International women’s organization reaches out to help women in aftermath of disasters on variety of fronts

(PRWEB) -- In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, many people are suffering. But women and girls, inevitably, will be hardest hit. In Haiti, as in many countries, women are the poorest of the poor. They have no safety net and are often most vulnerable to homelessness, hunger and sexual violence. Women also are overwhelmingly responsible for other vulnerable people, including children, the elderly, and the ill and disabled.

Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA), a volunteer organization for business and professional women working to improve the lives of women

By VOA News

A Time Warner Cable truck parked in New York, 02, Feb 200
One of the biggest media companies in the United States said it will slash its workforce in the coming weeks, and analysts fear more layoffs are still to come.

Time Warner, which is also the second biggest provider of cable television, said it will lay off almost 1,300 workers after posting a net loss of more than $8 billion for the last three months of 2008.

The announcement came on the same day two snapshots of the employment situation Wednesday showed job losses growing at the fastest pace in years.


People wait to talk to unemployment benefits staff at an Employment Development Department office in San Jose, California, 23 Jan. 2009
One report by the private employment firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas said the number of layoffs announced in January jumped 45 percent from December, and more than tripled compared to the same time last year.

A second report by a private payroll company, ADP Employer Services, estimated the country shed 522,000 jobs in January.

A comprehensive government report on unemployment is due out Friday. Economists surveyed by news organizations predict the nationwide jobless rate will rise three-tenths of a percent to hit 7.5 percent.

However, there may be some good news for the U.S. economy.


Circuit City customers walk in and out of a store advertising major markdowns in San Jose, California, 26 Jan. 2009
A report by the private Institute for

(Washington, D.C.) – Events and activities celebrating the 56th Presidential Inauguration
will take place beginning on Saturday, January 17, 2009, through Wednesday, January
21, 2009, with the swearing-in scheduled for Tuesday, January 20.

Security and transportation plans for the Inaugural have been developed by a partnership
of local, state and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies, including the
District Department of Transportation (DDOT), the District of Columbia Homeland
Security and Emergency Management Agency, the Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority, the Virginia State Police, the Maryland Department of Transportation,
the United States Secret Service, the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department
(MPD), the United States Capitol Police and the United States Park Police.

This transportation plan provides the general outlines for road closures, vehicular
restricted zones, public transportation, charter vehicles and pedestrian routes. Additional
information is available online for residents of the District, Virginia and Maryland, as
well as charter operators, through the websites listed at the end of this plan. Additions to
this plan may be made prior to the Inaugural and will be updated on these websites.
Specific questions regarding this transportation plan should be directed to the
participating agencies as identified.



- 2 -
Access into Washington, D.C. will be limited on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The
following is a summary of routes and their status that day:

14th Street Bridge – Restricted to Buses and Authorized Vehicles Only
Roosevelt Bridge – Restricted to Buses and Authorized Vehicles Only
Memorial Bridge – Restricted to Pedestrians and Emergency Vehicles Only
Key Bridge – Restricted to Mass Transit Only
Chain Bridge - Restricted to Authorized Vehicles and Mass Transit Only, no
charter buses.
South Capitol Street Bridge – Restricted to Buses and Authorized Vehicles Only
Southeast/Southwest Freeway – Restricted to Emergency Vehicles Only
Rock Creek Parkway – Open to traffic from

New York, – The Pulitzer Prizes in journalism, which honor the work of American newspapers appearing in print, have been expanded to include many text-based newspapers and news organizations that publish only on the Internet, the Pulitzer Prize Board announced today.

The Board also has decided to allow entries made up

(inan.info)-Thank you!

You proved that change can happen. You built an unprecedented grassroots organization in all 50 states that brought a record number of people into the political process -- many for the first time, many for the first time in a long time.

Our success required unprecedented resources, and the Democratic National Committee played a major role on the ground efforts that generated record turnout up and down the ticket.

Please make a donation to the DNC to help fund the efforts it undertook in 2008.

When you donate $30 or more, you'll receive a limited edition shirt to show your support for change.

(inan.info)By Gary Thomas
Washington


Iran and the United States have been going through what might be described as diplomatic mood swings. One minute, it seems as if the two countries are on the brink of war. The next, there seem to be small but perceptible policy shifts towards each other. As VOA correspondent Gary Thomas reports, complex political calculations are being made in the corridors of power in Tehran and Washington.

After insisting it would never take part in negotiations with Iran, the Bush administration recently sent a senior envoy to sit in on international talks with Iranian officials in Geneva on the nuclear issue. And a new offer of incentives aimed at getting Iran to halt uranium enrichment was put on the table by the United States and the European Union.


In an interview with NBC television, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cautiously welcomed what he described as "new behavior" on

(inan.info)-Astronomy outreach enthusiast and former VP of Meade Instruments, Scott W. Roberts, announced his return to the telescope manufacturing industry with the launch of Explore Scientific, LLC during the annual Astronomical League's Awards Banquet in Des Moines, Iowa.
On behalf of over 15,000 members of the Astronomical League I would like to thank Explore Scientific for their support of the National Young Astronomer Award and the Peltier Award. We are very grateful for their dedication to the astronomy community.

Laguna Hills, Calif. (PRWEB) July 22, 2008 -- Astronomy outreach enthusiast and former VP of Meade Instruments, Scott W. Roberts, announced his return to the telescope manufacturing industry with the launch of Explore Scientific, LLC during the annual Astronomical League's Awards Banquet in Des Moines, Iowa.

An Explore Scientific ED Apochromatic Refractor telescope valued at

By VOA News


A leading HIV/AIDS researcher and a former member of the U.S. Congress who survived a Nazi labor camp are among this year's recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor.

U.S. President George Bush issued a statement Wednesday, naming researcher Dr. Anthony Fauci and five other people as recipients of the awards. They will be honored at a White House ceremony on June 19.

The statement says Dr. Fauci dedicated his life to expanding the horizons of human knowledge. It says his efforts to advance understanding and treatment of HIV/AIDS have brought hope and healing to millions around the world.

Also being honored is the late U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos, who died earlier this year. The Hungarian-born Lantos was the only Holocaust survivor to serve in the U.S. Congress. The statement described Lantos as a champion of human rights and someone who devoted himself to securing liberty for oppressed people around the world.

Other honorees include Dr. Benjamin Carson, who Mr. Bush says has worked throughout his career to improve the lives of people suffering from neurological disorders. Dr. Carson is also being credited with groundbreaking contributions to medicine and for what are described as his "inspiring efforts" to help America's youth fulfill their potential.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps General Peter Pace is also being recognized this year. Mr. Bush describes General Pace as one of

(inan.info)-By David Gollust
State Department

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joins delegates from about 100 countries and organizations Thursday at a conference in Stockholm aimed at reinforcing Iraq's security and economy. She will push for greater support for Iraq's Shiite-led coalition government among its Sunni-Arab neighbors. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The review meeting of the International Conference with Iraq (ICI) will attract an

(inan.info)-The Federal Trade Commission is urging consumers to be cautious of potential charity scams in connection with the devastating earthquake in China and cyclone in Myanmar. Scam artists may take advantage of this situation by creating bogus fund-raising operations. The FTC has issued a