Doubling the Peace Corps, the House comes through where Obama did not.

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Thursday June 18, 2009 · 7:41 AM PDT

2009/06/18 · 07:41

One of Obama's campaign promises was to create a bolder new Peace Corps doubling the size of the Peace Corps bringing the total number of volunteers to 16,000 by 2011. Unfortunately Obama did not follow through on his pledge and only recommended a $373 million dollar budget for the next fiscal year which does not provide enough money to substantially expand the Peace Corps.

As someone who has volunteered with the Peace Corps I was ecstatic to hear that Obama planned to double the Peace Corps and disappointed when he decided not to. But luckily the House has come through where Obama did not.

More below the fold.

znost

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Wednesday December 17, 2008 · 4:02 PM PST

2008/12/17 · 16:02

This year there has been a huge increase in drug related violence south of the border and every now and then somebody writes a diary about it, Nulwee wrote a great diary about the violence last week.

Unfortunately the violence is continuing to spread in Mexico, even hospitals have become part of the drug war, the New York Times reports:

Hit men pursuing rivals into intensive care units and emergency rooms. Shootouts in lobbies and corridors. Doctors kidnapped and held for ransom, or threatened with death if a wounded gunman dies under their care. With alarming speed, Mexico’s violent drug war is finding its way into the seeming sanctuary of the nation’s hospitals, shaking the health care system and leaving workers fearing for their lives while trying to save the lives of others.

As violence continues to spread inside Mexico, The violent Mexican gangs of narco traffickers have also started to move out of Mexico.. More below the fold:

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Portugal to Legalize Abortion

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Sunday February 11, 2007 · 8:45 PM PST

2007/02/11 · 20:45

Under Portugal's existing law abortion is only allowed in the case of rape or when there is a risk the child will be born with a deformaty or incurable disease. Illegal abortion is punishible with up to 3 years in prison.

But today the Portugese voted for change in a national referendum:

Prime Minister Jose Socrates has said abortion will be legalised in Portugal despite the turnout for a referendum being too low to be legally binding.
Turnout was about 40%, far less that the 50% required, but of those who did vote, 59.3% backed a proposed change to the current law.

BBC has the full story here.
More below (including pictures)

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Doubling the Peace Corps, the House comes through where Obama did not.

Our other war is getting worse and spreading

Portugal to Legalize Abortion