Accurate Census Data on Children Critical to Billions in Federal Funding and Community Planning 

The U.S. Census Bureau today launched a “Children Count Too” public awareness campaign reminding parents to include babies and young children on their 2010 Census forms. Most of the nation’s 120 million households will begin receiving census questionnaires by mail between March 15 and March 17.
 “A complete and accurate count of our nation’s youngest is critical to their health and education, and the future strength of our communities and labor force,” said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves at a news conference at Mary's Center, a nonprofit maternal and child care center serving immigrant communities in Washington.

Somalia* has an estimated population of seven million. The territory, which was recognized as the Somali state from 1960 to 1991, was fragmented into regions led in whole or in part by three distinct entities: the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Mogadishu; the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in the northwest; and the semiautonomous region of Puntland in the northeast. The TFG was formed in late 2004, with a five-year transitional mandate to establish permanent, representative governmental institutions and organize national elections. In January an expanded Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) extended the TFG's mandate until August 2011. For the first time, the Transitional Federal Institutions were all located in Mogadishu after the TFP relocated from Baidoa in February.

In a newly-published interview in a British newspaper, the former wife of Nelson Mandela confessed her “disappointment” in her former husband whose name she even appeared to regret having.
 
"This name Mandela is an albatross around the necks of my family,” Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said in an interview with the London Telegraph. “Mandela was not the only man who suffered. There were many others, hundreds who languished in prison and died.

Federal Highway Money to assist nearly 150 DBE firms through new Business Development Program
Minneapolis – Congressman Keith Ellison (5th Congressional District) announced that the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) will receive nearly $900,000 from the Federal Highway Administration to boost the growth of 145 under-utilized Disadvantaged Business Enterprise firms (DBE).

ARUSHA, Tanzania — A technical officials session of the joint meeting of the EAC Monetary Affairs Committee (MAC), Fiscal Affairs Committee (FAC) and Capital Markets, Insurance and Pensions Committee (CMIPC) to consider the final report on the establishment of a Monetary Union among the EAC Partner States concluded at the Snowcrest Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania.
 

Long time community activist Peter Idusogie joins the already crowded race to the State’s top seat. Former host of the popular Inside Minnesota podcast since last year knows the challenges ahead and wants to accomplish two things: To make history by becoming Minnesota’s first African immigrant leader and taking the State’s ever increasing deficit down to the drain.

By RT Rybak
Mayor the City of Minneapolis

Small businesses are — when you add them all together — Minneapolis’ largest employer. They’re not only generating more jobs than other parts of the economy, they’re also building wealth and long-term prosperity for families and communities in our city, especially along our vibrant commercial corridors. Last week, I was excited to help highlight some of what we’re doing in Minneapolis to support homegrown small business. 

By Seyoum Tesfaye

On August 5, 2009 the astute OP-ED writer Nicholas D. Kristof published an opinion under the title of “Rethinking North Korea, with sticks”. He went on to quote Mr. Mitchell B. Reiss and introduces the world to the concept of “hard containment”.  As usual Mr. Kristof’s opinion was well written and provocative enough to enhance my curiosity to know more about the “hard containment” concept. I made an effort to get full access to the entire article written by Mr. Reiss. It was nowhere to be found.  

More than fifty years ago, most African countries attained their independence. That period was filled with celebrations and Africans around the world had big dreams. Senegal was one of those newly independent countries. Looking back, a lot has gone by as Africans struggled during those fifty years to ground their feet on the solid grounds of political reality. Unfortunately, it had not been as rosy as we thought at the time of decolonization. Some African countries went through the agony of military coup detats and the violence and blood-letting that marked this period. Nigeria, 

Diplomatic and military sources say Niger President Mamadou Tandja has been seized by mutinous soldiers during a coup attempt in Niger's capital.

Media reports quoting senior officials say armed troops stormed the presidential palace Thursday afternoon as a meeting of government ministers was taking place.  Ministers in Mr. Tandja's government also appear to be held captive. 

A U.S. State Department spokesman said it appears there was an assassination attempt on Mr. Tandja but details are still unclear. 

A U.S. appeals court is hearing arguments from a group of multinational corporations seeking to block a lawsuit brought by South African victims of apartheid.
The suit seeks up to $400 billion in compensation for the Black victims.
The corporations are accused of complicity in human-rights abuses during the years they did business in apartheid South Africa.
 After years of legal delays, a US court last year gave the green light for the companies to be sued on US soil under the Alien Tort Claims Act.

Lynx Sign Mali International and Eight-Year WNBA Veteran Hamchétou Maïga-Ba, Six-foot-two forward averaged 8.9 points per game with Sacramento in 2009
 
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has signed unrestricted free agent Hamchétou Maïga-Ba (Hahm-Sha-To My-Ga Ba). Maïga-Ba, a Mali international, signs with the Lynx after spending parts of the last eight seasons with the Sacramento Monarchs and Houston Comets. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
 

 With the expansion of staff assigned to work on the 2010 Census project, the Mayor’s Census Task Force is poised to successfully continue its mission as directed by the Mayor and the City Council. The Census team at the City now includes Leila Paye, Brian Joyce, Angela Burkhalter, Lucie Passus, and two interns. 

Fall 2009 was a time full of activity for the Census team. It distributed over 30,000 Census calendars to various locations in Saint Paul, including libraries, food shelves, government buildings, parks and recreation centers, fire stations, charter schools, homeless shelters, women’s battered shelters, and non-profit organizations, such as Catholic Charities, Goodwill/Easter Seals, and the Salvation Army. 

Liberian born Tanaegh Haddad exhibits an art show which is currently going on at the Minnesota Center for Books. The exhibit entitled My Brother’s Keeper.

In an interview with the African News Journal, Tanaegh said that her art describes an incident that happened to her brother, a young medical doctor, on June 13th 2008 in Boca Raton, Florida.  He was driving when he had a seizure which resulted in an accident. 

Money Sent Home by Migrant Workers Helps American Economy Too
 
Washington D.C. - Today, the Immigration Policy Center (IPC) released a report, Many Happy Returns: Remittances and Their Impact by Kristin Johnson, Ph.D. which analyzes remittances and their effect on the economies of both the U.S. and receiving countries. Remittances - the transfer of money by workers back to home countries - can constitute one of the top financial inflows to many developing countries, in some cases exceeding international aid.  Mexico and the Philippines are the top receiving countries from the U.S. and are also large consumers of U.S. goods.