By Courtney Costello- Talk Radio News Service

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki expressed his support for stronger economic relations between the U.S. and Iraq on Friday at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Iraq Business Initiative conference.

Through a translator, Maliki said he supported a firm economic alliance with the U.S. and described Iraq’s economic turn around. He said that Iraq has become a promising market and has much to offer in terms of infrastructure and business. He also commented on Iraq’s initiative to boost its economy and move it from a centralized system to an open market.

Said Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “The U.S. Chamber is prepared to play a special role in forging closer commercial ties between the United States and Iraq.”

Donohue added that “Iraq must also do its part to attract foreign investment. It must root out corruption, increase transparency, strengthen the rule of law and remove barriers to doing business.”

Maliki explained how Iraq’s increased security level has benefited the country’s economy, stating that citizens have seen their average wages increase dramatically from 700 dollars per year to 4,000 dollars per year. He also said that the nation’s inflation rate has lowered drastically as has its unemployment rate, which has decreased roughly 35% in recent years.

“There is no question that U.S. companies have many opportunities to help revive the Iraqi economy [and] beat down 25 years of brutal dictatorship with a strong economy,” said Donohue.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the U.S.-Iraq Business and Investment Summit on October 20th-21st, which it will underline economic improvements that have been made in Iraq as well as help the country gain even more U.S. investment support.

By Courtney Costello- Talk Radio News Service

One year after President Bush signed an executive order lifting the federal ban on drilling along the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS),” congressional leaders gathered in Washington to shed light on the Obama administration’s failure to make offshore drilling a priority.

“In the last 29 years, nothing has been done to upgrade our knowledge about gas and oil reserves [off American shores],” said former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).

Funding OCS offshore drilling will help create 1.2 million jobs for Americans, and create a pay roll close to 70 billion dollars, if these resources are used right away, said Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wa.).

The Congressional leaders all stressed that the U.S. has to limit its dependency on foreign oil.

“The idea that we are sending dollars abroad, taking jobs away from our Americans, bleeding our economy to buy oil from overseas is wrong, when we have vast quantities available…I’ve suggested, let’s have a transition, with fossil fuels developed in this country. Develop them for domestic use and transfer those dollars into developing alternative forms of energy,” said Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska).

By Courtney Costello- Talk Radio News Service

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) explained their support Thursday for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor in relation to the nominee’s gender.

“[Sotomayor’s nomination is] important because we want our [government] institutions in this country…to reflect the diversity of our country, and the majority of the people in this country are women and we need to be represented. It doesn’t mean women are better but we are equal,” said Boxer.

The Senators described how Sotomayor’s 17 years of experience as a judge is more than any other nominee to the Supreme Court in the past hundred years.

In addition to gaining the backing of law enforcement organizations, The American Bar Association and the National Association of Women Lawyers found Sotoymayor to be very qualified, said Klobuchar.

Boxer stressed that Sotomayor deserves a fair process without any foul play.

“This woman, this excellent judge deserves to be treated fairly and equal to those who came before her,” said Boxer.

Sonia Sotomayor’s will begin confirmation hearings on Monday July 13th by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

By Courtney Costello- Talk Radio News Service

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko recommended the adoption of a safety culture policy statement for all nuclear facilities Tuesday.

“[The safety culture policy] is an area that I think there is tremendous uncertainty and tremendous interest among licensees, among the public, and I think it’s an area that we need to ultimately bring to some closure,” said Jaczko.

The safety culture policy would entail a common definition of safety practices that would be a guideline for all nuclear facilities.

Jaczko also recommended changing NRC’s money management, updating security and safety regulations, and enhancing the Commission’s communication efforts with the public.

Courtney Costello-Talk Radio News Service

Grant applications are now available through the Health and Human Services Department for organizations and state and local governments to receive between $25 thousand and $1 million to help uninsured children receive health care.

