Weekly Address: Congress Must Act to Keep our Teachers on the Job

President Obama Honors the Super Bowl XLVI Champion New York Giants

The Power of the Pen: Bills Signed Into Law

Statement by the Press Secretary

On Friday, June 8, 2012, the President signed into law:

H.R. 2947, which releases deed restrictions placed on a parcel of land conveyed by the United States in 1950 to the State of Minnesota for an airport;

H.R. 3992, which deems Israel to be a foreign state whose nationals are entitled to enter the United States as nonimmigrants to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which they have invested a substantial amount of capital; and

H.R. 4097, the "John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2012," which authorizes appropriations to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for FYs 2013-2014 and authorizes construction of an addition to the south end of the Kennedy Center building to be paid for using non-appropriated funds.

President Obama’s Bilateral Meeting with President Aquino of the Philippines

President Obama and President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines speak to the press after a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office.

President Obama's Press Conference on the Economy

Bill Clinton: Haunted by the Ghosts of '08

A Special Guest Commentary by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist Les Payne

Bill Clinton: Haunted by the Ghosts of '08

Why else would he praise President Obama's opponent?

In addition to the GOP, President Obama is contending with a pesky Bill Clinton bent on distracting the re-election campaign of the man who, by defeating his wife, blocked Clinton's return to the power stage of the White House.

Damning the president with high praise for his Republican rival is but the latest Clinton flare-up that topped even Mitt Romney's own assessment of his CEO years at Bain Capital. Clinton declared them a "sterling business career." Earlier, the Obama campaign had  attacked Romney's stewardship with ads that approximated criticism his fellow GOP candidates aired: Bain was his "rich people" investment firm run by a flock of  "vultures" executing "clever ways to loot a company."

"I don't think we ought to … say this is bad work." said Clinton, seizing the opportunity on CNN to bash the Obama administration. "This is good work." Hallelujah!

Unlike Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who recently disagreed with the Obama campaign's attack on Bain Capital (as, respectively, a $565,000 campaign beneficiary and a chief executive of the firm's host state), Clinton's much broader tack sounded clearly disagreeable. After rating Romney's private career as stellar, the former president vetted the Republican's lone public-service term as governor -- a record even Romney has been reluctant to promote -- as adequate preparation for the White House.

"There's no question that in terms of getting up, going to the office and basically performing the essential functions of the office," Clinton asserted, "a man who's been governor and had a sterling business career crosses the qualification threshold [for U.S. president]."

Questions, on the contrary, do indeed arise about such a career as qualification alone for fixing the U.S. economy and commanding the world's lone superpower. One needs look no further than Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sarah Palin, both ex-governors and successful tycoons. In retrospect, Americans might assess, as Republicans insist, the performance of Jimmy Carter, the ex-governor and peanut baron. And most recently, there's one George W. Bush, the former governor and baseball mogul. His GOP enablers felt compelled to reinforce his Oval Office reign with the triumvirate of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Colin Powell -- and, despite all that, he still managed to drive his legacy-presidency headlong over the cliff.

In his political genius, Clinton is well aware of this reality, so we might take his embrace of Romney's credentials -- that stops just short of an endorsement -- as much as an attack upon Obama as it is a defense of the GOP candidate. Such duplicity litters the trail of this ace politician and master of deceit.

Another flare-up in Clinton's not-so-stealth operation against Obama is illuminating the Democratic primary in New Jersey on Tuesday. While campaigning for Obama's re-election in general, Clinton faces off against him specifically by loudly supporting Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.), challenger of Rep. Steven R. Rothman (D-N.J.), whom President Obama endorsed by publicly escorting him past White House reporters following a 15-minute meeting in the Oval Office last week.

The bad blood of the '08 presidential campaign rose to the surface as Clinton went out of his way to repay Pascrell for supporting his wife's run against Obama. For his part, the sitting president embraced Rothman, the legislator who supported him earlier, with hopes also of regaining a Democratic majority in Congress.

