LINK Source: https://agr.wa.gov/about-wsda/news-and-media-relations/news-releases?article=37222
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is beginning its annual search for pests that could threaten the state’s environment and agricultural industry. Staff will set thousands of traps statewide to monitor for the introduction or spread of more than 130 invasive pests and diseases, including spongy moth, Japanese beetle, apple maggot and northern giant hornet.
While eradication treatments are ongoing through June, trappers have already started setting the first Japanese beetle traps in the Grandview and Wapato areas where they caught more than 23,000 beetles last year. Trappers will also place approximately 20,000 spongy moth traps and 5,000 apple maggot traps this summer. Both spongy moths and Japanese beetles attack more than 300 different types of plants, which could be devastating to the environment and agriculture should they become established.
Trapping for northern giant hornet worker hornets will not start until July, when workers become more active. WSDA will trap exclusively in Whatcom County. However, the agency will also be encouraging citizen scientists to trap for these invasive pests again this year, especially in Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, Island, Clallam and Jefferson counties. Public hornet trapping instructions are available on WSDA’s website.
WSDA is still asking residents to report all suspected hornet sightings. Northern giant hornet queens should be active now and could be spotted while they establish their nests. As the colony grows, worker hornets may become increasingly visible throughout the summer and into the fall.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Sven Spichiger, WSDA acting pest program manager, said. “Although we didn’t confirm any hornets last year, it is too early to let our guard down. They could still be out there.”
Public reports account for more than half of Washington’s confirmed hornet sightings. Suspect hornet sightings can be reported at agr.wa.gov/hornets, via email at hornets@agr.wa.gov, or by calling 1-800-443-6684. While all reports are encouraged, a photo or specimen is necessary for confirmation.
WSDA has spent decades monitoring for invasive pests that threaten agriculture or the environment. Agency trapping efforts combined with public reports have prevented invasive pests such as the spongy moth and citrus longhorn beetle from establishing in Washington and devastating trees, forests, parks, farms, and gardens.
IN OTHER STATE NEWS HEADLINES
Sunnyside mushroom farm will pay $3.4 million for violating the civil rights of its workers.
Ostrom Mushroom Farm discriminated against female workers, Washington residents by intentionally replacing them with male guest workers from Mexico.(details)
AG Ferguson’s lawsuit forces Google to pay nearly $40M over deceptive location tracking.
SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced Google will pay $39.9 million to Washington state as a result of his office’s lawsuit over misleading location tracking practices. Google will also implement a slate of court-ordered reforms to increase transparency about its location tracking settings.(details)
Community Economic revitalization Board invests more than $10 million in three counties.
OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) today approved $8.75 million in low-interest loans and $1.35 million in grants for economic development and public infrastructure improvements intended to spur business growth and job creation in Adams, Snohomish and Spokane counties. (details)
109 wastewater treatment plants across Washington awarded for top performance.
OLYMPIA –
Washington has more than 300 wastewater treatment plants tasked with treating wastewater and protecting water quality. These complex facilities deal with everything homes and businesses flush down the drain. While every facility is unique, they all rely on certified wastewater operators for proper operation and maintenance(Details)
Keep plastics out of compost
Preventing plastic contamination in yard debris and food scrap bins benefits soil (details)
WDFW seeks public comment on draft periodic status review for Washington wolves.
