Podcasts about access act

Follow us on X: @RepBost @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with U.S. Congressman Mike Bost, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. In the 119th Congress, Rep. Mike Bost serves on two other key committees: Transportation & Infrastructure, and Agriculture. The conversation on America's Roundtable covers key topics focusing on addressing pressing policy issues impacting American citizens and the challenges emanating from abroad including the China threat which affects the United States and its allies: — Chairman Mike Bost's leadership role at the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. — Securing America's borders | Addressing the adverse impact of fentanyl on American lives and deporting illegal immigrants involved in acts of crime and violence. Chairman Bost speaks to sheriffs in the Midwest. — President Donald Trump's economic and security policies — efforts to advance free, fair and reciprocal trade. Chairman Bost provides his insights on the proposed tariffs presented by President Trump. — Chairman Bost re-introduced the Fighting Trade Cheats Act, legislation to hold China and other bad actors accountable for unfair trade practices that destroy American jobs. His bill takes aim at companies dumping foreign-made goods in U.S. markets by allowing U.S. manufacturers to sue foreign producers for customs fraud. The Fighting Trade Cheats Act will provide necessary updates to America's existing trade laws and the penalties in place for violating them. — The 80th anniversary of the end of WWII | Victory in Europe (VE) Day on May 8 and Victory over Japan (VJ) Day on August 15. — The 80th anniversary of the allies' initial crossing of the River Rhine at Remagen, Germany. The crucial role of America's enterprises during WWII in supporting US troops and the inspiring story of Correct Craft in building boats to cross the River Rhine, the last natural barrier to Berlin. This allowed US troops to advance rapidly — breaking open Germany's defenses and hastening the defeat of the Third Reich. National Geographic later dubbed Correct Craft's incredible work as “A Miracle Production.” Chairman Bost introduced legislation to increase access to care for veterans through the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) providers in the community. The Veterans' Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Service members (ACCESS) Act of 2025 would establish existing community care access standards as the baseline standard of care for veterans seeking care in the community, increase access to life-saving treatment programs for veterans with mental health conditions or addiction and expand the list of criteria VA is required to take into account when determining whether it is in a veteran's best medical interest to refer a veteran to the community to include veteran preference and continuity of care. Brief Bio Rep. Mike Bost is proud to represent the 34 counties of Illinois' 12th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sworn into office on January 6, 2015, Mike is continuing the fight for our Southern Illinois' values in Washington – a fight he began in U.S. military, then as a first responder, a local job creator, and a state representative. In the 119th Congress, Rep. Bost serves on three key committees: Veterans' Affairs, Transportation & Infrastructure, and Agriculture. On the Veterans' Affairs Committee he serves as the Chairman. Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Bost served for two decades in the Illinois House of Representatives, rising to the leadership position of House Republican Caucus Chair. Rep. Bost also served as a firefighter for the Murphysboro Fire Department. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps serving his country from 1979 to 1982. He was trained as an electronic specialist and radar repairman and received an honorable discharge as a Corporal E-4. In addition to his duties as a Member of Congress, Rep. Bost is very active in his church and community. Rep. Bost and his wife, Tracy, own and operate a small business – the White House Salon – in Murphysboro. For further details on Chairman Mike Bost's leadership initiatives in Congress, please visit: Congressman Mike Bost's Official Website (https://bost.house.gov/) https://bost.house.gov/ americasrt.com (https://americasrt.com/) https://summitleadersusa.com/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 X: @RepBost @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 65 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

Listen to an all-new NWABJ Report with Roby Brock for 2.27.25 featuring an interview with Rep. Matthew Shepherd, lead sponsor of the ACCESS Act, Gov, Sarah Sanders' higher education bill. 

The USDA Farm Service Agency's $2 billion Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops Program is now accepting applications through January 8th, and the “Access to Capital Creates Economic Strength and Supports Rural America Act” unanimously passed in the Senate.

Monday, November 18th, 2024Today, President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long range US weapons inside Russia; a woman testified to the House Ethics Committee that she witnessed Matt Gaetz commit statutory rape of a minor; Trump's secretary of defense pick Pete Hegseth paid a woman to keep quiet about sexual assault; Senate Democrats call for a probe of Elon Musks government contracts in light of his ties to Russia; a look into the Republican false flag effort to turn off Harris voters; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.Thank You, HelixHelix is offering 25% off sitewide plus 2 FREE Dream Pillows with any mattress purchase OR a FREE Bedding Bundle with any Luxe or Elite mattress order when you go to HelixSleep.com/DailyBeans.Thank You, ZBioticsGo to ZBiotics.com/DAILYBEANS to get 15% off your first order when you use the code DAILYBEANS at checkout. Stories:Trump team weighs Pentagon pick after sexual assault allegation surfaces (Wahington Post)Exclusive: Woman told House Ethics panel she witnessed Gaetz having sex with minor, lawyer says (ABC News)Inside the Republican false-flag effort to turn off Kamala Harris voters (Washington Post)Senators Call for Probe of Musk's SpaceX Contracts Over Russia (Bloomberg)Have some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/From The Good NewsComplete the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Form With the PSLF Help Tool (student aid.gov)Fact Sheet: College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 (archives.gov)https://x.com/StrayDogNZ/status/1856947102821355525?t=5hqXYMTBq9udm0kTPmr5Pg&s=19Bluesky (bsky.app) Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Subscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on Substackhttps://muellershewrote.substack.comFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaDr. Allison Gill substack|Muellershewrote, twitter|@MuellerSheWrote, threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewroteDana Goldbergtwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.comHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/Patreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts

