We're just getting started working on them, so I can't really discuss it, but that's the first series of events I'll be working on. The first event we will have in the White House is the governor's ball in February.
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Fed bets $800 billion on consumers
President-elect Barack Obama will speak at a news conference today on federal spending. Central bank and Treasury announce a massive plan to jumpstart lending. Will make $200 billion available for a range of consumer loans - including credit cards and car loans - likely won't be up and running until February.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Fed bets $800 billion on consumers
President-elect Barack Obama will speak at a news conference today on federal spending. Central bank and Treasury announce a massive plan to jumpstart lending. Will make $200 billion available for a range of consumer loans - including credit cards and car loans - likely won't be up and running until February.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Michelle Obama: The world's most recognized woman
"Michelle Has the Power to Change the Way African-Americans See Ourselves, Our Lives and Our Possibilities"
NEW YORK, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Without even stepping into the White House, Michelle Obama has already accomplished a great deal in raising the profile of African-American women, Newsweek National Correspondent Allison Samuels writes in the December 1 cover, "The Meaning of Michelle" (on newsstands Monday, November 24). "When her husband raises his hand to take the oath of office, Michelle will become the world's most visible African- American woman," Samuels writes. "The new First Lady will have the chance to knock down ugly stereotypes about black women and educate the world about American black culture more generally. But perhaps more important -- even apart from what her husband can do -- Michelle has the power to change the way African-Americans see ourselves, our lives and our possibilities."
Michelle Obama challenges the typical stereotype of African-American women, including what is beautiful. Often, the standard of beauty for black women has meant fair skin, and dainty facial features, a limited scope that has had a profound effect on the self-esteem of many African-American women. Michelle Obama puts a new face on the standard of beauty. "Michelle is not only African-American, but brown. Real brown," Samuels writes. "In an era where beauty is often defined on television, in magazines and in movies as fair or white skin, long straight hair and keen features, Michelle looks nothing like the supermodels who rule the catwalks or the porcelain-faced actresses who hawk must-have cosmetics. Yet now she's going to grace the March cover of Vogue magazine -- the ultimate affirmation of beauty."
It remains to be seen what Michelle Obama will accomplish if she takes on substantial issues. "I'm hoping the whole "Mom-in-Chief" role will leave plenty of room for Michelle to tackle significant, meaty issues even if she's not clamoring for a West Wing office, Samuels writes. "But she'll have another dimension to worry about: if she focuses on the black community -- helping urban schools, say -- will her interests be viewed as too parochial? And while every First Lady -- and plenty of professional women -- walk the line between being confident and seeming like a bitch, African- American women are especially wary that being called 'strong' is just another word for 'angry'."
Thursday, November 20, 2008
First Photos of Nic Cage in Season of the Witch
As the Black Plague rages across 14th century Europe, one brave knight Lavey, is tasked with transporting a girl suspected of being the witch who caused the pandemic to trial.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
National Report Ranks Indiana 28th, Illinois 43rd, in Protecting Kids From Tobacco
Ten Years After Tobacco Settlement, States Falling Short in Funding Tobacco Prevention
An annual report on states' funding of tobacco prevention programs, titled "A Decade of Broken
Promises," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American
Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation.
Ten years after the November 1998 state tobacco settlement, Indiana and Illinois rank 28th and 43rd in the nation in funding programs to protect kids from tobacco, according to a national report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.
Illinois currently spends $9.5 million a year on tobacco prevention programs, which is 6.1 percent of
the $157 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Other key findings for Illinois include:
-- The tobacco companies spend more than $471 million a year on marketing
in Illinois. This is almost 50 times what the state spends on tobacco
prevention.
-- Illinois this year will collect $913 million from the tobacco
settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 1 percent of it on
tobacco prevention.
Indiana currently spends $16 million a year on tobacco prevention programs, which is 20.3 percent of
the $78.8 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Other key findings for Indiana include:
-- The tobacco companies spend more than $425 million a year on marketing
in Indiana. This is more than 26 times what the state spends on
tobacco prevention.
