Senator Murray Calls for Swift Action on Biden-Harris COVID-19 Plan.
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris releasing their COVID-19 relief plan.
“From the beginning of this pandemic I’ve said that a historic crisis like this demands bold solutions—because we want every worker and family to experience an economic recovery, not just those at the very top. And when we passed a relief bill in December, I was clear that we needed to double down in the year ahead on fighting for policies that truly reflect the depth of the crisis we’re facing, and help us dig out of this pandemic and come back stronger and fairer.
“I’m glad to say that President-Elect Biden’s proposal will bring us so much closer to meeting this moment and meeting those goals. Between increased direct relief for those who are out of work or struggling, support for state, local and Tribal governments who are on the forefront of this crisis, a real plan to get our country vaccinated, and so much more, I am excited to have a partner in the White House who understands the depth of this crisis for families in my home state of Washington and who will work with us to get them the help they need.
“Once President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris are inaugurated, the Senate should move quickly to pass additional COVID relief and truly start our country on a path to a more equitable future on the other side of this pandemic.”
Since COVID-19 first arrived in Washington state, Senator Murray has fought to get families, workers, small business owners, and everyone who has struggled during this pandemic the assistance they need. In March, Senator Murray successfully secured surge funding for hospitals and medical supplies, more than $375 billion in small business grants, loans, and assistance, expanded unemployment payments and direct payments, and much more in the CARES Act. While Senate Republicans then refused to even vote on additional relief until this past December, Senator Murray pushed for the House-passed HEROES Act in the Senate, and eventually helped secure additional direct relief and support for small businesses and vaccine distribution in the December relief package.
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Gov. Jay Inslee, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, the STEM Education and Innovation Alliance, Career Connect Washington and community partners including 4-H Washington, announce the launch of the State of Innovation Challenge—a virtual, career-connected problem solving challenge that invites Washington youth to design and share their own solutions to some of the biggest issues Washington’s employers and communities are facing in 2020 and 2021.
From COVID-19 testing, to mental healthcare for social distancing teens, to keeping our food supply chain robust, to creating more sustainable schools, towns, and manufacturing centers for our post-COVID-19 future, the last 12 months have had no shortage of complex issues. Through the Challenge, students can explore these issues in depth, consider how they impact their communities, and work with teachers or other adult advisers to share with state leaders through the Challenge website.
As they design their Challenge solutions, youth will have opportunities to interact with industry leaders from fields like healthcare, manufacturing, technology, agriculture and hospitality to learn how these industries are addressing 2020’s challenges while also exploring their own future career path. Educators, youth-serving program leaders and youth can sign up for more information at www.innovationwa.org.
"Washington has always been a state of dreamers, doers and innovators,” Inslee said. “This year, as we face some of the biggest challenges our state has ever faced, we want to invite the next generation of problem solvers to help us find the way forward.”
Created with the input of teachers and youth program leaders, the Challenge is designed to support educators working with youth in the virtual environment. They can share lesson and activity plans with peers, and use the provided videos, research and industry engagement sessions to further engage students.
"Our educators are doing incredible work engaging students in a new digital environment," Reykdal said. “The Challenge provides ways for them to share that work with peers across the state, to collaborate and to connect classroom topics to the real-world problems that young people are focused on right now.”
Youth can also learn about pathways to postsecondary education and training like Career Launch programs, Washington College Grant and the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship.
“We want to create pathways to opportunity for young people, especially those who face systemic barriers to opportunity,” said James Dorsey, STEM Alliance co-chair and CEO of the College Success Foundation. “We want to empower youth to take on today’s problems, and also help them find the pathway to the future they envision for themselves.”
The State of Innovation Challenge invites youth to create solutions to one of three cases:
“The Food Chain”: How can we ensure that every Washingtonian can have access to healthy, affordable, and environmentally sustainable food during the pandemic, especially low-income households?
“Responding to COVID-19”: How can we support the mental health of teens and elders while practicing social distancing? How can we ensure all Washington residents have accurate, actionable, accessible information about COVID-19, while respecting their individual privacy?
“Our Communities after COVID-19”: How can we help Washington build back from the pandemic in a healthier, more resilient, more sustainable way? How should we change our approach to housing, education, urban design or manufacturing so that we can have healthy, connected, sustainable communities?
Youth in middle school, high school, alternative education programs and out of school youth programs—including WIOA-eligible youth and youth in re-engagement programs—are eligible to participate. In addition to working directly with educators, the STEM Education Innovation Alliance is partnering with Career Connect Washington, 4-H Washington, Junior Achievement and other education and youth focused community partners across the state.
The State of Innovation Challenge builds on Career Connect Washington’s CareerConnect@Home program, which brought daily livestreamed conversations with Washington State employers to youth in Spring 2020.
About: The State of Innovation Challenge is an initiative of the STEM Education and Innovation Alliance, in partnership with Career Connect Washington, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Office of the Governor, Employment Security Department, Washington Student Achievement Council, and 4-H Washington.
