PM Note: NRA to Meet Joe Biden, Diane Sawyer and Gabbrielle Giffords, Remembering Richard Ben Cramer

Remembering Richard Ben Cramer, Chronicler of Political Candidates- Indulge Amy Walter, please, as she joins many of her political colleagues in paying tribute to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Richard Ben Cramer, who died Monday at age 62. http://abcn.ws/UGXMWH (Amy Walter)
Exclusive - Sawyer and Giffords - See Diane Sawyer's Interview with Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly - http://abcn.ws/ZnErq3
From Alyssa Newcomb and Lana Zak - "After she was gravely wounded by gunfire two years ago in Tucson, Ariz., former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, imagined a life out of the public eye, where she would continue therapy surrounded by the friends, family and the Arizona desert she loves so much.
"But after the slaughter of 20 first-graders and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last month, Giffords and Kelly knew they couldn't stay silent. "Enough," Giffords said.
"The couple marked the second anniversary of the Tucson shooting by sitting down with "Diane Sawyer to discuss their recent visit to Newtown and their new initiative to curb gun violence, "Americans for Responsible Solutions."
"After the shooting in Tucson, there was talk about addressing some of these issues, [and] again after [a movie theater massacre in] Aurora," Colo., Kelly said. "I'm hopeful that this time is different, and I think it is. Twenty first-graders' being murdered in their classrooms is a very personal thing for everybody."
Biden's Sked - Wednesday - Gun Control Advocates and Victims Groups Thursday - NRA, Sportsmen Advocates
The full wrap from Arlette Saenz - http://abcn.ws/SiiqLW
Obama, Karzai to meet Friday on Afghan Transition- President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai will meet at the White House Friday to discuss the future of the U.S.-Afghan relationship as the Obama administration readies to draw down its remaining forces after more than a dozen years of war. http://abcn.ws/UzbLIL (Mary Bruce and Luis Martinez)
Illinois House Passes Drivers Licenses For Undocumented Immigrants-The Illinois General Assembly passed legislation on Tuesday that would permit unauthorized immigrants to obtain temporary drivers licenses, clearing the way for Gov. Pat Quinn (D) to sign the bill into law. http://abcn.ws/VDbCVT (Jordan Fabian)
John Brennan's 'Zero Dark Thirty' Problem - There's only one White House staffer portrayed in the new movie "Zero Dark Thirty," and it is someone described in the credits as "National Security Advisor." http://abcn.ws/VNwUzN
'Breaking Bad' Actor Joining Albuquerque School Board-"Breaking Bad" actor Steven Michael Quezada wants to make a difference in the state that he and his show call home. http://abcn.ws/13eHfu8 (Josh Haskell)
Man Runs to DC From Maine for Charity- Gary Allen, an avid runner and Maine resident, is lacing up his sneakers in an attempt to run from Mount Desert Island to the nation's capital. http://abcn.ws/13go16E (Jilian Fama)
Christie Accused of Praying for Sandy - Chris Christie Foe Claims Christie 'Prayed' for Superstorm Sandy-Hours before New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was scheduled to give his state of the state address Tuesday afternoon, a political opponent claimed the tough-talking governor "prayed and got lucky" that superstorm Sandy slammed into the Garden State and drove attention away from the New Jersey economy. http://abcn.ws/U19s2E (Shushannah Walshe)
AIG May Join Suit Over US Bailout-Saved from collapse by a massive bailout, the insurance company AIG is now considering joining a lawsuit against the government, which claims the terms were too harsh. The complaint says shareholders were cheated by the $182 million bailout, which included high interest rates and billions in payments to AIG's Wall Street clients. The New York Times reports the lawsuit was filed in 2011 by 87-year-old former CEO Maurice Greenberg, a major investor who ran AIG for more than four decades. http://abcn.ws/WqxMt6 (Richard Davies)

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Government launches review of Shell Arctic drill program

