Heritage Foundation analyst who questioned Hispanic intelligence and wrote for nationalist website resigns

Jason Richwine, a Heritage Foundation analyst and the co-author of a study that measured the cost of an immigration reform bill, resigned from the conservative public policy organization after news organizations reported he had authored a dissertation asserting that Hispanics had lower IQs than whites and wrote for a website founded by white nationalists.

"Jason Richwine let us know he’s decided to resign from his position. He’s no longer employed by Heritage," Heritage spokesman Mike Gonzales said. "It is our long-standing policy not to discuss internal personnel matters."

Richwine came under scrutiny this week after he co-authored a study with Heritage senior research fellow Robert Rector estimating that it would cost $6.3 trillion to legalize immigrants currently living in the country unlawfully. Heritage -- under its new president, former South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint -- has worked actively to oppose the bipartisan immigration reform legislation currently pending in the Senate.

On Wednesday, the Washington Post reported that Richwine's PhD dissertation at Harvard University, published in 2010, argued that Hispanic immigrants had generally lower IQs than white Americans. On Thursday, Yahoo News revealed that Richwine had written two articles for the website AlternativeRight.com, a publication founded and run by white nationalists.

View the original article here

/C O R R E C T I O N -- USA Swimming Foundation/

In the news release, USA SWIMMING FOUNDATION TO 'MAKE A SPLASH' IN NEW YORK CITY WITH NATIONAL WATER SAFETY TOUR PRESENTED BY PHILLIPS 66, issued 06-May-2013 by USA Swimming Foundation over PR Newswire, we are advised by the organization that the second paragraph, second sentence, should read "Seventy percent of African American children, 60 percent of Hispanic/Latino children and 40 percent of Caucasian children have little or no swimming abilities." rather than "Sixty percent of African American children, 70 percent of Hispanic/Latino children and 40 percent of Caucasian children have little or no swimming abilities." as originally issued inadvertently. The complete, corrected release follows:

USA SWIMMING FOUNDATION TO 'MAKE A SPLASH' IN NEW YORK CITY WITH NATIONAL WATER SAFETY TOUR PRESENTED BY PHILLIPS 66

MAKE A SPLASH TOUR KICKS OFF MAY 16 -18

INITIATIVE TO INCLUDE PRESS EVENTS AND WATER SAFETY INFORMATION SESSIONS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF KIDS LEARNING TO SWIM

USA SWIMMING FOUNDATION SPOKESPERSONS: OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS CULLEN JONES AND ROWDY GAINES WILL BE JOINED BY FELLOW NATIONAL TEAM ATHLETES

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The USA Swimming Foundation, in partnership with Phillips 66, will kick off its fifth-annual Make a Splash Tour presented by Phillips 66 in New York City on May 16 – 18. The national tour will include a series of press events, visit to the Empire State Building to light the skyline blue, water safety information sessions and free swimming lessons at local partner pools throughout New York City.  The events will feature appearances by these USA Swimming Foundation ambassadors: 2012 Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones, swimming legend and Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines, and National Team swimmers Lia Neal, Josh Schneider and Jimmy Feigen, among others.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130506/DC08095LOGO)

Make a Splash is the national, child-focused water safety initiative of the USA Swimming Foundation. Seventy percent of African American children, 60 percent of Hispanic/Latino children and 40 percent of Caucasian children have little or no swimming abilities. The Make a Splash initiative seeks to change these startling statistics through three key efforts: save lives by teaching children the lifesaving skill of learn-to-swim through its national Local Partner network; raise national awareness of the importance of learning to swim; and bring together a coalition of aquatic industry partners aligned to end drowning in the U.S.

Throughout the summer of 2013, the Make a Splash Tour presented by Phillips 66 will also host town hall style events in various cities across the country, featuring Olympians Jones and Gaines.   

