JAPANESE BEETLE ERADICATION EFFORTS DETAILED AT PASCO OPEN HOUSE MARCH 28

  

PASCO – The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is hosting an open house on March 28 from 5 – 7 p.m. in Pasco to share information about its plans to eradicate the invasive Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica).

Last year WSDA trappers found a small population of the pest in the Pasco area, causing state pest coordinators to make plans to ensure the elimination of the beetle.

The event is at the Educational Service District 123 located at 3924 W Court St. in Pasco. Residents in the treatment area are encouraged to attend to learn about the proposed eradication and give consent to have their property treated free of charge.

WSDA will have English- and Spanish-speaking representatives at the event to answer questions or take consent forms.

Eradication plans include using insecticide to treat hundreds of properties in the treatment area, including private property, with property owner permission. Owners should have received a letter and consent form last month, but consent can still be given either with the form or on WSDA’s website.

Treatment

Acelepryn, the product to be used for Japanese beetle treatment, is a reduced-risk insecticide that is not hazardous to humans or domestic animals. Applicators spray the product to plant foliage or directly to lawns.

“Other Japanese beetle eradication projects across the Northwest have shown that yearly treatments with the pesticide Acelepryn in late April or early May is the best option,” Camilo Acosta, WSDA eradication project coordinator, said.

Agencies in Oregon, Idaho, California, and Utah have used this product for Japanese beetle eradication projects since 2009 and have successfully and safely eradicated or reduced the numbers of the pest.

More information

Visit agr.wa.gov/beetles for updates and more information on this invasive pest.

ref. https://agr.wa.gov/about-wsda/news-and-media-relations/news-releases?article=38570

IN OTHER STATE NEWS HEADLINES:

WSDA FARM TO SCHOOL PURCHASING GRANT ROUND 2 APPLICATIONS OPEN

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is offering $300,000 in Farm to School Purchasing Grants in the second half of the 2023-2025 biennium to increase the purchase, use, and promotion of foods that are grown, raised, caught, or foraged in Washington by child nutrition programs, including schools, childcare, and early learning services.  The grant also helps communities respond to and recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic with support to child nutrition programs./WSDA

Judge sentences Everett man to three years of supervised mental health treatment after animal cruelty prosecution by Attorney General’s Office.

EVERETT — A Snohomish County Superior Court judge sentenced an Everett man on Wednesday following a criminal prosecution by Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The judge sentenced Blayne M. Perez to three years of community custody for mental health treatment. If he violates the terms of community custody, the court may send him to prison for three years and four months./WAAG

Commerce awards $2 million to encourage innovative business and manufacturing expansion statewide.

OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington Department of Commerce today announced $2 million in grants to accelerate manufacturing job growth and economic opportunity across the state, with a focus on rural communities. Ten projects were awarded $200,000 each through the Evergreen Manufacturing grant program. Together, the projects anticipate supporting up to an estimated 526 jobs over the next three years./WA COMMERCE DEPT.

Report: Washington’s Priority Climate Action Plan lays the groundwork for cleaner, more equitable future.

Plan offers collaborative vision for reducing climate pollution, aids communities in securing potentially millions in federal funding

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington communities now have a guide to secure some of $4.6 billion in federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) implementation funding for greenhouse gas reduction measures. Washington’s Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), released by the Department of Commerce, lays the groundwork for propelling the state toward connected, effective, and equitable climate solutions./WA COMMERCE DEPT.

Washington State YMCA Mock Trial 2024 Champion: Seattle Prep High School

March 24, 2024

The Seattle Prep High School (Blue) Mock Trial team was named Washington State 2024 Mock Trial champion Sunday after a final competitive trial against King’s High School at the Pierce County Courthouse in Tacoma. Both teams are from King County./WA COURTS

2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION:

At Opening of Affordable Housing Project in Downtown Bellingham, Cantwell Renews Call to Pass Low-Income Housing Bill

Laurel Forest brings 56 units of affordable housing to downtown Bellingham; 58% of construction costs were covered by tax credit program; Cantwell-championed housing program awaits a vote in the Senate after House passed it on overwhelmingly bipartisan vote/ from a press release issued 3/27/24

Clark College to Launch New EV Repair Training Program With $1M Secured by Cantwell & Murray

Additional funding secured for Cowlitz Tribe mobile care unit & therapeutic preschool in Clark County/From a press release issued 3/25/24

Congressional Democrats File Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Affirm that EMTALA Requires Hospitals to Provide Emergency Stabilizing Care Including Abortion Care, Preempts Idaho’s Draconian Abortion Ban/press release issued 3/28/24

Senator Murray Announces $6 Million for WA State Projects to Advance Clean, Reliable Electrical Grid

Funding will support projects at WSU and at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to improve electrical grid reliability during extreme weather events./ From a press release issue 3/28/24

WORLD< NATION< BUSINESS

WORLD:

Security Council Again Fails to Hold Meeting Marking Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of North Atlantic Treaty Organization Bombing in Former Yugoslavia/ UN PRESS RELEASE

Sending 7 Drafts to General Assembly, Fifth Committee Approves Funding for New Mechanism on Missing Persons in Syria, Liquidating Sudan Peacekeeping Mission

Several Speakers Call for Return to Four-Week Cycle, Better Time Management, as First Part of Resumed Session Concludes/ UN PRESS RELEASE

Security Council Fails to Extend Mandate for Expert Panel Assisting Sanctions Committee on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Text Rejected on Account of Veto Cast by Russian Federation/UN PRESS RELEASE

Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello on the Situation in Sudan/ USUN

Joint Statement on U.S.-Paraguay Bilateral Relationship./US STATE DEPT.

NATION:

Marines, Sailors Arrive in Australia for 6 Months of Training, Exercises/DOD

Samuel Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years for His Orchestration of Multiple Fraudulent Schemes/DOJ

U.S. Department of Education Launches Government Coordinating Council to Strengthen Cybersecurity in Schools./DEPT. of EDUCATION

HUD Announces Expansion of Program to Promote Innovations in Housing

Moving to Work Program expansion enables communities to develop creative housing solutions and resident services./HUD

FDA Warns Consumers to Avoid Certain Topical Pain Relief Products Due to Potential for Dangerous Health Effects

Agency Issues Warning Letters to Six Companies for Marketing Unapproved, Misbranded Products./FDA

BUSINESS:

Two Men Sentenced for Role in $9M Hospice Fraud Scheme.

The owner of two California-based hospice companies, along with his biller and consultant, were sentenced yesterday for their respective roles in a scheme that resulted in stealing over $9 million from Medicare in false and fraudulent claims for hospice services./DOJ

Fresh Express Abandons Proposed Acquisition of Dole’s Packaged Salad Business in Response to Antitrust Division’s Concerns/DOJ

Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Clean Energy and Fertilizer Production to Strengthen American Farms and Businesses as Part of Investing in America Agenda

Projects Funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act Will Lower Energy Costs and Create Revenue for Rural Business Owners and Farms/USDA

Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at Suniva in Norcross, Georgia/ US TREASURY DEPT.

