Top Senate Democrat: DOJ action against AP ‘inexcusable’

May 13 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $5,849,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $3,388,064 3. Kevin Streelman $2,572,989 4. Billy Horschel $2,567,891 5. Matt Kuchar $2,493,387 6. Phil Mickelson $2,220,280 7. Adam Scott (Australia) $2,207,683 8. D.A. Points $2,019,702 9. Steve Stricker $1,977,140 10. Graeme McDowell $1,910,654 11. Jason Day $1,802,797 12. Webb Simpson $1,759,015 13. Dustin Johnson $1,748,907 14. Hunter Mahan $1,682,939 15. Charles Howell III $1,561,988 16. Russell Henley $1,546,638 17. Martin Laird $1,531,950 18. ...

View the original article here

Indiana Farmer Loses Battle Against Monsanto

Vernon Hugh Bowman

ABC News' Ariane de Vogue reports:

The Supreme Court ruled today against a 76-year-old Indiana farmer who had taken on Monsanto in a patent dispute over a genetically modified soybean seed.

"The question in this case," Justice Elena Kagan wrote for a unanimous court, "is whether a farmer who buys patented seeds may reproduce them through planting and harvesting without the patent holder's permission. We hold that he may not."

Monsanto developed the seed that is resistant to a powerful weed killer called Roundup.

READ MORE: Why Indiana Seed Farmer Took on Behemoth

Farmers pay a premium price for the seeds and enter into the contract with the company promising to buy new seeds for subsequent planting seasons. Monsanto makes the requirement in order to protect the company's investment and its patented technology. The seed is now used for more than 90 percent of soybeans grown in the United States.

Bowman has purchased the seed for years for his first crop and abided by the technology agreement. But for a more risky, second-crop planting later in the season, Bowman didn't want to invest in the expensive soy bean.

Second plantings are susceptible to the dangers of a short growing time and the threat of drought. He decided to take a risk and buy a mix of unlabeled seed from the local grain elevator hoping that most of it would be Roundup resistant. After harvesting that crop, he would save the progeny and replant it in the late 1990s.

Lawyers for Bowman argued in court that Monsanto's patent was exhausted after the first sale.

Monsanto sued the farmer in 2007.

"In the case at hand, Bowman planted Monsanto's patented soybeans solely to make and market replicas of them, thus depriving the company of the reward patent law provides for the sale of each article," Kagan wrote.

She said that under the doctrine of patent exhaustion, the authorized sale of a patented article gives the purchaser, or any subsequent owner, a right to use or resell that article. But she cautioned, "Such a sale, however, does not allow the purchaser to make new copies of the patented invention."

Kagan said that today's holding is "limited" and addresses only Bowman's situation "rather than every one involving a self replicating product."

She said she recognized that "in another case" at a time when inventions are becoming more prevalent," the article's self-replication might occur outside the purchaser's control."

Also Read

View the original article here

Kenya asks U.N. Security Council to end Hague case against president

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Kenya has asked the U.N. Security Council to end International Criminal Court proceedings against President Uhuru Kenyatta and others, but council diplomats who discussed the request on Thursday said the 15-member body could not stop the case.

The Security Council is only able to defer International Criminal Court proceedings for one year under article 16 of the Rome Statute, which established the Hague-based court a decade ago. The council would need to adopt a resolution to do that.

"The letter from the Kenyans is slightly bizarre because they are actually asking the Security Council to do something that it has no authority to do," said a senior council diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto were among six suspects initially charged by ICC prosecutors with orchestrating tribal violence after the 2007 election, when some 1,200 people were killed. Kenyatta and Ruto both deny the charges.

In a letter to the Security Council, Kenya said the implications of Kenyatta's trial "for the viability and continuity of the state should be self evident." Kenyatta's trial is due to start in July.

"What this delegation is asking for is not deferral. What this delegation is asking for is the immediate termination of the case at the Hague without much further ado," Kenya wrote to the Security Council.

The Security Council discussed the request on Thursday. The senior council diplomat said it was unlikely there would be "widespread support" for deferring the proceedings against Kenyatta - who was elected in March - for a year.

The International Criminal Court on Monday postponed the trial of Ruto on charges of crimes against humanity, saying it wanted to hold further hearings with the prosecution and the defense. Ruto asked the ICC last month to postpone the start of the trial to give his legal team more time to prepare.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Peter Cooney)

View the original article here

NRA's next president to lead its court fights against gun control

By Andrea Lorenz

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Alabama lawyer Jim Porter, in line to become the next president of the National Rifle Association, is expected to spearhead the group's court challenges of gun-control laws enacted in several states since the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting massacre.

