Politics. On Point.

Whether you believe in global warming, or not, it's one topic that will be debated for at least a little while longer. John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, told college students in Indonesia that climate change is "as big a problem as poverty and weapons of mass destruction".  "It is time for the world to approach this problem with the cooperation, the urgency, and the commitment that a challenge of this scale warrants," he said. [That's what  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said about Climate Change in 2007] Truth be told, the earth, at various times in history has always been either 'colder than usual', or 'warmer than usual'.   At least that's the contention in this documentary, The Great Global Warming Swindle' , which suggest that the reason behind the debate - is merely about profit. When Margaret Thatcher told a group of scientists in the '80s that 'there's money on the table' to study the effe

A bill making it unlawful for employees to question applicants about having a felony on their record has been approved. The 'Ban-the-Box' bill hopes to increase employment opportunities for applicants with prior convictions. Democratic Senator A. Donald McEachin  (Richmond, VA) was one of many in support of the bill. "This legislation means that a state employee applicant will not be kicked out simply because he has to check the box saying he had a prior conviction.  If qualified for a position and granted an interview, he will then have the opportunity to explain his history and the interviewer can make a reasoned judgment", McEachin wrote in a press release. Employees can still do background checks on prospective employees, but with the new legislation, applicants won't have to check whether or not they have previous convictions. Richmond, Virginia joins five other cities in Virginia: New Port News, Norfolk, Petersburg, and Portsmouth,  in support of

  The Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden will travel to the Republic of Chile and the Dominican Republic in the second week of March.      In Chile, the Vice President will lead the U.S. delegation to the Inauguration of Her Excellency Michelle Bachelet.  In Santo Domingo, the Vice President will meet with President Danilo Medina to discuss a broad range of bilateral issues, as well as regional cooperation.   Related Vice President Biden To Make a 2016 Presidential Bid ?  

A busy day for President Obama and France's president, Francois Hollande.  After the official welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, the two presidents took questions from reporters during an afternoon joint press conference that saw talks on global security, enforcing existing sanctions, clean energy, and global trade. Said President Obama on the achievements of the US and France working in concert: "... we’re moving forward together on key global development initiatives:  food security and nutrition that can lift 50 million Africans out of poverty; our determination to replenish the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria; and I’m pleased that we’re joining with partners around the world on a new global health security effort to combat infectious diseases and save lives."   During the evening's dinner and toast, president Hollande made these remarks about U.S. and France relations. " Mr. President, the relations be

"Smart". "Right". "Efficient". Despite rebuffs from a few (out-of-touch) Republicans who think only teenagers and young people make the minimum wage of $7.25 hour, the Administration signed into law an Executive Order  setting the minimum wage for contractors to $10.10 an hour. (The Order includes a raise in pay for restaurant workers to $4.90 per hour). President Obama wants to 'give Americans a raise";  signs law raising minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. As stated in Section 1 of the Order, " Raising the pay of low-wage workers increases their morale and the productivity and quality of their work, lowers turnover and its accompanying costs, and reduces supervisory costs. These savings and quality improvements will lead to improved economy and efficiency in Government procurement." The sentiment was echoed by Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez, who said the move was the "smart", "right", and "efficient&qu

Today, President Obama and president Hollande of France (French Republic) toured Monticello, the residence of Thomas Jefferson, one of the United States’ earliest envoys to France.  M onticello reflects Jefferson’s affection for the people of France, the long-standing relations between our two democracies, and the shared values we hold dear:  life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, writes the White House.   Jefferson's Monticello. The pair have an Op-ed piece in today's Washington Post where the two write about a renewed alliance between the two countries. " Today, American and French diplomats are preparing for talks with Iran that build on the agreement that has halted progress on and rolled back key elements of the Iranian nuclear program. French and American officials share information daily to combat terrorism around the world. Our development experts are helping farmers across Africa and on other continents boost their yields and escape poverty. In

Mexican restaurant Oyamel was the chosen spot for date night for the Obamas last evening. It's no secret that along with french fries, Mexican cuisine is a favorite of the Obamas, especially First Lady Obama. The coupled dined at the trendy restaurant at 401 7th Street, NW, in the District's Penn Quarter amid a crowd of 20-30 onlookers who later took pictures of the couple's departure. The Obamas en route to another fav dinner spot, Duck Tavern, in 2011. Speculation is that Saturday's dinner was an early Valentine's Day dinner since on Friday, February 14th, President Obama will be dining, instead, with King Abdullah II of Jordan as the president travels to Rancho Mirage, California - a stop he'll make before delivering remarks at the House Democratic Issues Conference in Maryland early in the day. No official word from the restaurant on what the Obamas had for dinner (you're not likely to get it), but we were told the staff and patrons were exc

From White House Press Release   U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius joined the NAACP on Wednesday in an online video conversation to discuss the benefits of enrolling in the Health Insurance Marketplace. During the Google+ Hangout , moderated by NAACP Senior Director of Health Programs Shavon Arline-Bradley, Secretary Sebelius addressed questions related to important Affordable Care Act deadlines, out-of-pocket expenses and health coverage for college students.   Secretary Sebelius also discussed the millions of people who could gain affordable coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. She highlighted the protections for consumers, including Insurance companies that can no longer charge women more or deny anyone coverage because of pre-existing health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.   “Those days are over. It’s a brand new day. And we’re in the middle of an open enrollment period right now so people can visit Heal

Amid stories about faulty toilets , questionable drinking water , athletes bailing out , security issues,  a high jacked plane , and Russian President Vladimir Putin's put down of  the gay community , the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics got underway, anyway.  We've probably not had such distractions surrounding an Olympic event in a long time.  One can hardly imagine a more unpreparedness for a mega event like the 2014 winter games. The talk of the facilities and water at the Olympics pale in comparison Putin's "gay propaganda" law, making it illegal to disseminate information about homosexually to minors. "We are talking about protecting children from the respective information," said Putin. "Leave the children alone." Whether you agree or disagree with Putin for speaking his mind, his remarks set off a fire storm in the gay community, with many groups forming protests. Students of Amnesty International at a local college did just that;

President Obama's plan to advance the country, with or without Congress approval, is again, picking up momentum. At least in the area of education. The president's plan to have all of America connected to the internet isn't a new idea, but the news that more and more companies share his vision is worth reporting.   After meeting with executives and CEOs of major US companies last week to talk about job growth, executives are now committing to provide resources in computer systems and internet connectivity for students. In a statement from the White House, companies like Microsoft, AT&T, and Apple, along with several other well-branded US companies are all in. "American companies are answering the President’s challenge to “dig deep” in support of ConnectED to enrich K-12 education, expand opportunities for students, and train, a 21 st  century workforce," writes the White House. Participation and commitments from US companies includ e: o