News Round Up

Blame summer and many other things on the fact that I haven't made time to keep up with this. I've lived in the city for 7 years now and this is the first year I've used the public bike paths and parks. My new-found favorite Sunday activity (after coffee and the NYT, of course) is a 90 minute ride up the west side bike path and the Hudson River. It is a gorgeous ride, fun and a really good time out for my brain.

So many thanks to groups like Riverkeeper, NY Restoration Project, and many others who help keep the outdoor spaces in this city beautiful.

But never fear--"vacation" such as it has been is nearing it's end with a jarring stop. School is a week away; expect to be reading a LOT of papers!

CARE made headlines recently when they decided to turn down US food aid. The process of sending US crops to, for example, African programs costs aid organizations money that could otherwise be used to deliver other much-needed services, and undermines local markets. Oxfam America's president also backed CARE's decision in a letter to the NYT.

Iraqi refugees still face hurdles in seeking asylum in the US--including those who have worked for the US military in Iraq. The US refuses to accept asylum applications from Iraqis still residing in Iraq, forcing them between a rock and a hard place: make the risky trip to cross into Syria and Jordan, or make the risky trip into your own backyard?

Finally, the BBC reports that an inflatable boat filled with 59 people trying to reach Europe from Africa is adrift in Africa waters. Human traffickers set the boat loose after telling the passengers they were in Italian waters already. With no engine, they are at the whim of ocean currents. The BBC has a good feature on what motivates people to undertake the risky journey to reach Europe. When your life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa is 37 years shorter than the average in Europe, I find it hard to label you as 'just' an "economic refugee."