WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined a bipartisan group of Western senators to urge the White House and its Office of Management and Budget to fulfill the federal government’s promise to rural communities by extending a critical lifeline that funds road repairs, schools, and law enforcement in rural communities in any future emergency disaster supplemental funding bill it sends to Congress.
The senators pushed for a two-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Act (SRS). SRS payments support public schools, public roads, forest health projects, emergency services, and law enforcement in more than 700 counties across the country.
The payments expired last year, leaving counties uncertain as to how to fund these essential services in rural areas.
“We have seen firsthand the hardships rural counties face as a result of SRS authorization lapsing. Without the certainty of SRS payments, schools, libraries, and jails will close…” the senators wrote in a letter to Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney. “Roads go unpaved and become unsafe. Mental and physical health services are scaled back or even ended. Fewer and fewer law enforcement officers are forced to patrol larger and larger areas.
“In the interest of working together in a bipartisan way to support local rural communities, we ask that you and Director Mulvaney work with the Congress to include a reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools in any emergency disaster funding legislation,” they wrote.
Counties received their last SRS funds in March 2016. Since the program expired, residents in many of the counties that depend on this funding have had to choose between keeping schools and libraries open or laying off law enforcement.
The lack of certainty about SRS funding comes at a time when rural communities in the West are also being hit by record-breaking fire seasons that have been exacerbated by the federal government’s broken system of wildfire funding.
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=279A4694-8D58-42F9-9673-06647606B5D8
WORLD NEWS AND EVENTS.
UN PRESS RELEASE: Secretary-General Calls Highest Recorded Number of Child Casualties in Armed Conflict ‘Global Shame’, during Security Council Debate
Press release issued 10/ 31/ 17
Children around the world are suffering enormously and unacceptably by conflict. This is a source of global shame. The period covered by my report revealed an alarming level of violations. We see armed groups forcing girls and boys to act as suicide bombers.
We see children stigmatized for having been recruited and used by armed groups. We see children held criminally responsible for acts they were forced to commit. And we see parties to conflict often obstructing life-saving aid for children.
Over the period covered by the report, we witnessed the most child casualties ever recorded by the United Nations in Afghanistan; a doubling of verified cases of recruitment and use of children in Syria and Somalia; and wide‑spread sexual violence against children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan and elsewhere.
Tens of millions of children across the globe were also uprooted from their homes by fighting — their families often split apart, their childhoods disrupted, their futures put at risk.
Despite this bleak picture, some progress has been made. Changes to the reporting process this year allowed for deeper engagement with parties to conflict to encourage the implementation of measures to better protect children. Many entities are now undertaking such measures, as my report outlines. I have asked my Special Representative to work closely with these parties to improve their efforts to spare children from the horrors of war.
Measures to better protect children were put in place by five Government security forces and four armed groups during 2016. These ranged from specific steps such as the release of children held in prison in Somalia, to substantive measures affecting complex operations such as those undertaken by the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in the Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia.
While there is progress, the scale and intensity of some of today’s crises require us to redouble our efforts and take innovative approaches. The cross‑border elements of conflict are increasing year by year. To address this, we need to strengthen our engagement with regional and subregional actors.
We should also encourage additional legal and political commitments to protect children, as well as other measures that my Special Representative is developing. I appeal to Member States to provide resources to support these initiatives.
In 2016, thousands of children were released from armed groups and armed forces, yet only half were successfully reintegrated into their families and communities, most notably by UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund] and its partners. We must do more to provide funding and capacity for programmes that offer education, job training, counselling and family reunification.
The legal framework to protect children in armed conflict is in place. I call on all parties to respect this framework in all conflict situations. We also must pursue accountability for abhorrent crimes and violations of human rights and humanitarian law. If we leave the next generation traumatized, seething with grievances, we betray those we serve and we betray ourselves.
I call on all parties to conflict to work with the United Nations, both on the ground and in New York, to ensure that we protect the most vulnerable of your populations and the most precious resource of your countries: your children. And I urge this Council to strongly support this work as we strive together to build long-term peace, stability and development. Thank you.
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sgsm18772.doc.htm
UN PRESS RELEASE: Third Committee Concludes Human Rights Debate amid Calls to Raise Living Standards, Foster Peaceful Coexistence among Faiths, Ethnicities
Press release issued 10/ 30/ 17
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its debate on human rights today as Governments described measures to ensure their citizens enjoyed full protection of their fundamental freedoms.
Several speakers focused on efforts to strengthen national laws and institutional frameworks, with the representative of the Philippines pointing out that a Presidential Human Rights Committee had been set up to harmonize institutional efforts. Mechanisms were in place to guarantee that rights violators would be held accountable. Sudan’s delegate similarly said it had hired more prosecutors, judges and police to ensure that rights were protected, while Mauritania’s delegate recalled that the country had adopted and ratified all the relevant human rights conventions.
