Kilmer Secures Critical Support for Shipyard Workers, Defense Communities.

07.15.20 press release.

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee advanced the fiscal year 2021 funding bill for the Department of Defense, which included a $20 million investment championed by Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) to fund the Navy Facility Sustainment, Modernization, and Restoration Program, which will invest in critical infrastructure upgrades at the nation’s four public shipyards – including Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton – to improve resiliency to fires, earthquakes, and other natural hazards.

“This bill includes critical investments to improve the quality of life of our service members, their families, and the civilian workforce that are the lifeblood of our defense communities,” said Rep. Kilmer. “This shipyard investments in this bill are about jobs and about having the backs of the brave women and men who serve our country.”

The legislation also included a $50 million investment Rep. Kilmer advocated for to the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, which funds projects that address commuter workforce issues, school construction, and other local infrastructure that support military instillations like Naval Base Kitsap and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  Kilmer has worked with the City of Bremerton and Kitsap County in hopes of securing federal funds to reduce congestion into the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

Finally, the bill advanced by the Appropriations Committee also included a three percent pay increase for members of the armed forces as well as a provision championed by Rep. Kilmer to repeal three Executive Orders that have made it harder for shipyard workers and other federal employees to negotiate fair pay, benefits, and working conditions.

“I appreciate Representative Kilmer and his team supporting the civilian workers who come in day after day to keep our Navy operational and mission ready so they can help to keep our great nation safe,” said Eric Morse, President of the Bremerton Metal Trades Council.

Rep. Kilmer spoke in support of the legislation before the Committee yesterday. The Committee then passed the bill, which will likely be considered by the full House before the end of July.

WORLD NEWS HEADLINES

Nuclear testing legacy is ‘cruellest’ environmental injustice, warns rights expert

The dangerous legacy of nuclear weapons testing continues to affect many communities, a leading rights expert said on Thursday, on the 75th anniversary of testing in the United States, that heralded the nuclear age.

Rise in women prisoners and COVID measures, ‘making sentences worse’.

More than 700,000 women are in prison around the world, and that number is growing much faster than men, the Human Rights Council has heard.

Concerns and hopes of Yemenis at heart of UN plans for better future.

In a wide-ranging interview for UN News on Wednesday, Martin Griffiths, the UN’s Special Envoy in Yemen, addresses the protracted peace process in the country, and the enormous challenges that still need to be overcome.

Yemen oil tanker wreck: Time running out to avert ‘looming environmental, economic and humanitarian catastrophe’

Time is fast running out for getting a UN team of experts aboard the Yemeni oil storage vessel Safer, before it spills its cargo of 1.148 million barrels of light crude oil into the Red Sea, triggering what would likely be a massive environmental and economic catastrophe, the Security Council heard on Wednesday.

Independent rights expert says emerging technologies entrenching racism, discrimination.

An independent UN human rights expert is calling for greater scrutiny of emerging digital technologies which she said are being used to uphold racial inequality, discrimination and intolerance.

Firearms trafficking, ‘enabler and multiplier of violence’ worldwide.

Firearms trafficking poses a “grave threat” to human life and international security, the UN crime fighting chief said on Wednesday, launching a new report from her agency that sheds light on the dangers of illicit firearms flows.

UN PRESS RELEASES:

Department of Global Communications Approves 5 Civil Society Organizations for Association

The United Nations Department of Global Communications Civil Society Association Committee approved the association of five civil society organizations with the Department on Friday, 26 June.

Security Council Press Statement on Attack against United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Central African Republic

Impacts of COVID-19 Crisis Due to Past, Present Failures, Secretary-General Tells High-Level Political Forum, Stressing ‘We Must Rise to Meet the Moment’

FROM THE US MISSION TO THE UN

Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Yemen (via VTC)

Since March of 2015, the Safer oil tanker has been under Houthi control, and Houthi inaction has turned the Safer and its million-plus barrels of oil into a ticking time bomb. Any kind of ship that sits in the sea has to be regularly maintained. 

Remarks at an Arria-Formula Meeting on Natural Resources in the Great Lakes (via VTC)

The illegal exploitation of the DRC’s natural resources impacts nearly everyone at every level in the country, from people whose lives and livelihoods are directly threatened by armed groups to people who could have seized the opportunity for education and formal sector employment if only there had been the option.

Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Colombia.

