Overdose reversal kits are available for free through the statewide mail-order naloxone program
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that the first of more than 54,000 naloxone overdose reversal kits started arriving in Washington this week. The kits will be available for free to Washingtonians as a result of a December 2022 resolution in Ferguson’s lawsuit against Teva Pharmaceuticals for its role in fueling the opioid epidemic.
As part of the $90.7 million resolution, Teva is sending the 54,120 kits to Washington in quarterly shipments over the next two years. Each kit contains two small nasal spray devices that rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. The first shipment of 6,765 kits arrived on Monday.
The Department of Health will distribute the kits through the statewide mail-order naloxone program, which allows individuals to order a free kit with no shipping costs. The program, managed by the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance, helps make naloxone available in rural and remote regions of the state, where access to naloxone is limited, or for individuals who have privacy concerns about to access naloxone in their community. More information about the free mail-order program is available here.
“These kits will save lives,” Ferguson said. “Our lawsuits against opioids manufacturers are providing resources to combat the fentanyl and opioid crisis to every part of the state. These kits will make immediate impacts in that fight.”
Washingtonians do not need formal training to carry or administer naloxone. The health department has online written and video instructions about how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose, including how to administer naloxone, here.
Beyond the mail-order program, the health department uses funds recovered from the Attorney General’s opioids litigation to increase and support its broader Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution Program, including:
Providing assistance and training to approximately 600 community organizations across the state on overdose education and how to distribute naloxone in their communities.
Providing naloxone to groups that work with individuals at highest risk of witnessing or experiencing opioid overdose — like syringe service programs, jail release programs, street outreach programs, first-responders, public libraries, schools and some housing programs.
$1.29 billion and counting
The Washington Attorney General’s Office’s total recoveries directed to funding programs that will combat the opioid and fentanyl epidemic is now more than $1.29 billion, with multiple ongoing and active cases against other drug companies still pending. Ferguson directed approximately half of these resources to local governments in Washington and the other half to the Legislature. Ferguson insisted on terms in the court orders that require all of these resources to be used to combat the fentanyl and opioid crisis in Washington.
Washingtonians can use this chart to see what their local government will receive from the $1.29 billion as a result of the Attorney General’s litigation to combat the opioid epidemic.
Opioid lawsuits resources fund other state agency programs
This year the Legislature appropriated to state agencies more than $52.3 million recovered from previous resolutions with opioid companies to fund programs that will combat the opioid epidemic. The appropriations overall included significant investments to increase access to opioid medication, assist tribal governments, support first responders and educate youth.
This brings the Legislature’s total appropriations from Ferguson’s opioid lawsuits to more than $110 million since 2023.
Highlights from this year’s spending include:
$4,458,000 is provided to the Department of Corrections for health care services, with $2,700,000 specifically for approved long-term injectable medication for treatment of opioid use disorder of incarcerated individuals.
$2,000,000 is provided to the Health Care Authority for a tribal opioid prevention campaign.
$400,000 is provided to increase support for EMS and fire department opioid overdose prevention efforts.
$3,000,000 is provided to establish three additional health engagement hub pilot program sites, and $1,500,000 is provided to establish high-intensity community-based teams serving people with opioid use disorder.
Other resolutions
Successful outcomes include:
$518 million from distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen.
$183 million from manufacturer Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family bankruptcy.
$149.5 million from Johnson & Johnson.
$120.3 million from Walgreens.
$110.6 million from CVS.
$62.6 million from Walmart.
$50 million from Allergan.
$47.5 million from Kroger.
$13.5 million from McKinsey, a consulting firm that advised Purdue Pharma.
$7.9 million from Publicis Health.
$7.7 million from the Mallinckrodt bankruptcy.
Ferguson has rejected national settlements with five corporations, netting Washington more than $180 million more for resources that will improve treatment options, funds for first responders and provide other proven strategies to address the epidemic.
In 2022, Ferguson reached a resolution, pending bankruptcy court approval, requiring Purdue Pharma to pay $183 million to Washington — $113 million more than the national deal. Also in 2022, Ferguson’s case against the three largest opioid distributors — McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. — led to a $518 million resolution. That was $46 million more for funding to combat the opioid epidemic than the national settlement promised. Ferguson's recent settlement with Johnson & Johnson was $24 million more for opioid abatement funding than the national settlement offer he rejected.
IN OTHER STATE NEWS HEADLINES:
Report: Lack of affordable housing options reaches critical levels in communities throughout Washington state/WA COMMERCE DEPT.
From forklifts to catch basins, protecting water quality at industrial sites
Proposed updates will improve monitoring, and better define who needs this permit./DOE
Getting clean drinking water to the Lower Yakima Valley
Groundwater Management Area project update/DOE
DFI Director Charlie Clark Elected Chair of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) Board of Directors/DFI
Wenas Wildlife Area summer target shooting rules go into effect May 15.
