Saturday, September 28, 2019

WHILE TRUMP DELIVERED HIS SPEECH TO THE UN...

House Speaker Pelosi bows to the whims of the House, launches impeachment inqury. In other words a coup by impeachment.

Monday was a full news day started with the fallowing remarks by President Trump at the UN:
Remarks by President Trump to the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Posted on the White House page on 9. 25. 19

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you very much.  Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, distinguished delegates, ambassadors, and world leaders:

Seven decades of history have passed through this hall, in all of their richness and drama.  Where I stand, the world has heard from presidents and premiers at the height of the Cold War.  We have seen the foundation of nations.  We have seen the ringleaders of revolution.  We have beheld saints who inspired us with hope, rebels who stirred us with passion, and heroes who emboldened us with courage — all here to share plans, proposals, visions, and ideas on the world’s biggest stage.

Like those who met us before, our time is one of great contests, high stakes, and clear choices.  The essential divide that runs all around the world and throughout history is once again thrown into stark relief.  It is the divide between those whose thirst for control deludes them into thinking they are destined to rule over others and those people and nations who want only to rule themselves.

I have the immense privilege of addressing you today as the elected leader of a nation that prizes liberty, independence, and self-government above all.  The United States, after having spent over two and a half trillion dollars since my election to completely rebuild our great military, is also, by far, the world’s most powerful nation.  Hopefully, it will never have to use this power.

Americans know that in a world where others seek conquest and domination, our nation must be strong in wealth, in might, and in spirit.  That is why the United States vigorously defends the traditions and customs that have made us who we are.

Like my beloved country, each nation represented in this hall has a cherished history, culture, and heritage that is worth defending and celebrating, and which gives us our singular potential and strength.

The free world must embrace its national foundations.  It must not attempt to erase them or replace them.

Looking around and all over this large, magnificent planet, the truth is plain to see: If you want freedom, take pride in your country.  If you want democracy, hold on to your sovereignty.  And if you want peace, love your nation.  Wise leaders always put the good of their own people and their own country first.

The future does not belong to globalists.  The future belongs to patriots.  The future belongs to sovereign and independent nations who protect their citizens, respect their neighbors, and honor the differences that make each country special and unique.

It is why we in the United States have embarked on an exciting program of national renewal.  In everything we do, we are focused on empowering the dreams and aspirations of our citizens.

Thanks to our pro-growth economic policies, our domestic unemployment rate reached its lowest level in over half a century.  Fueled by massive tax cuts and regulations cuts, jobs are being produced at a historic rate.  Six million Americans have been added to the employment rolls in under three years.

Last month, African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American unemployment reached their lowest rates ever recorded. We are marshaling our nation’s vast energy abundance, and the United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world.  Wages are rising, incomes are soaring, and 2.5 million Americans have been lifted out of poverty in less than three years.

As we rebuild the unrivaled might of the American military, we are also revitalizing our alliances by making it very clear that all of our partners are expected to pay their fair share of the tremendous defense burden, which the United States has borne in the past.

At the center of our vision for national renewal is an ambitious campaign to reform international trade.  For decades, the international trading system has been easily exploited by nations acting in very bad faith.  As jobs were outsourced, a small handful grew wealthy at the expense of the middle class.

In America, the result was 4.2 million lost manufacturing jobs and $15 trillion in trade deficits over the last quarter century.  The United States is now taking that decisive action to end this grave economic injustice.  Our goal is simple: We want balanced trade that is both fair and reciprocal.

We have worked closely with our partners in Mexico and Canada to replace NAFTA with the brand new and hopefully bipartisan U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Tomorrow, I will join Prime Minister Abe of Japan to continue our progress in finalizing a terrific new trade deal.

As the United Kingdom makes preparations to exit the European Union, I have made clear that we stand ready to complete an exceptional new trade agreement with the UK that will bring tremendous benefits to both of our countries.  We are working closely with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on a magnificent new trade deal.

The most important difference in America’s new approach on trade concerns our relationship with China.  In 2001, China was admitted to the World Trade Organization.  Our leaders then argued that this decision would compel China to liberalize its economy and strengthen protections to provide things that were unacceptable to us, and for private property and for the rule of law.  Two decades later, this theory has been tested and proven completely wrong.

Not only has China declined to adopt promised reforms, it has embraced an economic model dependent on massive market barriers, heavy state subsidies, currency manipulation, product dumping, forced technology transfers, and the theft of intellectual property and also trade secrets on a grand scale.

As just one example, I recently met the CEO of a terrific American company, Micron Technology, at the White House.  Micron produces memory chips used in countless electronics.  To advance the Chinese government’s five-year economic plan, a company owned by the Chinese state allegedly stole Micron’s designs, valued at up to $8.7 billion.  Soon, the Chinese company obtains patents for nearly an identical product, and Micron was banned from selling its own goods in China.  But we are seeking justice.

