The U.S. Supreme Court has handed down two landmark same-sex marriage rulings, one striking down a major provision of the federal Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the other leaving uncertain the fate of California’s Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot initiative that prohibits gay and lesbian couples in the state from marrying.
In addition, the court ruled, DOMA violates the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of “equal liberty.” Kennedy’s majority opinion states that DOMA “singles out” legally married same-sex couples and imposes a second-class status on them even though their own states have accorded them full marriage rights. Furthermore, Kennedy writes, DOMA advances no government policy or purpose that justifies its discriminatory impact. “The statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those who the State, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in person hood and dignity.”
'via Blog this'
The posts and articles provided by our news desk are not always representative of our personal views of the story.Tweet at #AceSocialNews or email to News&Views
Thank you, Ian [Editor]
Monday, 1 July 2013
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Eradication of Smallpox Is Certified (1979)
Eradication of Smallpox Is Certified (1979): 
One of the deadliest diseases in history by sheer loss of life, smallpox was the target of a concerted, worldwide eradication campaign in the 20th century, and it became the first disease to have been successfully wiped out. Efforts focused on vaccination and quickly responding to and curtailing outbreaks. The last person to die from smallpox caught it at a laboratory, where samples of the now-vanquished disease remain. Who is the last person known to have contracted it in the wild? Discuss
#AceNewsServices
One of the deadliest diseases in history by sheer loss of life, smallpox was the target of a concerted, worldwide eradication campaign in the 20th century, and it became the first disease to have been successfully wiped out. Efforts focused on vaccination and quickly responding to and curtailing outbreaks. The last person to die from smallpox caught it at a laboratory, where samples of the now-vanquished disease remain. Who is the last person known to have contracted it in the wild? Discuss#AceNewsServices
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Cold Snap Adds To Misery for Superstorm Sandy Survivors, and It Doesn't Have To Be That Way.
Cold Snap Adds To Misery for Superstorm Sandy Survivors, and It Doesn't Have To Be That Way.: 
Most furnaces don't run without electricity, and it's freezing.
Just picked this snippet up 40 minutes ago from my news desk!
The posts and articles provided by our news desk are not always representative of our personal views of the story.Tweet at #AceNewsServices or email to News and Views
Thank you, Ian [Editor]
Most furnaces don't run without electricity, and it's freezing.
Just picked this snippet up 40 minutes ago from my news desk!
The posts and articles provided by our news desk are not always representative of our personal views of the story.Tweet at #AceNewsServices or email to News and Views
Thank you, Ian [Editor]
Saturday, 1 September 2012
Promoting Labor Rights is Everyone’s Responsibility
Promoting Labor Rights is Everyone’s Responsibility:
This year’s Labor Rights Week theme, ‘Promoting Labor Rights is Everyone’s Responsibility,’ underscores the importance of partnerships between the Labor Department and other countries to educate migrant workers and their employers about U.S. labor laws.
Making America’s workplaces safe and fair for everyone is the hallmark of Labor Rights Week. We’re committed to ensuring that workers are safe on the job and paid what they’re owed by law. This means no one can be paid less than $7.25 an hour. It means overtime must be paid for each hour above 40 a week. And it means that employers must provide a safe workplace.
The department’s Wage and Hour Division, which enforces federal laws governing a minimum wage, overtime pay, child labor and the rights of migrant workers, and the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is principally concerned with protecting workers from hazards on the job, are participating in Labor Rights Week events throughout the nation this week.
More information about Labor Department programs that protect migrant workers can be found at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/highlights/if-20120611.htm.
#AceNewsServices
This year’s Labor Rights Week theme, ‘Promoting Labor Rights is Everyone’s Responsibility,’ underscores the importance of partnerships between the Labor Department and other countries to educate migrant workers and their employers about U.S. labor laws.
Making America’s workplaces safe and fair for everyone is the hallmark of Labor Rights Week. We’re committed to ensuring that workers are safe on the job and paid what they’re owed by law. This means no one can be paid less than $7.25 an hour. It means overtime must be paid for each hour above 40 a week. And it means that employers must provide a safe workplace.
The department’s Wage and Hour Division, which enforces federal laws governing a minimum wage, overtime pay, child labor and the rights of migrant workers, and the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is principally concerned with protecting workers from hazards on the job, are participating in Labor Rights Week events throughout the nation this week.
More information about Labor Department programs that protect migrant workers can be found at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/highlights/if-20120611.htm.
#AceNewsServices
Join the Conversation: #LaborDay2012 Twitter Chat
Labor Day Twitter Chat w/ @HildaSolisDOL
On Labor Day 2012 and every day, one of my top priorities is to help those looking for work get the training they need for good-paying jobs.By 2020, 17 of the 30 fastest-growing occupations will require a postsecondary certificate or degree. That means that getting the skills employers want and need are critical to a successful career.
Tomorrow, Thursday, August 30 at 2 p.m. EDT I will host a live #LaborDay2012 Twitter chat. Whether you’re interested in how you can apply your skills to a new career or where to find job training programs in your neighborhood, I’m here to help.