-- Indiana this year will collect $660 million from the tobacco
settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 2.4 percent of it on
tobacco prevention.
The report warns that the nation faces two immediate challenges in the fight against tobacco use:
complacency and looming state budget shortfalls. First, while the nation has made significant progress
over the past decade in reducing smoking, progress has slowed and further progress is at risk without
aggressive efforts at all levels of government.
Second, the states are expected to face budget
shortfalls in the coming year as a result of the weak economy. The last time the states faced
significant budget shortfalls, they cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by 28 percent between
2002 and 2005. The cutbacks are a major reason why smoking declines subsequently stalled, and states
should not make the same mistake again.
On Nov. 23, 1998, 46 states settled their lawsuits against the nation's major tobacco companies to
recover tobacco-related health care costs, joining four states (Mississippi, Texas, Florida and
Minnesota) that had reached earlier settlements. These settlements require the tobacco companies to
make annual payments to the states in perpetuity, with total payments estimated at $246 billion over
the first 25 years. The states also collect billions of dollars each year in tobacco taxes.
The new report finds that most states have broken their promise to use a significant portion of their
tobacco money to fund programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.
According to the report, the states in the last 10 years have received $203.5 billion in revenue from
the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes. But they have spent only 3.2 percent of this tobacco money
-- $6.5 billion -- on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
In recent years, Indiana has taken several important steps to protect kids from tobacco. In 2007,
Governor Mitch Daniels and the Legislature increased tobacco prevention funding by nearly 50 percent
and raised the cigarette tax by 44 cents to 99.5 cents per pack. Cigarette consumption in Indiana
decreased by almost a fifth from 2007 to 2008 and was accompanied by a 260 percent increase in calls
to the state's smoking cessation quitline.
The annual report on states' funding of tobacco prevention programs, titled "A Decade of Broken
Promises," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American
Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation.
The new report finds that most states have broken their promise to use a significant portion of their
tobacco money to fund programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.
In Indiana, 22.5 percent of high school students smoke, and 9,800 more kids become regular smokers
every year. Each year, tobacco claims 9,800 lives and costs the state $2.1 billion in health care
bills.
The report warns that the nation faces two immediate challenges in the fight against tobacco use:
complacency and looming state budget shortfalls. First, while the nation has made significant progress
over the past decade in reducing smoking, progress has slowed and further progress is at risk without
aggressive efforts at all levels of government. Second, the states are expected to face budget
shortfalls in the coming year as a result of the weak economy. The last time the states faced
significant budget shortfalls, they cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by 28 percent between
2002 and 2005. The cutbacks are a major reason why smoking declines subsequently stalled, and states
should not make the same mistake again.
The report found that there is more evidence than ever that tobacco prevention programs work to reduce
smoking, save lives and save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs. Washington State,
which has been a national leader in funding tobacco prevention, has reduced smoking by 60 percent
among sixth graders and by 43 percent among 12th graders since the late 1990s. A recent study found
that California's tobacco control program saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15
years, compared to $1.8 billion spent on the program, for a return on investment of nearly 50:1.
More information, including the full report and state-specific information, can be obtained at
www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/settlements.
An annual report on states' funding of tobacco prevention programs, titled "A Decade of Broken
Promises," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American
Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation.
Ten years after the November 1998 state tobacco settlement, Indiana and Illinois rank 28th and 43rd in the nation in funding programs to protect kids from tobacco, according to a national report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.
Illinois currently spends $9.5 million a year on tobacco prevention programs, which is 6.1 percent of
the $157 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Other key findings for Illinois include:
-- The tobacco companies spend more than $471 million a year on marketing
in Illinois. This is almost 50 times what the state spends on tobacco
prevention.
-- Illinois this year will collect $913 million from the tobacco
settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 1 percent of it on
tobacco prevention.