The United States lost 60,000 factories after China entered the WTO.  This is happening to other countries all over the globe.

The World Trade Organization needs drastic change.  The second-largest economy in the world should not be permitted to declare itself a “developing country” in order to game the system at others’ expense.

For years, these abuses were tolerated, ignored, or even encouraged.  Globalism exerted a religious pull over past leaders, causing them to ignore their own national interests.

But as far as America is concerned, those days are over.  To confront these unfair practices, I placed massive tariffs on more than $500 billion worth of Chinese-made goods.  Already, as a result of these tariffs, supply chains are relocating back to America and to other nations, and billions of dollars are being paid to our Treasury.

The American people are absolutely committed to restoring balance to our relationship with China.  Hopefully, we can reach an agreement that would be beneficial for both countries.  But as I have made very clear, I will not accept a bad deal for the American people.

As we endeavor to stabilize our relationship, we’re also carefully monitoring the situation in Hong Kong.  The world fully expects that the Chinese government will honor its binding treaty, made with the British and registered with the United Nations, in which China commits to protect Hong Kong’s freedom, legal system, and democratic ways of life.  How China chooses to handle the situation will say a great deal about its role in the world in the future.  We are all counting on President Xi as a great leader.

The United States does not seek conflict with any other nation.  We desire peace, cooperation, and mutual gain with all.  But I will never fail to defend America’s interests.

One of the greatest security threats facing peace-loving nations today is the repressive regime in Iran.  The regime’s record of death and destruction is well known to us all.  Not only is Iran the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism, but Iran’s leaders are fueling the tragic wars in both Syria and Yemen.

At the same time, the regime is squandering the nation’s wealth and future in a fanatical quest for nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them.  We must never allow this to happen.

To stop Iran’s path to nuclear weapons and missiles, I withdrew the United States from the terrible Iran nuclear deal, which has very little time remaining, did not allow inspection of important sites, and did not cover ballistic missiles.
Following our withdrawal, we have implemented severe economic sanctions on the country.  Hoping to free itself from sanctions, the regime has escalated its violent and unprovoked aggression.  In response to Iran’s recent attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, we just imposed the highest level of sanctions on Iran’s central bank and sovereign wealth fund.

All nations have a duty to act.  No responsible government should subsidize Iran’s bloodlust.  As long as Iran’s menacing behavior continues, sanctions will not be lifted; they will be tightened.  Iran’s leaders will have turned a proud nation into just another cautionary tale of what happens when a ruling class abandons its people and embarks on a crusade for personal power and riches.

For 40 years, the world has listened to Iran’s rulers as they lash out at everyone else for the problems they alone have created.  They conduct ritual chants of “Death to America” and traffic in monstrous anti-Semitism.  Last year the country’s Supreme Leader stated, “Israel is a malignant cancerous tumor…that has to be removed and eradicated: it is possible and it will happen.”  America will never tolerate such anti-Semitic hate.

Fanatics have long used hatred of Israel to distract from their own failures.  Thankfully, there is a growing recognition in the wider Middle East that the countries of the region share common interests in battling extremism and unleashing economic opportunity.  That is why it is so important to have full, normalized relations between Israel and its neighbors.  Only a relationship built on common interests, mutual respect, and religious tolerance can forge a better future.

Iran’s citizens deserve a government that cares about reducing poverty, ending corruption, and increasing jobs — not stealing their money to fund a massacre abroad and at home.

After four decades of failure, it is time for Iran’s leaders to step forward and to stop threatening other countries, and focus on building up their own country.  It is time for Iran’s leaders to finally put the Iranian people first.

America is ready to embrace friendship with all who genuinely seek peace and respect.

Many of America’s closest friends today were once our gravest foes.  The United States has never believed in permanent enemies.  We want partners, not adversaries.  America knows that while anyone can make war, only the most courageous can choose peace.

For this same reason, we have pursued bold diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula. I have told Kim Jong Un what I truly believe: that, like Iran, his country is full of tremendous untapped potential, but that to realize that promise, North Korea must denuclearize.

Around the world, our message is clear: America’s goal is lasting, America’s goal is harmony, and America’s goal is not to go with these endless wars — wars that never end.

With that goal in mind, my administration is also pursuing the hope of a brighter future in Afghanistan.  Unfortunately, the Taliban has chosen to continue their savage attacks.  And we will continue to work with our coalition of Afghan partners to stamp out terrorism, and we will never stop working to make peace a reality.

Here in the Western Hemisphere, we are joining with our partners to ensure stability and opportunity all across the region.  In that mission, one of our most critical challenges is illegal immigration, which undermines prosperity, rips apart societies, and empowers ruthless criminal cartels.

