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Category: Government

Government News | ReportWire publishes the latest breaking U.S. and world news, trending topics and developing stories from around globe.

  • Providing Help in Burundi Displacement Camps

    Providing Help in Burundi Displacement Camps

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    Burundi physician establishes 50-member Scientology Volunteer Ministers Group to bring real help to the people of his country.

    Press Release
    –

    May 11, 2016


    Bujumbura, Burundi, May 11, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    A doctor at Kamenge Hospital in Bujumbura, Burundi, has formed a Scientology Volunteer Ministers group as part of his commitment to improving conditions in his country.

    While still in college, Dr. Jacques Mpawenimana and his friend Jean Pierre Hakizimana formed the nonprofit Health for All, with the goal of funding rural health centers and helping to integrate orphans into mainstream society.

    One recent week, they visited a displacement camp in Carama, in northern Bujumbura, where 850 live in privation, with little food, clothing or medical care. The Burundi volunteers delivered clothes, salt and soap to those living in the camp along with treats for the children.

    African Child Policy Forum estimates there are 740,000 orphans in the country. And Burundi ranks 167th out of 177 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index. The country’s civil war is blamed for the poverty rate plummeting from 48 down to 67 percent between 1994 and 2006. And once again, political and ethnic conflict has plunged the country into turmoil with hundreds of thousands fleeing and seeking refuge in neighboring countries.

    So, when Mpawenimana heard about the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program earlier this year, it resonated with him immediately. Here was technology he could learn, use and share with others to begin to reverse Burundi’s overwhelming problems.

    By mid-March, He and Hakizimana completed the entire series of 19 free on-line courses offered on the Volunteer Ministers website. And he put what he learned to immediate use. While studying The Answers to Drugs Course, for example, Mpawenimana withdrew two young addicts from drugs.

    One of the courses is called Assists for Illnesses and Injuries. Assists are techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that are based on his discoveries into the mind and the spirit. They speed healing by bringing the being into better communication with the body. Mpawenimana trained 23 members of Health for All to deliver these techniques.

    Many members of Health for All have also enrolled on the on-line courses and have now become Scientology Volunteer Ministers.

    On completing the Integrity and Honesty Course, another group member, Eric Barakamfitiye, who has completed the entire series of courses, said, “I have personally changed completely from the useful knowledge I gained from this course. I’m not the person I was before. When I now look in the mirror, my face is brighter and happier.”

    Soon the new Volunteer Ministers group had swelled to 50 new members, all of them training on this technology to use it to improve the lives of the people of this country.

    Whether serving in their communities or on the other side of the world, the motto of the Scientology Volunteer Minister is “Something can be done about it.” The program, created in the mid 1970s by L. Ron Hubbard and sponsored by the Church of Scientology International as a religious social service, constitutes one of the world’s largest international independent relief forces.

    The Volunteer Minister “helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.”

    A global network of Volunteer Ministers mobilizes in times of manmade and natural disasters, answering the call wherever needed. Collaborating with some 1,000 organizations and agencies, they have utilized their skill and experience in providing physical support and spiritual aid at hundreds of disaster sites.

    Source: ScientologyNews.org

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  • 3rd Annual New Roseland Hospital Legislative Breakfast Promotes Party Unity

    3rd Annual New Roseland Hospital Legislative Breakfast Promotes Party Unity

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    Political leaders from the Democratic and Republican parties joined together at the 3rd Annual New Roseland Community Hospital Legislative Breakfast to commit to solving the financial issues facing all Safety Net Hospitals and the State of Illinois.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: May 2, 2016


    Chicago, IL, May 2, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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    ​​​​​​​​​Former NFL player and one-time Chicago Bear Ray McElroy played host to the 3rd Annual New Roseland Community Hospital Legislative Breakfast on Tuesday, April 26 at the Kroc Center in the Greater Roseland Community on Chicago’s far Southside.

    The event featured messages from U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D) and U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth (D) along with Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin. 

    “I’ve talked to Tim Egan at length about the struggle that he goes through. I also put challenges to him and his counterparts to find creative ways to help us help them and they’ve done that. It’s my commitment to help him and safety net hospitals to survive and get through this budget impasse.”

    Jim Durkin, Illinois House Leader

    Every speaker and every attendee was focused on the current State of Illinois budget impasse and what needs to be done to save Illinois Safety Net Hospitals.

    “Hospitals can’t simply lock their doors until sanity prevails in Springfield,” Sen. Durbin said. “Make no mistake, this budget impasse is costing our state additional Federal money. I say enough is enough. It’s time for the state to get its act together and pass a budget.”

    Additional speakers included Cook County Commissioner Deborah Sims, Illinois State Senator Tony Munoz, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s Political Director John Keller, Shriver Center President and CEO John Bouman and New RCH President & CEO Tim Egan.

    “In 2015 safety net hospitals Illinois generated more than 70,000 jobs all across the state,” U.S. Rep. Duckworth said. “Without your work on the front lines, without your compassion and decency; the people in this community would have nowhere to go. We need to ensure that hospitals like Roseland receive the resources they need to support our most vulnerable communities and I pledge to do my part to help you.”

    While the budget impasse has been a scorched earth battle between party lines in Illinois, one of the brightest leaders from the Republican side of the aisle attended and affirmed his support for the New RCH and Safety Net Hospitals.

    “I’ve talked to Tim Egan at length about the struggle that he goes through,” IL Rep. Durkin said. “I also put challenges to him and his counterparts to find creative ways to help us help them and they’ve done that. It’s my commitment to help him and safety net hospitals to survive and get through this budget impasse.”