This 2008 vitriol had already spread to Clinton surrogates when in a Wall Street Journal op-ed last fall, pollsters Patrick H. Caddell and Douglas E. Schoen boldly advocated for Hillary Clinton over Obama as the 2012 Democratic nominee, declaring that the first-term U.S. president should "abandon his candidacy for re-election in favor of [this] clear alternative."

    

This scheme sounds remarkably like the August 2011 plot that Edward Klein attributed to Bill Clinton in his book, The Amateur. In a reported conversation denied by the Clinton camps, Klein writes that, in the presence of associates, Bill pressed Hillary to resign as secretary of state and challenge her boss once again for the Oval Office. When asked about "loyalty," Bill's reported answer was in character even if it was not factual: "Loyalty is a joke," the publicly exposed, serial-philandering husband allegedly told his inquiring wife. "Loyalty doesn't exist in politics."

This 42nd president reportedly bemoaned that he has a better relationship with his GOP successor than he does with Obama. (This might explain his playing footsie with Romney.) Thus it appears not to be lost on Clinton that President Obama -- who sharpened his skills at keeping toxic rivals at bay by neutralizing both Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan in Chicago -- has managed to exile the Clinton power couple far away from White House politics.

The peripatetic secretary of state is legally barred  even from attending the Democrats' presidential convention in Charlotte this year, for example. As for the would-be inaugural first husband of the nation, Bill Clinton was saddled, early on, with the U.N. earthquake portfolio and, with the president's blessings, sent packing off to Haiti for fundraising efforts from investment firms like Bain Capital.

Clinton's flare-ups against Obama are no surprise to close observers of the etiquette of Southern white males under competitive pressure from certain quarters. On one level, they display the rancor of a baby boomer Arkansan nicknamed "Bubba," whose favored multimillion-dollar political machine, with his wife at the wheel, got run over by a skinny, basketball-playing, hip-hop-listening, community organizer on the South side of Chicago who, yes, once smoked reefer and, unlike Clinton, dared to inhale. On another level, we are witnessing the drama of the faux black president colliding with the first black president.

Stay tuned.

Les Payne is also the co-author of the critically acclaimed and groundbreaking book "The Heroin Trail" and the former managing editor of Newsday. 

West Wing Week: 06/08/12

This week, the President traveled to Honeywell International in Minnesota, to highlight efforts to help veterans find good paying jobs, urged Congress to support the Paycheck Fairness Act and to not let interest rates double on student loans on July 1st.

Aljazeera's Top News Stories

Video courtesy of Aljazeera English.

Flight of Syrians Into Jordan Intensifying

Hundreds of Syrians approach the agency daily to register for its services and protection, pushing the total number of registered Syrian refugees in Jordan to over 22,000, the UNHCR in Amman has said. Andrew Harper, the UN refugee agency's country representative, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that 7,800 Syrian refugees had been registered in May 2012, marking the highest number of registrations in a single month since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government began 14 months ago. Nisreen el-Shamayleh reports from Zarqa, Jordan.

Video courtesy of Aljazeera English.

Political Talk Show Turns Nasty in Greece

In Greece, the terrible state of the economy is stirring up the political scene. A televised debate involving politicians from the far-right and left turned violent when a Golden Dawn spokesman slapped another debater. Al Jazeera's Bhanu Bhatnagar reports.

Video courtesy of Aljazeera English.

Japan's Economy Back to Pre-Earthquake Level

Japan's economy is back to pre-earthquake levels, as capital and consumer spending rises. The cabinet office said gross domestic product grew by a revised 1.2 per cent in the first quarter of the year from the previous three months, up from a preliminary figure of one per cent expansion. In an effort to boost the economy, public works projects pay the salaries of workers rebuilding the northeast, while companies receive grants and near zero-interest loans to build factories and keep jobs in Japan. Shoppers receive discounts to replace their cars and appliances with more energy efficient models. Yet this may all come to an end if the prime minister sees through his plan of raising sales tax from five per cent to 10 per cent. As far as ratings companies are concerned, however, Japan has no choice, as it owes more than twice what it earns. Al Jazeera's Mike Firn reports from Tokyo.

Video courtesy of Aljazeera English.

