**Friday, November 18, 2011**

CHICAGO - November 18, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bills:

Bill No.: SB 72

An Act Concerning: Insurance

Allows the state to issue revenue bonds to strengthen the Illinois Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF), avoiding federal penalties for businesses. Also provides for an average 16 percent unemployment insurance tax reduction for companies that have not laid off workers, and provides for increased unemployment fraud prevention.

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

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Thousands of Toys are still needed!  Red Kettle Campaign Donations are $400,000 short of goal!

Quad Cities, USA: December 9, 2011 - The Salvation Army will collect and provide over 6,000 toys to area children this Christmas. But with just six collection days to go, they are in great need of thousands more toys. Toys are especially needed for boys & girls, ages 11-12 and ages 3-7. The Salvation Army's Angel Trees are located at all four area Wal-Marts, SouthPark Mall, Younkers Court; and NorthPark Mall, JCPenney Court.

Major Gary Felton, Quad Cities Coordinator, exclaims "I cannot explain why the toys are coming in so slowly this year - this is a very generous and compassionate community. Please Don't Forget to think of your needy neighbors."  He adds, "The Red Kettle Campaign raises 70% of our annual budget and still has a long way to go. The monies collected provide shelter, food and other basic needs to families and individuals in crisis. We depend on the generosity of each individual in the Quad Cities to be able provide our services. We try not to think about falling short of the goal - we simply cannot fallshort this year."

You can become involved with The Salvation Army's Christmas programs to make your own Christmas even brighter - many of the volunteer opportunities, like shopping for toys from the Angel Tree, become memorable family traditions. Volunteer bell ringers are also needed - easy sign up at www.ringbells.org.

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Friday, December 09, 2011

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today made the following comment on disclosure that Philip Falcone and Harbinger Capital Partners have received a Wells Notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission. For months, Grassley has questioned the Federal Communications Commission's fast-tracking of the firm's LightSquared project. Grassley is blocking consideration of two FCC nominees over the agency's refusal to provide information on why it fast-tracked the project.

"In my initial letter to the FCC on its decision to fast-track the LightSquared project, I noted that the hedge fund owner behind the project, Philip Falcone, faced ongoing SEC investigations.  On July 5, 2011, I followed up by writing a letter that asked FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski if he was concerned about these multiple SEC investigations of Mr. Falcone, especially since the FCC had granted Mr. Falcone's company a $10 billion victory following a shortened comment period.

"Today, documents have been released showing that Mr. Falcone and his hedge fund, Harbinger Capital, received a Wells Notice from the SEC.  While this does not mean the SEC definitely will take action against Mr. Falcone and his hedge fund, it does show that the SEC staff believes there is sufficient evidence to consider recommending an enforcement action.  Now the FCC is faced with the real possibility that it made a multi-billion-dollar grant of valuable spectrum to someone who could be charged with violating securities laws.  I raised this concern seven months ago.  Chairman Genachowksi was dismissive.  Now, more than ever, the FCC chairman should lead the effort to provide documents and offer insight into how the agency decided to give Mr. Falcone, Harbinger Capital and LightSquared this multi-billion-dollar grant."

 

A new TV feature is available on the USDA FTP site. The new feature can also be seen on USDA's YouTube channel and downloaded as a video podcast. See below for details.

FTP Download instructions:

The host: ftp://ocbmtcmedia.download.akamai.com

User name: usdanews

Password:  Newscontent1

Filename:aviation fuel feature

The new file is in QuickTime Movie (H.264 ), MPEG 4, MPEG2 and HDV.

YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY3Zp1rr1DI&feature=channel_video_title

video podcasthttp://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/usda-down-to-earth-video-podcast/id461819504?uo=4

RSS feed: http://downtoearth.usda.libsynpro.com/rss

Please email bob.ellison@usda.gov if you have problems or suggestions.

