Tacoma ICE Detention Center Wins $1.5B Federal Contract Renewal


Voters need to demand that this contract be investigated, since Tacoma and the surrounding area could have used that $ 1.5Bil for city infrastructure, and while members of our state congress and city council whine about this problem, as reported, it has been around for a decade… what took so long to get upset? ALL Detention Facilities need Oversight, yo

Bottom line:

The federal government has renewed GEO Group’s contract for the Tacoma ICE detention center for another decade at a multi‑billion‑dollar cost, despite ongoing criticism over conditions and oversight issues

FACTS:

Contract details

  • Value: $1.5 billion total; ~$140 million per year
  • Duration: October 29, 2026 – October 27, 2036
  • Operator: GEO Group, Florida‑based private prison company
  • Capacity: 1,635 beds at the Tacoma Tideflats facility
  • Services: Security, maintenance, food services, recreational amenities, medical care, and transportation

Source: Yahoo, KUOW,

Lawmakers’ concerns: U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Emily Randall visited the facility and called for an investigation, citing lack of transparency, a reported single‑bid process, and potential limits on state oversight

GEO Group has run the Northwest ICE Processing Center since 2005

The renewal follows the expiration of its previous 10‑year contract last year – Yahoo Finance

The deal comes amid ongoing scrutiny over detainee conditions, including reports of poor food quality, inadequate medical care, water quality issues, and delayed prescription access – KUOW

1948 ~ Killer smog claims elderly victims


1948 Donora killer fog disaster

On October 30, 1948, killer smog hovering over Donora, Pennsylvania claims its first two victims. Over a five-day period, the smog killed about 20 people and made thousands more seriously ill.

Donora was a town of 14,000 people on the Monongahela River in a valley surrounded by hills. The town was home to steel mills and a zinc smelting plant that had released excessive amounts of sulphuric acid, carbon monoxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere for years prior to the disaster. During the 1920s, the owner of the zinc plant, Zinc Works, paid off local residents for damages caused by the pollution. Still, there was little or no regulation of the air pollution caused by the industries of Donora.

Source: history.com

no645.com


Say NO to! Initiative645

I-645 would repeal the Millionaires Tax, a historic new law that will modestly increase taxes on just the top half of one percent of Washingtonians – while cutting taxes for the other 99.5% of us. And the facts are clear: the Millionaires Tax is a tax only on millionaires and income over one million dollars.
The governor has promised to veto any expansion of the tax, and any attempt to expand the tax would inevitably end up in front of the voters as an initiative. In the end, voters will always have the final say about who pays this tax and can reject any efforts to expand it.
Despite what Brian Heywood says, the Millionaires Tax bill that was signed into law was a package, with tax cuts for 99.5% of Washingtonians paid for by a tax on millionaires. Passing the initiative would put these critical tax breaks for Washingtonians in jeopardy, tax breaks that are only paid for by the Millionaires Tax.

Learn MORE … no645.com

NMAAHC Brings “Treasures​” to Houston on October 29 …National Museum of African American History and Culture


National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of
African American History and Culture
Brings “Treasures” to Houston October 29
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Houston Public Library will co-host a program to help Houston-area residents identify and preserve items of historical and cultural significance tucked away in the attics, closets and basements of their homes. The freeevent will feature presentations, hands-on activities and preservation tips.The program will take place Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Houston Public Library Central Library, 500 McKinney Street, Houston. Free and open to the public, the event is the 11th in a series from the museum’s signature program “Save Our African American Treasures: A National Collections Initiative of Discovery and Preservation.” All are welcome.

Save Our African American Treasures in Indianola, MS
National Museum of African American History and Culture’s
“Save Our African American Treasures” program in
Indianola, MS in September 2011.
Photo Credit: Michael Barnes, Smithsonian Institution.

Participants may bring up to three personal items for a 20-minute, one-on-one professional consultation with experts on how to care for them. The specialists will serve as reviewers, not appraisers, and will not determine an item’s monetary value. Objects such as books, paper and textiles that are no larger than a shopping bag can be reviewed. No furniture, carpets, firearms or paintings are allowed. Additional information is available at nmaahc.si.edu, by emailing treasures@si.edu or by calling (877) 733-9599.

The “Treasures” program also includes the following activities throughout the day:

  • The Gregory School: The African American Library at the Gregory School is the newest special collections unit operated by the Houston Public Library. Learn how it developed and about the unique collections and services it provides.
  • Preservation Presentations: Informal basic preservation sessions will take place during the day. The sessions will provide information on preserving clothing and textiles, family photographs and papers, digital memories and explain the process to establish an object’s provenance. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions.
  • Hands-on Preservation: In this hands-on activity, participants are invited to learn how to store letters properly, pack garments and prepare photographs for preservation storage and presentation.

As a companion to the series, the museum has produced African American Treasures: A Preservation Guide, a 30-page guidebook that is distributed free to attendees to highlight the importance of proper preservation techniques. The guidebook is part of the “Treasures” kit. Also distributed will be white cotton gloves, archival tissue papers and archival documents sleeves to help people keep their personal treasures safe.

Save Our African American Treasures in Dalllas, TX
National Museum of African American History and Culture’s
“Save Our African American Treasures” program in
Dallas, TX in June 2011.
Photo Credit: Michael Barnes, Smithsonian Institution.

“Save our African American Treasures” is made possible with support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The grants also support the pre-design and construction of the museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., scheduled to open in 2015.

For more information about The National Museum of African American History and Culture, visit nmaahc.si.edu or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

For further information about the Houston Public Library please visit www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832-393-1313.

on this day … 10/28


1965
Gateway Arch completed
On this day in 1965, construction is completed on the Gateway Arch, a spectacular 630-foot-high parabola of stainless steel marking the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial on the waterfront of St. Louis, Missouri. The Gateway Arch, designed by Finnish-born, American-educated architect Eero… read more »
1775
British proclamation forbids residents from leaving Boston »
1992
Leif Erickson Tunnel completes 1,593-mile I-35 »
1864
Second Battle of Fair Oaks concludes »
1962
The Cuban Missile Crisis comes to an end »
1961
Chuck Berry goes on trial for the second time »
DI
1999
Cyclone intensifies near India »
G
1886
Statue of Liberty dedicated »
1919
Congress enforces prohibition »
1905
George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession is performed in New York »
MUSIC
1998
President Bill Clinton signs the Digital Millennium Copyright Act into law »
1965
Workers complete the famous Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri »
1886
Grover Cleveland dedicates Statue of Liberty »
1922
Princeton-Chicago football game is broadcast across the country »
1962
Khrushchev orders withdrawal of missiles from Cuba »
1964
U.S. officials deny any involvement in bombing of North Vietnam. »
1965
Viet Cong commandos raid U.S. airfields »
1918
German sailors begin to mutiny »
1940
Italy invades Greece »

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