Today's Topics: 1) Who is behind the AZ abortion access act? https://cforc.com/2024/03/who-is-behind-the-az-abortion-access-act/ 2, 3) Protests Work! Satancon 2024 is canceled https://www.tfp.org/protests-work-satancon-canceled-for-2024/ 3, 4) Debriefing on the weekends prayer rally at the satanic conference

The Modernizing Opioid Treatment and Access Act, or MOTAA, was presented to Congress in March 2023, as a means to expand access to medicines used in opioid use disorder treatment. Clearly such legislation is needed in light of the 100,000 … Why can't more physicians prescribe medicines to treat addiction? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

The House Committee on the Judiciary considers H.R.1709, the Tribal Firearm Access Act, at a markup on January 18, 2024. The bill ensures that tribal identification cards can be used to obtain firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer. The committee approved the bill by a voice vote. It can now be considered by the full U.S. House of Representatives.

Today on What's Next?, Jay Moran has two conversations around one central topic: the Erie County Language Access Act. The bill passed by the county legislature in late 2023 aims to make vital government documents available in the top six languages used by community members in Erie County. The hope is to broaden interpretation and translation services especially as it pertains to emergency announcements. The local refugee and immigrant populations weighed in to help develop the bill. Our first guest, International Institute of Buffalo executive director, Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, speaks about why that matters. After, David Wantuck, who heads up People Inc's Deaf Access Services program, gives his take on the importance of including American Sign Language in the new bill, and what lies ahead.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, Kara Newbury, ASCA regulatory counsel and director of government affairs, leads a discussion about the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023 (H.R. 972/S.312) with her colleagues David Opong-Wadee, ASCA manager of legislative and political affairs, and Maia Kunkel, ASCA manager of government affairs. The episode provides a summary of the key provisions of the legislation and the ways it would benefit both patients and ASCs. It also looks at the Washington, DC, fly-in and lobbying event conducted February 28 and March 1 this year as part of ASCA's 2023 National Advocacy Day. Seventy ASCA members from 31 states met with members of Congress and their staff to discuss ASCA's legislative goals and the many ways ASCs serve their constituents and communities. 

At many of the warehouses, ports, retailers, and other destinations where truckers need to spend time loading or unloading cargo, these facilities have been able to deny access to existing restrooms for truck drivers. Well, this may be about to change. Read the full article here: https://www.mylittlesalesman.com/news/trucker-bathroom-access-act --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/buying-bigger-better/message

Our favorite co-host Greg Bach is back! Getting to know Representative Lee Snodgrass. Ben Brey helps us understand what's happening in the stock market these days. Tammy Baldwin's new bills. Wisconsinites are returning to the workforce. Wisconsin residents are un-retiring. Low-stress jobs are on the rise. Representative Lee Snodgrass has finished her first term and is ready for more (0:20:58 - 0:44:28) Representative to Wisconsin's 57th Assembly District, Lee Snodgrass talks about why she's running for re-election and the challenges of being a legislator. Ben Brey explains the market (0:44:40 - 0:57:02) Yesterday was the worst day for the stock market since 2020, but why? Founder of Deductive Capital, Ben Brey explains. Senator Tammy Baldwin talks about her new bills (1:05:16 - 1:20:13) Senator Tammy Baldwin believes all Wisconsinites should be able to watch Packer games without hassle per her Go Pack Go act.In support of same-sex and interracial marriage, Senator Baldwin pushes for her Respect for Marriage bill to be passed.Senator Baldwin pushes for legislation to increase access to Opioid overdose reversal drug, through the Naloxone Education and Access Act. Why so many Wisconsinites have chosen to 'un-retire' (1:30:43 - 1:41:23) Many elderly folk have chosen to come back into the workplace due to boredom, inflation, and lack of budgeting. Many are switching careers to work in more low-stress jobs. (1:50:10 - 2:04:18) The new era of treating a job, as simply just a job, has been on the rise and many people are no longer working outside of their job description. Music from today's show can be found on As Goes Wisconsin's Spotify playlist We love hearing from you! Got a topic you think we should cover? Have an idea for a guest we should have on? Want to leave us feedback? Let us know!