Mass illegal migration is unfair, unsafe, and unsustainable for everyone involved: the sending countries and the depleted countries.  And they become depleted very fast, but their youth is not taken care of and human capital goes to waste.

The receiving countries are overburdened with more migrants than they can responsibly accept.  And the migrants themselves are exploited, assaulted, and abused by vicious coyotes.  Nearly one third of women who make the journey north to our border are sexually assaulted along the way.  Yet, here in the United States and around the world, there is a growing cottage industry of radical activists and non-governmental organizations that promote human smuggling.  These groups encourage illegal migration and demand erasure of national borders.

Today, I have a message for those open border activists who cloak themselves in the rhetoric of social justice: Your policies are not just.  Your policies are cruel and evil.  You are empowering criminal organizations that prey on innocent men, women, and children.  You put your own false sense of virtue before the lives, wellbeing, and [of] countless innocent people.  When you undermine border security, you are undermining human rights and human dignity.

Many of the countries here today are coping with the challenges of uncontrolled migration.  Each of you has the absolute right to protect your borders, and so, of course, does our country.  Today, we must resolve to work together to end human smuggling, end human trafficking, and put these criminal networks out of business for good.

To our country, I can tell you sincerely: We are working closely with our friends in the region — including Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Panama — to uphold the integrity of borders and ensure safety and prosperity for our people.  I would like to thank President López Obrador of Mexico for the great cooperation we are receiving and for right now putting 27,000 troops on our southern border.  Mexico is showing us great respect, and I respect them in return.

The U.S., we have taken very unprecedented action to stop the flow of illegal immigration.  To anyone considering crossings of our border illegally, please hear these words: Do not pay the smugglers.  Do not pay the coyotes.  Do not put yourself in danger.  Do not put your children in danger.  Because if you make it here, you will not be allowed in; you will be promptly returned home.  You will not be released into our country.  As long as I am President of the United States, we will enforce our laws and protect our borders.

For all of the countries of the Western Hemisphere, our goal is to help people invest in the bright futures of their own nation.  Our region is full of such incredible promise: dreams waiting to be built and national destinies for all.  And they are waiting also to be pursued.

Throughout the hemisphere, there are millions of hardworking, patriotic young people eager to build, innovate, and achieve.  But these nations cannot reach their potential if a generation of youth abandon their homes in search of a life elsewhere.  We want every nation in our region to flourish and its people to thrive in freedom and peace.

In that mission, we are also committed to supporting those people in the Western Hemisphere who live under brutal oppression, such as those in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

According to a recent report from the U.N. Human Rights Council, women in Venezuela stand in line for 10 hours a day waiting for food.  Over 15,000 people have been detained as political prisoners.  Modern-day death squads are carrying out thousands of extrajudicial killings.

The dictator Maduro is a Cuban puppet, protected by Cuban bodyguards, hiding from his own people while Cuba plunders Venezuela’s oil wealth to sustain its own corrupt communist rule.

Since I last spoke in this hall, the United States and our partners have built a historic coalition of 55 countries that recognize the legitimate government of Venezuela.

To the Venezuelans trapped in this nightmare: Please know that all of America is united behind you.  The United States has vast quantities of humanitarian aid ready and waiting to be delivered.  We are watching the Venezuela situation very closely.  We await the day when democracy will be restored, when Venezuela will be free, and when liberty will prevail throughout this hemisphere.

One of the most serious challenges our countries face is the specter of socialism.  It’s the wrecker of nations and destroyer of societies.

Events in Venezuela remind us all that socialism and communism are not about justice, they are not about equality, they are not about lifting up the poor, and they are certainly not about the good of the nation.  Socialism and communism are about one thing only: power for the ruling class.

Today, I repeat a message for the world that I have delivered at home: America will never be a socialist country.

In the last century, socialism and communism killed 100 million people.  Sadly, as we see in Venezuela, the death toll continues in this country.  These totalitarian ideologies, combined with modern technology, have the power to excise [exercise] new and disturbing forms of suppression and domination.

For this reason, the United States is taking steps to better screen foreign technology and investments and to protect our data and our security.  We urge every nation present to do the same.

Freedom and democracy must be constantly guarded and protected, both abroad and from within.  We must always be skeptical of those who want conformity and control.  Even in free nations, we see alarming signs and new challenges to liberty.

A small number of social media platforms are acquiring immense power over what we can see and over what we are allowed to say.  A permanent political class is openly disdainful, dismissive, and defiant of the will of the people.  A faceless bureaucracy operates in secret and weakens democratic rule.  Media and academic institutions push flat-out assaults on our histories, traditions, and values.

In the United States, my administration has made clear to social media companies that we will uphold the right of free speech.  A free society cannot allow social media giants to silence the voices of the people, and a free people must never, ever be enlisted in the cause of silencing, coercing, canceling, or blacklisting their own neighbors.