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking public input on its draft periodic status review (PSR) for the gray wolf (Canis lupus). (details)
Inslee signs new budgets that go big on housing, behavioral health. (details)
2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
Murray, Cantwell Announce More Than $220 Million in Fishery Disaster Assistance Relief Coming to Washington, Alaska
Washington- and Alaska-based crab fisheries have lost an estimated $287.7 million due to harvest cancellations. (details)
Senator Murray, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Protect Students from Dangerous Seclusion and Restraint Practices
The Keeping All Students Safe Act (KASSA) would bar the use of seclusion and dangerous restraint practices at any school receiving federal taxpayer dollars. (details)
Data Privacy Concerns Grow as More Abortion Patients Travel to WA: Cantwell Reintroduces Bill to Protect Personal Data
Idaho’s ‘Abortion Trafficking Law’ raises data privacy concerns for patients traveling to the State of Washington. (details)
Military Service Members and Their Spouses Could Access Abortion Services No Matter Which U.S. State They’re Stationed In Under Bill Introduced by Cantwell. (details)
KILMER, BIPARTISAN GROUP OF LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE YIMBY ACT TO TACKLE HOUSING CRISIS AND LOWER COSTS
BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION ADVOCATES FOR ZONING REFORMS, STREAMLINED PERMITTING, AND INCREASED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT (details)
KILMER, BERGMAN CALL FOR IMMEDIATE CHANGES TO IMPROVE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR U.S. SERVICEMEMBERS
LAWMAKERS URGE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMONSENSE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM NONPARTISAN CONGRESSIONAL WATCHDOG. (details)
KILMER, MACE INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN HAVENS ACT TO ADDRESS VETERAN HOMELESSNESS
BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION WOULD ENACT PILOT PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH INDIVIDUALIZED TRANSITIONAL HOMES FOR VETERANS. (details)
3) WORLD & NATION
End War on Nature, Redirect Subsidies to Green Solutions, Secretary-General Urges in Observance Message Marking International Day for Biological Diversity
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the International Day for Biological Diversity, observed on 22 May.( UN PRESS RELEASE)
Continuing Its 2023 Resumed Session, Non-Governmental Organizations Committee Recommends 4 Entities for Status, Defers Action on 80 Others
Subsidiary Body Also Takes Note of 280 New Quadrennial Reports. (UN PRESS RELEASE)
Chronic diseases taking ‘immense and increasing toll on lives’, warns WHO.
A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that non-communicable diseases, or NCDs, are claiming around three quarters of all lives lost each year.(details)
Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Ukraine. (USUN)
FMS 2023: Retooling Foreign Military Sales for An Age of Strategic Competition. (US STATE DEPT.)
Austin Outlines What's Needed for Successful Competition With China. (DOD)
This year's budget request for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, or PDI, is a full 40% higher than last year's request, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, and that's part of a DOD-wide effort to outpace the People's Republic of China.
NATION
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. Delivers Remarks at First Colloquium Bringing Together 20 African Countries to Collaborate on Pretrial Detention Issues. (DOJ)
Russian National Charged with Ransomware Attacks Against Critical Infrastructure
Ransomware Attacks Against Law Enforcement Agencies in Washington, D.C. and New Jersey, As Well As Other Victims Worldwide; U.S. Department of State Offers Reward Up to $10M (DOJ)
U.S. Department of Education Releases Report on State of School Diversity, Announces New Grant Opportunity. (details)
Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Help Schools Deliver Critical Health Care Services to Millions of Students
New resources and proposed regulations from U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services advance Administration’s commitment to expanding health care access and fighting youth mental health crisis. (details)
Federal Housing Administration Finalizes Policies to Expedite Claims Processing for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages
New policies are expected to shorten the timeframe for mortgagees to receive Home Equity Conversion Mortgage assignment funds. (HUD)
4) BUSINESS NEWS
USDA Previews Emergency Relief Assistance for Agricultural Producers Who Incurred Losses Due to 2022 Natural Disaster Events. (details)
The Dire Consequences of a U.S. Debt Default
It would mean the government no longer always pays its bills. Treasuries would no longer be risk-free. Interest rates would rise for all. A recession could quickly follow. ( US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE)
Considerations for Revisions to the Bank Regulatory Framework
Governor Michelle W. Bowman (THE FED)
FTC Warns About Misuses of Biometric Information and Harm to Consumers
Agency issues policy statement addressing emerging technologies that might harm consumers and violate the FTC Act (details)
Man Charged for Alleged Participation in $45M CoinDeal Investment Fraud Scheme Involving Over 10,000 Victims
A Nevada man has been charged for his alleged participation in CoinDeal, an investment fraud scheme that defrauded more than 10,000 victims of over $45 million.(DOJ)
5) IN FOCUS& LOCAL MEETINGS:
IN FOCUS: May 22 Symposium Provides Unique Insight into How Judicial Decisions Affect Health; Public Welcome.
Link source: https://www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/?fa=newsinfo.internetdetail&newsid=50109
The Washington State Supreme Court Symposium sponsored by the Minority and Justice Commission (MJC) will once again offer a public seminar on May 22 that explores how judicial decisions impact individual and community health.
The symposium is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon at Motif Hotel in Seattle, is free and open to the public, and will be livestreamed by TVW. Registration for in-person seating is being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TZLT5HV.
