AIDS/LifeCycle 8 to Raise $10.5 Million to Fight AIDS

2,150 cyclists to start San Francisco-to-Los Angeles ride May 31

SAN FRANCISCO and LOS ANGELES, May 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 2,150 bicyclists from 41 states and 14 nations will stream out of San Francisco on May 31 en route to Los Angeles as participants in the colorful and emotional AIDS/LifeCycle, the world's largest annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser.

The 545-mile trek is expected to raise $10.5 million to support vital HIV/AIDS-related services at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. The event also raises awareness about the disease, particularly significant this year following a recent survey* revealing a dramatic drop in the sense of urgency about HIV/AIDS and persistent misconceptions about HIV transmission and treatment among Americans.

Participants on the weeklong ride include cyclists and a volunteer support crew of hundreds of "roadies" who range in age from 18 to 78. Whether gay or straight, HIV-positive or HIV-negative, expert cyclists or novices, they share a commitment to reducing new infections and the suffering caused by AIDS.

"People come to AIDS/LifeCycle to fight a disease," said Mark Cloutier, CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and one of the cyclists. "But the event is also a celebration of health. Participants have the physical strength to complete a challenging course, and the emotional connectedness to help others succeed on an exhausting, yet exhilarating journey."

Riders train for months to prepare for the rigorous ride, and raise a minimum of $3,000 each to support the work of the two sponsoring organizations. The event has raised approximately $50 million to fight AIDS since it began in 2002.

"The economic recession has deeply impacted HIV/AIDS service providers on all fronts. Charitable giving and government funding of HIV/AIDS support services are dropping while the number of people who need free or low-cost services is going up," said Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. "Our participants and their supporters recognize the urgent need for HIV prevention. I'm proud of the AIDS/LifeCycle community, and I'm deeply grateful."

This year's ride is the first since federal health officials reported that new HIV infections are much higher than previously thought.** During the seven days of AIDS/LifeCycle, an estimated 1,080 Americans will become infected with HIV. There are 1.1 million Americans living with HIV--the highest number in the history of the epidemic--1 in 6 of whom are Californians. Gay and bisexual men bear the brunt of the disease, representing 73 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases in California and 53 percent nationally. Communities of color are also disproportionately affected; although African Americans comprise 6 percent of the state's population, they account for nearly 19 percent of those living with HIV/AIDS.

AIDS/LifeCycle's presenting sponsors are Shopoff Properties Trust, FedEx Corporation, and Gilead Sciences.

* In April 2009, the Kaiser Family Foundation released survey findings that showed that only 6 percent of Americans call HIV/AIDS the most urgent health problem facing the nation, down from 44 percent in 1995; see: http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/posr042809nr.cfm

** In July 2008, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study that the annual HIV infection rate in the U.S. is 40 percent higher than previously estimated. See: http://cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/factsheets/incidence.htm

FACTS AND VISUALS:

As they make their way through eight California counties, the cyclists collectively consume 420 gallons of coffee, 6,200 pounds of vegetables and 5,400 Pop Tarts. But they likely end up somewhat lighter, according to event organizers, because a 170-pound cyclist burns an average of 3,410 calories a day during AIDS/LifeCycle.

Each day of the ride, 500 roadies set up and break down tents, kitchens, and mobile bathroom and shower facilities. They provide riders with directional signage, first aid and bicycle repair services. They serve snacks to weary riders at rest stops and ensure a steady stream of entertainment by flamboyantly costumed performers. And they drive "sag wagons" that scoop up riders whose energy runs out before the road does.

Many riders stop at hills to cheer on other cyclists. They're often joined by locals, who turn out at many points along the route to applaud, offer refreshments, and hold signs bearing the names of loved ones lost to AIDS.

Beginning June 1, event photos and journals can be viewed at http://experience.aidslifecycle.org. Additional information about the history of the event, a list of sponsoring organizations and profiles of several participants can be found in AIDS/LifeCycle's online pressroom at www.aidslifecycle.org/press-room/.

DETAILS OF THE RIDE:

The route of the ride and the location of overnight campsites are as follows:

Sunday, May 31: Opening Ceremony at the Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave., Daly City. Ride 79.4 miles to Santa Cruz and camp at Harvey West Park, 326 Evergreen Street.

Monday, June 1: Ride 107.6 miles to King City and camp at San Lorenzo County Park, 1160 Broadway.

Tuesday, June 2: Ride 63.4 miles to Paso Robles and camp at the Mid-State Fairgrounds, 2198 Riverside Avenue.

Wednesday, June 3: Ride 94.1 miles to Santa Maria and camp at Preisker Park, 2301 Preisker Lane.

Thursday, June 4: Ride 67.7 miles to Lompoc and camp at River Park, Sweeney Road & Highway 246.

Friday, June 5: Ride 85.5 miles to Ventura and camp at San Buenaventura State Beach, 901 San Pedro Street.

Saturday, June 6: Ride 61.5 miles to Los Angeles. Closing Ceremony at the VA Center, 11301 Wilshire Boulevard.


SOURCE AIDS/LifeCycle

UMass Lowell Graduates Record Number

LOWELL, Mass., May 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Chancellor Marty Meehan presided over Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 30 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell when 2,200 graduates -- a record number for the university -- received bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.

Meehan challenged the Class of 2009 to seize the power of their education to take an active role in their community and the world.

"Nelson Mandela said, 'Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.' This is an unprecedented moment of change in our nation and in the world. Going forward, I hope all of you will be active citizens who are deeply engaged with public affairs, from local issues to global concerns," Meehan told graduates.

Harold Ford Jr., a former Congressman from Tennessee and a news analyst for NBC and MSNBC, was the Commencement speaker.

"The core challenge for these graduates is to use their gifts of knowledge, kindness and courage to help shape a future as bold and daring as the ones our forefathers dreamed of and fought for," said Ford.

UMass President Jack Wilson praised this year's graduates for the work they are doing on sustainability and green technology, and in business, education and health care, both in Massachusetts and around the world.

Abbey Denaro, an exercise physiology major and one of the recipients of this year's Chancellor's Medal for Student Service, was the student speaker.

The University presented honorary degrees to Bernard Amadei, founder of Engineers Without Borders; George Duncan, chairman of Enterprise Bank; Chaz Maviyane-Davies, a professor and artist; and Robert Pozen, chairman of MFS Investments and a former Fidelity Investments top executive. The Distinguished Alumni Award recipient was Kathleen Beaumont Allen '77, former corporate vice president and chief financial officer of Millipore Corp.

A pre-Commencement scholarship fundraiser on Friday, May 29 raised more than $300,000 for scholarships.

UMass Lowell, with a national reputation in science, engineering and technology, is committed to educating students for lifelong success in a diverse world and conducting research and outreach activities that sustain the economic, environmental and social health of the region. It offers its 12,000 students more than 120 degree choices, internships, five-year combined bachelor's to master's programs and doctoral studies in the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Management, the School of Health and Environment, and the Graduate School of Education. www.uml.edu


SOURCE University of Massachusetts Lowell

Tool Shows Promise for Measuring Productivity of Mid-Level Oncology Providers

A pilot study of a new productivity tool developed by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) shows potential in measuring the impact of mid-level oncology providers in outpatient oncology settings. Refining productivity metrics for this group can help inform workforce projections given reports of a looming shortage of oncologists. The results will be presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting on May 30, 2009 in Orlando, Florida.

ORLANDO, Fla., May 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mid-level providers have the potential to mitigate the impending workforce shortage of oncologists; however, their impact on clinical practice and productivity has been challenging to measure. A metric and tool developed by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) shows promise in the ability to quantify the productivity of mid-level oncology providers, physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs), in outpatient oncology settings. The results of a pilot study evaluating this tool will be presented at the 2009 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting on May 30, 2009.

"In many cases, mid-level providers do not bill for their services separate from the physician making it difficult to assess their productivity in an oncology setting," says author F. Marc Stewart, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "We developed this tool in an attempt to facilitate staffing and workforce projections, especially in the face of future physician shortages."

The study analyzed eligible responses from 176 mid-level providers from 15 of the 21 NCCN Member Institutions. The online survey included questions on work characteristics, allocation of time and labor, and productivity. Productivity was defined by the authors as the average number of new or follow-up patients seen per half-day clinic. In addition, the survey asked questions with the intent to identify any significant differences between NP and PA productivity within a variety of oncologic specialties including Medical Oncology/Solid Tumor, Hematologic Malignancies/Bone Marrow Transplant, and Surgical Oncology.

"We found that the tool was a useful instrument in gauging the impact of mid-levels, and that NPs and PAs do seem to have a measurable effect on the number of patients seen in the participating academic outpatient oncology clinics," says lead author Jennifer Hinkel, MSc, Manager, Business Insights at NCCN.

The authors noted that, as expected, NPs and PAs in the surgical oncology specialty saw more patients than mid-levels in other specialties. Brief pre- and post-operative visits may account for a large percentage of these mid-levels' clinic time allowing for a larger volume of patients to be seen.