Porter, 64, the son of another Alabama lawyer who served as NRA president from 1959 to 1961, is likely to succeed David Keene on Monday in the two-year post at the nation's leading gun-rights organization.

The longtime member is chairman of the legal affairs committee for the NRA, which has headed off federal attempts to approve new gun ownership restrictions, including a U.S. Senate proposal last month for expanded background checks.

Porter told NRA members at their annual convention in Houston on Saturday that President Barack Obama was "AWOL" on border security, the deficit and national security, but "scheming and plotting" to take away Americans' gun rights.

"There is nothing, nothing that criminals do with guns that isn't already against the law," Porter said.

In a speech to the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association in June 2012, Porter called Obama a "fake" president and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder "rabidly un-American."

The NRA's focus is far different now from what it was when Porter's father, Irvine Porter, led the organization. The NRA then focused mainly on shooting and hunting. Its emphasis shifted in later decades to lobbying against restrictions on guns.

Porter, the NRA's first-vice president, who by tradition is expected to be elected president on Monday by the board, introduced the outgoing president, Keene.

"If I have anything to say about it, you just heard from your next president of your National Rifle Association," Keene told the crowd..

Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president and chief executive, remains the most visible leader of the group.

CHALLENGING GUN RESTRICTIONS

Keene told the Washington Times earlier this week that Porter would be a "perfect match" as NRA president as it focuses on court challenges to state laws restricting gun ownership.

"As we are likely to win most of the legislative battles in Congress, we will have to move to courts to undo the restrictions placed on gun owners' rights in New York, Connecticut, Maryland and Colorado," Keene told the newspaper.

Connecticut and New York expanded assault weapons bans and restricted the capacity of ammunition magazines after a gunman killed 20 students and six adults at a Connecticut school in December.

Colorado, where a gunman killed 12 people and wounded 58 others in July 2012 at a midnight showing of the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises," approved restrictions on the size of ammunition clips and universal background checks.

Porter, a 1971 graduate of the University of Alabama, told the New York group last year that the fight to protect the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution setting out the right to bear arms had just begun, and that Obama's "entire administration is anti-gun, anti-freedom, anti-Second Amendment."

On Saturday, Tom King, an NRA board member from East Greenbush, New York, said Porter was a likable family man and successful attorney who would be a good NRA president.

"I say things that are controversial too, everybody does," King said. "If you want to take something out of context and say, 'He said that, that's controversial,' and you want to attack him for that, that's your prerogative or anyone else's prerogative, but Jim is a good man."

(Additional reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Peter Cooney)

View the original article here

Charge disclosed in Cuban spying against US

WASHINGTON (AP) — An alleged accomplice in a major spy case involving Cuba helped recruit a friend and colleague to spy for the Cuban Intelligence Service against the U.S., the Justice Department said Thursday.

Marta Rita Velazquez, once a legal officer at the State Department's Agency for International Development, is accused of conspiracy to commit espionage by helping Ana Belen Montes get a job at the Defense Intelligence Agency, where Montes engaged in espionage. Montes is serving a 25-year prison sentence.

The charge connects Velazquez to a highly damaging spy case. During the 16 years Montes was a U.S. intelligence analyst for the DIA, she revealed the identities of four undercover agents to Cuban officials.

Velazquez has remained outside the United States since 2002. She lives in Sweden and the U.S. is unable to gain her return, prompting the government to finally unseal a 9-year-old indictment against her.

The extradition treaty between the United States and Sweden does not allow extradition for political offenses, a category that includes espionage.

There was no answer after midnight at a telephone number listed on the Internet for a Marta Rita Velazquez in Stockholm.

In June 2002, Velazquez resigned from USAID following news reports that Montes had pleaded guilty to espionage and was cooperating with the government.

Velazquez graduated from Princeton University in 1979, obtained a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington in 1984.

Velazquez was a student together with Montes at the Johns Hopkins facility, located in Washington, in the early 1980s.

The indictment alleges that starting in 1983, Velazquez conspired to transmit to the Cuban government information relating to the U.S. national defense. In December 1984, Velazquez introduced Montes in New York City to a Cuban intelligence officer and in 1985 Velazquez accompanied Montes on a clandestine trip to Cuba for Montes to receive spy craft training from the Cuban intelligence service, the indictment adds.

