Gov. Jay Inslee sent a letter today to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue opposing the Administration's plan to take away food assistance from 755,000 Americans who are struggling to find work.
USDA has proposed taking away state flexibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which currently provides basic food to more than 920,000 Washingtonians. The program is also a key economic driver in local communities, supporting food producers, farmers’ markets and retailers.
“This misguided and harmful policy would severely restrict access to food assistance for those who need it most, exacerbating hunger and making it even more difficult for people in poverty to find work. It removes state flexibility, rips away food assistance from 755,000 vulnerable Americans, worsens our homelessness crisis and fails to achieve the Administration’s stated goal of improving self-sufficiency,” Inslee wrote. “It is a cruel and mean-spirited policy that damages people and businesses alike.”
If implemented, the rule would eliminate flexibility in 26 counties in Washington state and put food assistance at risk for over 91,000 Washingtonians who currently participate in SNAP, according to the State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
Our congressional delegation response:
Murray, Cantwell, Bipartisan Group of Senators Urge Trump Administration to Withdraw Proposed SNAP Rule.
“The proposed changes would take food assistance away from Americans struggling to find stable employment while doing nothing to help them to actually become permanently employed,” the senators wrote. “This is contrary to Congressional intent, evidenced by the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which rejected similar harmful changes to SNAP and passed Congress by a historic vote of 87-13 in the Senate and by 369-47 in the House of Representatives.”
USDA, EPA, and FDA Recognize April as Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month.
Press release issued 4. 2. 19WASHINGTON, April 2, 2019 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) kick off Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month by calling for greater collaboration with public, private, and nonprofit partners as well as state and local officials to educate and engage consumers and stakeholders throughout the supply chain on the need to reduce food loss and waste.
In the U.S., more than one-third of all available food goes uneaten through loss or waste. Food is the single largest type of waste in our daily trash. In recent years, great strides have been made to highlight and mitigate food loss and waste, but the work has just begun. When food is tossed aside, so too are opportunities for economic growth, healthier communities, and environmental prosperity – but that can change through partnership, leadership, and action. Further elevating the importance of this issue, today’s announcement follows a Presidential Message from President Trump acknowledging the month of April as Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month and encouraging public action and participation from all sectors.
“USDA alone cannot end food waste, it will require partners from across the supply chain working together on innovative solutions and consumer education. We need to feed our hungry world and by reducing food waste, we can more wisely use the resources we have. I am pleased President Trump identified this issue as one of importance, and I look forward to USDA’s continued work with our agency partners at EPA and FDA to change behavior in the long term on food waste,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
“Reducing food waste and redirecting excess food to people, animals, or energy production provide immediate benefits to public health and the environment. I am proud to join President Trump and my federal partners in recognizing April as Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “We are working closely with our federal partners and stakeholders across the nation to reduce the amount of food going to landfills and maximize the value of our food resources.”
“With 1 in 6 people getting a foodborne illness every year in the U.S. and up to 40 percent of food left uneaten, it’s understandable why food safety and food waste are major societal concerns,” said FDA Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas. “The FDA is working to strengthen its collaboration and coordination with the EPA and USDA to strategically align our federal efforts between the two issues to better educate Americans on how to reduce food waste and how it can be done safely.”
As part of the month’s observances, on April 9, EPA will host a livestreamed event with USDA and FDA. Additional joint agency actions will be announced at the event regarding the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative. At the event, a panel of food waste stakeholders will share how state and local communities can join the federal government in reducing food waste and loss.
USDA, EPA, and FDA invite public and private partners to participate in Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month through the following:
Join the conversation: Share your efforts with the #NoWastedFood hashtag in your social media posts throughout the month.
Educate your community: Learn about USDA, EPA, and FDA programs and resources to reduce food loss and waste.
Be a U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champion: Join other corporate and business leaders who have made a public commitment to reducing food loss and waste in their U.S. operations by 50 percent by the year 2030.
The Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative is a collaborative effort (PDF, 579 KB) among USDA, EPA, and FDA to reduce food loss and waste through combined and agency-specific action. Individually and collectively, these agencies contribute to the initiative, encourage long-term reductions, and work toward the goal of reducing food loss and waste in the United States. These actions include research, community investments, education and outreach, voluntary programs, public-private partnerships, tool development, technical assistance, event participation, and policy discussion.
WA receives federal grant funds to address opioid addiction, homelessness and paths to re-employment in five counties.
Press release issued 4. 2. 19As Washington continues to battle an epidemic of opioid addiction, federal officials awarded the state roughly $887,000 in new federal funds to focus on homeless Washingtonians affected by opioid use disorder.
This latest National Health Emergency (NHE) Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant funding supports efforts to serve up to 80 at-risk homeless individuals in the Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Area (PacMtn), which covers Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor and Pacific counties.
“Washington’s opioid crisis has played a significant role in increasing the number of our homeless families in our state,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “This latest infusion of federal funds is a recognition of the work already underway throughout our state, and a vote of confidence for our work moving forward. This work is possible because of the strong partnership among the Employment Security Department, PacMtn and local leaders across the region.”
