Press release issued 6/15/21
https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-statement-reopening-numbers-staying-course
Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement today on numbers used to determine when Washington state will fully reopen.
“Many people, myself included, are eager for our state to fully reopen. I have said repeatedly we are going to do this on June 30 or when we hit 70% of people 16 and up initiating vaccinations – whichever happens first. We use age 16 and up as that population was eligible when we made the announcement.
“I am hopeful Washingtonians will get vaccinated for their own health and that of their loved ones, and to help move our state closer to a full reopening.
“For those who would advocate changing our strategy, we are on the two-yard line. We are not going to change the game plan now. We are going to see this through.
“I said this last week, but it bears repeating: We need to compare apples to apples. Many on social media have chosen to compare data that don’t belong together, giving Washingtonians incomplete or misinformed data on our progress.
“Our state uses data for people age 16 and up; the federal government uses data for ages 18 and up. We use the most recent Census data from 2020; the federal government uses older data.
"Additionally, the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration federal vaccination programs do not share person-level data with the Department of Health, and the state can only rely on data it has access to and can verify.
“Washington state has been calculating data the same way throughout this process. This provides the most complete, accurate and transparent data on vaccination rates.
“I encourage all Washingtonians to get vaccinated. Not only is it the right thing to do, but the Shot of a Lifetime vaccine lottery is ongoing and those who initiate vaccination are automatically entered.”
Detail on Washington State Department of Health and CDC data:
State calculation on WA progress to 70% vaccination (as of June 15):
Rate 16+: 67.2%
Numerator: 4,129,165 (3,975,976 IIS and 153,189 DoD and VA)
Denominator: 6,144,281 (16+ 2020 OFM estimates)
How the CDC is calculating statewide progress:
Rate 18+: 71.7%
Numerator: 4,267,169
Denominator: 5,951,832 (2019 census estimate)
IN OTHER WASHINGTON STATE HEADLINES:
STATE AND FEDERAL ENTOMOLOGISTS CONFIRM NEW ASIAN GIANT HORNET DETECTION IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY.
OLYMPIA – Entomologists from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have confirmed the first report of an Asian giant hornet for 2021. This is the first confirmed report from Snohomish County and appears to be unrelated to the 2019/2020 Asian giant hornet introductions in Canada and Whatcom County.--WSDA
AG FERGUSON: GOOGLE WILL PAY MORE THAN $423,000 OVER REPEATED VIOLATIONS OF WASHINGTON CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW.
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today Google will pay $423,659.76 to Washington’s Public Disclosure Transparency Account for violating the state’s campaign finance disclosure law, which Washingtonians adopted by initiative in 1972.
FACT SHEET: THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT’S IMPACTS ON WASHINGTON.
SEATTLE — In the wake of today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Attorney General Bob Ferguson offered the following statement, and a fact sheet detailing the ACA’s impact on Washington state. Washington state was part of the coalition defending the ACA, because the Trump Administration refused.
New permit for Puget Sound wastewater treatment plants will reduce nutrient pollution.
OLYMPIA –
One of the main reasons the health of Puget Sound continues to decline is an overwhelming amount of nutrient pollution. To reduce the flow of this pollution into Puget Sound, the Department of Ecology is proposing a new permit for 58 municipal wastewater treatment plants.--DOE
State adopts new watershed plans for Puyallup River and Chambers-Clover basin.
OLYMPIA –
Ecology adopted two locally-developed watershed plans for the Puyallup River and Chambers-Clover basins. --DOE
Initial unemployment insurance claims for week of June 6 - 12, 2021.
OLYMPIA – During the week of June 6 – June 12, there were 6,892 initial regular unemployment claims (down 22.3 percent from the prior week) and 383,776 total claims for all unemployment benefit categories (down 0.7 percent from the prior week) filed by Washingtonians, according to the Employment Security Department (ESD).
Fire Precaution Levels, Fire Danger Ratings Rising in Eastern Washington.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and its partners are increasing fire danger rating and Industrial Fire Precaution Levels on DNR-protected lands in eastern Washington as the state’s landscape dries and wildfire risk increases.
FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION:
House Passes Kilmer-Strickland Bill to Bolster Puget Sound Restoration & Recovery Efforts
PUGET SOS Act Enhances Federal Government’s Support for Puget Sound
Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Promoting United Government Efforts to Save Our Sound (PUGET SOS) Act of 2021. The PUGET SOS Act, introduced by Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), would enhance the federal government’s role and investment in Puget Sound, the nation’s largest estuary by volume, which is vital to Washington state’s identity and economy.