In the majority of the data collected, there was no significant difference between the number of patients NPs and PAs saw within each specialty except in the medical oncology specialty, where NPs reported seeing significantly more follow-up patients than PAs.

"This variation may be due to different practice patterns or the use of PAs for more procedure-oriented tasks rather than for outpatient clinic visits," says Hinkel.

The authors plan to repeat the survey using a broader sample and in conjunction with an existing oncology physician productivity tool developed by NCCN to better determine the direct impact of mid-level providers on overall clinical productivity.

Recent data from the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Workforce Study published in 2007 has shown that by the year 2020 there will be a shortage of between 2,350 and 3,800 oncologists, a problem that will be magnified by a 48 percent increase in the overall demand for oncology visits.

Additional authors include Jonathan L. Vandergrift, MS, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; Sara J. Perkel, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; Marcy B. Waldinger, MHSA, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center; and William Levy, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of 21 of the world's leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/University of Tennessee Cancer Institute, Memphis, TN; Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE; The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN.

For more information on NCCN, please visit NCCN.org.


SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Women's Health Foundation, POISE(R) Brand Look for Passionate Women's Health Advocates

Passion Award Winner to be Recognized at Annual "Below the Belt" Gala

CHICAGO, May 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Women's Health Foundation (WHF) has teamed up with the POISE(R) brand to recognize champions of women's pelvic health by announcing a call for entries to the Passion Award sponsored by POISE(R).

The Passion Award sponsored by POISE(R) acknowledges either a survivor or a pelvic floor champion. The survivor is a woman who has overcome pelvic conditions (i.e. incontinence or prolapse) through personal effort and found strength through pelvic fitness and lifestyle changes. The pelvic floor champion is a woman who is willing to share her story, inspires others and educates through harnessing her pelvic power.

"The annual Passion Award celebrates a woman who either overcame pelvic conditions or helps develop a sisterhood of strength by empowering women who struggle with pelvic health issues," said Missy Lavender, Women's Health Foundation CEO & Executive Director.

The 2008 winner was Linda Michael of Portage, Indiana who overcame incontinence after decades of pain and now is a vocal supporter of women taking proactive steps to live without pain.

"We hope that by celebrating the winner of the 2009 Passion award, other women will feel supported not only to seek the bladder control treatment that's right for them, but also to help eliminate the taboo often coupled with the topic by talking about it," said Joe Kuester, POISE(R) Senior Brand Manager.

The Passion Award winner will be applauded at the 5th Annual "Below the Belt" Gala, June 27, 2009 in Chicago, IL. "Below the Belt" is a memorable evening, which brings together the nation's most passionate champions of women's pelvic health in an intimate setting. In addition to a ceremony for the Passion Award recipient, Grammy-Award winning musicians and activists, the Indigo Girls, will be performing a private concert to attendees. The "Below the Belt" Gala helps further WHF's mission to provide life-enhancing strategies to achieve pelvic health and wellness for every woman.

Nominations call for a 250-word description of the nominee sent by June 17, 2009 and are available at www.poise.com or www.belowthebeltgala.org.

To learn more about Women's Health Foundation, visit www.womenshealthfoundation.org

About POISE Brand and Kimberly-Clark Launched in 1992 by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, POISE(R) brand is the market leader in absorbent protection products for women. POISE products come in three different forms (liners, ultra thins and pads), five absorbencies and offer custom product features such as longer length and wings. For more information and to request a free consumer sample kit, visit www.poise.com.

Kimberly-Clark and its well known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No.1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 137-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.

About Women's Health Foundation

Women's Health Foundation (WHF) is a nonprofit organization focused on providing life strategies, community-based programs and services, and events to encourage women to optimize their pelvic health and wellness. Dedicated to eliminating the Sisterhood of Silence and creating a Sisterhood of Strength, WHF is becoming the nation's most visible and passionate champion of women's pelvic wellness issues. Women's Health Foundation is headquartered in Chicago and sponsors programs nationally through partnerships with medically based fitness facilities, residential living centers and hospitals. To learn more, visit www.womenshealthfoundation.org.


SOURCE Women's Health Foundation

Join Men's Health Network in Celebration of Men's Health Month

WASHINGTON, May 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- June is Men's Health Month and groups across the country and around the globe are joining Men's Health Network (MHN) in celebration of this awareness period. The purpose of Men's Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

The month is anchored by National Men's Health Week, June 15-21, the week ending on Father's Day, a special awareness period recognized by Congress each year, and signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. Additional support comes from the more than 45 governors who declare Men's Health Week in their states.

Men's Health Month is celebrated with screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and outreach activities. These events help ensure a healthier future for men and their families. For a partial listing of events, visit: http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/calendar.htm.

"While men continue to live sicker and die younger," Scott Williams, Vice President for MHN explained, "awareness and outreach efforts like those conducted in June reach men and their families where they live, work, play, and pray."

Mark Pitts, President of Urban Music for Zomba Label Group (ZLG) said, "I'm blessed to be able to give back and be a part of the men's health initiative. Since being diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, my life has definitely changed but I am now stronger than before and am giving back to help inspire not only those around me but others on a global level. Men's Health Network is important because they are helping men understand how important it is to be proactive about keeping up on our healthcare and not just for ourselves but for our families and communities; I hope I can be an example to many young men through my support of MHN."

Additionally, Men's Health Network has developed a new program called Wear BLUE, designed to raise awareness and educate men, women, and their families of the need to end the silent crisis in men's health. Workplaces, community groups, places of worship, and others are encouraged to host a Wear BLUE event in their community. Information, tools, and resources can be found at www.wearblueformen.com.

Health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals can use Men's Health Month and the Wear BLUE program to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease. In celebration of Men's Health Month, MHN is launching a number of larger awareness campaigns including ones focused on fibromyalgia, incontinence, fertility, bladder cancer, uninsured issues, public service announcements, and prostate health.

"With prostate, cardiovascular, mental, and other health issues adversely impacting the lives of our men, awareness periods like this help end the silence surrounding men's health and make it OK for men and boys to talk and take action about their health," shared Theresa Morrow, Program Director for Women Against Prostate Cancer (www.womenagainstprostatecancer.org).

"This Father's Day we all should try to help the men we love take charge of their health. MHN has resources and programs that can help them do that," added Dr. S. J. Giorgianni, Asst. Professor Pharmacy, Belmont University School of Pharmacy, Nashville.

For interviews or to learn more about Men's Health Month contact info@menshealthweek.org or 202-543-6461x101 or visit us online at www.menshealthmonth.com.

Men's Health Network (www.menshealthnetwork.org) is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to reach men and their families where they live, work, play, and pray with health prevention messages and tools, screening programs, educational materials, advocacy opportunities, and patient navigation.


SOURCE Men's Health Network

MacArthur Foundation Commits $68 Million To Support Regional Cooperation for Peace and Security in Asia

SINGAPORE, May 29 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is committing $68 million over seven years to a new Asia Security Initiative that will increase the effectiveness of international cooperation in fostering peace and security in Asia. The Initiative brings together 27 institutions from around the world to develop new ideas to address Asia's many security challenges.

"The growing economic and political power of Asia is transforming the globe," said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton. "Over the coming decades, the Asia-Pacific will be the world's economic engine, helping millions in the region to find new prosperity. Yet, in this time of great opportunity, security challenges - from power conflicts to resource scarcity - threaten to undo the region's many gains. As China, India, and other Asian nations become regional and global powers, Asia-Pacific nations must think anew about how our societies can work together to foster peace and prevent conflict."

MacArthur's initial grantmaking focuses on three particularly critical security issues: strengthening regional cooperation, preventing conflict in Northeast Asia, and building international cooperation to respond to internal challenges. In each area, a group of grantees will work together to conduct analysis and suggest new ways forward. The work of each group will be coordinated by a leading Asian institution. These three core institutions were selected through an exhaustive two-year search to identify regional leaders in the field of security studies:

China's Peking University Center for International and Strategic Studies will oversee the regional security cooperation group, advising policymakers on how to make better use of multilateral institutions, bilateral relationships, and alliances to prevent conflict, manage differences, and foster peace and security.

Korea's East Asia Institute will coordinate work on Northeast Asia, developing plans for international cooperation to decrease tensions over North Korea and Taiwan and among Northeast Asian nations.

Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies will direct the internal challenges group, which will concentrate on the need for international cooperation to help manage emerging transnational challenges. Such challenges include heightened demand for energy creating competition over scarce resources, the effects of natural disasters, and domestic political instability that creates pernicious cross-border effects and outbreaks of violent conflict.

MacArthur will help build long-term capacity to conduct policy research by funding new research positions, improving communications among institutions, and assisting in the publication of research and analysis in print and online. Today, the Foundation launched a new website - asiasecurity.macfound.org - to showcase the network's policy research.

