WH: President Donald J. Trump’s Weekly Address
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 25/ 17
Transcript:
My Fellow Americans,
I had the profound honor this week of addressing American troops at Fort Myer and speaking to thousands of veterans at the American Legion National Convention.
Today I want to speak to all Americans about what we can learn from the men and women of our incredible Armed Forces.
Every person who puts on the uniform makes our nation proud. They all come from across our land. They represent every race, ethnicity, and creed. But they all pledge the same oath, fight for the same cause, and operate as one team – with one shared sense of purpose.
They love their families. They cherish their freedom. They salute our flag. And above all, they believe in America.
Now, we must draw inspiration from their love and loyalty to one another – and to our nation – as we seek to heal divisions from within.
We must also remember what our service personnel know better than anyone: that we are one people, with one home, and one glorious American destiny.
We come from all different walks of life – but we all share the same dream – to live in peace and safety, to work with honor and dignity, and to build a better future for those we love.
Together, we can achieve this dream, but we must first remember who we are and the values that bind us together. We must speak out against the voices that try to sow hatred and division. We must treat our fellow citizens with love and affection. And we must honor our heroes – and prove worthy of the sacrifice they have made for all of us.
I ask every American to make a simple promise to the courageous warriors who fight in our name: when they come home from battle, they will find a country that has renewed the sacred bonds of loyalty that unite us together as one.
Only when we work together with a shared purpose will we carry on the proud tradition of those who came before us.
Only when we honor our history will we have confidence in our future.
And only when we strive for peace among one another will we remain a force for peace all around the world.
We can achieve this peace, we can foster this unity, and we can rebuild this loyalty – because together, we are truly One Nation Under God.
Thank you. God bless you.
CONGRESSIONAL WATCH
Cantwell Statement On President Trump’s Effort To Shut Down National Monuments (in cased you miss it)
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 24/ 17
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Maria Cantwell (D-WA) made the following statement regarding Secretary Zinke’s national monument report:
“Teddy Roosevelt would roll over in his grave if he could see what Donald Trump and Ryan Zinke are trying to do to our national treasures today. Secretary Zinke’s secret report to the President is the latest step in a rigged process to try and turn over our public lands to oil and gas companies.
The Secretary announced this morning that his recommendation to the President will include making a “handful” of changes to existing national monuments. As I’ve said for months, the President does not have the legal authority to overturn these protections. This report and entire process have amounted to nothing but a colossal waste of tax payer dollars.
The Trump Administration is trying to erase over 100 years of conservation and open space for all to enjoy through hunting, fishing and recreating. Any attempt to eliminate outdoor recreation opportunities for veterans and all other Americans by giving them away to special interests is unacceptable. These special places belong to the people, not to corporate polluters, and I will continue fighting to keep them that way.”
OUR HEALTH
From our Congressional Delegation: Sen. Murray Announces WA State Insurance Commissioner Kreidler to Testify at Senate Hearing on Health CarePRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 25/ 17
(Washington, D.C.) – Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) today announced that on September 6 the Senate’s health committee will hear testimony from state insurance commissioners representing the states of Washington, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Alaska and Oklahoma.
• Mike Kreidler, OD, Washington State Insurance Commissioner
• Julie Mix McPeak, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
• Theresa Miller, JD, Insurance Commissioner of Pennsylvania
• Lori K. Wing-Heier, Director, Alaska Division of Insurance
• John Doak, Commissioner, Oklahoma Department of Insurance
The hearing on Wednesday, September 6th, titled “Stabilizing Premiums and Helping Individuals in the Individual Insurance Market for 2018: Insurance Commissioners,” will take place in Dirksen 430 at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m ET.
Sens. Alexander and Murray announced earlier this month that the committee would hold a series of hearings in September on stabilizing premiums in the individual insurance market so that the 18 million Americans in the individual market will be able to buy insurance at affordable prices in the year 2018.
The committee will hear from governors from Colorado, Massachusetts, Montana, Tennessee and Utah the next day, Thursday September 7th.
Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on the FDA’s role in ensuring Americans have access to clear and consistent calorie and nutrition information; forthcoming guidance will provide greater clarity and certainty
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 25/ 17
As a doctor, father and the head of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, I believe that everyone is entitled to the information they need to make informed decisions about the food they eat. We serve as the nation’s expert on food labeling, which is why Congress entrusted us with the responsibility of crafting predictable, uniform federal standards that will benefit the health of families across America by ensuring access to essential calorie and nutrition information on food and menu labels.
