Sens. Murray, Cantwell Blast Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for Harmful Actions on Civil Rights Protections, Enforcement in Schools

Editorial Note: Today's lead stories are from one of our congressional delegation for Washington DC, Sen. Patty Murray. These statements from Murray and others stem from a statement made recently by the Education Secretary from what I could find off the education webpage:
DeVos: Supreme Court Sends Clear Message that Religious Discrimination Cannot Be Tolerated
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States announced its ruling in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia vs. Comer, holding that the government may not deny a generally available benefit on account of religious identity. After the ruling, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released the following statement:
“This decision marks a great day for the Constitution and sends a clear message that religious discrimination in any form cannot be tolerated in a society that values the First Amendment. We should all celebrate the fact that programs designed to help students will no longer be discriminated against by the government based solely on religious affiliation.”
Source: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/devos-supreme-court-sends-clear-message-religious-discrimination-cannot-be-tolerated

I don't get that little remark translated into Murray's latest rant against DeVos? Protecting all children's rights of an education is one thing, but, forcing kids to learn about lifestyles that are contrary to God's natural law regarding marriage between one man, one woman, is another thing altogether.  I don't think parents want their kids to be indoctrinated in any religion, or lifestyle that goes against  God's law.  Besides, who would pin labels on kids?! This is exactly liberals want, to pin labels on people so they can scream discrimination! The point is kids should only worry about studies, not labels pinned on them by know nothing politicians, who wants only your votes, during an election.

The following is excerpts from Murray's latest rant....


(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate education committee, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined 34 Senators in a letter sent to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos citing major concerns with steps the U.S. Department of Education has taken under her leadership to diminish civil rights enforcement for students in Washington state and across the country. The Senators highlighted a number of alarming steps Secretary DeVos has taken, including hosting events with anti-LGBTQ groups, proposing to slash the budget of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and scaling back OCR’s civil rights enforcements, among others.
“Your testimony in front of Congress, your continued association with groups with records of supporting discrimination, and two memos written by the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, have reemphasized longstanding concerns about your dedication to the idea that all students, no matter their race, religion, disability, country of origin, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, have a right to receive an education free from discrimination,” wrote the Senators.
Due to the disturbing actions of the U.S. Department of Education and other agencies, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has opened a multi-agency investigation into whether the Trump Administration’s proposed budgets, staffing cuts, and policy priorities have increased the risk of discrimination.---from a press release issued June 27th
Excerpt from letter sent by Cantwell and Murray
Dear Secretary DeVos:
We are extraordinarily disappointed and alarmed by recent actions you and your staff have taken that have diminished the U.S. Department of Education’s (“the Department”) enforcement of federal civil rights laws. Your testimony in front of Congress, your continued association with groups with records of supporting discrimination, and two memos written by the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, have reemphasized longstanding concerns about your dedication to the idea that all students, no matter their race, religion, disability, country of origin, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, have a right to receive an education free from discrimination.

You claim to support civil rights and oppose discrimination, but your actions belie your assurances. During your confirmation hearing, and during recent testimony, you gave confusing and contradictory answers about the federal role in protecting students’ civil rights and whether you believe that all schools receiving federal funds should follow civil rights laws. In testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, you attempted to distance yourself from your family’s giving to organizations such as the Family Research Council, which promote intolerant views of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming Americans and others. Yet, on June 15, 2017, the Family Research Council participated in an official event on engaging fathers in students’ education at the Department.[1] You have also appointed staff who have fought against the Department’s 2011 Title IX Guidance clarifying schools’ responsibility to address campus sexual assault and against expanded protections for survivors of sexual violence on campus.[2] These actions appear to reinforce the Trump Administration’s efforts to curtail civil rights protections for students and families.
Recently your Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Candice Jackson, sent a memo to Regional Directors of the Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) scaling back and narrowing the way OCR will approach civil rights enforcement.[3] Over the past decade, OCR has maximized its impact and ability to enforce civil rights laws by taking a systematic approach, gathering multiple years of data, and looking to see whether the discrimination, harassment, or other prohibited behavior raised by a complainant was indicative of a broader problem affecting other students or school community members. The new field memo instructs field investigators only to investigate “systematic” or “class-action” issues when they are raised directly in a complaint or at the discretion of the investigative team. Limiting use of the systematic approach may cause investigators to miss issues of pervasive discrimination or civil rights abuses. ( See full letter)
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=07F7BD6E-DD92-4DED-BF13-567A2B073BA4

VIDEO: As Senate Republicans Pull Vote on Trumpcare Bill, Sen. Murray Warns: “This Fight Is Anything But Over”

(Washington, D.C.) –  Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate health committee, delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor after Republican leadership decided to delay this week’s vote on Trumpcare due to overwhelming pressure and lack of support from members of their own party.

Key excerpts from Senator Murray’s floor speech:
“I want to make something absolutely clear: this fight is anything but over. Trumpcare is not dead—not even close—and we can’t let up…we don’t know what kinds of backroom deals Senate Republican leaders will cut, or which Republicans will decide they care more about toeing the party line than protecting the patients and families in their states, here’s what we do know: the Majority Leader is not going to give up. He wants to get to yes—and so does President Trump. So the backroom deals and arm-twisting are going to go into overdrive—starting now. That’s why my message to every patient and family—every mom and dad, adult caregiver, doctor, nurse, teacher—anyone who believes Trumpcare would be devastating for their community—is don’t let up the pressure! We saw what happened in the House—we need to keep fighting—and Democrats will be fighting right along with you.”
“Their bill isn’t actually about health care—far from it. Their bill is about giving a massive gift to the wealthy and already well-connected—on the backs of children, working families, the sick and elderly. And it’s an enormous broken promise—yesterday’s CBO report made that alarmingly clear. Republican leaders promised to lower health care costs—this plan will actually raise them, especially for seniors. They promised not to pull the rug out from patients—this plan would take away coverage from 24 million people and gut Medicaid, with even deeper cuts than the House version. They said that under their bill no one—no one—would be worse off. Well tell that to a woman who would have to pay as much as $1000 dollars extra in maternity care, or will have to see her local Planned Parenthood center closed. They said their bill would protect patients with pre-existing conditions—but read the fine print—this plan is a back-door way to put those patients’ fate in the hands of insurance companies. And—this is truly shameful—Republican leaders promised they were committed to tackling our growing opioid epidemic. But with this plan, all our efforts—all the work left to be done by states—would be at risk.”
“Republican leaders can still choose to drop Trumpcare once and for all.  But I’m not taking any chances. And neither should anyone listening who joins Democrats in opposing Trumpcare. I fully expect the backroom deals to continue—and to get even worse now that Republican leaders were forced to delay this week’s vote. I just hope that Republicans who are rightly concerned about the impact Trumpcare will take a close look at the facts on the table, recognize it’s time to change course, and stand strong for their constituents. M. President, that’s what this debate should be about. Making sure the people we represent can count on the security of health care when they get sick; that they won’t have to consider foregoing treatment for a sick child because they don’t have the money; that they will be treated fairly and equally in our health care system…in this country, health care should be a right, not a privilege reserved for the few. That’s what Democrats we’ll keep fighting for—and we are not going to let up.”---from a press release issued June 27th
( See full speech)
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=EDB00A17-7E4A-48CC-A9E5-7EE5863F3278


NEWS FlASH!

Deal In Principle Reached On State Operating Budget
House and Senate budget negotiators reported to Gov. Jay Inslee this morning that they have reached an agreement in principle on the 2017-2019 biennial operating budget. The negotiators and caucus leaders said they were confident that they would complete work on the budget and have a vote of the Legislature before the end of the day Friday, the final day of the fiscal year.
That would avoid a partial shutdown of state government.
The agreement covers spending and resource levels. More details will be available after the four legislative caucuses are briefed on the agreement.---press release issued June 28, Governor Islee
http://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/deal-principle-reached-state-operating-budget


( See page 2 for more)
http://pr2345.blogspot.com/p/page-2.html

WASH AG FERGUSON ISSUES STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT’S RULING IN TRAVEL BAN CASE

Jun 26 2017--press release issued
Court rules in cases filed in Hawaii and Maryland
OLYMPIA — The U.S. Supreme Court today accepted review of cases filed in Hawaii and Maryland challenging President Trump’s revised travel ban. Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued the following statement on the court accepting the cases and its decision to partially lift injunctions blocking the executive order:
“The Trump Administration has insisted from the start that this executive order is not reviewable by the courts. As I’ve repeatedly said, this is not the law and cannot be the law. By agreeing to review these challenges, the U.S. Supreme Court signaled today that it rejects the Administration’s argument,” Ferguson said.
“The high court left in place portions of the lower court injunctions that provide important protections for individuals connected to Washington's families, schools and businesses. Although I’m deeply disappointed that the injunctions were narrowed and the travel ban will partly go into effect, the protections that remain are significant.
“My legal team and I will continue fighting to uphold the constitution and the rule of law. If any Washingtonian, employer or university in the state thinks they have a relationship to someone who is being denied access to this country, please notify my office.”
The Attorney General’s Office is evaluating what today’s ruling may mean for Washington’s case currently pending before U.S. District Court Judge James Robart. Affected Washington individuals, universities and businesses can contact the Attorney General’s Office at 1-844-323-3864.

