National advocates 40 under 40

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Barack Obama (all times EST): 9:15 p.m. The White House says President Barack Obama has placed a pair of farewell telephone calls to the leaders of Afghanistan and India. Obama thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his partnership and congratulated him on India’s upcoming 68th Republic Day anniversary. Obama traveled to India as Modi’s chief guest for the 2015 holiday. The two leaders also reviewed cooperation on defense, civil nuclear energy, climate change and other issues Wednesday. Obama also spoke with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who was joined on the call by the country’s chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah. Obama expressed appreciation for the partnership between the U.S. and Afghanistan. He encouraged both leaders to continue working to enhance national unity and support a lasting peace and stability. ___ 3:16 p.m. President Barack Obama says daughters do not intend to pursue a future in politics … [Read more...] about The Latest: Obama chats with leaders of India, Afghanistan

GUILFORD, CT - The parents of Ethan Song spent several days in Washington, D.C. this week with others who are trying to get politicians to enact tougher gun ownership laws and to also remember the lives of those lost. The national vigil for all victims of gun violence was first held in 2012 to honor the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown and to call for action. Since then, over 700,000 Americans have been killed or injured by a gun and the vigil has expanded to support all victims and survivors of gun violence in the U.S. This year's vigil - the seventh - brought together hundreds of survivors, advocates, and lawmakers from across the country to remember all victims and survivors of gun violence and to recommit to the fight against gun violence. The Songs, Mike and Kristin, Ethan's parents who have become outspoken advocates for safe storage laws, were among them. "The vigil was extremely moving," said Mike Song. Kristin (Song) gave an amazing speech at the … [Read more...] about Ethan Song’s Parents Attend Vigil For Gun Victims In Washington

Weight gain is a well-established side effect of drugs used to improve clinical depression and stabilize mood in bipolar disorder. Yet many patients on such drugs are not told that they may gain a great deal of weight while on these medications. Indeed, the first sign that the drugs are affecting their weight may come only after they find themselves no longer able to control their food intake. They realize that they are eating larger portions at meals and not feeling full. Pre-medication, they rarely snacked. Now eating between meals or late at night is routine. And the snacks themselves have changed from fruit, raw vegetables or yogurt to cookies, chips and other sweet and starchy items. “I am always thinking about eating,” a weight-loss client told me. “I feel as if something has changed in my brain.” Although even after the weight gain becomes noticeable, it is not obvious that it is connected to the medication. One woman told me she thought her weight gain … [Read more...] about Weight Gain Your Doctor Didn’t Warn You About

Collected Poems On the one hand, there is the first sentence of Patrick Kavanagh's "Author's Note" to the old 1964 Collected Poems: "I have never been much regarded by the English critics," a sentence he could fairly repeat if he were still alive. On the other, there is Paul Durcan who speaks for the Irish crowd when he declares that he doesn't "read" Patrick Kavanagh, he "believes" in him. This new Collected, edited and introduced by Antoinette Quinn, Kavanagh's biographer and best advocate, should help not only the English critics but the whole English-speaking crowd to read Kavanagh with new regard and maybe even to start believing in him. Last year his centenary was celebrated in Ireland as if it were a national feast. Readings, concerts, television programmes, colloquia and confabulations of all sorts (not to mention the issue of a stamp) showed how thoroughly his work has entered "the second life of art". Eugenio Montale considered this second life the necessary end of the … [Read more...] about Strangeness and beauty

A cross-party alliance of opposition politicians has launched an 11th-hour appeal to anti-Tory voters to consider switching allegiance in Thursday’s general election, amid signs that a late surge of tactical voting in a few swing seats could deprive Boris Johnson of a majority in parliament. The calls from senior Labour, Liberal Democrat and SNP figures come as a major poll suggests Johnson’s likely majority has been been cut in half in the last two weeks – from 82 a fortnight ago to just 40 with four days to polling day. The analysis of almost 30,000 voters, for the pro-EU Best for Britain campaign, also finds that tactical votes by as few as 40,700 people in 36 key seats could prevent Johnson from forming a majority government. Without a majority, Johnson is unlikely to be able to deliver the central promise of the Tory campaign – “to get Brexit done” – as he will struggle to get enough MPs’ votes. The DUP, which agreed to prop up the … [Read more...] about Calls grow to stop Boris Johnson with tactical voting as race tightens