Monthly Archives: January 2015

Black History

The Senate ~~~ CONGRESS 1/20 ~~~ The House


redpeacesign The Senate stands adjourned until 10:00am on Tuesday, January 20, 2015.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to a period of morning business for one hour, with Democrats controlling the first half and Republicans controlling the final half. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S.1, to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.

The Senate will recess from 12:30 until 2:15pm to all for the weekly caucus meetings. Prior to adjourning, Senator McConnell announced that senators should expect votes on pending amendments to S.1 starting shortly after the lunches.

On Tuesday, January 20, at 9:00pm, the President will deliver the State of the Union address. Senators will gather in the Senate Chamber at 8:30pm and proceed as a body to the Hall of the House of Representatives at 8:40pm.

The following amendments are pending to S.1:

  1. Murkowski #2 (substitute)
  2. Markey #13 (Keep Oil in America)
  3. Portman-Shaheen #3 (Energy Efficiency)
  4. Franken #17 (Keep Jobs in America)

 

The Senate is in a period of morning business until approximately 10:30am. Following morning business, we will resume consideration of S.1, a bill to approve the Keystone pipeline. Currently, we have 3 amendments pending to the bill in addition to the substitute. Discussions continue on a path forward today. During his opening statement, Senator McConnell announced that we will begin voting on those amendments and any other amendments in the queue shortly after lunch today. No agreement has been reached at this point, but we expect McConnell, or his designee, will move to table the amendments if no agreement can be reached.

 

Pending amendments:

  1. Murkowski #2 (substitute)
  2. Markey #13 (Keep Oil in America)
  3. Portman-Shaheen #3 (Energy Efficiency)
  4. Franken #17 (Keep Jobs in America)

We expect Senator McConnell, or his designee, to move to table the Markey amendment around 2:45pm today. We may also vote in relation to the Portman amendment and Franken amendments at that time as well. Discussions continue on the next amendments that may be offered to the bill.

The Portman amendment #3 (energy efficiency) was modified. The modification strikes the Efficient Government Technology title;

Agreed To: 94-5

 

At 2:50pm, the Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the Murkowski motion to table Markey amendment #13 (Keep Oil in America);

Tabled: 57-42

 

We could also vote in relation to the Portman-Shaheen amendment #3, as modified, and the Franken amendment #17 (Keep Jobs in America) (not necessarily in that order).

3:15pm, the Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the Murkowski motion to table Franken amendment #17 (Keep Jobs in America);

Tabled: 53-46

 

While we thought the Portman-Shaheen amendment could be agreed to by a voice vote, we now expect a roll call vote.

 

Next roll call vote: Portman-Shaheen amendment #3, as modified (energy efficiency)

The following amendments are pending to S.1, Keystone XL Pipeline:

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

  1. Murkowski motion to table Markey amendment #13 (Keep Oil in America); Tabled: 57-42.
  2. Murkowski motion to table Franken amendment #17 (Keep Jobs in America); Tabled: 53-46.
  3. Adoption of Portman-Shaheen amendment #3, as modified (Energy Efficiency); Agreed To: 94-5.

Legislative Business

Adopted S.Res.29, Condemning the terrorist attacks in Paris, France

Adopted S.Res.30, National School Choice Week

Completed the Rule 14 process to place on the Legislative Calendar of Business H.R.240, DHS Appropriations.

Executive Business

=============================================

Last Floor Action:
8:35:48 P.M. – JOINT SESSION – The House convened in Joint Session with the Senate for the purpose of receiving an address from the President of the United States on the subject of the state of the Union.

House Floor Activities
Legislative Day of January 20, 2015

Last Floor Action:1/16
4:04:06 P.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to a previous special order.

The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on January 20, 2015.

12:00:30 P.M. The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
12:00:34 P.M. The Speaker designated the Honorable David W. Jolly to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
12:01:04 P.M. MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate. At the conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 2:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.
12:13:43 P.M. The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 P.M. today.
2:00:01 P.M. The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of January 20.
2:00:13 P.M. Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.
2:01:59 P.M. The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.
2:02:07 P.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Cummings to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
2:02:26 P.M. ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.
2:12:03 P.M. The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be postponed until a time to be announced.
2:12:14 P.M. H. Res. 37 Mr. Royce moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. H. Res. 37 — “Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives condemning the recent terrorist attacks in Paris that resulted in the deaths of seventeen innocent persons and offering condolences to those personally affected by this cowardly act.”
2:12:33 P.M. H. Res. 37 Considered under suspension of the rules.
2:12:44 P.M. H. Res. 37 DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 37.
2:34:57 P.M. H. Res. 37 On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.
2:35:01 P.M. H. Res. 37 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2:36:42 P.M. The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.
4:25:14 P.M. The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of January 20.
4:25:21 P.M. Ms. Foxx filed a report from the Committee on Rules on H. Res. 38.
4:26:03 P.M. The Speaker announced that the House do now recess.The next meeting is scheduled for 8:35 P.M. today at which time the House will meet in Joint Session with the Senate to receive a communication from the President of the United States on the subject of the state of the Union.
8:35:40 P.M. The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of January 20.
8:35:48 P.M. JOINT SESSION – The House convened in Joint Session with the Senate for the purpose of receiving an address from the President of the United States on the subject of the state of the Union.