Also, use this free ftp client if you have problems.

http://filezilla-project.org/download.php?type+client

FEATURE - BIOFUELS FOR COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS

INTRO: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is touting the goal of expanding the use of advanced biofuels to boost rural America. The U-S-D-A's Bob Ellison has more. (1:33)

 

MADE IN THE U-S-A BIOFUELS POWERING AMERICA'S COMMERCIAL AIRLINES. THAT'S ONE OF THE MESSAGES AGRICULTURE SECRETARY TOM VILSACK BROUGHT TO A COMMERCIAL AVIATION ALTERNATIVE FUELS INITIATIVE EVENT HELD IN WASHINGTON D-C.

 

Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Secretary: So it's important for us to celebrate the success we marked this year for Alaska Airlines and United Continental, utilizing biofuel in commercial flights for the first time. And we obviously want to expand on that.

 

BECAUSE EXPANDING THE USE OF BIOFUELS WILL, VILSACK SAYS, BOOST THE ECONOMY IN RURAL AMERICA.

 

Vilsack: And for us at USDA advanced biofuels connected to the aviation industry is as much about fuel as it is about jobs. The ability to create good jobs primarily, in our view, in rural communities.

 

VILSACK SAYS THOSE JOBS WILL BE AT NEW RURAL BIO-REFINARY PLANTS TURNING NON-FOOD BIOMASS MATERIAL INTO ADVANCED BIOFUELS.

 

Vilsack: The Department of Energy will help and assist the development and construction of a number of prototype, commercial sized bio-refineries. We anticipate and expect that they might be able to provide assistance to as many as four or five of these bio-refineries located throughout the United States.

 

RECENTLY IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE U-S NAVY PURCHASED FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND GALLONS OF ADVANCED BIOFUEL TO POWER SHIPS AND PLANES...THE SINGLE LARGEST EVER GOVERNMENT BIOFUEL PURCHASE. FOR THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, I'M BOB ELLISON.

USDA Down To Earth Video Podcast

"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."  This classic line from "Casablanca" captures the essence of the relationship between American audiences and motion pictures.  That love affair, protecting the nation's cinematic heritage, and the Library of Congress' role in film preservation are examined in the documentary, "These Amazing Shadows"  (www.pbs.org/independentlens/these-amazing-shadows/).

Written and directed by Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton, "These Amazing Shadows" will air nationally on the award-winning PBS series "Independent Lens," hosted by Mary Louise Parker, on Thursday, Dec. 29, at 10:00 p.m. (check local listings). This critically acclaimed documentary has also been released on DVD and Blu-ray and will be available through the Library of Congress Shop (www.loc.gov/shop/).

Since 1989, the Library of Congress selects 25 films each year for preservation in the National Film Registry.  These films are selected for their cultural, historical or aesthetic significance and reflect the rich and diverse landscape of the American experience through a wide spectrum of genres.  They include Hollywood blockbusters, home movies, independent films, shorts, the avant-garde, documentaries and animated films.

"These Amazing Shadows" examines the creation of the Library's congressionally mandated preservation initiative and explores the nation's love of movies through rich imagery and insightful commentary. The documentary artfully blends together popular-to-obscure registry film clips and interviews with directors, actors, producers, critics, scholars, archivists, Library staff and members of the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB).

The producers highlight more than 165 film clips from such movie classics as "Casablanca" and "The Wizard of Oz" to provocative documentaries and historic home movies.  Discussing the power of cinema and the need to preserve it are such notables as Christopher Nolan, Rob Reiner, John Singleton, John Waters, Tim Roth, Debbie Reynolds, Leonard Maltin and the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington.

As part of his mission to preserve the nation's film legacy, the Librarian of Congress names the 25 annual selections to the registry after reviewing hundreds of titles nominated by the public and conferring with Library staff and NFPB members.  The number of selections in the registry currently totals 550.  The 2011 selections for the National Film Registry will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

Described as a "valentine" to motion pictures, "These Amazing Shadows" showcases compelling moments and poignant examples of the power and influence of film on American culture.  Among them are:

•  "Boyz N the Hood" director John Singleton commenting on why he supported the controversial inclusion to the registry of D.W. Griffith's racially biased masterpiece "The Birth of a Nation";

