By Erin Duffy/The Times, Trenton In its nymph stage, the black-legged tick, or deer tick, is no bigger than a poppy seed. By adulthood, that little black dot increases only to the size of a sesame seed. It may be tiny, but this miniscule arachnid can pack a punch, infecting everyone from children to senior citizens, with Lyme disease. Active especially in spring and summer, the specter of this tiny disease vector frequently haunts parents, rural dwellers, gardeners — anyone, really, who spends ... Read more

By David Karas, Contributor/July 13, 2011 Patty McPeak had no inkling that her new training on how to spot human trafficking would be put to use so quickly. Traveling from the Dominican Republic back to the United States after a humanitarian mission, Ms. McPeak was in the airport boarding area when a man and a little girl sitting nearby drew her attention. The man seemed to know little about his young companion, according to testimony McPeak submitted to Congress last July, and he became nervous... Read more

The following article on Congressman Chris Smith's (NJ-04) hearing on the ‘‘International Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 2011" was published by the Washington Post June 3, 2011. Smith is an original co-sponsor of the measure, and held hearings in the 1990s when its predecessor, the ‘‘International Religious Freedom Act of 1998" was first proposed: By Michelle Boorstein Might the United States be reconsidering its hands-off approach to religion in foreign policy? That’s the hope of many reli... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees international human rights, and former left behind dad David Goldman, of Tinton Falls, N.J., who battled for five years to bring his son home from Brazil, took to the set of Fox News Channel to remind the country that there are more than 2,400 American children wrongfully held overseas. “International child abduction rips children from their homes and lives, taking them to a foreign land and alienating them ... Read more

From the May 27 edition of the Hill newspaper: It was fall 2008, and Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) rushed from the week’s last votes to the airport. But unlike his colleagues, who were heading to their districts, Smith boarded a plane to Brazil to help David Goldman with what sounds like a simple task: to see his son Sean.... To read the entire article in The Hill newspaper, click here. To ensure compliance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction by count... Read more

The following article about Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) and his work on anti-Semitism, human trafficking, child abduction and other humanitarian issues was published in the most recent April edition of the Lakewood Scoop: "Rep. Chris Smith, a leading human rights lawmaker in the U.S. Congress, was presented with a “Man of Distinction Award” by the Monmouth County Jewish Federation at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal, N.J. ... ." To read the entire article click on: http://www.thela... Read more

By Ellen Ratner Having just returned from Sudan (see last week's column), I made the usual rounds of telling people the story of what I had seen. My traveling partners and friends, Diane Gooch and Tony Sayeg, arranged for us to meet with House of Representatives Chairman Chris Smith. Chairman Smith, R-N.J., heads up the subcommittee on Africa. Under normal circumstances, we would most likely not agree on what day it is. He is about as conservative as you can be, and I am about as liberal. Howeve... Read more

Family members of folks killed in Northern Ireland testified this week to a federal commission chaired by Congressman Chris Smith, with the relatives calling for independent investigations and accountability for past abuses by security services in Northern Ireland. A group of Irish-American leaders from Hamilton, led by Sean Pender of the National Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, were among the many activists on Capitol Hill seeking justice and resolution for the grisly acts of violence a... Read more

Fresh from an appearance at Saturday's St. Patrick's Day parade in Hamilton, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith turned to more serious matters Wednesday, hosting a hearing on peace and justice in Northern Ireland. Called "Northern Ireland: Why Justice in Individual Cases Matters," the hearing centered on the bloody violence waged in Northern Ireland during a nearly four-decade conflict between unionist and nationalist forces there. Smith, R-Robbinsville, is the chairman of the Commission on Security and Coop... Read more

Like any loving father, Christopher Savoie just wanted to do the best thing for his two kids. In August 2009, his Japanese ex-wife broke U.S. law and abducted their children from his home in Tennessee, moving them to Japan. But when Savoie went to get them weeks later, he was arrested. It didn't matter that he had legal custody in both countries, that his ex-wife had violated a U.S. court order or that there was a U.S. warrant issued for her arrest. Nor did the fact that Savoie was a naturalized... Read more