Two New Jersey sisters were squealing with delight Thursday after hearing back from President Obama who immediately responded to their heart-tugging letter for help.
Kate and Maggie Traina, ages 14 and 11, wrote to the President about their grandparents’ Staten Island home, which was demolished by Hurricane Sandy:
One of Britain’s most feared diseases – which kills or maims hundreds of children every year – could be virtually eliminated after the first-ever meningitis B vaccine was approved by European regulators.
In the most significant breakthrough against meningitis in three decades, the new vaccine, called Bexsero, received a “positive opinion” from the European Medicines Agency today, paving the way for it to be licensed in the next few weeks.
In 12 cities across two countries, nearly 500 business executives, advocates and celebrities slept outside on the streets Thursday night to let homeless kids know they matter.
Near the mouth of the Lincoln Tunnel in freezing temperatures, a band of 150 leaders in New York City spent the first part of the night talking with homeless kids and hurricane victims in the Covenant House New York shelter. Their message to our kids? You are not alone.
The decades-old Covenant House was able to raise more than 11 million dollars in conjunction with events held across North America.
Setting a beautiful example to elected leaders, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay slept out next to the Covenant House Missouri shelter and dozens of public officials, and community and business leaders tried to get some sleep sprawled outside on concrete in New Orleans. The experience demonstrated first hand what it is like to be a homeless kid, if only for a night.
In Toronto, Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke and Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair slept outside the Covenant House there with Dragons’ Den star Arlene Dickinson and the shelter’s executive director.
Other city leaders participated in Houston, Vancouver, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Learn more at www.covenanthouse.org.
(WATCH the Thank You video below, from Philadelphia youth)
In 12 cities across two countries, nearly 500 business executives, advocates and celebrities slept outside on the streets Thursday night to let homeless kids know they matter.
Near the mouth of the Lincoln Tunnel in freezing temperatures, a band of 150 leaders in New York City spent the first part of the night talking with homeless kids and hurricane victims in the Covenant House New York shelter. Their message to our kids? You are not alone.
The decades-old Covenant House was able to raise more than 11 million dollars in conjunction with events held across North America.
Despite pressure from multinational agri-business corporations such as Monsanto, the Peruvian Environment Minister announced this week that the government has approved a new regulation imposing a moratorium on the production and entry of genetically-modified organisms, also known as transgenics or GMOs, into the country for the next ten years.
The government sided with 6000 or more farmers, some growing the famous and colorful Peruvian potato varieties, who pushed for the ban.
The official, Manuel Pulgar Vidal, called the measure a “demonstration of the government’s commitment to preserve the biodiversity of native crops”.
The Occupy Wall Street movement, forever angry about government bail-outs for big banks, finally figured out a way to issue their own bail-outs — this time, for the little guy.
A group called Strike Debt launched a campaign last night, called Rolling Jubilee, that has already raised more than a quarter million dollars to buy up the debt owed by faceless Americans and cancel it, while paying just pennies on the dollar for the privilege.
They call it “a bailout by the people, for the people.”
For example, the $291,180 donated by citizens since last night will purchase debts worth $5.8 million dollars. The group is highlighting a shadowy practice on Wall Street whereby consumer debt, piled up following catastrophic illness, or foreclosure, or other unfortunate circumstance, is purchased from banks with the express purpose of making a profit once debt collectors chase down the funds.
Instead of trying to collect the debt once it’s purchased, the Rolling Jubilee Fund, a non profit organization, will simply forgive it. RIP.
It is impossible in this speculative market for the Rolling Jubilee — or anyone — to buy the debt for a specific individual or business because each is anonymous and bundled together. The benefit is for the community overall.
The mailing address for the Rolling Jubilee Fund is: c/o Occupy Wall Street Radio WBAI, 10th floor 120 Wall St New York, NY 10005
You can contribute, spread the word, or learn more online at RollingJubillee.org
The Occupy Wall Street movement, forever angry about government bail-outs for big banks, finally figured out a way to issue their own bail-outs — this time, for the little guy.
