WAMU 88.5 : News

Filed Under:

Advocates For AIDS Awareness Descend On The District

By: Matt Laslo // July 21, 2012
Play associated audio
comments
The group Act Against AIDS has posted several ads, like this one at Gallery Place, in advance of the conference.
Elvert Barnes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/perspective/7613026090/
The group Act Against AIDS has posted several ads, like this one at Gallery Place, in advance of the conference.

Hundreds of people are expected to descend on Union Station Saturday to raise awareness about the HIV virus. Eight trains are coming to town from places like New Orleans, Miami and New York and even Savannah, Georgia. As many as eight hundred people are expected to participate.

As the health advocates from across the country step off the trains, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation will be holding a press conference to put the word out about their cause. The group is trying to raise awareness about long waiting lists that are preventing people from gaining access to life saving drugs. They also want increased funding which has been cut in recent years.

It's not the only event these weekend aimed at raising awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as the 19th annual International AIDS Conference kicks off July 22 and continues through July 27.

Actress Sharon Stone will present Microsoft founder turned philanthropist Bill Gates an award during a benefit concert at the Kennedy Center. The concert will feature a performance by Jessye Norman and appearances by other celebrities.

On Sunday, there's also a march scheduled that's entitled the "Keep the Promise on HIV/AIDS March on Washington." Activist and singer Wyclef Jean is scheduled to perform and civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton is also scheduled to attend at the opening ceremony at the Washington Monument.

Arts & Culture

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.

Food

NPR

How Genomics Solved The Mystery Of Ireland's Great Famine

Although scientists have known that a funguslike organism caused the potato blight that triggered the Great Famine in Ireland in the 1840s, they didn't know which strain was the culprit. But they do now, thanks to the genes in some 19th century potato samples.

Politics

NPR

With White House Bogged Down By Scandal, GOP Looks For Boost

As criticism of the Obama administration over a string of scandals grows, conservatives see an opportunity to gain momentum for 2014 races. Host Neal Conan and Political Junkie Ken Rudin talk with political science professor Jack Pitney about the GOP and the re-emergence of the Tea Party. Plus: the week in politics from Anthony Weiner's New York mayoral candidacy to the Senate immigration bill.

Technology

NPR

Apple CEO Defends Tax Practices At Senate Hearing

Apple CEO Tim Cook faced tough questions on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. He defended a tax strategy that allows Apple to avoid taxes on tens of billions of dollars of profits. Cook also called on the Congress to lower the U.S. corporate tax rate.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.