During a conference call with reporters, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, announced that that the funding will be coming from Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), which was passed in February. It will provide $40 million in grants this year and a total of $100 million in grants over the next four years.

“This grant opportunity is going to be a great help to states and communities that are working hard to ensure kids and families are getting health care that they need even in the down turn,” said Colorado Governor Bill Ritter.

According to Sebelius, the grants will be primarily awarded towards cities and rural areas where there are high populations of uninsured children. Sebelius predicts the program will also allow states to reach out to over 4 million children who are currently uninsured.

By Courtney Costello-Talk Radio News Service

The Abolitionist Action Committee, a human rights organization promoting nonviolent alternatives to the death penalty, have been staging a hunger strike for the past 4 days to mark the anniversaries of two very different landmark rulings over execution, Furman v. Georgia and Gregg v. Georgia.

In 1972 the Supreme Court ruled in Furman v. Georgia that the death penalty violated the 8th amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. 4 years later in Gregg v. Georgia the court ruled that provisions made by individual states can create situations in which the death penalty is constitutional.

“There are tens of thousands of people passing by: commuters going to work, tourists from around the world. We are able to get the message of abolition of capital punishment to them, because it’s something that’s a part of all of our lives,” said vigil organizer Scott Langley.

Vigil attendee Scott Bass of North Carolina recounted walking over 312 miles in 17 days in an effort to reach out to people about the death penalty’s effects on the families of homicide victims and families of those on death row.

“We were walking for restorative justice rather than the death penalty,” said Bass.

Organizers claimed that over 100 people have attended since the vigil’s start. They will be able to break their fast at midnight Friday.

“The death penalty maybe slowly but surely crumbling in this country”, said Langley.

Fifteen states have abolished the death penalty, while many other states are questioning the practice.

The Abolitionist Action Committee has held the ‘Fast & Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty’ for 16 years.

Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) describes nationmal studies that show many more Americans wanting to learn about religions other than those they follow. (0:20)

 

 Standard Podcast [0:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), describes how President Obama’s desire for more Americans to understand the Quran will break down stereotypical barriers. (0:36)

 

 Standard Podcast [0:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

By Courtney Costello – Talk Radio News Service

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an Islamic advocacy group based in Washington, DC, announced Tuesday the second phase of its “Explore the Quran” campaign, entitled “Share the Quran.” The objective of the new program is to immediately deliver 100 thousand Qurans to government leaders, as well as 1 million Qurans to the general public over the next five to 10 years.

“[The Council] took up this project, to reduce ignorance about Islam and to increase knowledge of it,” said Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

According to CAIR’s studies, only 2% of the U.S. population is knowledgeable about Islam, and the Council speculates that this 2% are made up of predominately Muslim-Americans.

CAIR says the concept behind the campaign was ignited by President Obama’s speech in Cairo, in which he quoted the Quran.

“His speech was inspiring, historic, in the fact that he wanted to open a new page and new relationship with Muslims world-wide including in America, and we believe one of the first steps is information,” said Awad.

CAIR says anyone interested in obtaining a Quran should log onto www.explorethequran.com.

By Courtney Costello- Talk Radio News Service

By properly taking medication, patients can cut the overall costs of health care, said a panel of health care experts.

According to Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League, 75% of Americans who take a prescription medication do not take it as prescribed and the lack of adherence by patients, and in part by their physician, have cost tax payers over $3 billion a year.

“One of the main problems with medication adherence is that patients do not know what to do with their prescription medications,” said Jean Krause, the Executive Vice President of the American College of Physicians Foundation. “Almost half of U.S. adults have difficulty in understanding basic health information.”

Polling presented by the panel also showed that patients who are persistent in taking their medication had fewer emergency visits to the hospital.

“Health care reform needs medical innovations, access for all Americans, and a system to help support use of medicines which will result in patient adherence and compliance,” said William Ellis CEO of the American Pharmacists Association.

“There [just] needs to be support for patients to help them feel empowered,” added Ellis.