"The USA Swimming Foundation is dedicated to saving lives and building champions. We are excited to be on tour again this summer, raising awareness about the importance of learning to swim," said Debbie Hesse, Executive Director of the USA Swimming Foundation. "More than 1.8 million kids have taken swim lessons through our Make a Splash Local Partners to date. We are incredibly grateful to Phillips 66, who has made such a difference nationally in spreading the important message of water safety."

After a near-drowning experience at the age of 5, Olympic gold medalist and Make a Splash spokesperson Jones has gone on to become a dedicated advocate of water safety. "When formal swimming lessons are introduced at a young age, the risk of drowning is reduced by a staggering 88 percent," Jones said. "Swimming is a critical skill for children to learn that can determine the difference between life and death in a matter of seconds. I am so proud to participate in the Make a Splash Tour again this year and work with the USA Swimming Foundation and Phillips 66 to educate parents and caregivers about the resources available in their communities."

Since 1973, Phillips 66's contributions have supported the USA Swimming community through the National Championships and other international competitions, publication of club development materials, as well as additional endeavors. The Make a Splash Tour, which the company has sponsored since the program's inception in 2009, is a natural extension of their dedication to safety.

"Our commitment to safety guides every decision we make," said Kristi DesJarlais, manager, Brand and Community Investments at Phillips 66. "That's why we're proud to once again partner with the USA Swimming Foundation to help build awareness about the importance of learning to swim. By reaching out to parents across the nation, we're helping to improve lives."

There are more than 600 Make a Splash partners across the country. To get connected in your area and for more information, please visit www.makeasplash.org.

"Make a Splash Tour Presented By Phillips 66" in New York City
Events at local area pool partners:

Saturday, May 18th

Manhattan
10:00 a.m.
Imagine Swimming @ Leman Prep School
25 Greenwich Street
NYC, NY

10:30 a.m.
swim swim swim I Say
425 W. 123rd Street (between Morningside Ave and Amsterdam Ave)
NYC, NY

10:30 a.m.
Children's Aid Society
14 W 118^th Street (between 5^th St/Lenox Ave)
NYC, NY

1:30 p.m.
SwimJim NY #1
Skyline Hotel
725 10th Avenue (between 49/50th Streets)
NYC, NY

1:30 p.m.
SwimJim NY #2
808 Columbus Ave (between W 100^th/97^th Streets)
NYC, NY

2:00 p.m.
Asphalt Green
555 E 90^th Street (between York/East End Aves)
NYC, NY

Bronx
10:30 a.m.
St. Mary's Recreation Center (NY City Parks and Rec Facility)
450 Saint Ann's Avenue (between E 145^th/146^th Streets)
Bronx, NY
Located in St. Mary's Park

Brooklyn
10:30 a.m.
St. John's Park, Recreation Center
1251 Prospect Place (at Troy Ave)
Brooklyn, NY

Queens
10:00 a.m.
Swim Strong Foundation
3017 89th St (at 30^th Ave)
East Elmhurst, NY

10:30 a.m.
Roy Wilkins Recreation Center
177th Street & Baisley Boulevard
Jamaica, NY

Sobering Drowning Statistics:

Approximately 10 people drown every day in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and more than one in five fatal drowning victims are children younger than 14. Only 13 percent of kids who come from a non-swimming household will ever learn to swim, according to a national research study by the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis. African American children drown at a rate nearly three times higher than their Caucasian peers, the CDC reports.

Drowning is also a silent killer; most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time, according to the Present P. Child Drowning study.

About USA Swimming Foundation
The USA Swimming Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming. Established in 2004, the Foundation works to strengthen the sport by saving lives and building champions—in the pool and in life. Whether we're equipping our children with learn-to-swim skills through our Make a Splash initiative, or providing financial support to our heroes on the U.S. National Team, the USA Swimming Foundation aims to provide the wonderful experience of swimming to kids at all levels across the country. To learn more, visit www.usaswimmingfoundation.org

About Make a Splash
Make a Splash is the national child-focused water safety initiative of the USA Swimming Foundation, which aims to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn to swim. To date, the Foundation has invested millions of dollars to provide grants to qualified Local Partner learn-to-swim programs, to spread national awareness and to bring together strategic partners to end drowning. To date, more than 1.8 million kids have received the lifesaving gift of swim lessons through our Local Partner network, comprised of more than 600 qualified lesson providers across the nation. To learn more, visit www.makeasplash.org.

