Russia Votes to Ban All Adoptions by Americans

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The vote was 400 to 4, with 2 abstentions, and it showed a rare split opening at the highest levels of the Russian government. Several senior officials had spoken out against the adoption ban, including some, like the foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, who are known as hawks in dealing with the United States.

Ultimately, the decision rests with President Vladimir V. Putin who has said that Russia must respond to the American law but has not yet expressed his view on banning adoptions outright. Mr. Putin not only must sign the bill into law but will have huge sway over the final version of it that emerges from Parliament.

Since returning to the presidency in May, Mr. Putin has used populist, even reactionary, legislation out of the State Duma, the lower house of Parliament, to drive much his agenda and to suppress political dissent. And the proposed adoption ban now presents a huge test.

If Mr. Putin allows it to go forward, it would be the most forceful anti-American action of his new term, undoing a bilateral agreement on international adoptions ratified just this year and crushing the aspirations of thousands of Americans hoping to become parents of Russian orphans. More than 45,000 such adoptions have taken place since 1999.

But if Mr. Putin maneuvers to block the measure, it would put him at odds with United Russia, the party that nominated him for president and has dutifully carried out his legislative juggernaut.

The Kremlin on Wednesday sought to portray the Duma’s efforts as reflecting the anger of rank-and-file lawmakers. “This harsh and emotional reaction of Russian members of Parliament is well understandable,” Mr. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told Russian news agencies. “Certainly the executive branch’s policy is more restrained but taking into account the well-known anti-Russian manifestations, Russian President Vladimir Putin understands the Russian lawmakers’ position.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to the action by the Duma, but a spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, noted the prior cooperation on the issue of international adoptions. “We have worked hard with Russia to address past problems through our new adoption agreement, which the Duma has approved,” Ms. Nuland said. “Hundreds of Russian orphans have found safe, loving homes in the United States, as have children from around the world.”

Russian officials have also expressed anger that other Western countries, including Canada and Britain are considering their own version of the Magnitsky legislation. The Duma’s bill would apply the adoption ban to any other country that enacts such a law.

Lawmakers showed no hesitation in approving the adoption ban on Wednesday, despite the words of caution from senior officials, not just Mr. Lavrov, but the education minister, Dmitri Livanov, and even the speaker of the Federation Council, the upper chamber of Parliament, which must also approve the ban before it becomes law.

The speaker, Valentina Matviyenko, who is the highest-ranking woman in the Russian government, said on Wednesday that such a major step requires careful consideration. “One should not be guided by emotions,” Ms. Matviyenko said, according to the Interfax news agency. “The issue is very important and requires careful study. All the pros and cons should be weighed and the decision made in a cool state of mind without emotions.”

She added, however, that the majority of Federation Council members are in favor of responding forcefully to the new American law.

That law, which Mr. Obama signed on Friday, is named for Sergei L. Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who died in prison in 2009 after trying to expose a huge government tax fraud and allegedly after being denied proper medical care.

The law requires the administration to develop a list of Russian citizens accused of abusing human rights, including officials involved in Mr. Magnitsky’s case, and bar them from traveling to the United States and from owning real estate or other financial assets there.

Andrew Roth contributed reporting.

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Younger Americans are homeless

Now, with what he calls "lowered the standards" and a new position inconsistent with a Jack in the Box restaurant, Mr Taylor, 24, doesn't do enough to rent an apartment or share one. Sleeps on a mat in a homeless shelter, except when his sister let him crash on her couch.

"Anytime I could lose my job, my safety," said Mr. Taylor, explaining how it has always been the last hired and first fired. "I'd like to be able to support myself. This is my only goal. "

Across the country, tens of thousands of people unemployed and underemployed youth with college credits or work stories, many are struggling to house themselves following the recession, which has left workers between 18 and 24 with the highest unemployment rate of all adults.