Background
In January, Ferguson filed a lawsuit challenging the legality and constitutionality of President Trump’s original travel ban. At the same time, he sought a temporary restraining order blocking its implementation while the case proceeds. Washington argued its challenge of the Executive Order was likely to ultimately succeed and the ban was causing extraordinary harm to Washington state and its residents, so the court should block the travel ban until the case could be ultimately decided.
U.S. District Court Judge James Robart granted the nationwide temporary restraining order. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the order. In order to grant the temporary restraining order, the judges had to find that Ferguson’s lawsuit against the Administration was likely to succeed.
Contrary to some of President Trump’s recent tweets, his Administration chose not to appeal the restraining order against the original travel ban to the U.S. Supreme Court.
On June 5, the President tweeted: “The Justice Dept. should have stayed with the original Travel Ban, not the watered down, politically correct version they submitted to S.C.”
In fact, the Trump Administration dropped its appeal, and reimbursed the Washington State Attorney General’s Office for its court costs.
The Trump Administration declared its intent to rescind the first executive order and replace it with a revised travel ban.
Issued on March 6, the second travel ban made significant changes, but Ferguson and other Attorneys General believed the second ban was also unlawful and unconstitutional. Ferguson amended his lawsuit to challenge the legality of the President’s revised ban.
Judge Robart heard Washington’s challenge to the revised travel ban on March 15, but before he could rule, two judges in Maryland and Hawaii issued nationwide injunctions blocking the implementation of the ban. Judge Robart chose not to issue a ruling given that the revised travel ban was already halted.
The Trump Administration appealed those two injunctions. The Administration lost its appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which upheld the Maryland injunction, and ruled that the Executive Order “in text speaks with vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination.”
On June 12, the Administration also lost its appeal of the Hawaii injunction before the Ninth Circuit. The Administration appealed those rulings to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Source: http://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-issues-statement-supreme-court-s-ruling-travel-ban-case

WA COMMERCE DEPT: Wilcox Family Farms taps state Work Start grant to keep pace with growth

Commerce awards funding for training, technical assistance to create 20 new full-time jobs over the next three years in rural Pierce County community
OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce, in partnership with the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County and nonprofit small business manufacturing consultant Impact Washington, has awarded $75,000 from the Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund to help Wilcox Family Farms train new and current workers in lean enterprise principles and food safety.
“Growing and retaining good jobs in rural communities like Roy is critical to strengthening communities,” said Commerce Director Brian Bonlender. “Work Start is an invaluable tool that allows us to do that by meeting the workforce needs of employers while investing in the training of the employees.”
Wilcox Family Farms employs 135 people and is recognized globally for its high-quality and sustainable egg production and agricultural practices, earning several awards for innovation.
Recently, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) introduced by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strengthened regulations toward preventive controls and response planning. As a result, considerable worker and supervisor training must be integrated and adopted within food production processes.
Founded in 1909 in Roy, Wash., the family-run business has grown more than 10 percent annually in recent years, adding new lines and new employees (Wilcox is currently seeking to fill about 15 more positions). The state Work Start grant will help the company keep pace and perpetuate growth and new jobs at the Roy facility.
“As we expand our value-added product lines and add new employees to our workforce, it’s vitally important that they receive training in continuous improvement and food safety,” said Andy Wilcox, director of egg operations. “We have great employees, and the training funded by the Work Start grant makes them better while enabling us to move forward with our growth plans.”
“Wilcox Farms is one of the leaders in the food sector integrating Lean Enterprise principles into their production and administrative processes, and Impact Washington is pleased to be their partner in this journey,” noted Loren Lyon, president of Impact Washington. “This, along with their diligence in understanding and applying food safety best practices, are elements that contribute to maintaining their leadership position and facilitating growth.”
“As one of the largest employers in rural Pierce County, Wilcox Farms plays a critical role in that community’s economy by hiring residents into good jobs with good benefits,” said Bruce Kendall, president and CEO of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County. “The Work Start grant allows the 108-year-old company to remain competitive through the use of modern, organic, and sustainable farming practices.”---press release issued June 26th
source: http://www.commerce.wa.gov/news-releases/wilcox-family-farms-taps-state-work-start-grant-to-keep-pace-with-growth/




For world news and events see page 2

We need to dig for our own oil

Editorial note; This article is from the US Chamber of Commerce, I feel we need to look for our own source of energy, to run our cars, trucks, planes, and trains. Not be so depended on foreign oil which could be used to blackmail us, and involve us in conflicts we really have no business in, if it weren't of oil from the middle east.  


 US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Driving Another Decade of Energy Progress
Over the last decade, America’s energy landscape has changed dramatically. Our nation has gone from energy scarcity and heavy reliance on foreign—and sometimes hostile—sources for fuel to energy abundance and exporting American resources around the world. Ten years ago, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched the Institute for 21st Century Energy to help unify energy stakeholders and policymakers behind a strategy to make America’s supply of fuel and power more accessible, affordable, and stable while protecting national security and the environment.
The Institute has had a seat at the table for every important debate on energy policy over the past decade. It has fought against misguided regulations, run effective policy campaigns, and mobilized our members at every level. It has worked on behalf of the entire industry, moving all forms of energy forward.
Most important, the Institute has helped empower America’s private sector energy innovators. Together those innovators have driven an American energy revolution. The rise of fracking has allowed us to access hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of shale oil that was previously unreachable and has supported well over a million jobs. Other innovations have bolstered the production of renewable energies such as wind, solar, and nuclear power. Still others have changed how energy is transported and used.
The Institute has also provided support to government leaders as they have advanced major energy reforms this year. President Trump has declared the promotion of U.S. energy resources a strategic national objective, ordered a review of all energy regulations, and reversed multiple misguided Obama-era policies restricting energy development. These actions will unleash domestic production and support large-scale economic growth and job creation.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary, the Chamber has relaunched our energy institute as the Global Energy Institute. As it enters its second decade, the Institute will mobilize the Chamber’s national network of state and local partners to help advance energy in their communities. It will also strengthen our nation’s ability to export resources and energy technologies around the globe. These advances will bolster prosperity, strengthen national security, and create a cleaner and more efficient future for the world.

America’s energy renaissance has transformed our economy and our country and now it will change the world. Our nation’s natural resources must continue to be converted not only into energy but into jobs, growth, and prosperity for millions of people here and across the globe. Through the Global Energy Institute, the Chamber looks forward to shaping energy policy to create a better and brighter future. ---By, Thomas J. Donohue is president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Source: https://www.uschamber.com/above-the-fold/driving-another-decade-energy-progress


NEWS NOTEBOOK
WADFI: Individuals Fraudulently using the business name ACE Cash Express
The state of Washington Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) has received a complaint from a Washington consumer against Ace Cash Express. The consumer claimed that Ace Cash Express has been contacting him regarding the collection of a loan for $750. The consumer reported that he never took out a loan from this company, and the company purportedly has failed to provide any other information about the loan. These facts are alleged by the consumer, and the Department has not verified this information.
http://www.dfi.wa.gov/consumer/alerts/individuals-fraudulently-using-business-name-ace-cash-express



For more business and finance news see page 2
http://pr2345.blogspot.com/p/page-2.html

Commentary: Can we ignore NASA'S report on our polar caps melt?

Editorial Note: You might of heard all the caterwauling over recent scientific evidence of our south and north poles are melting due to global warming. I suspect these reports are largely used by those who want to impose a carbon tax. In essence tax you for the air you breathe! But one can't ignore that our polar caps are melting, that's based on NASA's studies. Despite any motives that others may have regarding theses reports I am sharing.

Here are some reports from NASA: 

New Light on the Future of a Key Antarctic Glacier

Study Shows Thwaites Glacier's Ice Loss May Not Progress as Quickly as Thought
The melt rate of West Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier is an important concern, because this glacier alone is currently responsible for about 1 percent of global sea level rise. A new NASA study finds that Thwaites' ice loss will continue, but not quite as rapidly as previous studies have estimated.
The new study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, finds that numerical models used in previous studies have overestimated how rapidly ocean water is able to melt the glacier from below, leading them to overestimate the glacier's total ice loss over the next 50 years by about 7 percent.
Thwaites Glacier covers an area nearly as large as the state of Washington (70,000 square miles, or 182,000 square kilometers). Satellite measurements show that its rate of ice loss has doubled since the 1990s. The glacier has the potential to add several inches to global sea levels.
The new study is led by Helene Seroussi, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. It is the first to combine two computer models, one of the Antarctic ice sheet and one of the Southern Ocean, in such a way that the models interact and evolve together throughout an experiment -- creating what scientists call a coupled model.
Previous modeling studies of the glacier used only an ice sheet model, with the effects of the ocean specified beforehand and unchanging.
Seroussi and colleagues at JPL and the University of California at Irvine (UCI) used an ocean model developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge with an ice sheet model developed at JPL and UCI. They used data from NASA's Operation Icebridge and other airborne and satellite observations, both to set up the numerical model simulations and to check how well the models reproduced observed changes.