The Foundation also plans to start a program of year-long fellowships in 2010 for mid-career leaders in academia, government, non-government organizations, the private sector, and media to undertake policy research on Asian security challenges. Fellows will be identified through an open application process and will be placed at the three core institutions.

The Initiative comes out of MacArthur's 25 years of grantmaking in peace and security. Specifically, the Foundation has invested in training, research, and policy engagement to reduce the danger posed by weapons of mass destruction. MacArthur supported research and track-two diplomacy between U.S. and Soviet officials and nuclear scientists, which helped lead to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. MacArthur grantees also helped develop the conceptual framework for cooperative threat reduction programs that helped Russia and other former Soviet states reduce stockpiles and secure nuclear weapons and fissile materials. The Foundation's Science, Technology, and Security Initiative strengthened university-based centers of science, technology, and security, creating a new generation of scientists engaged in the study and development of security policy on issues like nonproliferation and arms control.

The MacArthur Foundation, one of the largest private philanthropies in the United States, supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society. More information is available at www.macfound.org


SOURCE The MacArthur Foundation

National Archives Announces Homecoming of Long-Lost Lincoln Letter

National Archives Logo. (PRNewsFoto/National Archives)

WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES

Private Collector Lawrence Cutler Donates Original Lincoln Letter to Archives

For hi-res images of the letter and the conservation report, see:

http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2009/nr09-88.html

WASHINGTON, May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a press conference today, the National Archives announced the homecoming of an original Abraham Lincoln hand-written letter to Secretary of Treasury Salmon P. Chase. Lawrence M. Cutler, a private collector from Scottsdale, Arizona, donated the letter to the National Archives.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080925/DC35252LOGO)

Written on Executive Mansion letterhead, the November 14, 1863, letter states:

Hon. Sec. of Treasury

My dear Sir

Mr. Stevens, late Superintendent of the Mint at San Francisco, asks to have a copy, or be permitted to examine, and take extracts, of the evidence upon which he was removed. Please oblige him in one way or the other.

Yours truly, A. Lincoln.

In presenting the Lincoln letter to Acting Archivist Adrienne Thomas, Mr. Cutler said, "It is both a great honor and a pleasure for me to give this very important Abraham Lincoln letter back to the citizens of the United States of America, especially during this bicentennial year of Lincoln's birth. It may always remain a mystery as to how this letter left the public domain and has remained in private hands for as much as a century. However, what is more significant is that today I am returning this letter to its long lost home."

"The National Archives is pleased to accept this important gift, the return of President Lincoln's November 14, 1863, letter to Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase," said Acting Archivist Thomas. "This brief note, written five days before President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, provides us with a window to look at a difficult personal crisis faced by Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War," she continued.

The National Archives became aware of the existence of this Lincoln hand-written letter in 2006. Because the letter was written from the President to the Secretary of Treasury concerning a federal government matter, the National Archives launched an internal review to determine whether the document belonged in the National Archives.

The investigation revealed that at one time the letter was part of the General Records of the Department of Treasury, series 82 "Letters Received from Executive Officers, 1831-1869." These included 141 volumes in which original letters were bound. According to the index to Volume 91, the letter should have been on page five. Upon examination of page five, it was discovered that only half of the page remained pasted into the volume -- it included a one sentence summary of the letter, the date, and the author of the letter. The body of the letter was missing.

In part, the newly-found Lincoln letter is significant because the information in it was not known to Lincoln scholars or historians. The multi-volume Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln by Roy P. Basler, published in the 1950s, does not include a copy of this letter. Although it is unclear exactly when the letter fragment was torn from the Department of Treasury volume, it appears that it predates Basler's publication and may have happened when the volume was still at the Department of Treasury, sometime between the 1880's when the letters were bound and the 1940's when the records were transferred to the Archives.

Recently, the National Archives Document Conservation Laboratory examined the two parts of the letter with normal and transmitted light, ultraviolet lamp and stereo-binocular microscope. The letter and half folio were found to be identical in visual appearance. Both are on soft tan, medium-weight, smooth machine-made wove paper of even and identical formation. Both letter and half folio were measured with a micrometer and have the identical thickness of .012 millimeters. The one physical difference noted was the unevenly trimmed bottom edge of the letter. It appears approximately 1/2" to 1/4" of the sheet is missing; otherwise the overall dimensions (5" x 8") are identical.

When the folio was torn along its fold, small portions of the upper most layers of the paper support were torn, leaving behind matching indentations known as "beveled" or "shelved" areas. The small portions of the support that remain attached along the folio fold exactly match the shelved areas on the remaining folio half adhered in the volume.

Background

At the end of March 1861, President Lincoln had approved the appointment of Robert Stevens as head of the U.S. Mint in San Francisco. The President had appointed Stevens to the patronage job as a favor to Lincoln's old friend, Oregon Senator Edward Baker. Stevens was Baker's son-in-law. Baker, a fellow Republican, died in battle in 1861.

In 1863 Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase announced changes in the Customhouse and Mint, based on a report by special agent Thomas Brown who was sent to investigate Federal services in California.

The report listed six charges against Stevens:

1. The hiring of bad men

2. Encouragement of insubordination and contempt for authority on the part of workers

3. Partiality as to the wages of clerks and laborers while others' were fixed much lower

4. "Sponges and barnacles" - many were absent without working but were still highly-paid

5. Purchase of inferior supplies at exorbitant rates

6. Being arrogant and discourteous to his managers

Based on these charges, Stevens was fired by Secretary Chase in April, 1863. For months following his removal, Stevens protested the firing, finally resorting to writing to President Lincoln.

The newly returned letter indicates that while Lincoln was not willing to override Chase's decision, he did feel that Stevens deserved to see the charges against him. It emphasizes the President's sense of fair-play and moral authority which served as a guide throughout his Presidency.


SOURCE National Archives

MPI to Ignite 'The Language of Business' Through Meetings at World Education Congress

WEC to Convene Critical Mass of Expertise to Address Pressing Cross-functional Global Business Issues and the Power of Meetings as the Solution

DALLAS, May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Providing thought leadership for global business leaders will fuel Meeting Professionals International (MPI)'s Annual World Education Conference (WEC) in Salt Lake this July. MPI will present incontrovertible evidence that strategic, sound business accelerators - such as meetings and events - improve sales and organizational productivity.

Today's economic realities have forced corporate decision makers to raise the conscious recognition of importance for justification of bottom line results to their stakeholders. As organizations search for ways to drive growth and build long-term stability, meetings and events are an invaluable and irreplaceable form of economic stimulus.

The quest to demonstrate value and find solutions requires business professionals to expand their body of knowledge and hone their strategic meeting management skills. WEC's educational program will offer over 120 knowledge sessions to help attendees properly prepare to aggressively improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of their investment in meetings and events. At this year's conference, attendees will receive tangible go-to-market solutions, share best practices, and bring back real-world applications to their place of work.

"Businesses everywhere are looking for answers to help them survive in today's economy and advantages to help them thrive during the emerging recovery," says Bruce MacMillan, president and CEO of MPI. "At WEC we will present powerful business solutions for meeting and event professionals, in the language of today's global business environment to set the stage for recovery for the industry."

This conference provides the opportunity to connect to the sharpest professional minds and innovative ideas the meeting and event industry has to offer. The opening general session (OGS) and conference will present data and case study insights from thought-leaders and subject matter experts on the use of meetings and events to gain competitive advantage in any economy. To help us bring this to light, a strong line-up of OGS speakers will start the conference off with keen insights and practical applications to address today's key business issues.

Ben Stein, an award-winning actor, former Presidential speech writer, author, economist, civil rights lawyer, and college professor voluntarily wrote the article, "Don't Blame the Business Meeting," defending the purpose of meetings for the average hard-working business professional, will share his insights on what compelled him to voluntarily write the article. Stein will provide his insider's perspective on the economy, the importance of business meetings and how they will play an integral part in the economic recovery.

Betsy Myers, a noted leadership expert, co-chair of the Women's Leadership Forum and former senior advisor to the Obama Presidential Campaign, will illustrate and discuss how her team was able to take a little known, senator from Illinois to President of the United States through strategically using the world of new technologies and non-traditional means.

Also, Gary Loveman, former associate professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration with a Ph.D. in economics from M.I.T. and current chairman, CEO and president of Harrah's Inc., will provide insights on the "business" of meetings and how to enhance their strategic value. Loveman will focus on how meetings accelerate sales and organizational productivity during economically tough times as companies search for ways to drive growth.

For additional information on the World Education Congress and a full schedule, please visit the WEC Website at http://www.mpiweb.org/Events/WEC2009.aspx or for more information on Meeting Professionals International visit the MPI Website at mpiweb.org. To see MPI's view on how meetings have changed the world, click this link: http://www.mpiweb.org/Events/WEC2009/Videos/ChangeTheWorld/qt.aspx.

About MPI:

Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the meeting and event industry's largest and most vibrant global community, helps our members thrive by providing human connections to knowledge and ideas, relationships, and marketplaces. MPI membership is comprised of more than 24,000 members belonging to 71 chapters and clubs worldwide. For additional information, visit mpiweb.org.