Who can move back home with their parents — the so-called boomerang set — are the most fortunate. But that is not an option for those whose families have been affected badly the economy, including Mr. Taylor, whose mother is barely scraping while working at a laundromat. Without a permanent residence, they are an elusive group which mostly SURFs sofa or sleeping hidden away in your car or other private places, hoping to avoid the stigma of homelessness lasting public during what I hope will be a temporary situation.

These young adults are the new face of a national population of homeless, poverty experts and workers say cases is growing. But the problem is largely invisible. Most cities and States, focusing on homeless families, they did not make special efforts to identify young adults, who tend to shy away from ordinary admissions for fear of being victimized by a chronically homeless people, seniors. The unemployment rate and the number of young adults who can't afford college "point to the fact that there is a dramatic increase in homelessness" in that age group, said Barbara Poppe, Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on homelessness.

The Obama administration has launched an initiative with nine communities, most of them large cities, to try and those between 18 and 24 who are without a consistent home address. New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Cleveland and Boston are among the cities included in the effort.

"One of our first approaches you get an estimate more confident," said MS. Poppe, whose Agency is coordinating the initiative.

Those who provide services to the poor in many cities say that economic recovery has not alleviated the problem. "Years ago, you haven't seen what looked like college age sitting and waiting to talk to a worker of the crisis because they are homeless on the street," said Andrae Bailey, the Executive Director of the Community food and Outreach Center, one of the largest charitable organizations in Florida. "Now that is a normal thing."

Los Angeles first attempted a count of young adults who live on the street in 2011. Found 3,600, but the city had the capacity to shelter only 17 percent of them.

"The rest are left to their own devices," said Michael Arnold, Executive Director of the homeless services authority in Los Angeles. "And when you start adding in those who are couch surfing and staying with friends, that number increases exponentially.

Boston also tried to contend in 2010 and 2011. Seeking shelter homeless young adult population has grown by 3 percentage points to 12 percent of homeless people 6,000 served during that time.

"It is a step significant enough to know that it is just the tip of the iceberg," said Jim Greene, Director of emergency shelters for the Commission of public health in Boston.

In Washington, Lance Fuller, a 26-year-old with a degree in journalism, he spent the end of last month packing a one-bedroom apartment that he can no longer afford after being fired. Mr Fuller said he had been unable to keep a job for more than eight months after graduating from the University of Florida in 2010.

"Luckily, I have a girlfriend who is willing to let me stay with you until I get back on my feet again," said Mr Fuller, who writes a blog, rumors of a lost generation. "It's really hard for people of my generation do not feel completely defeated by this economy."

Mr. Taylor, the fast-food worker in Seattle, said that he felt lucky when he could find a coveted space to roots, a shelter for young adults in a church basement. These shelters are rare.

For generations, services for the homeless were directed at two groups: children and the elderly. There has been little attention focused on what today we call the experts «transitional age youth ' — young adults whose needs are distinct.

"I see them coming back day after day, more defeated, tired out, asking, ' when will it be my turn? ' "said Kristine Cunningham, Executive Director of roots".Is heartbreaking. This is the age when you want to show the world that have the value ".

Need more than just clean clothes and shelter to move into adulthood, experts say. "They want a way out," said MS. Poppe, whose Agency is also gathering evidence on what types of programs and awareness campaigns work best. "They want the opportunity to develop skills so they are long-term marketable".

"A more individualized approach seems to be working," he added.

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Some Improvement in Heart Risk Factors for Americans: CDC

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By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- About 47 percent of American adults have at least one risk factor for heart disease, according to a new report released Friday.

These risk factors include uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and smoking, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We have seen declines [in risk factors], but there's still work to be done," said the report's lead author, CDC health statistician Cheryl Fryar.

Findings of the report, culled from data gathered from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, included:

A drop in the rate of adults with at least one risk factor from 58 percent in 1999 to 46.5 percent in 2010.Men (52 percent) are more likely than women (41 percent) to have one of these risk factors.From 1999 to 2010, there was a drop in the percentage of whites and Mexican Americans who had at least one risk factor (about 47 percent and 45 percent respectively).There was no decline in the percentage of blacks with these risk factors, which remained at 58 percent.The prevalence of uncontrolled high blood pressure and uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol dropped between 1999 and 2010 (almost 8 percent and 9 percent, respectively).There was no drop in the percentage of adult cigarette smokers, which remained at 25 percent of adults 20 and older.Disparities remain among people of different income levels and racial and ethnic groups.