IN OTHER STATE NEWS HEADLINES:
A Plan to Meet the Moment: The 10-year Plan to Dismantle Poverty is Here--Commerce Dept.
Prior to the current economic downturn, there were 1.75 million Washingtonians – including over 500,000 children – with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level ($43,440 for a family of three) – enough to fill 25 stadiums the size of Lumen Field. Rising unemployment in the wake of COVID-19 is making it harder for even more people to make ends meet, as well as deepening the experience of poverty for those disproportionately affected. When so many people fall through the cracks of an unstable and inherently unequal system, we fail to live up to our full potential as a state.
Federal Grant Will Boost Family Treatment Court Services in Washington
January 14, 2021
Addiction and substance abuse play a large role in a majority of family court cases involving welfare of children. Despite this fact, effective Family Treatment Court programs have been able to reach only 11 percent of Washington families who could benefit from these therapeutic courts.
$282 million proposed for clean water projects across the state.
Ecology is proposing to award $282 million in grants and loans for 108 high-priority clean water projects across the state. Our Water Quality Combined Funding Program supports local communities by helping them upgrade wastewater treatment and sewer systems, manage polluted storm water, and complete a variety of other projects to prevent and clean up more diffuse sources of pollution, also known as nonpoint pollution.
Initial unemployment insurance claims for week of January 3 - 9, 2021
All initial unemployment claims and continued claims decreased during the week of January 3 – January 9
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IN TODAY'S HEADLINE NEWS:
WORLD NEWS:
As COVID deaths pass two million worlwide, Guterres warns against self-defeating ‘vaccinationalism'
With more than two million lives now lost worlwide to COVID-19, the UN Secretary-General appealed on Friday for countries to work together and help each other to end the pandemic and save lives. In a video statement, Secretary-General António Guterres noted that the absence of a global coordinated effort has worsened the pandemic’s deadly impact.--UN NEWS CENTER
Pandemic curbs trend towards ever-increasing migration.
Travel restrictions and other curbs to movement put in place in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, have put a significant dent in migration figures, but the overall trend shows 100 million more people living outside their countries of origin in 2020, compared to the year 2000, a new UN report revealed on Friday.---UN NEWS CENTER
Central African Republic: Displacement reaches 120,000 amid worsening election violence.
“Worsening” election violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) has forced 120,000 people from their homes, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday. ---UN NEWS CENTER
UN steps up support for thousands left homeless after fire at Rohingya refugee camp.
UN agencies have stepped up efforts to help thousands of Rohingya refugees left without shelter after a devastating fire tore through a crowded refugee camp in south-eastern Bangladesh on Thursday. --UN NEWS CENTER
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
Operation Warp Speed Delivers Best Early Vaccination Rate of the G20--WH
Aircraft Carrying Supplies for Emergency Field Hospital Lands at Plant 42--DOD
HUD REACHES AGREEMENT WITH OKLAHOMA HOUSING PROVIDERS FOR ALLEGED RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION
WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced today that the Department has reached a Conciliation Agreement with Vintage Housing, Inc., and Wilhoit Properties, Inc, the owner and manager of Cardinal Heights and Carriage Crossing senior apartments in Collinsville and Coweta, Oklahoma, resolving allegations that they removed bibles and Christian reading material from the properties’ common areas. Under the settlement, the housing providers agreed, among other things, to develop new policies regarding the display of religious materials for use in all the residences they manage or own and provide fair housing training for employees, with a portion dedicated to religious discrimination. Read the agreement.--HUD
BUSINESS & FINANCE:
IRS Free File available today; claim Recovery Rebate Credit and other tax credits.
WASHINGTON — IRS Free File – online tax preparation products available at no charge – launched today, giving taxpayers an early opportunity to claim credits like the Recovery Rebate Credit and other deductions, the Internal Revenue Service announced.
2021 tax filing season begins Feb. 12; IRS outlines steps to speed refunds during pandemic.
WASHINGTON ― The Internal Revenue Service announced that the nation's tax season will start on Friday, February 12, 2021, when the tax agency will begin accepting and processing 2020 tax year returns.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES $40 MILLION TO ADDRESS RURAL HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE SHORTAGES
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced approximately $40 million in H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program funds awarded to partnerships of public and private entities to address rural healthcare workforce shortages in communities across the country.
IN OTHER NEWS...
Why Doesn't Twitter Ban the Chinese Government for Their Lies About Forced Labor?--PJ MEDIA
Jack Dorsey and the New Last Refuge of a Scoundrel
The Twitter CEO's concerns about censoring Trump are a bunch of hot air, and a leaked video proves it.--The Patriot Post.
House Speaker Pelosi Won't Say When Trump Impeachment Trial Will Start--NEWSMAX
The Bible vs. Denominational Creeds
Man-made religious authority vs. Divine Wisdom--Gospel Way
https://www.gospelway.com/bible/creeds.php
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