There’s Still No Rush

Governor Christopher J. Waller

At the Economic Club of New York, New York, New York/ THE FED

IN FOCUS & LOCAL MEETINGS

IN FOCUS: ICYMI: Inslee, Reproductive Freedom Alliance raise awareness to ongoing attacks on abortion rights

March 26, 2024

In case you missed it, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and other governors of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance issued a statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court hearing oral arguments in Food and Drug Administration, et al., v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, the most significant abortion rights case since this same Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Inslee has been a leader on the fight to protect reproductive freedoms in the wake of the SCOTUS decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Inslee was the first governor to stockpile the abortion drug mifepristone ahead of the lower federal court ruling out of Texas that is now before the Supreme Court. If those seeking to block access to this long-proven medication succeed, Washington state has a 3-year supply it can still distribute in the state.

"Here we have a very safe product. It reduces the trauma women experience ending a pregnancy," said Inslee on the podcast Pantsuit Politics on Tuesday. "And yet these forces want to drag us back 100 years or so to ignore the clear science."

The governor has also helped pass legislation protecting consumer health data; a shield law protecting patients and providers from out-of-state prosecutions; and the elimination of cost-sharing for abortions to increase equitable access to services.

Inslee appeared on MSNBC this morning to talk about the significance of the mifepristone case as part of an ongoing assault on reproductive freedom being carried out by Republicans.

"We have to be observant, aggressive and protective of this freedom right, or it will be lost," Inslee told Chris Jansing.

ref. https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/icymi-inslee-reproductive-freedom-alliance-raise-awareness-ongoing-attacks-abortion-rights

IN FOCUS: WDFW and Tulalip Tribes test drones for surveying bighorn sheep.

YAKIMA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Tulalip Tribes are working together to evaluate the use of drones for monitoring bighorn sheep in the Umtanum, Selah Butte, and Cleman Mountain herds of south central Washington. 

Drone flights will take place from April through December 2024 and will be conducted by staff from WDFW and the Tulalip Tribes with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Small Unmanned Aircraft System Remote Pilot certification and will follow FAA drone flight regulations. Emphasis will be on flights over WDFW-managed wildlife areas, with WDFW seeking pre-approval by landowners should flights over other lands be considered.

The purpose of this pilot research is to assess the use of drones to collect bighorn sheep counts, and whether drone survey data can improve the Department’s other surveys for bighorn sheep. Other project objectives are to assess if signs of pneumonia infections can be reliably observed from drone imagery. The Department and its collaborators will use results from this effort to refine future drone surveys for bighorn and other species. 

“WDFW is excited to coordinate with the Tulalip Tribes to learn more about using drones to monitor wildlife,” said Ross Huffman, WDFW South Central Region wildlife program manager. "Drones may offer a less invasive and safer alternative to traditional helicopter surveys, reducing disturbance to wildlife and allowing staff to spend less time in aircraft."

Flight timing will depend on conditions, including favorable weather and no interference with members of the public using the area, including hunters. Pilots will maintain line-of-sight with their drone for awareness of potential disturbance to wildlife or people. Pilots will ground the drone if flight conditions become unsuitable to fly safely or responsibly. No area closures or significant public impacts are expected.

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep can be found in several herds across central and eastern Washington. They are a Species of Greatest Conservation Need under Washington’s State Wildlife Action Plan. Disease and habitat fragmentation are concerns for bighorn sheep conservation and long-term population management.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities. 

ref. https://wdfw.wa.gov/newsroom/news-release/wdfw-and-tulalip-tribes-test-drones-surveying-bighorn-sheep

CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS:

Clallam County Commission work session for 4/1/24

https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04012024-1144

Clallam County Commission meeting for 4/2/24

https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04022024-1145

Housing solutions committee meeting for 4/5/24

https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04052024-1142

City of Port Angeles Council meeting for 4/2/24

https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/14641/04022024-CC-Agenda-Packet

JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS:

Jefferson County Commission meeting for 4/1/24

https://test.co.jefferson.wa.us/WeblinkExternal/0/edoc/5212402/040124A.pdf

PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA FOR 4/1/24

https://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=3555

Yep, it's still empty 
Happy Easter from the Port Angeles Globe!

Weekly devotional

BIBLE VERSE: Isaiah 53:3-4 (New International Version)

 

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

Weekly Bible Lesson:   

How to Find the Church Jesus Built

In the world today, there are thousands of different churches. Most of these churches claim to be the church Jesus established, or at least one of the “branches” of the church. Jesus came to the earth to build His church. He only built one. He did not build hundreds or thousands of churches. If Jesus only built one church, why are there so many different churches?--TFTW

https://truthfortheworld.org/how-to-find-the-church-jesus-built

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

http://pachurchofchrist.com/

The Chosen: About the life of Christ

https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen

 

THIS WEEK'S VIDEOS:

Christian Scientist Provides PROOF of God, DESTROYS Darwin.

Astrophysicist Hugh Ross came to his Christian faith in a unique way — through the Big Bang. In this episode of "The Glenn Beck Podcast," Glenn and Hugh discuss the creation of the world, from the dinosaurs to what Darwin got wrong in his theory of evolution. As it turns out, “birdbrain” is actually a compliment, but there's still no creature as exceptional as the human being. AI isn't smart enough to pass ninth-grade math, and Hugh argues that even the advent of quantum computing will never make the Homo sapiens obsolete. Mankind's impact is so expansive that it even reaches the dark side of the moon, where, according to Hugh, NASA has the possibility of conducting research that could resolve the debate about the origin of human life once and for all. After a discussion about the scientific method, fossils, and bringing back the woolly mammoth, the conversation goes interstellar, as Hugh and Glenn talk about aliens and that one time Hugh told Carl Sagan that the Bible was the “Encyclopedia Galactica” he was looking for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSwE8LQSzpM

Sunday Worship Service 3/24/2024--FOUR LAKES C. of C.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHKlmxvCjk4

 

NIGHT OWL COMICS

https://pjrnightowlcomics.blogspot.com/

 

The Port Angeles Globe is a weekly Publication, every Saturday-- Publisher, Peter Ripley

AG Ferguson: Judge orders Providence debt collector Optimum Outcomes to pay $827,000 penalty for violating patients’ medical debt collection rights.

  

Ruling resolves Ferguson’s case against last remaining defendant in charity care lawsuit against Providence and its debt collectors

SEATTLE — The Attorney General’s Office won a trial against debt collection agency Optimum Outcomes. Optimum is the last remaining defendant in Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s charity care lawsuit against Providence Health & Services, one of the nation’s largest health care systems, and its debt collectors.