Americans should not have to navigate variable information about the foods they eat when traveling from state to state—or city to city. Inconsistent state and local requirements may also drive up the cost of food, and sow confusion, by requiring restaurants and other covered establishments to post different information based on location. We take seriously our obligation to consumers; to make sure they have access to useful menu labeling information in a simple and timely manner. We also share Congress’s goal in enacting these labeling provisions: to ensure that calorie and nutrition information is delivered in a clear, consistent and predictable way. Similarly, we recognize our obligation to provide clear guidance so that restaurants and other establishments that are subject to these provisions have clarity and certainty as to how they can efficiently meet the new menu labeling requirements.
We have issued detailed regulations addressing what information should be provided in menus at restaurant chains and other similar retail establishments, as well as when and how that information should be provided. In developing the regulations, we were informed by thousands of comments from consumers, industry representatives and other interested parties, along with many meetings and discussions with stakeholders. Earlier this year, we solicited another round of feedback on our regulation, which has helped to further inform our approach to implementing the menu labeling provisions.
I am pleased to announce that we will provide additional, practical guidance on the menu labeling requirements by the end of this year. This additional guidance will address concerns that were raised about challenges establishments faced in understanding how to meet their obligations under the new regulations. We have been diligently working to address the comments we received, and to establish a sustainable framework for enabling establishments to effectively meet the new menu labeling provisions. These new policy steps should allow covered establishments to implement the requirements by next year’s compliance date.
The FDA takes seriously our responsibility to ensure that food is labeled in a manner that provides people with the information they need to make healthy choices. We will continue to fulfill our obligation to pursue science-based, public health-focused federal standards across the full spectrum of our food regulatory authorities to the benefit of all Americans.
CDC: Most U.S. teens are getting cancer-preventing vaccine
PRESS RELEASE 8/ 24/ 17
Six out of 10 U.S. parents are choosing to get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for their children, according to a report published in this week’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends parents get two doses of HPV vaccine for their children at ages 11 or 12 to protect against cancers caused by HPV infections. Although most children are getting their first dose of HPV vaccine, many children are not completing the vaccination series.
“I’m pleased with the progress, but too many teens are still not receiving the HPV vaccine – which leaves them vulnerable to cancers caused by HPV infection,” said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. “We need to do more to increase the vaccination rate and protect American youth today from future cancers tomorrow.”
Adolescents who get the first dose of HPV vaccine before their 15th birthday need two doses of HPV vaccine to be protected against cancers caused by HPV. Teens and young adults who start the series at ages 15 through 26 years need three doses of HPV vaccine to be protected against cancers caused by HPV.
Teen HPV vaccination: key findings
The annual National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-Teen) report, which examines vaccination coverage among U.S. adolescents, found that 60 percent of teens ages 13 to 17 received one or more doses of HPV vaccine in 2016, an increase of 4 percentage points from 2015.
The report also showed that HPV vaccination is becoming more common among boys. The difference in vaccination rates between boys and girls has been narrowing in recent years. About 65 percent of girls received the first dose of HPV vaccine compared to 56 percent of boys receiving the first dose. These latest estimates represent a 6 percentage point increase from 2015 for boys, while rates for girls were similar to 2015.
Despite these increases, areas for improvement remain. While most adolescents have received the first dose of HPV vaccine, only 43 percent of teens are up to date on all the recommended doses of HPV vaccine. HPV vaccination rates were also lower in rural and less urban areas compared to more urban areas.
Looking ahead
Clinicians have been working hard to protect children from cancers caused by HPV ever since the vaccine was first introduced over 10 years ago, and there are reasons to be encouraged about future trends in HPV vaccination.
In late 2016, CDC updated its HPV vaccine recommendations as new evidence showed that two doses of HPV vaccine in younger adolescents provided levels of protection similar to those seen for three doses in older adolescents and young adults. CDC recommends 11 to 12 year olds get two doses of HPV vaccine at least six months apart.
“Recent changes to the vaccine recommendations mean preventing cancer is easier now than ever before,” said Nancy Messonnier, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “Now is the time for parents to protect their children from cancers caused by HPV.”
Recent data have also shown that HPV vaccination has led to dramatic declines in HPV infections, highlighting the importance of achieving and maintaining high HPV vaccination rates. Since the introduction of the first HPV vaccine, infections with HPV types that cause most of these cancers and genital warts have decreased by 71 percent in teen girls and 61 percent in young women.
Parents can take advantage of any visit to the doctor’s office to get the HPV vaccine for their child. Adolescents should get the HPV vaccine during the same visit they get whooping cough and meningitis vaccines.