View the original article here

Keystone Pits Oil Companies Against Environmentalists

It’s likely that more corporations, coalitions, and advocacy groups have lobbied, rallied, and written letters about the Keystone XL oil pipeline than about any other pipeline ever built in the United States.

Lobbying in favor of the controversial project are some of the most powerful energy, business, and labor interests in the nation: ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable, the AFL-CIO, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Steel Manufacturers Association—and, of course, the company overseeing the whole project, TransCanada. The American Petroleum Institute, which represents the oil industry, has made pushing for Keystone a central issue, keeping up a steady drumbeat of press events, reports, and studies supporting the pipeline.

Lobbying—and rallying—against the project are an impassioned group of environmentalists, spearheaded by Bill McKibben, a veteran environmental activist and founder of the climate-advocacy group 350.org.

At first blush, it would seem the oil industry’s deep pockets easily outmatch the influence of green groups. But in August 2011, McKibben and thousands of protesters showed their clout by rallying against Keystone in front of the White House. Celebrities showed up for the rally, and demonstrators wrapped a giant pipeline around the White House. Many, including McKibben, were arrested. Their message to President Obama: If you approve the pipeline, you’ll lose our support in the 2012 election.

It appeared to work. Obama punted the decision until after the election. Since November, the environmental groups have kept up the pressure, bringing tens of thousands of protesters to another anti-Keystone rally in Washington in February. Now the question becomes: Without the pressure of an election, will Obama give his green base what they want, or will the power of the oil, steel, and business lobby prevail?

View the original article here

McConnell Campaign Looks For 'A Needle In A Haystack' Against Potential Challenger

ABC News' Michael Falcone and Shushannah Walshe report:

It's clear that the most salacious details of the leaked Mitch McConnell campaign tape focus on what one McConnell campaign aide described as the "wealth of material" they were able to dig up on Ashley Judd. It's also clear that none of it will be of much use after Judd announced last month she would not be running in 2014.

Worth noting, however, is the comparatively meager body of opposition research McConnell staffers gathered on the Kentucky politician who appears most likely to challenge the Senate Majority Leader - Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

In fact, the aide leading the secretly-taped strategy session suggested researchers were struggling to find ammunition with which to attack Grimes, comparing finding dirt on her to searching for "needle in a haystack."

"The best hit we have on her is her blatantly endorsing the 2008 Democratic national platform," the aide said during the Feb. 2 meeting at McConnell campaign headquarters.

Grimes's relatively low name recognition in the state (recent polls have found only about half of Kentuckians know who she is) may be a disadvantage, but her relatively short time in public life (she began her term as secretary of state in 2012) could also be an asset for the 34-year-old lawyer. Still, Grimes comes from a well-connected political family: Her father was a former state party chairman and her family has close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton.

McConnell's campaign team was evidently planning to link her to the 2008 Democratic Party platform, which she supported, as well as President Obama, who she publicly backed in 2012. Even though Kentucky is a red state, neither move seems particularly surprising for Grimes.

But, as was the case with the Republican campaign's research on Judd, which identified the actress's mental health challenges and religious beliefs as potential vulnerabilities, McConnell's team appeared similarly interested in Grimes's quirks.

"If you see a lot of footage of her, she definitely has a very sort of self-centered, sort of egotistical aspect," one aide said. "She's very sort of a, sort of it's all about her, the theme that I would call this. And this is sort of an example about this. She uses her, like in speeches, she'll frequently use herself in the third person."

Indeed, Grimes has referred to herself in the third person at campaign events (a parody video has been circulating on the Internet) although it is unclear what practical effect that would have on voters in a Senate race.

Dale Emmons, a Kentucky Democratic operative and adviser to Grimes, said the early glimpse at the McConnell campaign's playbook should do nothing to discourage her from entering the race.

"If this is how small his thinking is, if this is how they begin their campaign planning, it should tell us a whole lot," Emmons told ABC News.

As recently as last weekend, however, Grimes said she was undecided.

"I don't know what the next step is for me," Grimes told a crowd at a Democratic fundraising dinner in Bardstown, Ky., according to a local news report.

Politically, Emmons said, "there wasn't really that much of a surprise" to the issues the Republican strategists raised about Grimes in the recording, which was leaked to Mother Jones. But if she does run, there is little doubt McConnell would employ the same take-no-prisoners strategy he has used against other opponents. (On the tape, the five-term Kentucky senator can be heard comparing the early months of a campaign to a game of "Whac-A-Mole.")