YAKIMA — Annual summer target shooting rules go into effect this week on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)-managed Wenas Wildlife Area, located between Selah and Ellensburg. Target shooting hours are restricted every year at this time in an effort to reduce the risk of wildfire./wdfw
2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
KILMER INTRODUCES BILL TO ENSURE FAIR ADOPTION TAX CREDITS FOR TRIBAL FAMILIES
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Gwen Moore (WI-04), and John Moolenaar (MI-02) introduced the Tribal Adoption Parity Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at establishing parity between state and Tribal governments in determining whether an adoption qualifies as “special needs” and is thus eligible for the full adoption tax credit. U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (MN) and John Hoeven (ND) previously introduced companion legislation in the Senate./ from a press release issue 5/15/24
KILMER LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE RURAL AIRPORT RESILIENCY PASSES HOUSE, NOW HEADS TO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S DESK
FAA REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION INCLUDES REP. KILMER’S RESILIENT AIRPORTS ACT/ from a press release issued 5/15/24
Housing Programs Across WA Secure $96M in HUD Funds to Build Affordable Homes, Operate Emergency Shelters, & Preserve Very Low-Cost Housing
Sen. Cantwell supported increased funding for Community Development Block Grants, HOME and Housing Trust Fund in budget Congress passed in March/ from a press release issued 5/13/24
Cantwell, Murray Announce $15 Million for Cle Elum Ridge Landscape Project
Funding will protect 100+ local jobs and vital habitat for steelhead and bull trout Sens. Cantwell and Murray sent letters to U.S. Forest Service Chief in support of project/ from a press release issued 5/15/24
After Nearly 14,000 WA Taxpayers File Federal Taxes Using Direct File Pilot, Murray Joins Over 130 Lawmakers in Touting Successes of Program, Urging Biden Administration to Expand Direct File and Make Permanent/from a press release issued 5/16/24
Senator Murray: Our Investments in the Department of Commerce Essential to Our Competitiveness and Country’s Future/ From a press release issued 5/16/24
3) WORLD< NATION< BUSINESS
WORLD:
Creative Sci-fAI Challenge Invites Youth to Explore Possible Futures of AI Integration in Military Domain
Call for Submissions Now Open
NEW YORK, 17 May (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs is launching the Sci-fAI Futures Youth Challenge, calling on young people to share their vision of a fictional world in 2145 where countries around the world have integrated artificial intelligence (AI) into their militaries, exploring scenarios of both benefits and risks./UN PRESS RELEASE
Time to Turn Pages on ‘Darker Images of Iraq’s Past’, Special Representative Tells Security Council amid Calls to Draw Down UN Assistance Mission in Country
Amid calls from Security Council members today to draw down the United Nations mission in Iraq, the senior United Nations official in that country briefed the 15-member organ on both progress and ongoing challenges at many State levels, while emphasizing it is time to “turn the page on the darker images of Iraq’s past”./UN PRESS RELEASE
Citing Rise in Death Rate, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Multi-stakeholder Hearing Leadership Crucial to Find Solutions for Antimicrobial Resistance/UN PRESS RELEASE
Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a UN Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting on Hostage-Taking/USUN
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at a Joint Press Availability/US STATE DEPT.
NATION:
Pentagon Official: Partnerships Key to Bolstering Defense Industry, Meeting Warfighting Needs/DOD
Departments of Homeland Security and Justice to Announce “Recent Arrivals” Docket Process for More Efficient Immigration Hearings/DOJ
Biden-Harris Administration Allows Borrowers More Time to Consolidate Loans to Get Credit for Progress Toward Loan Forgiveness Programs/Dept. of Education
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $1.1 Billion for Tribal Housing and Community Development
Funding will address housing challenges in Tribal communities, marking an historic increase in federal support.