A group called Strike Debt launched a campaign last night, called Rolling Jubilee, that has already raised more than a quarter million dollars to buy up the debt owed by faceless Americans and cancel it, while paying just pennies on the dollar for the privilege.
They call it “a bailout by the people, for the people.”
Since Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan launched Method in 2000, to sell pretty bottles of eco-friendly soaps and cleaners in glowing pastel colors, the company has grown into a $100 million (£62.3m) business.
Their company’s culture of keeping it “weird” is a social mission that keeps employees happy. To stay focused on employee happiness and high-end innovative design is the business model.
Even the most pain-tolerant people cringe once in a while, ripping an adhesive bandage off sensitive skin.
But for babies, the removal process can break open their skin, sometimes causing permanent scarring because the medical tape was designed for adults.
Researchers from MIT and Women’s Hospital believe they have addressed the problem with a new kind of medical tape modeled on the design of spiderwebs.
This year, front row seats to see the marching bands and massive balloons of the iconic Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Day parade will be occupied not by diplomats or corporate titans and their families, but by thousands of New Yorkers hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced yesterday that approximately 5,000 seats in bleachers along the parade route will go to families who have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Macy’s will even be providing transportation to and from the event.
Distribution of the tickets will be coordinated local elected officials who represent the neighborhoods hardest hit by Sandy, communities like the Rockaways, Breezy Point, Staten Island, and the Jersey shore.
“Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy friends and family and reflect on life’s blessings, but this will be a particularly difficult holiday for many New Yorkers who suffered terrible losses as a result of Hurricane Sandy,” said Mayor Bloomberg.
“For 86 years, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has served as a beacon of hope, renewal and entertainment for New Yorkers and the nation,” said Amy Kule, Macy’s Parade executive producer. “I is our ultimate hope that we can provide some comfort to those most affected by Hurricane Sandy and that they leave the parade knowing that our 8,000 marchers, the City and the nation are behind them as they recover from this devastating storm.”
This year, front row seats to see the marching bands and massive balloons of the iconic Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Day parade will be occupied not by diplomats or corporate titans and their families, but by thousands of New Yorkers hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced yesterday that approximately 5,000 seats in bleachers along the parade route will go to families who have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Macy’s will even be providing transportation to and from the event.
Stars from Hollywood to Virginia are pitching in to help New York and New Jersey recover from Hurricane Sandy. A celebrity auction has even been launched to accept bids on exciting opportunities to rub elbows with the stars…
• Newlyweds Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, just back from their honeymoon, spent hours unloading truckloads of donations, including backpacks full of school supplies for the Rockaway neighborhood, giving the people something to talk about besides the devastation.
• The Dave Matthews Band pledged $1 million to the Bama Works Sandy Relief Fund, announcing they were turning their November 30 concert in New Jersey, which opens their winter tour, into a benefit concert. All money from ticket sales and merchandise from the East Rutherford show will go to the fund, benefitting the Community Foundation of New Jersey, to support immediate and long-term regional recovery efforts.
• A live benefit event tonight to air on MTV (11pm Est) will raise awareness and funds for Restore the Shore. Taylor Swift and the Jersey Shore cast members will meet in Times Square with many other celebrities asking for donations to rebuild the TV show’s former home base, Seaside Heights, N.J, where the famous boardwalk is in ruins along with many homes and businesses.