"It's typical of Mitch McConnell," Emmons said. "He guts his opponents and watches them bleed out."

Also Read

View the original article here

Mayors Against Illegal Guns To Deliver 1.75 Million Petitions Demanding Action On Gun Violence To U.S. Senators Tomorrow; 43,634 Petitions Will Be Hand-Delivered in Ohio

43,634 Petitions Will Be Hand-Delivered to Senator Portman; Survivors and Advocates to Call on Senators to Support Commonsense Reforms When They Return to Washington Next Week; www.DemandAction.org

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

NEW YORK, April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 1.75 million petitions demanding political leaders take action to prevent gun violence will be delivered to Senators in all 50 states tomorrow.  Tens of thousands of these petitions – including 43,634 to Senator Portman – will be hand-delivered at petition drop-off events across the country where gun violence survivors, law enforcement officials faith leaders and others will urge Senators to support commonsense gun reforms when they return to Washington next week.  The petition can be viewed here: www.DemandAction.org/Petition

As national lawmakers have been back in their home states and districts on recess the past two weeks, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has continued its push for sensible gun laws by airing ads in key states featuring a gun owner, Newtown families and highlighting the disturbing link between weak gun laws and violence against women.  The coalition also organized more than 140 events across the country featuring mayors, faith leaders, moms, law enforcement officials, gun violence survivors and family members of victims who spoke out about the need for comprehensive and enforceable background checks.  These activities are part of the largest field campaign in U.S. history to address gun violence.  The coalition recently announced that it has hired organizers and opened campaign offices in ten key states. 

List of petition delivery events happening in Ohio on Friday, April 5:

Cincinnati
What:   Petition Delivery to Senator Portman (43,634 Petitions)
Who:    Moms Demand Action, faith leaders and community members
When:  Thursday, April 4, 11:00 AM
Where: Senator Portman's Office, 520 Vine Street

Columbus
What:   Petition Delivery to Senator Brown (43,634 Petitions)
Who:    Moms Demand Action and community members
When:  3:30 PM
Where: Senator Brown's Office, Sensenbrenner Park, 261 N. High Street

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org

CONTACTS
Erika Soto Lamb: esotolamb@rabengroup.com or 646-580-5281
Alex Katz: akatz1@cityhall.nyc.gov or 617-721-3779

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

View the original article here

Mayors Against Illegal Guns To Deliver 1.75 Million Petitions Demanding Action On Gun Violence To U.S. Senators Tomorrow; 6,391 Petitions Will Be Hand-Delivered in Maine

6,391 Petitions Will Be Hand-Delivered to Senator King; Survivors and Advocates to Call on Senators to Support Commonsense Reforms When They Return to Washington Next Week; www.DemandAction.org

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

NEW YORK, April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 1.75 million petitions demanding political leaders take action to prevent gun violence will be delivered to Senators in all 50 states tomorrow.  Tens of thousands of these petitions – including 6,391 to Senator King – will be hand-delivered at petition drop-off events across the country where gun violence survivors, law enforcement officials faith leaders and others will urge Senators to support commonsense gun reforms when they return to Washington next week.   The petition can be viewed here: www.DemandAction.org/Petition

As national lawmakers have been back in their home states and districts on recess the past two weeks, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has continued its push for sensible gun laws by airing ads in key states featuring a gun owner, Newtown families and highlighting the disturbing link between weak gun laws and violence against women.  The coalition also organized more than 140 events across the country featuring mayors, faith leaders, moms, law enforcement officials, gun violence survivors and family members of victims who spoke out about the need for comprehensive and enforceable background checks.  These activities are part of the largest field campaign in U.S. history to address gun violence.  The coalition recently announced that it has hired organizers and opened campaign offices in ten key states. 