As we defend American values, we affirm the right of all people to live in dignity.  For this reason, my administration is working with other nations to stop criminalizing of homosexuality, and we stand in solidarity with LGBTQ people who live in countries that punish, jail, or execute individuals based upon sexual orientation.

We are also championing the role of women in our societies.  Nations that empower women are much wealthier, safer, and much more politically stable.  It is therefore vital not only to a nation’s prosperity, but also is vital to its national security, to pursue women’s economic development.

Guided by these principles, my administration launched the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiatives.  The W-GDP is first-ever government-wide approach to women’s economic empowerment, working to ensure that women all over the planet have the legal right to own and inherit property, work in the same industries as men, travel freely, and access credit and institutions.

Yesterday, I was also pleased to host leaders for a discussion about an ironclad American commitment: protecting religious leaders and also protecting religious freedom.  This fundamental right is under growing threat around the world.  Hard to believe, but 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where religious liberty is in significant danger or even completely outlawed.  Americans will never fire or tire in our effort to defend and promote freedom of worship and religion.  We want and support religious liberty for all.

Americans will also never tire of defending innocent life.  We are aware that many United Nations projects have attempted to assert a global right to taxpayer-funded abortion on demand, right up until the moment of delivery.  Global bureaucrats have absolutely no business attacking the sovereignty of nations that wish to protect innocent life.  Like many nations here today, we in America believe that every child — born and unborn — is a sacred gift from God. ( Continued on pg 2)










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WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
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Earth’s oceans and frozen spaces paying price for ‘taking the heat of global warming’
Our oceans and frozen spaces have been “taking the heat” for global warming for decades, climate experts said on Wednesday, warning that without a radical change in human behavior, hundreds of millions of people could suffer from rising sea levels, frequent natural disasters and food shortages.

Time to step up: UN summit to push for development finance breakthrough.
A sustainable global economy – one that preserves the planet and improves lives everywhere – is also a huge opportunity to create new jobs and market opportunities worth trillions of dollars, says the UN. But to make it happen, the international community needs to rapidly scale up investment.

Tanzania urged to provide more information on suspected Ebola case
Authorities in Tanzania have been urged by the UN to supply further information about the death of an individual from suspected Ebola Virus Disease earlier this month in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

Countries violate rights over climate change, argue youth activists in landmark UN complaint.
The failure of governments to act on the climate crisis, constitutes a violation of children’s rights, according to a landmark complaint presented to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child by 16 youth activists.

Strong leaders care about all people, not just their own citizens, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says at UN.
Advances in weaponry have made the world smaller, which means leaders are not only responsible for the fate of their citizens but of everyone else on the planet, the President of Ukraine told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.



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He mentions how kids knows the risk of not protecting the environment.
The  Nazis also used kids to put forth their dark agenda

Saturday, September 21, 2019

How state agencies improved the digital experience to serve Washingtonians better.


Charged with a mission to serve the public, Washington state agencies consistently strive to find new ways to deliver a more effective customer experience. Here are some highlights of how agencies recently restructured and changed the way they deliver services, offer information to taxpayers and provide a more user-friendly digital experience.
Health Care Authority
An estimated 150,000 school employees will enroll in the new School Employees Benefits Board Program this fall. To support employees in this shift to a statewide health benefits program, the Health Care Authority is offering innovative online tools.
HCA built a “virtual benefits fair,” where employees can use their computer, tablet or smartphone to browse online booths and learn about medical plan options, among other things. The booths will offer videos, downloadable content, provider searches and other information to help employees choose the right plans for them and their dependents.
For those who want more guidance, HCA is offering an online benefits advisor tool that asks employees questions about their health care needs, then suggests which medical, dental and vision plans might make the most sense for them.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) launched a new website in March. With nearly 70 percent of its website users visiting on mobile or tablet devices, WDFW built its new website with a user-centered design philosophy in mind, emphasizing a mobile-first approach for improved user experience and accessibility.
The website project team developed five profiles, known as “personas”, to reflect the characteristics, interests and needs of website visitors. The team based these personas on user research data that informed how they organized and designed the new site.
Working with an outside contractor, the agency conducted several rounds of in-person and online usability tests before constructing the website. Some of the testers expressed that the old website was difficult to navigate, especially on a mobile device. WDFW also heard that the site wasn’t well designed for screen readers and other accessible devices, so they worked to make that a priority with the new site.
With this new website, WDFW now has a platform that will help them meet their customers where they are. Users can even view fishing rules and hunting season changes right from their boat or tree stand.