About the World Education Congress:

The World Education Congress (WEC) is MPI's largest gathering of meeting and event professionals from around the globe. This annual conference and expo draws thousands of business professionals including industry planners and suppliers to learn, to connect and to exchange ideas.

Contact:
Lauren Manford
Meeting Professionals International
(972) 702-3044
LManford@mpiweb.org


SOURCE Meeting Professionals International

New Online Tool Offers Access to City and County Retiree Benefit Data

Searchable database allows users to compare localities of similar size and location

WASHINGTON, May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new online tool offers detailed health care and pension data on the typical benefits cities and counties offer their retirees, and how they pay or plan to pay for these benefits.

The Government Benefits Comparison Tool, sponsored by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence (www.slge.org) and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA - www.gfoa.org), is an interactive resource allowing the user to search by population size, state, and geographic region and by size of the general fund revenue.

"We know that health insurance and retirement benefits are important in recruiting and retaining talented workers," said Elizabeth K. Kellar, president and CEO, Center for State and Local Government Excellence. "And now, for the first time, cities and counties will have access to benefits data from across the country in an easy-to-use database."

Once users select the characteristics that most closely match their government, the tool generates a series of metrics concerning pension benefits, wellness programs, retiree health care, and other informative GFOA financial indicators.

"The tool provides an excellent benchmark for public-sector decision makers to use in identifying how their retiree benefit management compares with governments of similar size," said Jeffrey L. Esser, executive director/CEO of GFOA.

The health care data come from a 2007/2008 retiree health care survey conducted by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence, the International City/County Management Association, and the faculty of North Carolina State University. The research was funded by the ICMA Retirement Corporation. The pension data come from the FY2006 GFOA Financial Indicators database, drawn from the comprehensive annual financial reports (CAFRs) of local governments across the United States. The data will be updated as it becomes available.

This informational benchmarking resource tool for state and local government leaders, academics, research institutions, and the general public is not intended to be a substitute for the financial or legal advice of an attorney, accountant, or other professional.

Link to the tool: http://mygfoa.org/gbct/

About the Center for State and Local Government Excellence

The Center for State and Local Government Excellence helps state and local governments become knowledgeable and competitive employers so they can attract and retain a talented and committed workforce. The Center identifies best practices and conducts research on competitive employment practices, workforce development, pensions, retiree health security, and financial planning. The Center also brings state and local leaders together with respected researchers and features the latest demographic data on the aging workforce, research studies, and news on health care, recruitment, and succession planning on its website, www.slge.org.

About the Government Finance Officers Association

The Government Finance Officers Association is the major professional association serving the needs of 17,600 appointed and elected local and state-level government officials and other finance practitioners. It provides top-quality publications, training programs, services, and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management. The association is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices in Washington, D.C. (www.gfoa.org)


SOURCE Center for State and Local Government Excellence

Obama's Court Nomination Validates America's Rush to Buy Firearms

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court validates the concerns of millions of American citizens who have been rushing to gun shops for the past seven months, fearing their Second Amendment rights are in jeopardy, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

Judge Sotomayor was part of a Second Circuit Court panel that ruled in January that the Second Amendment does not apply to the states, in Maloney v. Cuomo. That is in direct conflict with a Ninth Circuit opinion earlier this spring in Nordyke v. King that the Second Amendment is incorporated to the states, and therefore does place limits on states' ability to regulate the individual right to keep and bear arms.

"Starting literally last Nov. 4 and every day since," noted CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, "concerned Americans, many who had never before owned a firearm, have been crowding into gun shops. Their concerns that the Obama administration may somehow try to destroy Second Amendment rights have certainly been affirmed with the nomination of Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

"Sure, Congress has turned a cold shoulder to renewal of the ban on semiautomatic sporting rifles," he continued, "and the president did sign the guns-in-parks bill, but only because he had to in order to save his credit card legislation.

"But a Supreme Court justice is a president's legacy," Gottlieb observed. "Judge Sotomayor would become a justice for life, and her anti-Second Amendment position would continue affecting her decisions long after Obama is gone from the White House.

"A Supreme Court nominee's philosophy generally reflects the philosophy of the president that nominates them," Gottlieb concluded. "Judge Sotomayor's position on the Second Amendment is a clear signal that Mr. Obama's claim that he supports gun rights is nothing but lip service from a man who consistently argued and voted against those rights in the Illinois Senate and the U.S. Senate. American gun owners have every reason to oppose this nomination, and let their senators know why."

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (www.ccrkba.org) is one of the nation's premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.


SOURCE Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

NASA Selects Student's Entry As New Mars Rover Name

NASA Logo. (PRNewsFoto/NASA)

WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON, May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's Mars Science Laboratory rover, scheduled for launch in 2011, has a new name thanks to a sixth-grade student from Kansas. Twelve-year-old Clara Ma from the Sunflower Elementary school in Lenexa submitted the winning entry, "Curiosity." As her prize, Ma wins a trip to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., where she will be invited to sign her name directly onto the rover as it is being assembled.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)

A NASA panel selected the name following a nationwide student contest that attracted more than 9,000 proposals via the Internet and mail. The panel primarily took into account the quality of submitted essays. Name suggestions from the Mars Science Laboratory project leaders and a non-binding public poll also were considered.

"Students from every state suggested names for this rover. That's testimony to the excitement Mars missions spark in our next generation of explorers," said Mark Dahl, the mission's program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Many of the nominating essays were excellent and several of the names would have fit well. I am especially pleased with the choice, which recognizes something universally human and essential to science."

Ma decided to enter the rover-naming contest after she heard about it at her school.

"I was really interested in space, but I thought space was something I could only read about in books and look at during the night from so far away," Ma said. "I thought that I would never be able to get close to it, so for me, naming the Mars rover would at least be one step closer."

"Curiosity is an everlasting flame that burns in everyone's mind. It makes me get out of bed in the morning and wonder what surprises life will throw at me that day," Ma wrote in her winning essay. "Curiosity is such a powerful force. Without it, we wouldn't be who we are today. Curiosity is the passion that drives us through our everyday lives. We have become explorers and scientists with our need to ask questions and to wonder."

The naming contest was conducted in partnership with Disney-Pixar's animated film "WALL-E." The activity invited ideas from students 5 - 18 years old enrolled in a U.S. school. The contest started in November 2008. Entries were accepted until midnight Jan. 25.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures supplied the prizes for the contest, including 30 for semifinalists related to "WALL-E." Nine finalists have been invited to provide messages to be placed on a microchip mounted on Curiosity. The microchip also will contain the names of thousands of people around the world who have "signed" their names electronically via the Internet. Additional electronic signatures still are being accepted via the Internet.

"We have been eager to call the rover by name," said Pete Theisinger, who manages the JPL team building and testing Curiosity. "Giving it a name worthy of this mission's quest means a lot to the people working on it."

Curiosity will be larger and more capable than any craft previously sent to land on the Red Planet. It will check to see whether the environment in a selected landing region ever has been favorable for supporting microbial life and preserving evidence of life. The rover also will search for minerals that formed in the presence of water and look for several chemical building blocks of life.

The Mars Science Laboratory project is managed by JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

For more information about the mission and the contest winner, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/msl

To send your name on the rover microchip, visit:

http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/sendyourname


SOURCE NASA

Recent Statewide Poll Reveals North Carolinians Strongly Oppose Cuts in Education Even as State Faces Budget Shortfall

RALEIGH, N.C., May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The North Carolina Association of Educators released a poll today that confirms North Carolina voters believe funding for public education should be a high priority, even in difficult economic times.

"In all the talk of lost revenue, elected leaders need to take notice that voters do support increased taxes in certain areas to balance the budget rather than cutting teachers, raising class sizes and diminishing every child's right to have access to a high quality public school education," said NCAE President Sheri Strickland.

When asked how to balance the state budget, 85 percent of survey respondents said they opposed cutting the number of teachers in public schools and raising class sizes. No other category of how to fix the budget -- including proposals to raise taxes -- received more opposition than cuts to education spending.

"We're certainly not surprised that North Carolinians understand how important public schools are to the future of our state and that -- even as we face a budget shortfall -- elected leaders should look elsewhere to reduce spending and raise revenue. Our citizens know that money spent on education is an investment in our children, not just an expenditure on a balance sheet."

Overall, the survey asked about budget priorities, how elected leaders should fix the budget, and whether or not voters support increased taxes as a form of additional revenue to the state.

Survey respondents were asked to rank what should be the state's priorities, and education is right there on top with the economy. Survey respondents also gave heavy support to raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol and income taxes for citizens who earn more than $150,000 a year, and closing corporate loopholes.

Key Findings

Survey Respondents Voiced Overwhelming Opposition to Cuts in Education

85 percent of those surveyed opposed a proposal to help fix the state budget deficit by cutting the number of teachers in public schools and raising class sizes.