Petition delivery event happening in Maine on Friday, April 5:

Portland
What:   Petition Delivery to Senator King (6,391 Petitions)
Who:    Judi and Wayne Richardson, parents of Darien Richardson
When:  2:30 PM
Where: Senator King's Office, 2 Canal Plaza

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org

CONTACTS
Erika Soto Lamb: esotolamb@rabengroup.com or 646-580-5281
Alex Katz: akatz1@cityhall.nyc.gov or 617-721-3779

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

View the original article here

Mayors Against Illegal Guns To Deliver 1.75 Million Petitions Demanding Action On Gun Violence To U.S. Senators Tomorrow; 25,988 Petitions Will Be Hand-Delivered in Arizona

25,988 Petitions Will Be Hand-Delivered to Senator Flake and Senator McCain; Survivors and Advocates to Call on Senators to Support Commonsense Reforms When They Return to Washington Next Week; www.DemandAction.org

NEW YORK, April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 1.75 million petitions demanding political leaders take action to prevent gun violence will be delivered to Senators in all 50 states tomorrow.  Tens of thousands of these petitions – including 25,988 to Senators Flake and McCain – will be hand-delivered at petition drop-off events across the country where gun violence survivors, law enforcement officials faith leaders and others will urge Senators to support commonsense gun reforms when they return to Washington next week.   The petition can be viewed here: www.DemandAction.org/Petition

As national lawmakers have been back in their home states and districts on recess the past two weeks, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has continued its push for sensible gun laws by airing ads in key states featuring a gun owner, Newtown families and highlighting the disturbing link between weak gun laws and violence against women.  The coalition also organized more than 140 events across the country featuring mayors, faith leaders, moms, law enforcement officials, gun violence survivors and family members of victims who spoke out about the need for comprehensive and enforceable background checks.  These activities are part of the largest field campaign in U.S. history to address gun violence.  The coalition recently announced that it has hired organizers and opened campaign offices in ten key states. 

List of petition delivery events happening in Arizona on Friday, April 5 (all times local):

Phoenix
What:   Petition Delivery to Senator Flake (25,988 Petitions)
Who:    Alex Teves, father of son Alex Teves who was gunned down in Aurora theater shooting
Pat Maisch, Tucson shooting survivor
Morgan Abraham, University of Arizona Student Body President
Chris Kitaeff, licensed firearms dealer, Arizonians for Gun Safety board member
Ellen Davis, concerned Arizonan
When:  10:00 AM
Where: Outside of Senator Flake's office, 2200 E. Camelback Road, Suite 120

Tucson
What:   Petition Delivery to Senator McCain (25,988 Petitions)
Who:    Ken Dorushka, Tucson shooting survivor
Nancy Bowman, Tucson shooting survivor
Daniel Hernandez, Jr., Tucson shooting survivor
When: 10:00 AM
Where: Outside of Senator McCain's office, 407 W Congress St. #103

Tucson
What:   Petition Delivery to Senator Flake (25,988 Petitions)
Who:    Ken Dorushka, Tucson shooting survivor
Nancy Bowman, Tucson shooting survivor
Daniel Hernandez, Jr., Tucson shooting survivor
When:  3:30 PM
Where: Outside of Senator Flakes's office, 6840 Oracle Road, Suite 150

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org

CONTACTS
Erika Soto Lamb: esotolamb@rabengroup.com or 646-580-5281
Alex Katz: akatz1@cityhall.nyc.gov or 617-721-3779

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

View the original article here

Mayors Against Illegal Guns To Deliver 1.75 Million Petitions Demanding Action On Gun Violence To U.S. Senators Tomorrow; 39,259 Petitions Will Be Hand-Delivered in North Carolina

Guns And Women: Cary Event To Focus On Role Of Guns In Violence Against Women

Mayors Against Illegal Guns Will Release a New Ad and Research Findings on How Weak Gun Laws Turn Domestic Abuse into Murders; www.DemandAction.org

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

NEW YORK, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As national lawmakers are back in their home states and districts on recess, Mayors Against Illegal Guns is continuing its push for commonsense gun laws by highlighting the disturbing link between domestic violence and guns. The bipartisan coalition – along with the Center for American Progress in some states – is hosting events across the country featuring mayors, faith leaders, moms, law enforcement officials, gun violence survivors and family members of victims who will speak out about the need for comprehensive and enforceable background checks. 

In Cary, Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcombe, gun violence survivor Kim Yaman and domestic violence prevention advocate Kit Gruelle will host a roundtable discussion on gun violence.

In conjunction with these events, the coalition will also release new research findings and an ad featuring Elvin Daniel, a gun owner and NRA member whose sister Zina Daniel was murdered in the Brookfield, Wis., spa shooting in October 2012 by her estranged husband.