Regulatory Innovation and Assistance Office
For anyone starting a business, learning how to navigate state regulations can be confusing. That’s a large reason why the Governor’s Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance re-launched Business.wa.gov, the state’s central hub for business assistance. The new site offers enhanced services with a stronger customer focus:
People appreciate a quick, clear answer from a real person. So, the new site offers free assistance services from a pro, through online live chat and text message options in addition to existing phone and email methods. This change alone has more than tripled the number of customer requests coming through.
There is so much to think about when a business is starting up, that it’s hard to know where to begin — and even harder to know when you might have missed something important. So, the state provides a simplified checklist of what people need to do to get started. Business owners can also get access to a comprehensive Small Business Guide. The guide details the steps for starting, running and growing a business. The guide lists helpful resources, the latest changes in regulations and is available in six languages.
Sometimes people starting a new business hit bumps along the road with a particular permit or license. To help iron out those bumps, the state has a Small Business Liaison employee stationed at every agency that administers business regulations. Their job is to problem-solve and listen to businesses’ needs when a business encounters a problem.
ORIA Director Aaron Everett said the agency needed to revamp some of the great services already offered by the state so that the agency could reach people more effectively.

“But this is just the beginning,” Everett said. “Technology has advanced to the point where we can make people’s experience with government as convenient as buying goods on Amazon. This state leads in so many other areas of economic prosperity, and small business deserves to share in the best of our innovations, too.”
Washington State Department of Agriculture
In the past year, the agency replaced its 15-year-old website with a new, mobile compatible website, making it easier for visitors to view information on their smart phones and tablets. The agency updated the site navigation to reflect popular subjects, instead of organizational structure.

To share important information, the agency created a Facebook group specifically for Washingtonians interested in this past spring’s gypsy moth eradication efforts. The agency offered real-time updates during the treatment period to reach a more mobile-friendly audience, and social media followers could ask questions and receive prompt responses from agency staff and other group members. The agency also used email listservs and automated text messaging to alert the public about planned treatments.
The agency has also expanded availability of its Electronic Cattle Tracking Reporting System, an important tool for livestock owners to report animal sales. Previously limited to dairy cow owners, the system is now available to cattle owners so they can report any change in cattle ownership online.

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Washington State Parks recently made the first major update to its reservation system in a decade. The enhanced system improves customers’ digital experience with a more intuitive, mobile-friendly web navigation and a map-based interface.
When visitors arrive at a Washington state park, they can now check in (through their smartphone) by referencing the bar code from their printed or emailed reservation confirmation letter.

Other new features to the reservation system include the addition of 90 campsites and 38 cabins at two popular state parks (Cama Beach and Camano Island), which were previously on their own reservation system. Visitors can also make reservations at seven additional day-use facilities statewide and six group camps in the San Juan Islands. Visitors can make reservations for multiple parks in one online session, and pre-purchase extra-vehicle permits online.
The new system also allows Washington State Parks to offer specials and promotions to its customers. The first promotion offers $5 off camping at select state parks in September.
Users can save their profile information — such as trailer lengths or discount pass numbers — online for convenience.
Visitors can experience the new reservation system through the Parks website.

Washington State Department of Revenue
The Washington State Department of Revenue recently took its free, popular mobile app and redesigned it based on customer feedback. The app, called WA Tax Rates, offers a fast and easy way for businesses to look up a Washington sales tax rate from anywhere.
Businesses can search either by using GPS or by looking up an address. When the business makes deliveries or has multiple job sites, the app lets them look up the correct rate and calculate the sales tax to charge.
Here are some of the main features and improvements:
You don’t need a login to access any of the app’s features. You can find the combined state and local tax rate at your current location using GPS, or by entering in an address.
You can easily name, save and share locations via email or text message.
You can enter your taxable amount for each location, and the app will calculate the sales tax and total charge for you.
You can download or share a spreadsheet (CSV file) with all your saved locations for importing into your accounting system. You can also upload saved locations to cloud storage in a TXT or CSV file format.
You can view locations on a satellite map.
Learn more and download the app on Revenue’s website.


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WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
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Five avoidable deaths per minute shows urgent need for action on patient safety.
With at least five people dying every minute due to unsafe health care, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging medical professionals, policy makers, caregivers and patients to take urgent action to ensure no one is harmed while receiving treatment.

Attack on Saudi facilities risks dragging Yemen into ‘regional conflagration’: UN Envoy.
Attacks against oil facilities in Saudi Arabia over the weekend, claimed by rebel fighters in Yemen, are a sign that the war-torn country could be drawn into even greater conflict, the top United Nations official there told the Security Council on Monday.

‘Champion for multilateralism’ readies to hand over UN General Assembly gavel.
Through consultation, collaboration and consensus, the UN chief on Monday described outgoing President of the General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa, as “a champion for multilateralism” who had succeeded in making the United Nations “relevant to all”.