CDC: Some Infants still not receiving the recommended screenings and interventions for hearing loss and critical congenital heart disease at birth
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 24/ 17
Today’s Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the benefits of and gaps in assessing point-of-care newborn screening for hearing loss (HL) and critical congenital heart disease (CCHD). These critical gaps need to be closed to help all children have a better chance to reach their full potential.
About 1 in 500 infants are born with CCHD, which includes the more severe forms of congenital heart disease (CHD). CHD is the most common type of birth defect and accounts for more than 30 percent of all infant deaths from birth defects. Point-of-care screening can help identify many infants with CCHD before they go home.
Newborn screening, a public health program that benefits 4 million U.S. infants every year, identifies conditions that can affect a child’s long-term health or even survival. Besides laboratory testing of dried bloodspots for dozens of conditions, which has been in place since the 1970s, national guidelines now call for newborns to be screened for hearing loss and CCHD while at the birth facility.
“Newborn screening at birth is crucial to quickly identify infants at risk of hearing loss and congenital heart disease so they can receive early intervention and follow-up care,” said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. “Finding these conditions early can give infants the best chance to properly develop and lead healthy lives.”
CDC estimates that without newborn screening, each year about 875 U.S. newborns with a CCHD were not diagnosed before discharge from birth facilities. However, most of these babies can now be identified using a non-invasive and painless test referred to as “pulse oximetry testing.” For every 200 infants with a CCHD, at least one death due to an undiagnosed CCHD can be avoided if all birth facilities screen newborn babies using pulse oximetry testing.
Similarly, permanent hearing loss present at birth affects nearly 2 infants per 1,000 in the United States. Most children with hearing loss are considered to have or be at risk for a developmental delay. Infants who are diagnosed before age 3 months and receive intervention services before age 6 months have significantly better language development than children who are not.
Federally funded state-based Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs help ensure infants receive recommended diagnostic and intervention services. In short, EHDI focuses on nationally recognized “1-3-6” guidelines: children are screened for hearing loss before 1 month of age, and, if needed, diagnosed for hearing loss before age 3 months and enrolled in early intervention programs before age 6 months.
In contrast to EHDI, there is no federal support for state-based CCHD screening programs. Not detecting heart-related birth defects early can pose a significant increase in risk for permanent disability and even death. “The collaboration between EHDI programs, health professionals, and parents has led to great progress on hearing loss screening and follow-up,” said Stuart K. Shapira, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer and Associate Director for Science at CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. “We must apply the same effort and resources to CCHD screening to help prevent infant deaths and offer children the greatest chance to thrive.”
This MMWR complements the September 2016 Public Health Grand Rounds forum Beyond the Blood Spot: Newborn Screening for Hearing Loss and Critical Congenital Heart Disease.
HHS readies medical support in Texas and Louisiana ahead of Hurricane Harvey
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 25/ 17
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is leaning forward in its preparations to support Texas and Louisiana in responding to Hurricane Harvey. HHS has already deployed assets to both states that are ready to provide medical care and public health support as needed after Hurricane Harvey makes landfall.
HHS has called in 460 National Disaster Medical System staff, including community doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel from around the country, to be in place ahead of the storm and ready to respond when and where needed. The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response moved six Disaster Medical Assistance Teams into the Dallas area along with Incident Response Coordination Teams to support the medical teams in Texas and Louisiana. Additional medical care teams are on alert to be called in as needed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has moved two 250-bed Federal Medical Stations to Baton Rouge, ready to be deployed anywhere in the state, and additional Federal Medical Stations are available in Dallas for patient care in Texas. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health has mobilized U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers to staff the Federal Medical Stations and meet other public health or medical needs in impacted communities.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration activated the Disaster Distress Helpline, a toll-free call center, to aid people in coping with the behavioral health effects of the storm and help people in impacted areas connect with local behavioral health professionals.
HHS also provided data to public health authorities in Texas and Louisiana to assist them in reaching citizens who rely on electrically powered medical equipment at home. Power outages become life-or-death situations for people with these medical conditions.
HHS remains in regular contact with Texas and Louisiana health officials to maintain awareness of the local situation and stands ready to augment its support to the states as the situation unfolds.
The Department is committed to meeting the medical and public health needs of communities across Texas and Louisiana impacted by Hurricane Harvey in the immediate aftermath of the storm and as affected areas recover. Information on health safety tips during and after the hurricane will be provided by the Office of the Assistance Secretary for Preparedness and Response and will be available at www.phe.gov/harvey
STATE LEVEL ON OUR HEALTH
DOH: More Washington teens protected against cancer-causing virus
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 24/ 17
OLYMPIA -- More Washington teens are getting the vaccine that protects against certain types of cancer, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While there was important improvement in HPV vaccine, most of the state’s teen vaccination rates are below where they should be for optimal health and protection against vaccine preventable illnesses.