Cary
What: Roundtable
Who: Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcombe, gun violence survivor Kim Yaman and domestic violence prevention advocate Kit Gruelle
When:  Wednesday, April 3 at 1:15 PM
Where: Private residence, please contact wkmille@gmail.com for address

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org

CONTACTS
Erika Soto Lamb: esotolamb@rabengroup.com or 646-580-5281
Alex Katz: akatz1@cityhall.nyc.gov or 617-721-3779

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

View the original article here

Guns And Women: Events In Pennsylvania To Focus On Role Of Guns In Violence Against Women

Mayors Against Illegal Guns Will Release a New Ad and Research Findings on How Weak Gun Laws Turn Domestic Abuse into Murders; www.DemandAction.org

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

NEW YORK, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As national lawmakers are back in their home states and districts on recess, Mayors Against Illegal Guns is continuing its push for commonsense gun laws by highlighting the disturbing link between domestic violence and guns. The bipartisan coalition – along with the Center for American Progress in some states – is hosting events across the country featuring mayors, faith leaders, moms, law enforcement officials, gun violence survivors and family members of victims who will speak out about the need for comprehensive and enforceable background checks. 

Press conferences will be held in Farrell, Media and Scranton.  In Farrell, Mayor Olive McKeithan, Police Chief Riley Smoot, Mercer County DA Robert Kochem and Sharon Police Chief Menster will participate.  In Media, Mayor Rick Lowe, Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Patrick Murphy, CeaseFirePA Executive Director Shira Goodman, advocates and gun violence survivors Terry Rumsay, Shawn Kraemer and Ralph Mero will participate.  In Scranton, mayoral candidate Bill Courtright and other speakers will participate.

In conjunction with these events, the coalition will also release new research findings and an ad featuring Elvin Daniel, a gun owner and NRA member whose sister Zina Daniel was murdered in the Brookfield, Wis., spa shooting in October 2012 by her estranged husband.

List of events happening in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, April 3 (all times local):

Farrell
What:   Press Conference
Who:    Mayor Olive McKeithan, Farrell Police Chief Riley Smoot, Mercer County DA Robert Kochem and Sharon Police Chief Menster
When:  1:00 PM
Where:  City Hall, 500 Roemer Blvd.

Media
What:   Press Conference with Center for American Progress
Who:    Swarthmore Mayor Rick Lowe, Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Patrick Murphy, CeaseFirePA Executive Director Shira Goodman, advocates and gun violence survivors Terry Rumsay, Shawn Kraemer and Ralph Mero
When:  11:00 AM
Where:  Media Town House, 117 Veterans Square

Scranton
What:   Press Conference
Who:    Scranton Mayoral Candidate Bill Courtright, other speakers TBA
When:  12:00 PM
Where:  Lackawanna County Courthouse, 200 N. Washington Ave.

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org

CONTACTS
Erika Soto Lamb: esotolamb@rabengroup.com or 646-580-5281
Alex Katz: akatz1@cityhall.nyc.gov or 617-721-3779

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

View the original article here

Guns And Women: Columbus Event To Focus On Role Of Guns In Violence Against Women

Mayors Against Illegal Guns Will Release a New Ad and Research Findings on How Weak Gun Laws Turn Domestic Abuse into Murders; www.DemandAction.org

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

NEW YORK, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As national lawmakers are back in their home states and districts on recess, Mayors Against Illegal Guns is continuing its push for commonsense gun laws by highlighting the disturbing link between domestic violence and guns. The bipartisan coalition – along with the Center for American Progress in some states – is hosting events across the country featuring mayors, faith leaders, moms, law enforcement officials, gun violence survivors and family members of victims who will speak out about the need for comprehensive and enforceable background checks. 

In Columbus, Moms Demand Action and local supporters will host a roundtable and ad screening.

In conjunction with these events, the coalition will also release new research findings and an ad featuring Elvin Daniel, a gun owner and NRA member whose sister Zina Daniel was murdered in the Brookfield, Wis., spa shooting in October 2012 by her estranged husband.

Columbus
What:   Roundtable and Ad Screening
Who:    Moms Demand Action and local supporters
When:  Wednesday, April 3 at 3:00 PM
Where: Progress Ohio Conference Room, 172 E. State Street, 6th Floor

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org.