About Phillips 66
Built on more than 130 years of experience, Phillips 66 is a growing energy manufacturing and logistics company with high-performing Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties businesses. This diverse portfolio enables Phillips 66 to capture opportunities in a changing energy landscape. Headquartered in Houston, the company has 13,500 employees who are committed to operating excellence and safety. Phillips 66 had $51 billion of assets as of March 31, 2013. For more information, visit www.phillips66.com or follow us on Twitter @Phillips66Co.  

SOURCE USA Swimming Foundation

View the original article here

Laura and John Arnold Foundation Announces Release of 50-State Survey of Laws Affecting Pretrial Justice

NEW YORK, March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF) today announced the release of a new resource that provides information on laws in all 50 states that affect pretrial release, detention, and the issuance of citations in lieu of arrest. This resource is the second phase of a yearlong project that LJAF developed to enhance access to information about state laws and legislation regarding pretrial justice. The research, which was carried out by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and funded by LJAF, provides the first comprehensive, state-by-state summaries of existing statutes related to these critical criminal justice issues. It is available on the NCSL website, http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research.aspx?tabs=951,62,1219.

"The decisions made at the front end of the criminal justice system, taking place between arrest and sentencing, are critically important to public safety, local budgets, and the fair administration of justice," said Anne Milgram, LJAF's Vice President of Criminal Justice. "This research fills a tremendous gap in the national understanding of how states and localities are addressing these issues, and we believe it will be an invaluable resource for jurisdictions to learn from one another as they seek to improve their criminal justice systems."

LJAF and NCSL also released today a brief report supplementing their November 2012 50-state survey of pretrial legislation with information on bills introduced since that date. Both resources released today will be part of an interactive web-based database of pending legislation and existing laws that will go live on NCSL's site in mid-2013.

"LJAF's interest in these issues is based on our belief that there is tremendous opportunity for transformation of the criminal justice system by focusing on front-end reform. Our work with NCSL is an important part of our goal of producing substantial and widespread improvement in the criminal justice system," said Milgram.

The resource developed through this grant will enable lawmakers, criminal justice practitioners, researchers, and the public to easily and quickly find comprehensive information on the laws governing pretrial release eligibility, guidance for setting conditions of release, and standards for issuing citations in every state. 

The research reveals a number of important trends:

• Most states have a presumption in favor of releasing all defendants before trial, except those who are charged with certain types of serious crimes. Forty states have such a provision in their state constitution, and in instances where the constitution is silent on this, eight states have created a statutory presumption. 
• Nineteen states have a presumption in favor of permitting pretrial release either without requiring the defendant to post a monetary bond, or through an unsecured bond. 
• About half of the states have enacted statutes that provide guidance to courts in setting conditions of pretrial release. In fifteen states, courts are required to impose the least restrictive condition, or combination of conditions, that will reasonably ensure court appearance and public safety. 
• States have recently begun to require the use of risk assessments in pretrial release decision making. Currently, nine states instruct courts to consider the results of a risk assessment when making pretrial release decisions.
• In all but seven states, statutes provide that law enforcement officers may in certain instances issue a citation in lieu of arrest. Most states only allow citations to be used for low-level misdemeanor offenses, and they statutorily prohibit issuing a citation if there is reason to believe that the individual will not appear in court, poses a danger to the community or himself, or has any outstanding warrants.

Additional research in this area was funded by the Public Welfare Foundation.

About the Laura and John Arnold Foundation
The Laura and John Arnold Foundation is private foundation that currently focuses its strategic investments on criminal justice, education, public accountability, and research integrity.  LJAF has offices in Houston and New York City.  www.arnoldfoundation.org.

Contact: Erica Gersowitz
(212) 590-0107

SOURCE Laura and John Arnold Foundation

View the original article here