Glaciers have beds just as rivers do, and most glacier beds slope downhill in the same direction the glacier is flowing, as a riverbed does. Thwaites Glacier's bed does the opposite: it slopes uphill in the direction of flow. The bedrock under the glacier's ocean front is higher than bedrock farther inland, which has been pushed down over the millennia by its heavy burden of ice.
Thwaites has lost so much ice that it floats where it used to be attached to bedrock. That has opened a passageway underneath the glacier where ocean water can seep in.
In this part of Antarctica, the warm, salty, deep ocean current that circles the continent comes near land, and warm water can flow onto the continental shelf. This warm seawater now seeps beneath Thwaites Glacier, melting it from below.
As the glacier continues to melt, grow thinner and float off bedrock farther and farther inland, new cavities will continue to open up. Because the bedrock slopes downhill, there's no natural barrier to stop this process. Earlier modeling studies assumed that water in the new cavities would continue to melt the glacial underside at the same rate that it's melting now.
Seroussi's coupled model found that water circulation is more restricted in these narrow spaces, and as a result, the water will melt the ice more slowly than previously thought.
Seroussi noted that critical factors affecting Thwaites, such as how nearby ocean temperatures will change, are still unknown and represented by different scenarios in different studies. However, "Our results shift the estimates for sea level rise to smaller numbers regardless of the scenario," she said.---Written by Carol Rasmussen NASA's Earth Science News Team
Source: NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/new-light-on-the-future-of-a-key-antarctic-glacier

Other stories from NASA
NASA Discovers a New Mode of Ice Loss in Greenland
A new NASA study finds that during Greenland's hottest summers on record, 2010 and 2012, the ice in Rink Glacier on the island's west coast didn't just melt faster than usual, it slid through the glacier's interior in a gigantic wave, like a warmed freezer pop sliding out of its plastic casing. The wave persisted for four months, with ice from upstream continuing to move down to replace the missing mass for at least four more months.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-discovers-a-new-mode-of-ice-loss-in-greenland

Alaska Tundra Source of Early-Winter Carbon Emissions
Warmer temperatures and thawing soils may be driving an increase in emissions of carbon dioxide from Alaskan tundra to the atmosphere, particularly during the early winter, according to a new study supported by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). More carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere will accelerate climate warming, which, in turn, could lead to the release of even more carbon dioxide from these soils.
A new paper led by Roisin Commane, an atmospheric researcher at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, finds the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from northern tundra areas between October and December each year has increased 70 percent since 1975. Commane and colleagues analyzed three years of aircraft observations from NASA’s Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) airborne mission to estimate the spatial and seasonal distribution of Alaska’s carbon dioxide emissions. They also studied NOAA’s 41-year record of carbon dioxide measured from ground towers in Barrow (the name recently changed back to Utqiagvik), Alaska. The aircraft data provided unprecedented spatial information, while the ground data provided long-term measurements not available anywhere else in the Arctic. Results of the study are published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/alaska-tundra-source-of-early-winter-carbon-emissions

Historical footnotes on who discovered both poles
South Pole: Amundsen's South Pole expedition
The first expedition to reach the geographic South Pole was led by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. He and four others arrived at the pole on 14 December 1911,  five weeks ahead of a British party led by Robert Falcon Scott as part of the Terra Nova Expedition. Amundsen and his team returned safely to their base, and later learned that Scott and his four companions had died on their return journey.
Amundsen's initial plans had focused on the Arctic and the conquest of the North Pole by means of an extended drift in an icebound ship. He obtained the use of Fridtjof Nansen's polar exploration ship Fram, and undertook extensive fundraising. Preparations for this expedition were disrupted when, in 1909, the rival American explorers Frederick Cook and Robert E. Peary each claimed to have reached the North Pole. Amundsen then changed his plan and began to prepare for a conquest of the South Pole; uncertain of the extent to which the public and his backers would support him, he kept this revised objective secret. When he set out in June 1910, he led even his crew to believe they were embarking on an Arctic drift, and revealed their true Antarctic destination only when Fram was leaving their last port of call, Madeira.---wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amundsen%27s_South_Pole_expedition

North Pole: Robert Peary
Rear Admiral Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (May 6, 1856 – February 20, 1920) was an American explorer and United States Navy officer who made several expeditions to the Arctic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for claiming to have reached the geographic North Pole with his expedition on April 6, 1909.
Peary was born in Cresson, Pennsylvania, but raised in Portland, Maine, following his father's death at a young age. He attended Bowdoin College, then joined the National Geodetic Survey as a draftsman. Peary enlisted in the navy in 1881, as a civil engineer. In 1885, he was made chief of surveying for the Nicaragua Canal (which was never built).
In 1886, Peary visited the Arctic for the first time, making an unsuccessful attempt to cross Greenland by dogsled which was thwarted by a lack of supplies. He returned in 1891 much better prepared, and by reaching Independence Fjord (in what is now known as Peary Land) conclusively proved that Greenland was an island. Peary was one of the first Arctic explorers to study Inuit survival techniques, which he used to his great benefit.
On his 1898–1902 expedition, Peary set a new "Farthest North" record by reaching Greenland's northernmost point, Cape Morris Jesup. He also reached the northernmost point of the Western Hemisphere, at the top of Canada's Ellesmere Island. Peary made two further expeditions to the Arctic, in 1905–06 and in 1908–09. During the latter, he claimed to have reached the North Pole. Peary received a number of awards from geographical societies during his lifetime, and in 1911 received the Thanks of Congress and was promoted to rear admiral. He served two terms as president of The Explorers Club, and retired to Eagle Island.---wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Peary

Frederick Cook
Frederick Albert Cook (June 10, 1865 – August 5, 1940) was an American explorer, physician, and ethnographer, noted for his claim of having reached the North Pole on April 21, 1908. This was a year before April 6, 1909, the date claimed by the American explorer Robert Peary, and the accounts were disputed for several years. His expedition did discover Meighen Island, the only discovery of an island in the American Arctic by a United States expedition.
After reviewing Cook's limited records, a commission of the University of Copenhagen ruled in December 1909 that he had not proven that he reached the pole. In 1911 Cook published a memoir of his expedition, continuing to assert their success. His 1906 account of having reached the summit of Denali has also been discredited.
Cook claimed to have achieved the first summit of Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley) in September 1906, reaching the top with one other member of his expedition. Other members of the team (e. g., Belmore Browne), whom he had left lower on the mountain, expressed private doubts about this immediately. Cook's claims were not publicly challenged until the 1909 dispute with Peary over who had first reached the North Pole. Peary's supporters then publicly alleged that Cook's claim of ascent of Denali was fraudulent.----wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Cook


UN NEWS CENTER: Record high temperatures grip much of the globe, more hot weather to come – UN agency
20 June 2017 – Extremely high May and June temperatures have broken records in parts of Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the United States, the United Nations weather agency reported today, warning of more heatwaves to come.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=57024


For more news headlines see page 2

Senator Cantwell Introduces Bill to Promote Consumer Protection, Airport Safety, and Aerospace Innovation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Aviation Operations, Safety, & Security Subcommittee, introduced the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017 with a bipartisan group of three senators. The bill seeks to reauthorize federal aviation programs through fiscal year 2021.
“From small rural airports to turbine manufacturers, aviation touches every corner of our state and country. It connects communities and businesses and employs hard-working people,” said Senator Cantwell. “We must keep investing in airport transportation infrastructure to help our economy grow, support local business, and create more jobs.”
Washington is a leader in aerospace manufacturing and aerospace jobs. With more than 132,000 workers and 1,350 aerospace-related companies, aerospace is a key economic driver for the state.  Cantwell has been a tireless defender of the aerospace industry and airline passengers in Washington state, fighting to ensure rural airports have the resources they need, passengers are treated fairly, and the state’s manufacturers can compete and win on the world stage.
Among other provisions, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017 promotes:
CONSUMER PROTECTION & AIR TRAVEL ENHANCEMENTS – Includes new consumer protections for the flying public, updates Department of Transportation (DOT) rules following high-profile airline incidents, and takes steps to help passengers needing assistance during air travel.
DRONE SAFETY & INNOVATION – Addresses safety and privacy issues, criminalizes reckless drone behavior around manned aircraft and runways, authorizes FAA drone registration authority, and boosts enforcement while creating new opportunities for testing and promoting innovative uses.
AIRLINE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS & AVIATION ACCESS – Includes new requirements on the bulk transfer of lithium batteries, improves communicable disease preparedness, and supports contract air traffic control towers, which largely serve rural communities.
GENERAL AVIATION (GA) SAFETY & PROTECTIONS – Offers GA airports more flexibility to facilitate infrastructure investment, applies the same medical certificate requirements to air balloon operators as other licensed pilots, and expands the rights of pilots in FAA enforcement proceedings.
AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION REFORMS – Improves international competitiveness of U.S. aerospace manufacturing by improving the FAA’s processes for certifying aircraft designs and modifications, as well as ensuring the benefits of such certification processes for manufacturers competing in global markets.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL & NEXTGEN – Acts on recommendations of independent government watchdogs for improving the FAA’s transition to 21st century air traffic control technologies known collectively as “NextGen” and requires the FAA to assess how each NextGen program contributes to a more safe and efficient air traffic control system and its current implementation status.
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT & STUDY – Increases authorized funding for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which pays for infrastructure like runways, by $400 million to an annual level of $3.75 billion (well within the projected trust fund surplus), and streamlines the application process for Passenger Facility Charges (PFC). Requires a study and recommendations on upgrading and restoring the nation’s airport infrastructure.
Cantwell also introduced the Safe Skies Act today. The legislation, offered by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Al Franken (D-MN), would ensure that America’s cargo plane pilots are sufficiently rested and alert before they fly.
Source: Sen. Cantwell webpage: https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-cantwell-introduces-bill-to-promote-consumer-protection-airport-safety-and-aerospace-innovation