    One creative way Egan and the Association of Safety Net Hospitals and the Illinois Hospital Association have advocated is with House Bill 5750, which could potentially generate $1.6 billion in additional Medicaid funding by implementing a simple .01% assessment on all insurance claims. That assessment would be matched with Federal funding. Additional funding is needed by the New RCH and all Illinois Safety Net Hospitals.

    “Roseland Community Hospital is an anchor to the Roseland Community,” Sen. Durbin said. “It’s really a lifeline for thousands of families in that area and boy has Roseland come a long way. Over the last three years under the leadership of Tim Egan, we’ve seen Roseland return from the brink of bankruptcy to being a functional and important life support institution for the region. In fact, the hospital has come so far it’s now being called ‘The New Roseland Community Hospital.’”

    The New RCH is the community’s integrated and coordinated healthcare choice, where professional caregivers provide guidance on the path to recovery and overall wellness.

    Source: The New Roseland Community Hospital

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  • As Dilma Rousseff Struggles to Save Her Career, an American Author Worries About Brazil’s Smartest Woman

    As Dilma Rousseff Struggles to Save Her Career, an American Author Worries About Brazil’s Smartest Woman

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    Book News: For Steven Carter, the current political turmoil in Brazil is an opportunity to re-focus his writing, and dedicate his new book to President Dilma Rousseff.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: May 2, 2016


    Los Angeles, California, May 2, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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    ​​​​​​​Steven Carter never expected his writing would bring him face to face with the president of Brazil.  And, flipping through a copy of “What Smart Women Know” at a local bookstore, a typical reader wouldn’t know they are reading one of the most successful American books ever published in Brazil.  “What Smart Women Know” soared to the top of Brazil’s bestseller lists in 2008 and held its place for 110  weeks — regularly holding the #2 position — joined later by its celebrated sequel, “Men Like Women Who Like Themselves.”  Brazil was changing quickly, and the women of Brazil were embracing that change.

    For American author Steven Carter, those were dizzying times. First came the highly publicized appearances at the Bienal do Livro. Traveling from city to city, often talking to sold-out crowds, he met Brazil’s most revered authors and artists. He viewed the panoramas of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo with Marcos and Tomas Pereira, founders of the publishing giant Editora Sextante.  And twice each year he would return to Brazil, ultimately joining President Dilma Rousseff at the Rio Bienal to celebrate the ‘Year of the Woman.’

    It was all very heady stuff, often thrilling.  “Rousseff was smart, powerful and inspiring,” Carter recalls. “Meeting President Rousseff reignited my passion for writing.”  After their meeting, more books would follow.  “I feel I owe her so much,” he added, “and today I have the chance to thank her in my work.”

    As new titles were released, international praise for Steven Carter’s work kept building. But after five years of uninterrupted success, the world suddenly turned, leaving Carter to helplessly watch the Brazilian juggernaut stall. As Brazil’s economy slumped, book sales faltered.  “I could feel the might of Brazil begin to disappear,” Carter remembers. “I feared the need for a scapegoat — economic decline is a bitter pill.”

    Back in the United States now, Carter worries about Rousseff’s future — he knows too well from his research and writing the risks and rewards of being a strong, smart woman.  He also wonders if there will ever be another “Brazil Story” in his lifetime. Will there ever be another great nation with an emerging middle class filled with working women who eagerly embrace his message? The author watches and laments as Dilma Rousseff struggles to hold on to her power and her position. Within the pages of “What Smart Women Know” there is a gentle wisdom that seems to predict the fate of successful women who have the courage to lead.

    Today, on his cluttered desk, there sits a copy of “Love & Self-Esteem:  What the Smartest Women Know.”  Steven Carter hopes that this book — a book inspired by the smart women of Brazil, and now dedicated to their leader — will soon find a new audience, even if that audience is far from his home in Los Angeles.
     

    Source: C.A.S. Publishing

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  • AnimalPlex.com Reports: Congress Elevates Bison to Bald Eagle Status

    AnimalPlex.com Reports: Congress Elevates Bison to Bald Eagle Status

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    Press Release
    –

    Apr 28, 2016


    Washington D.C., April 28, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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    The House has voted to designate the bison as the national mammal of the United States. There has never been national status on any mammal and the bison will be the first. The House, prior to the vote, spoke of the significance of the bison, also known as the American buffalo, and its central ties to the many Native American Cultures. Bison were once a common fixture of the American Plains. Massive herds freely roamed the open land of unsettled North America, and were an integral part of indigenous Native life. Excessive hunting led to the near extinction of the bison in 1890, but hard work from conservation groups has allowed the bison population in North America to recover to acceptable levels.

    The Senate will vote later this week on the bill, and then it will move to President Obama for his signature to pass this legislation into law. For more information on the bison’s promotion to national mammal status, to read the full article, or to get involved in the discussion, go to AnimalPlex.com.

    About AnimalPlex.com

     AnimalPlex.com began as an online resource to help pet enthusiasts connect with each other and share tips, information, and recommendations for all things pertaining to pet ownership. The vision of the website quickly expanded to include resources about all animals, not just domesticated ones, and AnimalPlex.com now seeks to be the foremost online authority on anything animals. With new content added every day including informational blog posts, educational articles about an ever-expanding list of animals, and an online store with tons of animal products, AnimalPlex.com continues its ongoing goal to be the authority that animal lovers trust.