Cantwell: “Congress Cannot Pass an NIL Law That Just Ignores the Rights of Students.”
Name, Image, and Likeness Hearing Featured Testimony from Current and Former College Athletes, including Dallas Hobbs and Kelis Barton of WSU who submitted written testimony.
Senator Murray Introduces Bill to Double Pell Grant, Expand Eligibility to DREAMers.
Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act permanently indexes Pell Grants to inflation, increasing their purchasing power.
(2) THIS WEEK'S HEADLINE NEWS.
WORLD HEADLINES:
Famine risk spikes amid conflict, COVID-19 and funding gaps: WFP.
The impact of conflicts old and new, climate shocks and COVID-19, in addition to a lack of funding, have left millions more on the verge of famine than six months ago, the World Food Program (WFP) said on Friday.
Turning to sustainable global business: 5 things to know about the circular economy.
Due to the ever-increasing demands of the global economy, the resources of the planet are being used up at an alarming rate and waste and pollution are growing fast. The idea of a more sustainable “circular economy” is gaining traction, but what does this concept mean, and can it help save the planet?
INTERVIEW: Address conflict, climate change, disease, to reduce humanitarian need, urges outgoing ‘relief chief’
When he accepted the offer to become UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, four years ago, Mark Lowcock had hoped the need for aid globally was on the decline.
An on-air antidote to misinformation in the Central African Republic.
The citizens of the Central African Republic (CAR) have endured decades of war and conflict. Merveille Yayoro, a young reporter at Guira-FM, the radio station run by the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (MINUSCA), says that she wants her work to provide an antidote to hate speech and misinformation, and help bring about a lasting peace.
‘Digital dumpsites’ study highlights growing threat to children: UN health agency
The health of children, adolescents and expectant mothers worldwide is at risk from the illegal processing of old electrical or electronic devices, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, in a landmark new report on the toxic threat.
Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on World Refugee Day.
On June 20, we join people around the world in commemorating World Refugee Day. For 20 years, this day has served as an opportunity to recognize the resilience and courage of refugees in the face of overwhelming obstacles, honor the dedication of those who work tirelessly to help them, and celebrate our shared humanity.--USUN
Appointment of António Guterres as UN Secretary-General for a Second Term.--US STATE DEPT.
On behalf of the United States, I am pleased to congratulate United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on his re-appointment today by the General Assembly to serve a second term. Secretary-General Guterres has proven a capable leader in a demanding role.
The United Nations is an indispensable anchor of the multilateral system. It provides a vital framework through which member states work together to meet such unprecedented challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, human rights, development, migration, and humanitarian crises. These and other priorities that member states must address require a collaborative, effective, and results-oriented leader in the United Nations Secretariat, and we have that in António Guterres.
The United States looks forward to continuing our strong and constructive relationship with Secretary-General Guterres as we advance the urgent task of bringing about a more peaceful world and prosperous future.
NATIONAL HEADLINES.
Statement by President Joe Biden on the U.S. Supreme Court Decision Upholding the Affordable Care Act--WH
NATO Stands Together as Biden Reaffirms U.S. Commitment to Alliance--DOD
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the NATO-Russia relationship, "is at its lowest point since the Cold War, and Moscow’s aggressive actions are a threat to our security."
Woman Sentenced to 198 Months in Prison for Teaching and Distributing Information About Weapons of Mass Destruction--DOJ
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Newton County, Arkansas and its Board of Election Commissioners to Ensure Polling Place Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities
The Justice Department yesterday reached a settlement under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Newton County, Arkansas, and its Board of Election Commissioners to ensure that the County provides an accessible voting program, including accessible polling places, to voters with disabilities.--DOJ
Secretary Cardona Holds Virtual Roundtable with Early Childhood Stakeholders to Discuss Priorities for Early Learning.
HUD CHARGES NEW YORK LANDLORD WITH DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION
Woman with mental health disability denied assistance animal
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it is charging a landlord in Niagara Falls, New York, with violating the Fair Housing Act by denying a tenant’s reasonable accommodation request to keep an assistance animal and retaliating against the tenant by evicting her. Read HUD’s charge.
FDA Approves a Nasal Antihistamine for Nonprescription Use
Approval is a First-in-class and was Enabled by the Prescription to Nonprescription Switch Process.
