 JAC met with several elected officials, candidates and leaders around the country.
JAC was honored to meet with Israeli Ambassador Danny Ayalon this week in Chicago. (Dana Gordon & Candy Hyman)  Kim & Perry Shwachman with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) in Washington, DC.
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This International Woman's Day, call your Senator and urge them to PASS the International Violence Against Women Act. |
Your voice DOES make a difference.
Call today.
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Stay informed,
share your knowledge.
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See JAC's Action Alerts here. |
Why It Matters:
The Affordable Care Act
Deadline to enroll is
March 31st
Get enrolled, help someone else get covered. Don't wait - chicken soup is not always enough!
Under the new coverage rules, more emphasis is placed on wellness and preventive care. Pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant will have access to more information and services regarding pregnancy.
This matters because millions of Americans - men, women, and children - will have access to affordable health care, regardless of pre-existing conditions.
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On Our Radar
|  | Federal Legislation we are watching:
* US-Israel Strategic Partnership
* Sexual Assault in the Military
* Federal 20-week abortion ban
* Voting Rights Act
* Unemployment Benefits
* Paycheck Fairness
* Immigration Reform * Farm Bill - food aid (SNAP)
* HR 1565 - Public Safety &
2nd Amendment Rights Act
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JACBLOG!
Remember to check out our blog to keep up with current issues and opinion and to sort fact from fiction on the Internet. Be sure to read Presidential Ponderings, thoughts and observations from JACPAC President Janna Berk.
for comments, opinions, essays, and more from JAC members.
Have something you want to say, submit it to Open Mic today!
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featuring former Chief of Protocol for the US State Department Step up and be counted! |
This week's issue highlights these key developments here and in the Middle East:
This week's EZ Read brings you these stories and some that may have slipped past your news feed.
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Obama promises Netanyahu to press Palestinians on framework
 | | Photo Credit: Reuters |
US President Barack Obama committed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would push Palestinians to match any Israeli concessions as he seeks to negotiate a framework for peace talks.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
Netanyahu Promotes Efforts Toward a Peace Deal
A day after meeting with President Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Tuesday made an uncharacteristically enthusiastic pitch for a peace accord with the Palestinians, saying it would enable Israel to tighten ties with its Arab neighbors and "catapult the region forward" on issues like health, energy and education.
House of Representatives Passes U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Bill
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved with an overwhelming majority a bill which describes Israel as a "major strategic partner" of the U.S.
Read Full Article US: We were ready to act against Iranian arms shipment but Israel volunteered
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed on Wednesday that "the Israeli government interdicted a shipment of illicit Iranian arms," adding that the US was ready to act before Israel made its move.
Read Full Article
Kerry to AIPAC: I will always oppose boycotts of Israel
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told AIPAC's annual policy conference that he would always oppose boycotts targeting Israel. "I will continue to staunchly, loudly and unapologetically oppose boycotts of Israel," Kerry said Monday evening at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's conference, drawing a standing ovation. "That will never change."
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Senate rejects further revamp of how Pentagon handles sex assault
The Senate rejected a controversial proposal Thursday to remove military commanders from decisions on whether to prosecute major crimes in the ranks. The concerns of Pentagon leaders trumped calls from veterans groups to dramatically overhaul how the Defense Department handles assault and rape cases.