The funds supplement a nearly $5 million NHE Opioid Dislocated Worker Demonstration grant announced in July 2018 to support work in the same five-county region as well as Snohomish county—and allow regional partners to zero in on a particularly acute reason for homelessness across the region.
“This initiative goes well beyond the grant we received earlier this year as it allows community partners to focus on a group of individuals and families hit disproportionately hard by the opioid epidemic -- the homeless population in Thurston County and beyond,” said Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine.
“These dollars give us ability to serve those hardest hit by the devastation of opioid use disorder,” said PacMtn Chief Executive Officer Cheryl Fambles. “These are our friends, neighbors and families...many on the verge of homelessness. They need to get back to work. When they can work families and our local economy get stronger."
The Employment Security Department, the Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council (PacMtn), WorkSource Thurston and other partners will use the funds to:
Hire four peer recovery counselors who will serve homeless at-risk individuals;
Identify and refer up to 80 homeless at-risk individuals to designated peer counselors in the region for assistance;
Provide individualized career, training and supportive services—including connection to rapid re-housing and other resources; and
Train staff on trauma-informed care, harm reduction and emergency medical interventions.
Effective treatment is available for those affected by opioid use disorder. Call the 24-hour Washington Recovery Help Line at 866-789-1511 or visit WARecoveryHelpline.org.
WORLD NEWS HEADLINES:
(From the UN News Center & other sources)UN PRESS RELEASE:
New Approach Crucial for Eliminating Atomic Bombs, Speakers Tell Security Council, Warning Dangerous Rhetoric about Nuclear Weapons Use Is Eroding Disarmament Gains.
Press release issued 4. 2. 19
With the erosion of the disarmament and arms control framework that reaped significant post-cold-war-era gains, all States must work collectively towards a new twenty-first‑century approach to rid the world of atomic bombs, the Security Council heard today as it considered the existing regime ahead of the 2020 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
While the 50-year-old Non-Proliferation Treaty has played the greatest role in preventing the catastrophic consequences of an atomic war, Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said the instrument’s durability should not be taken for granted at a time when the acquisition of arms is prioritized over the pursuit of diplomacy.
“The disarmament success of the post-cold war era has come to a halt,” she cautioned, with the security landscape being replaced with dangerous rhetoric about the utility of nuclear weapons and an increased reliance on these weapons in security doctrines. “The prospect of the use of nuclear weapons is higher than it has been in generations.”
Whatever new arms control and disarmament approaches in the twenty-first century might look like, one thing is clear: the Non-Proliferation Treaty will still be at the centre of our collective security mechanism and it will have to stay “fit for purpose” across its three pillars — disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The 2020 Review Conference is a “golden opportunity” to make headway on all of these goals, and to make sure this linchpin of international security remains fit for purpose through the next 25 or even 50 years.
Presenting a snapshot of achievements, Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said safeguards are being implemented in 182 countries, including 179 which are States parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. However, key challenges include a steady increase in the amount of nuclear material and the number of nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards, coupled with continuing pressure on the Agency’s regular budget. Topping its agenda are the nuclear programmes of Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Iran continues to fully implement its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and it must continue to do so. Meanwhile, the Agency continues to monitor the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear programme and evaluate all safeguards-relevant information available to it, he said, noting that, subject to the approval of IAEA’s Board of Governors, it could respond within weeks to any request to send inspectors back to Pyongyang.
In a broader sense, the Agency helps to improve the health and prosperity of millions of people by making nuclear science and technology available across many sectors, he continued. Nuclear power can also help address the twin challenges of ensuring reliable energy supplies and curbing greenhouse‑gas emissions. “Helping countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, using relevant nuclear technology, is an important part of our work,” he said, noting that the Agency helps countries to use nuclear science and technology to meet 9 of the 17 Goals and a special initiative has helped to raise more than €140 million for approximately 300 projects benefitting more than 150 countries.
In the ensuing discussion, some Council members, including those from Côte d’Ivoire and the Dominican Republic, reported benefits reaped from nuclear technologies. Some highlighted concerns, from terrorists acquiring atomic bombs to the disarmament machinery’s languishing impasse that continues to hobble negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty and delay the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.
Some members spotlighted a crumbling security landscape exacerbated by concerns such as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear programme and the suspension of disarmament agreements. Summing up a common theme, Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs said that, “for all the successes we have achieved in recent decades, we mustn’t fool ourselves”. He pointed out that dismantling nuclear arsenals has come to a standstill and prospects of actual nuclear “re-armament” have been raised by the impending loss of the Intermediate‑Range Nuclear Forces Treaty — known as the Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles.
While many members commended the Non-Proliferation Treaty’s contribution to international peace and security, some urged States to extend every effort to achieve disarmament progress ahead of the 2020 Review Conference and to avoid a repeat of the failure of the 2015 review to agree on an outcome.
The Russian Federation’s representative said the 2020 Review Conference should not be used to settle political scores, adding that attempts are being made to undermine universally recognized norms which have worsened an already complicated situation. While the Russian Federation has reduced its nuclear arsenal by more than 85 per cent, his Government remains greatly concerned about global security, given the unfettered deployment of United States anti-missile systems, its placement of military weapons in outer space and its attempts to decrease the defence capabilities of other countries through unilateral sanctions. This hardly creates an environment favourable to reducing the nuclear weapons stockpile, he said.