Senator Schumer Endorses Congressman Meeks

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer

"Greg Meeks is One of the Most Thoughtful, Energetic and Reliable Members of the House of Representatives"

New York, N. Y. - Senator Charles Schumer announced today that he has endorsed Congressman Gregory Meeks in the June 26 Democratic primary for the Fifth Congressional District, a newly-drawn district that covers Southeast Queens, including the entire Rockaway Peninsula, and parts of Nassau County. 

Senator Schumer, who is one of the most influential members of the United States Senate, said, "Greg Meeks is one of the most thoughtful, energetic and reliable members of the House of Representatives."

As an example the senator cited Meeks's role as a member of the conference committee that drafted the most far-reaching reforms of the financial services industry in 80 years.  

"Meeks helped fashion a number of key compromises that facilitated passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act,” said Schumer.

Senator Schumer added that in voting for the deficit reduction legislation that enabled the United States to avert default last August the seven-term Congressman displayed the kind of independence of thought, far-sighted decision-making, and courage that Congress badly needs if it is to break free of gridlock and get things done for the American people.  

 Congressman Gregory Meeks

Meeks, a senior member of the House Financial Services and House Foreign Affairs Committees and the ranking member of the Europe and Eurasia Subcommittee, said he is, "Deeply honored to have Senator Charles Schumer's endorsement.” 

Congressman Meeks emphasized that he and Senator Schumer have worked together for nearly 20 years on issues crucial to New Yorkers and all Americans.  They have also partnered many times to work on local issues that matter to Queens residents.  

Schumer and Meeks successfully challenged the US Department of Veterans Affairs shortsighted plan for private development at the St. Albans Veteran's Facility, instead securing new funding for a VA hospital at the site.  

From making sure that a proposed American Airlines- US Air merger would not cost Queens residents jobs, to protecting Far Rockaway's beaches from erosion, the two leaders have been important allies for Queens communities.

“Senator Schumer is not only a valued colleague whose advice, opinions, political judgment, and legislative skill I greatly admire and respect; he is also a great friend,” Meeks added.  

“I look forward to continuing to work with him to create jobs, bring affordable health care, and protect Medicare, Social Security, and veteran benefits for the people of the Fifth Congressional District, New York State as a whole, and the United States.”

Top Newsy Headlines: Bomb Explodes on Pakistan Bus

Sources:AlJazeeraSkyNewseuronewsWCVB 

By Nathan Byrne
Anchor: Nathan Byrne
Video courtesy of Newsy.com

Pundits Hone in on Clinton 'Off-Message' Moments

Sources:CNNCNBCPoliticoNBCWeeklyStandard
NewYorkMagazineTwitterTheWallStreetJournal 

By Zach Toombs
Anchor: Christina Hartman
Video courtesy of Newsy.com

China Cuts Interest Rates

Sources:FinancialTimesC-SPANBusinessWeek
MarketWatchPBSNightlyBusinessReport 

By Ferdous Al-Faruque
Anchor: Christina Hartman
Video courtesy of Newsy.com

Scientists Sequence Fetal Genome

Sources:WKBWTelegraphDailyMailCNN 

By Ferdous Al-Faruque
Anchor: Lauren Zima
Video courtesy of Newsy.com

Bipartisan Outrage Grows Over Alleged WH Leaks

Sources:TheNewYorkTimesC-SPANABCCNN 

By Christina Hartman
Anchor: Christina Hartman
Video courtesy of Newsy.com

Lawsuit Challenges EPA’s Failure to Protect Wildlife

Millions of Birds, Other Wildlife Poisoned Yearly by Lead Ammunition Left in Wild

WASHINGTON— Seven conservation groups today filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency for refusing to address toxic lead in hunting ammunition that frequently poisons and kills eagles, swans, loons, endangered California condors and other wildlife, as well as affecting human health.

                                                                                                                 

Ignoring well-established science on the dangers of lead poisoning from spent ammunition, the EPA refuses to acknowledge or evaluate risks to wildlife and human health.

The EPA in April denied a petition requesting a public process to consider regulations for nontoxic hunting ammunition. Today’s lawsuit challenges that decision.