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Interior Department said on Tuesday it will review Royal Dutch Shell's 2012 Arctic oil drilling program to assess the challenges the company faced and to help guide future permitting in the region.
The announcement follows the grounding of one of Shell's rigs off the coast of Alaska last week, the latest in a series of mishaps the company has encountered as it undertakes an ambitious Arctic oil exploration plans.
"Exploration allows us to better comprehend the true scope of our resources in the Arctic ... but we also recognize that the unique challenges posed by the Arctic environment demand an even higher level of scrutiny," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement.
Any changes in permitting requirements or delays due to the review could threaten Shell's drilling plans for 2013. The company faces a limited window during the summer when weather conditions and regulators will allow drilling.
Interior said it hopes to complete its "high-level" assessment within 60 days.
Shell has spent $4.5 billion since 2005 to develop the Arctic's vast oil reserves, but the company has faced intense opposition from environmentalists and native groups as well as regulatory and technical hurdles.
The oil giant made some strides last year, actually beginning preparatory drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. But the work was far short of completing up to three wells in the Chukchi and up to two in the Beaufort as the company had planned.
Instead, Shell's 2012 drilling season was beset by delays due to lingering ice in Arctic waters and problems with getting its mandatory oil spill containment vessel certified by the Coast Guard.
Shell said it welcomed the department's review, conceding that it had experienced some challenges.
"We have already been in dialogue with the DOI on lessons learned from this season, and a high level review will help strengthen our Alaska exploration program going forward," Shell spokeswoman Kelly op de Weegh said in a statement.
Interior said it would examine the issues with Shell's containment vessel, as well as issues with Shell's two drilling rigs, the Noble Discoverer and the Kulluk.
It was the Kulluk rig that broke away from tow boats last week and ran aground on New Year's Eve in what were described as near hurricane conditions.
U.S. Senator Mark Begich, an Alaska Democrat and strong supporter of offshore Arctic oil drilling, on Tuesday called for a hearing to examine the Kulluk situation.
"While this incident notably involves marine transportation and not oil exploration or drilling, we must quickly answer the many questions surrounding the Kulluk grounding and improve any regulatory or operational standards as needed to ensure this type of maritime accident does not occur again," Begich said in a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp and to Shell.
Environmental groups said the Kulluk accident was new evidence that oil companies were not prepared to operate in the Arctic, calling on the government to put all permitting in the area on hold.
One of the groups calling for a pause in permitting, the conservation group Oceana, said Interior's review is a step in the right direction, but it must be "more than a paper exercise."
"The Department of the Interior, after all, is complicit in Shell's failures because it granted the approvals that allowed Shell to operate," said Michael LeVine, Pacific senior counsel at the ocean conservation group.

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Supreme Court narrows avenue for death row appeals

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two death row inmates were not entitled to a delay of their federal appeals on the grounds that they were incompetent to assist their lawyers, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday.
In a unanimous ruling against inmates Ernest Valencia Gonzales and Sean Carter, the court also said federal judges cannot indefinitely delay appeals of state criminal convictions in the hope that the defendants might eventually become competent enough to help out.
Justice Clarence Thomas said defense lawyers are "quite capable" of reviewing cases without their clients' help and can identify arguments or state court errors that can be raised on appeal.
He said a district judge who believes an incompetent defendant could substantially aid in his defense should examine the likelihood that the defendant will regain competence.
In contrast, "where there is no reasonable hope of competence, a stay merely frustrates the state's attempts to defend its presumptively valid judgment," Thomas wrote.
Gonzales was convicted by an Arizona jury in the stabbings of two people in front of their seven-year-old son during a burglary. One of the victims died.
Carter was found guilty by an Ohio jury of the rape and stabbing death of his adoptive grandmother.
Dale Baich, who works in the federal public defender's office that represented Gonzales, noted that Supreme Court decision left room for federal courts to put some appeals on hold. A prisoner's competency to assist counsel is an issue in roughly one dozen capital cases pending nationwide, he said.
A lawyer for Carter was not immediately available to comment.
Thomas said the federal appeals courts that put both cases on hold erred in relying on two federal statutes to find that defendants must be competent.
A requirement of competency also does not flow from a defendant's right to counsel under the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, he wrote.
The court also said it was "unwarranted" to extrapolate a definitive rule based on a 1960s case involving an incompetent death row inmate that it put on hold for nearly three decades. That case ended when the prisoner died.
The cases are Ryan v. Gonzales, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 10-930; and Tibbals v. Carter, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 11-218.

