives who personally received farm subsidies voted yesterday (Sept. 19) to cut food stamps after voting to extend farm subsidies earlier this summer.

Members of Congress with one or more of the 100 hungriest counties in their districts

Vote on “SNAP only” H.R. 3102

(passed 217-210)

Vote on “farm only” H.R. 2642

(passed 216-208)

Vote on crop insurance reform amendment to H.R. 1947

(failed 208-217)

Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-Ga.)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.)

Yea

Yea

Yea

Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.)

Yea

no vote

Yea

Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.)

Nay

Yea

Nay

Rep. William “Lacy” Clay, Jr. (D-Mo.)

Nay

Nay

Yea

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Steve Daines (R-Mont.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. William Enyart (D-Ill.)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.)

Yea

Yea

Yea

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.)

Nay

Yea

Nay

Rep. Pete Gallego (D-Texas)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-Texas)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Ben Lujan (D-N.M.)

Nay

Nay

Yea

Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.V.)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.)

Yea

Yea

Nay

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas)

Nay

Nay

Nay

Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)

Nay

Yea

Nay

via Lawmakers “Representing” Most of the Hungriest Counties Voted to Cut SNAP | Environmental Working Group.

13 people, including 3-year-old, shot at South Side park – chicagotribune.com

Relatives said the boys uncle, Jerome Wood, was fatally shot in the Woodlawn neighborhood over the Labor Day weekend. The Rev. Corey Brooks, who presided over Woods funeral, urged the shooter or shooters to surrender or face justice on the streets.There are people who know exactly who the shooter is,” he said, standing next to Nunn. “And Im sure he will not be safe shooting 13 people.”

via 13 people, including 3-year-old, shot at South Side park – chicagotribune.com.