On December 9, 1869, Uriah Smith Stephens, a descendant of Quaker settlers and a former indentured servant, founds a secret order of tailors in Philadelphia called the Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor (or KOL). It would become the first major national labor organization in the United States.

Earlier that decade, Stephens had tried to organize Philadelphia’s garment cutters, using work stoppages as leverage. When that failed to pressure employers into providing better pay and working conditions, he had an epiphany: Their strength would only come in numbers. In response, he launched the Knights of Labor as a national organization. Stephens served as its first grand master workman.  To foster solidarity and shield members from employer retaliation, the KOL fostered a culture of secrecy modeled partly on Masonic lodges, which had their origin in medieval craft guilds. KOL members swore oaths of silence, used entry passwords and followed initiation rituals. Organizers called meetings surreptitiously by chalking symbols onto sidewalks and the sides of buildings.

Over the 1870s, the Knights expanded nationwide, attracting skilled laborers such as blacksmiths and bricklayers. The organization gradually opened its doors to all wage laborers, while excluding professionals such as bankers, lawyers, doctors and alcohol manufacturers.

In 1879, when Stephens left the organization, leadership passed to Terence V. Powderly, an Irish Catholic machinist, who broadened the order’s reach by insisting that women be accepted as equal members—a radical decision for the era.

By the 1880s, the KOL had swelled to more than 700,000 members. In 1884, when the Union Pacific Railroad cut worker wages by 10 percent, the organization helped orchestrate a massive strike that halted rail service across the Midwest. Within days, the railroad restored its workers’ original pay.

History.com Editors

The “safe harbor” regulations describe various payment and business practices that, although they potentially implicate the Federal anti-kickback statute, are not treated as offenses under the statute.

The safe harbor regulations, in their entirety, can be found here.

Links to Federal Register notices containing preambles to the safe harbor regulations appear below.

2020

11-20-2020Final Rule: Revisions to Safe Harbors Under the Anti-Kickback Statute, and Civil Monetary Penalty Rules Regarding Beneficiary Inducements

Fact Sheet – Fact Sheet-Final Rule (hhs.gov)

Final Rule: Removal of Safe Harbor Protection for Rebates Involving Prescription Pharmaceuticals and Creation of New Safe Harbor Protection for Certain Point-of-Sale Reductions in Price on Prescription Pharmaceuticals and Certain Pharmacy Benefit Manager Service Fees

only in America … sigh

source: oig.hhs.gov

After four weeks of testimony and over 70 witnesses in a civil trial in Memphis, Tennessee, twelve jurors reached a unanimous verdict on December 8, 1999 after about an hour of deliberations that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. In a press statement held the following day in Atlanta, Mrs. Coretta Scott King welcomed the verdict, saying , “There is abundant evidence of a major high level conspiracy in the assassination of my husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. And the civil court’s unanimous verdict has validated our belief. I wholeheartedly applaud the verdict of the jury and I feel that justice has been well served in their deliberations. This verdict is not only a great victory for my family, but also a great victory for America. It is a great victory for truth itself. It is important to know that this was a SWIFT verdict, delivered after about an hour of jury deliberation.

The jury was clearly convinced by the extensive evidence that was presented during the trial that, in addition to Mr. Jowers, the conspiracy of the Mafia, local, state and federal government agencies, were deeply involved in the assassination of my husband. The jury also affirmed overwhelming evidence that identified someone else, not James Earl Ray, as the shooter, and that Mr. Ray was set up to take the blame. I want to make it clear that my family has no interest in retribution. Instead, our sole concern has been that the full truth of the assassination has been revealed and adjudicated in a court of law… My husband once said, “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” To-day, almost 32 years after my husband and the father of my four children was assassinated, I feel that the jury’s verdict clearly affirms this principle. With this faith, we can begin the 21st century and the new millennium with a new spirit of hope and healing.”

for more go to: thekingcenter.org

1765 – Eli Whitney was born in Westboro, MA. Whitney invented the cotton gin and developed the concept of mass-production of interchangeable parts.

1776 – George Washington’s retreating army in the American Revolution crossed the Delaware River from New Jersey to Pennsylvania.

1854 – Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The theory holds that Mary, mother of Jesus, was free of original sin from the moment she was conceived.

1863 – U.S. President Abraham Lincoln announced his plan for the Reconstruction of the South.

