Texas Attorney General Invites New York Gun Owners To Move To Texas

On Tuesday, New York became the first state to pass gun legislation in response to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December. The measures include bans on assault weapons and magazines that hold more than 7 bullets, and a requirement that gun owners in homes with mentally ill people must properly lock up their firearms.

Though these new laws are immensely popular among New York voters, Texas attorney general Greg Abbott (R) has extended an open invitation to any New Yorkers who feel threatened by the new gun violence protection measure. Abbott launched an Internet ad campaign targeting New Yorkers shortly after Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) signed the law.

The provocative web ads, paid for with Abbott campaign funds, will appear as a pop-up on screens on a variety of media web sites, including that of The New York Times, for those accessing the sites in Manhattan and Albany.

“Is Gov. Cuomo looking to take your guns? Sick of the media outing law abiding gun owns? Are you a lawful NY gun owner seeking lower taxes?” reads one of two pop-up ads.

A second reads: “Wanted: Law abiding New York gun owns looking for lower taxes and greater opportunity.”

Click on either and you are directed to a Facebook second amendment petition page with the greeting: “You’ll fit right in here in Texas!”

The Facebook page boasts that New Yorkers who move to Texas will be able “to keep more of what you earn and use some of that extra money to buy more ammo.”

Abbott’s campaign may not attract many New York defectors. A new poll found that 73 percent of New York voters supported the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. A full 91 percent support stricter penalties on purchasing illegal guns or using guns on school property. Even New York’s Republican state senators supported the new laws, passing it by a margin of 43 to 18.

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Huffington: Three Big Media Trends of 2013

 Highlight transcript below to create clipTranscript:  Print  |  Email Go  Click text to jump within videoThu 17 Jan 13 | 07:44 AM ET "Stress is one of the main reasons for why health care costs have been rising," said Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post founder, discussing how business are beginning to realize that stress reduction is actually a performance enhancement tool. Also, a look at how new technology is changing the face of media.

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Presidential Memorandum -- Improving Availability of Relevant Executive Branch Records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Improving Availability of Relevant Executive Branch Records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System

Since it became operational in 1998, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has been an essential tool in the effort to ensure that individuals who are prohibited under Federal or State law from possessing firearms do not acquire them from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). The ability of the NICS to determine quickly and effectively whether an individual is prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm depends on the completeness and accuracy of the information made available to it by Federal, State, and tribal authorities.

The NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (NIAA) (Public Law 110-180) was a bipartisan effort to strengthen the NICS by increasing the quantity and quality of relevant records from Federal, State, and tribal authorities accessible by the system. Among its requirements, the NIAA mandated that executive departments and agencies (agencies) provide relevant information, including criminal history records, certain adjudications related to the mental health of a person, and other information, to databases accessible by the NICS. Much progress has been made to identify information generated by agencies that is relevant to determining whether a person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms, but more must be done. Greater participation by agencies in identifying records they possess that are relevant to determining whether an individual is prohibited from possessing a firearm and a regularized process for submitting those records to the NICS will strengthen the accuracy and efficiency of the NICS, increasing public safety by keeping guns out of the hands of persons who cannot lawfully possess them.

Therefore, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:

Section 1. Improving the Availability of Records to the NICS. (a) Within 45 days of the date of this memorandum, and consistent with the process described in section 3 of this memorandum, the Department of Justice (DOJ) shall issue guidance to agencies regarding the identification and sharing of relevant Federal records and their submission to the NICS.

(b) Within 60 days of issuance of guidance pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, agencies shall submit a report to DOJ advising whether they possess relevant records, as set forth in the guidance, and setting forth an implementation plan for making information in those records available to the NICS, consistent with applicable law.

(c) In accordance with the authority and responsibility provided to the Attorney General by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Public Law 103-159), as amended, the Attorney General, consistent with the process described in section 3 of this memorandum, shall resolve any disputes concerning whether agency records are relevant and should be made available to the NICS.

(d) To the extent they possess relevant records, as set forth in the guidance issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, agencies shall prioritize making those records available to the NICS on a regular and ongoing basis.