CONTACTS
Erika Soto Lamb: esotolamb@rabengroup.com or 646-580-5281
Alex Katz: akatz1@cityhall.nyc.gov or 617-721-3779

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

View the original article here

Guns And Women: Reno Event To Focus On Role Of Guns In Violence Against Women

Mayors Against Illegal Guns Will Release a New Ad and Research Findings on How Weak Gun Laws Turn Domestic Abuse into Murders; www.DemandAction.org

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

NEW YORK, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As national lawmakers are back in their home states and districts on recess, Mayors Against Illegal Guns is continuing its push for commonsense gun laws by highlighting the disturbing link between domestic violence and guns. The bipartisan coalition – along with the Center for American Progress in some states – is hosting events across the country featuring mayors, faith leaders, moms, law enforcement officials, gun violence survivors and family members of victims who will speak out about the need for comprehensive and enforceable background checks. 

In conjunction with these events, the coalition will also release new research findings and an ad featuring Elvin Daniel, a gun owner and NRA member whose sister Zina Daniel was murdered in the Brookfield, Wis., spa shooting in October 2012 by her estranged husband.

Reno
What:   Event with Center for American Progress 
Who:    Danielle Baussan and Emily Sussman of the Center for American Progress
When:  Wednesday, April 3 at 6:30 PM  
Where: University of Nevada Student Union

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org.

CONTACTS
Erika Soto Lamb: esotolamb@rabengroup.com or 646-580-5281
Alex Katz: akatz1@cityhall.nyc.gov or 617-721-3779

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

View the original article here

Guns And Women: Charleston Event To Focus On Role Of Guns In Violence Against Women

Mayors Against Illegal Guns Will Release a New Ad and Research Findings on How Weak Gun Laws Turn Domestic Abuse into Murders; www.DemandAction.org

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

NEW YORK, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As national lawmakers are back in their home states and districts on recess, Mayors Against Illegal Guns is continuing its push for commonsense gun laws by highlighting the disturbing link between domestic violence and guns. The bipartisan coalition – along with the Center for American Progress in some states – is hosting events across the country featuring mayors, faith leaders, moms, law enforcement officials, gun violence survivors and family members of victims who will speak out about the need for comprehensive and enforceable background checks. 

In Charleston, State Rep. Wendell Gilliard, National Organizing Director on Gun Violence Prevention Lance Orchid, gun violence survivors Lori Haas and Marie Tate, and Army veteran Brandon Upson will participate in a roundtable discussion with the Center for American Progress.

In conjunction with these events, the coalition will also release new research findings and an ad featuring Elvin Daniel, a gun owner and NRA member whose sister Zina Daniel was murdered in the Brookfield, Wis., spa shooting in October 2012 by her estranged husband.

Charleston
What: Roundtable with Center for American Progress
Who: State Rep. Wendell Gilliard, National Organizing Director on Gun Violence Prevention Lance Orchid, gun violence survivors Lori Haas and Marie Tate and Army veteran Brandon Upson
When: Wednesday, April 3 at 11:00 AM
Where: Felix Pinckney Community Center, 4764 Hassell Ave, North Charleston

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org

CONTACTS
Erika Soto Lamb: esotolamb@rabengroup.com or 646-580-5281
Alex Katz: akatz1@cityhall.nyc.gov or 617-721-3779

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

View the original article here

Community, Environmental And Labor Coalition Applaud Missouri Attorney General For Legal Action Against Republic Services

Residents' and Workers' Health and Safety Must Be Protected; Cost of Dealing with Effects of Bridgeton Landfill Fire, Radioactive Wastes and Remediation Should Not Fall on Missouri Taxpayers

ST. LOUIS, Mo., March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters Joint Council 13 in St. Louis, Missouri Jobs with Justice and Missouri Coalition for the Environment, applauded Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster for taking legal action against Republic Services [NYSE: RSG] yesterday for the ongoing environmental health and safety crisis at the Bridgeton/Westlake landfill.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100127/IBTLOGO)

Republic's Bridgeton landfill has been in the news recently due to citizen complaints about persistent stench, the expanding underground fire, a recent explosion, and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) investigation of radiation levels and groundwater contamination. The landfill is part of the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site where radioactive nuclear weapons wastes are buried.

According to the Missouri Office of the Attorney General, the lawsuit (docket number: 13SL-CC01088) seeks to force Republic to address the odor problems and correct the environmental violations, as well as to provide remedies to help local residents and businesses deal with the ongoing effects of the burning waste. The lawsuit also seeks to ensure that Republic, rather than taxpayers, pays for the costs of experts hired by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to perform ongoing, intensive environmental testing.

The DNR had officially requested the attorney general bring legal action against Republic Services just last Thursday.