    Source: AnimalPlex.com

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  • Unlimited Power Ltd Heads to D.C. to Tackle Top Issues Facing Small Employers at Small Business Leadership Summit

    Unlimited Power Ltd Heads to D.C. to Tackle Top Issues Facing Small Employers at Small Business Leadership Summit

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    Press Release
    –

    Apr 21, 2016


    Fletcher, NC, April 21, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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    ​Unlimited Power Ltd. selected to be one of more than 150 small business leaders from across the country to attend Small Business Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. to discuss most pressing issues facing small businesses; opportunity to talk with elected officials and members of the Obama Administration about policies to bolster small business 

    Unlimited Power Ltd. designs and manufactures American-made portable electrical power storage systems with proprietary technology that delivers lightweight solar power storage for emergency situations. As an innovator in the Portable Power Technology sector, the company is dedicated to providing military-grade wireless power that is light enough to carry by hand, yet robust enough to power the most demanding electrical applications, and will be among more than 150 small business owners attending this year’s Small Business Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. from May 8-11, 2016. The Summit, hosted by small business advocacy organization Small Business Majority, will provide a unique opportunity for Unlimited Power Ltd. and other small businesses to interact with key policymakers, senior members of the Obama Administration and issue experts to identify ways to put small business owners at the center of public policy conversations. 

    Being chosen as one of the approximately 150 small business owners to attend this year’s Summit allows me a unique opportunity to discuss important issues facing my small business and other entrepreneurs today,” said Chris Petrella, Founder and CEO.

    Chris Petrella, Founder/CEO

    “Being chosen as one of the approximately 150 small business owners to attend this year’s Summit allows me a unique opportunity to discuss important issues facing my small business and other entrepreneurs today,” said Chris Petrella, Founder and CEO. “Voicing our needs and concerns directly to policymakers and other experts is a critical step in getting our nation’s leaders to listen to the small business community. I am honored to attend this year’s Summit and will proudly bring Western North Carolina  small business concerns to the table to advocate on behalf of our hardworking entrepreneurs and innovators.” 

    With its theme, “Recognizing the Power of the Small Business Economy,” the Summit will feature panel discussions, keynote speeches, interactive workshops and presentations by industry experts and successful entrepreneurs. A private evening reception hosted by Google at its Washington, D.C. headquarters will feature presentations of the “2016 Small Business Awards” for leading entrepreneurs. The Summit concludes with a half-day visit to the White House during which small business owners will have an opportunity to engage directly with senior members of the Obama Administration. 

    “This Summit will allow small business owners to engage directly with policymakers in D.C. to discuss the importance of small business voices to our economy and how we identify policies to help them thrive,” said Rhett Buttle, President and Managing Director of Small Business Majority. “We’ll hear from a diverse group of entrepreneurs about the issues that impact their businesses, and work with policymakers to advance legislation that will bolster small business and remove their barriers to success.”

    The Summit will focus on topline issues of importance to small business, including but not limited to:

    • Access to capital, including emerging technologies such as online lending and crowdfunding, along with issues surrounding predatory lending to ensure small businesses obtain the capital necessary to grow and strengthen their firms in a responsible and sustainable manner.

    • Tax policy to spur small business/economic growth while leveling the playing field, promoting fairness and ensuring tax policies being considered truly help small businesses, not large corporations or special interests.

    • Critical workforce issues impacting small businesses today such as healthcare, retirement savings, minimum wage and family medical leave.

    • Small business’ critical role in big-picture economic matters such as infrastructure and economic development. 

    • Technology, cyber security and online privacy, and how small businesses can adopt and learn about new solutions to old challenges.

    • Women’s entrepreneurship, including what factors hold women back and what we can do to help women smash the entrepreneurship glass ceiling. 

    For more information about the Summit, please visit: www.sbmleadershipsummit.com

    For media interviews with Small Business Majority please contact Cassie Mills at (202) 289-0957 or cmills@smallbusinessmajority.org. 

    ###

    Source: Unlimited Power Ltd.

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  • Church of Scientology Mexico Teams Up With Experts and Social Leaders to Say No to Drugs

    Church of Scientology Mexico Teams Up With Experts and Social Leaders to Say No to Drugs

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    In commemoration of World Health Day, Mexican Scientologists opened the doors of their mega-church, located in the center of Mexico City, where both community members and leaders of different social sectors gathered to discuss current health issues related to the consumption of drugs, and declared a resounding “Say No to drugs, Say Yes to Life.”

    Press Release
    –

    Apr 15, 2016


    Mexico, April 15, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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    A panel of experts in the field of drug prevention was at hand, all of them longstanding public servants who have worked for years in drug prevention. Guest speakers included Mr. Francisco Castillo, a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and an expert in drug addiction; Officer David Irigoyen Ortega, Commander of the School Security Unit of Mexico City Police; and Commander Benjamin Salvador Jimenez, Commander of the Auxiliary Police Forces of the State of Mexico.

    In the opening speech, the Solomon Dabbah, Director of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World in Mexico, highlighted the importance of the  The Truth About Drugs campaign and its successes throughout Mexico and around the world. He also stressed that the success of this initiative, the largest of its kind in the world, lies in the use of high-quality audio-visual teaching aids, including the public service announcements that describe, in 30 seconds or less, the dangers of using each common drug.  Or the multi-award-winning documentary The Truth About Drugs, which shows, in a crude but clear way, the  devastating effects of drug abuse.

    “Scientologists are a community hundred percent drug-free. We take seriously the goals of Scientology, as laid out by our founder, Mr. Ronald Hubbard, and we are very interested in helping improve the lives of families, and society in general.”

    Reverend Jonathan Marduk Rico, Spokesman for Scientology Mexico

    During the final part of the night, the Church of Scientology (Scientology) of Mexico and the Mexican Asoiación of Scientology,  took the opportunity to make the delivery of a special recognition to Commander Benjamin Salvador Jimenez, for his thirty years as a police officer and 23 years as the leader of thethe 19th Region of the Police Auxiliary Forces in the State of Mexico.

