61,000 free meals in Velez-Malaga

The ATIS (Worker’s Association of Velez-Malaga for Social Integration) solidarity diner has handed out more than 61,000 meals to the needy in its first year of existence.

According to Salvador Marin, head of the initiative, the exact number is 61,193 meals, all cooked and prepared in their own installations.

They have also distributed more than 28,000 kilos of fruit and vegetables since they first started in March 2013.

Marin said: "ATIS would like to thank the hundreds of friends and volunteers, among them many local companies and factories, which have made this project a reality with their contributions either in time or in products."

Marin went on to comment that “we are fighting against those who are looting this country with their poor political decisions which provoke more poverty and suffering in the masses”.

The solidarity diner continues to service the needy from their location in the old 'Bar Frias' in Velez-Malaga.

Almuñecar reaches 27,200 residents

The town of Almuñecar has reached a total population of 27,200 residents; 14,632 men and 14,775 women.

According to the INE (national institute of statistics) the figure is 27,200 on the padron (resident’s registry) but according to the municipal offices the number is 29,407.

The numbers of the padron and municipal offices hardly ever coincide as people move around and forget to take themselves off the list; also the number of births and deaths has to be taken into account.

Don’t forget: if you’re not on the padron you aren’t an official resident and you may not be able to take advantage of some of the facilities on offer by your local council.

Woman attacks Catalan politician

An unidentified woman attacked the leader of the Cataluña socialist party and called him a “son of a *****.”

Pere Navarro, leader of the PSC, was in the doorway of the cathedral in Tarrasa when he got punched in the face and shouted at by the woman.

He was not on official business but going to the first communion of one of his family members and, as such, had only a reduced protection detail accompanying him.

The woman ran away immediately and Navarro asked that nobody follow her; she has been described as an average looking woman, probably middle-aged with no distinctive characteristics - other than attacking politicians.

Navarro did not need medical attention but is reported to have a small bruise on his face.

The socialist leader is no stranger to being insulted as, recently, he has been very outspoken on the subject of Catalan independence (he is against it).

Navarro has not yet spoken as to whether he will take the matter to the police or let bygones be bygones.

Planned ‘baby boom’ in Spain?

The PIAF (government plan to support families) isn’t a government planned baby boom.

However, it’s about as close as they could get to one without making a call for all women to have more children to ‘help the country.’

Protecting maternity, improving working conditions for mothers, tax breaks for large families and so on goes the first draft of the PIAF which harks back to president Rajoy’s election promises in 2008 of a ‘Family Ministry.’

The government is trying to combat the falling birth rate in Spain, thought to be caused by the lack of employment due to the crisis, by trying to give larger families an easier ride.

Rajoy has called them the “foundation of society” and, bizarrely claimed that “the aim of the large family incentive is to reduce poverty and social exclusion.”

The opposition is, quite rationally, against this incentive as there is not enough work for the Spanish to support their present families without thinking of having bigger ones.

86% pay rise needed to buy house

Young Spaniards wanting to buy a house would need a pay rise of around 86% and all they would be able to afford would be 53 square metres.

Only one in four Spanish youths is emancipated - the rest are, economically, forced to continue living with their families.

According to a study made by the CJE (youth council of Spain) Spanish people under the age of 30 would need to spend 56% of their salaries on a mortgage; and then only if they got a raise of 86% on the paltry amount they already earn as they are the second-worst paid young people in Europe.

Ricardo Ibarra, president of the CJE, has underscored the dramatic situation that the youth of the country are going through; in his opinion the government “has limited itself to waiting for better times” and is “doing nothing to help.”

Phoenix facility denied secret list

• NEW: U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki calls for a review


• NEW: Shinseki announced that the Phoenix VA director has been placed on leave


• CNN has been investigating allegations of a secret wait list at Phoenix VA


• In CNN interview, Director Sharon Helman denied existence of such a list

(CNN) -- The director of the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care system and two others have been placed on administrative leave amid claims of a secret waiting list and claims that 40-plus veterans died waiting for care.

These allegations have been exposed in a series of exclusive reports by the CNN Investigations unit.

The announcement Thursday by U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki came a day after officials at the Phoenix VA denied in interviews with CNN the existence of such a list, only to be called liars hours later by the top VA physician who first appeared on CNN and brought the allegations to light.

"We believe it is important to allow an independent, objective review to proceed," Shinseki said in a written statement. "... These allegations, if true, are absolutely unacceptable and if the Inspector General's investigation substantiates these claims, swift and appropriate action will be taken."

Those placed on leave, according to the statement, are Phoenix VA Director Sharon Helman, Associate Director Lance Robinson and a third employee, who was not identified by name.

VA official: There's no secret list

Deaths tied to VA hospital's secret list

Are we fulfilling our promise to veterans?

Retired VA doctor: There's a secret wait list in Phoenix

Shinseki's office denied repeated requests by CNN over six months to interview the secretary about the allegations.

Sources told CNN the managers at the VA concocted an elaborate scheme to cover up long wait times there. The sources said more than 1,400 veterans were placed on the purported secret list and that documents were shredded to hide the evidence. According to sources, at least 40 U.S veterans died waiting for care at the facility, many of whom were on the list.

These issues raised in CNN's exclusive investigation have quickly drawn attention in Washington.

On Monday, President Barack Obama said he called on Shineski to investigate what has happened in Phoenix.

In recent days, numerous members of Congress have called for hearings on the Phoenix VA, and at least three members of Congress have publicly called for Helman's resignation.

Tears, angry accusations mark hearing on delayed VA care

But in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Helman and her chief of staff, Dr. Darren Deering, denied any secret effort to cover up or hide wait times.

"We have never instructed our staff to create a secret list, to maintain a secret list, to shred a secret list -- that has never come from our office as far as instruction to our staff," said Deering.

"It's never come from me," added Helman.

Dr. Sam Foote, a 24-year VA physician and clinic director, recently retired and went public with the details of the list, went on the air publicly for the first time with CNN one week ago.