King County Superior Court Judge Sean O’Donnell ruled that Optimum violated the Consumer Protection Act by violating the medical debt collection rights of Washington patients more than 82,000 times. Judge O’Donnell ordered Optimum to pay $10 per violation for a total penalty of $827,290, which will go to the state general fund. Optimum must also reimburse the Attorney General’s Office for the costs of bringing the case, which are estimated to exceed $400,000. The court will determine the exact amount in a future proceeding. Finally, Optimum must make reforms to come into compliance with Washington law.

Optimum Outcomes unlawfully collected payments from those patients without providing critical information about their rights when faced with medical debt. By excluding the legally required disclosures about financial assistance in its collection letters, Optimum Outcomes created barriers that kept patients who likely qualified for financial assistance from learning about and accessing help with their hospital bills.

“This legal victory resolves the largest charity care lawsuit in American history,” Ferguson said. “We delivered economic justice for Washingtonians in the form of corporate reforms and more than $160 million in direct payments, debt forgiveness and civil penalties. My team and I partnered with legislators, hospitals and patient advocates to protect Washingtonians from out-of-pocket hospital expenses they can’t afford — and we will make sure that Washingtonians receive these protections.”

On Feb. 2, the court found that Optimum Outcomes failed to provide the required charity care disclosures in 82,729 first written collection notices it sent to Providence patients, which violated the state’s Collection Agency Act and Consumer Protection Act.

Patients who were likely eligible for financial assistance but were sent to collections and paid for their care will receive refunds, including interest, as a result of the resolution with Providence. Patients who incurred debt when they were likely eligible for financial assistance will have their debt written off as a result of the resolution with Providence.

Assistant Attorneys General Audrey Udashen, Will O’Connor, Michael Bradley, Matthew Geyman, Lucy Wolf, Tad Robinson O’Neill and Robert Hyde, Paralegals Jen Killoren, Judy Lim, Matthew Hehemann and Joseph Drouin, and Legal Assistants Josh Bennett and Michelle Paules handled the case for Washington.

This is the latest of hundreds of consumer protection wins since Ferguson became Attorney General. Since January 2013, the office has filed 808 successful lawsuits under the Consumer Protection Act. In that same time, Ferguson has only lost two consumer protection cases — a case against Value Village and a challenge to the special dividend paid by Albertsons to its shareholders ahead of the company’s proposed merger with Kroger.

Providence debt collector illegally excluded disclosures in notices to patients

On Feb. 1, Providence entered into a legally enforceable agreement that requires the health system to provide $157.8 million in refunds and debt forgiveness to nearly 100,000 patients over unlawful medical charges to Washingtonians who likely qualified for free or reduced-cost hospital care.

In the summer of 2022, Ferguson expanded his lawsuit against Providence by adding the health system’s two debt collection agencies: Optimum Outcomes and Harris & Harris. On Feb. 21, Harris & Harris entered into a legally enforceable agreement with the Attorney General to pay $1 million and reform its practices, resolving that case and leaving Optimum Outcomes as the sole defendant for trial.

The court found that Optimum Outcomes failed to inform patients that they may be eligible for financial assistance, as required by state law. It also collected on medical debt without informing patients of their right to request specific information about that debt. Optimum also failed to provide a phone number for the hospital where patients received care, preventing many of them from learning about their financial assistance rights.

Both collection agencies entered into a contract with Providence in September 2019. The agreement allowed them to collect hospital debts on Providence’s behalf and act as its agents.

When sending a first collection notice, collection agencies must include:

Written notice that an individual may be eligible for charity care;

Contact information for the hospital; and

Notice that the patient has the right to request the hospital account number assigned to the debt, date of last payment, and an itemized statement stating whether the patient was found eligible for charity care, and, if so, the amount due after all charity care has been applied.

From February 2020 to July 2021, Optimum Outcomes sent 82,729 first written collection notices without these legally required disclosures, collecting more than $3.3 million from patients in the process. Optimum Outcomes earned more than $376,000 in commissions from Providence on those collection activities. Moreover, during that period — the entirety of the time it collected medical payments on behalf of Providence — Optimum Outcomes was not properly licensed to collect on medical debt in Washington. 

Providence billed, aggressively collected from low-income patients

Ferguson filed his lawsuit against Providence in February 2022, accusing its affiliated hospitals of billing and aggressively collecting money from low-income Washingtonians without determining if they qualified for financial assistance.

Ferguson’s Consumer Protection investigation started in 2020, following complaints about collection practices at Swedish. It revealed Providence engaged in numerous practices between 2018 and 2022 that prevented patients from accessing financial assistance. Providence trained employees on aggressive and deceptive collection tactics. Their script included:

“Ask every patient every time” to pay outstanding medical costs;

“Don’t accept the first no;”

If a patient declines the first request, ask for partial payment;

Use phrasing that signals to patients “payment is expected.”

The lawsuit asserted that Providence knew many of its patients were likely eligible for financial assistance and not only failed to inform them, but also kept collecting payments from them. In fact, Providence sent thousands of patients it identified as “presumptively” qualified for financial assistance to debt collectors. Internal emails revealed Providence did this because it knew those patients were more likely to pay their bills if collection attempts continued.

Moreover, starting in 2019, Providence sent thousands of Medicaid patients to debt collectors. Medicaid enrollees are among the lowest income Washingtonians, and are deemed eligible for financial assistance under Providence’s own policies. Providence staff caught the issue early and raised concerns to leadership. In fact, according to internal records, one employee warned: “We are sending the poor to bad debt and not treating them the same as other patients.” Providence did not correct the problem for more than two years.

Even when Providence wrote off debt for patients it later determined to be “presumptively” qualified for financial assistance, the company kept them in the dark about those write-offs, and therefore their eligibility for future assistance.

In all, Ferguson asserts that Providence’s deceptive and unfair practices amounted to more than 100,000 violations of the state Consumer Protection Act.

The case against Providence is part of Ferguson’s Health Care Initiative. The resolution is the largest of four charity care cases handled by his office, resulting in more than $205 million in debt forgiveness and refunds for Washingtonians. Washington is one of 11 states with broad charity care protections and the only state to pursue any large-scale enforcement.

Ferguson’s three other charity care resolutions include:

PeaceHealth agreed to pay up to $13.4 million to more than 15,000 low-income patients, including $4.2 million in direct refunds and up to $9.2 million through a claims process.

CHI Franciscan provided $41 million in debt relief and $1.8 million in refunds, in addition to rehabilitating the credit of thousands of patients.

Capital Medical Center in Olympia paid at least $250,000 in refunds and provided more than $131,000 in debt relief to resolve Ferguson’s lawsuit filed in 2017.

Anyone who feels they are not receiving the financial assistance on their hospital bill they are entitled to should file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.

New law expands access to medical financial assistance

Before 2022, state law required hospitals to provide free or reduced-cost care to Washington families making up to 200% of the federal poverty level.

In March 2022, the Legislature passed an Attorney General Request bill strengthening Washington’s medical financial assistance law. It went into effect July 1, 2022. Ferguson worked with prime sponsor Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, and Reps. Eileen Cody, D-Seattle, and Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, on House Bill 1616. The new law expanded eligibility for financial assistance to more than one million Washingtonians and guaranteed free hospital care to an additional million Washingtonians.