State companies enter deals, key relationships at Paris Air Show

Nearly 300 meetings yield new contracts, propel business dealings, attract investment for state’s aerospace and commercial space industries
OLYMPIA, WA – Company executives participating in the 2017 International Paris Air Show this week as part of a “Choose Washington” trade delegation led by state Commerce Director Brian Bonlender and U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-01) report numerous successes as they close out business and head home from the huge biennial event in Le Bourget, France.
Gov. Jay Inslee would normally have led Commerce’s international trade and business development activities at the air show to highlight the importance of the global aerospace sector to Washington’s economy. Unable to attend this year due to unresolved state budget negotiations, Inslee requested that U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) stand in for him and co-lead the delegation with Commerce Director Bonlender.
“In Paris, Washington’s largest-ever delegation proved yet again that Washington state can compete and win on the biggest aerospace stage in the world,” said Congressman Larsen, the top-Ranking Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Aviation. “The resources, contracts, and connections our delegation is bringing back to Washington state will boost jobs and the economy in the Pacific Northwest. Thank you again to Governor Inslee for asking me to lead the Washington delegation, and congrats to everyone on a job well done.”
“It was an exceptional week for Washington State.  The official delegation of 18 companies, six county economic development groups, and more than 65 delegates worked tirelessly in sweltering heat up to 14 hours a day to make deals, attract investment, and grow jobs in our state,” said Chris Green, Department of Commerce assistant director for economic development and competitiveness.  “We were by far the best-represented state delegation at the biggest aerospace trade show in the world.”
Among the highlights reported out on the final day of business at the show:
One delegate established a procurement contact with Lockheed Martin on the first day of the show. They had been unsuccessful finding the right entry point over the past several months working from the United States.
Another delegate is very close to securing a $3 million deal with a major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) after speaking with several international suppliers who are involved in the project during the show.
An announcement by Germany’s Premium AEROTEC that they would be opening an office in the Seattle area accompanied the signing of a formal Memorandum of Understanding between the Washington State Department of Commerce and the State of Niedersachsen, by Commerce Director Brian Bonlender.
Commerce arranged six group procurement discussions for the delegation, including meetings with Boeing United Kingdom, Thyssenkrupp Aerospace (Germany), and Cobham UK, based in Dorset, England. Cobham, a Tier 1 supplier to all major OEMs, is known for innovative technology solutions for problems from deep space to depths of the ocean. They met with six Washington companies.  One delegate called the discussion the most “fruitful” meeting of the show.
Commerce facilitated over 250 individual meetings for delegates, in addition to the group procurement meetings.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) was the focus of 40 meetings where Commerce staff reported more interest than ever this year in commercial space platforms for future investment strategies. Washington state is home to one of the world’s top emerging commercial space sectors.
Three standing-room-only business networking events hosted in the Choose Washington stand featured VIP speakers from Blue Origin, EMC2 (technology and advanced manufacturing cluster in Nantes, France) and Microsoft France.
One delegate had a drop-in meeting with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries that opened the door for a potential work package, saving the local company from making an additional trip to Japan this summer to explore this opportunity.
 Speaking to value of the significant, state-led presence at the all-important Paris Air Show, several delegates noted the access to CEO-level decision makers with current and potential clients and buyers. Normally they would be in contact only with procurement representatives.
“This was the best Washington stand and management from Commerce at any show that Orion has joined in the past,”  Tom Brosius, general manager of Orion Aerospace, a leader in manufacturing and precision metal fabrication for aerospace, defense, automotive and marine industries worldwide, and veteran of multiple Washington state trade show delegations.
“We had the best location in the U.S. Pavilion,” said Jim Davis, director of business development, Sagetech, makers of the world’s smallest aviation surveillance equipment.
“The stand presented Washington state very well,” said Charles Woods, director of business development, Westwood Manufacturing, specialists in precision machining, sheet metal assemblies, plastic thermoforming and kitted components for UAV, aerospace, defense, space and marine industries.
About 1,400 companies comprise Washington’s renowned aerospace industry supply chain, which serves Boeing, Airbus and every other major aircraft manufacturer in the world. More than 136,000 workers support the aerospace industry in Washington which is also a growing hub for space commercialization. Visit our website for a downloadable Delegate Directory and more information.---Source: WA Commerce Dept.
http://www.commerce.wa.gov/news-releases/growing-the-economy/state-companies-enter-deals-key-relationships-paris-air-show/


NEWS BUSTERS: CBS Only Offers Seconds on Johnny Depp Talking About Assassinating Trump
On Friday, while both NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America provided full reports on left-wing actor Johnny Depp joking about assassinating President Trump, CBS This Morning could only manage 45 seconds of air time out of its two-hour broadcast to mention the latest outrageous celebrity outburst. 


 See  page 2 for more headlines, and meeting agendas for next week

Cantwell, Coast Guard Announce Improved Health Care Access for Coast Guard Families in Southwest Washington and Northern Oregon

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul F. Zukunft announced that Coast Guard families in Southwest Washington and Northern Oregon will now have greater access to health care providers.

Specifically, Coast Guard dependents of active duty members stationed at Station Cape Disappointment, the National Motor Lifeboat School, and the Sector Columbia River area will be eligible to enroll in the TRICARE Prime Remote health plan, allowing families to seek out-of-network care, which is of critical importance in remote areas where TRICARE coverage is poor. Without this designation, Coast Guard families have experienced difficulty accessing health care for their families and some had been traveling over a hundred miles – sometimes 6 hours or more round trip – to access health care.

“Coast Guard members stationed in Southwest Washington and Northern Oregon protect our people, our environment and our economy every day. I applaud the Coast Guard for working with me to make sure these Coast Guard families can receive the health care they deserve, where they live and serve,” said Senator Cantwell.

Due to the remoteness of the region, Coast Guard families’ health care access hinges on their units’ TRICARE designation, which governs where Coast Guard families may receive care. In 2015, the TRICARE designation of these Coast Guard units was changed from TRICARE Prime Remote to TRICARE Prime because the Department of Defense recognized the Sector Columbia River Medical/Dental Clinic as a Military Treatment Facility. While Military Treatment Facilities are intended to deliver medical and dental care to active duty members, families and retirees, Sector Columbia River Medical/Dental Clinic is unable to offer full services to families due to a lack of space, staff, and resources – leaving many families without access to local medical and dental care.

In 2016, Cantwell met with Coast Guard families at U.S. Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment in Ilwaco, Washington where she learned about the challenges families face when seeking health care in the region. Cantwell went to work with the Coast Guard and the Department of Defense Health Agency to fix the issue.

After pressure from Cantwell, the Department of Defense added 16 primary care providers to the TRICARE network in the Sector Columbia River region. However, families were clear that even with the additions access had not improved, and independent data revealed that many of the providers in the area were not accepting new patients, did not meet TRICARE standards for care, and were specialists rather than primary care providers. Wait times for these few providers often ranged from one to three months. For children, wait times ranged from two to seven months, which represents an unacceptable burden on Coast Guard members and their families.

Despite the Department of Defense’s efforts, Cantwell continued to pressure the Coast Guard to fully address Coast Guard families’ access to health care. In two separate hearings, Cantwell enlisted the help of Admiral Zukunft to restore access to adequate healthcare for Coast Guard families stationed in Southwest Washington and Northern Oregon.

Today’s announcement is in large part due to the continued efforts of Senator Cantwell.

"Many thanks to Senator Cantwell for her continued support of the Coast Guard and our over 1,000 Astoria area families who now enjoy better access to quality healthcare.  Her personal attention to this matter is a great example of the tremendous support Congressional members provide to keep our service members and their families Semper Paratus - Always Ready,” said Admiral Paul Zukunft, Commandant Pf the U.S. Coast Guard.

Cantwell is a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Coast Guard, and has used her position to ensure Coast Guard families receive the benefits they deserve. In June of 2016, after pressure from Cantwell, the U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, announced that the Coast Guard would expand paid maternity leave from six weeks to twelve weeks. Cantwell also secured an amendment to the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2015 to expand the Combat Related Special Compensation program to cover more Coast Guard men and women. Combat related special compensation provides post service financial benefits for service members with disabilities from injuries sustained from certain activities during active duty service.-----press release issued June 20th
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-coast-guard-announce-improved-health-care-access-for-coast-guard-families-in-southwest-washington-and-northern-oregon

( For state headline news see page 2)


Advocacy Notebook: 
Nominate those who help employ people with disabilities
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues & Employment and the Washington State Business Leadership Network are now accepting award nominations for employers and individuals who make extra efforts to recruit, hire, advance and retain employees with disabilities.
https://esd.wa.gov/newsroom/nominate-those-who-help-employ-people-with-disabilities

Kilmer Statement on Health Insurance News for Washington state

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) released the following statement after Premera announced they will file plans for Washington state’s 2018 individual health insurance market in Grays Harbor County. It was also reported that for the 2018 individual and family health insurance market the average proposed rate increase will be 22.3 percent.  

