SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the Trump Administration’s new rules undermining women’s access to contraception.
The new rules would allow any company to deny coverage for contraceptive services to its female employees based on religious grounds. Additionally, certain types of organizations would also be able to deny this coverage on moral grounds.
If allowed to go forward, President Trump’s rules could have a significant impact on the more than 1.5 million Washington workers and their dependents who receive insurance through their employer’s self-funded plan. One study by the Center for American Progress found that contraception costs can generally exceed $1,000 a year without insurance coverage.
Some Washington women who currently use contraception may be denied no-cost coverage and be forced to turn to state-funded programs to receive the care they need. State-funded reproductive health services helped more than 90,000 patients in 2016 alone. More than three-quarters of those patients were women who used contraception, saving the state an estimated $160 million in maternal and birth-related costs, according to a report from the Washington State Department of Health.
“President Trump’s contraception rules are unfair, unlawful, and unconstitutional,” said Ferguson. “I refuse to let President Trump disregard our laws and our constitution in an effort to deny women access to contraception.”
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleges that the new rules violate the U.S. Constitution, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Civil Rights Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.
BACK TO SCHOOL 2017
2018-19 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Opened Oct. 1US EDUCATION DEPT. PRESS RELEASE dated 10/ 3/ 17
The financial aid filing season officially began at 1 a.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 1 with the launch of the 2018‒19 FAFSA® at fafsa.gov. Nearly 238,000 online applications were submitted the first day, representing an eight percent increase compared to one year ago.
Most students and parents are eligible to use the IRS DRT to electronically transfer their 2016 tax return information. The tool returned Oct. 1 for the 2018‒19 FAFSA with extra security and privacy protections to safeguard sensitive taxpayer data.
Each year, more than 20 million FAFSAs are submitted, resulting in more than $120 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds to help pay for college or career school.
“Our vision at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is that every eligible student in the nation completes the FAFSA,” said Dr. A. Wayne Johnson, chief operating officer of ED’s office of Federal Student Aid. “Filling out the FAFSA is free, and Federal Student Aid provides a wealth of resources to assist students and parents every step of the way.”
Students who plan to submit the FAFSA online should create an FSA ID as soon as possible at StudentAid.gov/fsaid. If a student is considered dependent for FAFSA purposes, one of the student’s parents also needs to create an FSA ID in order to sign the FAFSA online. Each person must create his or her own FSA ID to avoid issues and delays with the financial aid process.
Once the FAFSA is processed, the school will use the FAFSA information to calculate the amounts and types of financial aid the student may qualify for, and the school will send the student a financial aid offer. Financial aid offers come from schools, not the U.S. Department of Education, and each school has its own schedule for awarding financial aid. Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible to take advantage of any early state and school financial aid deadlines.
https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/2018-19-free-application-federal-student-aid-fafsa%C2%AE-opened-oct-1
Student Artists and Writers Spark a Celebration of Creativity; 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Winners Exhibits Open at ED
On Sept. 15, 2017, for the 14th year, the U.S. Department of Education opened the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards exhibit of works by students from across the country, with a special exhibit this year of winners from Harris County (Houston), Texas. Presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the longest-running and most prestigious award program for teenagers in the U.S. This year, 330,000 pieces of art and writing were submitted, and only 2,700 students were selected as national winners. Of those national winners, the Department has the honor of exhibiting 66 for the entire year, along with an additional 30 artists from Harris County, Texas, through Oct. 31, 2017.
https://blog.ed.gov/2017/10/student-artists-writers-spark-celebration-creativity-2017-scholastic-art-writing-awards-winners-exhibits-open-ed/
Understanding Teachers Make “All the Difference” for a High School Student with Dyslexia
A teacher can make the difference between a good day and a bad one.
Actually, they can make or break a child’s entire school year by understanding what accommodations in a 504 Plan or an individualized education program (IEP) can do to help a person like me who works every day to overcome the impact of dyslexia, dysgraphia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
https://blog.ed.gov/2017/10/understanding-teachers-make-difference-high-school-student-dyslexia/
Michigan Students to Speak with NASA Astronauts on Space Station
Students at St. Mary Cathedral School in Gaylord, Michigan, will speak with NASA astronauts living, working and doing research aboard the International Space Station at 11 a.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 6. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/michigan-students-to-speak-with-nasa-astronauts-on-space-station
WORLD AND NATIONAL HEADLINES FROM REUTERS
Iran hardliners, pragmatists show unity in response to TrumpLONDON (Reuters) - A tough line from President Donald Trump has been met by a show of unity from both sides of Iran’s political divide, uniting hardliners who cast the United States as an implacable enemy with pragmatists who seek rapprochement with the West.
North Korean missiles will be able to reach U.S. after modernization: Ifax cites Russian lawmaker
MOSCOW (Reuters) - North Korea’s leadership has told Russian lawmakers that it possesses a ballistic missile with a range of 3,000 kilometers (1864.11 miles) that will be able to reach U.S. territory after modernization, the Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday.
Trump says dispute with Corker will not affect tax reform
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he did not think his Twitter dispute with Republican Senator Bob Corker would affect his administration’s effort to pass tax reform.
Trump plays tax card in fight over NFL anthem protests
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the National Football League should not be given tax breaks, stepping up his criticism of the world’s top-grossing sports league over silent player protests at games against racial injustice.
Daily Bible Verse: Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
Proverbs 19:20-21 NKJV
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