Top Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya has confirmed that they are engaged in ?indirect talks? with the Israeli government, centering on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement that came about in the wake of the November Israeli war against the tiny Gaza Strip.
Hayya?s comments confirm reports in the Israeli press that said Egypt had been mediating such talks, but he emphasized that they fell short of political negotiations and were focused almost exclusively on the ceasefire itself.
A key issue is the importation of construction materials to the strip, something Israel has banned since their 2008 war, and which has left much of the strip virtually in a state of ruin since that war, unable to rebuild from the air strikes.
It is unclear how far these talks have progressed, and if the Egyptian decision to flood smuggling tunnels taking cement into the Gaza Strip was related to the Morsi government?s attempt to negotiate a way for cement to enter the strip legally.
Briefing explores associations between air pollution and health outcomesPublic release date: 17-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Melva Robertson melva.robertson@emory.edu 404-727-5692 Emory Health Sciences
ATLANTA- Lance Waller, PhD, chair of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health, will present preliminary work that explores relationships between high-levels of air pollution exposure and health effects at a press briefing hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science on February 17, at 2 p.m. EST, in Boston.
During the briefing, Waller will summarize his joint work with the Southeastern Center for Air Pollution Epidemiology (SCAPE), funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. SCAPE tests air pollution levels in various areas of Metro Atlanta and their health effects, based on data from associated emergency room visits, in order to determine relationships to exposure. Waller's research will assess the general findings of SCAPE to identify spatial uncertainties in exposures.
"SCAPE has identified geographically-referenced air pollution levels and health outcomes," explains Waller. "Our work will analyze these data to determine whether the effects seen city-wide mirror those observed in local neighborhoods."
The team will also identify communities with higher risk levels and examine potential roles of behavioral connections such as prolonged outdoor activity and socio-economic status.
Satellite data data collected by measuring lightwill be collected to determine air pollution levels in areas where ground monitorsdata collected by filters-- are not located. Assessments made on the associations between monitored levels and satellite levels will help observe relationships over a broader region.
A second part of the research looks at pollution levels and the association specifically with respiratory diseases, as certain communities show stronger associations with these outcomes. Waller hopes that his research will lead to improved understanding of the causes of these outcomes.
"Each component of our research is essential because it generates potential solutions," says Waller. "If we can identify areas that are healthier, we may be able to identify why they are healthier and use these solutions as models to implement in other communities."
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Briefing explores associations between air pollution and health outcomesPublic release date: 17-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Melva Robertson melva.robertson@emory.edu 404-727-5692 Emory Health Sciences
ATLANTA- Lance Waller, PhD, chair of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health, will present preliminary work that explores relationships between high-levels of air pollution exposure and health effects at a press briefing hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science on February 17, at 2 p.m. EST, in Boston.
During the briefing, Waller will summarize his joint work with the Southeastern Center for Air Pollution Epidemiology (SCAPE), funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. SCAPE tests air pollution levels in various areas of Metro Atlanta and their health effects, based on data from associated emergency room visits, in order to determine relationships to exposure. Waller's research will assess the general findings of SCAPE to identify spatial uncertainties in exposures.
"SCAPE has identified geographically-referenced air pollution levels and health outcomes," explains Waller. "Our work will analyze these data to determine whether the effects seen city-wide mirror those observed in local neighborhoods."
The team will also identify communities with higher risk levels and examine potential roles of behavioral connections such as prolonged outdoor activity and socio-economic status.
Satellite data data collected by measuring lightwill be collected to determine air pollution levels in areas where ground monitorsdata collected by filters-- are not located. Assessments made on the associations between monitored levels and satellite levels will help observe relationships over a broader region.
A second part of the research looks at pollution levels and the association specifically with respiratory diseases, as certain communities show stronger associations with these outcomes. Waller hopes that his research will lead to improved understanding of the causes of these outcomes.
"Each component of our research is essential because it generates potential solutions," says Waller. "If we can identify areas that are healthier, we may be able to identify why they are healthier and use these solutions as models to implement in other communities."
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
President Obama?s proposal to raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour has led economists to explain, yet again, how this seemingly benign measure will lead to lost jobs, especially for teenagers. But to my knowledge, nobody has challenged Obama?s core assertion ? namely, that a raise is needed to lift full-time workers with children out of poverty. I have good news for the president: These workers have already been lifted out of poverty.
On Tuesday night, Mr. Obama said,
We know our economy?s stronger when we reward an honest day?s work with honest wages. But today, a full-time worker making the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year. Even with the tax relief we?ve put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That?s wrong.
He?s right that $14,500 is below the poverty line for a family of three (presumably a mother and two children; a family with two full-time workers ? a mom and a dad ? would earn well above the poverty line). But he seems to forget one of the most significant anti-poverty measures introduced in recent years: the earned-income tax credit. This family of three would be eligible for more than $5,000 from the EITC, putting its total income at almost $20,000 ? above the $18,500 poverty threshold (my thanks to anti-poverty guru Ron Haskins at the Brookings Institution, who provided these figures).
Nor does that count other non-cash benefits that such a family receives automatically (food stamps, Medicaid, and free school lunches) or for which it qualifies (housing subsidies, childcare, etc.). All told, governments at the federal, state, and local level provide more than $1 trillion a year to help low-income families like this one.
I don?t mean to be churlish; a family living on such meager means will struggle mightily to make ends meet, and there?s a strong humanitarian case for helping them live better (and for encouraging the mother to continue working). But there?s a better way to do so than raising the minimum wage: Raise the value of the EITC, instead.
A version of this article also appeared in The Corner.
As the stricken?Carnival Triumph?is towed back to port in Mobile, Ala., the 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew members stranded aboard are understandably restless. They?ve been stuck on board the ship since Sunday morning, when a fire in the ship?s engine room knocked out its propulsion system, leaving it stranded in the Gulf of Mexico.
Hayya?s comments confirm reports in the Israeli press that said Egypt had been mediating such talks, but he emphasized that they fell short of political negotiations and were focused almost exclusively on the ceasefire itself.
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Public release date: 17-Feb-2013
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