Press release issued 1.6.21
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement on the Georgia Senate races.
“In Georgia and across the country, people have now made it unmistakably clear: they’re done with gridlock and ready to see their government hard at work, delivering for workers and families and tackling the huge problems our country faces.
“I’m thrilled that I’ll soon be able to call Reverend Warnock and Jon Ossoff colleagues in the United States Senate, and deeply grateful to Stacey Abrams and every organizer and voter who showed once again that every voice matters and every one of us can make change.
“For years, Senator McConnell and Republican leaders have stood firmly in the way of helping workers and families on virtually every front—health care, education, wages, racial justice, climate change, you name it. They’ve blocked us from fighting COVID-19 with policies that would directly help those struggling the most and would help us build back from this crisis stronger and fairer.
“With a Biden-Harris Administration and a Senate Democratic majority, the challenges we face won’t get any less tough—but we’ve finally got the opportunity to face them head on and start taking action. I can’t wait to start getting things done.”
(2) Inslee extends proclamation related to COVID-19, two proclamations denied extension by Senate GOP
Gov. Jay Inslee today updated Proclamation 20-49, which generally prohibits garnishment for consumer debt in certain circumstances, by replacing the specific reference to CARES Act stimulus payments with ‘federal stimulus payments’.
This is a technical update and will protect the new federal stimulus funding payments in the same manner that CARES Act stimulus payments were protected. No other changes were made. This proclamation expires Jan. 19, as previously approved by the Legislature.
Additionally, Senate Republicans failed to extend two proclamations in a Jan. 4 letter. The expiration of these two proclamations will adversely affect Washington individuals and businesses.
Proclamation 20-58 waives/suspends the legal requirement that employers pay shared work benefits, thereby allowing federal stimulus funding to be used to pay for the employer portion of shared work benefits. Without this waiver, businesses are missing out on roughly $10 million per month in federal aid (based on participation thus far). Instead, federal dollars the state receives for this purpose now go into our state trust fund, as we are unable to pass the benefit onto employers at a time they need it most.
Proclamation 20-63 directs DSHS to expand the Family Emergency Assistance Program to assist individuals and families without children (as opposed to focusing only on those who have children). At the time that Senate Republicans refused to extend this proclamation, DSHS was still receiving hundreds of applications every day from both individuals and families in every county in our state. Now, DSHS is limited to helping only those families with children.
(3) TODAY'S HEADLINE NEWS:
WORLD NEWS HEADLINES:
Citizens globally affirm belief in international cooperation.
People worldwide have overwhelmingly highlighted their faith in multilateralism to address global challenges, the results of a year-long survey by the United Nations have shown.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/01/1081622
Central African Republic: Post-election violence triggers mass displacement
Amidst post-election violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), more than 200,000 people have fled for their own safety, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/01/1081682
Uganda: ‘Deteriorating’ human rights situation in run-up to elections next week.
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, is urging authorities in Uganda to ensure elections next week are free and peaceful, noting that the arrest of opposition candidates and their supporters are among several “worrying” developments ahead of the vote.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/01/1081662
Viet Nam: UN rights office denounces ‘increasing clampdown’ on freedom of expression.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR), on Friday, voiced concerns over the use of “vaguely defined laws” in Viet Nam, to arbitrarily detain an increasing number of journalists, bloggers, commentators and rights defenders, amidst what appears to be part of an “increasing clampdown” on the freedom of expression in the country.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/01/1081632
NATIONAL
Justice Department Announces Civil Investigation into Chemical Restraint Use at Two Nevada Juvenile Facilities
The Justice Department announced today that it has opened an investigation into the use of pepper spray at two juvenile correctional facilities run by the Nevada Juvenile Justice Services Agency: the Nevada Youth Training Center and the Summit View Youth Center. The investigation will examine whether staff at the two facilities use pepper spray in a manner that violates youth’s rights under the Constitution.
The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Both statutes give the department the authority to investigate systemic violations of the constitutional rights of young people in juvenile detention and correctional facilities. The department’s work has led to important reforms to protect the rights of young people housed in those facilities.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section is conducting this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 1- 833-591-0426 or by email at Community.NVJuveniles@usdoj.gov.--DOJ
FDA Issues Alert Regarding SARS-CoV-2 Viral Mutation to Health Care Providers and Clinical Laboratory Staff.
Acting Secretary Wolf Condemns Violence at The U.S. Capitol.
What transpired yesterday was tragic and sickening. While I have consistently condemned political violence on both sides of the aisle, specifically violence directed at law enforcement, we now see some supporters of the President using violence as a means to achieve political ends.
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2021/01/07/acting-secretary-wolf-condemns-violence-us-capitol
Newly released EPA plan will aid salmon survival in the Columbia River
EPA: study delivers important data supporting federal, state and tribal salmon saving efforts.
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/newly-released-epa-plan-will-aid-salmon-survival-columbia-river
BUSINESS & FINANCE:
SBA and Treasury Announce PPP Re-Opening; Issue New Guidance.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced today that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will re-open the week of January 11 for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers.
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1230
Boeing Charged with 737 Max Fraud Conspiracy and Agrees to Pay over $2.5 Billion
The Boeing Company (Boeing) has entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice to resolve a criminal charge related to a conspiracy to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aircraft Evaluation Group (FAA AEG) in connection with the FAA AEG’s evaluation of Boeing’s 737 MAX airplane.--DOJ
U.S. Economic Outlook and Monetary Policy
At the C. Peter McColough Series on International Economics Council on Foreign Relations, New York, New York --THE FED
https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/clarida20210108a.htm
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S OSHA ANNOUNCES $3,930,381 IN CORONAVIRUS VIOLATIONS
WASHINGTON, DC – Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic through Dec. 31, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations arising from 300 inspections for violations relating to coronavirus, resulting in proposed penalties totaling $3,930,381.---Dept. of Labor
https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20210108
(4) In OTHER HEADLINES
Utah Man with a History of Organizing Violent Antifa, BLM Protests, Was Inside the Capitol.--PJ MEDIA
The Left Finds Time for One More Big Lie Against Trump
No, the President did not incite Wednesday’s riot at the Capitol.--American Spectator
https://spectator.org/one-more-big-lie/
Trump: I Won't Attend Joe Biden's Inauguration--NEWSMAX
https://www.newsmax.com/headline/trump-biden-inauguration/2021/01/08/id/1004789/
The Left Won’t Be Satisfied Until Conservatives Smear Trump Voters As Bigots
As expected, the left now insists conservatives who lashed out at Wednesday's rioters are nothing more than greedy cynics.--The Federalist
Welcome To The United States Of Amazon
Big Tech is taking over our country, and it might already be too late to stop them.--The Federalist
https://thefederalist.com/2021/01/08/welcome-to-the-united-states-of-amazon/
Free bible studies (WBS)
https://www.worldbibleschool.org/