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Conservation Partners Restore San Dieguito River Habitat

ESCONDIDO, Calif., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Daily commuters may have noticed exciting activity happening near the San Dieguito River recently. Helicopters have been airlifting out wildfire-burned logs and other debris since September, capping a multi-year effort to restore the river back to health – complete with native vegetation and restored habitat for various wildlife species.
Federal, state and local conservation agencies and partners have pooled their resources to invest nearly $4 million to restore wildfire-burn zones, remove invasive plants, and improve habitat for endangered species. A number of innovative conservation techniques have been incorporated including using helicopters to remove debris so as to not damage an identified Native American archaeological site nearby. 
"Driving past the wildfire damage in 2008 gave me great inspiration to restore this area back to a healthy and productive state," said Shea O'Keefe, biologist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  "Over the next year, we worked together with a number of partners to create a restoration plan and raise funds to complete the necessary work."
Using Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) funding, provided through the 2002 Farm Bill, NRCS was able to invest $650,000 of the total restoration cost, between 2009-2012, to remove invasive arundo plants and wildfire-scorched eucalyptus trees, and eventually re-vegetate sections of the San Dieguito River riparian corridor with native plant species.  This work improved habitat for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and Arroyo Toad, amongst other endangered and common wildlife species.
Large sections of the San Dieguito River riparian corridor, spanning from Julian to Rancho Santa Fe, were damaged in the 2007 Witch Creek Fire. NRCS initially approached the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy organization to identify five project areas that would provide the greatest restoration benefit. Additional partners, including California Fish and Game, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Transportation, San Diego Gas and Electric and the San Diego Joint Power Authority, provided technical and financial assistance to complete work on 500 total acres.

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Premier Organization for Hispanic Business Professionals Announces New Members to the Board of Directors

DALLAS, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) recently announced the election of three new members to their national board of directors: Anthony Lopez, President and General Manager, Medical Solutions, Ansell; Julio Rocha, principal /senior financial advisor, Financial Advisor Group; and Thomas Savino, independent management consultant.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110831/DC60133LOGO)
NSHMBA Chief Executive Officer Manny Gonzalez commented on the new appointments, "I believe that Anthony Lopez, Julio Rocha and Thomas Savino will be significant additions to our board of directors. Through their valuable business experience, definitely our newest board members will make valuable contributions to help us continue our mission to increase the number of Hispanics graduating from master's business degree programs."
Anthony Lopez is President and General Manager of Ansell Medical Solutions, as well as Senior Executive Leader for the Latin America Region for Ansell Industrial, Specialty Markets and Medical Solutions. With more than 30 years of experience, Lopez is recognized as a strategic thinker with a proven record for bringing about positive and empowering change.
Lopez holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College and a M.S. in Engineering Management/Business from the University of Dayton. He is the author of the Legacy Leader series of books.
Julio Rocha is the founder and senior financial advisor at Rocha Financial Group. Rocha has a passion for entrepreneurship and volunteerism and it's evidenced by 13 years of experience as a financial advisor and community leader.
Rocha uses his business development, sales and investment know-how through leadership positions at several community organizations, including the Hispanic Business Council, Orlando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Former Orlando Chapter President and Officer at NSHMBA.
Rocha is a graduate from University of Central Florida with a B.A. in Behavioral Science and a Financial Planning Certificate and holds an MBA from Rollins College.
Thomas Savino is an independent manager consultant at Jersey Coast Properties. With more than 26 years of vast experience in internal consulting and project management in major consulting firms like Mckinsey & Co., New York, NY. Savino is a problem solver who utilizes management, finance, marketing and knowledge management experience. Accomplished in client relationships and complex business process analysis.
Savino graduated from Boston University, BS in Public Relations in 1985 and holds a MBA in Finance from Fordham University in 1994.