The FDA Expands Access To Cheaper Versions Of Plan B
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will now allow generic versions of Plan B One-Step - one of the most popular types of emergency contraception - to be sold over the counter to women of all ages. The move, announced in a letter from the agency last week, will effectively expand young Americans' access to this type of contraception, particularly since generic versions of the morning after pill can be as much as $10 cheaper than Plan B.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/20/4133089/kansas-abortion-bill-is-cruel.html#storylink=cpy
Texas law shuts clinics without helping women
Rachel Maddow reports on the consequences of a Texas anti-abortion law that has forced clinics closed and left women to treat themselves.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/20/4133089/kansas-abortion-bill-is-cruel.html#storylink=cpy
Watch Full Video
Repro Wrap: Alabama Introduces Every Abortion Restriction it Can Think of and Other News
We are midway through many states' legislative sessions, which means that for many red states, the lipservice to concentrating on "economic issues" has been paid and they can move straight to their favorite feat: limiting a person's rights to abortion and birth control. In no state is this more clear than in Alabama, where five different bills meant to curb the right to legal abortion, and even birth control, have been introduced or reviewed this week.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/20/4133089/kansas-abortion-bill-is-cruel.html#storylink=cpy
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Separation of Religion & State
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31 states have heightened religious freedom protections
The recent flurry of state bills giving religious exemptions from certain laws -- including the Arizona law that Gov. Jan Brewer (R) just vetoed -- raises a question: How many states already provide heightened protection for the exercise of religion?
5 Things Kentucky Could Spend $73 Million On Instead Of A Fake Noah's Ark
Creation Museum founder Ken Ham announced Thursday that enough money had been raised to begin construction of a 510-foot "replica" of Noah's Ark as part of a multimillion-dollar Ark Encounter project.
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The 2014 Senate Landscape
Dozens of states will hold Senate primaries this year, beginning with Texas on Tuesday. Here is a look at the key races in every state. The outlook of each contest is based on an analysis of data from the Cook Political Report and from Larry Sabato, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia.
Americans Think Republicans Are Out Of Touch, But Plan To Vote For Them Anyway
Americans overwhelmingly consider Republicans to be out of touch, and they trust them less than Democrats on the issues -- but that doesn't mean the GOP is in bad shape for the 2014 elections.
Read Full Article
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How the Gun Lobby Became a Threat to Public Safety, by Bill Moyers
Just a generation ago, the NRA was a nonpartisan and relatively non-ideological organization that advocated for responsible and safe gun ownership in addition to defending gun rights. But in its 20 years under the leadership of chief executive Wayne LaPierre the organization has become another cog in the broader conservative advocacy machine.
10 things the gun industry won't tell you
In the U.S., there are now somewhere between 270 million and 310 million guns, according to the Pew Research Center - that's almost one gun for every person in the nation. Judges and legislators across the political spectrum recognize the constitutional right to bear arms. And gun and ammunition sales to private citizens are a significant part of a nearly $15 billion industry that's seeing plenty of growth: On Tuesday, for example, Smith & Wesson SWHC +1.10% reported that its fiscal third-quarter profit rose to $20.8 million, up from $14.6 million a year ago. Read Full ArticleHow Advocates Are Trying To Protect The Right To Vote When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act last June, justices left it to Congress to decide how to fix the law. But while Congress deliberates, activists are turning again to the courts: At least 10 lawsuits have the potential to bring states and some local jurisdictions back under federal oversight 2013 essentially doing an end-run around the Supreme Court's ruling. Read Full Article
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Documentary on oldest Shoah survivor wins Oscar a week after her death
A documentary about the world's oldest Holocaust survivor won an Oscar one week after she died. Alice Herz-Sommer, who died in London on Feb. 23 at the age of 110, was the subject of "The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life," which won the Academy Award for documentary short on Sunday night.
Read Full Article With Venezuela in a tailspin, growing number of Jews opting for Plan B They left after Venezuelan secret police raided a Jewish club in 2007, and after the local synagogue was ransacked by unidentified thugs two years later. They left after President Hugo Chavez expelled Israel's ambassador to Caracas, and when he called on Venezuela's Jews to condemn Israel for its actions in Gaza in 2009.
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Our members count on JACPAC to provide information on current events, candidates, and elections. JACPAC depends on membership support to make this possible. If you have not renewed your membership, please consider doing so today, to help us pursue a strong US-Israel relationship, reproductive rights, and separation of religion and state. Together we can make this a better world! Sincerely,
Janna Berk, President
Marcia Balonick, Executive Director
Joy Malkus, Research Director |
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