He denounced Helman's claim.

"They started this secret list in February of 2013," Foote said. "At some time, they changed over from paper to electronic, in early summer, maybe approximately June or July. And transferred names over to the electronic waiting list. And she [Helman] was called on an ethics consult evaluation about that -- it's written down, documented in July."

That documentation includes e-mails from July 2013, which were reported by CNN, that show top management, including Helman, were well-aware about the actual wait times, knew about the off-the-books list and even defended its use to her staff.

When directly asked earlier this week about whether evidence of wait times was shredded and whether the secret list existed, Deering stated:

"I think there is some confusion amongst our staff. When we came on as a leadership team in 2012, the practice at that time was that they would schedule new veterans who would were coming in for care way out into the future. Sometimes a year, sometimes 14 months. And that was the appointment that that veteran was given.

"As we started to tackle our challenges of access, we implemented a tool that the VA uses nationally called the electronic wait list. And what that tool is it's an electronic waiting list that allows us to everyday look to see who is waiting for an appointment.

"So what we did is we took those patients that were scheduled way out into the future, and we put them on this national tool that the VA uses so that we could track them. What that did is, rather than having an appointment 14 months out into the future, it put them on this EWL electronic waiting list, so that when we had an appointment that came open, so if a veteran called next week and canceled their appointment, we could pull a veteran off this list and get them into that slot.

"So it actually improved the probability of these veterans getting an appointment sooner. And in that transition time, I think there was some confusion among staff, I think there were some folks who did not understand that, and I think that's where these allegations are coming from."

January: Veterans dying because of health care delays

January: Congress demands answers

November: A dire situation in South Carolina

CNN's David Fitzpatrick and Curt Devine contributed to this story.

How schools respond

(CNN) -- Many colleges and universities under review for their handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints say they are cooperating with the federal investigation and take reports of sexual violence on their campuses seriously.

The schools span 27 states and the District of Columbia. CNN sought a response from the 55 colleges and universities on the list. Here are comments from schools that responded to Thursday's report:

University of California, Berkeley

UC Berkeley says it will cooperate with the investigation and that its chancellor had sent out a letter to campus saying sexual assault would not be tolerated. "Much has been done to strengthen the campus' handling of these issues, but we understand that there is always room for improvement," the statement says.

Washington State University

The university says it was notified in January 2013 that a federal complaint had been filed and volunteered to work with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to improve its policies. In February, the university said, federal representatives visited Pullman and engaged in student focus groups as well as student and employee interviews.

"There has been no finding of any wrongdoing on the part of WSU. We are still waiting to hear from OCR regarding participation in the voluntary resolution process," a university statement says, adding that there's no tolerance for sexual harassment, assault or misconduct on its campus.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

The university says it could not comment on specifics because of the ongoing investigation, but added that it takes sexual violence seriously and provides all victims with resources and assistance.

University of Chicago

The university says it had "made every effort to comply with the spirit and letter of this inquiry" and is committed to ensuring that its programs and work environment are discrimination free.

University of Colorado Boulder

The school says it wasn't surprised by its inclusion as it knew of the probe in July, and it has since hired a law firm to conduct an external review of its policies. It also expects to a name a specially designated Title IX director by the end of the summer.

Emory University

Emory says it has been cooperating fully with the Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR), in a compliance review of the Atlanta university's Title IX policies and processes. This compliance review, which has been pending since December 2013, was not initiated in response to any complaint, but rather, is part of the agency's Title IX compliance and enforcement function.

The review involves an examination of the university's processes and procedures on the handling of complaints of sexual harassment, including sexual violence and assault, to determine whether the university responds immediately and appropriately. It also involves a review of other university efforts, including sexual assault prevention, outreach, support, and education programs, that are in place to address and reduce the incidents of sexual assault.

Denison University (Ohio)

"We have a long-standing commitment to protecting our students and providing them a harassment-free campus and we welcome this discourse," Laurel Kennedy, vice president for student development said in a statement. "We have not been informed of the specific circumstances that led to the complaint but we respect and support OCR's practice of maintaining the confidentiality of the complainant. We hope that the OCR investigation will conclude that we adhere to the highest standards in addressing sexual misconduct. If this process yields guidance on how we can improve our practices, we will welcome the opportunity to make positive adjustments."

Guilford College (North Carolina)

OCR's activity at Guilford follows a complaint filed by a former female student who was dissatisfied with the sanctions levied against a male student in response to her complaint. Guilford College says it takes allegations about sexual misconduct between students very seriously and actively educates its students on the prevention of sexual misconduct on campus. Recent efforts include a yearlong program in the 2013-14 academic year entitled, "Keep it Consensual."

Florida State University

FSU says state and federal student privacy laws prohibit the university from being able to comment about any individual case. Generally speaking, however, when the White House Task Force released its recommendations on college sexual assault on Tuesday, we were gratified to see that the report focused on the importance of having a victim-centered model and a confidential Victim Advocate Program, which FSU has had in place for many years. While the recommendations mirror our policies, we welcome the opportunity to enhance support for, and services to, our students.

Temple University (Pennsylvania)

Temple says its has fully cooperated with the Office of Civil Rights and looks forward to a resolution of the matter.

Boston University (Massachusetts)

OCR is investigating a single complaint against the university that was filed in October 2013. "While we believe the university provided the student with a prompt and equitable resolution of the complaint in full accordance with the requirements of Title IX, we are cooperating fully with OCR in its investigation and are always open to improving the manner in which we respond to any complaint of sexual misconduct reported to us," Boston University said in a statement.

Indiana University Bloomington

This type of compliance review is distinct and separate from investigations that arise from complaints to OCR, and the office has confirmed that it has received no complaints against IU Bloomington that would have triggered an investigation. As OCR explained to campus officials, it is in the process of conducting compliance reviews on numerous campuses throughout the country, and individual institutions have been chosen randomly based on size, geographic location, type of campus community (commuter vs. residential) and other factors.