    Drugs are more than just another social problem. Approximately 210 million people, at all levels of society, use illegal drugs. Almost 200,000 die each year because of drugs.

    Most deaths are among youth. Every 12 seconds, a school-age child experiments with illicit drugs for the first time. Drug abuse in this age group has risen over the past decade and children are exposed to drugs at ever younger ages.

    Reverend Jonathan Marduk Rico, spokesman for Scientology, declared that the culture of drug prevention and a drug free life is typical of all Scientologists, and said: “Scientologists are a community hundred percent drug-free. We take seriously the goals of Scientology, as laid out by our founder, Mr. Ronald Hubbard, and we are very interested in helping improve the lives of families, and society in general. “

    The Mexican pastor concluded by inviting the community to “join efforts to change society, each person can make a difference.

    The Church of Scientology supports the “The Truth About Drugs” campaign, one of the largest nongovernmental education program  on drugs in the world. It has been conclusively proven that when young people receive factual information about drugs, what they are, the rates of drug use falls significantly.

    For more information, visit www.scientology.org.mx

    Source: ScientologyNews.org

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  • George Martorano Has Been Added as a Featured Speaker to the TEDxPenn at the University of PA

    George Martorano Has Been Added as a Featured Speaker to the TEDxPenn at the University of PA

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    George Martorano, self-taught prolific writer, poet, educator, and mentor is appearing as a featured speaker tomorrow, April 10, during the TEDxPenn event hosted at the University of Pennsylvania. Martorano, who was recently released from prison after serving a ridiculous 32-year sentence for a non-violent offense without a chance for parole, endured one of the saddest tragedies ever handed down in the American justice system. https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/17048 – Event is open to the public.

    Press Release
    –

    Apr 9, 2016


    Philadelphia, PA, April 9, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    TEDxPenn announced today that Philadelphia native, George Martorano has been added as a featured speaker to the list of some of the brightest, most inspiring and engaging business leaders, professionals, students and alumni, who are reshaping some of today’s thought-provoking ideas and newest possibilities, bringing eureka moments that pioneer our society.

    Martorano, who was recently released from prison, intends on sharing his inspiring message of hope, even where there was none.

    “No matter what you are going through in life, there is always hope, never surrender, never give up”.

    George Martorano, Speaker

    While serving time as an exemplary prisoner, Martorano helped prevent a plane hijacking of prisoners. During his incarceration, he graduated over 8000 student prisoners in lifestyle change classes. 2016 is a very important year especially as a prelude to an election year, where our justice system needs to be addressed in campaign topics.  Today, Martorano remains focused on spreading his message of hope and introducing successful re-entry programs for non-violent offenders.

    Martorano is a writer/author with published works online who looks forward to penning his fascinating life story to be played out on the big screen one day. From LaFamilia, to the godson of Angelo Bruno to the stiffest penalty ever handed down to a non-violent offender to a writer, teacher, coach & humanitarian.   

    About TEDxPenn – The program is designed to help communities, organizations and individuals to spark conversation and connection through local TED-like experiences. 

    About George Martorano – George Martorano @ Writer. When sentenced to life in prison without parole, George Martorano did not give up. He graduated over 8,000 inmates during his 27 years in prison and taught them how to start a business.

    Why you should listen – George Martorano is a self-taught prolific writer, poet, educator, and mentor. While in prison, he taught inmates yoga, prevented the hijacking of an aircraft by inmates, started a creative writing course, authored 31 books, pioneered a prison course called Release Preparation: Starting a Business for Under $1,000, among others. Thus, George became a role model and a positive influence in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

    Released in October 2015 under the Department of Justice’s Compassionate Release program, George is the longest incarcerated non-violent offender. He has been featured in Philly Mag and Salem News and is now sought out to be featured by the United Nations. He resides in Philadelphia and continues to write and inspire others.

    For all interviews, appearances, speaking engagements and business dealings please contact TPD Marketing at 888.859.8824.

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  • Prison Inmates Reach Record Numbers

    Prison Inmates Reach Record Numbers

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    The U.S. spends over $60 billion dollars a year on a penal system that has sustainability issues. Prison populations have radically increased over the last several decades as well as the cost of incarcerating jail and prison inmates.


    Carlsbad, California, April 6, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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    The United States accounts for 5% of the world’s population, but has over 20% of the prison population. Around 2.2 million people are incarcerated in U.S. jails. In addition, 1 in 35 adults in the U.S. are currently jail inmates, under probation, on parole, or prison inmates. 

    According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, 46.5% of jail and prison inmates are incarcerated for nonviolent drug related crimes. The next largest inmate group, at 16.5%, consists of inmates charged with weapons, explosives, and arson crimes. 

    In my country we go to prison first and then become President.

    Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa

    The average cost of incarceration per person is over $30,000 a year. Drug rehabilitation in prison cost over $30,000 as well, while in comparison rehabilitation cost around $10,000 outside of prison. So, a nonviolent drug offender costs more than $60,000 a year to incarcerate. 

    The organization Human Rights Watch(HRW) claims that the majority of prisoners are charged with nonviolent crimes. They also claim that these prisoners are not successfully rehabilitated in prison and in many cases are worse on release. Over half of prisoners are re-incarcerated within three years of leaving prison. 

    Once released, a person can find it difficult to find work or a place to live. Due to having a criminal record most people can’t find a job and are unable to get welfare. These same people can’t apply for subsidized housing either. The emotional and mental state of a person upon release is not looked after, and there are few systems in place to provide people with mental health assistance. All of these factors can lead to recidivism. 

