Subject: Daily News Clips 3/13/14
From: "Sam Losow" <[email-masked]>
To: "undisclosed-recipients:"
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:39:50 -0400

*National News:*

*Obama vows consequences unless Russia backs down in Ukraine*
President Obama expressed support for Ukraine's new premier on Wednesday
and said the U.S. would "apply a cost" to Russia if it doesn't back out of
Crimea<http://www.theweek.com/article/index/257773/speedreads-heres-how-iran-is-covering-russias-invasion-of-crimea>.
Obama plans a final diplomatic push to get Moscow to loosen its grip on the
Ukrainian region before voters there decide Sunday whether to break from
Ukraine to join Russia. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to meet
with his Russian counterpart on Friday. [*The Washington
Post*<http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-makes-last-ditch-diplomatic-effort-with-russia/2014/03/12/ed281590-aa05-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html>
, *The Wall Street
Journal*<http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20140312-709326.html>
]
..........................................................................................

*China unveils satellite photos showing possible airplane debris*
China posted satellite images on a government website showing what could be
debris from theMalaysia Airlines jet that
vanished<http://www.theweek.com/article/index/257720/speedreads-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-is-an-unprecedented-aviation-mystery>
on
Saturday with 239 people on board. The plane, which had just left Kuala
Lumpur bound for Beijing, was last tracked not far from the area where the
satellite spotted the floating objects, off the southern tip of Vietnam.
The images were released Wednesday, but recorded on Sunday. [BBC
News<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26554875>
]
..........................................................................................

*Jan Brewer announces her retirement*
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) announced Wednesday she would not run for
reelection<http://theweek.com/article/index/257918/speedreads-term-limited-arizona-gov-jan-brewer-wont-test-the-state-constitution-and-run-for-re-election-after-all>
when
her term ends this year. Brewer, known for her hardline immigration and
abortion policies, would have had to win a court battle to run again.
Arizona governors are limited to two terms, and she has served one full
term and part of a second. Brewer said it was "time to pass the torch," but
vowed to work hard in her final months. "My pen and veto stamp have plenty
of ink," she said. [*The Huffington
Post*<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/12/jan-brewer-retirement_n_4950389.html>
]
..........................................................................................

*Turkish protests spread after teen's death*
Two people were killed as protesters clashed with police in Turkey on
Wednesday following the funeral of 15-year-old Berkin Elvan, who died
Tuesday from an injury he sustained during last June's violent
demonstrations<http://www.theweek.com/article/index/245675/is-turkeys-tayyip-erdogan-finally-relenting-mdash-or-preparing-a-bigger-crackdown>.
He was going to buy bread when he was hit in the head with a tear-gas
canister. His death struck a nerve with massive anti-government crowds, who
called Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan a murderer.
[*Reuters*<http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/12/us-turkey-protests-idUSBREA2A0XP20140312>
]
..........................................................................................

*Rockets fired from Gaza land in Israel*
Gaza militants launched a fresh volley of rockets into southern Israel on
Thursday, a day after the most intense barrage fired from the Palestinian
territory since 2012. Eight of the 30 rockets fired on Wednesday exploded
in developed areas, although no injuries were reported. Israeli military
sources vowed a response. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, saying the
rocket barrage was payback for a deadly Tuesday airstrike. [*The Associated
Press* <http://time.com/23037/israel-gaza-militants-fire-more-rockets/>, *The
Jerusalem Post*<http://www.jpost.com/Defense/IDF-will-respond-to-biggest-rocket-attack-on-Israel-since-2012-IDF-source-says-345160>
]
..........................................................................................

*Six killed in Manhattan buildings explosion*
A suspected gas explosion destroyed two building in New York City's East
Harlem neighborhood on Wednesday, killing at least six people and injuring
at least 64 others. Nine occupants of the buildings still remained
unaccounted for late Wednesday night. "This is a tragedy of the worse kind
because there was no indication in time to save people," New York City
Mayor Bill de Blasio said. [ABC
News<http://abcnews.go.com/US/dead-16-injured-nyc-apartment-building-explosion/story?id=22874973>
]..........................................................................................

*Alabama's ban on gay... divorce*
A court in Alabama had denied a lesbian couple the right to divorce,
because the state doesn't recognize their legal Iowa marriage. Circuit
Judge Karen Hall said in a one-sentence ruling that there was no way to
grant Michelle Richmond and Kirsten Allysse Richmond the uncontested
divorce they sought "pursuant to the laws of this State," which doesn't
recognize the validity of same-sex marriage in the first place. [NBC
News<http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lesbian-couple-denied-divorce-alabama-n51361>
]
..........................................................................................

Holder moves to cut drug
sentences<http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2014/03/holder-makes-new-move-to-shorten-drug-sentences-185034.html?hp=f3>

Attorney General Eric Holder is making a new move to shorten sentences in
federal drug cases by backing a plan that would cut prison terms for many
drug convicts by an average of nearly a year, a Justice Department official
said.

At a meeting Thursday of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Holder plans to
announce his support for a change that panel recommended in January, said
the official--who asked not to be named. That change would affect suggested
sentences for about 70% of federal drug trafficking convicts. Those with
moderate amounts of drugs would see reductions, while those involved with
small or large quantities would not benefit, the official said.

