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This Saturday marks the seventh anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. In Eugene, community members will hold a remembrance vigil and peace rally for issues impacting youth.

The names and biographies of 20 children and six staff members who were murdered in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting will be read during the vigil.

The event will be held by Peace For Our Children, a group founded by Pastor Fred Lydum with Asbury United Methodist Church, and Jan Osoinach Smith. Smith said it is important to remind the public of these incidences so we dont see more victims.

We see incidences of gun violence almost on a daily basis in our country, said Smith. And people say, Oh, we're so sad. We're sending you our prayers. We're so sorry for your loss. But nothing is changed to prevent further acts of violence.

The vigil will also honor the following victims and survivors of recent acts of violence in Oregon.

Five Violent Incidences of Oregon in Recent History:

Smith said the large amount of gun violence doesnt have to happen.

If we can change our culture and we can decide we're not willing to accept this as the reality of today and tomorrowwe [can] vote [against] people who make these rules and laws and make these decisions, said Smith.

Although the event focuses on gun violence, it will also will address social issues that will impact the next generation.

It's our choice how we're going to leave this planet for the next generation and if we continue to live the way we're living right now, then the planet is not going to be livable for very much longer, said Smith.

After the vigil, government officials and local activists will give speeches to promote gun safety, immigration reform, and climate justice. Speakers include Mayor Lucy Vinis of Eugene, Oregon Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle, Oregon State Senator James Manning, Patty Hine from 350 Eugene, and Lex Worden with Sunrise Eugene.

Smith said if the country truly cares about freedom and human rights, people need to express these concerns to their lawmakers.

We don't want children to be treated like criminals when they come across the American border, said Smith. They're fleeing war-torn countries and drug cartels. They're coming here because their lives are in danger in their countries and we're treating them as criminals when we've all come here from an immigrant past.

The goal of the rally is to draw attention to issues not just in the United States, but worldwide.

We already have a lot of species of plants and animals that have gone extinct or on the brink of becoming extinct, and if we don't do things to protect these living plants and animals, then the world is going to change in a way that is not for the better, said Smith.

Smith said people need to take action if they want a peaceful and law-abiding society.

Theyre big goals, but if we just sit back and say, We can't do anything, then nothing's going to change, said Smith.

The rally will be held Saturday at noon at the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza.

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Remembrance Vigil and Peace Rally for Sandy Hook Victims and Youth Issues - KLCC FM Public Radio

On December 9, a Saudi national opened fire at a naval air station in Pensacola, Florida, killing three people and injuring eight others. The shooter, Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, was in the United States as part of a military program that allows some foreign military members to train inside the United States.

Just prior to the attacks, Alshamrani wrote on Twitter that he hated Americans for committing crimes not only against Muslims but also humanity. He also blasted Washington for supporting the State of Israel.

While the case is currently being treated as an act of terrorism, the FBI has yet to officially label it as such. We are looking very hard at uncovering his motive and I would ask for patience so we can get this right, said Rachel Rojas, who is the special agent in charge of the case.

While the FBI is exercisingcaution, mass-immigration proponent and self-proclaimed elitist, AlexNowrasteh, director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, wantsAmericans to believe that this horrific attack is no reason for even mildconcern.

On the day of the shooting, Nowrasteh wrote a blog suggesting that this incident doesnt make a case for stricter immigration measures. In the blog, he promotes a recent study of his that called acts of terrorism in the United States committed by foreign-born individuals a manageable threat given the huge economic benefits of immigration and the relatively smaller costs of terrorism.

Thats right, when three Americansare murdered and eight others wounded, Nowrasteh wants us to remember that itssimply a relatively small cost that should not factor into discussions regardingimmigration reform.

Besides the tone-deaf timing and appallinginsensitivity, his blog and study are fatally flawed as well. In the report,Nowrasteh does several things to make the threat of terrorism look smaller thanit actually is:

The about 1 in 4 million per yearnumber that Nowrasteh pushes is the purported likelihood that a person iskilled in the U.S. by a foreign-born terrorist in a particular year. This isproblematic because it only considers a very limited period of time, not apersons entire life. The lifetime probability that a person might be killed,based on Nowrastehs figures, is actually closer to about 1 in 50,000. Thatnumber is considerably more alarming.

Furthermore, Nowrastehs figuresdont include those who die from conditions developed later in life as a resultof a foreign-born terrorist attack, such as cancer and chronic respiratoryconditions stemming from exposure to toxic rubble and ash produced on 9/11.

According to Dr. Michael Caine, Medical Director of the World Trade Center Health Program at Mount Sinai Hospital, since the attacks, more than 2,000 deaths have been attributed to 9/11 illnesses. These people should be considered victims of terrorism. Nowrasteh also excludes the thousands who suffer non-fatal injuries during attacks committed by foreign-born terrorists on American soil, as well as those who develop non-fatal health conditions later on like asthma or post-traumatic stress.