Sec. 2. Measuring Progress. (a) By October 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, agencies that possess relevant records shall submit a report to the President through the Attorney General describing:

(i) the relevant records possessed by the agency that can be shared with the NICS consistent with applicable law;

(ii) the number of those records submitted to databases accessible by the NICS during each reporting period;

(iii) the efforts made to increase the percentage of relevant records possessed by the agency that are submitted to databases accessible by the NICS;

(iv) any obstacles to increasing the percentage of records that are submitted to databases accessible by the NICS;

(v) for agencies that make qualifying adjudications related to the mental health of a person, the measures put in place to provide notice and programs for relief from disabilities as required under the NIAA;

(vi) the measures put in place to correct, modify, or remove records accessible by the NICS when the basis under which the record was made available no longer applies; and

(vii) additional steps that will be taken within 1 year of the report to improve the processes by which records are identified, made accessible, and corrected, modified, or removed.

(b) If an agency certifies in its annual report that it has made available to the NICS its relevant records that can be shared consistent with applicable law, and describes its plan to make new records available to the NICS and to update, modify, or remove existing records electronically no less often than quarterly as required by the NIAA, such agency will not be required to submit further annual reports. Instead, the agency will be required to submit an annual certification to DOJ, attesting that the agency continues to submit relevant records and has corrected, modified, or removed appropriate records.

Sec. 3. NICS Consultation and Coordination Working Group. To ensure adequate agency input in the guidance required by section 1(a) of this memorandum, subsequent decisions about whether an agency possesses relevant records, and determinations concerning whether relevant records should be provided to the NICS, there is established a NICS Consultation and Coordination Working Group (Working Group), to be chaired by the Attorney General or his designee.

(a) Membership. In addition to the Chair, the Working Group shall consist of representatives of the following agencies:

(i) the Department of Defense;

(ii) the Department of Health and Human Services;

(iii) the Department of Transportation;

(iv) the Department of Veterans Affairs;

(v) the Department of Homeland Security;

(vi) the Social Security Administration;

(vii) the Office of Personnel Management;

(viii) the Office of Management and Budget; and

(ix) such other agencies or offices as the Chair may designate.

(b) Functions. The Working Group shall convene regularly and as needed to allow for consultation and coordination between DOJ and agencies affected by the Attorney General's implementation of the NIAA, including with respect to the guidance required by section 1(a) of this memorandum, subsequent decisions about whether an agency possesses relevant records, and determinations concerning whether relevant records should be provided to the NICS. The Working Group may also consider, as appropriate:

(i) developing means and methods for identifying agency records deemed relevant by DOJ's guidance;

(ii) addressing obstacles faced by agencies in making their relevant records available to the NICS;

(iii) implementing notice and relief from disabilities programs; and

(iv) ensuring means to correct, modify, or remove records when the basis under which the record was made available no longer applies.

(c) Reporting. The Working Group will review the annual reports required by section 2(a) of this memorandum, and member agencies may append to the reports any material they deem appropriate, including an identification of any agency best practices that may be of assistance to States in supplying records to the NICS.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) Independent agencies are strongly encouraged to comply with the requirements of this memorandum.

Sec. 5. Publication. The Attorney General is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

Watch Hinna, Taejah, Julia and Grant read the letters they wrote to President Obama, asking him to do something about gun violence.

Editorial pages across the country today are lauding the President’s broad approach to address curbing gun violence in our nation

Learn more about the new Health Insurance Marketplace, which will kick in come October and mark the beginning of new health insurance and tax credits for millions of Americans.

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Carney: Te'o girlfriend hoax story 'fascinating'

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Thursday that he found "fascinating" a Deadspin report revealing Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te'o's girlfriend to be a hoax, but had not discussed the story with the president.

Carney said he had read the report Wednesday night, but had not mentioned it to Obama in the interim.

"I thought it was a very interesting story," Carney said.

The story, published Wednesday, shook the world of college football and quickly exploded into the national consciousness.

