Sea Change … Pacific Ocean takes perilous turn


 

Story by Craig Welch

Photo’s by Steve Ringman/ The Seattle Times

Click on Photo below for the full Story & Video

Walleye pollock show some behavioral problems when exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide. That raises concern about the North Pacific's $1 billion-a-year pollock fishery, which accounts for half the nation's catch of fish.

 Walleye pollock show some behavioral problems when exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide.

What a shutdown means for veterans


VoteVets.org

Add your name to VoteVets’ petition calling
for an end to the government shutdown

The Republican-sponsored government shutdown promises to have a drastic, and immediate, impact on veterans and military family members.

Starting today, the Department of Veterans Affairs may be forced to furlough up to 20,000 claims processors — wiping out all of the recent progress made reducing the backlog.

We could also begin to see immediate lapses in care. During the 1995 shutdown, some military hospitals canceled appointments and even some surgeries.

From there, things only get worse…

The VA believes that after two or three weeks “benefit checks it issues, including disability claims and pension payments will be disrupted.”

Worse still, the toll sequester has already taken on military readiness will be multiplied with each passing day.

But nothing ends this shutdown faster than the voices of veterans and military family members, particularly those personally impacted.

Add your name to mine on VoteVets’ petition calling for an end to the government shutdown, and let them know if you expect it to impact your family.

http://action.votevets.org/shutdown

In their zeal to deny coverage to the one million-plus uninsured veterans who will qualify for health care under the Affordable Care Act, Ted Cruz and his Tea Party allies are disproportionately placing the burden of a shutdown on military families.

We have an extraordinarily unique voice in this fight. It’s critical that you make yours heard today.

All the best,

General (Ret.) Wesley Clark

Tell Mars, Inc. to set an example for the Snack Food 20


Ran

by RAN

Today I visited the corporate headquarters of Mars, Inc. with Strawberry, an orphaned orangutan from Indonesia, to let the company know that consumers all across the world want Mars to stop using Conflict Palm Oil in its products.

Tell Mars and the rest of the Snack Food 20 to cut Conflict Palm Oil!
Image Description

Mars and all of the Snack Food 20 companies need to hear from you too!

Unlike some of its fellow Snack Food 20 companies, like Kraft and Smucker’s, Mars is on the move. We have a chance to push Mars, the maker of wildly popular brands like M&Ms, Snickers, and Combos, to become an industry leader in sourcing responsible palm oil.

After RAN put the snack food sector on notice last April, Mars, Inc. responded by strengthening its palm oil commitment. The company has committed to working towards sourcing 100% of its palm oil from traceable sources that are not associated with deforestation, expansion on carbon-rich peatlands and the violation of human and labor rights.

Mars needs to hear from you right now—the power is in your palm! Tell Mars to turn its new commitments into a global palm oil policy and take action to cut Conflict Palm Oil from its products immediately.

At the Mars HQ, Strawberry and I gave representatives of the company a copy of the RAN report Conflict Palm Oil: How US Snack Food Brands are Contributing to Orangutan Extinction, Climate Change and Human Rights Violations and outlined RAN’s demand to cut Conflict Palm Oil. We’re confident the company is getting the message.

But Mars won’t change unless it hears from enough of us that we expect it to cut Conflict Palm Oil from its products. Tell Mars and the rest of the Snack Food 20 to cut Conflict Palm Oil from their products!

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 10/2 ~~ the House


shutdownohnolook

The Senate stands in adjournment until 10:30am on Wednesday, October 2, 2013. 

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business for debate only until noon with the time equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

The period for morning business for debate only has been extended until 2:00pm.

There period for morning business has been extended until 5:00pm.

Senator Toomey asked that the Murray request (found below) be modified so that it not be in order for the Senate to consider a budget conference report that includes reconciliation instructions to raise the debt limit and to go to conference on the continuing resolution.

Senator Murray declined to modify her request and Senator Toomey objected to the original request.

UC Request

Murray:           I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate receives a Message from the House that they have passed H.J.Res.59, as amended by the Senate, the Senate then proceed to the consideration of     Calendar #33, H.Con.Res.25; that the amendment which is at the desk, the text of S.Con.Res.8, the budget resolution passed by the Senate, be inserted in lieu thereof; that H.Con.Res.25, as amended, be agreed to; the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that the Senate proceed to vote on a motion to insist on its amendment, request a conference with the House on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses; and authorize the Chair to appoint conferees on the part of the Senate; with all of the above occurring with no intervening action or debate.