Indiana currently spends $16 million a year on tobacco prevention programs, which is 20.3 percent of
the $78.8 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Other key findings for Indiana include:
-- The tobacco companies spend more than $425 million a year on marketing
in Indiana. This is more than 26 times what the state spends on
tobacco prevention.
-- Indiana this year will collect $660 million from the tobacco
settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 2.4 percent of it on
tobacco prevention.
The report warns that the nation faces two immediate challenges in the fight against tobacco use:
complacency and looming state budget shortfalls. First, while the nation has made significant progress
over the past decade in reducing smoking, progress has slowed and further progress is at risk without
aggressive efforts at all levels of government.
Second, the states are expected to face budget
shortfalls in the coming year as a result of the weak economy. The last time the states faced
significant budget shortfalls, they cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by 28 percent between
2002 and 2005. The cutbacks are a major reason why smoking declines subsequently stalled, and states
should not make the same mistake again.
On Nov. 23, 1998, 46 states settled their lawsuits against the nation's major tobacco companies to
recover tobacco-related health care costs, joining four states (Mississippi, Texas, Florida and
Minnesota) that had reached earlier settlements. These settlements require the tobacco companies to
make annual payments to the states in perpetuity, with total payments estimated at $246 billion over
the first 25 years. The states also collect billions of dollars each year in tobacco taxes.
The new report finds that most states have broken their promise to use a significant portion of their
tobacco money to fund programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.
According to the report, the states in the last 10 years have received $203.5 billion in revenue from
the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes. But they have spent only 3.2 percent of this tobacco money
-- $6.5 billion -- on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
In recent years, Indiana has taken several important steps to protect kids from tobacco. In 2007,
Governor Mitch Daniels and the Legislature increased tobacco prevention funding by nearly 50 percent
and raised the cigarette tax by 44 cents to 99.5 cents per pack. Cigarette consumption in Indiana
decreased by almost a fifth from 2007 to 2008 and was accompanied by a 260 percent increase in calls
to the state's smoking cessation quitline.
The annual report on states' funding of tobacco prevention programs, titled "A Decade of Broken
Promises," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American
Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation.
The new report finds that most states have broken their promise to use a significant portion of their
tobacco money to fund programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.
In Indiana, 22.5 percent of high school students smoke, and 9,800 more kids become regular smokers
every year. Each year, tobacco claims 9,800 lives and costs the state $2.1 billion in health care
bills.
The report warns that the nation faces two immediate challenges in the fight against tobacco use:
complacency and looming state budget shortfalls. First, while the nation has made significant progress
over the past decade in reducing smoking, progress has slowed and further progress is at risk without
aggressive efforts at all levels of government. Second, the states are expected to face budget
shortfalls in the coming year as a result of the weak economy. The last time the states faced
significant budget shortfalls, they cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by 28 percent between
2002 and 2005. The cutbacks are a major reason why smoking declines subsequently stalled, and states
should not make the same mistake again.
The report found that there is more evidence than ever that tobacco prevention programs work to reduce
smoking, save lives and save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs. Washington State,
which has been a national leader in funding tobacco prevention, has reduced smoking by 60 percent
among sixth graders and by 43 percent among 12th graders since the late 1990s. A recent study found
that California's tobacco control program saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15
years, compared to $1.8 billion spent on the program, for a return on investment of nearly 50:1.
More information, including the full report and state-specific information, can be obtained at
www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/settlements.
President-Elect Obama selects Eric Holder as top cop pick
Holder set to be nation's first black Attorney General when confirmed
President-Elect Barack Obama has selected Eric Holder as the first African American Attorney General, according to US media reports. Mr Holder, 57, whose appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate, was deputy attorney general for four years under Bill Clinton and co-chairman along with Caroline Kennedy of Mr Obama's vp search team.
read more | digg story
President-Elect Barack Obama has selected Eric Holder as the first African American Attorney General, according to US media reports. Mr Holder, 57, whose appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate, was deputy attorney general for four years under Bill Clinton and co-chairman along with Caroline Kennedy of Mr Obama's vp search team.
read more | digg story
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