The CDC 2016 National Immunization Survey shows almost two in every three Washington teens (65 percent) received at least one dose of HPV vaccine – a significant increase over 2015 (56 percent).
State health officials say healthcare providers and community partners have been working together for several years to increase the number of teens who get the HPV vaccine, which protects against certain types of cancer. However, not as many teens are getting all needed doses. Of special concern are teen boys; only 44 percent of them are up to date on HPV vaccination. Among girls, 55 percent are up to date.
State health officials are concerned that HPV vaccination rates are lower than other vaccines for teens. In 2016, 86.8 percent of teens received a Tdap vaccine and 75.1 percent received at least one dose of meningococcal vaccine. To protect more of our children from cancer and other deadly diseases, all three vaccinations should be given at the same age. The national goal is to have 80 percent of teens up to date on Tdap, meningococcal, and HPV vaccines by the year 2020. The department will keep working with community and healthcare partners to improve teen immunization rates.
WORLD & NATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
From the UN NEWS CENTER
Syria: UNICEF cites conflict's 'staggering' impact on children; calls for urgent protection
25 August 2017 – Six and a half years of war in Syria has inflicted untold suffering on the country's children, a senior United Nations official said today, urging parties to the conflict to stop the violence and live up to their legal obligations to children.
In Kuwait, UN chief Guterres lauds country's humanitarian leadership, regional diplomacy
27 August 2017 – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, on an official visit to Kuwait, expressed gratitude to not only the Gulf country's leadership in humanitarian action, but the “dialogue […] and promotion of understanding Kuwait has shown in relation to all conflicts in the region.”
NATION
NYT: Coast Guard Rescues 32 People as Harvey Churns Texas Waters
The Coast Guard rescued at least 32 people from several boats in Texas waters on Friday and Saturday as a result of Hurricane Harvey, which was later downgraded to a tropical storm.
LA TIMES: Hundreds of demonstrators turn out in San Francisco to denounce white supremacists
Hundreds of protesters were in a celebratory mood across San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, claiming victory over a far-right group that had canceled a rally near the Golden Gate Bridge and a subsequent news conference in the face of large-scale resistance.
NEWS STORY COMMENTARY
From the Peninsula Daily News headline: Schromen-Wawrin, Wojnowski talk about issues at Port Angeles council candidate forum
QUOTES:
" Wojnowski, a Chicago native who was raised in a Polish household, is maintenance manager for the Dungeness Meadows Home Owners Association.
“I don’t believe that we should be fluoridating the water,” Wojnowski said."
"Schromen-Wawrin said he had a more “nuanced view” on fluoride, saying the chemical has been shown to improve oral health and that he uses fluoride in his daily dental regime.
Schromen-Wawrin said he would personally vote no on the advisory vote but listen to the will of the voters and act accordingly, provided he has assurances that the city would not put lead and arsenic in the water."
" Colleen McAleer, who chairs the Port of Port Angeles commission, asked the candidates whether they would support an avigation easement above the city’s Lincoln Park for aircraft landing at the port airport.
Such an easement would allow for the removal of certain trees from the west side of Lincoln Park.
“I would support the port having as much access to the air path there as possible,” Wojnowski said.
“We definitely do need air service. The one thing that I continually hear, even from friends and family that come and visit me, is it’s a pain in the butt to get here.”
Schromen-Wawrin said he, too, would support a formal agreement between the city and port.
“For me, the bottom line is that I don’t want Lincoln Park to just be a grassy runway strip that the city owns and maintains for the airport,” Schromen-Wawrin said.
“It’s a park, and as much as possible we need to be able to continue its use as a park. Does that mean it has 200- to 300-foot-tall Douglas fir trees? Absolutely not. There’s many other alternatives to that.”
Editorial Comment
As I said before on both subjects regarding flouridation, and the Lincoln park trees, the one as for flouridation, let the people decide on that by a vote, and accept the out come of that vote.
Secondly, as or the Lincoln park trees I think the people would prefer a viable airport, and given the reaction of the last cutting of the trees, which were hardly noticed by those who opposed to the cutting down of the trees, leads me to believe that cutting down the trees blocking the path of airspace for planes, that whole opposition was nothing more than a feel good measure by those who voiced opposition to the cutting of the trees.
WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY
GOSPEL WAY: Is It Unloving to Spank Our Children?
Modern psychologists often advise parents not to spank their children. We are told that intelligent parents should reason with their children; but if we spank them, they may think we do not love them. What does the Bible say?
https://www.gospelway.com/topics/family/spanking.php