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

The university is not the subject of a Title IX complaint. Under Title IX, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in the Department of Education regularly conducts proactive compliance reviews of schools that receive federal funds. A review of UMass Amherst was conducted starting June 30, 2011, and no conclusions have been reached.

Harvard University (Massachusetts)

The university says that last spring it appointed the first-ever University Title IX officer, who has since identified and trained Title IX coordinators at every Harvard School. In May 2013, Harvard's newly appointed University Title IX Officer convened a working group from across Harvard's schools to review existing policies and procedures. Over the course of last summer and fall, that group worked to develop a new Title IX policy that would apply to all students, staff, and faculty at every School or other unit at Harvard.

"In addition, President Faust recently announced the creation of a University-wide task force -- composed of faculty, students and staff -- that will recommend how we can better prevent sexual misconduct at Harvard," the university said in statement.

University of Connecticut

The Title IX investigation involving UConn has been a public matter for several months. "We welcome the publication of the list of schools as part of the White House recommendation for increased transparency in the OCR process. The listing shows clearly that the issue of sexual assault on campus is a national one. We are collaborating with students, employees and law enforcement to bolster our prevention and response initiatives, and are committed to keeping our campuses safe," the university said in a statement.

Michigan State University

The university says the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), as part of an investigation into MSU's response to allegations of a sexual assault involving students on campus and overall compliance with Title IX, is conducting focus groups on campus and holding open office hours to obtain feedback on the campus climate on the important issues of sexual harassment, sexual assault and sexual violence. "While federal law and privacy concerns prevent MSU from fully discussing specifics, we have a comprehensive record of the actions we took that supports the university's position that we acted appropriately. We look forward to continue working with the OCR on this matter," it said in a statement.

Amherst College (Massachusetts)

The college says that in November 2013, the media reported on the filing of an Office of Civil Rights complaint against Amherst College by two individuals. In the fall of 2012, students disclosed a range of problems in the College's previous efforts to prevent and respond to incidents of sexual misconduct. The college statement added, "Since then, we have made important changes and will continue to do so. These efforts include an adjudication process that involves specially-trained, non-campus experts; new educational programs aimed at cultural change on campus; and the addition of new staff, including four new members of our Counseling Center, a Title IX Coordinator and a Sexual Respect Educator."

Vincennes University (Indiana)

"VU is always interested in learning how to improve the campus environment and safety measures for our students, including best practices to combat sexual assault and harassment," said Lynn White, assistant provost of student affairs. "Vincennes University supports the government's increased emphasis on sexual assault prevention on college campuses and takes an active role in providing informational programming, support services, and processes that effectively address needs and issues."

Emerson College (Massachusetts)

The college said in a statement: "We support our students who have come forward to advocate for change in this important national issue. To protect the privacy of our students, however, we cannot comment on specific cases. During this academic year, our actions have included hiring a Director of Violence Prevention and Sexual Assault Response Advocate and the retention of an experienced consulting firm to conduct an external and independent review of Emerson's Title IX and Clery Act policies, procedures, and practices related to sexual assault.

"We have also strengthened our educational and training programs; revised our survivors rights and options resource materials on our website and in printed brochures; and written, distributed, and implemented a new Campus SaVE (Sexual Violence Elimination Act) Policy. In addition, the search for a new Title IX coordinator position, recently approved by Emerson's Board of Trustees, will commence shortly."

Princeton University (New Jersey)

The University said it is aware of the investigation, which began in 2010, and will continue to cooperate with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). OCR has stated that "a college or university's appearance on this list and being the subject of a Title IX investigation in no way indicates at this stage that the college or university is violating or has violated the law."

University of Denver (Colorado)

In a statement, the university said: "Because there has been one claim filed from an individual at the University of Denver, we are on the list of 55 institutions. The university is cooperating fully with the OCR, responding to the agency regarding this matter three months ago. No determination has been made by them as of this date. The University of Denver takes all matters of this manner seriously. University officials handle any and all claims involving Title IX or similar laws fairly, judicially and expeditiously. Such cases remain open until the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education makes a final determination on the outcome. The university has zero tolerance when it comes to discrimination and harassment on and off campus."

Penn State University

"To further the purposes of Title IX, strengthen Penn State as an institution, and promote and protect the safety of the University community, Penn State continues to work diligently with the Office for Civil Rights to respond to requests for information in the ongoing review," said Lisa M. Powers, director of the Office of Strategic Communications.

Regis University (Colorado)

Regis University said it has one complaint pending before the Office of Civil Rights which stems from a 2011 alleged incident. "Regis University takes the complaint seriously and has responded appropriately. At Regis University, the safety and well-being of our students and staff are a top priority," a university statement said.

Dartmouth College (New Hampshire)

Dartmouth says it "is committed to promoting the safety and well-being of our community. We are cooperating with the U.S. Department of Education's compliance review and are optimistic that at the end of the process, we will have strengthened internal policies and practices that will enhance student safety and well-being," according to a statement.

Franklin & Marshall College (Pennsylvania)

In a statement, the college said: "Our appearing on the Department of Education's list is in response to a complaint filed with the Department of Education by an individual in March of this year. As the DOE announcement notes, the Office of Civil Rights evaluates all complaints, so there is no indication of any finding of any fault. Naturally, we are cooperating fully with this neutral fact-finding process. Franklin & Marshall has been very active in focusing resources to confront what really is a national issue. We have a Title IX policy that is fully compliant with federal law. We have even had three independent experts come in and review our sexual misconduct policy since 2008, and they found it fully compliant with the federal law. F&M for many years has had in place many of the programs and initiatives to confront sexual assault described by the White House task force. We have a Committee on Sexual Misconduct that will review the new guidance and see how we might do even more."

Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania)

The university said "it takes very seriously its obligations under Title IX and its commitment to provide a safe and secure environment for our students and other members of the university community. For many years, we have had policies and practices in place to deal with complaints of sexual harassment and sexual violence, and we have adjusted them over time to make them more effective and assure that they comport with applicable laws, regulations and agency guidance. In light of the important new guidance issued earlier this week by the White House Task Force and Department of Education, we are again reviewing our policies, procedures, and education/training initiatives to make certain that they are consistent with the new guidance."

University of Colorado Denver

The school said it had not been notified of an open Title IX investigation before receiving the press release today from the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR.) "After receiving the release, the university contacted OCR and learned that the investigation notification was mailed on April 29, 2014. This is not an investigation of a specific incident but is instead a general review of our Title IX compliance. CU Denver supports the mission of OCR to "ensure equal access to education and promote educational excellence nationwide through the vigorous enforcement of civil rights" and plans to cooperate fully with the forthcoming investigation. CU Denver is committed to providing a safe and secure campus environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors," a statement said.

Knox College (Illinois)

This past January, Knox College received notification from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (Region V) that it had opened an investigation into a complaint alleging that Knox College had discriminated on the basis of sex in its response to a complaint of sexual misconduct. In a statement, the college said: "As part of its investigation, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) requested a number of College records, including information on College policies and procedures. Since January, the College has worked diligently to comply with the OCR's initial and subsequent requests for information and has made available the requested materials. As is typical of its fact-finding in these types of matters on college campuses, the OCR will conduct a site visit the week of May 19th to interview College officials with regard to the allegations and to meet with selected groups of students to discuss their campus experience.

"Starting this past summer, Knox College undertook a significant review of its policies addressing discrimination under Title IX and, in particular, identified ways that we could strengthen our response to acts of sexual misconduct. To that end, we have trained a number of individuals to join the College's Title IX team and charged them with working to keep our campus free from discrimination and harassment. The College also formed a Task Force on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response that meets weekly under the leadership of Title IX Coordinator and Associate Dean of the College Lori Schroeder. The Task Force, in conjunction with the Title IX team, has developed a number of new initiatives: new print and web materials, campus-wide educational events, bystander intervention training, a confidential support group for survivors, and a new position for a counselor for violence prevention and educational outreach."

Southern Methodist University (Texas)

SMU said it "applauds the U.S. Department of Education's efforts to eradicate sexual violence on college campuses and to provide universities with additional tools to combat sexual assault. Our goals are the same. The matters under review by the Education Department have been investigated by SMU and predate our University task force review of sexual misconduct policies and procedures. The University has been aggressive in putting into practice wide-ranging new procedures to inform and protect our students, to provide prompt and effective resolution of complaints, and to hold violators accountable while treating all students fairly. SMU continually reviews and updates its programs in comparison with national benchmarks, and we are pleased that the White House also has made these matters a priority for all American universities. No issue is more important than the health and safety of our students."

Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University said it is gathering information requested by the U.S. Department of Education. The university will work with DOE as the department conducts this compliance review. "Oklahoma State University is committed to providing the safest campus possible for students and others. In the last year, OSU conducted an exhaustive, system-wide review of our policies related to sexual abuse on campus. As a result of that review, OSU has further strengthened its policies," a statement said.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

"At U-M, we have been cooperating with OCR since the investigation was announced in February. To help raise awareness we posted the OCR letter online when we received it and shared information about the investigation with our students, faculty and staff. At the University of Michigan we are proud to be a leader in the area of sexual assault prevention and awareness and yet we are confident that we will learn even more through this process," a statement said.

Occidental College (California)

Occidental said it "has cooperated fully with the Department of Education since its investigation was publicly announced in April 2013. The college has already taken a number of steps to ensure the safety of its students and is committed to spending more time, energy and resources to fight sexual misconduct, report it accurately, and support survivors."

Vanderbilt University (Tennessee)

Vanderbilt said it "is fully cooperating with a Title IX regulatory compliance review being conducted by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. Vanderbilt is committed to complying with Title IX and protecting the safety and well-being of our students."

The University of Texas-Pan American

The university said it received a complaint notice from the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, this week alleging that the University discriminated against a student on the basis of sex by failing to promptly and equitably respond to her complaint that she was sexually assaulted.

A statement said: "The University of Texas-Pan American takes its responsibilities under Title IX seriously and condemns sexual violence, harassment and misconduct by or against any member of our University community. We endeavor to treat all claimants with respect and dignity, and achieve a result that is fair and just to all parties involved in a timely manner. Since the issuance of the Department of Education's 'Dear Colleague' letter in April of 2011, UTPA has reviewed—and continues to review—its processes, procedures and personnel with this goal in mind."

Minot State University (North Dakota)

The school said it is cooperating in the review of a complaint registered with the Department of Education.

University of Hawaii at Manoa

The university said the "list does not differentiate between the schools that—like UH Manoa—have been selected for proactive compliance reviews, versus those schools that are under audit based on a complaint. OCR investigators have been on the UH Manoa campus this week meeting with a variety of groups and individuals, including students, faculty, staff, administrators and regents. Investigative team members stated to UH Mānoa executives toward the end of their visit that it was important to keep in mind that this audit was not triggered by a complaint, and that it was not based on an individual incident.

"University of Hawaii Interim President David Lassner added, "All of our campuses are working to comply with the new requirements, and more importantly, to ensure safe environments for all our students, faculty and staff. Our chancellors have been briefed on the new requirements and we have a new system-wide Steering Committee to share and collaborate on strategies, approaches, practices and procedures. This audit of UH Mānoa will help inform all our campuses of the additional steps we need to take, and our new budget process directs our chancellors to identify the additional resource investments needed to ensure safety on their campuses."

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"The University applauds the efforts of the White House Task Force. We have been working with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights since they contacted us early last year. We appreciate the transparency about enforcement efforts that the publication demonstrates."

State University of New York, Binghamton

"We are working with the OCR and have fully complied with the investigation. Due to the sensitive nature of this case we can not disclose any specific facts about the case under investigation. We are unable to provide any further details at this time," the university said in a statement.