Toomey:          I object

The Senate reached an agreement that if the Senate receives a bill from the House which is identical to S.1566, a bill providing a short term extension of Iraq special immigrant visas, as passed by the Senate, then the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

WRAP UP

No ROLL CALL VOTES

 

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

If the Senate receives a bill from the House which is identical to S.1566, a bill providing for a short-term extension of Iraq special immigrant visas, as passed by the Senate, the bill will be passed by the Senate.

If the Senate receives from the House any of the following joint resolutions or bills by 11:00am on Thursday, October 3rd, the measures will be placed on the Legislative Calendar under the provisions of Rule 14 during Thursday’s session:

–          H.J.Res.70, Open Our National Parks and Museums Act

–          H.J.Res.71, Provide Local Funding the District of Columbia Act

–          H.J.Res.72, Honoring Our Promise to America’s Veterans Act

–          H.J.Res.73, Research for Lifesaving Cures Act and

–          H.R.3230, Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act.

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

****************************************************************

Last Floor Action:
10:01:10 A.M. – MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate.

At the conclusion of Morning-Hour Debate, the House will recess until 12:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.

——————————————————————————————————

twisted Tuesday … a Govt shutdown?


Pfawextremism

 

just another rant

Will somebody tell Republicans it is time to pay the bills? The media keeps reminding us that thousands of people will be out of jobs, as if anyone needs to be reminded. In what was/is considered the worse economic collapse, Republicans voted against the stimulus package in 2008, but they acted as if they voted for it when the money came in. While they were handing out checks left and right they continued to bad mouth PBO and the big government behavior, some Republicans asked for more money others said the money really did help but would deny it if asked.  The fact is, even more tried to give the money back which not only hurt their constituents it put Teachers, Police and other first responders at risk of losing their jobs.

 

Yet, here we are in the year 2013 with Republicans deciding that holding America hostage in the 11th hour is the best way to do “The Peoples Business.”  Apparently, they are still pissed that #ACA passed through Congress ~ became a law (ACA) which was then deemed constitutional by SCOTUS but they do not care so #ACA has been on the floor say 43 – 46 times. The Republican Party talks about how unfair the Democrats have been while wasting tax payer money and looking quite stupid at the same time.  So, after hours and hours of legislative ping pong, Republicans continue to say NO to just about everything to people/voters who might otherwise be unemployed before the November elections.  It baffles me and got to wonder how does this 1%  behavior look to their constituents, not to mention it seems reckless and inadvisable but given the last few months of The Political Party of NO does not disappoint.  They have proven not to be honest players, have not voted on any jobs bills and call unemployment bailouts; listen if this does not open your eyes what Republicans can do to let the public realize they are willing to use Americans as pawns to gain control of Congress. Though PBO is in his 2nd term, Republicans continue to play political games, the governing party is in place and the fix needed is not.

 Congress knows what to do to fix the problem, yet Republicans do not seem to care

 The month of September has so many memories,  good bad and the really ugly. It is a time when summer ends a time to remember history and is yet another step to move the debt deficit and new bills forward, not to experience past acts or behaviors. It is a month to invoke compassion, peace, love and cooperation, we all know the weather and the NFL won’t

 Republicans seem to say one thing and do anther on the floor of Congress. If the economy had been ok prior to the election of President Obama, the amount of spending would be next to nothing …people just seem to have amnesia … but we cannot let Republicans gain control of what will be  not only a correction but a move toward the 21st Century.  It may cost a little more but what better way to spend money …on All Americans not a select few not for a group who practices exclusion.  The notion that the collapse of our economy just happened is stupid and people need to realize the sad reality that the last guy could have fended off this but opted to pass the buck on the next President. I remember Bush saying this guy has no clue, it was an offensive comment then, and now 5.5 yrs. later, it does not take a rocket scientist to know that the state of our economy was a lot worse than we will ever really know. I would like to know whom among us is that stupid to think it would be corrected in 20 months when the fix is for about 30 years of errors that got us into this financial crisis?

I blame the Republican Tea Party for our current lack of improvement with all their no votes, blocking major legislation and using Americans as pawns to gain back control by any means necessary. Conservatives continue invoke fear, promote hate toward people considered to be in the Protected Classes and that is not just scary but should be a red flag for those who expect Politicians to speak out and up for All Americans; clearly The Republican Tea Party is not for everyone.


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