10:20:50 P.M. JOINT SESSION DISSOLVED – The Speaker declared the Joint Session of the two Houses dissolved.
10:21:00 P.M. Mr. McCarthy moved that the President’s message be referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered printed as a House document (H. Doc. 114-1). Agreed to without objection.
10:21:12 P.M. Mr. McCarthy moved that the House do now adjourn.
10:21:14 P.M. On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.
10:21:15 P.M. The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on January 21, 2015.

===============================================

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Official Google blog …


Often the hardest part of traveling is navigating the local language. If you’ve ever asked for “pain” in Paris and gotten funny looks, confused “embarazada” with “embarrassed” in Mexico, or stumbled over pronunciation pretty much anywhere, you know the feeling. Now Google Translate can be your guide in new ways. We’ve updated the Translate app on Android and iOS to transform your mobile device into an even more powerful translation tool.

Instant translation with Word Lens
The Translate app already lets you use camera mode to snap a photo of text and get a translation for it in 36 languages. Now, we’re taking it to the next level and letting you instantly translate text using your camera—so it’s way easier to navigate street signs in the Italian countryside or decide what to order off a Barcelona menu. While using the Translate app, just point your camera at a sign or text and you’ll see the translated text overlaid on your screen—even if you don’t have an Internet or data connection.

This instant translation currently works for translation from English to and from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, and we’re working to expand to more languages.

Have an easier conversation using the Translate app
When talking with someone in an unfamiliar language, conversations can… get… realllllllly… sloowwww. While we’ve had real-time conversation mode on Android since 2013, our new update makes the conversation flow faster and more naturally.

Starting today, simply tap the mic to start speaking in a selected language, then tap the mic again, and the Google Translate app will automatically recognize which of the two languages are being spoken, letting you have a more fluid conversation. For the rest of the conversation, you won’t need to tap the mic again—it’ll be ready as you need it. Asking for directions to the Rive Gauche, ordering bacalhau in Lisbon, or chatting with your grandmother in her native Spanish just got a lot faster.

These updates will be coming to both Android and iOS, rolling out over the next few days. This is the first time some of these advanced features, like camera translations and conversation mode, will be available for iOS users.

More than 500 million people use Google Translate every month, making more than 1 billion translations a day to more easily communicate and access information across languages. Today’s updates take us one step closer to turning your phone into a universal translator and to a world where language is no longer a barrier to discovering information or connecting with each other.

Posted by Barak Turovsky, Product Lead, Google Translate

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

YOU fought for the Amazon!


Thank YOU! View in your browser
Português | Español | Deutsch | [+] 

As we enter this exciting New Year, we’re so grateful for your continued support! Thanks to partnerships with so many of you across every continent the global movement to protect the Amazon is thriving and growing. Thank YOU!

Every donation you made is a powerful statement about who you are and what you stand for. You believe in justice. You support indigenous rights. You work to defend the Amazon and to protect our global climate. Thank YOU!

Thanks to this growing support Amazon Watch continues to meet and surpass our online fundraising goals and 2014 was wildly successful. You shared our stories, promoted our work and inspired others with your support. Thank YOU!

2015 is going to be a tough one:

  • Investments from China in Ecuador are increasing pressure to expand oil drilling into the most ecologically sensitive parts of the Amazon
  • The newly re-elected president of Brazil has made terrible choices already by naming the “Chainsaw Queen” as Minister of the Environment and a climate change denier as Minister of Science & Technology
  • Five separate oil spills still plague the Marañon River in Peru, a country who continues to chop up its Amazon into oil concessions

We know we have a lot of work ahead of us, and we can’t thank you enough for helping us ramp up capacity to take on these challenges. If you haven’t yet made an investment in the future of the Amazon or you are able to make another, the time is now. What better way to start the new year than to invest in a greener, healthier and more just planet?

Join Amazon Watch as we work together to defend the rainforest and advance the rights of its indigenous guardians in 2015!

