Clinton sets new U.S. global AIDS focus on treatment- The United States set a new direction for its global AIDS campaign on Tuesday, emphasizing HIV-fighting drugs that can prevent new infections to bring the goal of “an AIDS-free generation” within reach, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
Experts See Commodity Exchanges Key to African Revolution – Experts from numerous African countries are looking for ways to initiate an information revolution in African agriculture. By providing small-scale farmers with instantaneous access to information like commodity prices, they can maximize profits and boost incomes. If these practices are adopted throughout the African continent, each country can “leverage [the] other’s national markets to have a much stronger presence on the international market.” (Voice of America, Peter Heinlein)
Ellen DeGeneres named new global AIDS envoy- The Obama administration has a new face for its effort to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS around the world: Ellen DeGeneres. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made the surprise announcement Tuesday during a speech at the National Institutes of Health.
Liberian President Poised for Repeat – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf seems likely to win re-election, despite the eruption of violent protests after her main challenger, Winston Tubman, called for a boycott of today’s vote. Tubman claims that there was fraud in the first round of elections, and his boycott has led to demonstrations that left one person dead and caused police to disperse crowds with tear gas. The violence is predicted to end shortly after the elections, and the threat of a relapse into civil war is minimal. (WSJ, Drew Hinshaw)
Poverty’s Changing Profile in the U.S. – A recent report from The Brookings Institution examines the re-emergence of concentrated poverty over the past decade. They found that poverty increased more in suburban areas and rural locales than in large urban centers. In the past, “the dominant image of poverty in America has been one of gritty urban landscapes,” but “if poverty continues to grow in these non-urban locations the programs needed to serve the poor in them may have to change.” (PBS NewsHour, Dante Chinni)
Clinton Speaks to Crowd of 5,700 at Tufts – In a speech at Tufts University on Sunday night, former President Bill Clinton “urged bipartisanship reform” without “withdrawing from the world or cutting foreign aid.” Clinton acknowledged that there will never be enough funding to accomplish everything we want, and that the U.S. should see this as an opportunity to find innovative solutions for global problems that are more efficient, cheaper, and more effective. (AP)