Even with the state's dramatic budget situation, education cuts have the potential to generate significant blow-back in next year's elections. When asked who they would choose, 77 percent of voters are much less likely to support a legislator who voted to fix the $4.5 billion state budget deficit by cutting the number of teachers in public schools and raising class sizes.

Voters oppose, by a 60 percent to 36 percent margin, a proposal to help fix the state budget deficit by cutting spending for pre-kindergarten programs like Smart Start and More at Four.

North Carolinians say "YES" to Taxes on Tobacco, Alcohol, Wealthier Households and Out-of-State Corporations

Of the choices given in a list of proposals to help balance the state budget, here's what respondents selected as their top three:

Seventy-six percent support higher taxes on alcohol and tobacco;

Sixty percent support higher personal income taxes on households making more than $150,000 a year;

Seventy-seven percent said close corporate tax loopholes on out-of-state corporations.

Voters want cuts in state spending, but that doesn't mean education.

An impressive two-thirds of voters -- 66 percent -- say that with the economy in crisis, it's more important than ever for the state to support teachers and public schools.

An overwhelming 73 percent of those surveyed don't think that their local public schools have enough money to do a good job. They felt more money was needed. Only 22 percent felt that their local schools had enough money to do a good job.

Education is similarly important to jobs and the economy for voters

Given the choice of six priorities for the state, education (46 percent w/two choices combined) trails only the economy (46 percent). Although there is widespread awareness that the state budget is in trouble, fixing the budget deficit garners only 23 percent as the most important issue to be addressed by the governor and state legislators, improving public education came in much higher.

Teachers and Public Schools Are Doing a Great Job

In rating the job their local public schools are doing, the numbers were equally impressive. Seventy-one percent rated them excellent/good.

When asked to rate the quality of teachers in their local public schools, voters were even more impressed, logging in positive responses totaling 80 percent.

Demographics

55 percent were female, 45 percent male.

Ages of the survey respondents: 14 percent of respondents were 18 -29 years of age; 15 percent were 30-39; 19 percent were 40-49; 29 percent were 50-64; 22 percent were 65 or older.

Thirty-one percent had a college degree; 24 percent some college and 25 percent high school or less. Post grads were 18 percent.

75 percent were white, 19 percent African-American, and 1 percent Hispanic or Latino.

Geographically, respondents were located across the six regions of North Carolina. The percentages were as follows: Charlotte - 18 percent; Coastal - 23 percent; Mountain - 12 percent; Non-Metro Piedmont - 18 percent; Triad - 14 percent; Triangle - 16 percent.

27 percent said they currently have children in K-12 public schools; 72 percent said they do not currently have children in K -12 public schools.

Forty percent said their party affiliation was Democrat and 29 percent said Republican. Thirteen percent identified themselves as Independent.

The poll was conducted by independent research firm Anzalone/Liszt Research based in Washington, D.C. Interviews of 604 people selected at random were completed May 7-13, 2009. Margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95 percent confidence level.


SOURCE North Carolina Association of Educators

Slum Children Beat All Odds

BANGALORE, India, May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The popularity of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" has highlighted the plight of the impoverished, but beyond the glitz and glamour, there are still 700 million people in India living on less than $1 a day. Among them are the country's 250 million "Untouchables" (known as "Dalits") who have faced systematic persecution and discrimination for over 2,500 years. One institution, the Shanti Bhavan School, is trying to reverse the fortunes of this underprivileged segment of society through long-term, high-quality education.

Shanti Bhavan is a tuition-free school and home for India's most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Located an hour outside of Bangalore, it has been serving the poorest of the poor for over thirteen years. And it has produced real results: its entire first two graduating classes finished the national ICSE high school examination with top marks, achieving a 3.5 GPA and higher. This has been a landmark achievement, a first for any school for Dalits in India.

"I knew the ICSE would be difficult, but I studied hard and my teachers made sure I was prepared," says Amrita, a 10th grader who came from the slums but excelled in the examinations. "I feel as if the whole world is open to me, and now I have the confidence to compete with anyone."

Most educational programs for the poor focus on basic literacy without offering a stable environment. However, the minimal skills taught during these courses are not enough to prepare the disadvantaged for college or professional jobs. Consequently, they have been trapped in poverty for generations.

Shanti Bhavan has rewritten the poverty alleviation model with a revolutionary approach on the principle that every child, regardless of his/her social and economic background, deserves the opportunity to gain a good education. All children are provided a secure, nurturing environment at "homes" on its campus, providing them with nutritious daily meals, clothing and proper medical care. The adjoining school in the campus offers excellent education from pre-school to 12th grade, preparing the children for college study in good institutions.

Michelle Miller, a NYC music performer who has volunteered twice at Shanti Bhavan had this to say about her experiences there: "Shanti Bhavan fully embodies its name as a 'haven of peace'. The children are taken from the grips of malnutrition, abuse, and neglect and are given loving care, nurtured emotionally and educated with expectations of excellence. The result is an intellectual curiosity, a deep sense of compassion for others, optimism in their future, and a desire to use these tools to help others in abject poverty."

Even in this recession, Shanti Bhavan has managed to continue its operations through grassroots funding, primarily in the U.S. and the UK. The school hopes to continue its mission with the assistance and generosity of those interested in the welfare of deprived children.

To contact Shanti Bhavan:

U.S.: 121 Hawkins Place, PMB 192, Boonton, NJ, 07005 (phone: 940-368-4370)

Website: www.shantibhavanonline.org or email shantibhavanchildren@gmail.com


SOURCE Shanti Bhavan

NASA/University Team Develops New Method to Find Alien Oceans

NASA Logo. (PRNewsFoto/NASA)

WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES

GREENBELT, Md., May 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA-sponsored scientists looking back at Earth with the Deep Impact/EPOXI mission have developed a method to indicate whether Earth-like alien (extrasolar) worlds have oceans.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO )

"A 'pale blue dot' is the best picture we will get of an Earth-like extrasolar world using even the most advanced telescopes planned for the next couple decades," said Nicolas B. Cowan, of the University of Washington. "So how do we find out if it is capable of supporting life? If we can determine that the planet has oceans of liquid water, it greatly increases the likelihood that it supports life. We used the High Resolution Imager telescope on Deep Impact to look at Earth from tens of millions of miles away -- an 'alien' point of view -- and developed a method to indicate the presence of oceans by analyzing how Earth's light changes as the planet rotates. This method can be used to identify extrasolar ocean-bearing Earths."

Cowan is lead author of a paper on this research appearing in the August 2009 issue of the Astrophysical Journal. Our planet looks blue all the time because of Rayleigh scattering of sunlight by the atmosphere, the same reason that the sky appears blue to us down on the surface, points out Cowan. "What we studied in this paper was how that blue color changes in time: oceans are bluer than continents, which appear red or orange because land is most reflective at red and near-infrared wavelengths of light. Oceans only reflect much at blue (short) wavelengths," said Cowan.

The maps that the team created are only sensitive to the longitudinal (East - West) positions of oceans and continents. Furthermore, the observations only pick out what is going on near the equator of Earth: the equator gets more sunlight than higher latitudes, and the EPOXI spacecraft was above the equator when the observations were taken. These limitations of viewing geometry could plague observations of extrasolar planets as well: "We could erroneously see the planet as a desert world if it had a nearly solid band of continents around its equator and oceans at its poles," said Cowan.

Other things besides water can make a planet appear blue; for example, in our solar system the planet Neptune is blue due in part to the presence of methane in its upper atmosphere. "However, a Neptune-like world would appear as an unchanging blue using this technique, and again it's the changes in the blue color that reveal oceans to us," said Cowan. "There are some weird scenarios you can dream up that don't involve oceans but would lead to varying patches of blue on a planet, but these are not very plausible."

"A spectrum of the planet's light that reveals the presence of water is necessary to confirm the existence of oceans," said Drake Deming, a co-author of the paper at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Instruments that produce a spectrum are attached to telescopes and spread out light into its component colors, like a prism separates white light into a rainbow. Every element and molecule emits and absorbs light at specific colors. These colors can be used like a fingerprint to identify them. "Finding the water molecule in the spectrum of an extrasolar planet would indicate that there is water vapor in its atmosphere, making it likely that the blue patches we were seeing as it rotates were indeed oceans of liquid water. However, it will take future large space telescopes to get a precise spectrum of such distant planets, while our technique can be used now as an indication that they could have oceans," said Deming. The technique only requires relatively crude spectra to get the intensity of light over broad color ranges, according to the team.

NASA's Deep Impact made history when the mission team directed an impactor from the spacecraft into comet Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005. NASA recently extended the mission, redirecting the spacecraft for a flyby of comet Hartley 2 on Nov. 4, 2010. EPOXI is a combination of the names for the two extended mission components: a search for extrasolar planets during the cruise to Hartley 2, called Extrasolar Planet Observations and Characterization (EPOCh), and the flyby of comet Hartley 2, called the Deep Impact eXtended Investigation (DIXI). The University of Maryland is the Principal Investigator institution, leading the overall EPOXI mission and DIXI. NASA Goddard leads the EPOCh investigation. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages EPOXI for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The spacecraft was built for NASA by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.

