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[Posted by Elena Sytcheva]

On Friday, Vice President Joe Biden—who authored the groundbreaking Violence Against Women Act —brought domestic violence policy to the forefront by announcing Lynn Rosenthal as White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. The appointment of Rosenthal, whose primary role in this newly created position will be to advise President Obama and Vice President Biden on domestic violence and sexual assault issues, coordinate with government agencies, and develop new initiates combating violence with advocacy groups and Congress members, is no-doubt a positive move. However, given that women experience about 4.8 million intimate-partner related physical assaults and rapes per year in the U.S. alone, according to the National Organization for Women (NOW), there is still much work to be done on this front. Sue Else, the President of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, commented, “Lynn Rosenthal is a pioneer in the movement against domestic abuse and sexual assault. Her expertise will help to shape federal policies that will serve countless survivors of domestic and sexual violence.” During a panel discussion on domestic violence, that took place after Biden’s announcement, Kim Gandy, outgoing President of NOW added, “It’s extremely important to have advocacy at the highest level of government for both prevention and services related to the extraordinary epidemic.” Read More

[Posted by The Media Consortium Media Wire]

Weekly Immigration Wire

by Nezua, TMC Mediawire Blogger

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President Obama has often stated that immigration reform cannot be approached in a piecemeal fashion, and that his administration would tackle the issue in 2009. This week, Obama will be meeting with members of Congress to kick off a bi-partisan approach to reform. These meetings don’t guarantee any legislative action will take place this year, but are at least an encouraging sign. In the meantime, the deportation industry shows no sign of slowing, hate crimes are rising and hate groups are being main streamed. As a result, the polarization between reform advocates and foes is getting worse. Read More

[Posted by Media Consortium Media Wire]

Weekly Audit: Obama’s Regulation Overhaul Comes Up Short
by Zach Carter, TMC MediaWire Blogger

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President Barack Obama rolled out his plan to overhaul financial regulation last week. While much of the Obama plan relies on the same regulators and structures that led to the current meltdown, there is one key exception. The establishment of an independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency would give ordinary citizens a seat at the financial policy table for the first time and prevent the abuses in credit card and mortgage lending that have wreaked havoc on households all over the country.

The new agency is the brainchild of Harvard University Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren. As chair of a key oversight panel for the Treasury Department’s bank bailout program, Warren has uncovered major deficiencies in the government’s handling of the plan, including nearly $80 billion in overpayments to bailed-out banks. American News Project features footage of an interview with Warren, who explains why we need a separate agency to regulate on behalf of consumers.

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[Posted by The Media Consortium Media Wire]

Weekly Immigration Wire

by Nezua, MC MediaWire Blogger

On May 30, 29-year-old Raul Flores and his 9-year-old daughter Brisenia Flores were shot to death, purportedly by a group of far-right anti-immigrant activists who broke into the Flores home by posing as police officers. On Friday, Shawna Forde, anti-immigrant activist and Executive Director of the Minutemen American Defense, (MAD) along with accomplices Jason Eugene Bush and Albert Robert Gaxiola were arrested on two counts of first-degree murder and burglary charges related to the Flores murders.

Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo notes that the MAD website denounces the murders, but wryly adds that the distancing is “a tad belied by headlines down the page,” like “Subhuman Mexicans (God’s Children?) Prey on Countrymen.” The Flores murders are part of a palpable political and social climate of hostility and revulsion toward Latin American immigrants that is running amok in our nation.

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