West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

In Fall 2012, the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) received a student's report of alleged sexual misconduct which had occurred off-campus, the school said in a statement. "WVSOM conducted an internal investigation at that time. WVSOM is committed to addressing the issue of sexual misconduct on our campus through its institutional policies, education and training programs, as well as through collaboration with local, state and federal resources. We will fully cooperate with the Department of Education. We believe a review of our policies, programs and investigations will reveal that WVSOM is fully in compliance with Title IX regulations."

Bethany College (West Virginia)

The college said it "first learned of the complaint filed from the Department of Education this week, and it is based upon an alleged sexual assault that was reported to the College this fall. Upon the assault being reported to the college, law enforcement was immediately contacted by college personnel. At that time, law enforcement launched an investigation that ran concurrent to the internal student conduct investigation that the college initiated. The matter was investigated by local and State Police and taken to the Brooke County Grand Jury where they did not produce an indictment in the case. We feel strongly that we have fully complied with both the spirit and the letter of the law as it relates to both the Clery Act and The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act. The college always reserves the right to reopen any investigation if new evidence is provided. Because the safety of our students is our priority, we take any allegations of sexual assault very seriously."

Wittenberg University (Ohio)

Wittenberg said it "is deeply committed to fostering a learning environment that is safe, healthy, and inclusive and that supports the development of every student's potential. We are confident that the investigation will conclude that Wittenberg's policies and procedures are in full compliance with Title IX, and that we have fully cooperated with OCR. As a matter of university policy, we do not comment on pending investigations."

University of Virginia

The university said it "has been working with the OCR since summer of 2011 on its review of our policies and systems in the area of Title IX/sexual misconduct. The University has worked to provide OCR any information needed, and will continue to do so.

"Sexual misconduct is an issue that the University of Virginia takes very seriously. In February, U.Va. hosted a conference intended to launch a national discussion among higher education communities on the complexities surrounding sexual misconduct among college students. The conference included candid discussion among college and university presidents, students, survivors of sexual misconduct, student affairs professionals, legal and sexual violence experts."

College of William & Mary (Virginia)

The college said in a statement, "We have received notification about a complaint made to the Office of Civil Rights and we are working with them to provide all the information they requested. The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act prohibits the university from discussing the details of the specific case that led to this but, in general, we can affirm that sexual violence response and education is an area we are very focused on. We continually look at our own practices to determine if they can be improved or enhanced. Since this is a broad review of our policies and practices by OCR, the result may well provide us valuable information as we continue to look at new ways to address an issue that confronts every university in the country."

Sarah Lawrence College (New York)

Sarah Lawrence College said it "does not tolerate sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or sexual assault. We have a very fair and robust policy in place today, which we continually review and improve in order to best serve our community and to be in compliance with regulations.

"The College is cooperating fully with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in its current investigation, and we look forward to seeing any recommendations to further improve our sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual assault policy. Since the incident under investigation, the College has put several new measures in place to improve prevention, reporting, and student support, including: A thorough review of SLC's sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual assault policy and procedures by the Health & Wellness Subcommittee of the Committee on Student Life (followed by a set of recommendations submitted to the Dean of Studies); the implementation of a Consent & Respect Online Course, which will be required for all new incoming students starting in Summer 2014; the creation of an extensive, ongoing poster communications series on campus, advising students on "What to Do if You Have Been Sexually Assaulted"; a presentation for students by the Date Safe Project."

Hunter College (New York)

Hunter College said it "is on this list because, 15 months ago, a student filed a complaint, then six months later withdrew it. As is OCR's frequent practice, they used the occasion as an opportunity for a general review of how Hunter handles complaints related to alleged sexual misconduct. We have used our interactions with OCR to improve and update the information and services we provide to students. For example, on March 24, administrators and representatives of OCR held a town hall meeting with students to make sure they were informed about the available resources, should they ever need assistance with instances of sexual harassment or assault. More broadly, Hunter has always been committed to maintaining a campus environment free from discrimination, intimidation or violence of any sort. It is a core value of the College and a goal we vigorously pursue by broadly disseminating our policies and rigorously enforcing them."

Hobart & William Smith Colleges (New York)

In a statement, Hobart and William Smith Colleges say the schools "take seriously all allegations of sexual misconduct, respond promptly to complaints, provide access to myriad services for complainants, thoroughly investigate and adjudicate such complaints, and take necessary protective measures before, during, and after the investigation and hearing process. The colleges are committed to creating and maintaining an academic environment that complies with the law, is free from sexual harassment and misconduct, and respects the different voices and experiences of the members of its community. The colleges are confident that they approached this complaint with care and concern, addressed the complaint promptly, offered all available services, and investigated and adjudicated the complaint in accordance with Colleges' policy and the law. As always, we will continue to proactively consider ways to ensure that our campus is free from sexual misconduct and provides opportunities for all students to participate in and benefit from the rich educational experience offered by the colleges."

Catholic University of America (Washington, DC)

The university said it was "informed by the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights on January 8, 2014, that a Catholic University student had filed a Title IX complaint. The complaint concerned the investigation and adjudication of a report of sexual assault that occurred in December 2012. The University has cooperated fully with the Department of Education to provide all of the information that the department has requested in a timely manner. It will continue to do so and is confident that there will be a just resolution of this matter."

CNN's Ray Sanchez, Elizabeth Landers, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Suzanne Presto, Carma Hassan, Amanda Watts, Christy Lenz and Kevin Conlon contributed to this report.

Is using a dating assistant creepy?

Is it cheating to outsource your dating life?