"Cardiovascular disease and stroke are largely preventable, with uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol levels and smoking representing major modifiable risk factors in men and women of all racial and ethnic groups and all income levels," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, spokesman for the American Heart Association and professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"It is concerning that some of the early gains in lowering the rates of uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol appeared heading in the wrong direction in 2009 and 2010," Fonarow said. "This may represent recent misguided efforts to discredit the substantial cardiovascular benefits of LDL-lowering therapy."

The report found that there are significant disparities in risk factors by age, sex, race and income levels, Fonarow noted.

"African Americans and those with incomes of less than 130 percent of the poverty level had higher prevalence of risk factors and made less progress over the study period," he said. "The reasons behind these disparities in risk factor control are likely complex, but deserving of further study."

"Substantially increased efforts to reduce or eliminate these uncontrolled cardiovascular disease and stroke risk factors at the individual, community, national and global level are clearly needed," Fonarow added.

Reasons for the stalled decline in smoking rates are not clear. Possible explanations include less money spent by states on antismoking campaigns and more advertising dollars spent by tobacco companies.

The CDC recently launched a campaign of graphic ads to get smokers to quit. Early results indicate the campaign is working.

"We have to have sustained efforts like this if we are going to have an impact on decreasing the number of smokers in this country," Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, said at the time of the campaign's launch. "One of the sad facts is that although we had success a number of years ago in getting people to stop smoking, we have hit a roadblock where 20 percent of Americans still smoke."

One of the major problems is that tobacco companies easily outspend the government's efforts to curb smoking with vast sums devoted to promoting their products, Lichtenfeld said.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Cheryl Fryar, M.S.P.H., U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., spokesman, American Heart Association, professor, cardiovascular medicine, University of California, Los Angeles; Aug. 3, 2012, report, Prevalence of Uncontrolled Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: United States, 1999-2010

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Some Improvement in Heart Risk Factors for Americans: CDC

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- About 47 percent of American adults have at least one risk factor for heart disease, according to a new report released Friday.

These risk factors include uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and smoking, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We have seen declines [in risk factors], but there's still work to be done," said the report's lead author, CDC health statistician Cheryl Fryar.

Findings of the report, culled from data gathered from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, included:

A drop in the rate of adults with at least one risk factor from 58 percent in 1999 to 46.5 percent in 2010.Men (52 percent) are more likely than women (41 percent) to have one of these risk factors.From 1999 to 2010, there was a drop in the percentage of whites and Mexican Americans who had at least one risk factor (about 47 percent and 45 percent respectively).There was no decline in the percentage of blacks with these risk factors, which remained at 58 percent.The prevalence of uncontrolled high blood pressure and uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol dropped between 1999 and 2010 (almost 8 percent and 9 percent, respectively).There was no drop in the percentage of adult cigarette smokers, which remained at 25 percent of adults 20 and older.Disparities remain among people of different income levels and racial and ethnic groups.

"Cardiovascular disease and stroke are largely preventable, with uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol levels and smoking representing major modifiable risk factors in men and women of all racial and ethnic groups and all income levels," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, spokesman for the American Heart Association and professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"It is concerning that some of the early gains in lowering the rates of uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol appeared heading in the wrong direction in 2009 and 2010," Fonarow said. "This may represent recent misguided efforts to discredit the substantial cardiovascular benefits of LDL-lowering therapy."

The report found that there are significant disparities in risk factors by age, sex, race and income levels, Fonarow noted.

"African Americans and those with incomes of less than 130 percent of the poverty level had higher prevalence of risk factors and made less progress over the study period," he said. "The reasons behind these disparities in risk factor control are likely complex, but deserving of further study."