Genocide threat for Myanmar’s Rohingya greater than ever, investigators warn Human Rights Council
Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingya who remain in Myanmar may face a greater threat of genocide than ever, amid Government attempts to “erase their identity and remove them from the country”, UN-appointed independent investigators said on Monday.

One million facing food shortages, nutrition crisis after Mozambique cyclones: UNICEF.
Such was the extent of devastation caused by two back-to-back cyclones in Mozambique earlier this year, nearly one million people, including 160,000 children under five, are still facing food shortages and a nutrition crisis, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, said on Monday.





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Members Endorse Bills to Act on Climate Change Policy in Congress.

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COMMENTARY

Saturday, September 14, 2019

CANTWELL CHERPS ABOUT SNAP POLICY BACK IN JULY...

She claims it's a new policy that been approved by the USDA on her webpage!
Where was she back in July when this was happening!?

Washington State Delegation Blasts Trump Administration Rule that Would Strip Food Assistance Benefits from More than 175,600 Washingtonians
New Trump administration rule would eliminate Washington state’s ability to offer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to more than 60,000 children, 15,000 elderly individuals
Cantwell press released on Sept. 5
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) joined U.S. Representatives Kim Schrier (D-WA, 8th), Adam Smith (D-WA, 9th), Rick Larsen (D-WA, 2nd), Denny Heck (D-WA, 10th), Derek Kilmer (D-WA, 6th), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA, 7th), and Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA, 1st) today to send a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue decrying a proposed Trump administration rule that would severely limit Washington state’s ability to provide vulnerable people and families with food assistance. Specifically, the rule would restrict Washington and other states’ ability to offer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to families with low incomes, placing more than 175,000 Washingtonians in danger of losing food assistance.

“We have heard from leaders of locally-based organizations and faith-based communities across the state that this rule change will only put a greater burden on food banks that are already struggling to meet existing food assistance needs. This rule will undermine low-income families’ health, and jeopardize the food security and development of young and school-aged children. We urge you to consider the harmful impact of this proposed rule and to rescind it as soon as possible,” the delegation wrote.

SNAP is a critical program in Washington state and across the country that helps to reduce food insecurity, improve nutrition, and reduce poverty for low-income people and families. Should the Trump administration rule go into effect, more than 60,000 children and more than 15,000 elderly individuals in Washington state would stand to lose access to this vital assistance. Additionally, more than 15,000 children would lose access to free school lunches they are currently receiving through SNAP.

In addition to the harm it would inflict upon low-income families and individuals across the state, the proposed rule would also negatively impact the state government and economy. According to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Service (DSHS), implementing the changes mandated by the new rule would require the state to hire more than 150 new full-time employees, placing an increased administrative burden upon DSHS and financial burden upon state taxpayers. Finally, by removing 175,600 Washingtonians from the SNAP program, the rule would also inflict harm upon the state’s economy, directly reducing food spending by about $25 million.


Related USDA press release dated 7/ 23/ 19

USDA Proposes to Close SNAP Automatic Eligibility Loophole
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today proposed closing a loophole that allows states to make participants receiving minimal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits automatically eligible to participate in USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The proposed rule published today in the Federal Register would limit SNAP/TANF automatic eligibility to households that receive substantial, ongoing TANF-funded benefits aimed at helping families move towards self-sufficiency. The proposed rule would fix a loophole that has expanded SNAP recipients in some states to include people who receive assistance when they clearly don’t need it. In fact, the depth of this specific flexibility has become so egregious that a millionaire living in Minnesota successfully enrolled in the program simply to highlight the waste of taxpayer money. This proposal gives USDA the ability to save billions of dollars, ensuring nutrition assistance programs are delivered with consistency and integrity to those most in need.

“For too long, this loophole has been used to effectively bypass important eligibility guidelines. Too often, states have misused this flexibility without restraint,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “The American people expect their government to be fair, efficient, and to have integrity – just as they do in their own homes, businesses, and communities. That is why we are changing the rules, preventing abuse of a critical safety net system, so those who need food assistance the most are the only ones who receive it.”



Cantwell Blasts Administration’s Attacks on Science, Calls for Congressional Oversight.
Press release issued 9/ 9/ 19

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement on the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to undermine science for political reasons:

“Good weather science saves lives. From compromising the spectrum used by weather satellites to political interference with official hurricane advisories, the Trump administration’s attacks on science gets more and more harmful and outrageous every day.

The lives and property of millions of Americans depend on the information provided by the dedicated professionals at NOAA and the National Weather Service. We cannot allow science to be censored by politics or politicians. That’s why I am asking Chairman Wicker to hold a full committee hearing to provide much-needed oversight.”


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WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
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‘Whole spectrum of Afghan society’ must get behind peace talks, UN envoy tells Security Council
The long Afghan conflict can only be resolved by “direct talks” between its own people, the chief of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) told the Security Council on Tuesday, underscoring that they must be inclusive and represent “the whole spectrum of Afghan society”.