“Folks in Washington state deserve a government that is fighting for them to have access to affordable healthcare, not one that is playing politics with insurance markets,” said Kilmer. “Today folks in our region heard that coverage will still be offered in Grays Harbor County next year, which matters for those who were worried that they would lose access to care. Unfortunately, Washingtonians also discovered that rates are going to jump double digits on many health plans. This is unacceptable for someone wondering whether to pay for groceries or medication they need. Or the parents worried about whether they can simply continue taking their child to the doctor. I wasn’t in Congress when the Affordable Care Act passed but I am committed to fixing our healthcare system so affordable, quality coverage can be in reach of people in our region and our state.” ---press release issued June 19th
http://kilmer.house.gov/news/press-releases/kilmer-statement-on-health-insurance-news-for-washington-state_



Advocacy notebook: 
US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AWARDS $43.3M IN GRANTS TO PROVIDE EMPLOYER-DRIVEN TRAINING, SUPPORT REINTEGRATION OF HOMELESS VETERANS
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta today announced the award of $43.3 million in grants through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service to provide training to an estimated 21,000 homeless veterans to help them reintegrate into the American workforce. In all, the department’s 2017 award will fund 155 grants in its Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program.
https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/vets/vets20170619

HUD REPORT CALLS FOR GREATER ACTION, TO REDUCE INJURIES TO SENIORS IN THE HOME
 WASHINGTON - Approximately one-third of adults age 65 years or older fall in their home, resulting in injury, long-term disability and premature institutionalization. By 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the cost related to these kinds of injuries to be nearly $60 billion a year. In an effort to reduce and prevent falls and their associated costs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released a wide-ranging report recommending a more holistic approach to seniors aging-in-place and their health needs.
https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2017/HUDNo_17-047

For more national headline news see page 2

US DEFENSE DEPT: Dunford: Coalitions Support Local Partners in Driving Down Violence

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2017 — From West Africa to Southeast Asia, military coalitions support partners on the ground in driving down the levels of violence arising from the transnational threat so local forces can deal with their own security challenges, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford spoke before an audience at the National Press Club, discussing the broad design of the campaign being conducted today against violent extremism in the context of all the challenges that face the United States, including North Korea, China, Iran and Russia.
Dunford took questions from the audience that began with defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Defeating ISIS
"The United States is supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces in seizing the key Syrian city of Raqqa, Dunford said, noting that the SDF is about 50,000 strong, of which about 20,000 to 25,000 are Arab and the rest are Kurdish. As the U.S.-led coalition supports local efforts to seize Raqqa, another effort led by the U.S. State Department is establishing a governance body, the general said.
"That governance will leverage Arab leaders who are from Raqqa and will also work on establishing a security force made up of local personnel so stabilization efforts that will follow the seizure of Raqqa," Dunford added.
ISIS is one manifestation of the transregional violent extremism that is devastating cities across Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and many other countries, he said. What connects extremist groups from West Africa to Southeast Asia is the flow of foreign fighters, the flow of resources and the narrative or message they disseminate, Dunford said, noting that he calls these things "connective tissue between the groups."
He added, "Strategically, the idea is to be able to cut the connective tissue … by establishing a broad coalition with a good exchange of information and intelligence so we can get after the flow of money, the flow of foreign fighters and deal with the narrative."---read rest of article from DOD webpage
https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1219258/dunford-coalitions-support-local-partners-in-driving-down-violence/

Related stories: US military shoots down Iranian-made drone in southern Syria--AP
BEIRUT — The U.S. military said it shot down an Iranian-made, armed drone in southern Syria on Tuesday, marking the third time this month that that the U.S. has downed aircraft affiliated with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

Armed Russian jet comes within 5 feet of US recon jet---FOX NEWS
An armed Russian fighter jet buzzed a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft in the Baltic Sea on Monday, two U.S. officials told Fox News.

WP: U.S. risks further battles as it steps deeper into Syrian quagmire
BEIRUT — The United States is becoming more perilously drawn into Syria’s fragmented war as it fights on increasingly congested battlefields surrounding Islamic State territory.

For more world news and events see page 2

Amendments to Washington's Money Transmitter Regulations Bring Clarification for Virtual Currency Companies

Olympia – This year the Legislature passed Substitute Senate Bill 5031, amending Washington’s money transmission laws to address changes and innovations in the industry — including key provisions related to the use of virtual currency in money transmission. With the passage of this bill, Washington joins only a handful of states that have succeeded in clarifying how companies offering virtual currency wallet services and other virtual currency services will be regulated.
Virtual currency, also known as digital currency, is a medium of exchange not authorized or adopted by a government. There are many different digital currencies being used over the internet. The most commonly known virtual currency is named Bitcoin. The Washington Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) began regulating virtual currency businesses in April 2014. On Dec.8, 2014, DFI issued interim regulatory guidance setting forth the business models that triggered a license requirement under Washington’s Uniform Money Services Act (UMSA). Recently, DFI sought to amend UMSA to incorporate its interim guidance and to fix some areas of the existing law that did not accommodate the virtual currency technology.
Substitute Senate Bill 5031 (link is external) passed the legislature and was signed by Governor Jay Inslee April 17, 2017. The agency worked extensively with industry crafting this legislation, incorporating many changes requested by industry based on their experience with the technology.
“Washington is a magnet for innovation and companies offering new technology,” DFI’s Director Gloria Papiez said. “With this new law, emerging companies offering virtual currency will have much greater clarity as to what the law requires.
“We are always evaluating new innovative business models in connection with our existing regulatory structure," Papiez added. "Sometimes clarifications or updates to regulations are required as laws are applied in connection with new technology that was likely not contemplated when the law was originally enacted.”
In part, the new law provides detailed definitions as to what activities involving virtual currency are considered “money transmission” triggering a license requirement.
“In drafting the proposed legislation, we received considerable input from industry experts familiar with emerging technologies involving various uses of virtual distributed ledger systems," DFI’s Director of Consumer Services Charlie Clark noted. "This law strikes the right balance as to which activities involving virtual currency are truly money transmission, thereby requiring a license, and which activities should not be subject to our regulation.”
The bill also includes important consumer protections, including requiring a third party security audit for companies that store virtual currency on behalf of others, and requiring that companies providing virtual currency products or services provide consumer disclosures. The new law goes into effect July 23, 2017.
Recently, DFI had the opportunity to work with another type of regulated entity in the virtual currency space. In concert with the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), DFI granted authority to Gemini Trust Company, LLC, a New York virtual currency exchange company to do business in the State of Washington. Such authority was permitted through a multi-state reciprocity agreement for trust companies. The company is regulated by the NYDFS and was chartered as a limited purpose trust company by the NYDFS on Oct. 2, 2015. DFI approved the authority June 9, 2017.
“This is an example of responding innovatively within our existing Washington laws in partnership with other state regulators,” Director Papiez said, adding, “in this case New York State, using the Conference of State Bank Supervisors’ uniform application process which provides for reciprocity for trust institutions.”-----press release issued June 14th
http://www.dfi.wa.gov/news/press/virtual-currency-regulation

For more business and financial news see page 2

25 years since his death Jim Garrison's investigation on the JFK assassination still makes sense.

Editorial note: I was only three years old when the tragic events on that November 22nd  in  Dallas Texas, 1963, when a fine president was cut down.  Of course I didn't understand what was going on, but I knew a important man was killed, I could tell that by the reactions of my first foster family when they heard of the news, and spent hours watching the tv news cast of the day in the days that followed. Later years I watch the film clip of the famous Zapruder film, and saw first hand what happened, even I could tell that assassination had to have  been done by more than just a lone gunman, and I sure didn't buy the magic bullet explanation.
Let's take a look at Garrison's take on all of this, starting with background of Garrison himself, according to what was posted on wiki: "Earling Carothers Garrison was born in Denison, Iowa.  He was the first child and only son of Earling R. Garrison and Jane Anne Robinson who divorced when he was two-years old. His family moved to New Orleans in his childhood, where he was raised by his divorced mother. He served in the U.S. National Guard in World War II, then obtained a law degree from Tulane University Law School in 1949. He worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for two years and then returned to active duty with the National Guard. After fifteen months, he was relieved from duty. One Army doctor concluded he had a "severe and disabling psychoneurosis" which "interfered with his social and professional adjustment to a marked degree. He is considered totally incapacitated from the standpoint of military duty and moderately incapacitated in civilian adaptability."

Although one doctor did recommend that Garrison be discharged from service and collect 10% permanent disability, Garrison opted instead to join the National Guard where his record was reviewed by the U.S. Army Surgeon General who “found him to be physically qualified for federal recognition in the national army.
Garrison worked for New Orleans law firm Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles from 1954 to 1958, when he became an assistant district attorney. Garrison became a flamboyant, colorful, well-known figure in New Orleans, but was initially unsuccessful in his run for public office, losing a 1959 election for criminal court judge. In 1961 he ran for district attorney, winning against incumbent Richard Dowling by 6,000 votes in a five-man Democratic primary. Despite lack of major political backing, his performance in a televised debate and last minute television commercials are credited with his victory.
Once in office, Garrison cracked down on prostitution and the abuses of Bourbon Street bars and strip joints. He indicted Dowling and one of his assistants for criminal malfeasance, but the charges were dismissed for lack of evidence. Garrison did not appeal. Garrison received national attention for a series of vice raids in the French Quarter, staged sometimes on a nightly basis. Newspaper headlines in 1962 praised Garrison's efforts, "Quarter Crime Emergency Declared by Police, DA. – Garrison Back, Vows Vice Drive to Continue – 14 Arrested, 12 more nabbed in Vice Raids." Garrison's critics often point out that many of the arrests made by his office did not result in convictions, implying that he was in the habit of making arrests without evidence. However, assistant DA William Alford has said that charges would more often than not be reduced or dropped if a relative of someone charged gained Garrison’s ear. He had, said Alford, “a heart of gold.

