FAMIILY GROUP RESPONDS TO MCCAIN COMMENTS ON GAY ADOPTION
by: Cathy Renna, OIA Newswire

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO KARA SUFFREDINI, Director of
Public Policy FOR THE FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL

Senator McCain's comment in the New York Times on Sunday, July 13, stating,
"I think that we've proven that both parents are important in the success of
a family so, no, I don't believe in gay adoption" demonstrates a lack of
knowledge and understanding of the many kinds of families that exist in the
United States. The Family Equality Council, the national organization
working to ensure equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
families, is disturbed and disappointed that a presidential candidate would
make such a biased and ill-informed statement about the most "successful"
kind of family.

These are the facts about American families. According to the 2000 census,
the vast majority‹more than 75%‹of American households differ in structure
from two married, heterosexual parents and their biological children. We are
a nation of blended and multi-generational families, adoptive and foster
families, and families headed by single parents, divorced parents, unmarried
parents, same-sex couples and more. As an adoptive parent himself, McCain
should be well aware of this. As a presidential candidate, he should seek to
honor and support the many kinds of families that exist, rather than dismiss
the vast majority of households in this country as second-tier.

This is what is true about lesbians and gays raising children: 30 years of
scientifically valid research universally demonstrates that LGBT families
are just as nurturing for children's growth and development as heterosexual
families.

Our society¹s primary child welfare organizations, such as the American
Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association and the National
Association of Social Workers, have all issued statements supporting
same-sex parents. The American Psychological Association has stated: "Gay
and lesbian parents are as likely as heterosexual parents to provide healthy
and supportive environments for their children."

All of which makes one wonder: What is the basis for Senator McCain¹s
position?

American families may be diverse, but have at least one thing in common‹we
want our children to be safe, healthy, happy and supported. When our
families are politicized, our ability to protect ourselves, each other and
our children comes under attack. After eight years of similarly baseless
attacks on our families, we hope that the next President of the United
States will honor and support the vast array of families that daily work to
raise happy, healthy and productive children. The Family Equality Council
has a proud history of educating political leaders about our families and we
welcome Senator McCain and others whose perspectives affect the most
personal aspects of our lives to contact us and get to know the loving
families he paints as "unsuccessful". [7/14/08]

Severe Storms in Midwest and Plains May Renew Flooding

State College, Pa. -- June 27, 2008 -- AccuWeather.com reported heavy thunderstorms will blast the Upper Midwest and central Plains today, threatening to renew dangerous flooding in the mid-Mississippi Valley.



A cold front diving down from Canada's Prairie Provinces today will ignite an outbreak of severe weather across the Upper Midwest and central Plains. The thunderstorms will erupt as incoming cooler air slices into the warm, moist air flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico. The presence of a strong jet stream will add to the instability in the atmosphere.



The strongest thunderstorms will be capable of producing damaging winds, pounding hail, frequent lightning, and drenching downpours. The greatest threat for tornado development will be over the central Plains. The strongest storms later today will erupt from Wisconsin to eastern Kansas and Oklahoma.



Flash flooding will continue to be a concern today, especially in the flood-ravaged mid-Mississippi Valley as runoff fills small streams and floods low-lying areas. The storms this week are feeding more runoff into the larger rivers, slowing or reversing the receding water levels.



The Mississippi River is expected to rise to 38.6 feet Sunday evening at St. Louis, while the river will crest at 37.2 feet this afternoon in Winfield, Mo.



Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday tied its daily rainfall record of 1.43 inches set in 1937. Most of the rain fell in two hours, flooding a portion of Interstate 80 and city streets.



Showers and thunderstorms will persist across the Upper Midwest on Saturday as the potentially damaging thunderstorms shift to the lower Great Lakes and Tennessee Valley. Potentially damaging thunderstorms will shift into the East this weekend

UPDATE: Tornadoes and Flooding in the Plains

State College, Pa. -- June 10, 2008 -- AccuWeather.com reported earlier today that severe storms erupting tonight over the Plains would not only bring new concerns for flooding, but would also spawn tornadoes.



Major cities in path of potentially destructive storms tonight include: Omaha, Topeka, Des Moines, Minneapolis and Wichita. On Thursday, the system and the same concerns will shift into the Midwest and middle Mississippi Valley. Areas likely to be targeted by the storms Thursday include: Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City and Tulsa. 

"We expect this activity to continue at least until midnight over the Plains," AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Feerick said. "So far, there are 28 reported tornadoes from Minnesota to North Central Kansas. There are some feisty storms out there, so we can expect that number to double or even triple by the end of the night."

Feerick said there have been two confirmed tornado reports in Douglas County west of Omaha. Local Iowa press has reported that a tornado hit a scout camp in western Iowa, injuring 40 with possible fatalities.

Daytime heating added to the instability over the Plains. Tonight, severe storms containing heavy rain, large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes will erupt from western Oklahoma to Minnesota.

State College, Pa. -- June 4, 2008 -- AccuWeather.com reports the first heat wave of 2008 will begin on Friday across the Northeast. The air mass that will enter the region is the same one that produced record heat over the southern Plains during the past several days.

A relatively seasonable air mass will be in place on Thursday, even cooler than normal over coastal areas of New England, but a warm front will open the floodgates and allow heat and humidity to pour over the region. It remains to be seen how many records will fall in the Northeast, but it looks like most areas will have heat through the weekend and into early next week.



A heat bubble is already gripping the southern Plains and Desert Southwest. These two regions will also have to endure winds gusting past 45 mph at times today. The high winds have prompted the issuance of wind advisories.



The strongest wind gusts will be reserved for the afternoon and evening hours across the Desert Southwest. Motorists should be prepared for blowing dust to dangerously lower visibility in a short period of time. Red flag warnings are in effect to warn residents of the elevated fire danger that also exists.

Atmosphere Over the Central Plains Exploding with Powerful Thunderstorms

Could Spark Widespread Dangerous Storms and Tornadoes

State College, Pa. -- May 29, 2008 -- AccuWeather.com reports the atmosphere over the central Plains is exploding with powerful thunderstorms this evening, producing long-lived destructive tornadoes, damaging winds, heavy rain, and large hail that will continue through the night.



Cool air dropping out of the Rockies is clashing with the warm moist air flowing out of the Gulf of Mexico, while a strong jet stream and daytime heating have added instability to the atmosphere. The setup is sparking a widespread outbreak of dangerous storms stretching across the central Plains tonight, and eventually reaching into the Midwest Friday.

 

Storms through the night will shift from the high Plains to the western shore of Lake Michigan. However, the area of greatest concern for destructive widespread tornadoes will be eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.



According to AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist John Kocet, the combination of ingredients has created "extreme turmoil in the atmosphere over the Plains that will continue through the night." Kocet adds the setup will produce massive thunderstorms that could reach as high as 10 miles into the atmosphere. 



Everyone in the region should be alert for rapidly developing storms and should be prepared to take potentially life-saving action at a moment's notice, especially during the overnight hours.



Nearly 1,200 unconfirmed tornadoes have been reported since Jan. 1. The number of actual confirmed tornadoes will be lower since one tornado is typically sighted multiple times. The record for the most tornadoes in one year set in 2004 is 1,817, while the 10-year average is 1,254.