“The EPA has the ability to immediately end the unintended killing of eagles, swans, loons, condors and other wildlife,” said Jeff Miller with the Center for Biological Diversity.

“Unfortunately, the agency refuses to address this needless poisoning. We’ve removed toxic lead from gasoline, paint and most products exposing humans to lead poisoning; now it’s time to do the same for hunting ammunition to protect America’s wildlife.”

“Expended lead shot persists in the environment for a long time, and thousands of trumpeter swans have died recently from ingesting lead shot deposited by hunters decades ago,” stated hunter John Cornely, executive director of The Trumpeter Swan Society.

“Hunters and anglers can provide leadership to prevent killing of non-target wildlife. Getting the lead out is in line with traditional conservation and hunting values.”

“Wildlife hospitals across the country see a dramatic rise in lead-poisoned eagles and other raptors during hunting season each fall,” added Louise Shimmel, executive director of the Cascades Raptor Center in Oregon.

“Lead poisoning is a major cause of death and injury for wildlife, and is easily preventable by taking action to prohibit lead shot.”

Millions of non-target birds and other wildlife are poisoned each year from scavenging carcasses containing lead-bullet fragments or from ingesting spent lead-shot pellets.

Spent ammunition causes lead poisoning in 130 species of birds and animals and frequently kills bald eagles, trumpeter swans and endangered California condors, especially condors in Arizona, where lead is the leading cause of these birds’ deaths.

Nearly 500 scientific papers document the dangers to wildlife from this kind of lead exposure. Lead ammunition also poses health risks for people eating game contaminated with lead bullet fragments.

“This action is not about restricting hunting—it’s about ending preventable lead poisoning of birds and reducing health risks for people eating lead-shot game,” said Dick Preston, president of the Tennessee Ornithological Society.

“The non-lead hunting regulations in California are a good model for hunting to continue with nontoxic materials.”

“Lead poisoning of wildlife is a national tragedy,” said Larry Boersma with Preserve Our Wildlife.  There are safe, effective alternatives to toxic lead ammo, so there's no reason to continue to condemn untold numbers of birds and other wildlife to agonizing deaths.”

In March, 100 organizations in 35 states asked the EPA to initiate a rulemaking under the Toxic Substances Control Act to regulate the toxic components of ammunition, the lead bullet and shot projectiles that cause lead poisoning of wildlife.

Although the EPA has authority to require non-lead bullets and shot for hunting and shooting sports, it refused to review the petition. Today’s lawsuit challenging that decision was filed by The Trumpeter Swan Society, Cascades Raptor Center (Oregon), Center for Biological Diversity, Loon Lake Loon Association (Washington), Preserve Our Wildlife (Florida), Tennessee Ornithological Society and Western Nebraska Resources Council.

There are many alternatives to lead rifle bullets and shotgun pellets. More than a dozen manufacturers market hundreds of varieties and calibers of non-lead bullets and shot made of steel, copper and alloys of other metals, with satisfactory-to-superior ballistics. Hunters in areas with restrictions on lead ammunition have transitioned to hunting with nontoxic bullets.

For example, there has been no decrease in game tags or hunting activity since state requirements for non-lead hunting went into effect in significant portions of Southern California in 2008 to protect condors from lead poisoning.

The EPA claims it lacks authority to regulate toxic lead in ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the federal law designed to limit exposure to dangerous chemicals, including lead. Yet the law provides specific authority to regulate lead bullets and shot.

Lobbying by the National Rifle Association resulted in the House of Representatives in April passing the “Sportsmen’s Heritage Act,” aimed at removing the EPA’s present authority to regulate toxic lead in ammunition and fishing equipment.

Visit the following for more information about the Get the Lead Out campaign:

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/get_the_lead_out/index.html

Photo courtesy of http://www.publicdomainpictures.net.

Activists Report Another Massacre in Syria

Al Jazeera correspondents Kristen Saloomey and Rula Amin report from the United Nations and Beirut on the newest allegations of a massacre in the village of al-Qubayr, and what it might mean for Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan. UN observers trying to access the site where at least 80 people were reportedly killed have been blocked by the Syrian army and come under small arms fire, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

Video courtesy of Aljazeera English.