"We commend the Attorney General for taking on Republic Services," said Marvin Kropp, President of Teamsters Joint Council 13. "We also commend the Department of Natural Resources for referring Republic to the AG's office due to its egregious failures.

"Less than two weeks ago our coalition sponsored a briefing, during which independent experts talked with public officials about their assessment of the risks posed by the fire and the nuclear weapons wastes at the site. We have already contacted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in this regard. Should the landfill fire reach the radioactive wastes it would be catastrophic.

"The families who live, and work around this landfill should not be exposed to these risks for one minute longer. The attorney general's office should also see to it that the full present and future cost of dealing with the Bridgeton landfill fire and its remediation fall squarely on Republic, and not on Missouri taxpayers, local businesses or residents," Kropp said.

"Workers and residents in North Saint Louis County and St. Charles must be protected from Republic's negligence. This is not the first environmental disaster at a Republic-owned landfill - for the past nine years a major uncontrolled underground fire has been raging at Republic's Countywide Landfill in Ohio," said Joan Suarez of Missouri Jobs with Justice. "The company just settled an 800-plaintiff lawsuit there, but the site is still a disaster. We encourage the Office of the Attorney General to do everything in its power to force Republic Services to clean up this site for good."

"Communities around the landfill have long smelled the stench coming from Republic's landfill, but the problem could be much bigger than that," said Ed Smith of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. "The EPA detected radioactivity in the air when it flew its anti-terrorism ASPECT plane over the landfill, we want EPA to disclose its data and infrared readings, and fully characterize the wastes and the site.  Assurances that the landfill fire and radioactive wastes will not become one big problem have not been adequately backed up by data being made available to the public.  Full disclosure is needed."

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Missouri Jobs with Justice, and Missouri Coalition for the Environment

View the original article here

Court turns away class action against Comcast

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned away a class action lawsuit against cable provider Comcast Corp., in a decision that could make it harder to file those types of lawsuits in federal court.

The high court on Wednesday overturned a lower court decision to certify as a class customers who say the company's monopoly in parts of the Philadelphia area allowed it to raise prices unfairly.

Justice Antonin Scalia said in a 5-4 decision the customers need to be able to show that they can tie a single theory of how they were harmed to a specific calculation of damages for class certification. The Comcast subscribers had a model that would have shown damages, but it showed $875 million of damages done under four different theories.

Only one of their theories was accepted by the lower courts, so there is no showing of how much in damages was attributable to that theory, Scalia said.

"It is clear that, under the proper standard for evaluating certification, respondents' model falls far short of establishing that damages are capable of measurement on a classwide basis," said Scalia, who was joined in his opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

Justices Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the dissent jointly for themselves, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. In an unusual move, Breyer and Ginsburg read parts aloud in the courtroom.

First, they said that the court's majority rewrote the question being argued, meaning the issue was "infected by our misguided reformulation." They also said that Comcast had argued in lower courts that the other theories offered up by the Philadelphia area subscribers had no effect on prices, meaning that the damages from the model "must have stemmed exclusively" from the only theory accepted by the lower court.

Breyer and Ginsburg argued that the court's decision would not change class action lawsuit rules. "The court's ruling is good for this day and case only," Breyer and Ginsburg said in the opinion.

But others say this will make it more difficult to file class actions.

The court's decision "reinforces that courts can't rubber stamp proposed class actions without first taking a hard look at the plaintiffs' claims," said Kate Todd, a lawyer at the National Chamber Litigation Center. "The reality is that frivolous class actions impose unjustified litigation and settlement costs on businesses that are passed on to consumers. Today's decision is a victory in the effort to curb class action abuse."

Raul Zermeno, a lawyer with Fisher & Phillips, a labor and employment law firm that represents management, agreed. "The decision in Comcast v. Behrend will significantly impact the future of employment-related class-action lawsuits nationwide," Zermeno said. "The court held that a plaintiff must introduce evidentiary proof to show that the case is susceptible to awarding damages on a class-wide basis, before class-action status is granted."

The decision is the latest in several Supreme Court rulings on class action lawsuits, which increase pressure on businesses to settle suits because of the cost of defending them and the potential for very large judgments.

In 2011, the Supreme Court raised the bar for some class-action suits when it sided with Wal-Mart against up to 1.6 million of its female employees who complained of sex discrimination. In the Wal-Mart case, the court said there were too many women in too many jobs at the nation's largest private employer to wrap into one lawsuit.

The case is Comcast v. Behrend, 11-864.

View the original article here