• "Star Trek" actor George Takei recounting the experience of Japanese-Americans in relocation camps during World War II, which is authenticated by revealing scenes from "Topaz," Dave Tatsuno's home movie about the internment camps;

• Stephen Peck's emotional insight into the value of such war films as "The Deer Hunter" and "Best Years of Our Lives";

• Before-and-after restoration work on "The Godfather" negatives left in tatters from overuse;

• The Library's discovery and restoration of the uncut 1933 drama, "Baby Face," starring Barbara Stanwyck;

• The role of women filmmakers and the pioneering work of Dorothy Arzner and Lois Weber, who was Universal's top director before 1920.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. It seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.

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When your child's dreams extend well beyond sugarplums...

RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE

PreSchool - 12th Grade College Prep

• Small class sizes & individualized attention
• Diverse student body from throughout the Quad City area
• 100% graduate acceptance to 4-year colleges & universities

December Admission Events

Tuesday, 12/6 - 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, 12/15 - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Open Tours

Open House

Can't make these events?
Call for an appointment!
Brittany Marietta - Director of Admission
(563) 359-1366 ext. 302
marietta@rvmt.org

RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE
1821 Sunset Drive - Bettendorf, IA 52722
(563) 359-1366 - www.rvmt.org

(located directly off 18th Street, behind K&K Hardware in Bettendorf)
On February at 4pm, the film, "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days" will be shown at the Figge Art Museum in the John Deere Auditorium. The Figge is located at 225 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA. Admission for the film is $5 or free for students.

2005 Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign language Film, Sophie Scholl: The Final Days is the true story of Germanys most famous anti-Nazi heroine brought to thrilling dramatic life. Sophie Scholl stars Julia Jentsch in a luminous performance as the fearless activist of the underground student resistance group, The White Rose.

Using historical records of her incarceration, the film re-creates the last six days of Sophie Scholl's life: a journey from arrest to interrogation, trial and sentence in 1943 Munich. Unwavering in her convictions and loyalty to her comrades, her cross-examination by the Gestapo quickly escalates into a searing test of wills as Scholl delivers a passionate call to freedom and personal responsibility that is both haunting and timeless. -IMDB review

This film is shown in conjunction with the exhibit The White Rose at the German American Heritage Center located at 712 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA. Sponsored by GAHC, The Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities and the German Consulate of Chicago.


WASHINGTON --- Led by Senators Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin, a group of 10 U.S. senators today called on a top official for the Army Corps of Engineers to carefully consider the weakened level of flood protection caused by damaged levees and other river infrastructure when deciding on water releases this winter and next spring.

In a letter to the Corps commander responsible for the Northwestern division, the senators said the Corps plans for an aggressive approach with winter and spring releases is encouraging, but that infrastructure damage also must be a major factor in the Corps management decisions because repairs will not be completed before possibly high water flows in 2012.    The reality of damaged levees means that water releases before March need to be above normal levels and that reservoir reserves need to be maximized, the senators said, noting the risk to communities and farmland.

Click here to read today's letter.

Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Kent Conrad and John Hoeven of North Dakota, and John Thune and Tim Johnson of South Dakota signed the letter, along with Harkin and Grassley.

The Iowa senators are active participants in a Missouri River Working Group, which is comprised of the senators representing states along the river from Montana to Missouri.  Yesterday, the working group asked the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office for a formal review of the 2011 Missouri River flood and the actions taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as recommendations for improving flood control operations along the river system.

In yesterday's letter to Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the senators detailed the record flooding that occurred this summer.  "There are varying viewpoints surrounding the recent flooding of the Missouri River. Various parties have suggested that more water than necessary was being held back in the upstream reservoirs.  Corps officials, on the other hand, contend that the unprecedented amount of rain changed their picture completely, forcing them to release record levels of water through the system.  Given the varying viewpoints on this issue, we are requesting that GAO examine key issues related to the Missouri River Flood of 2011," the letter said.

Click here to read yesterday's letter.