• Project Runway judge Michael Kors has donated $1 million to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
• Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America has launched an online auction at Charitybuzz.com. The outpouring of support is growing daily with donated auction items including a week long stay at Diane von Furstenberg’s Harbour Island home, a week’s stay at Tommy Hilfiger’s Palm Beach estate on the island of Mustique, and lunch with Gwyneth Paltrow and Mario Batali. New items, such as make-up lessons, photo shoots and tours are being added daily at www.Charitybuzz.com/FashionforSandyRelief
More than $15 million worth of new apparel and home goods are being distributed to survivors from clothing manufacturers, including:
Stars from California to Virginia are pitching in to help New York and New Jersey recover from Hurricane Sandy. A celebrity auction has even been launched to accept bids on exciting opportunities to rub elbows with the stars…
• Newlyweds Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, just back from their honeymoon, spent hours unloading truckloads of donations, including backpacks full of school supplies for the Rockaway neighborhood, giving the people something to talk about besides the devastation.
• The Dave Matthews Band personally pledged $1 million to the Bama Works Sandy Relief Fund and announced they were turning their November 30 concert in New Jersey, to open their winter tour, into a benefit concert.
The definition of what it means to be sustainable in the 21st century needs to be broadened to include a skyscraper’s ability to sustain the human spirit, says Hao Ko, a design director at Gensler.
“Imagine energy efficient towers whose walls might slide open, allowing office workers to step outside, into the sky, for a breath of fresh air. Towers where seasonal gardens grow vertically and where friends might meet by a kumquat tree on the 68th floor for a cup of coffee on a beautiful spring day.”
Hilton Hotels has launched a program to collect safe, surplus food from conferences and daily restaurant operations that would otherwise be thrown away, and provide it to those in need.
A multi-year partnership with The Global FoodBanking Network began a month ago to ensure that hotel food, instead of being wasted, is distributed to local food banks, soup kitchens, and school programs in Egypt. In the U.S. Hilton is partnering with Feeding America on initial pilot programs underway in New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Orlando and Kansas City.
Hilton Hotels has launched a program to collect safe, surplus food from conferences and daily restaurant operations that would otherwise be thrown away, and provide it to those in need.
A multi-year partnership with The Global FoodBanking Network began a month ago to ensure that hotel food, instead of being wasted, is distributed to local food banks, soup kitchens, and school programs in Egypt. In the U.S. Hilton is partnering with Feeding America on initial pilot programs underway in New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Orlando and Kansas City.
Many “invisibility cloak” efforts have been demonstrated, but all have reflected some of the incident light, making the illusion incomplete.
Now, scientists have succeeded in “cloaking” an object perfectly for the first time, rendering a 7-centimeter cylinder invisible to microwaves.
Microwaves are important in many applications, principally telecommunications and radar, and improved versions of cloaking could vastly improve microwave performance.
300 veterans, some trained in crisis management, have been donating their time and leading the cleanup effort in the hard hit Rockaway neighborhood in Queens, NY, making life easier for storm weary residents.
Their organization, Team Rubicon, helps others but also helps ex-soldiers from around the country who need a new mission in life, something to become passionate about. They’ve joined together to tackle the seemingly endless task of removing debris and rehabilitating the homes for an entire neighborhood.
They have prioritized the households who need help. Often, teams go in and completely demolish parts of the home, depositing the rubble on the street for disposal, even working on Veterans Day, the holiday meant to honor their service.
Volunteers have completed work at 150 home in the beach community, so far.
You can donate to support their mission on their website.
(WATCH both videos below)
300 veterans, some trained in crisis management, have been donating their time and leading the cleanup effort in the hard hit Rockaway neighborhood in Queens, NY, making life easier for storm weary residents.
Their organization, Team Rubicon, helps others but also helps ex-soldiers from around the country who need a new mission in life, something to become passionate about. They’ve joined together to tackle the seemingly endless task of removing debris and rehabilitating the homes for an entire neighborhood.
Just when the American people may be exhausted from presidential politics, along comes “Lincoln”.
Steven Spielberg’s highly anticipated film, set during the last, tumultuous few months of Abraham Lincoln’s life, shows a man who is passionate, intelligent and heroic, writes Charlie Moss this week.
In the film, which opens nationwide on Friday November 16, Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Lincoln, the great leader and speaker who, despite his many personal hardships, worked to abolish slavery in the United States — and was assassinated for it.
