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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 3 years

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 17, 2021 Heather Cox Richardson I’m wiped out from grading, but I wanted to note that on this day in 1954, the Supreme Court handed down the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, decision, declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. A unanimous court decided that segregation denied Black children the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 in the wake of the Civil War. Brown v. Board was a turning point in establishing the principle of racial equality in modern America.

Since the 1860s, we have recognized that equality depends upon ensuring that all Americans have a right to protect their own interests by having a say in their government.

Today, that principle is under attack.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson urged Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act to “help rid the Nation of racial discrimination in every aspect of the electoral process and thereby insure the right of all to vote.” And yet, in 2013, the Supreme Court gutted that law, and in the wake of the 2020 election in which voters gave Democrats control of the government, Republican-dominated states across the country are passing voter suppression laws.

Today, Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) begged their colleagues to reinstate the Voting Rights Act. In 2006 a routine reauthorization of the law got through the Senate with a vote of 98-0; now it is not clear it can get even the ten Republican votes it will need to get through the Senate, so long as the filibuster remains intact.

But here’s the thing: Once you give up the principle of equality before the law, you have given up the whole game. You have admitted the principle that people are unequal, and that some people are better than others. Once you have replaced the principle of equality with the idea that humans are unequal, you have granted your approval to the idea of rulers and servants. At that point, all you can do is to hope that no one in power decides that you belong in one of the lesser groups.

In 1858, Abraham Lincoln, then a candidate for the Senate, warned that arguments limiting American equality to white men and excluding black Americans were the same arguments “that kings have made for enslaving the people in all ages of the world…. Turn in whatever way you will—whether it come from the mouth of a King, an excuse for enslaving the people of his country, or from the mouth of men of one race as a reason for enslaving the men of another race, it is all the same old serpent.” Either people—men, in his day—were equal, or they were not.

Lincoln went on, “I should like to know if taking this old Declaration of Independence, which declares that all men are equal upon principle and making exceptions to it… where will it stop?”

——

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

* * * *

“Emu’s problem can be seen in the mathematical greater-than/less-than interpretation of the symbol. Emu is a troublemaker who brings into being the most destructive idea in existence: I am greater than you; you are less than me. This is the source of all human misery. Aboriginal society was designed over thousands of years to deal with this problem. Some people are just idiots—and everybody has a bit of idiot in them from time to time, coming from some deep place inside that whispers, “You are special. You are greater than other people and things. You are more important than everything and everyone. All things and all people exist to serve you.” This behavior needs massive checks and balances to contain the damage it can do.”

“The combination of social fragmentation and lightning-fast communication today, however, means we have to deal with these crazy people alone, as individuals butting heads with narcissists in a lawless void, and they are thriving unchecked in this environment. Engaging with them alone is futile—never wrestle a pig, as the old saying goes; you both end up covered in shit, and the pig likes it. The fundamental rules of human interaction do not apply to them, although they weaponize those rules against everyone else. The basic protocols of Aboriginal society, like most societies, include respecting and hearing all points of view in a yarn. Narcissists demand this right, then refuse to allow other points of view on the grounds that any other opinion somehow infringes their freedom of speech or is offensive. They destroy the basic social contract of reciprocity (which allows people to build a reputation of generosity based on sharing to ensure ongoing connectedness and support), shattering this framework of harmony with a few words of nasty gossip. They apply double standards and break down systems of give-and-take until every member of a social group becomes isolated, lost in a Darwinian struggle for power and dwindling resources that destroys everything. Then they move on to another place, another group. Feel free to extrapolate this pattern globally and historically. We have stories for this behavior, memorial stones scattered along songlines throughout the landscape, victims and transgressors transformed into rock following epic struggles, standing for all time as cautionary tales. Clancy McKellar took me to a site where three brothers who had kidnapped women were punished and turned to stone. All over that place in Tibooburra the red rocks are people turned to stone for breaking the Law or messing around too much with weather-modification rituals. There is Law and knowledge of Law in stones. All Law-breaking comes from that first evil thought, that original sin of placing yourself above the land or above other people.”

Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World

by Tyson Yunkaporta

#Heather Cox Richardson #Letters From An American #voting rights #equal rights #law #Tyson Yunkaporta #Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save The World

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rjzimmerman · 4 years

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Lots of climate, environmental and energy-related stuff in the coronavirus relief bill and omnibus budget bill

The stuff in this post is extracted from a story published in Vox written by David Roberts. He informs us about provisions of the coronavirus relief bill and the related budget bill that pertain to climate, the environment and energy. In the long and short run, these provisions are important as we shift from a fossil fuel economy to a renewables-based (or greener than fossil fuel) economy. Call it a “good start.” The bits in the bills:

The legislation includes a bill that would sign the US on to the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which would reduce the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 85% over 15 years. HFCs (used in air-conditioning, refrigerants, aerosols, etc.) are potent greenhouse gases, so full international implementation of the amendment is projected to avoid 0.5°C worth of warming all on its own.

The short-term extension of several key clean-energy tax credits that were scheduled to expire this year. They have long been important to the growth of the industry. The investment tax credit (ITC, mostly used by solar) was bumped up two years; the production tax credit (PTC, mostly used by wind) got a year; randomly, offshore wind got a five-year bump; and lamentably, the electric vehicle (EV) credit was not extended at all.

Tax credits for carbon capture (45Q) were also extended, which Rhodium estimates will be the second largest emission-reducing provision in the bill.

The bill invests lots of new money ($35.2 billion) into research, development, demonstration, and commercial application for renewables ($4.1 billion), weatherization assistance (which will benefit lower income households - $1.7 billion), sustainable transport ($2.6 billion), carbon capture, utilization and storage ($6.2 billion), energy storage (i.e., batteries and stuff - $1.1 billion), smart grid ($2.4 billion), advanced nuclear energy ($6.6 billion), nuclear fusion ($4.7 billion) and advanced energy technology ($2.9 billion).

The bill also reauthorizes the EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), a grant program that helps reduce diesel engine emissions, which disproportionately affect minority and low-income communities.

The bill extends the fossil fuel taxes that pay for black lung and oil spill liability trust funds.

Establishing an Office of Technology Transitions in Department of Energy (DOE) and authorizing DOE to support regional clean-energy labs and incubators.

There’s also a focus on funding demonstration and commercialization programs and technology transfer programs to accelerate innovation.

Here’s a somewhat geeky one: the Title XVII loan program, first authorized in 2005 and expanded in 2009, is meant to support deployment of large projects that reduce carbon emissions. The Trump administration has refused to loan out the money, so it has built up at DOE. This legislation would release about $24 billion for loans — $10.9 billion for advanced nuclear energy, $8.5 billion for advanced fossil energy, and $4.6 billion for renewables.

The bill will fund improvements in hydroelectric facilities.

The bill promotes renewable energy development on public land.

There’s stuff on smart buildings, advanced geothermal, microgrids, and decarbonizing heavy industry.

#coronavirus relief bill #budget bill

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berniesrevolution · 5 years

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Climate change is a global emergency.

The Amazon rainforest is burning, Greenland’s ice shelf is melting, and the Arctic is on fire. People across the country and the world are already experiencing the deadly consequences of our climate crisis, as extreme weather events like heat waves, wildfires, droughts, floods, and hurricanes upend entire communities, ecosystems, economies, and ways of life, as well as endanger millions of lives. Communities of color, working class people, and the global poor have borne and will bear this burden disproportionately.

The scientific community is telling us in no uncertain terms that we have less than 11 years left to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy, if we are going to leave this planet healthy and habitable for ourselves, our children, grandchildren, and future generations. As rising temperatures and extreme weather create health emergencies, drive land loss and displacement, destroy jobs, and threaten livelihoods, we must guarantee health care, housing, and a good-paying job to every American, especially to those who have been historically excluded from economic prosperity.

The scope of the challenge ahead of us shares similarities with the crisis faced by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1940s. Battling a world war on two fronts—both in the East and the West—the United States came together, and within three short years restructured the entire economy in order to win the war and defeat fascism. As president, Bernie Sanders will boldly embrace the moral imperative of addressing the climate crisis and act immediately to mobilize millions of people across the country in support of the Green New Deal. From the Oval Office to the streets, Bernie will generate the political will necessary for a wholesale transformation of our society, with support for frontline and vulnerable communities and massive investments in sustainable energy, energy efficiency, and a transformation of our transportation system.

We need a president who has the courage, the vision, and the record to face down the greed of fossil fuel executives and the billionaire class who stand in the way of climate action. We need a president who welcomes their hatred. Bernie will lead our country to enact the Green New Deal and bring the world together to defeat the existential threat of climate change.

As President, Bernie Sanders Will Avert Climate Catastrophe and Create 20 Million Jobs

As president, Bernie Sanders will launch the decade of the Green New Deal, a ten-year, nationwide mobilization centered around justice and equity during which climate change will be factored into virtually every area of policy, from immigration to trade to foreign policy and beyond. This plan outlines some of the most significant goals we have set and steps we will take during this mobilization, including:

Reaching 100 percent renewable energy for electricity and transportation by no later than 2030 and complete decarbonization by 2050 at latest – consistent with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change goals – by expanding the existing federal Power Marketing Administrations to build new solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources.

Ending unemployment by creating 20 million jobs needed to solve the climate crisis. These jobs will be good paying, union jobs with strong benefits and safety standards in steel and auto manufacturing, construction, energy efficiency retrofitting, coding and server farms, and renewable power plants. We will also create millions of jobs in sustainable agriculture, engineering, a reimagined and expanded Civilian Conservation Corp, and preserving our public lands.

Directly invest an historic $16.3 trillion public investment toward these efforts, in line with the mobilization of resources made during the New Deal and WWII, but with an explicit choice to include black, indigenous and other minority communities who were systematically excluded in the past.

A just transition for workers. This plan will prioritize the fossil fuel workers who have powered our economy for more than a century and who have too often been neglected by corporations and politicians. We will guarantee five years of a worker’s current salary, housing assistance, job training, health care, pension support, and priority job placement for any displaced worker, as well as early retirement support for those who choose it or can no longer work.

Declaring climate change a national emergency. We must take action to ensure a habitable planet for ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. We will do whatever it takes to defeat the threat of climate change.

Saving American families money by weatherizing homes and lowering energy bills, building affordable and high-quality, modern public transportation, providing grants and trade-in programs for families and small businesses to purchase high-efficiency electric vehicles, and rebuilding our inefficient and crumbling infrastructure, including deploying universal, affordable high-speed internet.

Supporting small family farms by investing in ecologically regenerative and sustainable agriculture. This plan will transform our agricultural system to fight climate change, provide sustainable, local foods, and break the corporate stranglehold on farmers and ranchers.

Justice for frontline communities – especially under-resourced groups, communities of color, Native Americans, people with disabilities, children and the elderly – to recover from, and prepare for, the climate impacts, including through a $40 billion Climate Justice Resiliency Fund. And providing those frontline and fenceline communities a just transition including real jobs, resilient infrastructure, economic development.

Commit to reducing emissions throughout the world, including providing $200 billion to the Green Climate Fund, rejoining the Paris Agreement, and reasserting the United States’ leadership in the global fight against climate change.

Meeting and exceeding our fair share of global emissions reductions. The United States has for over a century spewed carbon pollution emissions into the atmosphere in order to gain economic standing in the world. Therefore, we have an outsized obligation to help less industrialized nations meet their targets while improving quality of life. We will reduce domestic emissions by at least 71 percent by 2030 and reduce emissions among less industrialized nations by 36 percent by 2030 — the total equivalent of reducing our domestic emissions by 161 percent.

Making massive investments in research and development. We will invest in public research to drastically reduce the cost of energy storage, electric vehicles, and make our plastic more sustainable through advanced chemistry.

Expanding the climate justice movement. We will do this by coming together in a truly inclusive movement that prioritizes young people, workers, indigenous peoples, communities of color, and other historically marginalized groups to take on the fossil fuel industry and other polluters to push this over the finish line and lead the globe in solving the climate crisis.

Investing in conservation and public lands to heal our soils, forests, and prairie lands. We will reauthorize and expand the Civilian Conservation Corps and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Corps to provide good paying jobs building green infrastructure.

This plan will pay for itself over 15 years. Experts have scored the plan and its economic effects. We will pay for the massive investment we need to reverse the climate crisis by:

Making the fossil fuel industry pay for their pollution, through litigation, fees, and taxes, and eliminating federal fossil fuel subsidies.

Generating revenue from the wholesale of energy produced by the regional Power Marketing Authorities. Revenues will be collected from 2023-2035, and after 2035 electricity will be virtually free, aside from operations and maintenance costs.

Scaling back military spending on maintaining global oil dependence.

Collecting new income tax revenue from the 20 million new jobs created by the plan.

Reduced need for federal and state safety net spending due to the creation of millions of good-paying, unionized jobs.

Making the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share.

The cost of inaction is unacceptable. Economists estimate that if we do not take action, we will lose $34.5 trillion in economic activity by the end of the century. And the benefits are enormous: by taking bold and decisive action, we will save $2.9 trillion over 10 years, $21 trillion over 30 years, and $70.4 trillion over 80 years.

We cannot accomplish any of these goals without taking on the fossil fuel billionaires whose greed lies at the very heart of the climate crisis. These executives have spent hundreds of millions of dollars protecting their profits at the expense of our future, and they will do whatever it takes to squeeze every last penny out of the Earth. Bernie promises to go further than any other presidential candidate in history to end the fossil fuel industry’s greed, including by making the industry pay for its pollution and prosecuting it for the damage it has caused.

And most importantly, we must build an unprecedented grassroots movement that is powerful enough to take them on, and win. Young people, advocates, tribes, cities and states all over this country have already begun this important work, and we will continue to follow their lead.

(Continue Reading)

#politics #the left #bernie sanders #green new deal #progressive #progressive movement #democratic socialism #climate crisis #2020 election

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theravensvoice · 2 years

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The Long Shot Part 3

Dana accessed her iso-suit’s onboard computer. It connected to a data port in her office thirteen stories below her via a shielded monofilament cable. She had a real office and did real business in the building. She legitimately held three engineering doctorates. The knowledge and expertise of her cover could not be faked. The most important part of her cover was a small, successful consulting firm located in this tower. It was the perfect façade to hide her mission.

The hardline connection to her office ensured that no wireless transmissions could betray her position. Even her search was innocuous. She pulled real time atmospheric data from every building sensor in the city. The data included the air pressure, wind speeds, wind directions and humidity from a sixty square kilometer area. The devices she queried were designed and built by her firm and placed all over the city. Of course, placed specific sensors where she needed them to collect the data she really needed. She ran the same search multiple times every day as research for a consulting contract for building environmental automation. If the government watchdogs were to find her query, it would not be out of the ordinary for her.

The data plugged into a custom designed program to adjust her rifle sights for the current weather profile. Her suit’s computer sorted out the path between her and the target. Making tiny adjustments for all the variables along the flight path.

Stupid, she thought, that it is so easy to get this kind of data. Especially today. Security should be tighter than this. But that is the risk of a free society.

She tuned her suit’s earbud to the local radio station. Even after leaving Earth behind over five hundred years ago, mankind still used radio to deliver audio only broadcasts.

“The excitement downtown is spreading into all areas of the city,” a smooth tenor said. “Most businesses have shut down to allow their employees to visit the President’s rally.”

“Yes, Mike,” a woman’s voice agreed. “It is the first time a sitting president has visited Third Chicago in over twenty years. Some people here take it as a sign they are finally considered a top tier city.”

“Maybe, Sorcha,” he answered. “But others think it is an emergency visit to shore up political support in the Senate. Senator Seebaugh has wavered in his support for the war and is seen as a key vote in the upcoming reauthorization of the War Powers Resolution Act.”

Sorcha Axelwright was the most popular syndicated radio host on the planet. Having her in Third Chicago was a big deal to the city. There were almost as many people gathered outside her temporary studio as at the President’s rally.

But Dana did not like her. She came across as too smugly superior and treated anyone she disagreed with like idiots. Granted, some were, but many just held different opinions. Her counterpart Mike Switzer was entirely different. You couldn’t tell his personal political views. He treated every guest with respect and kindness. He would listen to them and never hound them. His commentary was always thought out and concise. Dana much preferred his commentary.

“Whatever you may think, it is the first time in a long time that the people here felt the elites in New Rome cared about them. For years, the Providence Party has taken their votes for granted.”

“True. Ok, I just got notified that the Presidential party landed at the airfield and is now in route to the rally. He should be there within forty minutes.”

“Great. Thanks, Mike.” The hosts droned on about the politics of the visit, mainly regurgitating talking points that had been aired ad nauseum for the weeks since the visit was first announced.

She plugged the power cable into the rifle. The gravdriver coil needed tremendous power to launch even a small projectile. A fully charged capacitor was buried deep in the building, wired into the building’s main power grid. It had been there for thirteen weeks, running at full power, hidden in plain sight. Again, active and passive sensors would detect only what she wanted them to detect. When the Presidential Security Division did their sensor sweeps it would show only what had been there all along.

Nothing to see here. Move along.

#scifi #short story #action

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certainheartrunaway · 5 years

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Clear Frequencies Requested for Storm Emergency Traffic

Storm Emergency Traffic

IARU HF Championship Contesters:

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) is active on 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz in response to Category 1 Hurricane Barry. WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center has activated and plans to operate through landfall on Saturday. In addition, the Maritime Mobile Net is expected to be active on 14.300 MHz. All amateurs not involved in the storm response are encouraged to avoid these frequencies, allowing some 3 – 5 kHz of protection to avoid interference to critical communications.

The National Hurricane Center is warning against dangerous storm surges, heavy rainfall, and high wind conditions across the north-central Gulf Coast. As of 1500 UTC, Barry was some 40 miles south of Lafayette Louisiana, and about 50 miles west of Morgan City, Louisiana. The storm is generating maximum sustained winds of 75 MPH and is moving northwest at 6 MPH.

Source: ARRL

(Update: Friday, July 12, 2019 @ 11:30 AM CDT (1630 UTC)

Tropical Storm Barry is being forecast to become a Cat 1 Hurricane prior to landfall. Over the past few days, Barry has been forecast to reach hurricane status sometime before landfall but has just not strengthened that much. Overnight and this morning, Barry has begun to strengthen and now has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and is expected to strengthen more before landfall sometime Saturday.

The Hurricane Watch Net will activate this evening at 7:00 PM EDT – 2300 UTC on both 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz. We will operate on 14.325 for as long as propagation allows and will suspend operations on 7.268 MHz at 11:00 PM EDT – 0300 UTC. Net operations will resume Saturday morning at 8:30 AM EDT – 1230 UTC (using both 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz) or as soon as the Waterway Net concludes their operations. Once activated on Saturday, we will remain in operation until further notice.

At 11:00 AM EDT – 1500 UTC this Friday morning, Barry was located about 100 miles southwest of the Mouth of the Mississippi River and about 115 miles south-southeast of Morgan City, Louisiana.

Key Messages from the Discussion package of Advisory 9:

There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation along the coast of southern and southeastern Louisiana, portions of Lake Pontchartrain, and portions of coastal Mississippi where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect. Water levels are already beginning to rise in these areas, with the peak inundation expected on Saturday. The highest storm surge inundation is expected between Intracoastal City and Shell Beach.

The slow movement of Barry will result in a long duration heavy rainfall and flood threat along the central Gulf Coast, across portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley and north into the Tennessee Valley through the weekend into early next week. Flash flooding and river flooding will become increasingly likely, some of which may be life-threatening, especially across portions of southeast Louisiana into Mississippi.

Hurricane conditions are expected along a portion of the coast of Louisiana, where a Hurricane Warning is in effect. Tropical storm conditions are expected elsewhere along much of the Louisiana coast and inland across portions of south-central Louisiana where tropical storm warnings are in effect.

As with any net activation, we request observed ground-truth data from those in the affected area (Wind Speed, Wind Gust, Wind Direction, Barometric Pressure – if available, Rainfall, Damage, and Storm Surge). Measured weather data is always appreciated but we do accept estimated.

We are also available to provide backup communications to official agencies such as Emergency Operations Centers, Red Cross officials, and Storm Shelters in the affected area. We will also be interested to collect and report significant damage assessment data back to FEMA officials stationed in the National Hurricane Center.

As always, we are praying and hoping for the best yet preparing for the worst.

Sincerely, Bobby Graves – KB5HAV Net Manager Hurricane Watch Net

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go-redgirl · 7 years

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H.R. 366 - DHS Stop Asset and Vehicle Excess Act or the DHS SAVE Act

Signed on June 2, 2017

S. 583 - American Law Enforcement Heroes Act of 2017

Signed on June 2, 2017

S. 419 - Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2017

Signed on May 17, 2017

H.J.Res. 66 - Joint Resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to savings arrangements established by States for non-governmental employees.

Signed on May 16, 2017

H.R. 274 - Modernizing Government Travel Act

Signed on May 12, 2017

S. 496 -An Act to repeal the rule issued by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration entitled “Metropolitan Planning Organization Coordination and Planning Area Reform”.

Signed on May 8, 2017

H.R. 534 - U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act

Signed on May 5, 2017

H.R. 244 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017

Signed on April 28, 2017

H.J.Res. 99 - Joint Resolution making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2017, and for other purposes.

Signed on April 19, 2017

S.J.Res. 36 - Joint Resolution providing for the appointment of Roger W. Ferguson as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Signed on April 19, 2017

S.J.Res. 35 - Joint Resolution providing for the appointment of Michael Govan as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Signed on April 19, 2017

S.J.Res. 30 - Joint Resolution providing for the reappointment of Steve Case as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Signed on April 19, 2017

S. 544 - An Act to amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to modify the termination date for the Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes.

Signed on April 18, 2017

H.R. 353 - Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017

Signed on April 13, 2017

H.J.Res. 67 - Joint Resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to savings arrangements established by quaSigned on April 13, 2017

H.J.Res. 43 - Joint Resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule submitted by Secretary of Health and Human Services relating to compliance with title X requirements by project...

Signed on April 3, 2017

S.J.Res. 34 - Joint Resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband...

Signed on April 3, 2017

H.R. 1228 - An Act to provide for the appointment of members of the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance to replace members whose terms expire during 2017, and for other purposes.

Signed on April 3, 2017

H.J.Res. 83, which nullifies the Department of Labor's rule titled Clarification of Employer's Continuing Obligation to Make and Maintain an Accurate Record of Each Recordable Injury and Illness; and

Signed on April 3, 2017

H.J.Res. 69, which nullifies the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service's final rule relating to non-subsistence takings of wildlife on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska

Signed on March 31, 2017

S.J.Res.1 - Joint Resolution approving the location of a memorial to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield.

Signed on March 31, 2017

H.R.1362 - An Act to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Pago Pago, American Samoa, the Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin VA Clinic.

Signed on March 31, 2017

H.J.Res.42 - Joint Resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to drug testing of unemployment compensation applicants.

Signed on March 28, 2017

S. 305 - Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017

Signed on March 27, 2017

H.J.Res.57 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to accountability and State plans under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Signed on March 27, 2017

H.J. Res. 58 - Joint Resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to teacher preparation issues.

Signed on March 27, 2017

H.J. Res. 44 - Joint Resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to the Federal Land

Signed on March 27, 2017

H.J. Res. 37 - Joint Resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration relating to the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Signed on March 21, 2017

S.442 - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Transition Authorization Act of 2017

Signed on March 13, 2017

H.R.609 - To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs health care center in Center Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as the "Abie Abraham VA Clinic".

Signed on February 28, 2017

H.R. 321 - Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act

Signed on February 28, 2017

H.R. 255 - Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act

Signed on February 28, 2017

H.J.Res. 40 - Joint Resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007.

Signed on February 16, 2017

H.J.Res.38 - Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior known as the Stream Protection Rule.

Signed on February 14, 2017

H.J.Res.41 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to "Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers".

Signed on January 31, 2017

H.R.72 - GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2017

Signed on January 20, 2017

S.84 - A bill to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces.

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nightmare-afton-cosplay · 7 years

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Swamped by Losses, U.S. Flood Insurance Program Faces a Deadline

JodiJacobson/iStock

The National Flood Insurance Program has been swamped by billions in claims, and Congress is looking for ways to bail it out.

The federal program—the only flood insurance available for most American homeowners—is set to expire on Friday. Congress is expected to pass a short-term extension, as it has done several times since the fall. But if it fails to do so, the government would stop selling or renewing flood insurance, which would lead to the collapse of thousands of home deals, because mortgage lenders require the insurance for properties in flood zones.

And the program has larger, long-term problems, which are only expected to worsen as climate change raises sea levels and increases the risk of catastrophic storms like last year’s Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

“We know flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States, and it’s not getting better anytime soon,” says Laura Lightbody, who directs the Pew Charitable Trusts’ project on weather-related catastrophes. “We’ve got to face the problem head-on. These events are happening not only more frequently, but [also] in places that no one would have predicted.”

The flood insurance program owes billions to the U.S. Treasury, as a result of losses racked up since Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana in 2005.

The Treasury debt had soared to almost $25 billion, but President Donald Trump recently signed a bill forgiving $16 billion of that amount. But billions more in losses are expected to roll in as a result of 2017’s storms, pushing up the debt again.

The federal program serves about 5.1 million households, which pay an average $700 a year in premiums—though those annual fees can run into the thousands for homes with the highest risk.

The federal government started offering the coverage in 1968. At the time, private insurance companies avoided flood risk, which they considered too unpredictable. The program, which is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was able to support itself most years—until Katrina hit, that is.

Monster storms are roiling the program

Since then, the seemingly endless procession of monster storms—including some of the most damaging hurricanes to ever hit America in 2017—have roiled the waters for the program. The basic problem is simple: The program, which subsidizes about 20% of the policies written, is not collecting enough to cover losses. Congress passed a bill in 2012 that would raise premiums, but after an outcry from homeowners in flood areas, some of those premium increases were reversed.

Now, Congress has new ideas on how to solve the program’s woes. The House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would save money by cutting the amounts paid to private insurers that sell and service the policies (but don’t carry the actual risk). The House bill would also encourage private insurers to enter the market, improve flood mapping, and cap annual increases on homeowners’ premiums.

The SmarterSafer Coalition—a group of environmental, housing, taxpayer, and insurance groups that is seeking reforms on flood insurance—supports the House bill. But it says it would also like to see premiums rise more, so that they reflect the real cost of flooding. They say that would discourage construction in flood-prone areas.

But critics of that approach say that if premiums become unaffordable for lower- and middle-income homeowners already living in flood plains, they will drop the coverage. Then, when a flood hits, the government would end up paying more in disaster relief.

The Senate hasn’t passed a bill, but a bipartisan group of senators from coastal states—including Florida and New Jersey—have proposed the Sustainable, Affordable, Fair, and Efficient (SAFE) Flood Insurance Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize the flood insurance program for six years. Like the House bill, it would cut the amount paid to the private insurance companies that sell and service the flood policies. And it would make it easier for homeowners to collect on claims after a flood, after complaints from homeowners that payouts were mishandled after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of New York and New Jersey in 2012.

SAFE would also subsidize premiums for some homeowners, based on financial need. And it would put more money into buying out properties that have flooded repeatedly, and returning them to green space—an idea supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council. It would also increase the amount that homeowners could get for elevating their homes, from $30,000 to $100,000—a more realistic number, given the actual cost of the work.

Unlike the House bill, the Senate proposal wouldn’t encourage private insurers to enter the market. Critics of that idea fear that private companies would scoop up the least risky policies, leaving the bigger risks to the government.

The Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that the federal program was running at an annual deficit of about $1 billion. The shortfall comes mostly from coastal areas. In inland regions, homeowners with flood insurance pay more than they take back in claims, while coastal homeowners, on average, get back more than they put into the program.

The post Swamped by Losses, U.S. Flood Insurance Program Faces a Deadline appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/swamped-by-losses-u-s-flood-insurance-program-faces-a-deadline/

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kansascityhappenings · 5 years

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White House holds coronavirus news conference as lawmakers consider aid packages

The White House news conference is expected to begin at 10:30 a.m.:

Senior Trump administration officials urgently pressed GOP senators to approve a House-passed bill to deal with the coronavirus pandemic — and quickly act on a major economic stimulus package amid growing fears that the outbreak could send the country into recession.

In a closed-door meeting Monday night, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin urged GOP senators to get behind the House bill, which had prompted growing Republican concerns in recent days, with top officials warning the economic situation is too precarious and the threat to public health too severe to let the measure hang in limbo for days.

The cost of the new package will be roughly $850 billion, a source briefed on the matter tells CNN, and will include aid to small businesses and airlines. It’s expected to include the White House’s request for a payroll tax holiday, something that could cause a fight on Capitol Hill.

Asked what the Senate would do when it officially receives the House bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told CNN bluntly: “Pass it.”

In the meeting, Mnuchin told GOP senators he would present more details during a Tuesday lunch about the Trump administration’s proposal for the next economic package. He also told senators to get behind the House-passed measure, which would ensure individuals have access to free testing for the disease and displaced workers have access to paid leave, bolster unemployment insurance benefits, expand food stamps and increase federal funding for Medicaid programs.

The warning, GOP senators suggested: Act now before it’s too late.

“I don’t think we can assume we can keep reconvening the Senate every week, like we did this week,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, after the meeting. “I think the assumption is going to be, we’re going to do something (and) it’s going to be big because we can’t assume we can just keep coming back here.”

At the meeting Monday, Mnuchin did not detail a price tag for the next economic stimulus measure, but earlier in the day, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York proposed $750 billion in the next plan. Republicans did not reject that number out of hand and said that Congress would likely have to act on a subsequent stimulus measure once the next plan is approved. Already, Congress has appropriated $8.3 billion to deal with the crisis.

“We have a real focus on urgent action,” Eric Ueland, White House legislative director, told reporters after the meeting. “I’m hoping there can be swift action on consensus items.”

Ueland and Mnuchin told reporters that the House bill, which the treasury secretary negotiated with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, should be passed immediately despite the concerns among some Republicans that the measure could hurt small businesses.

“Again we’ll be speaking to the Republicans at lunch tomorrow about the bill but we look forward to them taking it up and passing it,” Mnuchin told reporters. “But we got a lot more work to do and the main reason why we’re here tonight was talking to the Senate about other bills that they’re going to work on ASAP.”

Trump suggests changes to House bill

The fast-moving developments came after the House’s sweeping coronavirus relief bill, which had been barreling forward in the Senate, had hit a speed bump earlier in the day amid objections by Republicans and a suggestion by President Donald Trump that the Senate would make further changes to the measure.

Also, Trump told reporters that “we may very well be adding something” to the bill, despite his public endorsement of the measure on Friday night.

“I think they may make it even better,” Trump said of the Senate. “Look, they’re working with the House, working very much in unison like the question before. They’re working to only enhance it and make it better and make it fair for everybody. And that’s what we’re looking to do. So we may go back and forth with the House a little bit, but both will be in a very positive fashion.”

The measure passed the House by a 363-40 vote early Saturday morning. Some Republicans objected to several of the provisions in the bill, particularly the paid leave program and its potential impact on businesses throughout the country.

One obstacle was removed Monday evening. The House approved a set of changes to the coronavirus stimulus bill by unanimous consent, clearing the path for the Senate to consider it. Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas withdrew his objection to the House’s ‘technical corrections” bill accompanying the coronavirus relief package that passed early Saturday morning. He allowed the measure to advance, saying on the House floor after reviewing the language of the resolution that the changes “make the bill better than it was when it got passed.”

On Monday, Gohmert said he raised concerns to both Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who also supports the House-passed bill.

“The last draft of the ‘technical changes’ I saw was 87 pages long,” Gohmert said in a statement. “I cannot in good conscience give my consent to something that has not been finished or made available to members of Congress before it is up for a vote.”

Those objections were apparently settled by Monday evening.

Indeed, a growing number of top Republicans suggested that the Senate should quickly adopt the House plan — and worry about other proposals for the next response to the crisis.

Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate GOP leadership team, told CNN it’s “my inclination” to let the House bill pass unchanged and focus on the next bill.

“It may be the best thing to do would be to make those changes on the next bill because this isn’t the last piece of legislation that we are going to be passing related to the coronavirus,” the Texas Republican said.

“If we putz around here, we are losing time,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a West Virginia Republican

Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, said she supports moving quickly on the House bill.

The developments come after the Senate scrapped its own recess this week to consider the House bill — and as senators return to Washington uneasy about the risk they and their staff face by staying in session.

Indeed, prospects appeared to grow slim Monday that the Senate could speed up its schedule this week, but those discussions are expected to during the parties’ weekly Tuesday lunches. Democrats are expected to have a conference call for their weekly Tuesday lunch as opposed to meeting in person, an unusual move reflective of how fears over the virus are upending the Senate.

Some Republicans are trying to push for more changes to the bill.

“I don’t think the House bill is going to pass the Senate as it is written for one basic problem: It doesn’t go far enough and it doesn’t go fast enough,” GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said on the floor of the Senate, referring to the bill’s system for small businesses to get tax credits for paid leave for their displaced employees.

In addition to the coronavirus legislation, the Senate also had to consider a measure to renew key authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expired on Sunday.

The Senate was prepared to take steps to pass the House’s bipartisan FISA reauthorization bill, which passed last week, but objections from critics like GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah threatened to eat up several days of the Senate calendar to overcome a filibuster and approve the measure.

Instead, McConnell cut a deal with Lee on Monday that paved the way for the Senate to focus on the coronavirus legislation.

The agreement included a two-and-a-half month extension of the three expired FISA authorities, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent, and agreement to consider amendments from Lee and Paul related to representation for targets of FISA surveillance warrants and limits on searches that can be conducted under the law related to US citizens and the internet.

The short-term extension now has to be cleared in the House by unanimous consent just like the coronavirus changes, meaning any single House member can object and stop it.

But in the Senate, the FISA agreement clears the stage for the chamber to consider the coronavirus legislation — if it can find a way forward amid the disagreements over the bill.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/tracking-coronavirus/white-house-holds-coronavirus-news-conference-as-lawmakers-consider-aid-packages/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2020/03/17/white-house-holds-coronavirus-news-conference-as-lawmakers-consider-aid-packages/

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rjzimmerman · 4 years

Link

What is this thing? It creeps out of nowhere, doesn’t address many of the “Green New Deal” policies, will probably go nowhere in the Senate and seems confusing. Money for research and making building efficient but what else? Dunno.

Excerpt from this story from The Hill:

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) says the chamber will vote next week on a more-than-900-page energy package billed as a response to climate change.

The bill, unveiled Tuesday, has not had a hearing or gone through the regular legislative process. It would funnel money toward research and development of a number of types of energy while promoting energy efficiency for homes, schools and other buildings.

It comes as the Senate last week resolved a roadblock that halted a spring vote on a similar energy bill proposed by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

Hoyer in a release said the bill “fulfills House Democrats’ promise to invest in the creation of high-paying jobs by making America a global leader in clean energy. Our climate is changing, and we not only need to take dramatic steps to slow the carbon pollution that has driven this climate crisis but we must also seize the economic opportunities that this challenge presents.”

Bringing the quickly drafted legislation to the floor leaves several other climate proposals from House committees by the wayside.

A bill from the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis billed as a road map for battling climate change was introduced in June. And in January, the House Energy and Commerce Committee laid out its own vision for transitioning to clean energy. Both bills would set strict timetables for decarbonizing the economy by 2050.

Tuesday’s bill, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, doesn’t offer any similar targets, instead focusing on assisting the industries that could help the U.S. transition to a clean energy economy while seeking to close energy efficiency gaps in buildings across the country.

The legislation would establish more rigorous building codes and bolster energy efficiency requirements and weatherization programs. It includes research and development programs for solar, wind, advanced geothermal energy, hydroelectric power and measures that would reduce carbon pollution at fossil-fuel-generated sources.

In the transportation sector, the bill seeks to expand the use of electric vehicles, starting an electric vehicle supply equipment rebate program and reauthorizing various clean diesel programs.

It also includes aspects of an earlier environmental justice package from the House Natural Resources Committee, which would add environmental claims to the Civil Rights Act.

It’s not clear if or when the Senate might take up the energy research and development package considered earlier this year.

#climate legislation #energy legislation

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global-news-station · 5 years

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WASHINGTON: US lawmakers announced an agreement on Monday on a $738-billion bill setting policy for the Department of Defense, including new measures for competing with Russia and China, family leave for federal workers and the creation of President Donald Trump’s long-desired Space Force.

It also calls for sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of a Russian missile defense system, and a tough response to North Korea’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

The US House of Representatives and Senate Armed Services Committees agreed on a compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, after months of negotiations. It is expected to pass before Congress leaves Washington later this month for the year-end holiday break.

The legislation includes $658.4 billion for the Department of Defense and Department of Energy national security programs, $71.5 billion to pay for ongoing foreign wars, known as “Overseas Contingency Operations” funding, and $5.3 billion in emergency funding for repairs of damage from extreme weather and natural disasters.

There were concerns earlier this year that the NDAA might fail for the first time in 58 years over steep divides between the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and Republican-controlled Senate over Trump’s policies.

Because it is one of the few pieces of major legislation Congress passes every year, the NDAA becomes a vehicle for a range of policy measures as well as setting everything from military pay levels to which ships or aircraft will be modernized, purchased or discontinued.

It includes a 3.1% pay hike for the troops, the largest in a decade and, for the first time, 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal workers, something Democrats strongly sought.

Among other things, the proposed fiscal 2020 NDAA imposes sanctions related to Russia’s Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream pipelines and bars military-to-military cooperation with Russia.

Russia is building the pipelines to bolster supply to Europe while bypassing Ukraine, and members of Congress have been pushing the Trump administration to do more to stop the projects as they near completion.

The NDAA also prohibits the transfer of F-35 stealth fighter jets, which Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) is developing, to Turkey. It expresses a Sense of Congress that Turkey’s acquisition of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system, which Washington says it not compatible with NATO defenses and threatens the F-35, constitutes a significant transaction under U.S. sanctions law.

The bill says Trump should implement sanctions on Turkey over the S-400 purchase, something lawmakers have been demanding.

The NDAA also reauthorizes $300 million of funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, to include lethal defensive items as well as new authorities for coastal defense cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles.

Military aid to Ukraine has been at the center of the impeachment inquiry into Trump, after his administration held up security assistance for Kiev last summer even as the country dealt with challenges from Russia.

Fulfilling one of Trump’s most high-profile requests, the bill establishes the U.S. Space Force as the sixth Armed Service of the United States, under the Air Force.

The legislation also contains a series of provisions intended to address potential threats from China, including requiring reports on China’s overseas investments and its military relations with Russia.

It bars the use of federal funds to buy rail cars and buses from China, and it says Congress “unequivocally supports” residents of Hong Kong as they defend their rights and seek to preserve their autonomy with China. It also supports improving Taiwan’s defense capabilities.

The NDAA calls for a sweeping approach to North Korea’s nuclear weapons development, as well as the threat it poses to U.S. forces on the Korean peninsula and allies in the region.

It puts mandatory sanctions on North Korean imports and exports of coal and other minerals and textiles, as well as some petroleum products and crude oil, and it puts additional sanctions on banks that deal with North Korea.

The bill also bars the Pentagon from reducing the number of troops deployed to South Korea below 28,500 unless the Secretary of Defense certifies that it is in the U.S. national security interest to do so.

The post US lawmakers reach deal on massive defense bill appeared first on ARY NEWS.

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#World News

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sciencespies · 5 years

Text

Senate committee approves NASA authorization bill

https://sciencespies.com/space/senate-committee-approves-nasa-authorization-bill/

Senate committee approves NASA authorization bill

WASHINGTON — The Senate Commerce Committee approved Nov. 13 a NASA authorization bill introduced a week earlier to extend the life of the International Space Station and support other agency programs.

The committee approved, on a voice vote, the NASA Authorization Act of 2019. That bill, S.2800, was introduced Nov. 6 by a bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the committee’s space subcommittee.

The committee approved, without debate, an amended version of the bill and nearly 20 separate amendments from senators. Those changes include language updating NASA’s Space Grant program, studies of a space resources institute and a space weather center of excellence, and a requirement that NASA prioritize the use low-enriched uranium for any space nuclear power systems to address nuclear nonproliferation concerns.

The modified version of the bill keeps intact its major provisions, in particular language that authorizes an extension of the International Space Station from 2024 to 2030. “The ISS has been a remarkable success for the United States,” Cruz said in remarks at the committee session. “Continuing the operation of the ISS through 2030 will help grow our already burgeoning space economy.”

Other sections of the bill endorse a “stepping-stone” approach to human exploration, going to the moon as an intermediate step towards the long-term goal of sending humans to Mars. “With its passage, we will keep the International Space Station operating through 2030 and authorize important steps of lunar surface missions that keep NASA on the path to Mars,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the full committee and a co-sponsor of the bill.

While the bill does not explicitly call for a human return to the moon by 2024, as called for in March by the White House, members of the committee said the bill is designed to support just that.

“The next human being that steps foot on the moon will be an American, and will be an American woman,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the full committee and a co-sponsor of the authorization act. “I hope we’ll all resolve to follow the leadership of NASA and make provisions that that take place by 2024.”

The bill now goes to the full Senate. Cruz, in his remarks, urged his colleagues in the House to take action on the bill as well. “I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues here in the committee and in the rest of the Senate, and to hopefully getting the House engaged on this important effort as well so that we can pass the NASA Authorization Act of 2019 and send it to the president’s desk for signature.”

The House has yet to introduce its version of a NASA authorization act. In remarks at a Nov. 13 hearing of the House Science Committee’s space subcommittee, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), chair of the full committee, said the committee “will be reauthorizing NASA this Congress” but was not more specific about a timeframe for a new authorization bill. The current Congress runs through the end of 2020.

The NASA authorization bill was one of 20 that the Senate Commerce Committee approved during its markup session. Another bill, approved without amendment or debate, would rename NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Ohio the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility. A companion bill is pending consideration in the House.

#Space

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