    Even though the first offense for the majority of prisoners is for nonviolent crimes, the difficulty to find work and the influence of prison life can lead to an escalation in criminal activity. The current state of prison systems in the U.S. almost enables a cycle that costs more and more money.

    U.S. prisons are overcrowded, made up of mostly nonviolent criminals, cost anywhere from $30,000 to over $60,000 a year per inmate, and creates cycles of release and recidivism. It is estimated that taxpayers spend $60 billion a year for prisons. Despite cost and evidence that such a large prison system is ineffective, the U.S. continues to maintain its high prison population each year. ​

    Source: Search Quarry

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  • Author Daniel Bruno Updates American Bill of Rights at Huffington Post Club

    Author Daniel Bruno Updates American Bill of Rights at Huffington Post Club

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    Daniel Bruno Offers Update and Translation of the 1791 Bill of Rights to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century. Published at www.hpub.org and WashingtonsBlog.com

    Press Release
    –

    Apr 5, 2016


    Washinton, DC, April 5, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The Huffington Post Club has published the New Bill of Rights by Daniel Bruno.  The New Bill of Rights aims to bring back the rule of law, civil liberties, privacy and freedom.  Focusing on blacklisted authors and blacklisted news,  the Huffington Post Club has reported on thousands of human rights violations and unconstitutional practices since 2010.

    Daniel Bruno’s New Bill of Rights makes up to date a document ratified in 1791.  Both the English language and technology have evolved greatly since then.  To keep up with the times, the new Bill of Rights is written to be comprehensible and comprehensive to modern society.  If put into law, the new Bill of Rights would save countless lives and billions on government expenditures.  With millions of people under control of the penal system, more per capita than Russia, China or North Korea, America has the dubious distinction of being the world’s jailer and policeman. The New Bill of Rights aims to remedy this.

    The New Bill of Rights is a solution to the erosion of the rule of law, civil liberties, privacy and freedom. Focusing on blacklisted authors and blacklisted news,The Huffington Post Club has reported thousands of human rights violations and unconstitutional practices since 2010

    Daniel Bruno, CMT

    Mass imprisonment, paranoid surveillance and a police state are the bitter fruits of the fraudulent wars on drugs and terror which many government agencies depend on to justify their existence, writes Daniel Bruno.  The mentality of a slave society has been resurrected.  Assumption of guilt, no due process, discretion of the police, Draconian punishment and mass surveillance were once the hallmarks of slavery.  Today, these ills have made a come back, so says Daniel Bruno, who has penned an essay about Walton Henry Bibb at Washington’s Blog to illustrate the similarities between then and now, 

    The current Bill of Rights and U.S. constitution are no match for the moneyed interests ruling the country for their own benefit.

    Daniel Bruno writes that a constitutional convention must be called and a new regime installed to restore democracy to the United States.  The new United States government must expel all dual nationals to regain control of U.S. foreign policy. 

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  • From Local to Global Community Woman’s Passion for Justice Spans 25 Years

    From Local to Global Community Woman’s Passion for Justice Spans 25 Years

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    President/CEO of United Nations NGO with a passion for justice takes long-standing role of convener, to the global stage to connect politically isolated populations of war, colonialism and enslavement to one another and provide space for them voice to their shared plight.

    Press Release
    –

    Mar 28, 2016


    New York, NY, March 28, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​​In October 1993, the opening sentence of a front page article in the Virginian Pilot said her “mind is as sharp as a broken piece of glass”. At the time, Ava Gabrielle Wise was engaged in a campaign to secure infrastructure for a rural Virginia community in which the residents had no indoor plumbing or running water. A young community organizer with the Northampton Housing Trust, a small local non-profit, she assisted the community in purchasing the land where the neighborhood was located so that by the time the struggle for infrastructure was accomplished many residents could become homeowners. The campaign went national and resulted in her being presented with an award for civic activism by the Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals Association.

    Gabrielle-Wise has always had a passion for justice; a heart for disenfranchised communities and the people who live in them. She went on to spearhead the development of an anti-poverty initiative in 1994 following an encounter in Raleigh, NC with Dr. Muhammad Yunis, founder of the Grameen Bank. The resulting program was a small business lending initiative called the Northampton Economic Empowerment Corporation. The organization was later merged with the Northampton Housing Trust and became the Virginia Eastern Shore Economic Empowerment and Housing Corporation. 

    ” I discovered that one of my proficiencies is bringing together groups who are often focused on the same issues, but from different perspectives”. Over the years she has convened members of academia with practitioners, the private sector with public and community leaders with government leadership.”

    Ava Gabrielle-Wise, President/CEO, USSDC

    By 2002, Gabrielle-Wise was in Birmingham, Alabama working as part of a collaborative team with the University of Georgia and Tuskegee University on an economic development study that was commissioned by former Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) to determine what, if any economic development entity would best facilitate economic growth in the poorest regions of the southeastern United States. The region is known historically as the “Black Belt”, but was referred to as the “Southeast Crescent” in the study which was eventually distributed among the 535 members of Congress.

    One of the members of Congress that received the study was a freshman member of the US House of Representatives (D-AL), Artur Davis. Upon reading it, he contacted Gabrielle-Wise an invited her to assist him in developing the economic development platform for the 7th congressional district of Alabama. She remained with that effort for two and a half years before leaving for a brief stint as Director of Economic Development for Jefferson County, Alabama. 