BUSINESS & FINANCE.
Is the Allure of Farming Irresistible?
Farming is hot! From sweet corn to watermelon and apricots to tomatoes, a lot is growing on the farm this summer. Millions of producers across our nation continue to work tirelessly to produce safe and delicious food. According to the latest Census of Agriculture, more than a quarter of these producers are new and beginning farmers, proving that many people are unable to resist agriculture’s magnetic appeal.--USDA BLOG
Former Construction Executive Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Tax Evasion and Bribery Scheme
A New York construction executive was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 46 months in prison for evading taxes on more than $1.4 million in bribes he received from building subcontractors.--DOJ
Testimony of Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen to the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate--US TREASURY
Federal Reserve announces the extension of its temporary U.S. dollar liquidity swap lines with nine central banks through December 31, 2021.
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced the extension of its temporary U.S. dollar liquidity swap lines with nine central banks through December 31, 2021. These arrangements were first announced on March 19, 2020 to ease strains in global dollar funding markets resulting from the COVID-19 shock and to mitigate the effect of such strains on the supply of credit to households and businesses, both domestically and abroad. Extensions to the facility through March 2021 and later through September 2021 were announced on July 29, 2020 and December 16, 2020, respectively. A further extension of the temporary swap lines will help sustain improvements in global U.S. dollar funding markets by serving as an important liquidity backstop.
These swap lines allow the provision of U.S. dollar liquidity in amounts up to $60 billion each for the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Banco Central do Brazil, the Bank of Korea, the Banco de México, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and the Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden) and $30 billion each for the Denmark's National bank (Denmark), the Norges Bank (Norway), and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
IRS unveils online tool to help low-income families register for monthly Child Tax Credit payments.
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today unveiled an online Non-filer Sign-up tool designed to help eligible families who don't normally file tax returns register for the monthly Advance Child Tax Credit payments, scheduled to begin July 15.
US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF MORE THAN $21M IN GRANTS FOR TRAINING ON WORKPLACE HAZARDS, INFECTIOUS DISEASES--Dept. of Labor
New Report Finds Construction Contractors Struggling to Find Workers, Building Materials--US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
(3) NEWS COMMENTARIES & LOCAL MEETINGS
A NATIONAL HOLIDAY PROS & CONS
Based in actual history, or some hidden agenda?
With the Democrats not everything is what it seems to be. Something to think about. Who was really pushing this? Marxist groups like BLM, and Antifa, along with Marxist Democrats. Is this to celebrate a moment in history? Or push a Marxist agenda? Read the following proclamation from President Biden, and you decide.
A Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance, 2021
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/06/18/a-proclamation-on-juneteenth-day-of-observance-2021/
On June 19, 1865 — nearly nine decades after our Nation’s founding, and more than 2 years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation — enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally received word that they were free from bondage. As those who were formerly enslaved were recognized for the first time as citizens, Black Americans came to commemorate Juneteenth with celebrations across the country, building new lives and a new tradition that we honor today. In its celebration of freedom, Juneteenth is a day that should be recognized by all Americans. And that is why I am proud to have consecrated Juneteenth as our newest national holiday.
Juneteenth is a day of profound weight and power.
A day in which we remember the moral stain and terrible toll of slavery on our country –- what I’ve long called America’s original sin. A long legacy of systemic racism, inequality, and inhumanity.
But it is a day that also reminds us of our incredible capacity to heal, hope, and emerge from our darkest moments with purpose and resolve.
As I said on the 100th Anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, great nations don’t ignore the most painful chapters of their past. Great nations confront them. We come to terms with them.
On Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, and justice. And, we celebrate the centuries of struggle, courage, and hope that have brought us to this time of progress and possibility. That work has been led throughout our history by abolitionists and educators, civil rights advocates and lawyers, courageous activists and trade unionists, public officials, and everyday Americans who have helped make real the ideals of our founding documents for all.
There is still more work to do. As we emerge from the long, dark winter of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, racial equity remains at the heart of our efforts to vaccinate the Nation and beat the virus. We must recognize that Black Americans, among other people of color, have shouldered a disproportionate burden of loss — while also carrying us through disproportionately as essential workers and health care providers on the front lines of the crisis.