Your partnership truly means the world to us. Thank YOU!

For the Amazon,
– The team at Amazon Watch
Black History

The Senate ~~~ CONGRESS 1/16 ~~~ The House


chaseNMLKThe Senate will not be in session on Wednesday or Thursday to accommodate the caucus retreats.

The Senate stands adjourned until 9:30am on Friday, January 16, 2015.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of S.1, to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.

The next roll call votes will occur on Tuesday, January 20, following the weekly caucus meetings.

The following amendments are pending to S.1:

  1. Murkowski S.Amdt.2 (substitute)
  2. Markey S.Amdt.13 (Keep Oil in America)
  3. Portman-Shaheen S.Amdt.3 (Energy Efficiency)
  4. Franken S.Amdt.17 (Keep Jobs in America)

The Senate has convened and resumed consideration of S.1, a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Senator McConnell announced during his opening remarks that he expects to vote on pending amendments at 2:15pm on Tuesday, January 20th. The Senate will not be in session on Monday, January 19, due to the Martin Luther King holiday. No agreement has been reached to vote on the amendments, but a non-debatable motion to table would be in order if no agreement is reached.

 

The following amendments are pending to the bill.

 

On Tuesday, January 20, 2015, at 9:00 p.m., President Barack Obama will deliver his State of the Union Speech from the Hall of the House of Representatives in the U.S. Capitol.

 

 WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

Legislative Business

Adopted S.Res.27, Legal Counsel: U.S. v Jeffrey Sterling.

Began the Rule 14 process to place on the Legislative Calendar of Business H.R.240, DHS Appropriations.

Completed the Rule 14 process to place on the Legislative Calendar of Business H.R.33, Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act.

Executive Business

================================================

Last Floor Action:
4:04:06 P.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to a previous special order.

The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on January 20, 2015.

Last Floor Action:
1:47:54 P.M. – The House adjourned.

The next meeting is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on January 16, 2015.

4:00:41 P.M. The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
4:00:46 P.M. The Speaker designated the Honorable Luke Messer to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
4:01:10 P.M. Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend Thomas Petri, Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DC.
4:02:34 P.M. The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.
4:02:38 P.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
4:03:30 P.M. PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE – Pursuant to clause 11 of rule 10, clause 11 of rule 1, and the order of the House of January 6, 2015, the Speaker appointed the following members of the House to the PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE: Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Himes, Ms. Sewell of AL, Mr. Carson of IN, Ms. Speier, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Swalwell of CA and Mr. Murphy of FL.
4:04:06 P.M. The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to a previous special order. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on January 20, 2015.

================================================

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A Benefit To Businesses


By

Health Insurance Giant Aetna Is Raising Wages For Its Lowest Paid Workers

A common refrain from some in the business community who oppose a minimum wage increase is that higher wages for low-income workers will be costly enough to either force businesses to raise prices for consumers or cause them to lay off workers. Aetna, a Fortune 100 company with nearly 50,000 employees, just made a decision that sharply rebukes that argument. The health insurance giant has announced it is raising the minimum wage for its workers to $16 per hour. In doing so, the company specifically cited the business benefits, not the costs, of the move.

The raises, which comes on the heels of similar wage increases by big name companies like Starbucks and Gap, are significant. An estimated 5,700 Aetna employees will get a pay bump — an 11 percent increase on average and up to 33 percent for some workers. And it won’t be free: the company expects the move to cost an estimated $14 million this year, and $25.5 million in 2016.

Nonetheless, Aetna CEO Mark T. Bertolini laid out the business case for raising the wages of low-income employees. Here are a few of the reasons he cited, in an interview to the Wall Street Journal:

  • Adapting the company for the future: “We’re preparing our company for a future where we’re going to have a much more consumer-oriented business.”
  • Workforce development: “[Aetna wants] a better and more informed work force.”
  • Reducing turnover costs: According to the Wall Street Journal, “Mr. Bertolini said Aetna hopes to reduce its turnover costs of around $120 million a year and improve the quality of job prospects and the engagement of workers who interact with consumers and health-care providers.”

And then there is a broader reason that factored into Mr. Bertolini’s decision: “It’s not just about paying people, it’s about the whole social compact,” Mr. Bertolini said, adding, “Why can’t private industry step forward and make the innovative decisions on how to do this?”

BOTTOM LINE: The decision by Aetna to raise wages for their low-income employees demonstrates one of the business imperatives for raising wages. Simply put, investing in workers pays off for companies in more ways than one. We’d thank Aetna for it’s decision, but we know that the company didn’t made this move because of groups like ours. It made the move because it cares about its workers, and it cares about its bottom line.