For images, refer to:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/epoxi/alien_ocean.html


SOURCE NASA

ACAMS Partners With Fudan University to Address Growing Need for Anti- Money Laundering Training in Mainland China

MIAMI, May 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) today announced that it has signed an agreement with Fudan University in Shanghai to jointly provide anti-money laundering (AML) training throughout mainland China.

The partnership will address the strong need for educating and training AML professionals in China.

AML is a relatively new focus in China, where laws addressing money laundering were enacted in 2006. But, according to an Anti-Money Laundering Report published by China's bank regulator, the People's Bank of China, there are approximately 190,000 professionals working in the AML field within China's banking, insurance and securities sectors. Most of these AML professionals are new to the field.

Shi Lei, an economics professor at Fudan University, said, "The cooperation is part of China's efforts to strengthen anti-money laundering checks and monitor banks, securities and insurance companies to safeguard financial security."

Together, ACAMS and Fudan University will provide a range of training including basic AML courses focused on China's regulatory requirements, and the study of global standards and leading practices in fighting money laundering and terrorist financing. The global standards course will culminate in students sitting the exam to qualify for ACAMS's Certified Anti-Money Laundering (CAMS) designation. In conjunction with the newly established partnership with ACAMS, Fudan University has created an academic program, the Center for Anti-Money Laundering Studies, through which it is considering the launch of degree and graduate programs in AML.

"We're very excited to partner with such a prestigious university as Fudan to bring AML training to mainland China," said Ted Weissberg, Group Executive at ACAMS. "ACAMS's presence in Asia has been growing very quickly over the past two years, and we expect this agreement will accelerate that growth dramatically."

About the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists

ACAMS is an international membership organization dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and skills of AML professionals around the globe. It serves as a uniquely valuable resource for more than 10,000 members in 130 countries, promoting year-round support to develop and sharpen the skills required for superior job performance and career advancement.

About Fudan University

Fudan University, established in 1905, is a prestigious institution in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Fudan has over 45,000 students and 2,400 faculty members, spread over four different campuses. It is especially renowned in the areas of physical sciences, humanities, social sciences, and medicine.


SOURCE Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists

Endangered Great Ape Finds Safe Haven

New rainforest reserve protects more than 1,000 bonobos and benefits local communities

KINSHASA, DRC, May 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI) joins the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in announcing the official establishment of the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, a community-managed protected area which harbors one of the largest known wild populations of the endangered bonobo. The Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve is the pilot and model site for the Bonobo Peace Forest, a proposed constellation of community-based nature reserves supported by sustainable development.

Larger than the state of Rhode Island, the 1,847 mi2 (4,875 km2) rainforest reserve delivers essential ecosystem services to the world, including biodiversity protection and carbon sequestration, and benefits the local people through training, employment and community development programs. These include sustainable agriculture, a health clinic, aid for local schools, a women's microcredit program and the first institute of higher learning in the region, the Djolu Technical College for Rural Development and Conservation, established in tandem with the reserve.

"The Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve is a milestone for the protection of bonobos and their precious habitat in the Congo Basin," says Sally Jewell Coxe, president and co-founder of BCI. "What began as a grassroots, community initiative now exemplifies a new model for conservation that is proving to be effective and sustainable."

In danger of extinction, bonobos (Pan paniscus) were the last great ape to be discovered and are the least known great ape species. Found only in the DRC, bonobos inhabit the heart of Africa's Congo Basin--the world's second largest rainforest--which is increasingly threatened by industrial logging, commercial bushmeat hunting and agricultural encroachment. Bonobos are known for their peaceful, cooperative, matriarchal society, their remarkable intelligence and their sexual nature. Apart from humans, bonobos are the only primates known to have sex not just for procreation, but also for pleasure and conflict resolution, with members of either sex. These uncommon apes serve as a powerful flagship species, both for conservation and for peace.

The Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve is vital to research on and protection of bonobos, as it is one of the only sites where wild bonobos are habituated to human presence and can be viewed and studied on a daily basis. Albert Lotana Lokasola, president of the local NGO Vie Sauvage and the initiator of the project, says, "Since the time of our ancestors, our people, the Bongando, have traditionally protected and respected bonobos through taboos, legends and rituals celebrating bonobos as our closest relative and friend. The bonobo saved our ancestors from numerous dangers in the forest. We build on these traditions... We hope that many people will come and visit Kokolopori to enjoy and work with us to strengthen the reserve."

"What is truly exceptional is how the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve has inspired other communities in the bonobo habitat who have voluntarily initiated their own projects to protect their forest and bonobos," says Coxe of BCI. "Beyond that, Kokolopori inspired the residents of Falls Church, Virginia to create the first sister city partnership between the USA and the DRC. This shows how a common vision and positive action can motivate many people and create a grand result."

The project has been largely supported by the Global Conservation Fund and the Central Africa Program of Conservation International, which provide both financial and technical support, and other donors, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Great Ape Conservation Fund. Through the Kokolopori-Falls Church Sister City Partnership, the citizens of Falls Church, Virginia have contributed essential support for community development programs and have initiated a dynamic cultural exchange that benefits both communities.

Jose Endundo, the DRC Minister of the Environment, who officially declared the new reserve, said, "We are proud to support this innovative, community-driven initiative, which protects a vital rainforest and rare and endemic species, including the bonobo and Salongo monkey (Cercopithecus dryas), now being studied for the first time in Kokolopori. The Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve is aiding the local human population with means of sustainable economic development, education and opportunities, while also contributing to our country's commitment to protect 15 percent of our national lands. I salute the leadership of Vie Sauvage and BCI and thank the many partners who have made this nature reserve a success and model for other communities to follow."

The Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the survival of the endangered bonobo (Pan paniscus) and its rainforest habitat in the Congo Basin. BCI works with indigenous Congolese people through cooperative conservation and community development programs and with the government of the DRC to establish new protected areas and to safeguard bonobos wherever they are found. BCI was selected as a featured charity in the Catalogue for Philanthropy, for excellence, innovation, and cost-effectiveness.

http://www.bonobo.org


SOURCE Bonobo Conservation Initiative

Pure Salmon Campaign Calls on Marine Harvest to Reform Environmental Performance

Mismanagement continues to undermine world's largest producer of farmed salmon

OSLO, Norway, May 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Members of the Pure Salmon Campaign coalition, a diverse group of stakeholders from key farmed salmon production and consumption nations including Canada, Chile, Scotland, Ireland and the United States, urge Marine Harvest to eliminate its destructive environmental impacts by separating farmed fish from wild fish populations and finding new sources for fish feed.

Marine Harvest is the largest farmed salmon producer in the world and controls more than 20 percent of the market. But, environmental mismanagement and insufficient priority given to biosecurity by Marine Harvest and other aquaculture operators in Chile have had catastrophic effects on salmon industry workers. Widespread outbreaks of fatal Infectious Salmon Anemia in that region have effectively erased Marine Harvest's profits. Overall production of farmed salmon in Chile has declined by more than 50 percent in 2009 alone and more than 20,000 Chilean salmon farm workers have lost their jobs.

For the past week, representatives of the global Pure Salmon Campaign coalition have been in Norway meeting with Members of Parliament, salmon farmers, scientists, financial analysts, journalists, river owners and other stakeholders to discuss how Marine Harvest's global salmon farming operations adversely affect the environment.

"Since 2005, seven Marine Harvest workers and contractors have died on the job," said Javier Ugarte, president of CONATRASAL, the labor union of Chilean salmon aquaculture workers. "In March 2009, two workers died and Marine Harvest has still failed to make the reasons public. Not only does Marine Harvest fail to pay sufficient attention to protecting the environment and the animals in its care, but the company doesn't even adequately protect its own staff."

While disease outbreaks and labor problems pose major obstacles for Marine Harvest in Chile, sea lice continue to plague the company's Canadian operations. Marine Harvest's open net pen salmon farms act as incubators for parasites such as sea lice that can decimate wild salmon populations sharing the same waters.

These same open net salmon pens allow thousands of fish at a time to escape easily when there are rough seas and high waves. Other small scale escapes, dubbed "leakage" by the industry, occur daily from poorly maintained pens.

"While massive escapes often make headline news, the daily, unreported leakages from open net salmon farms can be equally devastating to the surrounding marine ecosystem," said Alex Munoz, vice president of Oceana Chile. "Aquaculture companies, including Marine Harvest, have done little to address this growing environmental threat. The industry needs to adopt better technology to dramatically reduce the number of escapes before it's too late."

John Fredriksen, Marine Harvest's controlling shareholder, has stated that Marine Harvest should relocate open net pen salmon farms from areas that interfere with wild fish.