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SEIU 32BJ: Luxury Developer Placed on Santa's Naughty List

Santa and Helpers Pay Surprise Visit to Luxury Developer Who Landed on This Year's Naughty List
- Santa Warns TF Cornerstone About Substandard Conditions for Workers at Some of its Luxury Residential Buildings -
NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Santa and his helpers today visited the Park Avenue South headquarters of TF Cornerstone, one of the fastest-growing real estate developers in the city, to warn the company's owners of its landing on this year's "Naughty" list for undercutting area standards for New York's working people. Standing outside Cornerstone's headquarters at 387 Park Avenue South, a costumed Santa and his helpers held aloft a poster-sized sign showing Cornerstone on this year's "Naughty" list.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121220/DC33484)
"Cornerstone charges $5,000 for two-bedroom apartments," said Larry Engelstein, Executive Vice President of 32BJ SEIU, which represents 70,000 building service workers in New York. "It can afford to provide its service workers safety training, retirement security and advancement opportunities that are up to industry standards. That's what's expected in our city, that's what responsible landlords have been paying for decades."
Cornerstone would have to pay just $2 per hour more for its service workers to have the same opportunities, training and retirement security as other building service workers in the city, said Alex Vargas, an organizer for 32BJ.
"That's all, just $2 per hour per worker, and Cornerstone could stop this destructive race to the bottom that is hurting our city's working families," Vargas said.
With 125,000 members in eight states and Washington, D.C., including 70,000 in New York, 32BJ SEIU is the largest union of property service workers in the country and the largest private sector union in the states.

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HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Learning about oral health can be informative and fun at the same time. The Pennsylvania Dental Association's (PDA) website features a section specifically designed for kids, and we encourage you to check it out. The Kids' Corner, www.padental.org/kidscorner , is an excellent resource for children of all ages and features the lovable Topher Tooth. It includes interactive games and activities, information on brushing and flossing, answers to frequently asked questions, nutritional information and more. The Kids' Corner is a valuable resource not just for children, but for parents, teachers and dentists gearing up for National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM) in February. In the Games and Activities section, children will learn how to keep their teeth and gums healthy through a variety of interactive games. Children can explore a dental laboratory, run an experiment to earn a certificate of achievement, test their knowledge of oral health facts on a game show, join Marty on a visit to the dentist and test their memory skills. In the Brushing and Flossing section, Topher Tooth teaches children about the importance of good oral hygiene, how to correctly brush and floss their teeth and how to prevent cavities. In the Nutrition section, Topher Tooth offers children several tips on good nutrition, such as limiting sugary snacks and beverages. Children often have questions about their oral health, such as why they need braces and how they work to straighten teeth. Topher Tooth provides children with answers to frequently asked questions in a language that is easy to understand. PDA's website also contains additional resources for children and parents. PDA encourages you to visit the NCDHM sections for dentists, teachers and students at www.padental.org/ncdhm . Are you a teacher gearing up for NCDHM this February? PDA has free online resources designed to help you educate your students about the importance of good oral health. This year, for the first time, the lesson plan and activity sheets are only available to download at the Teachers' Corner at www.padental.org/teacherscorner. You will be able to get all of the pieces of the lesson plan you've enjoyed over the years, and the colorful classroom posters are still available for you to request via our website. PDA is still sponsoring its annual poster contest for third-grade students. All Pennsylvania third-grade students are eligible to participate in the contest and we are awarding cash prizes to the first, second and third place winners. Visit www.padental.org/ncdhm for the complete list of poster contest rules or for more information on NCDHM.