Psalm 30 proclaims that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and discrimination, and the promise of a brighter morning to come. My Administration is committed to building an economy — and a Nation — that brings everyone along, and finally delivers our Nation’s founding promise to Black Americans. Together, we will lay the roots of real and lasting justice, so that we can become the extraordinary country that was promised to all Americans.
Juneteenth not only commemorates the past. It calls us to action today.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2021, as Juneteenth Day of Observance. I call upon the people of the United States to acknowledge and celebrate the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of Black Americans, and commit together to eradicate systemic racism that still undermines our founding ideals and collective prosperity.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
From our Congressional delegation to DC
Senator Murray Hails Juneteenth Becoming an Official Federal Holiday.
(Washington, D.C.) – Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement following the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act being signed into law.
“Juneteenth marks the day when enslaved Texans finally learned of their freedom from slavery in 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. So many Black Americans have celebrated this important day for years and I’m glad it will finally be a federal holiday. Juneteenth is a day to commemorate the end of slavery, but it is also a day to remember our country’s very real history of slavery, racial oppression, and injustice—and the systemic racism that stems from this history that continues to harm Black Americans today.
“Recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday is a positive step towards reckoning with the systemic racism that Black Americans have faced for centuries, and an opportunity for us to redouble our efforts to bring about meaningful policy changes in our laws, systems, and institutions.”
Cantwell Statement on Juneteenth Becoming a Federal Holiday
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the following statement after President Biden signed the bill designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday into law:
“Today, we have finally recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday. This day is an opportunity for Americans to reflect on the history of slavery and its impact on the United States. This is an important step, and we must continue to fight for racial justice.”
Senator Cantwell was an original cosponsor of the legislation, which had 60 bipartisan cosponsors and passed the Senate unanimously on Tuesday.
Related News stories
Black Evangelical Pastor Pleads With Christians to Reject 'Unbiblical' Critical Justice Theories--PJ MEDIA
Juneteenth and Critical Race Theory Can’t Coexist
For CRT to exist, white people in power are supposed to always play the role of the oppressor.--Patriot Post
Juneteenth Is a Fraud
In a strange and platitudinous ceremony yesterday, President Biden signed a bill creating the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Day entered the calendar in 1983. Henceforth, Americans will not receive mail or any other federal service on “Juneteenth,” a grating portmanteau of June 19, the day in 1865 on which Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas and belatedly proclaimed the abolition of slavery in that state, which had remained out of federal control after the official Confederate surrender at Appomattox.--NEWSMAX/Paul du Quenoy
This Juneteenth, remember Americans who put slavery on the path to extinction--Washington Examiner
Why Juneteenth Should Serve as Reminder That ‘Family Matters’
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, but it would take nearly two-and-a-half years for all American slaves to be notified of their freedom.---Daily Signal
Trump Offers 7 Ways To Strip The Left’s ‘Twisted Doctrine’ Of Critical Race Theory From Schools--The Federalist
The liberation of the last slaves is a moment in American history worthy of celebration, without any partisan framing.--National Review
LOCAL MEETINGS
Clallam County meetings:
Clallam County work session for 6/21/21
https://clallam.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=1268
Clallam County Board meeting for 6/22/21
https://clallam.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=7270
Port of Port Angeles Commission meeting for 6/22/21
https://www.portofpa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06222021-526
CLALLAM COUNTY PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT #1
COMMISSIONER’S SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE
FOR JUNE 21, 2021
https://clallampud.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/June-21-Special-Meeting-Announcement.pdf
PASD Board Meeting
When: Thu, June 24, 7pm – 9pm
Where: 905 W 9th St, Port Angeles, WA 98363, USA, Lincoln Center
Description: Regular Meeting
JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS:
Jefferson County Commission meeting for 6/21/21
https://media.avcaptureall.com/session.html?sessionid=2a7bbb31-cba6-4c87-aaba-a6b4db678b69&prefilter=845,5958
City of Port Townsend meeting for 6/21/21
https://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=1679
Port of Port Townsend
2nd Monthly Meeting Agenda
Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 5:30 p.m.
https://portofpt.com/event/june-23-commission-meeting/
He became the ultimate sacrifice
BIBLE VERSE: Ephesians 5:25-26 (New King James Version)
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
Weekly Bible Study: "Let Us Make Man in Our Image"
by Doy Moyer
http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/LetUsMakeManInOurImage.html
Free bible studies (WBS)
https://www.worldbibleschool.org/
Learn English using the bible as text (WEI)
http://www.worldenglishinstitute.org/
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