In the face of these challenges, we recognize President Duque’s resolve to ensure the pandemic does not deter Colombia from its path toward prosperity and security. The Trump Administration continues to stand with the people of Colombia. On July the first, we announced the delivery of 200 ventilators donated by USAID, a continuation of our longstanding partnership and in addition to the nearly $13.6 million we have provided to help Colombia respond to this pandemic.

US STATE DEPT: Pan American Health Organization Transparency.

The United States government welcomes the Pan American Health Organization’s decision to initiate an independent review of its role in the Mais Medicos program, pursuant to which PAHO provided well over a billion dollars to Cuba. The United States and other key PAHO member states have actively worked with PAHO leadership to design this review into how Mais Medicos was initiated and operated.

DOD: General Praises U.K.'s Partnership With U.S. in Space Operations.

The United States doesn't go to war alone on land, on the sea, in the air, in cyberspace and most certainly in the space domain, the Space Force's top officer said, citing the United Kingdom as a key ally in effective space defense over the last 50 years.

NATIONAL HEADLINES:

Remarks by President Trump on the Rebuilding of America’s Infrastructure: Faster, Better, Stronger | Atlanta, GA.

WH Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Is Modernizing Federal Environmental Reviews to Accelerate America’s Infrastructure Development.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers Delivers Keynote at ACI’s Sixth National Conference on CFIUS: Compliance and Enforcement.

CDC calls on Americans to wear masks to prevent COVID-19 spread

JAMA editorial reviews latest science, while case study shows masks prevented COVID spread.

FDA Launches New Era of Smarter Food Safety Initiative, Releases Blueprint and Pilot Study.

USDA Meals to You Partnership Delivers Nearly 30 Million Meals.

HOUSTON, TX, July 16, 2020 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue lauded the achievement of its Meals to You partnership, which has now delivered more than 28.5 million meals to the doorsteps of low-income kids in rural communities across America during the COVID-19 health crisis. 

FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES STREAMLINED SINGLE FAMILY SERVICING POLICIES

Proposed overhaul focuses on expediting homeowner assistance and achieving operational efficiencies that reduce the cost of servicing.

Trump Administration Announces Initiative for More and Faster COVID-19 Testing in Nursing Homes

Today, under the leadership of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing a large-scale procurement of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

Trump Administration Advances Efforts to Improve the Visitor Experience at National Parks.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Trump Administration announced that for the first time in twenty years, the National Park Service (NPS) is proposing long overdue improvements to the regulations that govern contracts to enhance visitor services at NPS units. If approved, the revisions would reduce administrative burdens for concessioners to promote competition, provide more flexibility to add new services and encourage investment in concession facilities.

EPA at 50: Transforming and Revitalizing Communities by Cleaning Up Brownfields; Grant to Northampton County will boost redevelopment.

BUSINESS & FINANCE HEADLINES:

Confidentiality Carve-Out.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last month released a decision addressing the question of whether confidentiality provisions in employment-related arbitration agreements violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Its ruling in California Commerce Club, Inc. clarified the extent of the NLRA’s general protection of so-called Section 7 rights that safeguard employees’ right to engage in “concerted activity,” such as discussing their terms and conditions of employment, and it determined that provision does not necessarily apply insofar as arbitration agreements with confidentiality clauses.---US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Federal Reserve Board announces extension of rule change to bolster effectiveness of the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program.

Terrorist Financing Targeting Center Sanctions Network of ISIS-Linked Financial Facilitators and Money Services Businesses.

IRS debunks tax refund myths

WASHINGTON ― With the July 15 tax deadline now past, the Internal Revenue Service reminds all taxpayers that there is no secret way to find out when a refund will be issued.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES ENHANCEMENTS TO ASSIST EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN USE OF FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today announced significant steps to streamline optional-use forms that workers can use to request and employers can use to coordinate leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). WHD also published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register seeking the public’s feedback on the law’s administration and use.

FTC Approves Final Order Settling Charges that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Made Overly Broad and Misleading ‘Made in USA’ Claims about Houseware and Furniture Products

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Statement on Schrems II Ruling and the Importance of EU-U.S. Data Flows.

FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION:

Key Committee Advances Kilmer-led Priorities to Combat Climate Change, Invest in Resiliency

Washington, D.C. – This week, the House Appropriations Committee approved several initiatives led by Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) to increase federal investments in climate resilience and help communities that are dealing with persistent flooding.