Now, approximately half of all Washingtonians are eligible for free or reduced-cost hospital care. Washingtonians up to 300% of the federal poverty level are now eligible for free care at the state’s large health care systems and large, urban hospitals — representing approximately 80 percent of the licensed beds in the state. The bill also significantly increased medical financial assistance at the state’s smaller, more rural hospitals, with free care up to 200% of the federal poverty level and discounted care up to 400%.

Under the medical financial assistance law, hospitals are required to:

Provide notice of the availability of financial assistance both verbally and in writing;

Screen patients for eligibility before attempting to collect payment, and;

Only require patients to provide one income-related document to prove eligibility for financial assistance.

If a patient appears to be eligible for financial assistance, hospitals must suspend any collection attempts and give the patient a reasonable opportunity to apply.

For more information about Washington’s medical financial assistance law, including tools to see if you qualify.

ref. https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-judge-orders-providence-debt-collector-optimum-outcomes-pay-827000

IN OTHER STATE NEWS HEADLINES:

More than $55M paid to local governments this month from AG Ferguson opioid cases.

SEATTLE —  Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that city and county governments in Washington state received more than $55 million this month in the latest payments from Ferguson’s litigation against companies that fueled the opioid crisis. The funds must be used to combat the opioid epidemic./WAAG

With billions of federal dollars at stake, state helps communities secure funding for infrastructure, innovation, jobs./ WA COMMERCE DEPT.

Public Works Board provides $2.4 million for emergency construction; paves way for more local infrastructure projects this summer/WA COMMERCE DEPT.

Cats and Competence: Teens Compete for State Mock Trial Championship this Weekend in Tacoma

March 20, 2024

Hundreds of high school students from across Washington will gather at the Pierce County Courthouse this weekend to compete in this year’s YMCA Mock Trial State Championship. For the first time, the competition moves to Tacoma after decades of being hosted in Olympia./WA COURTS

California, Québec and Washington agree to explore linkage.

OLYMPIA, WA  – 

The California Air Resources Board on behalf of the state of California, the  Gouvernement du Québec, and the Department of Ecology representing the state of Washington each recognize that fighting climate change requires sustained collaboration by all governments. Today they are officially expressing their interest in the potential formation of a shared carbon market between the three jurisdictions./DOE

2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION:

KILMER INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO END BLOOD QUANTUM DISCRIMINATION AGAINST NATIVE AMERICANS IN BORDER LAW

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Russ Fulcher (ID-01) introduced the Tribal Border Crossing Parity Act to redouble America’s efforts to end a half-century-old U.S. immigration policy which requires Native Americans to carry proof of their blood quantum, documents showing that they are at least 50 percent Native American, when exercising their treaty-protected right to freely cross between the U.S. and Canada./Press release issued 3/22/24

KILMER INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO SPUR GROWTH IN OCEAN-BASED ENERGY, CREATE JOBS ON OLYMPIC PENINSULA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Dan Newhouse (WA-04) introduced the Blue Ocean Energy Innovation Act, bipartisan legislation to redouble America’s efforts to reassert the U.S. as the global leader in the research and development of ocean-based technologies, also known as blue energy technologies./press release issued 3/22/24

Cantwell, Murray, & Schrier Announce Federal Assistance Now Available to WA Cherry Growers

Lawmakers wrote a letter to Ag Secretary Vilsack last month urging him to expedite a disaster declaration/press release issued 3/19/24

Cantwell Statement on 10-Year Anniversary of Oso Landslide Tragedy/press release issued 3/21/24

At Press Conference Ahead of ACA Anniversary, Senator Murray Highlights Record ACA Enrollment and Slams Donald Trump and Republicans for Continuing to Push ACA Repeal./press release issued 3/21/24

At Senator Murray’s Recommendation, President Biden Nominates Judge Rebecca Pennell to Serve as U.S. District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Washington/press release issued 3/19/24

3) WORLD< NATION< BUSINESS

WORLD:

Global Community Must Stand as One, Work towards Legally Binding Treaty to End Plastic Pollution, Secretary-General Stresses, in Message for Zero Waste Day./UN PRESS RELEASE

At Security Council Briefing on Syria, Speakers Express Alarm Over Grave Situation in Country, Underscore Need for Sustained, Unrestricted Humanitarian Assistance

As the conflict in Syria entered its fourteenth year, the “tragic reality” was that developments are going in the wrong direction across all fronts, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the country warned the Security Council today, as members echoed his urgent calls on Damascus and other actors to unblock the persisting political impasse./UN PRESS RELEASE

General Assembly Adopts Landmark Resolution on Steering Artificial Intelligence towards Global Good, Faster Realization of Sustainable Development

Delegates Also Observe International Day for Eliminating Racial Discrimination Worldwide, Stressing Importance of Reparations/UN PRESS RELEASE

Explanation of Vote Delivered by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on a UN Security Council Draft Resolution on the Situation in the Middle East/USUN

United Nations General Assembly Adopts by Consensus U.S.-Led Resolution on Seizing the Opportunities of Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Systems for Sustainable Development./US STATE DEPT.

NATIONAL:

Consensus Adoption of U.S.-Led Resolution on Artificial Intelligence by the United Nations General Assembly./US STATE DEPT.

Statement from President Joe Biden on Nearly $6 Billion in Student Debt Cancellation for 78,000 Public Service Workers/WH

Hicks Again Makes Case for Strengthening Industrial Base, Eliminating Continuing Resolutions/DOD

Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development Jointly Issue Resource on Protections for Rental Housing Applicants and Tenants/DOJ

U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Announces Resolution Addressing Responses to Harassment Based on Race, Sex, and Disability and to Antisemitic Harassment in Park City School District in Utah./DEPT OF EDUCATION

BUSINESS:

Federal Court Enters $9.9M Penalty and Injunction Against Man Found to Have Caused Thousands of Unlawful Spoofed Robocalls/DOJ

Justice Department Sues Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets.

Apple’s Broad-Based, Exclusionary Conduct Makes It Harder for Americans to Switch Smartphones, Undermines Innovation for Apps, Products, and Services, and Imposes Extraordinary Costs on Developers, Businesses, and Consumers/DOJ

Confiscating Property Won’t Lower Prices for Americans

The Biden Administration's proposal to abuse “march-in rights” will diminish consumer choice and American innovation./ US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

FTC Files Amicus Brief in Asthma Inhaler Patent Dispute

Commission seeks to address Teva’s patent abuse to promote affordable drugs, generic competition/FTC

Applications for USDA Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants Due April 9/USDA

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for grants to support urban agriculture and innovative production. Applications for USDA’s Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grants are due April 9, 2024 via grants.gov.