The fish feed issue is yet another problem affecting the farmed salmon industry. It takes significant quantities of wild fish to provide sufficient food for farmed salmon. A 2000 study in the journal Nature calculated that more than three pounds of wild fish (anchovies, herring, sardines, menhaden) are needed to produce one pound of farmed salmon.

"Marine Harvest has yet to develop a viable, long-term strategy to manage environmental problems associated with salmon farming," said Don Staniford, European Representative of the Pure Salmon Campaign coalition. "Marine Harvest must commit to concrete reforms to address these problems and reduce their impact on the environment. The company claims to be the model for sustainability in the aquaculture industry, but it has a long way to go before that rings true."

The Pure Salmon Campaign filed a shareholder resolution with Marine Harvest calling for a special board committee to review environmental practices and how they relate to disease problems. To read the shareholder resolution and supporting statement submitted by the Pure Salmon Campaign, go to http://www.puresalmon.org/pdfs/MarineHarvest2009resolutions.pdf.

The Pure Salmon Campaign is a global coalition with partners in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Chile all working to improve the way salmon is produced.


SOURCE Pure Salmon Campaign

NASA's Space Shuttle Returns to Earth After Hubble Mission

NASA Logo. (PRNewsFoto/NASA)

WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES

EDWARDS, Calif., May 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew landed at 8:39 a.m. PDT Sunday at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., completing the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis' astronauts conducted five successful spacewalks during their STS-125 flight to enhance and extend the life of the orbiting observatory.

"This mission highlights what the challenges of spaceflight can bring out in human beings," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This mission required the absolute best from the shuttle team, the Hubble science and repair teams, and the crew. The results are a tribute to the entire team and the years of preparation."

Atlantis' nearly 13-day mission of almost 5.3 million miles rejuvenated Hubble with state-of-the-art science instruments designed to improve the telescope's discovery capabilities by as much as 70 times, while extending its lifetime through at least 2014.

"This is not the end of the story but the beginning of another chapter of discovery by Hubble," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for Science at NASA Headquarters. "Hubble will be more powerful than ever, continue to surprise, enlighten, and inspire us all and pave the way for the next generation of observatories."

Scott Altman commanded the shuttle flight and was joined by Pilot Gregory C. Johnson and Mission Specialists Megan McArthur, John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino, Andrew Feustel and Michael Good. McArthur served as the flight engineer and lead for robotic arm operations, while the remaining mission specialists paired up for challenging spacewalks on Hubble.

Weather concerns prevented the crew from returning to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the primary end-of-mission landing site. In seven to 10 days, Atlantis will be transported approximately 2,500 miles from California to Florida on the back of a modified 747 jumbo jet. Once at Kennedy, the shuttle will be separated from the aircraft to begin processing for its next flight, targeted for November 2009.

The STS-125 mission was the 126th shuttle flight, the 30th for Atlantis and the second of five planned for 2009. Hubble was delivered to space on April 24, 1990, on the STS-31 mission. Atlantis' landing at Edwards was the 53rd shuttle landing to occur at the desert air base.

Hubble has enabled a number of ground-breaking discoveries during its time in orbit. They include determining the age of the universe to be 13.7 billion years; finding that virtually all major galaxies have black holes at their center; discovering that the process of planetary formation is relatively common; detecting the first-ever organic molecule in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting another star; and providing evidence the expansion of the universe is accelerating because of an unknown force that makes up approximately 72 percent of the matter-energy content in the universe.

With Atlantis and its crew safely home, the focus will shift to the launch of STS-127, targeted for June 13. Endeavour's 16-day flight will deliver a new station crew member and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will serve as a type of "back porch" for experiments that require direct exposure to space.

For information about NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/hubble

For more about the STS-125 mission and the upcoming STS-127 flight, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle


SOURCE NASA

Maggie Wins by a Squeaker

Nearly 1 Million Votes Cast Rivals 1992 Elvis Vote

WASHINGTON, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Maggie Simpson, a character of few words other than the sucking of her pacifier now has something to shout about. The youngest member of the Fox hit series, THE SIMPSONS, beat her dad, Homer, by ("D'oh!"), by more than 8,000 ballots as the favorite Simpsons stamp in an online vote that took place at www.usps.com between April 7 and May 14. Of the more than 916,000 votes cast, Bart came in third, followed by Marge and Lisa.

THE SIMPSONS stamps were issued nationwide May 7 and dedicated at the Twentieth Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles where THE SIMPSONS Creator and Executive Producer, Matt Groening, and Executive Producer, James L. Brooks, were joined by other members of the iconic television series. Winner of 24 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and a multitude of other accolades, this historic series starring the five family members is currently the longest-running primetime comedy in television history and is celebrating its 20th Anniversary throughout 2009.


Votes Percentage
Maggie 272,235 29.7
Homer 264,038 28.8
Bart 172,867 18.9
Marge 106,214 11.6
Lisa 101,573 11.1
-------
Total
916,927

Will the Simpsons dethrone the King?

The 916,927 votes fall short of the 1.1 million votes received in 1992 when America voted for a "younger vs. older" Elvis stamp image, with the younger winning by a three-to-one margin. The Elvis vote took place prior to the internet. Customers voted by mailing in post cards obtained at Post Offices. The younger Elvis stamp was issued in 1993.

"Elvis remains as the most popular stamp among collectors, but the response to The Simpsons indicates that the King might have some competition," said U.S. Postal Service Executive Director, Stamp Services, David Failor. "We've printed one billion Simpsons stamps, nearly double those printed for Elvis, so only time will tell how they rank in history."

"When we take a look back at all the various extensions of The Simpsons over the past 20 years, there is a long-standing tradition of campaigns that standout as gamechangers, and this was certainly one of the best!" said Elie Dekel Executive Vice President for Fox Licensing and Merchandising.

To promote The Simpsons stamps, the Postal Service issued an "April Fools Day" news release announcing the news of the stamps. On April 7, the stamp images were previewed on the Postal Service's website and customers could pre-order products. Individuals visiting the site were encouraged to "vote early and often -- it's the American way." The site also provided details of a sweepstakes to win one of 25 Simpsons posters autographed by Matt Groening. To order the stamps and related products, visit this link: http://tinyurl.com/pz5tdu.

ABOUT THE SIMPSONS

The Simpsons, which airs Sundays (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), is the longest running primetime sitcom in television history. The Simpsons exploded into a cultural phenomenon in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. Cartoonist Matt Groening created the infamous Simpson family: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson -- all now identifiable by their silhouettes alone.

The series aired their historic 400th episode in May 2007, followed by the successful The Simpsons Movie in July 2007. In 2000 the show received a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in Spring 2008 The Simpsons Ride opened at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and Hollywood, CA. "Best. 20 Years. Ever.," a year-long global celebration honoring all things THE SIMPSONS, recently launched and will culminate on January 14, 2010, the 20th anniversary of the series' debut.

The Simpsons is a Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Century Fox Television. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean are the Executive Producers. Film Roman is the animation house.

ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX LICENSING & MERCHANDISING

A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail. To learn about the history of the Postal Service visit the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum: www.postalmuseum.si.edu.


SOURCE U.S. Postal Service

Project Vote Denounces Minnesota Governor's Veto of 'Motor Voter' Law

WASHINGTON, May 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thursday, May 21, Minnesota's Republican governor Tim Pawlenty vetoed the 21st Century Voter Registration Law (HF1053/SF 0660), which would have expanded the popular "motor voter" law to provide automatic voter registration for any eligible Minnesotans who apply for or renew their driver's licenses, instruction permits, or identification cards. Today Michael Slater, executive director of the voting rights group Project Vote, issued the following statement in response:

"At a time when many states and the United States Congress are considering ways to modernize America's antiquated voter registration system, Governor Pawlenty's veto is a disappointing step backwards for Minnesota voters. In rejecting this important election reform -- despite overwhelming support for the bill from Minnesota's House, Senate, and secretary of state -- Gov. Pawlenty has indicated that he is not interested in making it easier for eligible Minnesotans to register to vote.

"Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said that this law would streamline and increase voter registration, reduce bottlenecks at the polls on Election Day, and save taxpayer money. In a letter announcing his veto to Ritchie and legislative leaders, however, Pawlenty said that 'registration to vote should be a voluntary, intentional act.'

"We disagree. Voting should be a voluntary, intentional act, but eligible voters should not have to climb over administrative hurdles on their way to the voting booths. The United States, in fact, is the only major democracy that places the burden of registering to vote almost entirely on the individual, not on the government; this is one of the most critical reasons America has one of the lowest registration and participation rates of any democratic nation. It is also why community organizations are burdened with the task of conducting expensive and difficult voter registration drives to reach unregistered voters, who are disproportionately low-income, minority, and younger voters. A 2007 study by Project Vote found that as many as 21 percent of Minnesota's eligible voters remained unregistered, or over three-quarters of a million of Gov. Pawlenty's constituents.