Policymakers Must Take A Balanced Approach to Deficit Reduction
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As January 1 quickly approaches, LeadingAge, a not-for-profit association for aging services providers with more than 6,000 members nationwide, is urging members of Congress to act before the end of the year to prevent automatic spending reductions, known as sequestration.
LeadingAge fully recognizes the seriousness of the federal budget situation and the need to bring the budget back toward a healthy balance between spending and revenues. But if sequestration occurs, a "fiscal cliff" will mean that federal funding for aging services programs will be cut substantially.
According to a report by the Office of Management and Budget, sequestration will have the following impact on aging services:
The report estimates the cut in Section 202 housing funding at 8.2%, amounting to $31 million.
Section 811 housing for people with disabilities would get an 8.2% cut, amounting to $14 million.
The Administration on Aging, which manages Older Americans Act programs, would get an 8.2% cut, amounting to $121 million.
Medicare reimbursement to health care providers will be cut by 2%. These cuts will amount to an $11 billion cut in Medicare spending.
Medicaid is one of the few federal programs that would be exempt from the automatic spending cuts.
The people that LeadingAge serves depend on Medicare, Medicaid, federal affordable housing programs, and Older Americans Act home- and community-based services for essential long-term care, shelter, nutrition and other services that enable them to age with dignity.
Shifting costs from the federal to state governments or from government programs to consumers and health care providers is not the answer to the federal budget dilemma. Policymakers must address the root causes of excessive spending in ways that will effectively reduce its growth.
Additionally, LeadingAge is concerned about proposals to address the fiscal cliff that include restrictions on income tax deductions, including the one for charitable contributions. LeadingAge members rely heavily on private philanthropy to fund the services they provide for elders.
"The federal budget situation is dire and the need for shared sacrifice to address it is clear," says Larry Minnix, president and CEO of LeadingAge. "However, we must not balance the nation's checkbook on the backs of vulnerable seniors.

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Kids' Corner a Valuable Resource for Children's Oral Health

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Learning about oral health can be informative and fun at the same time. The Pennsylvania Dental Association's (PDA) website features a section specifically designed for kids, and we encourage you to check it out. The Kids' Corner, www.padental.org/kidscorner , is an excellent resource for children of all ages and features the lovable Topher Tooth. It includes interactive games and activities, information on brushing and flossing, answers to frequently asked questions, nutritional information and more.
The Kids' Corner is a valuable resource not just for children, but for parents, teachers and dentists gearing up for National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM) in February.
In the Games and Activities section, children will learn how to keep their teeth and gums healthy through a variety of interactive games. Children can explore a dental laboratory, run an experiment to earn a certificate of achievement, test their knowledge of oral health facts on a game show, join Marty on a visit to the dentist and test their memory skills.
In the Brushing and Flossing section, Topher Tooth teaches children about the importance of good oral hygiene, how to correctly brush and floss their teeth and how to prevent cavities.
In the Nutrition section, Topher Tooth offers children several tips on good nutrition, such as limiting sugary snacks and beverages. Children often have questions about their oral health, such as why they need braces and how they work to straighten teeth. Topher Tooth provides children with answers to frequently asked questions in a language that is easy to understand.
PDA's website also contains additional resources for children and parents. PDA encourages you to visit the NCDHM sections for dentists, teachers and students at www.padental.org/ncdhm .
Are you a teacher gearing up for NCDHM this February? PDA has free online resources designed to help you educate your students about the importance of good oral health. This year, for the first time, the lesson plan and activity sheets are only available to download at the Teachers' Corner at www.padental.org/teacherscorner. You will be able to get all of the pieces of the lesson plan you've enjoyed over the years, and the colorful classroom posters are still available for you to request via our website.
PDA is still sponsoring its annual poster contest for third-grade students. All Pennsylvania third-grade students are eligible to participate in the contest and we are awarding cash prizes to the first, second and third place winners. Visit www.padental.org/ncdhm for the complete list of poster contest rules or for more information on NCDHM.

Read More..