Join the conversation by using the hashtag #LaborDay2012 or tweet questions in advance to @HildaSolisDOL. Don’t have a Twitter account? You can still participate by submitting questions to Connect@dol.gov by 10 a.m. EDT Thursday, August 30.
RSVP for the #LaborDay2012 chat and get updates about upcoming Twitter events.
Here at the Labor Department, we have many resources to help you along your career path. I look forward to sharing these invaluable tools with you!
#AceNewsServices or #ElectionDay2012
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
FEMA: Disaster Workshop Brings Tribal Leaders to the Bay Area to Prepare for, Respond to, Recover from Catastrophic Events
FEMA Region 9 strengthens tribal policies, relationships with hundreds of sovereign Indian Nations in California, Arizona, and Nevada
Extract sent to: Ace News Desk on the 20/08/2012 for immediate release.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Nearly 200 tribal leaders, emergency managers, first responders and other disaster preparedness officials, representing more than 60 tribal governments are meeting this week in Oakland, Ca. with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials , to discuss how to jointly prepare for, respond to and recover from the next catastrophic disaster that could strike tribal communities with or without warning in California, Arizona or Nevada.
Regional Administrator Nancy Ward spoke at this year's second annual Disaster Preparedness Partnership meeting along with Mark Ghilarducci, Secretary for the California Emergency Management Agency.
"FEMA recognises that even with the best planning, disasters are inevitable," said Nancy Ward, FEMA Region 9 Administrator. "This conference is one of the largest gatherings of its kind, and an excellent venue for tribal, state, and federal leaders and emergency management professionals to share success strategies and apply that knowledge to the unique issues facing our tribal partners today."
This year's conference will cover many pressing topics, including the Presidential Preparedness Directive (PPD- 8), tribal grants, the National Disaster Recovery Framework, "Tribes leading Tribes" mentoring program and critical infrastructure resources. During the current fiscal year, FEMA has provided more than $6 million dollars in federal funding aimed at strengthening core tribal capacities.
Tribal governments are essential partners in building resilient communities and the federal government has a unique government-to-government relationship with federally-recognised tribal governments.
"This is truly a wonderful collaboration," said Mark Romero, Chairman, Executive Board, Inter Tribal Long Term Recovery Foundation. "Especially in light of recent California wildfires it's so critical that we all work together to establish the best emergency management practises."
Tribal lands in Region 9 range from small allotments of a few acres to the Navajo Nation, the largest tribal territory in the country. More than 28% of these native homes are at or below the poverty level and face unique challenges when confronted by disasters on tribal lands.
Tribal leaders slated to speak at this week's conference include: Don Watahomigie, Chairman of the Havasupai Tribe; Robert Holden, Deputy Executive Director for the National Congress of American Indians; Cliff Puckett, Emergency Manager for the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community; Ed Naranjo, Chairman for the Goshute tribes of Nevada & Utah; LaVonne Peck, Chairwoman of the La Jolla Tribe; Gary Fredericksen, Fire Chief for the Yocha Dehe Wintun Tribe; Mike Chandler, Fire Commission Member for the Yocha Dehe Fire Department; Wayne Burke, Chairman, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe; and Randall Vicente, Governor of the Pueblo of Acoma.
FEMA also provides no-cost training for tribal leaders, emergency planners, first responders, and others. The following courses are offered at FEMA's Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland:
FEMA also provides no-cost training for tribal leaders, emergency planners, first responders, and others. The following courses are offered at FEMA's Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland:
- Emergency Management Framework for Tribal Governments (E580) provides a basic understanding of emergency management principles and how those principles can be used to help develop and implement emergency management systems.
- Emergency Management Operations for Tribal Governments (E581) helps tribal officials develop organisational structures, operational procedures, and resources for effective emergency management operations.
- Mitigation for Tribal Officials (E344) covers FEMA's disaster mitigation programs, tribal mitigation opportunities, and examples of mitigation success.
To learn more about FEMA's tribal programs please visit: http://www.fema.gov/tribal.
MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA: To request photos, attend and/or schedule an interview with a disaster expert or tribal liaison, please email your request to External Affairs Officer Mary Simms at mary.simms@fema.dhs.gov. Please include your name, media affiliation and contact information in your request.
###
Please tweet this news at #AceNewsServices or email your News & Views to Ace News Desk or just share on the Disqus box provided.
Thank you,
Ian K Draper [Editor]
Monday, 27 August 2012
'Free Bradley Manning'
'Free Bradley Manning':
A group of 40 campaigners gathered outside the American embassy in London on Saturday to protest against the incarceration of a US Army private accused of leaking information to whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.
Bradley Manning, 24, is charged with passing classified data and delivering national defence information to an unauthorised source.
Protesters gathered outside Grosvenor Square, London
It is claimed he sent hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables and war logs to Julian Assange's Wikileaks website while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq.