Nicaragua ‘crisis’ still cause for concern amid murder, torture allegations: Bachelet
Nicaragua’s on-going human rights crisis can be resolved peacefully through dialogue, the UN’s top rights official said on Tuesday, before expressing concern about allegations of torture and murder of protesters involved in last year’s anti-Government demonstrations.

One person dies by suicide every 40 seconds: new UN health agency report
Despite progress in national prevention strategies, one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General lamented on Monday, highlighting key findings of the agency’s latest report on global suicide estimates.

Nuclear testing has ‘disastrous consequences’ for people and planet, General Assembly told
Events commemorating the recent International Day against Nuclear Tests serve as an “important and stark reminder…of the disastrous consequences of nuclear testing on human health and the environment”, a top UN official told the General Assembly on Monday.

Political solutions ‘prerequisite to sustainable peace’, Lacroix tells Security Council
While peacekeeping is an “essential tool” for preventing conflict and reducing the risk of relapse, “political solutions are a prerequisite to sustainable peace”, the United Nations peacekeeping chief told the Security Council on Monday.







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IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION
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PAGE 2
Senator Murray Announces Major Federal Investments in Affordable Housing for Seattle, Longview.



PAGE 3

President Donald J. Trump Is Protecting The Nation by Modernizing and Expanding Sanctions to Combat Terrorism----White House fact sheet



PAGE 4
Senator Murray Demands Action in the Senate to Address Gun Violence Epidemic: Families in Washington State Have “Had Enough of Just ‘Thoughts and Prayers’”



PAGE 5

USDA to Provide $150 Million to Help Rural Communities Affected by Natural Disasters.



PAGE 6

Cantwell Introduces Legislation to Permanently Protect Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from Oil and Gas Drilling.


PAGE 7

NEWS STORY COMMENTARY

KAMALA HARRIS MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW LEADERSHIP AT TOWN HALL EVENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Senator Murray Demands Trump Administration End Remain in Mexico Policy.

Press release issued 8/ 30/ 19

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) demanded that the Trump administration stop restricting access to the U.S. asylum system by ending its Remain in Mexico policy in a new letter this week. The key piece of the administration’s Remain in Mexico policy, the deceptively named Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) policy, blocks legal asylum seekers from being in the U.S. while they await court hearings in their cases, forcing them to wait in dangerous cities in Mexico for extended periods of time.

 In the letter addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan, Senator Murray and 23 of her Democratic Senate colleagues raised serious concerns about the Remain in Mexico policy, its impact on U.S. national interests, its legality, and its expansion which will place thousands more asylum seekers at great risk by the end of August.

 “Under the Remain in Mexico policy, the United States has turned its back on its domestic and international legal obligations by forcing men, women, and children to await resolution of their U.S. asylum cases in parts of Mexico plagued by violence,” wrote Senator Murray and her colleagues.“Moreover, the Remain in Mexico policy further damages our status as a global leader in protecting refugees and undercuts our ability to ask other countries to cooperate on migration issues. This policy also has implications for U.S. national security, as it risks fueling instability in Mexican border cities unable to handle the increased number of asylum seekers.”

 Citing some of the growing dangers migrants are being exposed to by the Remain in Mexico policy, including reported kidnappings, extortion, trafficking, rape, and murder, Senator Murray called on the Trump administration to immediately end the MPP and allow asylum seekers to safely wait in the United States while their court cases are adjudicated.

The text of letter sent:
Dear Secretary Pompeo and Acting Secretary McAleenan:

We call on the Trump Administration to end its Remain in Mexico policy, deceptively named the Migrant Protection Protocols, which the administration uses to forcibly send tens of thousands of asylum seekers to Mexico to wait for immigration court hearings in the United States. Not only does this policy do nothing to protect either migrants or U.S. interests, but we have grave concerns about its legality, recent efforts to expand it, and the dangerous conditions it forces asylum seekers to endure while waiting for their cases to be heard.

Under the Remain in Mexico policy, the United States has turned its back on its domestic and international legal obligations by forcing men, women, and children to await resolution of their U.S. asylum cases in parts of Mexico plagued by violence. While in Mexico, these asylum seekers have limited access to lawyers and shelter, which makes it nearly impossible for them to prepare their cases and effectively denies them meaningful access to the U.S. asylum system.

Moreover, the Remain in Mexico policy further damages our status as a global leader in protecting refugees and undercuts our ability to ask other countries to cooperate on migration issues. This policy also has implications for U.S. national security, as it risks fueling instability in Mexican border cities unable to handle the increased number of asylum seekers.