Multiple news outlets had reported during the football season the seemingly tragic story of T'eo's girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, dying of leukemia just hours after his grandmother passed away. But Deadspin reported they could find no record of the girlfriend having existed, and that biographical details — including her death, involvement in a car crash and enrollment at Stanford University — did not check out.

The website also reported that images of Kekua were actually those of a different woman.

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a news conference Wednesday that it appeared T'eo was the victim of an elaborate hoax by someone using a fictitious name.

"On the morning of Dec. 26, very early morning, Manti called his coaches to inform them that while he was in attendance at the ESPN awards show in Orlando, he received a phone call from a number he recognized as having been that he associated with Lennay Kekua," Swarbrick said. "When he answered it, it was a person whose voice sounded like the same person he had talked to, who told him that she was, in fact, not dead. Manti was very unnerved by that, as you might imagine."

Swarbrick said that Notre Dame had hired an independent investigative firm and, upon the conclusion of that investigation, stood by T'eo and his story.

"I want to stress, as someone who has probably been as engaged in this as anyone in the past couple of weeks, that nothing about what I have learned has shaken my faith in Manti Te'o one iota," Swarbrick said.

In a statement Wednesday, T'eo called the incident "incredibly embarrassing."

"Over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online. We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her," T'eo said. "To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone's sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating."

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GOP-Controlled Virginia House Committee Kills Voting Rights Restoration Proposals

Convicted felons in must petition to the governor for voting rights clemency

The Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee with jurisdiction over constitutional amendments killed a series of proposals Monday that would have restored the civil rights of persons convicted of a felony who have completed their sentences. This move come days after Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) endorsed changing the Virginia constitution to automatically allow non-violent felons to regain their voting rights after serving their time.

Virginia is one of a handful of states that prohibits all citizens convicted of felonies from voting, even after they serve their terms, unless they are granted clemency by the governor. A series of proposals by Democrats and Republican members of the Virginia House of Delegates were rejected, en mass, by the Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee of the House Privileges and Elections Committee. The subcommittee’s four Republicans unanimously voted to kill all of the proposals, Democrats Algie Howell (D) and Johnny Joannou (D) were the only votes in favor of any of the measures.

Both McDonnell’s Secretary of the Commonwealth Janet Vestal Kelly and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) attended the hearing to speak in support automatic restorations. Had any of the bills passed through the Virginia General Assembly this year and again next year, it would have gone to a statewide referendum.

Deputy House Majority Leader C. Todd Gilbert (R), a former prosecutor who does not sit on the committee, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he opposed automatic restoration because felons already get off too easy. “These are not people we ask of much … All we ask them is to show a little personal responsibility and fill out a simple application [for rights restoration].” Far from just simple procedural act, applying for clemency is no guarantee that whoever is governor will grant the clemency request.

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FDA clears study of Neuralstem spinal cord therapy

  Published: Monday, 14 Jan 2013 | 4:34 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Adult stem cell developer Neuralstem Inc. said Monday the Food and Drug Administration approved the company's plan for a small, early-stage study of its treatment for spinal cord injury.

The company plans to enroll up to eight patients with a type of spinal cord injury that causes complete paralysis.

All patients in the study will receive six injections of stem cells, followed by physical therapy and drugs to prevent the body from rejecting the stem cells.

Neuralstem is studying several therapeutic uses of adult stem cells. The company completed phase I testing of a treatment for Lou Gehrig's disease in August.

Shares of Neuralstem Inc. rose 5 cents, or 4 percent, to close at $1.29.

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NEW YORK-- Adult stem cell developer Neuralstem Inc. said Monday the Food and Drug Administration approved the company's plan for a small, early-stage study of its treatment for spinal cord injury. Neuralstem is studying several therapeutic uses of adult stem cells. Shares of Neuralstem Inc. rose 5 cents, or 4 percent, to close at $1.29.

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First Lady and Wal-Mart team up for veterans initiative

A spokeswoman for Michelle Obama said Tuesday the First Lady would work with Walmart on an initiative to employ veterans, after the company announced a pledge to offer a job to any honorably discharged veteran in his or her first 12 months off active duty.