"Substantially increased efforts to reduce or eliminate these uncontrolled cardiovascular disease and stroke risk factors at the individual, community, national and global level are clearly needed," Fonarow added.

Reasons for the stalled decline in smoking rates are not clear. Possible explanations include less money spent by states on antismoking campaigns and more advertising dollars spent by tobacco companies.

The CDC recently launched a campaign of graphic ads to get smokers to quit. Early results indicate the campaign is working.

"We have to have sustained efforts like this if we are going to have an impact on decreasing the number of smokers in this country," Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, said at the time of the campaign's launch. "One of the sad facts is that although we had success a number of years ago in getting people to stop smoking, we have hit a roadblock where 20 percent of Americans still smoke."

One of the major problems is that tobacco companies easily outspend the government's efforts to curb smoking with vast sums devoted to promoting their products, Lichtenfeld said.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Cheryl Fryar, M.S.P.H., U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., spokesman, American Heart Association, professor, cardiovascular medicine, University of California, Los Angeles; Aug. 3, 2012, report, Prevalence of Uncontrolled Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: United States, 1999-2010

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Most Americans with Celiac disease do not understand: the test

THURSDAY, Aug. 2 HealthDay News)--new research suggests that the 1.4 million Americans have celiac disease, but do not know, while 1.6 million people are on a gluten-free diet for celiac disease--treatment--even though they may not be necessary.

The results, which estimates that 1.8 million Americans have celiac disease--autoimmune condition--indicate that the percentage of 78 patients do not always realize that they have the condition.

"This is proof that the disease is common in the United States," said co-author Dr. Joseph Murray, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in the news release. "If you have one person to detect every five or six [who] are not very good job we're doing, celiac disease detection."

People with celiac disease have trouble sample of wheat, rye and barley. Gluten-free diet can help, but around 80% of the people on such a diet not recognized in celiac disease.

"There are many people on a gluten-free Diet and not clear what is the medical need for that," said Murray. "This important if someone thinks that they have celiac disease, that they be tested first before they go on a diet."

The researchers came to their conclusions by examining the results of tests of blood and establish a national test.

Celiac disease seems to be particularly common in the white race.

"Virtually all of the people we were non-Hispanic Caucasians," said co-author Dr. Alberto Rubio-Tapia, Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, release news. But, he said, the results are head scratching because studies in Mexico had suggested that the disease celiac is common.

Research was partially funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Centre for disease prevention and control.

Study appears in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, July 31.

--Randy Dotinga Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Source: Mayo Clinic, news release, 31 July 2012

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Most Americans with Celiac disease do not understand: the test

THURSDAY, Aug. 2 HealthDay News)--new research suggests that the 1.4 million Americans have celiac disease, but do not know, while 1.6 million people are on a gluten-free diet for celiac disease--treatment--even though they may not be necessary.

The results, which estimates that 1.8 million Americans have celiac disease--autoimmune condition--indicate that the percentage of 78 patients do not always realize that they have the condition.

"This is proof that the disease is common in the United States," said co-author Dr. Joseph Murray, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in the news release. "If you have one person to detect every five or six [who] are not very good job we're doing, celiac disease detection."

People with celiac disease have trouble sample of wheat, rye and barley. Gluten-free diet can help, but around 80% of the people on such a diet not recognized in celiac disease.

"There are many people on a gluten-free Diet and not clear what is the medical need for that," said Murray. "This important if someone thinks that they have celiac disease, that they be tested first before they go on a diet."

The researchers came to their conclusions by examining the results of tests of blood and establish a national test.

Celiac disease seems to be particularly common in the white race.

"Virtually all of the people we were non-Hispanic Caucasians," said co-author Dr. Alberto Rubio-Tapia, Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, release news. But, he said, the results are head scratching because studies in Mexico had suggested that the disease celiac is common.

Research was partially funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Centre for disease prevention and control.

Study appears in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, July 31.

--Randy Dotinga Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Source: Mayo Clinic, news release, 31 July 2012

View the original article here