Bettendorf, IA - Twelve fifth grade elementary students from the Bettendorf Elementary Schools have collected 300 coats for the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency Coats for Kids Program as part of a community service project developed through the Tomorrow's Leaders program.  A representative from the AEA will be on hand accepting the coats tomorrow, December 9, at 7:30am at the Bettendorf Happy Joe's.  

Tomorrow's Leaders is comprised of 12 fifth grade students, one boy and one girl, representing each of the elementary schools in Bettendorf.  The students are chosen by their teachers and principals and are leaders among their class.  Once a month, the group meets for breakfast at the Bettendorf Happy Joe's, where they discuss leadership skills and social and society issues pertaining to school and the community. All of the students volunteer for the Special Needs Winter Holiday Party at the iWireless Center in December. Additionally, the students select a service project.  This year they chose to collect coats for the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency Coats for Kids Program.

"These students are the future leaders of tomorrow.  This program enables them to see that they have a voice and that being a leader is all about taking the initiative to mobilize themselves and others toward necessary action," says program advisor Happy Joe Whitty. 

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Catholic Sisters from ten religious communities based in the Upper Mississippi River Valley are hopeful that the words of Jesus will get the attention of Iowa residents, political candidates and ultimately the President and Congress on an issue near and dear to them - immigration.

On Monday, (Dec. 12) the sisters are launching an effort to draw attention to the need for comprehensive immigration reform. The effort, called "Welcoming Communities," will involve a statement issued by the Sisters (see attached) and supported by billboards, posters and prayers services in the Quad Cities, Des Moines, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Clinton, Iowa.

The billboards and posters (see attached) share a message about immigration based on the words of Jesus taken from the gospel of Matthew 25:35:  "I was a stranger an immigrant and you welcomed me." The signs will go up on December 12 and remain through early January.

"We declare ourselves 'Welcoming Communities' in affirmation of our Catholic tradition that holds sacred the dignity of each person," the Sisters said in their statement, "and we invite other communities and people of faith to join us in becoming 'Immigrant Welcoming Communities' through prayer, reflection, education and action."

"Our 'Welcoming Communities' stance is a direct response to the government's 'Secure Communities' program which has transformed local police officers into a primary gateway for deportation," explained the Sisters. "The results have been hundreds of thousands of detentions and deportations, serious civil and human rights concerns, due process violations and damaged trust between immigrant communities and local police."

They further noted that "the 'Secure Communities' process was marketed to local law enforcement agencies as a way to deal with serious and dangerous criminals. In fact, low-priority, non-violent offenders or even lawful permanent residents are being funneled into this program which is breaking up families, promoting racial profiling, and fueling a fear-filled and hateful anti-immigrant atmosphere."

National immigration reform organizations assert that the "Secure Communities" program has actually made communities less safe because many individuals are afraid to report crimes that they experience or witness for fear of being deported or having neighbors, family members or friends deported.  As a result, they state, crimes are going unreported and communities, rather than becoming "secure" are living in fear.

"Failure on the part of the federal government to reform the present unworkable immigration system has resulted in states passing legislation that is punitive and harmful to human rights," noted the Sisters.

"We understand that enforcement of law is part of any immigration policy," the Sisters emphasized.  "However, the present policy of involving state and local law enforcement agencies in the enforcement of federal immigration law, such as in the 'Secure Communities' program, is not achieving that goal.  True security lies in building relationships and respecting human rights and only true, comprehensive, compassionate immigration reform can deal with the crisis in our nation.  Therefore, we are declaring ourselves "Immigrant Welcoming Communities."

The following ten congregations of Catholic sisters are coordinating this public awareness campaign: Congregation of the Humility of Mary, Davenport, Ia., the Dominican Sisters, Sinsinawa, Wis.; Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Dubuque, Ia.; Sisters of the Presentation, Dubuque, Ia.; Sisters of St. Francis, Dubuque, Ia.; Sisters of the Visitation, Dubuque, Ia.; Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Ia.; Sisters of St. Benedict, Rock Island, Ill.; Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, La Crosse, Wis.; Sisters of Mercy, West Midwest Community, Omaha, Neb. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/catholicsisters.

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