Kennedy assassination investigation
As New Orleans D.A., Garrison began an investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in late 1966, after receiving several tips from Jack Martin that a man named David Ferrie may have been involved in the assassination.  The end result of Garrison's investigation was the arrest and trial of New Orleans businessman Clay Shaw in 1969, with Shaw being unanimously acquitted less than one hour after the case went to the jury.
Garrison was able to subpoena the Zapruder film from Life magazine. Thus, members of the American public - i.e. the jurors of the case - were shown the movie for the first time. Until the trial, the film had rarely been seen, and bootleg copies made by assassination investigators working with Garrison which led to the film's wider distribution. In 2015, Garrison's lead investigator's daughter released his copy of the film, along with a number of his personal papers from the investigation.
Garrison's key witness against Clay Shaw was Perry Russo, a 25-year-old insurance salesman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At the trial, Russo testified that he had attended a party at anti-Castro activist David Ferrie's apartment. At the party, Russo said that Lee Harvey Oswald (who Russo said was introduced to him as "Leon Oswald"), David Ferrie, and "Clem Bertrand" (who Russo identified in the courtroom as Clay Shaw) had discussed killing President Kennedy.  The conversation included plans for the "triangulation of crossfire" and alibis for the participants.
Russo’s version of events has been questioned by some historians and researchers, such as Patricia Lambert, once it became known that part of his testimony might have been induced by hypnotism, and by the drug sodium pentothal (sometimes called "truth serum").  An early version of Russo's testimony (as told in Assistant D.A. Andrew Sciambra's memo, before Russo was subjected to sodium pentothal and hypnosis) fails to mention an "assassination party" and says that Russo met Clay Shaw on two occasions, neither of which occurred at the party.  However, in his book On the Trail of the Assassins, Garrison says that Russo had already discussed the party at Ferrie's apartment before any "truth serum" was administered.  Moreover, in several public interviews, such as one shown in the video The JFK Assassination: The Jim Garrison Tapes, Russo reiterates the same account of a party at Ferrie's apartment that he gave at the trial.
Jim Garrison defended his conduct regarding witness testimony, stating:
Before we introduced the testimony of our witnesses, we made them undergo independent verifying tests, including polygraph examination, truth serum and hypnosis. We thought this would be hailed as an unprecedented step in jurisprudence; instead, the press turned around and hinted that we had drugged our witnesses or given them posthypnotic suggestions to testify falsely."----read the full article here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Garrison

Other readings: NEW ORLEANS, AND THE GARRISON INVESTIGATION
http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/garrison.htm
Papers of Jim Garrison/ national Archives
https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/finding-aids/garrison-papers.html
Oliver Stone's Portrayal of Jim Garrison
http://www.jfk-online.com/jfk100bigjim.html

Editorial Note: I believe Garrison's theory is more plausible than the Warrens Commission on the assassination. Until we know the truth and justice is finally served, we still be bumbling in the dark.
We have to start demanding answers from our government we can no longer accept the same old song and dance they have been dishing out since that fateful day in 1963. If there is any suspects still alive, they should be brought to justice, there is no statute of limitation on murder I know of.



This week's bible study see page 2

Local city council candidates responses to email inquires about their stands

Editorial Note: This publication emailed the current candidates running for City, and Port Commission offices, thus far only gotten two responses from the candidates of the 13 candidates from both the City, and Port postings
I asked what were their stands in regards from fluoridation, to what sets the apart from their opponents, the following are from the City Council race for Position 3, Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, and Artur Wojnowski.

• Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin

Port Angeles City Council Position 3 candidate
 I was born and raised in Port Angeles, graduating from Port Angeles High School in 1998. I returned back home after college, motivated by the idea that if one wants to make the world a better place, start in the place one calls home.
 I taught science for several years and during that time continued to become interested in public policy. Subsequently, I went to law school at Gonzaga, where I graduated with highest honors in 2013.
Since then, I've been privileged to work as a constitutional lawyer on issues related to the relative power of the people, our governments, and corporations. This work has given me a deep understanding of how local governments work and what they can do to protect the people's rights, health, safety, and welfare.
As a representative of the people of Port Angeles, I intend to work toward creating a city that values community dialogue and collaboration; fosters a local economy that works for everyone; and solves tough problems like affordable housing and homelessness. This work ultimately requires all of us working together. We can do this - we share this place: it's our home.

• Artur Wojnowski: Thank you, I'd be happy to give you my stance and reasoning on these topics. Bearing in mind that people can find pros and cons for any topic, people choose the facts most aligned with their opinion. Once decided, it's almost impossible to change those opinions. 

Personally, I am against fluoride. In fact, I believe the water should be as pure as possible with exception of natural vitamin/minerals and only the amount of disinfectant needed to keep drinking water safe to drink. We can all probably agree, that we don't want to go back in time to a point where we have to boil our water to make it safe to drink.
The real question is, with fluoride being easily accessible, are there community members who would not receive it without the fluoridated water?  Wouldn't it be better to assist with access to other individual fluoridated products (rinses, toothpastes, etc.) to community members in need, than to add fluoride to everyone's water supply?  We are unable to know how much community members are ingesting when its added to the water supply.
Editorial note: Answers to my question on city council as an elected body taking stands on issues.
 As a population that is supposed to be governed by majority, if we take an issue to vote, we need to honor the response of the community.  Their voice should be acknowledged with an appropriate action.
Wild Olympics - I applaud these efforts as well as other movements towards sustainability and conservation. Such efforts lead to innovation and cost reductions, among other benefits. It is my observation that the Olympic Peninsula has a great balance of preserved nature with plentiful access to it. I don't believe we need to increase this amount. Doing so will have negative consequences for our community. We cannot preserve our way out of jobs. Tourism is one way to bring people to Port Angeles, but keeping them here will require family-wage jobs..
Whaling - If the local tribes have a contracted right, it needs to be upheld. It would be like me charging someone more money even though there was an agreed upon price. The tribes have voluntarily stopped when needs arose.
City Council members need to find a balance between holding firm to a deeply-held belief and advocating on behalf of the community majority. When the community is given choices, the candidates elected into position likely hold opinions preferred by the majority of the community. This doesn't mean they agree on every point, which means City Council members need to observe and listen to what the community says.
Editorial Note: This publication gave all these candidates chances to avail themselves of getting their message heard, thus far, only these two candidates availed themselves of this opportunity.

For more local headlines and commentary see page 3

Inslee says vacuum of international leadership left by President Trump “is going to be filled by governors across the United States”

Gov. Jay Inslee yesterday joined with California Gov. Jerry Brown and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to welcome Fiji Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama in signing the international Under2 Coalition. The governor’s then accepted Bainimarama’s invitation for states to participate in COP23 where world leaders will gather this November at the U.N. Convention on Climate Change to discuss implementation of the historic Paris climate agreement in 2015.
Bainimarama, who also serves as president of COP23, extended an invitation to the newly formed United States Climate Alliance to send a delegation of states to the upcoming convention in Bonn, Germany. States and other sub-national governments are not able to formally enter into the Paris agreement. Inslee said that in the wake of President Trump’s announcement that the United States is withdrawing from the agreement, Bainimarama’s invitation is an opportunity for governors to pick up the mantle of climate leadership and demonstrate that the country will continue to do its part.
“The vacuum that has been created in international leadership by the total failure of Donald Trump to follow our tradition of international leadership is going to be filled by governors across the United States,” Inslee said. “We have 12 states and one territory in our alliance already. We intend to be a vocal messenger of hope and inspiration to the rest of the world, at Bonn.”
Inslee, Jerry Brown and Kate Brown talked about the efforts underway in each of their states to curb greenhouse gas emissions through initiatives such as renewable energy and grid modernization, electrification of transportation infrastructure, energy efficiency and policies to price or cap carbon emissions. Inslee has pursued several policies to grow Washington’s clean energy economy, curb carbon emissions, promote electric vehicles, and more.
“The Pacific Coast Collaborative and Under2 MOU are terrific examples of collaboration and reflect the shared goals of subnational jurisdictions,” Kate Brown said. “Strengthening the commitment to combat climate change with additional partners such as the recently formed governors Climate Alliance sends a very strong message to our global allies. Despite the decision by our White House to retreat, we, as Oregonians and as Americans, will move forward to fulfill the goals of the Paris agreement. The Paris agreement is a blueprint for job creation, stability and global prosperity.”---read more of the press release issued June 14th
https://medium.com/wagovernor/on-to-bonn-west-coast-states-accept-invitation-to-2017-u-n-climate-convention-in-germany-bb5b4fc74782

Related stories
Herrera Beutler and Derek Kilmer introduce ocean acidification bill
Southwest Washington Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler has started a bipartisan effort to protect the region’s shellfish industry from the effects of climate change.
The Camas Republican has co-introduced a bill with U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Tacoma-area Democrat who represents coastal areas, to encourage companies and individuals to develop ways to research and monitor ocean acidification.
http://kilmer.house.gov/news/in-the-news/herrera-beutler-and-derek-kilmer-introduce-ocean-acidification-bill

Seattle PI:  Rep. Derek Kilmer, who represents the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas, took out after Pruitt at a House Appropriations Committee hearing.