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman welcomed the Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee at HUD Headquarters where she announced awarding a record $1.1 billion in funding for the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program and a $75 million funding opportunity for the Indian Community Development Block (ICDBG) program to support housing and community development projects./HUD
CDC Releases Guidance for Preventing Spread of Infections in Schools to Keep Children Healthy and Learning/CDC
BUSINESS:
Two Foreign Nationals Arrested for Laundering At Least $73M Through Shell Companies Tied to Cryptocurrency Investment Scams/DOJ
USDA Highlights Opportunities to Advance Equity in Agricultural Communities at Third Regional Equity Convening/USDA
Chamber Summit Champions Pro-Growth Tax Policy Ahead of 2025 Fiscal Cliff
The 2024 Tax Policy Summit convened current and former members of Congress and industry professionals to kick off the Chamber's major education and advocacy effort in support of pro-growth tax policies./US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Innovation and the Evolving Financial Landscape
Governor Michelle W. Bowman
At The Digital Chamber DC Blockchain Summit 2024, Washington, D.C./THE FED
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES $12M IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING AVAILABLE TO IMPROVE JOB QUALITY, EXPAND ACCESS TO GOOD JOBS IN CRITICAL INDUSTRIES/DEPT. of Labor
4) IN FOCUS & LOCAL MEETINGS
IN FOCUS: KILMER INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO PROTECT ELECTIONS FROM DECEPTIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN POLITICAL ADS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Tony Gonzales (TX-23) introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to safeguard the integrity of federal elections. This pioneering legislation aims to combat the rise of deceptive AI-generated content in political campaign advertising. U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (MN), Josh Hawley (MO), Susan Collins (ME), and Chris Coons (DE) previously introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
“Artificial intelligence holds immense potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives, from health care to national security to everyday life,” said Rep. Kilmer. “But when it comes to our democratic processes, the intentional use of AI to create and spread deceptive content threatens the very fabric of our electoral integrity. The bipartisan Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act is a crucial step toward ensuring that AI is harnessed for positive change – not to undermine the trust of the American people in their elections.”
“With the rise of deepfake AI technology in recent years, we need to do much more to combat fraud in our electoral process,” said Rep. Gonzales. “I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort to fight back against politically motivated attacks that use AI to spread misinformation and lie to the American people.”
This bill seeks to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to expressly prohibit the distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated audio, images, or videos that pertain to federal candidates within political advertisements or certain issue ads aimed at influencing federal elections or fundraising efforts. Under the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, federal candidates who are affected by such deceptive content would be able to initiate actions to have the content removed and would be entitled to pursue damages in federal court.
The prohibition would apply broadly to any individual, political committee, or entity that distributes content with the intent to fraudulently influence an election outcome or raise funds. Importantly, the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act includes exceptions to uphold First Amendment rights, allowing for parody and satire. Additionally, there is an exception for the use of AI-generated content in news broadcasts when clearly identified as such.
CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS
Clallam County Commission work session for 5/20/24
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05202024-1190
Clallam County Commission meeting for 5/21/24
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05212024-1191
Clallam County Board of Health meeting for 5/21/24
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05212024-1192
City of Port Angeles Council meeting for 5/21/24
https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/14855/05212024-CC-Agenda-Packet
JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS
Port of Port Townsend commission meeting for 5/22/24
https://portofpt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-05-22-Comm.Mtg-Agenda.pdf
City of Port Townsend meeting for 5/20/24
https://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=3558
Weekly devotional
BIBLE VERSE: Hebrews 6:10 (New International Version)
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
Weekly Bible Lesson:
Jesus Is God
“God” is a name which correctly applies only to the three Persons of the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16,17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). All three of these Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are called “God” in the Scriptures (John 1:1; 3:16; Acts 5:3-4). Each one of them possesses all of the attributes of Deity. Many claim that Jesus is not God, and that the Bible does not teach that He is God. However, the Bible clearly teaches Jesus is one of the three Persons of the Godhead.--TFTW
https://truthfortheworld.org/jesus-is-god
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:
Real or FAKE?! Solving Glenn’s Sputnik Satellite Mystery
Tired of hearing about the 2024 presidential election, Sleepy Joe Biden’s latest gaffe, or the devastating Israel/Gaza war? Glenn is too, which is why "Glenn TV" is taking a break this week from the tumultuous news cycle and bringing you something different: a pilot episode of "The Beck Story," a history TV series that will attempt to answer some of the most burning questions and mysteries surrounding the artifacts in Glenn's museum. This episode is all about the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States, and specifically it is about the one item that began it all: the Sputnik satellite.
Tension between the U.S. and Russia isn’t new. Decades ago, when the Soviet Union launched the first-ever satellite into space, Americans eerily felt that Russians were watching them constantly. Sputnik also may be the reason for America’s urgency to land on the moon in the 1960s and why JFK uttered those famous words: "We choose to go to the moon." It’s an item with countless historical ramifications, which is why Glenn purchased one of the Sputnik test models in late 2023 for this museum … or did he?! When his research team informed him that he MAY have bought a fake item, Glenn decided to take YOU along for the ride to discover the truth. Is the Sputnik model in his museum collection fraudulent? And if it is a true test model, then how the heck did a prized possession from the Soviet Union end up in Texas, USA?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMhC8OrdJ1c
Sunday Worship 05/12/2024--FOUR LAKES C. of C
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ARpXRleWrw
NIGHT OWL COMICS
https://pjrnightowlcomics.blogspot.com/
The Port Angeles Globe is a weekly Publication, every Saturday-- Publisher, Peter Ripley