Manning could be sentenced to life imprisonment if convicted of the most serious offence, aiding the enemy.
On Saturday, protesters gathered in front of the heavily guarded Grosvenor Square building for more than an hour bearing Free Bradley Manning placards.
Ben Griffin, 34, a former SAS soldier and founding member of Veterans For Peace UK, addressed the crowd after observing a 30-minute silent vigil.
He said: "The most significant piece of resistance to the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan came when a young soldier released information that the US and UK governments would rather we did not know about.
"Among the files released through Wikileaks were the Afghan War Diaries which showed the day-to-day ritual killing and torture that has been going on in Afghanistan for years.
"Then the Iraq War Logs were released. As a result of those logs we found out about thousands of people killed in Iraq by US and UK troops that we did not know about.
"Through the diplomatic cable release we now know about the sneaky little deals with other governments so we do not know the reality of the wars.
Bradley Manning was incarcerated charged with passing classified data to WikiLeaks
"As a result of these leaks a young soldier has spent years in prison and still has not come to trial.
"As a result of action around the world the US military was forced to move him from Quantico (Virginia), to Fort Leavenworth (Kansas).
"That guy is still being held and for the last six months we've been coming here when Bradley Manning has been taken to a pre-trial hearing, when the military decide what is going to be allowed to come out in his case and what is not, and standing in solidarity."
Among the dozens of protesters were several wearing the V For Vendetta mask that has become associated with the hacking group Anonymous.
Others carried banners saying "Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime" and "Free Assange, Free Manning, End the war".
One demonstrator who gave her name only as Val, from Bedford, said: "Bradley Manning, I think, is a hero.
"If anybody should have got the Nobel Peace Prize it is him."
Fellow campaigner 38-year-old Glyn Jukes, from Wales, said: "He stands for truth and justice at a time when very few others are."
A demonstrator talks to police outside the Embassy on Saturday morning
Another protester, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "I think Bradley Manning should be released.
"I do not think he has morally broken any laws and what he has done will only help society."
After more than an hour outside the US Embassy the group moved to Ecuador's London embassy where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been holed up for more than two months.
On Sunday August 20 when Assange appeared on the balcony of the embassy, he called on the US to end its "war on whistleblowers" and demanded the release of Bradley Manning.
Assange described him as a hero and "an example to all of us".
" The Roving Giraffe News Report " provided through Tweet at #AceNewsServices or email News & Views
A group of 40 campaigners gathered outside the American embassy in London on Saturday to protest against the incarceration of a US Army private accused of leaking information to whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.
Bradley Manning, 24, is charged with passing classified data and delivering national defence information to an unauthorised source.
It is claimed he sent hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables and war logs to Julian Assange's Wikileaks website while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq.
Manning could be sentenced to life imprisonment if convicted of the most serious offence, aiding the enemy.
On Saturday, protesters gathered in front of the heavily guarded Grosvenor Square building for more than an hour bearing Free Bradley Manning placards.
Ben Griffin, 34, a former SAS soldier and founding member of Veterans For Peace UK, addressed the crowd after observing a 30-minute silent vigil.
He said: "The most significant piece of resistance to the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan came when a young soldier released information that the US and UK governments would rather we did not know about.
"Among the files released through Wikileaks were the Afghan War Diaries which showed the day-to-day ritual killing and torture that has been going on in Afghanistan for years.
"Then the Iraq War Logs were released. As a result of those logs we found out about thousands of people killed in Iraq by US and UK troops that we did not know about.
"Through the diplomatic cable release we now know about the sneaky little deals with other governments so we do not know the reality of the wars.
"As a result of these leaks a young soldier has spent years in prison and still has not come to trial.
"As a result of action around the world the US military was forced to move him from Quantico (Virginia), to Fort Leavenworth (Kansas).
"That guy is still being held and for the last six months we've been coming here when Bradley Manning has been taken to a pre-trial hearing, when the military decide what is going to be allowed to come out in his case and what is not, and standing in solidarity."
Among the dozens of protesters were several wearing the V For Vendetta mask that has become associated with the hacking group Anonymous.
Others carried banners saying "Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime" and "Free Assange, Free Manning, End the war".
One demonstrator who gave her name only as Val, from Bedford, said: "Bradley Manning, I think, is a hero.
"If anybody should have got the Nobel Peace Prize it is him."
Fellow campaigner 38-year-old Glyn Jukes, from Wales, said: "He stands for truth and justice at a time when very few others are."
Another protester, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "I think Bradley Manning should be released.
"I do not think he has morally broken any laws and what he has done will only help society."
After more than an hour outside the US Embassy the group moved to Ecuador's London embassy where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been holed up for more than two months.
On Sunday August 20 when Assange appeared on the balcony of the embassy, he called on the US to end its "war on whistleblowers" and demanded the release of Bradley Manning.
Assange described him as a hero and "an example to all of us".
" The Roving Giraffe News Report " provided through Tweet at #AceNewsServices or email News & Views
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)