• A new service lets men outsource their online dating tasks to paid wingmen


• Evan Selinger: There will be more outsourcing technology that will erode our humanity


• He says the personal time and touch we put in activities convey attention and care


• Selinger: We shouldn't delegate away conscientiousness, independent thinking

Editor's note: Evan Selinger is associate professor of philosophy at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is also head of research at the university's Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction and Creativity (MAGIC). You can follow him on Twitter @EvanSelinger The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) -- Critics haven't been kind to Personal Dating Assistants, a new service that allows men to up their online dating game by outsourcing tasks to paid, clandestine wingmen who pimp profiles, locate prospects and ghostwrite correspondences. GQ calls it "creepy." CNET says customers eventually will have to admit they are big fakes. And over at Jezebel, dudes who take advantage of the deception are called "human trash."

Unfortunately, Personal Dating Assistants is a sign of things to come. Thanks to technology, we'll be seeing more opportunities to degrade ourselves and others through outsourcing activities that are basic to our humanity.

Outsourcing isn't inherently problematic. After all, it's just about delegating tasks. As long as humans have been dividing labor and using tools, we've been outsourcing. Corporations have been doing it for a long while. Just think of how much stuff you use is made overseas.

But in recent years there's been a shift of attitude. Some people advocate that we can live better by outsourcing more aspects of our lives.

Let's say you want to cook, but find preparation overwhelming. Just follow the lead of one "life hacker" and outsource the unpleasant parts -- let someone else pick out the meals you'll be preparing and automate your grocery shopping with online services like Amazon's Subscribe and Save.

The economic principle of comparative advantage makes outsourcing seem like a rational approach to setting priorities. Whenever time is spent on tasks you don't value or find frustrating, opportunity costs are generated. This means you're diverting attention and resources from activities that you deem important and enjoy doing.

Outsourcing will get even easier in the coming years. We already can go online and order a robot-written thank-you note. Or, if the human touch is preferred, we can get cheap ones at fivver.com. We can download an app that sends automated text messages to people we're dating. In the future, Google might release software that recommends how we should respond to social media posts.

There will be technology that anticipates our needs and recommends what we should do to accomplish our goals. We'll probably have algorithms that offer advice after tracking and analyzing other people's data trails, including our romantic and business partners.

And we might even be able to avoid self-sabotaging behavior by outsourcing our willpower. Today, we can be nudged away from sending hot-headed e-mails. Tomorrow, there will be app to help recovering addicts avoid relapsing.

The more hard and tedious work outsourcing can remove from our lives, the more tempting it will be to take advantage of it. And yet, that's exactly why we need to be vigilant.

Defenders of outsourcing believe the Do It Yourself (D.I.Y.) ethic has too much cultural prominence and is wrongly "perceived as evidence of thrift or even moral virtue." They attribute this mistake to people having difficulty placing a proper value on their time.

Setting a value on time, however, is more complicated than outsourcing boosters lead us to believe.

First, outsourcing can impact responsibility. A calendar isn't just a tool for offloading memorizing commitments. It can be very helpful in organizing our busy lives and ensuring we meet our obligations. But delegation can be negative. If you only think of a lover because your phone prompts you to, maybe you're just not that into your lover.

Secondly, outsourcing can alter the quality. Sure, dating assistants can make you seem cooler than you are. But it's manipulative to use them. These supposed helpers actually diminish communication. They reduce everything to an instrumental goal -- idealized and false representation of who you are.

Ultimately, outsourcing is tricky because it can be hard to know when quality and responsibility will diminish. We've got a blind spot. It's easy to see activities filled with inefficiency, friction and hard work as boring and meaningless, rather than moments to exhibit care and develop character we can be proud of.

For example, if other people or machines write our thank-you notes, that's like believing a nice gesture is all that matters. But when we personally do it -- whether it's a handwritten note or a digitally composed song—the effort conveys concentrated attention and care. Taking the time to craft a thank-you note is not just a chore, it's an expression of the depth of our feelings for another person. Robots who write about appreciation don't actually think about generosity or behave generously. They certainly can't appreciate the saying "time is precious."

To embrace the values and develop the virtues that make human life meaningful, we shouldn't delegate away conscientiousness, independent thinking, self-control, and a host of other crucial abilities. Yes, to be human is to outsource. But we should not outsource to the extent that we erase our humanity.

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Sexual violence complaints rise

• List includes colleges and universities from 27 states and Washington, D.C.


• Education Department: "We hope this increased transparency will spur community dialogue"


• Rape is a longstanding issue on campuses, but activists are now casting it as a cultural problem


• Any federally funded school not complying with Title IX risks losing funding

(CNN) -- Federal investigators are checking whether 55 colleges and universities illegally handled sexual violence and harassment complaints, the U.S. Department of Education said Thursday.

Such investigations have long been known, but this is the first time that the department has released a list of all probes currently under way.

The list includes colleges and universities in 27 states and in the District of Columbia.

See the full list here

"We are making this list available in an effort to bring more transparency to our enforcement work and to foster better public awareness of civil rights," said Catherine E. Lhamon, the department's assistant secretary for civil rights.

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"We hope this increased transparency will spur community dialogue about this important issue. I also want to make it clear that a college or university's appearance on this list and being the subject of a Title IX investigation in no way indicates at this stage that the college or university is violating or has violated the law."

Five schools promptly responded to CNN's request for response. The University of California, Berkeley said it will cooperate with the investigation and added that its chancellor had sent out a letter to campus saying sexual assault would not be tolerated.

"Much has been done to strengthen the campus' handling of these issues, but we understand that there is always room for improvement," the university statement said.

Washington State University, meanwhile, said it was notified in January 2013 that a federal complaint had been filed and volunteered to work with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to improve its policies. In February, the university said, federal representatives visited Pullman and engaged in student focus groups as well as student and employee interviews.

"There has been no finding of any wrongdoing on the part of WSU. We are still waiting to hear from OCR regarding participation in the voluntary resolution process," a university statement said, adding that there's no tolerance for sexual harassment, assault or misconduct on its campus.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater said it could not comment on specifics because of the ongoing investigation but said it, too, took sexual violence seriously and provides all victims with resources and assistance. The University of Chicago said it had "made every effort to comply with the spirit and letter of this inquiry" and is committed to ensuring that its programs and work environment are discrimination free.