    “It was during this period that I came to realize that one of roles at which I was most effective was as a convener”, said Gabrielle-Wise. “Whether it was organizing one of the largest social justice conferences in the Southeast United States in 2003, or one of the first regional community economic development conferences in Selma the same year, I discovered that one of my proficiencies is bringing together groups who are often focused on the same issues, but from different perspectives”.

    Over the years she has convened members of academia with practitioners, the private sector with public and community leaders with government leadership. “I’ve learned how to bring the right people together to have the right conversations and hopefully take the right action,” said Gabrielle-Wise.  Likewise, she sees the role of USSDC, which she founded in 2009, as a convener in this latest phase of her professional life with the United Nations. “I became an NGO representative to give voice to those isolated populations that have been affected by war, colonialism and enslavement, to provide space for them to tell their stories. It has always been, and is still about justice.”

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  • Panel Addresses the Creation of Race in America

    Panel Addresses the Creation of Race in America

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    Group seeks to unravel the historical complexities of Indigenous and African people using the United States as a case study by dissecting the framework of colonialism, enslavement and the creation of race at a Parallel Event of the 60th Session of United Nation Commission on the Status of Women.

    Press Release
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    updated: Mar 28, 2016


    New York, NY, March 28, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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    ​​​​​​​In a meeting at the International Social Justice Commission in New York City, founder and president of United Nations NGO, the United States Sustainable Development Corp, Ava Gabrielle-Wise moderated a discussion intended to begin a process of expanding the public discourse on United States history to include the creation of race and the homogenization of people from a diversified mix of cultural origins into the binary culture of white and black as a pre and post-colonial economic and political tactic. 

    The panel for the meeting entitled “Understanding the Role of National Identity in Global Politics”, included historians Jeffrey Ogbar, PhD and William Loren Katz. A handout circulated at the meeting cited, “ethnic homogenization” laws that reclassified people of color from many national and ethnic backgrounds, including Moors, Mulatto, Indian, Negro and others into “negro or black” and consequently “slave”. This effectively created an antithetical people group that became known as “white”, and consequently “master”. The fixing of this binary code permanently into the sociopolitical culture of the United States, continues to permeate every phase of its institutional development. Gabrielle-Wise sees the elevation of authentic history by an accredited United Nations NGO as a restorative act; to convene representative voices in hope to restore dignity to the legacy of hundreds of proud people groups and ultimately integrity to the history of American people who made invaluable contributions to its foundation.

    “…there is some scholarship, there just aren’t many active agents of change to effectively promote that scholarship and redirect the current of the existing public narrative.”

    Ava Gabrielle-Wise, President/CEO, USSDC

    “There is a misconception that there is no scholarship on the history of the resistance alliances between indigenous and African people both before and after the founding of the United States,” said Gabrielle-Wise, “but the reality is there is some scholarship, there just aren’t many active agents of change to effectively promote that scholarship and redirect the current of the existing public narrative.” Some point to the lack of credible scholarship as an intentional effort to control the message. As the first English colony in North America, it is in Virginia that the precedent  for many of the founding principles about cultural legacy was established. The absence of such scholarship for much of the 20th century on the untold history of Indigenous and African alliances in the Commonwealth, was according to blood quantum scholar, Dr. Arica Coleman, “a deliberate effort to construct a White-Indian only historicity and as a means to validate the racial integrity of recognized Virginia Indian tribes”, the outcome of which continues to “promote and protect error, irrationality and unfairness.”

    Both Ogbar and Katz contributed to the furtherance of restoring the authentic history in the panel discussion. Katz cited several historic resistance efforts shared by African and Indigenous people against Europeans as they attempted to colonize the Americas. He went on to recall the continued efforts in the United States to perpetuate the negation of the relationship between Indigenous and African people in film by erroneously casting African-Indigenous people with Europeans. Ogbar detailed the legacy of citizenship and identity through the coded and encoded language that has been both imprinted by the existing historical narrative and that which continues to chart the course for the current condition of people of color in the United States. 

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  • Choose to Value People (And Yourself) by Their Future Not Their Past.

    Choose to Value People (And Yourself) by Their Future Not Their Past.

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    In his recent TedX talk, Joe DeLoss provides a great goal of choosing to value people by their future rather than their past. By focusing on the future, we can help break the cycles of poverty and incarceration. The hard part in this vision is that it is disruptive to both human resources/hiring and the indiviuals themselves

    Press Release
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    Jan 29, 2016


    Columbus, OH, January 29, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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    Everyone has a past, and it is very ‘easy’ to judge them by it. It is so easy that we as individuals often get stuck in the past.  Part of the allure of judging someone’s past is that we do not have to get to know who the person is now, and hindsight is 20/20.  We as individuals and companies need to understand that someone’s past (albeit socioeconomic status, life events, or criminal history) do not determine their future.  I have yet to find a better statement of this then in Joe DeLoss’s TedX talk when he said: “We choose to judge people by their future not their past”. DeLoss’s TedX talk when he said: “We choose to judge people by their future not their past”.

    Who is Joe?  He is an entrepreneur and social activist who started a restaurant named Hot Chicken Takeover in Columbus, OH.  The chicken is good, the mac and cheese is awesome, but his passion for breaking the poverty cycle and improving the world is what is amazing.  

    If we are going to be able to achieve Joe DeLoss’s goal of choosing to view people by their future not their past, we need to meet him half way.

    Jason Zigmont

    Joe’s belief that HR can be disruptive and help to break the poverty cycle is right on.  HCT intentionally hires, educates and supports individuals that are homeless, live in poverty or have a history of incarceration. Not only have they had great success building a reliable workforce but also they are actively giving back.  A quick look at their ‘benefits’ show something different as they are all optional but range from the normal (paid time off) to the unique (1:1 financial counseling, coaching, transportation, education and more).