On January 28, 2019, the Administration began implementing its Remain in Mexico policy at the San Diego-Tijuana port of entry. It has since expanded it, forcing asylum seekers to wait in the Mexican cities of Mexicali, Ciudad Juárez, Nuevo Laredo, and Matamoros. More than 30,000 asylum seekers are currently in Mexico awaiting adjudication of their cases, and by the end of August 2019, Mexican officials estimate that this number will rise to 60,000.

As the adjudication process can last for months and even years, the Administration is forcing this growing number of asylum seekers to reside in perilous conditions. Tijuana counted over 2,000 homicide cases in 2018, an increase of 22% from 2017. In Ciudad Juárez, there were 1,247 homicide cases in 2018, a 62% increase from 2017. Due to the prevalence of violent crime and gang activity in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas, which includes the cities of Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros, the State Department issued a “Do Not Travel” warning for the area.

Amid this increasing violence, there has also been a growing number of reports from the border of the kidnapping, extortion, trafficking, rape, and murder of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. LGBTQ individuals and indigenous peoples are at particularly high risk, and we are deeply disturbed by reports that pregnant women are also being returned to these precarious conditions in Mexico. These incidents include:

In December 2018, two Honduran teenagers seeking asylum were murdered outside their shelter in Tijuana while waiting to enter the U.S.[1]
From January to May 2019, Doctors Without Borders treated 378 patients in Nuevo Laredo. Of these, more than 45 percent had experienced at least one episode of violence and about 12 percent had been kidnapped while waiting to cross into the U.S. [2]
In April 2019, a Honduran woman and her 5-year-old daughter, who had been returned to Ciudad Juárez after their U.S. court hearing, were kidnapped by a taxi driver who threatened to kill them if their family did not pay a ransom. [3]
As the Trump Administration restricts access to the U.S. asylum system, it also places greater stress on the Mexican immigration system. This Administration knows that, according to independent experts, Mexico has a weak and underfunded asylum system, and does not appropriately screen migrants for protection needs. The Mexican government also has routinely violated the principle of nonrefoulement, a binding pillar of international law that prohibits the return of people to life-threatening situations, by involuntarily returning Central American asylum seekers to their home countries, despite fears of persecution or torture.

The growing body of evidence that migrants fleeing persecution face abuse or even death, along with the fact that the Remain in Mexico policy flouts our legal obligation to asylum seekers, underscores why we demand an end to this dangerous policy. It is imperative that the United States end this reckless course of action and reaffirm its commitment to the principles of due process on which this country was founded.

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WORLD  NEWS HEADLINES
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Insecurity and violence turn Nigeria into a ‘pressure cooker’ that must be addressed, says UN rights expert.
Nigeria is a pressure cooker of internal conflicts and generalized violence that must be addressed urgently, an independent United Nations expert said on Tuesday, following a fact-finding visit to the country.

Somalia: worst harvest since 2011, with more than 2 million expected to go hungry
Somalia’s 2019 cereal harvest is the poorest the country has seen since 2011, when famine strained already scarce resources, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), announced on Tuesday, blaming unreliable weather patterns and “climatic shocks”.

UN ‘prioritizing needs’, ramping up aid, as Hurricane Dorian continues to batter the Bahamas
Renewed warnings of deadly destruction in the Bahamas caused by Hurricane Dorian have been issued by UN agencies and partners, who said on Tuesday that they’re worried “for every single” person on two of the worst-hit Caribbean islands.

UN experts decry torture of Rakhine men and boys held incommunicado by Myanmar’s military
Allegations of torture and ill-treatment leading to the death of ethnic Rakhine men and boys being held in incommunicado detention by Myanmar’s military, has prompted three independent UN rights experts to call for an end to the practice and for “credible, independent” investigations.

DR Congo President and UN chief meet at a ‘historic moment’ for democracy in the country
On the third and final day of his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), UN chief António Guterres declared that the country is experiencing a historic moment, which could herald the development of democratic institutions.








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IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION
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PAGE 2

At Meeting with Seattle Digital Literacy and Education Leaders, Senator Murray Learns from Local Success, Outlines Plan to Bridge Digital Divide.

PAGE 3

Remarks by President Trump at the Announcement of State Opioid Response Grants.



PAGE 4

Rep. Kilmer Hosts Appropriations Interior & Environment Subcommittee Chairwoman and Ranking Member to Highlight Funding Needs in the Region.



PAGE 5

Treasury Designates Vast Iranian Petroleum Shipping Network That Supports IRGC-QF and Terror Proxies.


PAGE 6

Cantwell, Murray, Kilmer Release Joint Statement on Diversion of Funds from Local Military Construction Project to Build a Wall at the Southern Border


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ON AUG. 7th STATE ESTABLISHES COMMITTEE THAT PANDERS TO SINFUL LIFESTYLES, WITH FORMER BAPTIST PASTOR AS  DIRECTOR!




( Boys of Summer---Don Henley)