The University of Colorado Boulder said it wasn't surprised by its inclusion as it knew of the probe in July, and it has since hired a law firm to conduct an external review of its policies. It also expects to a name a specially designated Title IX director by the end of the summer.

The investigations center on Title IX, under which a school must ensure that students are not denied or limited in the ability to participate in or benefit from its educational programs or activities on the basis of sex.

The list, which reflects open investigations as of Thursday, does not disclose any details about the cases, other than when the investigation was opened. The list will be updated regularly and available to the public upon request.

In February, CNN profiled student and faculty activists from six schools in a report on how sexual violence complaints to the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights had almost tripled since 2009. Thursday's numbers come on the heels of a marked year-to-year increase in complaints the department received, from 17 in 2012 to 30 in 2013.

Five of those six students' universities were included in Thursday's report: the University of Texas-Pan American; Vanderbilt University; the University of California, Berkeley; Occidental College; and Emory University.

In the story, Joanna Espinosa, a student at UTPA who has since graduated, told CNN she would not have come forward without the help of a nationwide network that has been a driving force in bringing attention to the way schools handle sexual misconduct reports. President Barack Obama recently called the nationwide, student-led movement a catalyst for a federal task force to protect college students from sexual violence on campus.

Rape is a longstanding issue on college campuses, but the latest movement, led by student activists, survivors and faculty, recasts sexual violence as a cultural problem on campuses nationwide -- not just a series of isolated incidents. Students are taking matters into their own hands, filing complaints en masse and speaking out publicly.

They've flocked to advocacy groups such as End Rape on Campus and Know Your IX, which sprang from grassroots activism around university handling -- or mishandling -- of sexual violence.

Leslie Gomez, a Pennsylvania attorney and former prosecutor who has worked as a sexual assault policy consultant for Occidental College, Grinnell College and other schools, told CNN that from one campus to the next, the concerns are mostly the same: lack of clarity, students being mistreated, complex procedures and insufficient training among those leading the processes.

After she grew displeased with how campus and local authorities handled her case, Espinosa reached out to End Rape on Campus, and a member of the group helped her file a complaint with the federal Office of Civil Rights.

"I'm not sure I would've come forward if all these people hadn't done it before me," Espinosa said. "I needed the validation. I needed someone to confirm, 'You're right. You're not blowing things out of proportion.' ... It was a relief to hear someone tell me, 'You have a case, and they shouldn't treat you this way.' "

In Thursday's announcement, the Department of Education said releasing its list "advances a key goal of President Obama's White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault to bring more transparency to the federal government's enforcement activities around this issue."

The department also released new guidance this week outlining federally funded schools' responsibilities to address sexual violence and other forms of discrimination. All schools -- from K-12 to universities -- must comply with Title IX or risk losing funding and Justice Department action.

"Under federal law, sexual violence refers to physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person's will or where a person is incapable of giving consent -- including rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual abuse and sexual coercion," the statement said.

CNN's Amanda Watts and Carma Hassan contributed to this story.

WH issues college guidelines

• White House task force releases new report related to combating rape on college campuses


• Task force wants to gather more data to learn scope, scale of problem


• Helping campus rape victims framed as an equal education access issue by administration


• Title IX advocacy group: It's a good first step, but more action is needed

(CNN) -- The Obama administration has taken another step in its effort to combat rape on college campuses with the release of a new report.

The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault produced the 20-page report. The task force, including Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, spent the last three months talking to "thousands of people" and compiled a number of very specific recommendations:

More data: The task force wants to know more about the scope and scale of the problem. The report cites a statistic from the National Institute of Justice that one in five women experience rape or attempted rape in college but say the group needs to know more.

This year, the task force is pushing schools to use its tool kit in 2015 to survey their campuses. By 2016, the task force will be reporting. The report said "we will explore legislative or administrative options to require the schools to conduct a survey."

Survivors need more: In 2011, the administration first alerted schools about their responsibilities to survivors of sexual violence. The administration said that under Title IX schools had to address sexual violence in order to provide equal access to education. But schools have struggled with that. In the past three years many have been publicly cited for failing to live up to these standards.

Most recently, the Department of Education announced that Tufts University "failed to comply with Title IX" in the way it handles sexual assaults. The school wrote it was "surprised and disappointed" with the finding, adding it was "deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our students."

So now the administration is getting more specific. The importance of having confidential advocates is now emphasized. This point clarifies what had been confusing for many, namely that not everyone on college campuses has a duty to report.

"In recent years, some schools have directed nearly all their employees ... to report all the details of an incident to school officials," the report said, "which can mean a survivor quickly loses control over what happens next." That's a critical issue for many advocates who emphasize the importance of returning control to survivors.

The administration calls for further training for those who deal with sexual violence on college campuses.

"Insensitive or judgmental comments -- or questions that focus on a victim's behavior (e.g., what she was wearing, her prior sexual history) rather than on the alleged perpetrator's -- can compound a victim's distress," the report notes.

On the enforcement side, the report calls for new models for investigating and adjudicating cases on campus and for a pilot program aimed at rehabilitating offenders.

Tuesday, the White House unveiled a new public service announcement encouraging men to help women who are in danger of being sexually assaulted. The PSA features several Hollywood stars, including Steve Carell and Seth Meyers and will air in movie theaters beginning in May.

Transparency: One of the biggest problems with sexual violence on college campuses is that no college wants to admit it has a problem. Parents don't want to send their children to a school where data shows more sexual crimes occur, that could ding rankings and potentially cause problems with donors.

Paradoxically, advocates say, those schools that have high numbers may actually be taking the problem seriously. That's because they have robust systems in place that allow for students to file complaints. Now the government wants to centralize all that data on NotAlone.gov.

Accountability: It won't just be numbers on NotAlone.gov. The administration will also put forms online making it easier for students to complain if their school fails to live up to the other obligations. Many of the Department of Justice and Department of Education investigations over the years have resulted from student complaints.