    It is a powerful model for HR.  I do wonder about how to get more individuals to embrace the concept though.   Maybe the start to valuing people by their future is by doing the same for us.

    Everyone has a past (positive, neutral and negative). We often shortchange ourselves based on that past.  The self talk may go like this “well if only I had…” or “it is too late to change…”  Then what happens is we fall back into our past and limit our future.

    Joe is trying to set a model where companies look towards the future, but what happens if everyone they hire is looking backwards?  You hear the term ‘break the cycle’.  The truth is that we all need to take part if we are truly going to focus on the future.

    I’m with Joe that not everyone has bootstraps to pull themselves up by.   But everyone does need to take one step forward (and not worry about looking backwards).

    So how do people move forward?  It is no surprise that my first answer is education.  That doesn’t mean formal classroom but learning something new.  It can be as simple as learning a new skill, viewpoint or just challenging yourself.  For the poor this may mean starting small, visiting the library or just finding a mentor.  The challenge is to find something new, outside your current circle (or cycle) and going for it.

    For those of us with the means, it may mean formal education.  Taking a class or completing a certification can be more about engaging parts of your brain that have not been stressed lately Than another piece of paper.  Go and join a massive online open course (mooc). Get in the habit of watching a Ted talk everyday. Read everyday – more than Facebook and Twitter.

    Let’s meet Joe half way.  As I sit here eating my hot chicken (which is good) and Mac (amazing) I count myself as blessed to have been able to see HCT at work.  It started as a small window in old towne east (3 blocks from my house) and is now a huge space in the north market.  HCT’s past as a small window in a store did not determine its future and the same goes for everyone out there.  Learn from your past but focus on your future.

    This article was written by Jason Zigmont.  Jason Zigmont is a coach, consultant and author and can be found at http://www.jasonzigmont.net, on Twitter and Facebook.  Jason holds a PhD in Adult Learning and provides coaching services at http://www.jasonzigmont.com.

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  • California Bail Agents Assoc. and Beth Chapman Victorious in Legal Battle Seeking to Remove Cash Bail

    California Bail Agents Assoc. and Beth Chapman Victorious in Legal Battle Seeking to Remove Cash Bail

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    Honolulu, HI, January 28, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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    In an overwhelming ruling in favor of the bail industry, California Federal Judge Gonzalez Rogers struck down motions in a federal lawsuit seeking to eliminate cash bail in California yesterday at the Federal Court in Oakland. The ruling followed months of legal posturing by a non-profit group called Equal Justice Under the Law (EJUL) and Washington DC attorney Phil Telfeyan. The group claims that bail bonds unfairly target the poor because they cannot afford the bail to get out of jail. Beth Chapman, star of “Dog the Bounty Hunter” and “Dog and Beth: On the Hunt”, disagrees with that assertion.

    “Bail limits are determined by judges but state law gives the judges authority to make a bail bond commensurate to the violation,” said Chapman. “Just because someone can’t afford the amount authorized by law doesn’t mean their rights are being violated. That’s as ridiculous as suggesting that your rights are being violated if you can’t afford the cost of getting a driver’s license and therefor shouldn’t have to pay.”

    “Just because someone can’t afford the amount authorized by law doesn’t mean their rights are being violated. That’s as ridiculous as suggesting that your rights are being violated if you can’t afford the cost of getting a driver’s license and therefor shouldn’t have to pay.”

    Beth Chapman, Star of “Dog & Beth”

    Chapman teamed up with the California Bail Agents Association (CBAA) to get the bail industry listed as an intervener in the case along with the city of San Francisco. The unprecedented move by the industry and the T.V. star shows how disastrous a ruling in favor of EJUL would have been to the industry and the public safety needs of the average citizen.

    “Even though we were not named in the suit directly we felt it necessary to stand with the city to ensure that the people’s interest were represented,” stated Maggie Kriens, vice-president of the CBAA. “There is no doubt that our industry would be devastated by a ruling in favor of EJUL but also the safety of the public would be put at risk because of how easy it would be to get out of jail with no supervision or accountability to show up for a court date. We could not sit idly by and let the people of California be put at risk by this awful move.”

    The strategy of intervening with the industry was the brain child of Beth Chapman who is the wife of popular T.V. star Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman. Chapman has been in the bonding business for 30 years and she has spent much of the last decade advocating legislative changes across the country to protect the bail industry and ensure criminals have a reason to return to court to face their charges. She has also been tracking and challenging lawsuits like this and has vowed to take the fight to those seeking to make it easier to let the criminal out of jail.

    “Our industry typically has not gotten involved to this level and that is something that must change,” said Chapman. “We have been operating in successful partnership with the judicial system for over 200 years but we cannot take it for granted that it will always be that way. This is the sole reason Duane and I temporarily suspended our show while these incredibly important battles are taking place. Mr. Telfeyan has stated the he will be filing suits in other states across the country and I promise I will be there to fight this every time.”

    Mrs. Chapman is currently running as president of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS), a national organization which represents over 15,000 bail agents across the country. Showing the importance of the fights ahead, the couple stunned the entertainment industry in early January by not renewing their contract with CMT for a fourth season of their popular show “Dog and Beth: On the Hunt”. They stated that their priority needed to be Beth’s campaign and their continued work in getting the industry involved in both legal and legislative advocacy.

    “This is what true leadership looks like, putting the needs of others ahead of yourself,” said Kriens. “I am thankful for the leadership Beth has taken in this case and in so many other situations like this across the country. If our industry is to survive it will take people like the Chapman’s to step up and fight for us. In the end, it’s not only good for the bail bond industry but also for the safety of the general public.”