Spain's Unemployed See No End in Sight

With one in four people unemployed in Spain, a single unemployment office serving only one district in Madrid can see up to 700 people per day. The economy remains in recession and there have been severe cutbacks in public spending. Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull, reporting from Madrid, meets one father of two children, whose struggle to find work has become all too familiar to the Spanish public.

Video courtesy of Aljazeera English. 

North Korean Leader Bolsters Youth Morale

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made a rare address to the nation when he spoke at an event that marked 66 years since the founding of the political organization, the Korean Children's Union. It was his second appearance since he succeeded his father and took power last December. In his speech, he addressed 20-thousand youths brought together from across the country for the week-long celebration. State media described the event as "unprecedented." Kim Jong-un is already hailed as the Great Successor and his speech indicates that he might be trying to break the silence observed by his late father. Al Jazeera's Gerald Tan reports.

Video courtesy of Aljazeera English.

Slaughter in Syria

Statement by Press Secretary Jay Carney

The United States strongly condemns the outrageous targeted killings of civilians including women and children in Al-Qubeir in Hama province as reported by multiple credible sources.  This, coupled with the Syrian regime’s refusal to let UN observers into the area to verify these reports, is an affront to human dignity and justice.  There is no justification for this regime’s continued defiance of its obligations under the Annan Plan, and Assad’s continued abdication of responsibility for these horrific acts has no credibility and only further underscores the illegitimate and immoral nature of his rule. 

The future of Syria will be determined by the Syrian people, and the international community must come together in support of their legitimate aspirations.  We call once more on all nations to abandon support for this brutal and illegitimate regime and to join together to support a political transition in Syria—one that upholds the promise of a future for which far too many have already died. 

Politics in Action: S. 3240

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

S. 3240 – Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012

(Sen. Stabenow, D-MI)

The Administration supports Senate passage of S. 3240, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, and looks forward to working with the Congress to address the important concerns described below prior to final passage.

The Administration greatly appreciates the Senate's bipartisan efforts to enact a farm bill.  With authorization for farm- and food-related programs set to expire this year, it is critical that the Congress pass legislation that provides certainty for rural America and includes needed reforms and savings. The new farm bill should promote rural development, preserve a farm safety net, maintain strong nutrition programs, enhance conservation, honor our World Trade Organization commitments, and advance agricultural research.  In light of the Nation's long-term fiscal challenge, the legislation should also contribute significantly to deficit reduction.

   

The Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, S. 3240, make meaningful progress toward the Administration's goals. Notable reforms include eliminating the direct payment system; tightening payment and eligibility requirements; strengthening access to healthy, affordable food; protecting emergency food aid programs and authorities; and increasing flexibility in the delivery of international food aid.  The Administration supports the Senate's efforts to consolidate and streamline conservation assistance, which will reduce administrative burdens on farmers and ranchers and improve environmental outcomes.  The bill's funding for bioenergy programs will enhance our energy security while supporting innovation and growth in rural economies. 

Consistent with the President's Budget, the Administration looks forward to working with the Congress to achieve crop insurance and commodity program savings that are not contained in S. 3240, while at the same time strengthening the farm safety net in times of need and supporting the next generation of farmers.  The Administration also strongly supports the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a cornerstone of our Nation's food assistance safety net, which is why it was not subject to cuts in the President's Budget.  SNAP helps families put food on the table, while also benefitting farm and rural economies.  The Administration also looks forward to working with the Congress to structure reporting requirements and the proposed Research Foundation in ways that will maximize and facilitate agricultural research.

325 EV Charging Stations Being Deployed Across NYS

$4.4 Million Investment Expected to Create New Jobs, Lowers Fossil Fuels, and Cuts Toxic Emissions

Albany, NY - Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced that $4.4 million has been awarded to ten companies, municipalities and other entities to enable more than 325 new electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations to be installed across New York State.  

New York State's electric-vehicle charging stations are supported by a joint effort by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)'s Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Demonstration Program and the U.S. Department of Energy.

With high gas prices, EVs provide a fuel-efficient alternative to gas- and diesel-powered vehicles while helping reduce the nation and state’s dependence on fossil fuels.