So what does this all mean? According to Know Your IX, an organization that seeks to educate college students about Title IX rights, it's a good step, but more is needed.

"These changes will mean little until Title IX enforcement is finally given teeth," the organization said. Know Your IX said the administration is reluctant to use the best leverage it currently has, namely pulling a school's federal funding.

"The agency has never once sanctioned a school for sexual violence-related violations of Title IX," the organization said.

Students accuse Columbia of mishandling sexual assault complaints

Student activists fight to end rape on campus

Teens trained to spot drama before it turns dangerous

CNN's Joe Johns contributed to this report

'Star Wars' cast is Mark Hamill-approved

The cast of "Star Wars: Episode VII" unites well-known "Star Wars" names with some up-and-coming actors. At least one cast member, Daisy Ridley, is so new she has just a few acting credits to her name. You can see her in the back right of this cast photo, wearing a necklace and talking to "Star Wars" veteran Carrie Fisher. Here's who she'll star with:

Although director J.J. Abrams and the rest of the creative team have been quiet about character details, we now know who will make up the cast of the 2015 film. One is John Boyega, pictured. Best known for the 2011 sci-fi action comedy "Attack the Block," Boyega has been one of the actors rumored to be a top choice for the lead role.

Adam Driver is a diverse actor who'll presumably get to show more of his range in "Star Wars: Episode VII." While he's best known for playing a quirky love interest on "Girls," Driver has also appeared in feature films "J. Edgar," "Lincoln," "Frances Ha" and "Inside Llewyn Davis."

Oscar Isaac had a breakthrough role in 2013 as the cranky singer-songwriter Llewyn Davis in the drama "Inside Llewyn Davis." We can't imagine his work in "Star Wars: Episode VII" will require him to sing, but it would be awesome if it did; Isaac has proved he's got a great set of pipes.

Andy Serkis is setting himself up to have a busy few years. The celebrated actor will next appear in this summer's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," which will be followed by "Star Wars: Episode VII" next year. After that, he's expected to appear in another "Tintin" movie, "The Adventures of Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun."

Does the name Domhnall Gleeson sound familiar? That might be because you remember him as Bill Weasley in the last two movies of the "Harry Potter" franchise. But Gleeson has established himself with a host of other projects, including 2010's "Never Let Me Go" and 2013's "About Time." Suffice to say that if you don't know Gleeson by now, you will after "Star Wars: Episode VII."

When we learned that "Episode VII" is supposed to take place 30 years after "Return of the Jedi" and feature a trio of newbies alongside some familiar faces, we were ready to bet the house that Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker would be one of the recognizable stars. It was an easy guess to make, though; Hamill has long been considered an unspoken done deal.

Carrie Fisher was one of the original "Star Wars" cast members who initially said she was on board the new movie, only for her rep to backtrack and say the actress was kidding. But Abrams' announcement is no joke: the former Princess Leia has returned.

After playing coy with the press for months, Harrison Ford has officially been announced as a part of the "Star Wars: Episode VII" cast. The actor is expected to reprise his role of Han Solo.

We can't be the only ones who are supremely relieved to see that Anthony Daniels, the voice of C-3PO, will be back in action.

Obviously, you can't have Daniels' C-3PO without Kenny Baker's R2-D2. Just the thought of splitting up the droids is heartbreaking!

Peter Mayhew is probably somewhere warming up his voice for that famous Chewbacca roar. The actor was rumored to be reprising the character in "Star Wars: Episode VII," but it wasn't official until Abrams' announcement.

Max von Sydow is one of the veteran actors joining the upcoming "Star Wars" movie. It isn't clear what the wide-ranging thespian will do in Abrams' picture, but we can rest assured that he'll bring his respected acting chops to the part.

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• The "Star Wars: Episode VII" cast has a stamp of approval from Mark Hamill


• The original Luke Skywalker tweeted that the cast is "extraordinarily talented"


• Hamill is one of the many "Episode VII" actors was recently announced


• "Star Wars: Episode VII" opens December 18, 2015

(CNN) -- Amid the back-and-forth about the cast of the new "Star Wars" movie, one voice has cut through the fray: Luke Skywalker's.

That's Mark Hamill, for some of you.

The actor tweeted his support of the recently announced "Star Wars: Episode VII" team on Thursday, calling his new and returning castmates a varied and impressive group.

"I was knocked out by the diverse & extraordinarily talented new cast members," Hamill said of a UK table read. "WOW they're good! The saga is in superb hands."

UK table read- I was knocked out by the diverse & extraordinarily talented new cast members. WOW they're good! The saga is in superb hands.

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) May 1, 2014

On Tuesday, Disney and Lucasfilm made an official announcement of who's joined "Star Wars: Episode VII," revealing that original "Star Wars" actors will appear in the film along with a number of newcomers. Along with Hamill, "Star Wars" veterans Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker and Carrie Fisher are all reprising their former roles.

They'll be joined by "Inside Llewyn Davis'" Oscar Isaac, "Attack the Block's" John Boyega, "Girls" actor Adam Driver and newcomer Daisy Ridley, among others.

Character descriptions haven't been offered, but with Hamill's endorsement, perhaps the Force can remain undisturbed.

Although Fisher momentarily confused "Episode VII" with "Chapter VII," she got it right long enough to give her own vote of confidence for the upcoming film. "May the Episode 7 be with you always," she tweeted to her fans April 30.

May the Chapter VII be with you...always. Or at least until 2015. I love you....you know. http://t.co/MfbfwRIdJP

— Carrie Fisher (@carrieffisher) April 30, 2014

Here's the correct vernacular version now & then g'nite...my galaxy questers ..May the Episode 7 be with you. Always...I love u--you know x

— Carrie Fisher (@carrieffisher) April 30, 2014

"Star Wars: Episode VII," which will be directed by J.J. Abrams, arrives December 18, 2015.