The change won't be voted on by the commission until at least April, but
the official said that in the meantime Holder will instruct federal
prosecutors not to oppose defense motions seeking sentences in the
proposed, lower ranges. Under the proposal, the average federal sentence
for drug trafficking would drop from 62 months to 51 months, the official
added.
..........................................................................................

The beauty of genomic
medicine<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/03/13/the-triumph-of-genomic-medicine-is-just-beginning/>

"A Decade Later, Genetic Map Yields Few New Cures," said a *New York Times*
headline<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/health/research/13genome.html?pagewanted=all>in
June 2010.  It declared the failure of the $3 billion Human Genome Project
and claimed that medicine had seen none of the benefits that Bill Clinton
had promised in announcing the first draft of the human-genome sequence in
2000.  According to the article, geneticists were "almost back to square
one in knowing where to look for the roots of common disease."

The *New York Times *judged the project too soon.

The cost of sequencing <https://www.genome.gov/sequencingcosts/> a human
genome had fallen from about $100 million in 2001 to $30,000 when the
article was written; today it can be done for nearly $1,000.  And the
promise is coming true.

Hardly a week goes without the announcement of a major scientific
breakthrough in genomics.  The March 6 edition of *The New England Journal
of Medicine* detailed <http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1300662> how
human cells can be genetically engineered to make them resistant to the
virus that causes AIDS.  A week earlier the journal
published<http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1311037> a
finding that analyzing fetal DNA in a pregnant woman's blood was a more
accurate -- and less intrusive -- way of screening for Down syndrome and
other chromosomal disorders than methods such as ultrasound imaging and
blood tests.
*Opinion:*

High Mortality From Alzheimer's
Disease<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/opinion/high-mortality-from-alzheimers-disease.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>

A new study suggests that Alzheimer's causes six times as many deaths as
the official statistics would indicate.
..........................................................................................
Extra Pay for Extra
Work<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/opinion/extra-pay-for-extra-work.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>

President Obama's call for new overtime rules could mean a raise for
millions of workers.

*DE News:*

*Early childhood education: a proven economic tool*
The term "economic development" has taken on greater urgency in the years
since the recession as cities here in Delaware and states throughout the
nation have undertaken strategies to strengthen their local economies and
ultimately create jobs. Tax and other incentives often play a role in
luring prospective businesses and potential employers into a region yet
tracing their impact is increasingly difficult.

Another form of economic development invests entirely in preschoolers so
that as adults, they have the skills to become successful in the workplace.
Some might even emerge as business owners who themselves create jobs. Early
childhood education as economic development, however, does not grab the
same headlines as news that a new company is coming to town with a promise
of hundreds of jobs.

Yet the outcome of investing in Delaware's youngest learners can generate a
stronger, if not a better, return than traditional investments. Its effects
create an improved workforce, strengthen our communities and reduce crime.

Investing in early childhood education, especially among children from
disadvantaged backgrounds, is the first step in setting them up for
success. Repeated studies show that any child who enters kindergarten as
his/her first exposure to school is already behind. Quality early childhood
education programs provide a foundation that orients children to learning
while providing socialization with peers and adults. For at-risk children,
there is an added opportunity to experience social and economic mobility
that might not otherwise be theirs.

The Perry Pre-School Study has been following 123 at-risk children and
their families for 50 years. Half of these children were enrolled in a very
high-quality early-education program with masters' degree-level teachers,
small class settings and home visits, while the other half were not.
Throughout the years, the findings have been consistent as the children
enrolled in quality early childhood education were:

* Less likely to need special education.

* More likely to graduate high school.

* More likely to get a job.

* More likely to pay taxes.

* Less likely to be dependent on welfare.

And the crime rate among people in this study who received early education
is 50 percent lower than for the people who did not.

Delaware is a leader in its work to advance quality early childhood
education through Delaware Stars. More than 74 percent of preschool centers
statewide are voluntarily enrolled in the Stars program, enabling them to
serve a greater number of our most at-risk children. With the cooperation
of more than 100 statewide agencies, parents, early-learning teachers and
administrators, Delaware is providing more children with a quality early
start. About 40 percent of Delaware children, from birth to 5 years old,
are from low-income families and providing their families with quality
early-learning options will yield economic gain for the state, and improved
educational and life opportunities for the children.

As co-chair of the Delaware Commission of Early Education and the Economy,
I look forward to working alongside public officials, business leaders and
nonprofit partners to increase the focus on preparing more children for the
educational and economic challenges ahead.

This year's Delaware legislative session is underway and I urge you to
contact your representative to voice your support for quality early
childhood education initiatives. Through targeted investment in school
readiness now, we make it possible for more children to create a pathway
for future success while strengthening our workforce and our local
communities.

Nicholas M. Marsini Jr. is Delaware Regional President of The PNC Financial
Services Group, which founded a $350 million, multiyear initiative in early
childhood education in 2004.

-- 
Sam Losow
*Finance Assistant*
Beau Biden, DE Attorney General
Office: (302) 295-8340
Cell: (202) 821-3399
[email-masked]