A diverse infrastructure of EV charging stations will create new jobs and business opportunities across the state, as well as helping promote the sale of electric cars, trucks and other vehicles. 

"With New Yorkers facing higher prices at the pump, the state is stepping up to make owning an electric vehicle an affordable and convenient option," Governor Cuomo said.

"Creating an infrastructure to accommodate electric vehicles will create jobs and new economic development across the state, while reducing our carbon footprint and helping protect the environment."

New York's transportation sector has considerable potential for energy efficiency. Transportation makes up about three-fourths of the state’s oil consumption, and nearly 40 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

"Electric vehicles offer a cleaner alternative to combustion engines, helping reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and the emission of greenhouse gases. NYSERDA supports the Governor’s continued leadership in creating an electric-vehicle future in New York State, and advancing technology that will not only stimulate the economy but lessen our impact on the environment," stated  Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA.

Last year, NYSERDA received a $1 million U.S. Department of Energy grant on behalf of the Transportation and Climate Initiative, a collaboration of the transportation, energy, and environment agencies of 11 Northeast states and Washington, DC to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.

The goal of the initiative is to accelerate the introduction of EV charging stations throughout the Northeast making the region a hub for electric vehicles through public and private partnerships.

President Barack Obama has called for 1 million plug-in vehicles to be on the street nationwide by 2015. 

"Sky-high gas prices and tight budgets have left many New Yorkers struggling at the pump, but there is hope in new technology, like electric cars, that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil. By finally making electric cars more accessible to the general public, we are taking a huge step towards giving consumers another viable and affordable transportation option, and I'm proud to have fought for money for this program from the U.S. Department of Energy," said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand noted, "In this tough economy we need a do-it-all approach that expands our energy portfolio to provide middle class New Yorkers with relief at the pump. By creating an infrastructure for electric vehicles, we can cut energy costs, cut pollution to protect the air we breathe, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil which strengthens our national security."

"America needs to end our dependence on foreign oil, and our reliance on such hostile nations as Iran and Venezuela to power our cars and homes. Alternative technologies exist, such as electric cars, and their widespread use will go a long way towards ending this reliance,” added U.S. Representative Eliot Engel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“I am the author of the Open Fuel Standard Act, (along with Rep. John Shimkus, R-IL) that would require 50 percent of new automobiles in 2014, 80 percent in 2016, and 95 percent in 2017, to operate on nonpetroleum fuels in addition to or instead of petroleum based fuels. Between electric cars and alternative fuels, we can eventually reach a point where we no longer have to put money in the coffers of our enemies."

U.S. Representative Paul Tonko, who is also the former President and CEO of NYSERDA, said, "Drivers across New York, and indeed the nation, are sick and tired of giving tax breaks to Big Oil companies while at the same time paying record prices at the pump. One competitive alternative is electric vehicles. I applaud Governor Cuomo for installing these new charging stations and for partnering with the federal government to advance clean energy technology, create jobs and provide drivers options they so urgently deserve."

NYSERDA will also be managing a $10 million fund that offers vouchers of up to $20,000 per vehicle for the purchase of EV commercial trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds.

EV charging station projects announced today include:

Access Technology Integration Inc. – Plans to install charging stations with innovative reservation and payment systems at seven locations around the Albany area, including St. Peter’s Hospital, Albany-Rensselaer Train Station, Times Union Center, universities, supermarkets, and other locations. NYSERDA funding: $244,000.

Beam Charging LLC – Company will install a total of 28 charging stations, each one in a separate public parking garage around Manhattan, for the purpose of gathering data to determine how well such charging stations are used. $400,000.

Car Charging Group Inc. – Plans to install charging stations at up to 15 high-traffic locations in New York City, directed toward apartment dwellers who do not have parking at home. Sites would go in parking garages that are used primarily for monthly parking. NYSERDA funding: $200,000.

City of Rochester – Plans to install 24 charging stations at seven highly-visible and busy locations around the city, including municipal parking garages, City Hall, the Port of Rochester and the Rochester Public Market. NYSERDA funding: $228,000.