“Beyond the Bench: Exploring How a Judge's Decisions Can Impact Health,” is the most recent educational session in a series of MJC symposia presented annually to the Washington Supreme Court. Each year a topic is chosen which examines issues affecting people of color at all levels of state courts, with recommendations to better ensure fair and equal treatment.
A judge’s decisions may affect factors that are critical to individual and population health such as housing stability, socio-economic position (including education and income), access to health care, structural racism, and the quality of the environment. Yet, judges are rarely given guidance and training on these impacts and how they relate to the law.
Symposium participants will be able to understand how the social determinants of health — particularly poverty and racism — are relevant to legal cases. The Symposium presenters will make the connection between these health factors and issues such as a state worker’s compensation cases, child welfare cases, and cases where people in prison are requesting release.
Justice Yu stated that the topic “offers an opportunity for the Court and the public to better appreciate the relationship between judicial decisions and the health of a local community. It is an opportunity for each one of us to stretch our mind and to better appreciate the social impacts of our decisions.”
Judge Galván, co-chair of the Minority and Justice Commission, added, “Judicial decisions are typically seen through the lens of the impact on the individual before the court. This program provides a different perspective — how these decisions influence the collective health of the families, neighborhoods and communities in which we serve.”
Salus Populi is the only judicial education program dedicated to training judges on the social determinants of health and their relationship to law. It is a project in collaboration with the Center for Health Policy and Law at Northeastern University School of Law and the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research at Northeastern University. Salus Populi is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson and W.K. Kellogg Foundations.
The Washington State Minority and Justice Commission was established by the state Supreme Court in 1990 to determine whether racial and ethnic bias exists in the courts of Washington and to take creative steps to overcome and prevent them. The Commission grew out of a task force established in 1988 at the urging of state legislators.
CONTACT: Frank Thomas, Senior Court Program Analyst with the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission, (360) 704-5536, Frank.Thomas@courts.wa.gov; Kelley Amburgey-Richardson, Administrative Manager for the Supreme Court Commissions, Kelley.Amburgey-Richardson@courts.wa.gov
CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS:
Clallam County Work Session for 5/22/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05222023-836
Clallam County Commission meeting for 5/23/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05232023-837
City of Port Angeles Council meeting for 5/23/23
https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/13126/05232023Work-Session-CFP
Port of Port Angeles Commission meeting for 5/23/23
https://www.portofpa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05232023-678
City of Sequim Council meeting for 5/22/23
https://www.sequimwa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2833
City of Forks Council meeting for 5/22/23
https://forkswashington.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Agenda-20230522.pdf
JEFFERSON COUNTY:
Jefferson County Commission meeting for 5/22/23
https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/9f14dc17-8770-453f-bfa9-4d9a0747bda7
Port of Port Townsend Commission meeting for 5/25/23
https://portofpt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-05-25-ICG.pdf
Weekly devotional
BIBLE VERSE: Romans 15:5-6 (New King James Version)
Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Weekly Bible Study
They "Gladly Received His Word", by Larry Ray Hafley
http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/TheyGladlyReceivedHisWord.htm
Free bible studies (WBS)
https://www.worldbibleschool.org/
Learn English using the bible as text (WEI)
http://www.worldenglishinstitute.org/
(Join us in worship every Sunday starting at 10:30AM Church of Christ)
1233 E Front St, Port Angeles, WA 98362
The Chosen: About the life of Christ
https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen
THIS WEEK'S VIDEOS
Apocalypse GPT: Why We Must Shut Down the Artificial Intelligence Revolution Now | Ep 276.
The terrifying future of artificial intelligence is here. Pandora’s box opened with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Now humanity is driving toward a cliff; even the top AI companies acknowledge that. But that’s not stopping them from taking all our worst human impulses and supercharging them with AI’s unlimited technological power. Companies like Snapchat, Facebook, and Apple are already beginning to implement AI into the products you use every day. Glenn exposes how AI tech, which can already recreate your voice in seconds, become your "girlfriend," and change the fate of elections, could destroy reality as we know it. He also speaks with Center for Humane Technology co-founder and former Google ethicist Tristan Harris, who outlines the critical reality that we all will lose if every major player doesn’t hit the brakes soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd0hcCK-hgs
Sunday Worship - 5/14/2023
Four Lakes Church of Christ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq_9CspEmho
The Port Angeles Globe is a weekly Publication, every Saturday-- Publisher, Peter Ripley