Others stressed the importance of peaceful coexistence among racial and religious groups, with Singapore’s delegate attributing such success to polices focused on social integration and harmony, maintaining that fragile balance required zero tolerance of actions that denigrated religious or ethnic groups. In Myanmar, whose delegate said had a long history of peaceful coexistence, the Government had formed an Interfaith Friendship Group, with representatives from all faiths in 122 organizations at the national, state, district and township levels.
Cultural rights, however, remained underdeveloped compared to other human rights, said Azerbaijan’s delegate, who condemned the destruction of cultural heritage, particularly Armenia’s “plundering” of its territory.
The denial of human rights due to aggression and foreign occupation was another theme throughout the discussion. In that context, Ukraine’s delegate stressed that the people of Crimea had been denied their rights during three and a half years of Russian occupation. It was crucial to monitor the occupying Russian forces to ensure their actions complied with international law.
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/gashc4214.doc.htm
UN PRESS RELEASE: Secretary-General Urges Security Council to Be Ambitious in Considering Options for Providing G-5 Sahel Joint Force with Vital Support
Press release issued 10/ 30/ 17
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council meeting on the Sahel, translated from French, in New York today:
I would like to thank the Government of France for initiating this debate, which follows on from the Security Council’s visit to the Sahel. I would also like to thank the Ministers of the country members of the G-5 [Group of Five] Sahel for their presence today.
And allow me to pay tribute to the three Chadian “Blue Helmets” from MINUSMA [United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali] who lost their lives last Thursday, as well as to their injured colleagues. I would like to commend them for their courage and dedication in working to bring peace and security to Mali. Their sense of sacrifice makes it our duty to find solutions, urgently, to enable us to combat terrorism in Mali, while guaranteeing the security and safety of MINUSMA personnel.
The situation in the Sahel concerns all of us. Poverty, underdevelopment and climate change have all contributed to the humanitarian and security crises. Weak institutions and the exclusion and marginalization of certain groups are exploited by extremists and terrorists. Porous borders facilitate human trafficking, the trafficking of drugs and weapons, and other criminal activities.
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sgsm18770.doc.htm
From the UN NEWS CENTER:
Unrest in Cameroon's Anglophone regions sends thousands fleeing to Nigeria – UN agency
31 October 2017 – The United Nations refugee agency is scaling up efforts with partners to provide humanitarian assistance to thousands of Cameroonians who have fled violence in that country's Anglophone regions to south-eastern Nigeria.
https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=57998
Push for Global Goals makes partnerships, innovation 'more important than ever,' UN forum in Bahrain told
31 October 2017 – A United Nations forum opened today in Manama, Bahrain, highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=57996
Tuberculosis world's top infectious killer; UN health agency calls for political action to stop spread
30 October 2017 – Progress has not been fast enough over the past year to reach global and regional targets on stopping the spread of tuberculosis (TB), or to make real headway in closing persistent gaps in TB care and prevention, the World Health Organization warned Monday.
https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=57991
US MISSION TO THE UN:
Remarks at a UN Security Council Open Debate on Children in Armed Conflict; Ambassador Michele J. Sison
Press release posted 10/ 31/ 17
" We should all be disturbed by the Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict this year. The report shows that in conflicts around the world, children are being killed and maimed, abducted, and attacked in schools and hospitals, recruited to fight, sexually abused, and denied humanitarian aid – by state and non-state actors alike. All parties to armed conflict should share the goal of protecting children from violence, and yet, all too often, violations and abuses of international law affecting children in armed conflict are rampant.
Of particular concern to the United States is the scale and gravity of such violations and abuses against children by terrorist organizations including the Taliban, ISIS, Boko Haram, and al-Shabaab. These groups are responsible for many of the most barbaric attacks, committing over 6,800 violations and abuses against children, as documented by the UN.
South Sudan also remains a major cause for concern. The number of children who have been recruited by armed groups is around 17,000 – coincidentally about the same number of staff as the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. Ambassador Haley just returned from that country, where she issued a stern warning to President Kiir: “The hate and the violence that we are seeing has to stop." She also told President Kiir during their meeting that he could not deny the actions of his military, whether it was related to violence or rape or child soldiers. Sexual violence against girls and boys in particular, including mass gang rape, has intensified, even in parts of the country that were once deemed safe for them. The UN and this Council should bring all of our influence and tools to bear to ensure that all parties to the conflict in South Sudan immediately end committing all violations and abuses against children."
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/8059
Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Peace and Security in Africa, Ambassador Nikki Haley
Press release issued 10/ 30/ 17
" Violent extremism in the Sahel is a growing problem. And responding to this violence is more dangerous than ever. We applaud the men and women of the armed forces of the G5 Sahel countries. We also salute the region’s partners, particularly France, with its longstanding counterterror operation. And we thank the brave men and women serving in the world’s most dangerous peacekeeping mission in Mali. All these forces and missions have lost personnel. Civilians have also been the victims of violence across the region, including the tragic attack in Burkina Faso in August.