1863 – Tom King of England defeated American John Heenan and became the first world heavyweight champion.

1886 – At a convention of union leaders in Columbus, OH, the American Federation of Labor was founded.

1941 – The United States entered World War II when it declared war against Japan. The act came one day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Britain and Canada also declared war on Japan.

1949 – The Chinese Nationalist government moved from the Chinese mainland to Formosa due to Communists pressure.

1952 – On the show “I Love Lucy,” a pregnancy was acknowledged in a TV show for the first time.

1953 – Los Angeles became the third largest city in the United States.

1962 – Workers of the International Typographical Union began striking and closed nine New York City newspapers. The strike lasted 114 days and ended April 1, 1963.

1980 – Zimbabwe’s manpower minister, Edgar Tekere, was found guilty in the killing of a white farmer. He was freed under a law that protected ministers acting to suppress terrorism.

1982 – Norman D. Mayer demanding an end to nuclear weapons held the Washington Monument hostage. He threatened to blow it up with explosives he claimed were inside a van. 10 hours later he was shot to death by police.

1984 – In Roanoke, Virginia, a jury found Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt innocent of libeling Reverend Jerry Falwell with a parody advertisement. However Falwell was awarded $200,000 for emotional distress.

1987 – U.S. President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed a treaty agreeing to destroy their nations’ arsenals of intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

1987 – The “intefadeh” (Arabic for uprising) by Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories began.

1989 – Communist leaders in Czechoslovakia offered to surrender their control over the government and accept a minority role in a coalition Cabinet.

1991 – Russia, Byelorussia and Ukraine declared the Soviet national government to be dead. They forged a new alliance to be known as the Commonwealth of Independent States. The act was denounced by Russian President Gorbachev as unconstitutional.

1992 – Americans got to see live television coverage of U.S. troops landing on the beaches of Somalia during Operation Restore Hope. (Due to the time difference, it was December 9 in Somalia.)

1993 – U.S. President Clinton signed into law the North American Free Trade Agreement.

1994 – Bosnian Serbs released dozens of hostage peacekeepers, but continued to detain about 300 others.

1994 – In Los Angeles, 12 alternate jurors were chosen for the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

1997 – The second largest bank was created with the announcement that Union Bank Switzerland and the Swiss Bank Corporation would merge. The combined assets were more than $590 billion.

1997 – Jenny Shipley was sworn in as the first female prime minister of New Zealand.

1998 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police could not search a person or their cars after ticketing for a routine traffic violation.

1998 – The FBI opened its files on Frank Sinatra to the public. The file contained over 1,300 pages.

1998 – Nkem Chukwu and Iyke Louis Udobi’s first of eight babies was born. The other seven were delivered 12 days later.

1998 – AT&T Corp. announced that it was buying IBM’s data networking business for $5 billion cash.

1998 – The first female ice hockey game in Olympic history was played. Finland beat Sweden 6-0.

1999 – In Memphis, TN, a jury found that Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had been the victim of a vast murder conspiracy, not a lone assassin.

1999 – Russia and Belarus agreed in principle to form an economic and political confederation.

2000 – Mario Lemieux announced to the Pittsburgh Penguins that he planned to return to the National Hockey League (NHL) as a player at age 35. He would be the first modern owner-player in U.S. pro sports.

Mon, Dec 8, 4:00 AM PST to Fri, Dec 12, 4:00 PM PST

Summary

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS… – An atmospheric river moving into the region early this week will bring periods moderate to heavy rain to the region. Sharp rises will be possible on area rivers, especially those flowing off the Olympics and Cascades. Urban and small stream flooding is possible for areas with poor drainage. Saturated soils will bring increased potential for landslides and debris flows on burn scars. – Http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.

Alert details ~ Areal Flood – Watch

What

Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible.

Where

Portions of northwest and west central Washington, including the following counties, in northwest Washington, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, San Juan, Skagit and Whatcom. In west central Washington, King, Lewis, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston.

When

From 4 AM PST Monday through Friday afternoon.

Impacts

Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.

Issued By

NWS Seattle WA

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

Wind Alert ~ Mon, Dec 8, 7:00 AM PST to Mon, Dec 8, 10:00 PM PST

What

South winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected.

Where

Portions of northwest and west central Washington.

When

From 7 AM to 10 PM PST Monday.

Impacts

Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

Summary

Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicles. Secure outdoor objects.

Issued By

NWS Seattle WA