For more state news see page 2

Cantwell, Collins Introduce Bill to Kickstart American Apprenticeship

Legislation would create $5,000 tax credit, hundreds of thousands of new apprenticeships
Press release issued June 14th: https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-collins-introduce-bill-to-kickstart-american-apprenticeship
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced legislation to enhance America’s ability to train and educate its workers through registered apprenticeships and increase the competitiveness of our workers and businesses in the global marketplace. Apprenticeship programs are a tried and true model of workforce development, allowing workers to earn while they learn and companies to increase the skills of their workforce.
The Senators introduce their legislation as the White House is expected to unveil a series of announcements promoting apprenticeships. The Apprenticeship and Jobs Training Act of 2017 goes further than these actions, creating a concrete, powerful incentive for businesses and workers to embrace apprenticeship programs, accelerating the adoption of the apprenticeship model and helping businesses refocus on the benefits of training and educating their workers.
“This bill kicks American apprenticeship into high gear by establishing the first ever national incentive for apprentice programs. It will help close our skills gap, get more Americans back to work, raise wages, and allow our companies to continue to make the best products in the world,” said Senator Cantwell. “Expanding apprenticeship has bipartisan support and we hope the Administration will join us in this effort."
“Few issues are as important to the American people as the availability of good jobs in our communities,” said Senator Collins.  “Apprenticeships are a proven way to help workers secure good-paying jobs by providing them with skills that are invaluable to employers.  Our legislation would encourage businesses to pursue this successful model as well as ensure that veterans can apply their previous training to apprenticeship programs.”
American companies’ investment in job training and education has declined steadily since the mid-1990’s. U.S companies are only investing half of the amount in job training they did a decade ago. The Apprenticeship and Jobs Training Act would accelerate the expansion of the apprenticeship model in this country by providing a $5,000 tax credit for new registered apprentices hired by American companies.
The apprenticeship model is increasingly necessary today. According to a survey by the National Association of Manufacturers, 67 percent of manufacturers reported a shortage of available, qualified workers. According to the National Skills Coalition, fifty-three percent of U.S. jobs are middle skill, meaning that they require some form of postsecondary education and training beyond high school, but not a four year degree. Yet, only 43 percent of U.S. workers are trained at this level.
Apprenticeship programs benefit both the company and employee. According to a study by the Department of Labor, workers who finish apprenticeships earn an average of $240,000 more in wages over a lifetime than job seekers with similar work experience. According to the Urban Institute, more than 80 percent of U.S. companies that have registered apprenticeships say it is an effective strategy for helping them meet their demand for skilled labor, and 94 percent of employers would recommend registered apprenticeships as a strategy to other employers.
Specifically, Cantwell and Collins’ legislation would:

·         Create a $5,000 tax credit for up to three years for companies that hire and pay employees enrolled in a federal- or state-registered apprentice program. Additionally, employers participating in a multi-employer apprenticeship program, the credit rate would be $3 per hour each individual works.

·         Allow senior employees near retirement to draw from pensions early if they’re involved in mentoring or training new employees. Workers must be at least 55, and have reduced work hours to spend at least 20 percent of their time training or educating employees or students.

·         Help veterans get into skilled jobs that match their military experience sooner by allowing credit in apprenticeship requirements for previous military training.

News Notebook
Seattle PI:  Connelly: Sen. Murray gets cold shoulder after asking to see GOP health care bill
A Republican committee chairman refused point-blank Tuesday a request by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., that the Senate panel hold a hearing and take testimony on a health care plan that the GOP is writing in secret.


For more news from our congressional delegation to Washington DC, and Advocacy related news see page 2

Council Candidate Artur Wojnowski says it was old friend who hacked into his facebook page.

In an emailed statement to this newspaper after being asked by this publication for clarification of the news article in the PDN last week.

Readers, Yours truly took it upon myself to get to the bottom of a news story which was posted in the Peninsula Daily News last week entitled: Port Angeles City Council candidate says his account was hacked
 It seems to me after reading the below statement by Wojnowski paints a clearer picture, and identifies the one who hacked was an old friend, some friend huh? And the readers responses already labeled this guy as a bigot, something which Wojnowski flatly denies. This all sound like a gotcha job by the PDN on a conservative candidate for city council. The following is emailed messages to this publication on the matter, he done a good job explaining things. It also shows that the PDN went on a full scale attack without knowing all of the facts, and readers went right along with it.

email text:
Thank you Mr. Ripley for showing interest in my candidacy. Let me first reply to your second email.
I did not write those posts. I wasn't even aware of their existence until Mr. Gottlieb made me aware of them in his aggressive questioning. He called me expecting answers right away, to which I explained I couldn't provide insight, as I haven't even seen them.
I told him I would look into it and get back to him. Being very busy right now between full time employment and full time construction season I am working from 7am - 10:30pm depending on the day. After numerous rounds of phone tag, I switched to email. Mr. Gottlieb refused to communicate via email, stating "we don't do interviews via email". I emailed him a statement informing him I'm still looking into the account breach but would be happy to tell him my stance on any questions he my have, but it would have to be in email.
He didn't respond back nor give me time to look into it before writing his article. Since then we have deduced that the account breach was done by an old friend that I haven't spoken to in years.
Anyway to put that to rest, no I didn't write those posts. I am not racist, homophobic or anything in between. I don't care who you are what you believe in or what your lifestyle choice. I support your right, even if you have ill intentions, because those are our given rights. Some people would not agree and would like those rights taken away, put you down, and silence you.
But my candidacy is about choice and allowing Port Angeles a wide array of representation. Vote on what my stance is. If my opinions align with yours, then vote for me because a vote for me is a vote for you, the everyday common person. I am going on 4 years living in Port Angeles - I have no political ties, no affiliations. The only reason I am running is because of a bad experience with an employee at city hall. I thought to myself this is how a citizen is being treated and worse this is a city employee representing the city. So I decided to do something. I could make more money with my time and not subject my wife and child to these types of attacks.  Those who know me, know I am a hardworking man that does quality work at fair pricing. I bring that to the council. Artur Wojnowski Candidate for City Council, from an emailed response to this paper's inquiries, Port Angeles Globe)


Below is my statement for candidacy thank you.
I'm Artur, and I'm running for city council.
I was raised in a polish home in suburban Chicago with parents who worked hard all day long to take  make just enough to barely make it. There persistent payed off when they went into business for themselves. Their hard work ethic was ingrained in me and I continue working hard in everything that I do.
I studied architecture at local community colleges but soon after started working for the family construction business. During slow time I would work at various big box retail, hospitality, logistics and small mom-pop businesses.
Now I work as a full time maintenance manager for a home owner association where I work with a board to take care of a golf course,swimming pool, roads, building and common areas in the community consisting of 200+ homes and lots.
I am also work in my spare time as a licensed, bonded and insured general contractor. In which I perform variety of different tasks to take care of just about every need. On average I work 78hrs a week between both jobs.
After being here for 3yrs, my wife and have decided that is the area we want to raise our 6yr old son. With this decision in mind and other observations over the 3 yrs of our residency. I have decided to run for city council so that our community has more choices for representation.
With my work and employment experience and younger generations point of view. The community of port Angeles would have a better balance of representation of this diverse community of individuals to continue to grow and prosper.
I am hoping to improve efficiency, cut/reallocate wasteful spending, create an environment that brings in people, businesses/jobs and improvement to our community. We have to look to growth and prosperity increase community satisfaction.
We cannot rely on raising taxes to create revenue to maintain our city and our services. We do not want to turn into the large cities like Chicago, New York,  and most of California where there average citizen is no longer represented and forced to leave because they are price pout of the market. We want to like these cities in appeal. We have such wonders all around us.
We are a city second to none, we need to look to the past and learn from our mistakes and look to the  future
I will achieve this by first listening to our community, making a list of priority, and working with anyone who is will to help to find multiple avenues to implement and measures to deal with the unpleasant issues we have in port Angeles.
A vote for me is a vote for you. I will represent every voice equally to ensure the future of our community.----Artur Wojnowski, Candidate for City Council (emailed statement to this paper.)

EPA Honors Redmond, Washington High School Students for Outstanding Environmental Work to Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized 13 student leaders at the Tesla STEM High School in Redmond, Washington, for their outstanding work to reduce their carbon footprint at school and home. The high school students’ project is among 15 student projects from 13 states to receive the 2016 President’s Environmental Youth Award for their environmental education and stewardship achievements. EPA presented the award at a ceremony today at the Tesla STEM High School.
“Today, we are pleased to honor these impressive young leaders, who demonstrate the impact that a few individuals can make to protect our environment,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “These students are empowering their peers, educating their communities, and demonstrating the STEM skills needed for this country to thrive in the global economy.”
The student Leadership Team of Tesla STEM High School launched “Schools Under 2C,” a group dedicated to raising youth awareness about the environment. Consisting of over 100 students, Schools Under 2C have lead their school to reduce their carbon footprint by over a ton and a half each month. The students have also worked to demonstrate that reducing emissions is not only beneficial to the environment, but saves their school district money as well. The student Leadership Team has challenged other schools across the nation to do the same, and already almost 30 schools, including schools in Australia, Asia and Africa, have joined their program to take on the “Schools Under 2C” Challenge.  By leading their school to reduce their carbon footprint, they have set a precedent for the rest of the community.
“It is exciting to watch our students develop a proactive program to address solutions to climate change in our school while educating students in other schools about the need to contain the increase of global temperatures to below 2 degrees,” said Mike Town, Tesla STEM High School teacher and Schools Under 2C sponsor.
Through simple educational programs, the students have been sparking behavioral changes throughout their school. They began monitoring and reducing lighting usage within each classroom, and teachers have pledged to turn off their lights during their planning period and lunch. They have worked with their county’s Green School Program to implement a composting program. The students have also started an educational campaign to encourage students to take “greener” alternative modes of transportation to and from school. They are partnering with the City of Redmond to develop a smart phone app to encourage students to bus, carpool, bike, or walk to school. Using the app, students will be able to track how they travel to school every day and earn rewards for taking cleaner modes of transportation with a prize from a local business.
Besides challenging other schools to join their Schools Under 2C program, they have organized outreach events to raise awareness on environmental issues in the communities. They are still expanding and growing. In the future, through Schools Under 2C, the students will continue educating the next generation on solving environmental issues, one degree at a time.---press release issued June 13th
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-honors-redmond-washington-high-school-students-outstanding-environmental-work


NEWS FLASH!
Steve Scalise Among 5 Shot at Baseball Field; Suspect Is Dead
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A lone gunman opened fire on Republican members of the congressional baseball team at a practice field in a Washington suburb Wednesday, using a rifle to shower the field with bullets that struck five people, including Steve Scalise, the majority whip of the House of Representatives.---NYT
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/us/steve-scalise-congress-shot-alexandria-virginia.html



For more national news headlines see page 2

Aral Sea ‘Probably Biggest Ecological Catastrophe of Our Time’, Secretary-General Says

 Stressing Need to Act Forcefully in Preventing Tragedy from Multiplying

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ statement following his visit to the Aral Sea, in Muynak, Uzbekistan, today:
Visiting the Aral Sea and seeing what was the fourth-largest inland sea in the world almost dead has caused a tremendous shock.  This is probably the biggest ecological catastrophe of our time.  And it demonstrates that men can destroy the planet.
The Aral Sea’s progressive disappearance was not because of climate change, it was mismanagement by humankind of water resources.  But it also shows that if in relation to climate change we are not able to act forcefully to tame this phenomenon, we might see this kind of tragedy multiply around the world.
So let’s use the Aral Sea as a symbol of how humanity can destroy the planet and let’s make it a lesson for us all to be able to mobilize the whole international community to implement the Paris Agreement — Governments, businesses, civil society, cities, States — in order to make sure that tragedies like the one I have seen in Uzbekistan will not be repeated.
http://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sgsm18565.doc.htm

Related story: Catastrophe of Aral Sea shows 'men can destroy the planet,' warns UN chief Guterres
10 June 2017 – Continuing his visit to Central Asia, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today visited the Aral Sea – once the world's fourth largest inland sea, that has now shrunk to about a quarter of its original size due to human mismanagement – where he urged the world to take lesson from the catastrophe and to ensure that such tragedies are not repeated.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56949

NEWS NOTEBOOK

President Donald J. Trump Proclaims June 2017 as National Ocean Month
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
 A PROCLAMATION
National Ocean Month celebrates the mighty oceans and their extraordinary resources.  This month, we recognize the importance of harnessing the seas for our national security and prosperity.
 Thirty-four years ago, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the creation of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, making clear America's sovereign right to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage ocean resources extending 200 nautical miles from our shores.  This is the world's largest Exclusive Economic Zone, spanning more than 3.4 million square nautical miles    an area larger than the combined landmass of all 50 States.  We must recognize the importance of our offshore areas to our security and economic independence, all while protecting the marine environment for present and future generations.
 Today, our offshore areas remain underutilized and often unexplored.  We have yet to fully leverage new technologies and unleash the forces of economic innovation to more fully develop and explore our ocean economy.  In the field of energy, we have just begun to tap the potential of our oceans' oil and gas, wind, wave, and tidal resources to power the Nation.  The fisheries resources of the United States are among the most valuable in the world.  Growing global demand for seafood presents tremendous opportunities for expansion of our seafood exports, which can reduce our more than $13 billion seafood trade deficit.
See full statement: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/31/president-donald-j-trump-proclaims-june-2017-national-ocean-month

For more world news and events see page 2

U.S. and Mexico Strike Deal on Sugar to Protect U.S. Growers and Refiners, Ensure Supply to Consumers

US Dept. of Commerce press release dated June 6th
We have gotten the Mexican side to agree to nearly every request made by U.S. industry to address flaws in the current system and ensure fair treatment of American sugar growers and refiners,” said Secretary Ross.  “I am glad to say that Minister Guajardo and his colleagues have been honest and collaborative partners in seeking a fair and sustainable solution – this bodes well for our long-term relationship.”
These new agreements between the Governments United States and Mexico, as well as the Mexican sugar industry, prevent dumping of Mexican sugar and corrects for subsidies the Mexican sugar industry receives.  The agreement addresses the concerns of the U.S. sugar industry and prevents harm to other U.S. industries, including confectioners, beverage producers, and corn growers, that might have resulted if no agreement were reached.
“Unfortunately, despite all of these gains, the U.S. sugar industry has said it is unable to support the new agreement, but we remain hopeful that further progress can be made during the drafting process,” continued Secretary Ross. “We look forward to continuing discussions with them as we finalize the agreement. We remain confident that this deal defends American workers across many industries and is the best way to ensure stability and growth.”
The revised suspension agreement has five major elements:

Price – The agreement increases the price at which raw sugar must be sold at the mill in Mexico from 22.25 cents per pound to 23 cents per pound.  For refined sugar, the price at the mill must increase from 26 cents per pound to 28 cents per pound. These prices exclude packaging and transportation.  This will protect the U.S. sugar industry from harm caused by Mexico “dumping” sugar in the United States.
Raw vs. Refined Split – The new agreement also reduces the percentage of refined sugar that may be imported from 53% to 30%.  This results in a significant increase in the amount of raw sugar available to U.S. sugar refiners while ensuring that subsidized refined Mexican sugar imports do not injure U.S. refiners.
Purity/Polarity – The dividing line between refined and raw sugar was reduced from 99.5 to 99.2 purity, referred to in the industry as “polarity.”  This means that “estandar,” a very common variety of sugar from Mexico, will count against the 30% limit on refined sugar.  This will further protect against unfair competition from subsidized refined Mexican sugar imports.
Enforcement – Mexico agreed to increased enforcement measures and to accept significant penalties for violations, including a reduction in the amount of sugar allowed to be imported equal to twice the amount of any sugar found to be in violation of the modified agreements.  In addition, Commerce can increase this reduction to three times the amount if necessary to deter further wrongdoing.
Additional U.S. Needs – Mexico accepted the above significant modifications on the condition that Mexico be granted a right of first refusal to supply 100% of any “additional need” for sugar identified by USDA after April 1 of each year.  Additional need is defined as demand for sugar in excess of the demand USDA had predicted for that crop year.  USDA will specify whether the additional need sugar is raw or refined without regard to the 70/30 split.  The dividing line between raw and refined additional need sugar is 99.5 polarity, but raw sugar must be shipped in bulk in an ocean-going vessel, increasing the likelihood it will enter a U.S. refinery for further processing.  Importantly, when the Export Limit is increased pursuant to a request by USDA prior to April 1, such sugar shall be subject to the pre-April 1 70/30 split and the 99.2 polarity divide, an added protection for U.S. domestic refiners. Further, USDA retains the flexibility to specify the polarity of post-April 1 additional needs sugar specifically needed to rectify certain extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances that seriously threaten the economic viability of the U.S. sugar refining industry.
press release: https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2017/06/us-and-mexico-strike-deal-sugar-protect-us-growers-and-refiners-ensure



News notebook
WA DFI: NASAA Cybersecurity Roundtable June 23
Cyberattacks have become one of the greatest threats globally to our financial sector. Cybersecurity is an issue for firms of all sizes, and a growing issue for securities regulators at all levels.
NASAA is hosting a free, one-day roundtable to bring together leading experts to discuss critical cybersecurity issues for securities regulators and regulated entities.
The roundtable will take place in Washington DC, but will also be available via webcast.
To learn more, visit http://www.nasaa.org/about-us/events/cybersecurity-roundtable/
Press release from WA DFI: http://www.dfi.wa.gov/industrynews/nasaa-cybersecurity-roundtable-june-23


For more business and finance news see page 2

WDFW: State shellfish managers set Puget Sound crab seasons

press release issued June 9th
http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jun0917a/
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced summer crab-fishing seasons for areas of Puget Sound, starting June 16 with an opening in three marine areas.
Sport crab fishing gets underway Friday, June 16, in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay – East of the Tatoosh-Bonilla line), 5 (Sekiu) and 11 (Tacoma/Vashon Island), while Hood Canal opens June 24. Most other areas of the Sound will open for recreational crab fishing July 1, although two areas around the San Juan Islands open later in the summer to protect molting crab.
Seasons for the upcoming fishery are posted on WDFW's crab fishing website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/. The website includes details on fishing regulations, as well as an educational video on crabbing.
Bob Sizemore, shellfish policy lead for WDFW, said recent test fisheries indicate that Dungeness crab remain abundant throughout most of Puget Sound.
"We are monitoring crab abundance and structuring fisheries in each region to maintain healthy populations," Sizemore said. "Crabbing should be good from opening day all the way through the end of the summer season, although much of the catch south of Seattle this year will be red rock crab."
The daily limit throughout Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. Fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across.
In all areas of Puget Sound, recreational crabbing is scheduled Thursdays through Mondays each week (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays) during the following periods:
Marine areas 4 (Neah Bay east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu) and 11 (Tacoma/Vashon): Open June 16 through Sept. 4.
Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) and the portion of Marine Area 9 in Hood Canal south of a line from Olele Point to Foulweather Bluff:  Open June 24 through Sept. 4.
Marine areas 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait), 8-1 (Deception Pass), 8-2 (Port Susan/Everett), the remainder of 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 13 (south Puget Sound):  Open July 1 through Sept. 4.
Marine Area 7 South (San Juan Islands/Bellingham): Open July 15 through Sept. 30.
Marine Area 7 North (Gulf of Georgia): Open Aug. 17 through Sept. 30.
Crab fishers may not set or pull shellfish gear from a vessel from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise. All shellfish gear must be removed from the water on closed days.
Sizemore reminds Puget Sound crabbers that they are required to record their harvest of Dungeness crab on their catch record cards immediately after retaining crab. Separate catch record cards are issued for the summer and winter seasons.
Catch record cards are not required to fish for Dungeness crab in the Columbia River or on the Washington coast.

This weeks bible lesson see page 2