IN FOCUS & LOCAL MEETINGS

IN FOCUS: CONSUMER ALERT: IVF treatment protected under Washington’s robust reproductive health care laws

AG Ferguson assures patients, providers in wake of Alabama Supreme Court decision deeming frozen embryos ‘children’

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued the following statement today, assuring patients and providers across Washington that the state’s strong protections for reproductive freedom include access to assisted reproduction, including in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Ferguson’s consumer alert is a response to a recent decision from the Alabama Supreme Court, which ruled that embryos created through IVF are “children” for the purposes of that state’s wrongful-death law. The decision caused an abrupt pause in fertility services across Alabama and raised concerns about potential implications for standard practices in fertility treatment, such as freezing or destroying embryos created for purposes of IVF.

“IVF and other forms of assisted reproduction are protected under Washington law,” Ferguson said. “Washington voters passed the Reproductive Privacy Act three decades ago to guarantee protections for reproductive freedom — full stop. While attacks on these fundamental rights continue across the country, Washington remains a refuge during this public health crisis. We will not stop fighting to preserve access to the full range of vital reproductive health care services, including the right to seek an abortion.” 

Washington’s Reproductive Privacy Act was approved by voter initiative in 1991, codifying the right to choose into state law. At the time supporters warned of potential threats to Roe v. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that recognized a federal constitutional right to seek abortion care. Washington voters decided to protect reproductive rights in our state even if federal protections went away.

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe, upholding state laws like Washington’s Reproductive Privacy Act is more critical than ever.  

Washington’s law states: “The sovereign people hereby declare that every individual possesses a fundamental right of privacy with respect to personal reproductive decisions.” Additionally, the state cannot “discriminate against the exercise of these rights in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information.”

Additionally, in 2023, the Legislature enacted Washington’s Shield Law, further strengthening protections for reproductive health care services, patients and providers. The new law states that it is “the public policy of Washington to protect” the provision of gender-affirming treatment and reproductive health care services — which includes a broad range of care, including assisted reproduction such as IVF. More information about the Shield Law is available at the Attorney General’s website.

In short, it is public policy in Washington that patients have access to the full range of reproductive health care — including assisted reproduction, such as IVF — and their decisions about that care are made privately between them and their health care providers, without government interference.

ref. https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/consumer-alert-ivf-treatment-protected-under-washington-s-robust-reproductive

IN FOCUS: DNR Forest Health Treatments Provide New Revenue for Schools.

Forest Health Revolving Account invests in forest health, risk reduction and protection while supporting statewide services

 

An innovative program run by the Washington Department of Natural Resources to restore forest health will distribute $6,551,212 of funds to state trust beneficiaries to support statewide services including K-12 Schools.

 

DNR generates more than $250 million each year through the management of trust lands, which are required to generate revenue to support schools, colleges, and critical local services across Washington state. That revenue comes from sustainable forest management, agricultural leases, clean energy leases, and commercial real estate leases.

 

The Forest Health Revolving Account was created to support less financially productive trust lands, largely in Eastern Washington, by mitigating risks posed by insect damage, wildfires, and disease. The account allows DNR to perform forest health treatments that reduce risks posed to the forests and surrounding communities.

 

“Our Forest Health Revolving Account is just one example of our agency’s commitment to not only the people of Washington, but also to responsible management of our forests, and support of our public services statewide” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. “This distribution is a win for our beneficiaries, and the investments in forest health are a win for the surrounding communities and our trust lands.”

 

Revenue garnered from forest health treatments goes back to the Forest Health Revolving Account to fund future treatments. Per RCW 79.64.130, any unobligated amount exceeding $10 million at the end of the calendar year is distributed to beneficiaries. 2023 marks the 3rd distribution to beneficiaries since the start of the program in 2017. For calendar year 2022, DNR distributed $9,571,200 to schools and universities. The agency distributed $5,067,781 in 2021.

ref. https://www.dnr.wa.gov/news/dnr-forest-health-treatments-provide-new-revenue-schools

CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS:

Work session of the Clallam County commission for 3/25/24

https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03252024-1138

Clallam County Commission meeting for 3/26/24

https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03262024-1140

* There's a Port of Port Angeles Commission meeting scheduled for 3/26/24, but no agenda was posted on webpage, or time of meeting during publishing this week's edition.

City of Sequim Council meeting for 3/25/24

https://sequimwa.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Id=112

City of Forks Council meeting for 3/25/24

https://forkswashington.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Agenda-20240325.pdf

Clallam PUD meeting for 3/25/24

https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/clallampud/Board.nsf/Public

JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS:

Jefferson County Commission meeting for 3/25/24

https://test.co.jefferson.wa.us/WeblinkExternal/0/edoc/5192264/032524A.pdf

Port of Port Townsend Commission meeting for 3/27/24

https://portofpt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-03-27-CommMtg-Agenda.pdf

Weekly devotional

BIBLE VERSE:  James 1:12 (New International Version)

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Weekly Bible Lesson:   

How the Corinthians Became Christians

Before Jesus returned to Heaven, He gave the apostles the Great Commission. He commanded: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). In the book of Acts, we can read how the apostles carried out the Great Commission.--TFTW

https://truthfortheworld.org/how-the-corinthians-became-christians

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

http://pachurchofchrist.com/

The Chosen: About the life of Christ

https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen

 

THIS WEEK'S VIDEOS:

 

DEBATE: Is the TikTok Bill a Trojan Horse for Government Censorship?

One of the hottest questions happening online and at the dinner table right now is: What do we do about TikTok? The app has 150 million active users in the United States. The average American spends 82 minutes a day on the platform. That’s TRIPLE the time the average user spends on Snapchat or Twitter and twice what the average user spends on Instagram or Facebook. It’s so addictive, but why? Did you know that China has stated that the algorithm running TikTok is one of its MAJOR national security assets? A Chinese propaganda analyst has said, “The one who wins the platform [TikTok] wins the world.” We can all agree that something has to be done about TikTok ... but is the recent bill from Congress the answer? 

Glenn reveals the full text of the bill to let you decide for yourself and brings in two congressmen he respects to help him come to a conclusion. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) are both strong champions of the Constitution but on opposite sides of the House’s recent TikTok bill. Roy was one of the bill’s lead cosponsors, and Massie has called the bill a “Trojan Horse.” After hearing both arguments, Glenn gives his final thoughts. Yes, we’re in a war with China, but we’re also at war with communism and fascism and oligarchs ... in our own country! Can we repair this country by giving more power to the government?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgInAm6YOW8

Sunday Worship 3/17/2024- FOUR LAKES C. of C.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIsRWJuuQyw

NIGHT OWL COMICS

https://pjrnightowlcomics.blogspot.com/

 

The Port Angeles Globe is a weekly Publication, every Saturday-- Publisher, Peter Ripley

AG Ferguson: $500K will fund genetic genealogy testing for all unidentified remains in Washington.

  

New resources will help address crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and people

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson provided the following statement today after the Legislature approved his budget request for $500,000 to fund genetic genealogy and DNA testing for the entire backlog of unidentified remains in Washington.