Cantwell Statement on Washington, DC Football Team Announcing Name Change

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the following statement in response to the Washington, D.C. football team’s announcement that the franchise will change its name.

Murray Calls Out Trump Administration’s Damaging Health Care Agenda as New Report Shows Millions Newly Uninsured During Pandemic.

STATE NEWS HEADLINES:

Inslee announces steps to address COVID-19 spread

Steps include smaller gathering size limits and ban on live entertainment.

As cases of COVID-19 continue to increase across the state, Gov. Jay Inslee and Sec. of Health John Wiesman today announced a new limit on social gatherings and a ban on live entertainment across the state.

AG FERGUSON FILES LAWSUIT CHALLENGING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVE TO LIMIT ANTI-DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS UNDER THE ACA

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s new rule vastly limiting anti-discrimination protections under the Affordable Care Act. Among many other changes, the rule removes explicit protections against discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex stereotyping. This allows for discrimination against LGBTQ patients — particularly transgender patients.

AG FERGUSON VOWS TO FIGHT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S CONTINUED ROLLBACKS OF NATION’S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS.

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today issued the following statement after President Trump announced sweeping and unjustified revisions to longstanding environmental review processes under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA — a move that undermines public health and the environment and conflicts with federal law. President Nixon signed NEPA into law in 1970 after it passed Congress with bipartisan support.

Why don't we import Asian honey bees?

While Eastern honey bees do have a defense against Asian giant hornets, importing them into the United States would do more harm than good. WSDA

Washington Community Economic Revitalization Board invests $3.2 million in seven counties.

State board awards funding to support community and economic development and rural broadband infrastructure in Cowlitz, Douglas, Grays Harbor, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish and Walla Walla counties.

Additional $600 in federal benefit for unemployed workers set to end July 25.

OLYMPIA – Unless Congress acts to extend or adjust it, the additional $600 per week in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Program (FPUC) benefits, available under the federal CARES Act, will stop after the week ending Sat., July 25, 2020. FPUC is entirely federally funded and available only at federal discretion. 

WDFW to treat Mattoon Lake near Ellensburg for noxious weeds week of July 20.

ELLENSBURG – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will use herbicide treatments to control noxious weeds at Mattoon Lake in Kittitas County the week of July 20.

EDITORIALS & LOCAL MEETING AGENDAS

Local restaurant owner unsure how anyone will stay in business if restrictions remain---MY NORTHWEST

The closures were just supposed to be two months when everyone was told about it. At the start, there was even a lack of clarity about whether restaurants and businesses needed to close at all.

As COVID cases soar, Inslee again warns of stay home order

The governor urges young people, who are not getting infected the most, to curb their social habits.---Everett Herald 

Tax Washington’s wealthy, don’t slash social services, for lasting economic recovery---Seattle Times

Seattle mayor asks judge to reconsider recall decision--Seattle PI

In America’s response to COVID-19, we have abandon some founding principles

Over 140,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, more than any other nation by far. Our efforts to address COVID-19 are so poor that Americans are banned from visiting Canada and Europe.---The Olympian

Westneat: Arresting media is not new---The Columbain

Who's Next on the Cancel Culture Docket -- Martin Luther King Jr.?!---PJ MEDIA

What’s Really Behind Mask Mandate Mania?--Rush Limbuagh Show

LOCAL MEETINGS AGENDAS

CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS

Clallam County Commission worksession meeting for 7/20/20

Clallam County Commission regular session for 7/21/20

Board of health meeting secluded for 7/21/20

at 1:30pm, no agenda was published.

CITY OF PORT ANGELES COUNCIL MEETING FOR 7/21/20

JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS

Jefferson County Commission meeting for 7/20/20

PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA for 7/20/20

INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE (ICC)

Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners, Port Townsend City Council for 7/ 23/20

Port of Port Townsend Commission Meeting 07.22.2020

He became the ultimate sacrifice 

Weekly Scripture verse: I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.

 Psalm 119:7 (New King James Version)

 

 

Weekly Bible Study:  The Development of the New Testament Text---by Jim Snapp II

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Learn English using the bible as text (WEI)

(Join us in worship every Sunday starting at 10:30AM Church of Christ)

 The Chosen: About the life of Christ

 

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