Trying to predict the exact likelihoodof a person dying in a terrorist attack of any kind is ultimately an impossibleart since the threat of terrorism constantly changes due to a large number offactors. But what we can conclude empirically is that the statistics looselytossed around by the Cato Institute are designed to make the threat of foreign-bornterrorism in the U.S. appear much lower than it actually is.

We owe it to those brave police,firefighters, first responders, and other everyday Americans who have sufferedand/or died due to terrorist attacks to craft immigration policies that preventknown, suspected or potential foreign-born terrorists from entering the UnitedStates. Nothing about the price they have paid is small.

NOTE: This isnt the first time that the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has called out the Cato Institute for publishing false or misleading statistics regarding immigration. In March of 2019, FAIR noted that Nowrasteh and the Cato Institute vastly underestimated the rate at which illegal aliens commit crimes. As in this case, the incorrect statistics were used to promote irresponsible mass-immigration policies.

Read the original:
The Cato Institutes Factually Flawed Attitude Toward Terrorism is Disturbing - ImmigrationReform.com

Utahs secret sauce when it comes to economic growth, job creation, and security for our families has been the collaboration between the public and private sectorsparticularly when it comes to our legislators at home and in Washington, DC. With that in mind, we have formally requested the assistance of Utahs federal delegation and expertise in advancing common-sense legislation on key priorities that are important to our business community. They are namely, immigration, trade, healthcare, and infrastructure.

As a nation built by immigrants, the United States should always be a place that welcomes people of goodwill who want to contribute to our communities. Immigration is a key component of keeping our economy strong, strengthening our communities, and ensuring a bright and prosperous future for our children, but our current broken immigration system will lead to economic uncertainty. We urge Utahs federal delegation to lead the way in advancing comprehensive immigration reform consistent with the principles included in the Utah Compact.

Immigrants make up one in nine members of our states workforce, and limiting legal immigration would reduce Utahs GDP growth by $686 million in 2028. Immigration reform will ensure that our business community has the skilled workforce necessary to compete. As such, we urge Utahs federal delegation to advance comprehensive immigration reform consistent with the Utah Compact principles and to advance the H1-B Visa reform legislation.

With more than 3,500 Utah companies competing in the global market, trade is critical to Utahs economy and essential to the success of our states small businesses. Exports contributed 8 percent to Utahs GDP in 2018 and supported 22 percent of all Utah jobs. Global trade does more than just create and support jobs; it also helps retain a skilled workforce through competitively higher wages.

Utah businesses need free markets and fair trading practices built on balanced agreements that sustain economic growth through stable and predictable relationships. We ask Congress to ratify the United States, Mexico, and Canada trade agreement and use its available means to accelerate the development of trade agreements with the European Union and China, among others.

Currently, our healthcare systems and entitlement programs are falling short when it comes to providing simple, affordable, accessible, and high-quality services to Americans. High costs and low health market options undermine an employers ability to strengthen their workforce, expand the economy, plan for the future, and create long-term fiscal stability. They hinder the ability of our families to be self-reliant and secure from accidents or illnesses. As part of our federal priorities, we call upon Congress to revise our entitlement and healthcare programs to provide equitable, efficient services to those who need them most, and to address our nations prevalent opioid epidemic.

Nine years ago, as part of the Affordable Care Act, Congress enacted a 2.3 percent excise tax on all medical devices. While lawmakers have voted to suspend the tax since that time, it is slated to go back into effect at the end of the year, creating considerable uncertainty in a sector that has supported strong economic and job growth across our state and the nation. Enacting a permanent repeal of the medical device tax will ensure that Utah can continue to be a hub of medical innovations and economic opportunity.

Additionally, we urge Congress to carry out its responsibilities and put a federal legal framework into place to allow for timely and responsible medical cannabis treatment. We need federal guidelines that allow us to safeguard the public interest, address potential consequences to the business community, as well as guard against an impaired workforce or other negative outcomes.

Infrastructure is the backbone of the American economy. It gets us to work and school while powering our homes and businesses, and makes transporting goods and services possible. Attending to Americas infrastructure should be an issue with strong bipartisan support. Unfortunately, much of our nations infrastructure hasnt been fully funded in decades. Long-term transportation and infrastructure investment are required to sustain our economic growth and competitiveness.

We urge Congress to enact and fund a bipartisan plan for infrastructure modernization, as well as provide a long-term, stable funding source for infrastructure that states across America can rely upon to plan for the future. We are grateful for our federal delegations support and the efforts they make to move their colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives forward on these issues.