Right now, 163 unidentified remains await further testing in Washington. The new funding will supplement existing state and federal DNA testing resources. As a result, families awaiting information about loved ones do not need to endure unnecessary delays and cases can be resolved more quickly.

The Attorney General’s Office and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force advocated for the funding to clear the backlog. The task force, convened by the Attorney General in 2021, published a report in December 2023 urging the Legislature to dedicate the funding necessary to clear the backlog. DNA testing of individual remains and forensic genetic genealogy are proven strategies to identify missing Indigenous people and bring closure to families.

“Timely DNA testing can bring a measure of closure and help solve more cold cases,” Ferguson said. “Families should never have to endure unnecessary delays when seeking answers about their missing loved ones. I am thankful to our partners in the Legislature — Rep. Lekanoff, Rep. Stearns and Sen. Kauffman and many others — who continue to fight to ensure the missing and murdered Indigenous people crisis gets the attention and resources it deserves.”

In December 2023, the task force released its latest report and recommendations. The recommendation calling for funds to clear the backlog of unidentified remains stems from the experience of task force member Patricia Whitefoot, who waited 14 years for the partial remains of her sister, Daisy Mae Heath, to be tested and identified. Much of that delay was due to a lack of funding. Ultimately, the Attorney General’s Office worked with the Yakima County Coroner to provide the necessary funding.

“I’m pleased the Washington State Attorney General’s Office heard the voices of families in our pursuit to know the status of unidentified remains,” Whitefoot said. “I was reminded of these remains whenever our family received an inquiry about unidentified remains, since my sister, Daisy Heath, had been missing over 30 years. Because of our sister, I found myself motivated and compelled to promote needed resolution about the remains with the task force. Our family wondered about the status of our sister for far too long.”       

The 2024 budget provides the new resources to the Washington State Patrol, which will provide financial assistance to local jurisdictions for testing of all unidentified remains. Funds will be available for initial DNA testing. If DNA testing fails to provide an identification, funding will pay for forensic genetic genealogy.

Forensic genetic genealogy helps law enforcement solve cold cases by combining DNA testing with genealogical research, using publicly available ancestry data.

Cost is the primary barrier for law enforcement agencies looking to use DNA and forensic genetic genealogy testing to identify remains. DNA testing of individual remains costs approximately $2,500 and forensic genetic genealogy costs approximately $8,000, though costs can vary.

The state Crime Lab conducts DNA testing for local law enforcement. The Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative provides grants for that purpose, as well as forensic genetic genealogy testing at private labs. These grants have helped solve multiple cases. More information about those cases can be found here. DNA testing of some unidentified remains is also available for free through the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), but NamUs has experienced significant delays in recent years. It can take up to 18 months for agencies to receive results, and in some cases remains are ineligible for the federal program.

Attorney General’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force

The budget request started as a recommendation with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force, which Ferguson convened in 2021 using a framework adopted by the Legislature. The 23-member task force is part of a coordinated statewide response to the urgent crisis of Indigenous people who go missing, are victims of homicide, or experience other types of violence. Many national leaders in tackling this crisis serve on the task force.

The task force’s work has resulted in several Attorney General Request bills enacted into law.

In 2022, the Washington State Patrol launched a statewide alert system to help identify and locate missing Indigenous women and people. The legislation was requested by Ferguson and sponsored by Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Anacortes, who serves on the task force. It is the first alert system of its kind in the nation.

In 2023, at the recommendation of the task force and request of Attorney General Ferguson, the Legislature established a Cold Case Investigations Unit to focus on solving cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and people. Rep. Lekanoff and Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, another task force member, championed the legislation. The unit hired its chief investigator, Brian George, in November 2023 and is now fully staffed with four additional investigators and a victim advocate. 

In addition to recommending funds for genetic genealogy testing, the task force’s 2023 report also recommended forming a state work group to develop best practices for law enforcement, coroners and medical examiners tasked with collecting Indigenous demographic data. Racial misclassification in cases of missing Indigenous people is a major systemic barrier to understanding the full scope of the crisis.

Additionally, the task force recommended that the U.S. Department of Justice create a nationwide Missing Indigenous Persons Alert system, similar to the one launched in Washington in 2022.

Background on the missing and murdered Indigenous people crisis

American Indian and Alaskan Native women and people experience violence at much higher rates than other populations. The national Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports that homicide is the sixth-leading cause of death for Indigenous women and girls and the third-leading cause of death for Indigenous men. A recent federal study reported that Native American women are murdered at rates 10 times the national average in some jurisdictions.

According to data from the Homicide Investigation Tracking System in the Attorney General’s Office, Indigenous victims are 5% of the unresolved cases throughout the state, while making up less than 2% of the population. Due to reporting practices, racial misclassification, data collection and jurisdictional issues, the actual disparity is likely even more significant.

The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates that there are approximately 4,200 unsolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people. A 2018 report from the Urban Indian Health Institute in Seattle found that Washington had the second-highest number of cases in the country.

ref. https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-500k-will-fund-genetic-genealogy-testing-all-unidentified-remains

IN OTHER STATE NEWS:

Commerce awards $240,000 to five regional partnerships planning for low-income housing needs.

Additional grant funding is available through March to support regional planning for vulnerable residents at the lowest income levels

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce awarded $240,000 to five community partnerships across the state to support coordination of land use planning and homeless services planning. Each city or county-led partnership will use the funds to coordinate resources and plan for their lowest income housing needs, including residents experiencing homelessness./ WA COMMERCE DEPT.

More than $3 billion approved for Hanford Site cleanup – a new record.

RICHLAND  – 

On Saturday, March 9, President Joe Biden signed a historic budget for Hanford Site cleanup work. Hanford received $3.05 billion for 2024 – a $205 million increase from 2023, and the first time Hanford funding has exceeded $3 billion./DOE

Seeking environmental technicians

Join our Watershed Health Monitoring team for a summer of instream data collection.

Our watershed health monitoring team is seeking eight early career scientists to join us for a summer of river and stream sampling. These watershed health environmental technicians and specialists will travel all over the state to complete physical surveys of designated stream sites. Work includes field navigation, biological monitoring, water quality sampling, habitat surveys, and using different types of monitoring equipment./DOE

Halibut fishing starts April 4 in some Puget Sound marine areas and May 2 in coastal marine areas.

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today plans for the 2024 halibut fishing season, which will kick off April 4 in some Puget Sound areas./ WDFW

WDFW seeks public input on 2024 proposals for Washington’s ocean salmon fisheries.