Many, many families have lost loved ones. Earlier this month, four members of our special forces and five members of the Nigerien army were killed on the Mali-Niger border while working together as partners to ensure peace in a threatened region.
But it is not just violent extremism that plagues the people of the Sahel. Crime is also a growing problem. Historical trade routes across the region provide an opportunity for some of the worst actors in the continent. Criminals who traffic in drugs and human beings seek to profit from the chaos in the Sahel, and they are succeeding, to the detriment of human security in West Africa."
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/8056
US STATE DEPT: The Capture of Mustafa al-Imam
Press release issued 10/ 30/ 17
I am deeply grateful to the U.S. military, law enforcement, and intelligence community for their efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya. The Department of State family continues to mourn the loss of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods, and we will spare no effort to ensure that justice is served for these dedicated Americans and public servants. I spoke with some of their family members to underscore the U.S. government’s unwavering support.
https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2017/10/275190.htm
Related story: Statement by President Donald J. Trump on the Apprehension of Mustafa al-Imam for His Alleged Role in the September 11, 2012 Attacks in Benghazi, Libya Resulting in the Deaths of Four Americans
Yesterday, on my orders, United States forces captured Mustafa al-Imam in Libya. Because of this successful operation, al-Imam will face justice in the United States for his alleged role in the September 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi, which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods—four brave Americans who were serving our country.---White House press release issued 10/ 30/ 17
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/10/30/statement-president-donald-j-trump-apprehension-mustafa-al-imam-his
US STATE DEPT. BLOG: Going Beyond Emergency Food Assistance
Blog posted 10/ 30/ 17
This year we are confronting unprecedented levels of food insecurity worldwide. South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen all are facing the credible threat of famine.
But it’s recent natural disasters in the United States that have reminded me crises can happen everywhere and anywhere. Wherever they happen, people need help to survive and get back on their feet.
That’s why at USAID’s Office of Food for Peace, we save lives, but also focus on equipping people with the knowledge and tools to feed themselves, so we can reduce the need for future food assistance.
https://blogs.state.gov/stories/2017/10/30/en/going-beyond-emergency-food-assistance
US DEFENSE DEPT: Mattis: Military Force Authorizations Remain Sound
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2017 — The 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force remain sound bases for ongoing U.S. military operations against the mutating threat of terrorism fueled by extremism aimed at innocents around the globe, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Capitol Hill this evening.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1358069/mattis-military-force-authorizations-remain-sound/
Dunford Hosts Trilateral Meeting With South Korean, Japanese Military Leaders
CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii, Oct. 30, 2017 — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff hosted a trilateral conference with South Korean and Japanese military leaders here yesterday.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1356965/dunford-hosts-trilateral-meeting-with-south-korean-japanese-military-leaders/
Strikes Continue in Effort to Defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq
SOUTHWEST ASIA, Oct. 31, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting eight strikes consisting of 14 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1358248/strikes-continue-in-effort-to-defeat-isis-in-syria-iraq/
World & National headlines from Reuters...
Russia's Putin arrives in Iran to discuss Syria, nuclear dealTEHRAN (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin began a visit to Iran on Wednesday designed to underpin closer ties between two countries at loggerheads with the United States as President Donald Trump threatens to pull out of a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.
U.S. pursues direct diplomacy with North Korea despite Trump rejection
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is quietly pursuing direct diplomacy with North Korea, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s public assertion that such talks are a waste of time.
Two years after the Paris attacks, France ends state of emergency
PARIS (Reuters) - Two years after militants killed 130 people in coordinated attacks across Paris, France officially ended a state of emergency, replacing it with the introduction of a new security law which critics say undermines civil liberties.
Deadly attack in New York branded 'terrorism' by authorities
NEW YORK (Reuters) - An Uzbek immigrant accused of killing eight people in New York City by driving a rental truck down a riverfront bike path on Tuesday appeared to have acted alone, but the Halloween Day attack had all the hallmarks of terrorism, authorities said.
Monsanto, BASF weed killers strain U.S. states with damage complaints
CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. farmers have overwhelmed state governments with thousands of complaints about crop damage linked to new versions of weed killers, threatening future sales by manufacturers Monsanto Co (MON.N) and BASF SE (BASFn.DE).
U.S. Army deserter Bergdahl suffers nerve damage after captivity: witness
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Reuters) - U.S. Army Sergeant Brad Bergdahl suffers significant nerve damage as a result of malnutrition and torture while he was a prisoner of the Taliban after being captured in Afghanistan when he deserted his post in June 2009, defense witnesses said.
Daily Bible Verse: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:18 NKJV
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