"The First Lady’s team was very excited and pleased by Walmart’s new national commitment to employ America’s veterans and immediately expressed an interest in working with Walmart and the entire business community to build upon and expand this commitment," Obama's deputy communications director Semonti Stephens said in an email. "In the next several weeks the White House will convene Walmart and other major American employers to discuss Walmart’s plan and encourage other businesses to make similar significant veterans employment commitments to train and employ America’s returning heroes."

Walmart has estimated it could hire more than 100,00 veterans over the next five year in stores, clubs, distribution centers and its home office.

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Possible HIV exposure at Buffalo VA hospital

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- More than 700 patients at the Buffalo Veterans Administration Center may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C because of accidental reuse of insulin pens, according to a hospital statement and published reports.

Authorities told The Buffalo News there is a "very small risk" for the diabetic patients who may have been exposed to the reused insulin pens between Oct. 19, 2010 and November 2012. The VA memo obtained by the News said the problem was discovered by a routine pharmacy inspection last Nov. 1. The News first published the report on its website Friday.

The VA also notified western New York members of Congress of the possible exposure.

In a statement to The Associated Press, VA spokeswoman Evangeline Conley said the hospital "recently discovered that in some cases, insulin pens were not labeled for individual patients." She added that "although the pen needles were always changed, an insulin pen may have been used on more than one patient."

Conley said that once this was discovered the hospital took "immediate action" to ensure the insulin pens were being used according to pharmaceutical guidelines.

Insulin pens used by diabetics to inject insulin can be disposable or reusable with replaceable needles and cartridges. But according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, even reusable pens should not be used on more than one patient.

After seeing the VA's memo, Rep. Chris Collins, a Republican who represents the Buffalo area, said he spoke with Dr. Robert A. Petzel, undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"His thought was that it's a very, very low chance of passing infection," Collins said. "But it's not out of the realm of possibility, and that's why they're testing everyone," Collins told the News.

Collins said that even with a fresh needle, contamination could have occurred if bodily fluid flowed back into the insulin pens.

The VA said it is offering free blood tests to rule out any infections.

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Firearms Training CEO, Who Threatened To ‘Start Killing People’ Over Gun Debate, Loses Gun Permit

Tactical Response CEO James Yeager

James Yeager, CEO of Tennessee-based Tactical Response, delivered a frightening rant last week on YouTube, declaring that gun owners “load your damn mags” and “get ready to fight,” because if gun violence prevention “goes one inch further, I’m going to start killing people.” His followup video was not any better: Yeager clarified he does not “condone anyone committing any kind of felonies, up to and including aggravated assaults and murders, unless it’s necessary. Right now, it’s not necessary.” There was no retraction.

As a result, Yeager has had his handgun permit suspended because of “material likelihood of risk of harm to the public.” Tennessee Department of Saftey and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons said, “Mr. Yeager’s comments were irresponsible, dangerous, and deserved our immediate attention. Due to our concern, as well as that of law enforcement, his handgun permit was suspended immediately.”

HT: Raw Story

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Drug Pipelines Begin to Fill For Big Pharma

BioMarin's CEO On Its Product Pipeline The iShare Biotech ETF is up 32 percent over the past year. Jean-Jacques Bienaime, BioMarin Pharmaceutical CEO, discusses the reason behind his company behind up 24.9 percent in the last 3 months.

Big U.S. pharma stocks are up about 5 percent so far this year. Biotechs, meanwhile, are up nearly 6 percent and have risen 17 percent over the past six months.

Jean-Jacques Bienaime, BioMarin Pharmaceutical's CEO, told CNBC his company has five products in clinical trials, which is large for a company its size.

BioMarin is most excited about a treatment for Morquio syndrome, or MPS IV, an enzyme deficiency that can lead to skeletal dysplasia, short stature, and joint abnormalities.

"It has the potential of doubling the revenues of the company and bringing it to about a billion dollars of revenues in the future," Bienaime said of the treatment. He expects to file for approval with the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the quarter and with European authorities by the end of April.

"There's a good chance to get approval this year," he added.

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