FRESNO – Fishery managers have developed options for Washington’s ocean salmon fisheries that reflect lower numbers of several coho salmon stocks predicted to return this year./WDFW

2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION:

KILMER ANNOUNCES NEARLY $14 MILLION IN CLIMATE RESILIENCE FUNDING FOR LOCAL TRIBES

TACOMA, WA – Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced the allocation of $13.74 million in support of climate preparedness and resilience efforts for Tribal nations within Washington’s Sixth Congressional District. The funding, made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, is distributed through the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience./ Press release issued 3/15/24

KILMER ANNOUNCES $1.3 MILLION TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND ENHANCE MOBILITY ACROSS I-5 IN TACOMA

TACOMA, WA – Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the City of Tacoma will receive $1.3 million in new federal funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) and Neighborhood Access and Equity discretionary grant programs for increased safety and mobility options along Interstate 5 (I-5) in Tacoma./ press release 3/14/24

Planned Renton, Tukwila Transit Centers Get $69.8M in Funding

Centers will serve thousands of daily riders on new Burien-Bellevue BRT line slated to open by 2028

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced that Sound Transit will receive $69,830,356 to build new transit centers in Renton and Tukwila that serve the Stride S1 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. The cities of Tacoma and Seattle also received planning grants, the senator announced./Press release issued 3/13/24

City of Bellevue and Yakama Nation Get $2.9M to Improve Traffic Safety

Funding comes from SMART Grant Program, which Cantwell fought to secure in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced the City of Bellevue and the Confederated Tribes and Band of the Yakama Nation will receive Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grants to improve traffic safety./ 3/13/24 press release

Senator Murray Delivers Major Floor Speech on Billions She Secured as Appropriations Chair for Washington State Priorities in the First Funding Package/ press release issued 3/14/24

Murray Cosponsors Legislation to Crack Down on Big Corporations Shrinking Products Without Reducing Prices, Stop Shrinkflation

Bill empowers Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to crack down on corporations reducing product size without a reduction in price

Federal Reserve research found corporate profits account for total inflation from July 2020 through July 2021 and 41 percent of total inflation from July 2020 through July 2022/ press release issued 3/13/24

3) WORLD < NATION < BUSINESS

WORLD:

Concentric Circles of Escalation, Risky Military Adventurism in Red Sea Could Spark New War Cycle in Yemen, Special Envoy Warns, Urging Maximum Restraint

With concentric circles of escalation and risky military adventurism in the Red Sea, Yemen could descend into a new cycle of war, the Organization’s senior official for that country warned the Security Council today, as he urged all actors to exercise maximum restraint and work towards de-escalation and the peace process./UN NEWS RELEASE

Collective Action, Balanced Responses Key to Fight Record Levels of Drug-Related Death, Illegal Production, Secretary-General Tells Narcotic Drugs Commission Session/ UN PRESS RELEASE

Financing for Poverty Eradication Must Address Unequal Gender, Power Relations, Assistant Secretary-General Stresses, as Commission on Women Continues Session

Stressing the impact of elements including conflict, pay inequity and informal labour on the gender poverty gap, ministers and officials from around the world called for greater efforts to reverse trends indicating that 8 per cent of the world’s women will still be living on less than $2 per day by 2030, as the Commission on the Status of Women continued its sixty-eighth session./UN PRESS RELEASE

Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at National High School Model United Nations Conference/USUN

Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the 67th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs Side Event “Protecting Global Public Health and Safety: Mounting a Unified International Response to Synthetic Drugs and Their Precursors”/US STATE DEPT.

NATIONAL

FACT SHEET: The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2025.

Budget Details Vision to Protect Progress, Lower Costs, Protect and Strengthen Social Security and Medicare, Invest in America and the American People, and Reduce the Deficit/WH

NORAD Commander: Incursions by Unmanned Aircraft Systems on Southern Border Likely Exceed 1,000 a Month.

There are likely more than 1,000 incursions by unmanned aircraft systems along the U.S.-Mexico border each month, said the U.S. Northern Command's top general during testimony today at a Senate Armed Services Committee posture hearing./DOD

Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission File Comment with U.S. Copyright Office Supporting Renewal and Expansion of Exemptions Facilitating Consumers’ and Businesses’ Right to Repair Their Own Products/DOJ

U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights Reminds Schools of Their Legal Obligation to Address Discrimination Against Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, Hindu, and Palestinian Students/ Dept. of Education

CDC Statement on the President’s Fiscal Year 2025.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration released the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) budget request for FY 2025 includes $9.683 billion in discretionary budget authority, Prevention and Public Health Funds, and Public Health Service Evaluation Funds, which is $499.2 million over the FY 2023 appropriation. This budget request will enable the CDC to prioritize efforts to rapidly identify and respond to health threats; continue addressing the mental health and overdose crises; and support young families to help children thrive./CDC

BUSINESS

Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Funding to Expand High Speed Internet in New Mexico Tribal Communities as Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda/US TREASURY

Army Hotel Manager in South Korea Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Government Property and Commit Bribery./ DOJ

Agricultural Producers to Conserve Land through Climate-Smart Easements as part of President’s Biden’s Investing in America Agenda/USDA

US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO HOLD WEST VIRGINIA EVENTS FOR CURRENT, FORMER COAL MINERS WITH BLACK LUNG DISEASE, THEIR FAMILIES

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Federal Black Lung Program will host three outreach events in West Virginia on March 19-21, 2024, for current and former coal miners disabled by black lung disease, and their families, to file or refile claims for benefits./ US LABOR DEPT.

March 22 deadline approaching to resolve incorrect Employee Retention Credit claims; IRS urges businesses to review questionable claims to avoid future compliance action/IRS

IN FOCUS & LOCAL MEETING:

IN FOCUS: Report: Creative economy contributes nearly $120 billion to Washington state GDP.

Commerce study outlines priorities, strategies to grow creative sector which represents nearly 20% of total state economic production

OLYMPIA, WA – The creative sector accounts for nearly 20% of Washington state’s economy, contributing nearly $120 billion annually to the state GDP, according to a report released today from the Washington State Department of Commerce. The report, produced with the assistance of the Creative Economy Strategic Work Group and lead contractor Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), provides a strategic pathway for future growth of this key industry sector.

Read the full Creative Economy Strategy online. The study was requested by the 2021-22 State Legislature

“This study confirms that Washington state is a world leader in creative sector jobs,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “Innovation is a key driver of our economy, and this sector enriches the arts and cultures of our communities as well as technological advances, from artificial intelligence and quantum computing to new methods for producing clean energy.”

Fong said the results of this study will help guide the future growth of Washington’s creative economy, noting the work group findings align with the state’s commitment to ensuring that economic growth across the state is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

In its findings, the workgroup reported that the creative sector contributes $119.2 billion to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP), which is 19.6% of Washington’s total economic production.

The study was produced by 34 creative economy stakeholders with input from more than 400 industry representatives. It shows that the creative sector employed 383,001 workers in 2021, which accounted for 9% of total employment. While the majority of the industry is located in urban centers, creative economy jobs can be found in every corner of the state.

In determining a strategy for future growth, the study identified four priorities:

Equity and access: Build a more inclusive, just, and equitable creative economy in Washington.

Infrastructure and investment: Leverage resources to build the capacity of the creative economy in support of its sustainability.

Learning and skills: Activate long-term growth of Washington’s creative economy by investing in the future workforce.

