CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–January 14, 2013. Aaron Swartz, a brilliant 26-year-old software developer at ThoughtWorks and renowned internet freedom activist, committed suicide on Friday, January 11th. ThoughtWorks mourns this tragic loss to his family, friends, co-workers, and the technology and activist communities. Aaron’s technical accomplishments are legion. At a very young age, he[Read More…]
Opinion
Sierra Club Announces Support of Udall-Merkley-Harkin Filibuster Reform Legislation
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 11, 2013. Yesterday, the Sierra Club – a member of the Fix the Senate Coalition – announced its support of S. Res 4, a critical proposal to reform the Senate rules sponsored by Senators Tom Udall, Jeff Merkley and Tom Harkin. Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released[Read More…]
American Federation of Teachers Statement on Education Week’s Quality Counts 2013 Report
Washington–(ENEWSPF)–January 11, 2013. Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten on this year’s Quality Counts report. “This year’s Quality Counts rankings offer further proof that focusing on collaborative, evidence-based strategies; teaching over testing; and investing in rather than destabilizing public schools is essential to helping all children learn, grow and succeed[Read More…]
Three Years After the Haitian Earthquake, Housing Situation Still Catastrophic
To view Amnesty International’s photos of displacement camps in Haiti, click here. For video footage of Haiti’s displacement camps, go to the following link. Read more about Haitians living in displacement camps. New York–(ENEWSPF)–January 11, 2013. Three years after the Haiti earthquake, hundreds of thousands of people are still living[Read More…]
More than 40 New State Laws Passed in 2012 Restricting Women’s Reproductive Rights and Health Care
While fewer laws were passed than record-setting 2011, Center for Reproductive Rights report finds at least 19 states enacted harmful anti-choice laws NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–January 10, 2013. 2012 was yet another terrible year for reproductive health and rights, with at least 19 states enacting over 40 harmful restrictions on abortion and[Read More…]
National Survey Reveals Parents’ Deep Concern About Protecting Kids from Violence
Parents See Media Violence and Access To Weapons As Obstacles Washington, DC and San Francisco, CA–(ENEWSPF)–January 10, 2013. A new nationwide survey of parents commissioned by Common Sense Media and the Center for American Progress and released today finds that 75 percent of parents say shielding children from violence is[Read More…]
American Federation of Teachers on Gates Foundation Report on Measuring Effective Teaching
AFT’s Weingarten: “This study underscores the fact that teacher evaluations must be about improving teaching, not just a mere snapshot assessment.” WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–January 9, 2013. Statement of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s final reports of the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project. “The[Read More…]
NOAA Record Heat Report Demands Action on Climate Now
WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–January 9, 2013 – The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration yesterday issued its monthly State of the Climate report, which showed 2012 was the hottest year on record in the continental United States. Daniel Lashof, director of NRDC’s Climate and Clean Air Program, made these comments in response to[Read More…]
White House: ‘We’re in the Midst of a Serious National Conversation on Marijuana’
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 9, 2013. by Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director In October of 2011, the White House issued an official response to a petition NORML submitted via their We the People outreach program on the topic of marijuana legalization. Despite being one of the most popular petitions at the site’s[Read More…]
President Obama’s Clean Energy Progress: How Top 10 Energy Priorities Fared During His First Term
Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–January 9, 2013. Today, as President Barack Obama builds his new energy and environment team for his second term, the Center for American Progress released “President Obama’s Clean Energy Progress: How Top 10 Energy Priorities Fared During His First Term.” This issue brief describes CAP’s top 10 energy and[Read More…]