Utahs economy benefits from a delegation that is business-friendly and committed to improving our nation and state. We encourage them to utilize the secret sauce of collaboration and work across the aisle to find solutions to these pressing challenges.

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Collaboration On Capitol Hill Is The Key To Success - Utah Business

Arguing that Americas two-party political system has failed, a Northeast Ohio group is pushing to elect more third-party candidates. And its starting next year at the local level.

The local branch of the non-profit Labor and Community Campaign for an Independent Party met over the weekend in Middleburg Heights, discussing how Democrats and Republicans have failed to address issues like climate change and immigration reform.

One presenter was Alan Benjamin, who spent 25 years on the executive board of the San Francisco Labor Council. He was previously involved with an attempt to organize a national labor party in the mid-1990s.

Now, he says the focus will be slightly different.

We needed to begin running candidates for local office," Benjamin said. "Were not at a point where we can run and have a real solid base to win elections at the statewide level or congressional level, let alone the Presidency.

Benjamin adds that social media has made it easier for workers to connect and make their voices heard, both to the public and to labor leaders. And he hopes that will create more grass-roots support for third-party candidates.

Original post:
Political Group Plans To Organize Third-Party Candidates In Northeast Ohio - WOSU

The Ninth-Circuit Court of Appeals, which has routinely blocked Trump administration rule changes, gave the administration a win when it lifted two injunctions blocking implementation of the administrations changes to the public charge rule.

The administration's changes limit the number of foreign nationals receiving taxpayer-funded welfare benefits by clarifying the definition of the law and enforcing it.

By a vote of 2-1 Thursday, the Ninth Circuit lifted injunctions issued by federal judges in California and Washington.

The phrase [public charge] is subject to multiple interpretations, it in fact has been interpreted differently, and the Executive Branch has been afforded the discretion to interpret it, wrote Judges Jay Bybee and Sandra Ikuta in their decision. Whether the change in policy results from changing circumstances or a change in administrations, the wisdom of the policy is not a question we can review.

Judge John Owens dissented.

The judges chastised Congress for not reforming immigration laws, which could have avoided wasting the courts time.

We have seen case after case come through our courts, serious and earnest efforts, even as they are controversial, to address the nations immigration challenges, Bybee wrote. Yet we have seen little engagement and no actual legislation from Congress. It matters not to me as a judge whether Congress embraces or disapproves of the administrations actions, but it is time for a feckless Congress to come to the table and grapple with these issues.

The Justice Department and White House applauded the ruling.

"The Ninth Circuit has rightly recognized the administration's authority to adopt an interpretation of the 'public charge' restriction more faithful to and consistent with the scope of the statute passed by Congress, the White House said in a statement.

"[The court] held that the Trump administration should be able to enforce a regulation implementing a statute passed by Congress that has declared for over a century that any alien who 'is likely at any time to become a public charge is inadmissible.'"

According to an analysis of the Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), 63 percent of non-citizen households access welfare programs. That's compared to 35 percent of native-headed households.

Among the non-citizens, according to Census Bureau data, roughly half are illegal immigrants, the report states. The other half includes long-term temporary visitors such as guest workers and foreign students, and permanent residents who have not naturalized and are green cards.

Despite the fact that there are barriers designed to prevent welfare use for all of these non-citizen populations, the data shows that, overall, non-citizen households access the welfare system at high rates, often receiving benefits on behalf of U.S.-born children, the authors of the CIS report, Steven A. Camarota and Karen Zeigler, wrote.

Existing law stipulates that immigrants "within the Nations borders not depend on public resources to meet their needs, but rather rely on their own capabilities and the resources of their families, their sponsors, and private organizations. This is intended to ensure that the availability of public benefits not constitute an incentive for immigration to the United States.

This news follows the all-too-common pattern of how activist judges have been slapped down by superior courts," Mike Howell, Heritage Foundation senior adviser for executive branch relations and former DHS oversight counsel, told The Center Square. "First, a judge will overstep his or her authority by declaring a sprawling injunction on a policy with which he or she disagrees. Then, either an appeals court or the Supreme Court will step in and overturn the judicial overreach. But those declaring the injunctions can still claim some victory in the delay, litigation costs, and distraction inherent to the process, which is unfortunate given the Trump administrations attempt to enact common-sense immigration policy that protects American interests and re-affirms the rule of law.

The rule remains blocked by courts in Maryland and New York, whose injunctions fall under different appellate jurisdiction. The Justice Department continues to appeal the injunctions, arguing the courts have overstepped their authority.

Read more here:
Ninth Circuit lifts injunctions on Trump rule change, chastises feckless Congress for failing to address immigration reform - MDJOnline.com