"In drafting and passing the 21st Century Voter Registration Law, Minnesota's lawmakers recognized that it is time for this outdated and ineffective system to change, and tried to ensure a truly democratic future for all Minnesotans. We are saddened that, with his backwards-looking veto, Gov. Pawlenty wants to maintain the broken status quo, keep hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans off the rolls, and deny the state the opportunity to be at the forefront of the movement for universal voter registration."

Project Vote is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that works to engage low-income, minority, youth, and other historically disenfranchised or underrepresented Americans in the democratic process. Since 1982 Project Vote has developed state-of-the-art voter registration and Get-Out-the-Vote programs, and has helped more than 5.6 million Americans apply to register to vote. Today, Project Vote is a national leader on improving the administration of elections, working through research, litigation, and advocacy to ensure that our constituencies can register to vote, vote and have their vote counted.


SOURCE Project Vote

Dr. Joseph Sweere Receives Educator of the Year Award

EDINA, Minn., May 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA) recognized Dr. Joseph Sweere as the educator of the year. During the MCA convention and awards ceremony Sweere was honored for his unselfish dedication to public education and the advancement of Chiropractic.

Dr. Sweere is a professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Northwestern Health Sciences University. As chairman of the Department of Occupational Health at Northwestern, he is also a postgraduate faculty member of ten chiropractic colleges. Dr. Sweere was the coordinator and principle instructor of postdoctoral orthopedics at Northwestern from 1976 through 1979 and from 1996-1999. He also was the principle investigator for the Viracon Project, an industrial spinal injury prevention program from 1980-86.

"Dr. Sweere is a model of excellence who tirelessly champions chiropractic education for the profession as well as the public" said Dr. Christopher Jo, MCA President.

Dr. Sweere is a recognized figure in the natural care field. He's lectured in 44 states and eight countries. He serves as a columnist for several health-related publications and has authored professional papers in a wide variety of journals and trade magazines. He's the author of "The Golden Rules for Vibrant Health, in Body, Mind and Spirit -- A Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness."

About Minnesota Chiropractic Association

Created in 1927, the Minnesota Chiropractic Association is the only professional organization in Minnesota that solely represents the chiropractic professional on a multi-level and integrated service basis.

CHIROPRACTIC FACT SHEET

Here are some interesting facts about this non-invasive and drug-free approach to health care.

Chiropractic is the largest, most regulated, and best recognized of the complementary and alternative medicine professions. -- American Chiropractic Association

Chiropractic does not utilize drugs or surgery.

A doctor of chiropractic requires a minimum of six years of college and clinic internship before receiving a license, and must pass national and state examinations.

A study, published by the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, has shown chiropractic to be more cost-effective than medical treatment when it comes to chronic low back pain.

Chiropractic treatment is a covered benefit in many traditional insurance policies. According to some reports, as many as 87 percent of all insured American workers have coverage for chiropractic services in their health care plans. -- American Chiropractic Association

A major four-year study in the United States, published in the American Medical Association journal The Archives of Internal Medicine, concluded that medical benefit plan members with chiropractic coverage returned to work faster, had lower claim costs and experienced fewer interventions such as MRIs compared to plan members without chiropractic benefits.

The federal government provides chiropractic benefits for veterans, military personnel and Medicare patients. -- American Chiropractic Association

A pilot study, published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, suggests that chiropractic care may help adults suffering from concentration problems and attention deficit disorder (ADD).

A Chicago-area study of 50 individuals with misaligned Atlas vertebrae (located high in the neck) documents reduced blood pressure following one specialized chiropractic "adjustment" and continued results after eight weeks. The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress points out that these results are equal to taking two blood-pressure drugs simultaneously.


CONTACT: Debra Hurston
952-882-9411


SOURCE Minnesota Chiropractic Association

Statement from Center for Responsible Lending President Mike Calhoun in Response to President Obama's May 20, 2009 Memo on Federal Preemption of State

WASHINGTON, May 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Center for Responsible Lending President Mike Calhoun in response to President Obama's May 20, 2009 memo on federal preemption of state laws:

"We applaud President Obama for reaffirming the important role of state law in protecting consumers.

To that end, we call on federal banking regulators to withdraw their misguided and harmful preemption policy so that state regulators can once again protect their residents from unfair and deceptive financial products. We needn't look further than the current mortgage meltdown for evidence that federal preemption in the financial arena has been unwise and detrimental for tens of millions of American families. The inability of states to enforce their own consumer protection laws - even as federal regulators stood idly by - was a major factor in the reckless lending that has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars.

Federal protections should be a floor, not a ceiling, that allow state officials to take further steps if needed to curb the kind of abusive practices at the root of economic problems we now face. National and state laws are both needed if we're to provide, in the president's words, 'independent safeguards for the public.'"


SOURCE Center for Responsible Lending

Governor Rendell Seeks Comments on Plan to Use Stimulus Funds to Help Low-Income Residents

$42 Million Available to Assist With Housing Services, Job Training

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's plan to empower low-income families and communities with $42 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA, is now available for public review and comment through May 28, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today.

The plan, available online at www.recovery.pa.gov under the "Announcements" section, describes Pennsylvania's intended use of the Community Services Block Grant, or CSBG, program funding provided as part of the federal recovery act. The additional $42 million will supplement current CSBG funding to combat root causes of poverty and revitalize communities. The funds will be administered Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

"The national recession has created hardships for families all across the state, often through no fault of their own," said Governor Rendell. "As an increasing number of Pennsylvanians are affected, this additional funding will help community organizations continue their efforts to provide assistance to those who need it most."

The ARRA CSBG funds will be focused on certain priority areas, which include: supportive services and housing; financial literacy training; job training; job creation, including micro-enterprise development and entrepreneurship training; integration of immigrant communities, including job related English language training; and outreach to clients unlikely to be aware of the programs.

The grant funds will benefit 44 organizations - 42 Community Action Agencies and two Limited Purpose Agencies - which provide anti-poverty services in all 67 counties.

To ensure equitable distribution, the CSBG Recovery Act funds will be distributed to the 44 eligible entities based on straight percentage increases to the regular CSBG funding formula allocations.

Prior to the execution of grants, all eligible entities are required to submit detailed work plans and budgets.

Written comments should be directed to JamesEtta Reed, director of DCED's Center for Community Empowerment; at jareed@state.pa.us or at 400 North St., 4th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120.

Governor Rendell is committed to ensuring that the public is able to monitor and provide feedback on how federal recovery dollars are being used by providing news, up-to-date information and regular reports on www.recovery.pa.gov.

For more information and details on Governor Rendell's 2009-10 budget proposal to provide relief to struggling families and spark an economic recovery, visit www.pa.gov.

The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit www.governor.state.pa.us.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A list of eligible entities for CSBG funds, including their respective service areas, follows:


Community Services Block Grant Agencies


Southeast Region

Bucks County Opportunity Council

Community Action Agency of Delaware County

Montgomery County Community Action Development Commission

Mayor's Office of Community Services (Philadelphia)

Chester County Department of Community Development


Northeast Region

Carbon County Action Committee for Human Services

Commission on Economic Opportunity of Luzerne County

Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, Inc. (Lehigh and Northampton counties)

Berks Community Action Program, Inc.

Schuylkill Community Action

Scranton-Lackawanna Human Development Agency

Trehab, Inc. (Bradford, Tioga, Wayne, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties)

Monroe County Commissioners (Pike and Monroe counties)


Central Region

Community Action Program of Lancaster County

Community Progress Council, Inc. (York County)

South Central Community Action Programs, Inc. (Adams and Franklin counties)

Community Action Commission (Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties)

Lebanon County Community Action Partnership

Blair County Community Action Agency

Community Action Partnership of Cambria County

Central Pennsylvania Community Action, Inc. (Centre and Clearfield counties)

Lycoming-Clinton Counties Commission for Community Action

Tableland Services, Inc. d/b/a Community Action Partnership of Somerset County

Union-Snyder Community Action Agency (also serves Mifflin and Juniata counties)

Center for Community Action (Bedford, Fulton, and Huntington counties)

Central Susquehanna Opportunities, Inc. (Columbia, Northumberland, and Montour counties)


Southwest Region

Allegheny County Department of Human Services

Armstrong County Community Action Agency

Fayette County Community Action Agency

Pittsburgh Community Services, Inc.

Indiana County Community Action Program

Community Action Southwest (Washington and Greene counties)

Westmoreland Community Action

Community Services Program of Beaver County

Butler County Community Action and Development


Northwest Region

Greater Erie Community Action Committee

Community Action, Inc. (Jefferson and Clarion counties)

Community Action Partnership of Mercer County

Northern Tier Community Action Corporation (McKean, Potter, Elk and Cameron counties)

Venango/Crawford Counties Office of Economic Opportunity

Warren/Forest Counties Economic Opportunity Council

Lawrence County Community Action Partnership

Limited Purpose Agencies

Central

Pathstone Corporation (statewide)

Community Action Association of Pennsylvania (statewide)

CONTACT:
Luke Webber (DCED)
717-783-1132

Barry Ciccocioppo
717-783-1116


SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor