Monthly Archives: July 2013

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

a message from Gov.Jay Inslee


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In just 12 hours, we’re closing the books on our first major fundraising deadline since the end of the legislative session — and I’d love to hear from you to make sure we reach our $10,000 goal.

Our work doesn’t stop when the campaign is over. The grassroots community and momentum we built during my campaign for governor were critical components in our successful efforts to expand Medicaid, increase education funding, and defend against the attacks on critical services for our most vulnerable neighbors.

Our opponents will not give up and we have to be ready.

Click here to contribute $5, $10, or more before tonight’s midnight deadline — and help us reach our $10,000 goal and keep our movement fighting strong!

Thank you so much for everything that you do to help us build a working Washington.

Very truly yours,

Jay Inslee Governor

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Black History

the Senate S.235 ~~ CONGRESS ~~ the House HR2711& HR313


capitol33

The Senate stands in adjournment until 9:30am on Wednesday, July 31, 2013.

  • Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of S.1243, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and related agencies appropriations bill. It is in order for Senator Paul to call up his amendment #1739, (Egypt). There will be up to one hour of debate equally divided and controlled between the proponents and opponents prior to a vote on the Paul amendment; we expect there will be a motion to table the Paul amendment.
  • Upon disposition of the Paul amendment, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #201, the nomination of Byron Todd Jones, of Minnesota, to be Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and proceed to the cloture vote on the Jones nomination.
  • Therefore, at approximately 10:45am, there will be 2 roll call votes:
    • In relation to the Paul amendment #1739 (Egypt)(expected motion to table) and
    • Motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Byron Todd Jones to be Director of the ATF.
  • The Senate has resumed consideration of S.1243, the THUD Appropriations bill. There will now be up to 60 minutes for debate prior to a vote in relation to Paul amendment #1739 (Egypt).If all time is used, at approximately 10:55am, there will be up to 2 roll call vote in relation to the following items:-          In relation to the Paul amendment #1739 (Egypt) to S.1243, THUD Appropriations (likely will be a motion to table); and-          Motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Byron Todd Jones to be Director of the ATF.There is a possibility that we reach an agreement to move the cloture vote on the Jones nomination for later today, and if cloture is invoked proceed immediately to a vote on confirmation of the Jones nomination. 2pm seems like a reasonable time to vote, but no agreement has been reached yet. We also plan to recess for the special caucus today. Another message will be sent when any agreements are reached.

There will now be 1 roll call vote at 10:55am. That vote will be in relation to Paul amendment #1739 (Egypt).

Following the vote, the Senate will recess until 1:00pm to allow for the special Democratic caucus.

At 1:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #201, the nomination of Byron Todd Jones, of Minnesota, to be Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. There will be up to 60 minutes for debate prior to a cloture vote on the Jones nomination. If cloture is invoked, all post-cloture debate time will be yielded back and the Senate will proceed immediately to vote on confirmation of the nomination.

The filing deadline for first degree amendments to S.1243, THUD Appropriations, has been moved to 1:30pm today. If cloture is invoked, all germane first degree amendments must be filed at the desk prior to the deadline in order to be considered in order post-cloture.

Upon disposition of the Jones nomination, there will be a period of morning business for 1 hour and 40 minutes, with the time equally divided and with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. Senator Inhofe will control of 30 minutes and Senator McCain will control 20 minutes of the Republican time.

Following morning business, there will be up to 2 hours for debate equally divided on Executive Calendar #220, the nomination of Samantha Power, of Massachusetts, to be the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations. Upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate will proceed to vote on confirmation of the nomination.

Schedule:

10:55am vote:

–       In relation to Paul amendment #1739 (Egypt).

2:00pm votes:

–       Cloture on Jones nomination (ATF), if cloture is invoked, then

–       Confirmation of Jones nomination.

Approx. 2:45-4:25-ish:

–       1 hour and 40 minutes morning business

Approx. 4:25-6:25:

–       2 hours debate on Power nomination

If all time is used, 6:25-ishpm vote:

–       Confirmation of Power nomination (UN)

11:15am The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on Corker motion to table Paul amendment #1739 (prohibit foreign aid to the Government of Egypt);

Tabled: 86-13

The Senate stands in recess until 1:00pm to allow for a special Democratic caucus meeting

At 2:01pm the Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #201, the nomination of Byron Todd Jones, of Minnesota, to be Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Invoked: 60-40

7:03pm The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #201, the nomination of Byron Todd Jones, of Minnesota, to be Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Confirmed: 53-42

The Jones nomination was confirmed 53-42. The Senate is in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. There will be no further roll call votes tonight.

At 11:00am, there will be up to 1 hour for debate on Executive Calendar #96, the nomination of Raymond t. Chen, of Maryland, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit. Upon the use or yielding back of time the Senate will proceed to vote on confirmation of the Chen nomination.

Upon disposition of the Chen nomination, the Senate will proceed immediately to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on S.1243, the THUD Appropriations bill.

Following the cloture vote, the Senate will recess until 2:00pm for the bipartisan caucus meeting.

Following the recess, the Senate will execute the previous order with respect to Executive Calendar #220, the nomination of Samantha Power, of Massachusetts, to be the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations. There will be up to 2 hours for debate equally divided prior to a vote on confirmation of the nomination.

2 votes at noon:

–          Confirmation of Chen nomination (Federal Circuit)

–          Cloture on S.1243, THUD Appropriations

2:30-4:00pm range

–          Confirmation of Power (UN)

WRAP UP

ROLL CALL VOTES

1)      Corker motion to table the Paul amendment #1739 (Egypt) to S.1243, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and related agencies appropriations bill; Tabled: 86-13

2)      Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #201, the nomination of Byron Todd Jones, of MN, to be Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Invoked: 60-40

3)      Confirmation of Executive Calendar #201, the nomination of Byron Todd Jones, of MN, to be Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Confirmed: 53-42

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Adopted S.Res.156, a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate of the 10-year anniversary of NATO Allied Command Transformation with a committee-reported substitute amendment.

Adopted S.Res.207, designating August 16, 2013, as “National Airborne Day”.

Adopted S.Res.208, designating the week beginning September 8, 2013, as “National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week”.

Adopted S.Res.209, remembering the anniversary of the tragic shooting on August 5, 2012, at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

Adopted S.Res.210, recognizing and honoring Robert S. Mueller, III, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Adopted S.Res.211, designating September 2013 as “National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month”.

Completed the Rule 14 process of S.1392, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act. (Shaheen and Portman)

No additional EXECUTIVE ITEMS

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July 2013
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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

An urban legend


 

Recently, there have been some scattered news reports claiming that restaurants are reducing employee hours and limiting hiring because of Obamacare.

There’s just one problem: It doesn’t add up.

It turns out that restaurants aren’t limiting hours on average — they’re increasing them. And restaurants are hiring at a faster pace than expected. All of which to say that the Affordable Care Act isn’t restraining job growth for restaurants at all.

We put together this animated chart that clearly lays out the case against this urban legend, but we need you to share it so that other people can get the facts too.

Check it out — then forward it to someone in your community.

Check out this animated GIF

Want to know more about what the Affordable Care Act is doing? Check out the following resources:

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Airport keeping out WWll Survivors


WWll

Stop the Proposed Fence at the Tulelake Municipal Airport, site of the former Tule Lake Segregation Center, California
  By Satsuki Ina with Stop the Fence at Tulelake Airport
                                                Sacramento, California

During World War II, more than 120,000 men, women, and children of Japanese ancestry were forced from their homes and unjustly imprisoned in ten concentration camps across the United States, solely on the basis of race. The Tule Lake camp in Modoc County, California (near the California-Oregon border) became a maximum-security Segregation Center to incarcerate 12,000 inmates who resisted their imprisonment and branded by the federal government as disloyal. Today, a small airport used primarily by crop dusting planes cuts through the center of the Tule Lake site.

I need your help because the Federal Aviation Administration is proposing construction of an eight-foot high, three-mile long fence around the perimeter of the airport that will cut off our access to the Tule Lake site. Besides being utterly unnecessary in such a desolate place, such a fence would desecrate the physical and spiritual aspects of Tule Lake, which has great historical and personal importance to me and many others.

I am shocked by this insensitive and disrespectful plan. This massive fence will interfere with the desire I and visitors to Tule Lake have — to mourn the unjust imprisonment and to heal the scars of the past. Instead, we will be assaulted with a reminder of rejection, exclusion, and emotional pain.

I was born in the Tule Lake Segregation Center. My parents were American citizens who protested their unjust incarceration and answered “no” to the government-imposed “loyalty questionnaire.” As punishment for their dissidence, the government removed them from the Topaz concentration camp to the maximum-security Tule Lake Segregation Center. From there, my father was taken from us and interned as an “enemy alien” in a Department of Justice camp in North Dakota. Incarcerated for no other crime than having the face of the enemy, my family lived behind barbed wire for 4-1/2 years.

I’m part of a group of survivors, their families, and friends who organize tours and educational events at the Tule Lake Segregation Center. If this fence is constructed, it will send a strong message to Japanese Americans that they are not welcome at the site where they walked long distances to eat meals, attend school, and use the latrines. A fence will prevent all Americans from experiencing the dimension and magnitude of the concentration camp where people experienced mass exclusion and racial hatred.

The FAA has the power to protect Tule Lake, a sacred site. In doing so, it has the power to honor, rather than desecrate, the remembrance of one of the darkest chapters in American history.

According to the FAA, in an effort to be more “sensitive” to our concerns, the proposed fence would not be topped with barbed wire — but that’s just not enough. Our nation’s history of the unjust incarceration of those of Japanese ancestry during WWII is often forgotten. We must be able to remember what happened to our ancestors to be sure this never happens again.

I’m calling on the FAA to respect our community’s needs and wishes and reject this proposal. Please show your support for the most sensitive solution: DO NOT BUILD THE FENCE AT TULE LAKE.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Can you beat their score?


Greenpeace word mark Русский: Текстовый символ...
Greenpeace word mark Русский: Текстовый символ «Гринпис» (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

  by Casson Trenor, Greenpeace … this is a repost from 2013, but still valid

Casson Trenor, scored 26,840 points on our new 8-bit online video game Shark Vs. Mermaid Death Squad.

Though that’s not the only milestone I’m celebrating.

Last week, the game was shared with its 2 millionth viewer. When it first launched, we got the attention of a whole new audience. People like Jared Leto and Mark Bittman tweeted about it. Gaming sites like  Gawker and Vice were writing about. I’m not gonna lie, the game is  pretty cool. Check it out for yourself.

But this game isn’t about attracting celebrities. It’s about something much bigger.

If we don’t change how the tuna industry operates, it will be Game Over for our oceans. Overfishing runs rampant in all oceans from the Pacific to the Indian,  and countless animals such as sharks, sea turtles, rays and other marine life are killed every year due to the destructive fishing practices of  the global tuna industry.

We designed the game to highlight the unsustainable fishing practices of the three major U.S. tuna brands, Chicken of the Sea, Starkist, and Bumble Bee. The industry has used a lot of fancy PR tactics to stop Greenpeace from exposing the truth about how it runs its business. So we came up with a new tactic of our own to get the message out.

Play Shark vs Mermaid Death Squad now and see if you can beat my high score.

Don’t worry about running out of lives either. When you share the game with  your friends on Facebook and Twitter you’ll earn a new life. Email the  company, and earn two more. Trust me, it ain’t easy being a sea turtle  or shark these days. Until things start change, you’re going to need  those extra lives.

Have fun outrunning the tuna industry death squad and know that you are  helping to bring attention to a critical issue at the same time.

For the oceans,

Casson Trenor Greenpeace Senior Markets Campaigner

P.S. Play our new online video game and help bring attention to the destructive fishing practices of the tuna industry.

Then tweet us at @greenpeaceusa and let us know what you think by using the #mermaiddeathsquad