Sector and workforce development: Strengthen Washington’s creative economy by investing in its most critical resource – the creativity and talent of its people.

To support these goals, the workgroup identified 11 interrelated policy areas along with initial recommendations:

Broadband: Increase broadband access.

Housing: Develop creative housing plans and artist live/work spaces.

Taxation: Abate/reduce business taxes for small creative businesses.

Incentives: Increase funding and focus on incentives; increase utilization of historic and new market tax credits.

Licenses: Expand access to licenses; introduce social equity programs for licenses.

Zoning/Land Use: Leverage zoning in support of affordable, multi-unit housing and storefronts/creative space.

Public Development Authorities: Expand/increase the number of Public Development Authorities.

Creative Districts: Expand creative districts programs and add incentives; invest in sporting and entertainment districts; consider intersection with Opportunity Zones 4.

Workforce Boards: Activate creative firms to utilize workforce boards to address industry skill/labor force needs.

Apprenticeships/Learn and Earn: Establish state and federally-funded creative apprenticeship programs and other “learn and earn” opportunities.

Grants and Financing: Utilize Community Economic Revitalization Board grants and loans to build supportive infrastructure. Additionally, stakeholders identified a number of barriers to the development of the creative economy.

“The Creative Economy Strategic Plan is important to me, as a Native entrepreneur, because my voice was heard. The thought and detailed actions to implement a plan that is inclusive is something that the world leader in creative-sector jobs, Washington state, is paving the way for all others. This plan has outlined barriers in order to be inclusive, recognizing the imbalance of current structures and redirecting equitable funding and support,” said work group member Mary Big Bull-Lewis, co-owner of Wenatchi Wear and R Digital Design, and chair of Indigenous Roots and Reparations Foundation in Wenatchee.

Creative technology accounted for the most significant number of jobs in the state (59%), which includes careers in the information and communications field. During the study period, the creative technology sector experienced exponential growth (130%), though some growth could be attributed to the shifting needs of the pandemic. Music, theater, dance and visual arts employed 50,474 individuals (13%). Fashion; film, television and radio; and cultural institutions were the three smallest positive-growth contributors to creative economy employment.

ref. https://www.commerce.wa.gov/news/report-creative-economy-contributes-nearly-120-billion-to-washington-state-gdp/

IN FOCUS: UTC staff recommend $252,000 plus penalty to CenturyLink for lack of documentation and customer service response times.

Staff found company violated requirements for live representative response times and providing documentation

LACEY, Wash. – The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission filed a complaint against CenturyLink Communications, LLC for excessive wait times to reach a live customer service representative and not providing required documentation to the commission.

In an investigation, UTC staff found that CenturyLink violated commission rules by not connecting customers with a live representative within 60 seconds from the time the caller selected to speak to a live representative. Staff found that CenturyLink committed nine violations of this law from March 2022 through November 2022.

During the investigation, staff also found that CenturyLink failed to provide all requested documentation to the commission within 10 business days of the request. Staff found that CenturyLink committed 234 such violations from March 2023 through February 2024.

Staff are asking the commission to assess CenturyLink a penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation of requested documentation, totaling $243,000. Staff are also requesting an additional $1,000 per each violation of customer service response times, totaling $9,000. The combined total amount for all violations recommended is $252,000.

Initially, UTC staff discovered the violation after receiving several complaints from CenturyLink customers about excessive call wait times and their inability to reach a customer service representative.

The Utilities and Transportation Commission will hold a prehearing conference to establish a schedule to review the complaint at 1:30 p.m. on April 8.

CenturyLink, part of Lumen Technologies, is the largest local telephone company in Washington, serving approximately 650,000 residential and business lines.

The UTC regulates the rates and services of telecommunications companies, investor-owned electric utilities, natural gas and water companies, garbage-collection haulers, household-goods movers and passenger transportation companies, commercial ferries, pipeline companies, marine pilotage, and a low-level radioactive waste repository. The commission does not regulate the rates of broadband, cellular, cable, or internet service.

ref. https://www.utc.wa.gov/news/2024/utc-staff-recommend-252000-plus-penalty-centurylink-lack-documentation-and-customer-service-response

CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS:

Clallam County Commission work session for 3/18/24

https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03182024-1135

Clallam County Commission meeting for 3/19/24

https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03192024-1134

City of Port Angeles Council meeting for 3/19/24

https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/14521/03192024-CC-Agenda-Packet

City of Sequim Special meeting for 3/18/24

https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/14521/03192024-CC-Agenda-Packet

OMC BOARD MEETING FOR 3/20/24

https://res.cloudinary.com/dpmykpsih/image/upload/olympic-medical-site-460/media/2ebd8cbcd10c46bea4cb18cff211e5c0/agenda-march-20-2024-business-meeting.pdf

JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS

Jefferson County Commission meeting for 3/18/24

https://test.co.jefferson.wa.us/WeblinkExternal/0/edoc/5178784/031824A.pdf

City of Port Townsend meeting for 3/18/24

https://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=3554

Weekly devotional

BIBLE VERSE: Colossians 3:12 (New International Version)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Weekly Bible Lesson:   

How Is the Whole Church Organized?

The whole church or body of Christ has no government on earth. Its Head is in Heaven and all authority is in His hands (Colossians 1:18; Matthew 28:18).--TFTW

https://truthfortheworld.org/how-is-the-whole-church-organized

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

http://pachurchofchrist.com/

The Chosen: About the life of Christ

https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen

 

THIS WEEK'S VIDEOS:

The Globalist Mass Migration Agenda that Led to Laken Riley’s Murder.

On February 22, 2024, Georgia nursing student Laken Riley went for a jog and never returned. This is a murder that could have been prevented just by enforcing our immigration laws. However, Democrats and the media seem more bothered by President Biden’s use of the word “illegal” in his State of the Union address than the ILLEGAL act of murder of an innocent U.S. citizen. It wasn’t always this way. 

More than a decade ago, Barack Obama said citizenship is “not guaranteed” and immigrants “must learn English.” So, what changed? Why is there now a big push for mass migration of unvetted immigrants? Glenn reveals how it all ties back to the United Nations’ conspicuously updated list of Sustainable Development Goals. Mass migration suddenly became useful to globalists. He also calls out Cato, the Washington Post, and Jon Stewart’s heartless and bizarre defense of deadly open border consequences. Plus, Glenn’s head writer and researcher Jason Buttrill gives a sneak peek of the new Blaze Originals documentary “Texas vs. The Feds.” He saw the standoff at Eagle Pass firsthand and says the border fight between Republicans and Democrats is smoke and mirrors, and you’ll never look at the immigration crisis the same way again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWW8qH_y7jA

Sunday Worship - 3/10/2024- Four Lakes C. of C

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaxqbHeslr4

NIGHT OWL COMICS

https://pjrnightowlcomics.blogspot.com/

 

The Port Angeles Globe is a weekly Publication, every Saturday-- Publisher, Peter Ripley