    Judge Gonzalez Rogers did not go so far as to dismiss the case altogether but instead denied all of the motions filed by EJUL and gave them 30 days to “think of a legal venue” to accomplish their goal but even stated “I don’t know if it exists”. Assuming they are able to come before the court again there is little doubt that Beth Chapman and the CBAA will be there armed and ready with the facts and the proper arguments to ensure the bail industry remains a critical part of the criminal justice system.

    ##

    For more information please contact: mediarequests@dogthebountyhunter.com

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  • Foodbuy Invests in a Sustainable Future for Coffee by Supporting World Coffee Research

    Foodbuy Invests in a Sustainable Future for Coffee by Supporting World Coffee Research

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    Compass Group, the world’s largest foodservice company, along with Foodbuy (their procurement arm), joins Farmer Brothers in support of World Coffee Research. Foodbuy is the newest member and the only foodservice sector supporter of this non-profit, collaborative research and development program of the global coffee industry.

    Press Release
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    Dec 14, 2015


    Fort Worth, TX, December 14, 2015 (Newswire.com)
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    ​Compass Group, the world’s largest foodservice company, along with Foodbuy (their procurement arm) is the first foodservice company to commit to a sustainable future for coffee where coffee begins—with the seed. Foodbuy is the newest member and the only foodservice sector supporter of World Coffee Research.

    “Foodbuy and Compass Group have a commitment to three life-sustaining priorities: humanity, sustainability and wellness,” says Tony Shearer, Foodbuy’s Chief Executive Officer. “Supporting World Coffee Research allows us to take action on these priorities and directly impact coffee farmers, the growing process and the coffee many of our customers drink every day.”.

    A major focus of WCR’s work in 23 countries is making the coffee plant more resilient to the threats of the 21st century, including climate change. With $20,000 in new funding from Foodbuy, World Coffee Research will be able to extend its research into the molecular and genetic causes of quality, productivity, and disease resistance in the coffee plant, which will help make coffee farming more profitable and less risky, and therefore more sustainable for coffee farmers and for coffee drinkers.

    Without investment in research and development like that conducted by WCR, it’s expected that up to 50% of the land where high-quality Arabica coffee currently grows will be unsuitable by 2050, with significant consequences for the people who grow coffee and for the environment.

    Farmer Brothers, a national coffee roaster and distributor, is a WCR member and partners with Foodbuy to provide its Artisan Collection™ of premium, sustainable coffee to hospitals and colleges around the country. Through the Artisan Collection, Farmer Brothers and Foodbuy are making great, sustainable coffee available to a wide audience. Their joint support of WCR will fund research to help grow, protect and enhance quality coffee supplies for the future.

    “We could not be more excited about Foodbuy’s commitment to our work,” says World Coffee Research Executive Director Tim Schilling. “And about what it signals about the growing awareness among companies and the public about how essential scientific research is to ensuring a sustainable future for coffee and coffee farmers.”

    Some examples of the work that funding from Foodbuy will support:

    • Tools to give farmers better information about existing coffee varieties so they can plant the coffee varieties that are best suited to their farm, such as the first-ever catalog of coffee varieties for Central America
    • The world’s largest coffee seed exchange and comparison of varieties, to give farmers better choices about which coffee varieties to plant
    • A long-term program to breed the next generation of coffee varieties that are climate resilient, disease and pest tolerant, high producing, and truly high quality. Improved coffee varieties can increase a farmer’s include by up to 50%.

    About World Coffee Research

    World Coffee Research (WCR) is a 501 (c)(5) nonprofit collaborative research and development program of the global coffee industry to grow, protect, and enhance supplies of quality coffee while improving the livelihoods of the families who produce it.  The program is funded and driven by the global coffee industry, guided by producers, and executed by coffee scientists around the world. It is based at the Norman Borlaug Institute at Texas A&M University. worldcoffeeresearch.org

    For more information about World Coffee Research and its programs, please visit worldcoffeeresearch.org

    About Farmer Bros. Co.

    Founded in 1912, Farmer Bros. Co. is a national coffee roaster, wholesaler and distributor of coffee, tea and culinary products. The Company is a direct distributor of coffee to restaurants, hotels, casinos, offices, quick service restaurants (“QSR’s”), convenience stores, healthcare facilities and other foodservice providers, as well as private brand retailers in the QSR, grocery, drugstore, restaurant, convenience store, and independent coffee house channels. Headquartered in Ft. Worth, Texas, Farmer Bros. Co. generated net sales of over $500 million in fiscal 2015 and has approximately 1,800 employees nationwide. The Company’s primary brands include Farmer Brothers®, Artisan Collection™ by Farmer Brothers, Superior®, MetropolitanTM, Cain’sTM and McGarvey®.

    About Compass/Foodbuy

    Foodbuy, LLC is the largest foodservice procurement organization in North America and the sole sourcing partner for our parent company, Compass Group North America. We manage more than $20 billion in purchase volume, giving us a tremendous competitive advantage when negotiating contracts for our customers.

    WCR Media Contact:                                                  Compass Media Contact:

    Hanna Neuschwander                                                 Jayne Buckley

    Communications Director                                            VP Strategic Business Implementation

    Mobile: +1 503 560 7828                                             704-328-4236

    hanna@worldcoffeeresearch.org                                 jayne.buckley@compass-usa.com

    Twitter: @WCoffeeResearch

    Farmer Bros. Media Contact:

    Kyle Mallory

    Koopman Ostbo Marketing Communications

    Direct: 503-517-6964

    kyle@koopmanostbo.com

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