Coulomb Technologies Inc. – Partnering with National Grid, Coulomb will deploy 81 dual charging stations with Coulomb’s ChargePoint software. The technology will demonstrate a web-based demand response program, a new low-cost installation method and a customized reservation system. NYSERDA funding: $1 million.

EV Connect Inc. – Plans to install EV charging stations at five Marriott hotels around New York State that make use of a unique reservation and payment system. Project would make it possible for overnight visitors to charge their vehicles while staying at a hotel. NYSERDA funding: $250,000.

Golub Corp. (Price Chopper Supermarkets) – Plans to install 12 charging stations at four locations, each equipped with a weather canopy and lighting to make them visible. This is the first phase of an intended statewide rollout. NYSERDA funding: $325,000.

New York Port Authority – Plans to install seven experimental charging stations for fleet vehicles and public use that practice demand-response (aligning charging times with times of low power demands, reducing charging cost and impact during peak demand to the grid). NYSERDA funding: $720,000.

New York Power Authority –Plans to install 124 charging stations at train and bus stations, airports and municipal parking lots. Three sites would be powered in part through on-site solar power. NYSERDA funding: $989,000.

Plugin Stations Online – Plans to install charging stations at three apartment complexes in Albany, Rochester and Buffalo, as well as one at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy. NYSERDA funding: $64,000.

Another round of the program is currently underway with proposals due July 25, 2012.

Addabbo, Miller to Host Job Fair for Veterans and Their Spouses

Many Potential Employers Will Be Seeking Qualified Candidates

On June 8, from 10am to 3pm, New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. and Assemblyman Michael Miller will host a free job fair for veterans and their spouses at The Shops at Atlas Park, 8000 Cooper Avenue, Glendale.

The event will take place indoors and many potential employers will be looking to hire qualified candidates. Attendees are urged to bring plenty of resumes and to dress for success.

Industries that will be represented include: Finance, Health Care, Retail, Sales, Social Services, Transportation, Trades, Information Technology, just to name a few, and training opportunities will also be available. 

For identification purposed, veterans should bring their military IDs – such as VA ID, active military ID, DD214, etc. – and spouses should bring service member’s DD214 and proof of marriage.

Free parking will be available in the South Garage only, which is wheelchair accessible.

Public transportation information:

Travel by subway: L train to Grand Street, then take Q54 to Atlas Park.

M train to Metropolitan Ave. Middle Village, then take Q54 to Atlas Park. M/R to Woodhaven Blvd. /Queens Blvd.; then take Q29 to Atlas Park (bus stop on Hoffman Drive).

E train to Jamaica/Van Wyck, then take Q54 to Atlas Park.

Travel by bus: Q54 between Williamsburg & Glendale on Metropolitan Avenue, stops directly outside Atlas Park

Q45 between Jackson Heights & Glendale, stops outside Atlas Park

Q29 between Jackson Heights & Glendale, stops directly outside Atlas Park.  

Check online at http://tripplanner.mta.info/_start.aspx  for more specific public transit directions.

For more information, driving directions or if you would like to attend, please contact Senator Addabbo’s district office in Howard Beach at 718-738-1111, or Middle Village at 718-497-1630. 

Image courtesy of http://www.clker.com.

Syrian Activists: Women, Children Slain in New Massacre

Sources:SkyNewsBBCFoxNews 

By Christina Hartman
Anchor: Christina Hartman
Video courtesy of Newsy.com

LinkedIn Password Database Leaked

Sources:LinkedInTheRegisterSophos
ImpervaTheHill 

By Evan Thomas
Anchor: Nathan Byrne
Video courtesy of Newsy.com

NASDAQ Offers $40 Million for Facebook Glitch

Sources:LosAngelesTimesCNBC
WallStreetJournalFoxBusiness
ABCNewsBusinessWeek 

By Logan Tittle
Anchor: Logan Tittle
Video courtesy of Newsy.com 

Chinese FoxConn Workers Riot at Apple Factory

Sources:PCMagazineThisAmericanLifeCBCNews
CultofMacWantChinaTimes 

By Ferdous Al Faruque
Anchor: Lauren Zima
Video courtesy of Newsy.com