The representative of the United States said reaching a consensus at the 2020 Review Conference is possible if parties avoid using divisions to hold the review process hostage. “We cannot overlook the fact that the actions of those who are expanding their nuclear stockpiles have contributed to a deterioration of the global security environment,” she said, adding that the United States will seek a positive outcome from the 2020 review process.
China’s delegate said unilateralism and double standards in non‑proliferation continue to exist. As such, the international community must uphold the concept of a shared future, strengthen unity and cooperation, and steer the 2020 review process towards a unified outcome.
Many members agreed that of the Non-Proliferation Treaty’s three pillars, disarmament has produced the least results, with Poland’s Foreign Affairs Minister saying efforts remain a “work in progress, at best”. To change that, delegates from non-nuclear-weapon States said the instrument is complemented by the legally binding Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia said that treaty’s entry into force will help to advance the aim of completely eliminating atomic bombs, as enshrined in article 6 of the Non‑Proliferation Treaty. “The human species’ survival is dependent on our collective courage to eliminate nuclear weapons once and for all,” she said.
The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France said that, given tensions and growing energy needs worldwide, preserving the Non-Proliferation Treaty is more central than ever before. To do so, Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister said, multilateralism and the principles of the United Nations Charter remain essential tools.
Also delivering statements were representatives of South Africa, Belgium, United Kingdom, Peru and Equatorial Guinea.
In other world news headlines:
UN chief commends Algerians for ‘mature and calm’ demonstrations for change, leading up to presidential resignationIn the wake of the resignation in Algeria of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the UN Secretary-General on Wednesday saluted “the mature and calm nature” of protests involving hundreds of thousands of citizens who took to the streets peacefully in recent weeks, to express “their desire for change.”
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/04/1035981
Lack of basic water facilities risks millions of lives globally: UN health agency
More than two billion people face grave health risks because basic water facilities are not available in one in four medical centres globally, the UN has said, in an appeal to countries to do more to prevent the transmission of treatable infections that can turn deadly if not washed or flushed, away.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/04/1035971
‘Counter and reject’ leaders who seek to ‘exploit differences’ between us, urges Guterres at historic mosque in Cairo
Speaking in Cairo’s historic al-Azhar mosque on Tuesday, UN chief António Guterres issued a call for societies, faiths and cultures everywhere to “focus on what unites us”, urging everyone to work together towards realizing the 2030 Agenda “for the collective benefit of all”.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/04/1035881
Acute food insecurity ‘far too high’ UN agency warns, as 113 million go hungry
Approximately 113 million people in 53 countries experienced high levels of food insecurity last year, according to a new joint UN and European Union (EU) report released on Tuesday, which warns that these crises are primarily driven by conflict and climate-related disasters.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/04/1035921
Help prevent children ‘from becoming victims in the first place’, implores Guterres at campaign launch
From killing and maiming, to recruitment, sexual abuse and abduction, “violence against children in armed conflict can take many forms”, said Secretary-General António Guterres, in a special message delivered at the launch of a new UN advocacy campaign on Tuesday - Act to Protect Children Affected by Conflict.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/04/1035961
****Front Page Commentary****
I support the following petition from We the People:Stop Socialism Now!
We the People, urge this administration to continue to take a strong stance against the growing threat of socialism in America.
Socialist operatives, such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocassio-Cortez are a growing threat to both our free-market system and our democracy. Additionally, socialist programs being peddled by the left, such as Universal Basic Income, aka “welfare for all”, is an attempt to make US citizens dependent upon the government and justify more taxation.
The people signing this petition urge your continued support in the fight against the dangers of socialism in America. In addition, we would like to recognize the hard work of the National Organization Against Socialism, an organization working tirelessly to fight socialism in America. (petition link)
Editorial note: If this nation falls to socialism, and dictatorship we will toss out forever perhaps a republic that lasted 243 years, and all those who died in the wars that defended our liberty under God will be in vain.
Related News Story: America’s Past Shows Why Socialism Won’t Work
Socialism is trending in America. Politicians once ran from the term; now more embrace it. And polls show younger people are favoring it.---The Daily Signal
📃IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION
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Senator Murray to student survivors: “I stand with you and I’m going to keep fighting to stop what happened to you from happening to other students”
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President Donald J. Trump Is Committed to Building on the Successes of the First Step Act.
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HUD ISSUES PROPOSED RULE TO MAKE SECTION 3 MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE
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Department of Commerce Bureau Leaders Offer to Testify at House Appropriations Hearing on FY 2020 Budget
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Rep. Kilmer Statement in Support of H.R. 1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019
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AG FERGUSON: MOTEL 6 WILL PAY $12M FOR VIOLATING PRIVACY OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF WASHINGTONIANS.
NIGHT OWL COMICS PRESENTS!
Capt. Froghorn: Political Pirates
( A High Seas adventure by Peter Ripley, just in time for your springtime reading.)