Have you ever been out in public and needed a toilet — but there wasn't one available? This has happened to everyone who lives with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), which is why so many of us have “bathroom accident” stories. Needing to use the bathroom is a basic human need, but it's treated like an afterthought. That's where the Restroom Access Act comes into play: a law passed in several states that allows people to request access to a toilet when they live with certain conditions. There is no such law currently in California. That's hopefully going to change thanks to the efforts of Ashlyn Saltzburg and Kelly Silk. Ashlyn is a teenager living with IBD and Kelly is her mom. Their effort to get a law passed in California is nothing short of heroic. Learn about how they got started on this journey to have the Restroom Access Act passed in California, and how you can help. More information and a transcript: https://bit.ly/AIBD119 Concepts discussed on this episode: Athletic Greens AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/ibdpod How the Restroom Access Act Helps Those With IBD: https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-restroom-access-act-1942432 California Assembly Bill 1632: https://legiscan.com/CA/bill/AB1632/2021 Akilah Weber, Assmblymember, District 79: https://a79.asmdc.org/2021-2022-legislation Shervin Rabizadeh, MD, MBA: https://bio.cedars-sinai.org/rabizadehsx/index.html Find Amber J Tresca at: AboutIBD.com: http://aboutibd.com/ Verywell: https://www.verywell.com/ibd-crohns-colitis-4014703 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aboutIBD Twitter: https://twitter.com/aboutIBD Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aboutibd/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/about_IBD/ Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney: https://www.facebook.com/michaelandrewcooney Theme music, IBD Dance Party, is from ©Cooney Studio: https://michaelandrewcooney.bandcamp.com/track/ibd-dance-party-single

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice is joined by Annie Sariego, the chair of ASCA's Government Affairs Committee, and Kara Newbury, ASCA regulatory counsel and director of government affairs, for a discussion about the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2021. This legislation, which was recently introduced in Congress, was developed by several members of the US House and Senate with the help and cooperation of ASCA. It is intended to improve the patient experience, lower the cost of outpatient surgeries and keep ASCs competitive with other sites of care.

In this Breaking Changes tl;dr mini-episode, Postman Chief Evangelist Kin Lane welcomes  Mark to discuss the Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching (ACCESS) Act of 2021 moving through the United States Congress.

In this Breaking Changes tl;dr mini-episode, Postman Chief Evangelist Kin Lane welcomes Keir to discuss the Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching (ACCESS) Act of 2021 moving through the United States Congress.

In this episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast, my colleague Olivier Blanchard and I engage in a drill-down conversation around the five new antitrust bills congress brought forward last week aimed at Big Tech, and what the likely ramifications are for reach. Our discussion examined: The Ending Platform Monopolies Act which proposes that Congress can have the ability to break up a company “when the covered platform's ownership or control of that line of business gives rise to an irreconcilable conflict of interest.” This would apply to Facebook, Google, Apple, and Amazon just to name a few. The Platform Anti-Monopoly Act which is aimed at companies with over $600bn in annual revenue and 500,000 Monthly Active Users (MAU) and would prevent these companies from prioritizing their own products in the market. The Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching Act of 2021 (also known as The ACCESS Act of 2021) which would target data sharing practices. The Merger Filing Fee modernization Act of 2021 which would add more support and resources to the FTC and the antitrust division of the DOJ. The Platform Competition and Opportunity Act which would increase the difficulty for Big Tech companies to acquire other companies. For a deeper understanding of each proposed bill check out Olivier Blanchard's breakdown here: The Problem With Congress's 5 New Antitrust Bills Aimed At Reining In U.S. Big Tech   Disclaimer: This show is for information and entertainment purposes only. While we will discuss publicly traded companies on this show, the contents of this show should not be taken as investment advice.

This week on my podcast, my latest short story, Inside the Clock Tower, science fiction for Consumer Reports that paints a picture of how tech platforms might work if the ACCESS Act passes and the big companies have to allow others to interoperate with them. MP3

Did you know that in a 2016 referendum, 86% of D.C. residents voted in favor of statehood? Dr. Serina Floyd, OB/GYN and Medical Director/Vice President of Medical Services at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. and Kory Stuer, Public Affairs Manager at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C, sit down to talk with us about the importance of statehood for Washington, D.C., and what it would mean for the reproductive health, rights, and justice of D.C. residents. Washington, D.C., is a district of more than 700,000 tax-paying residents, all of whom do not have basic democratic rights-- including voting representation in Congress. D.C. residents also do not have control over how tax dollars are spent at the local-level, meaning members of Congress can block or overturn any D.C.-based bills. D.C's lack of statehood has a direct impact on the public health of its residents.  The district has high levels of inequity in health outcomes, with those who are most marginalized also experiencing the highest rates of health inequalities. For example, D.C.'s maternal mortality rate for Black residents is so high that it the district has the 5th worst overall rate in the country, 50% higher than the national average. The D.C. Council has introduced the Maternal Health Resources and Access Act, which, if passed, will respond to this crisis, and improve access through multiple mechanisms. The recent release of the President's budget repealed the Hyde amendment and the D.C. abortion ban (this ban refers to a separate appropriations rider that prevents the District from using their own tax dollars for funding abortion care). In 2017, young people between the ages of 13 and 24 accounted for 41% of HIV diagnoses in D.C.; double the national average. Yet, members of Congress have routinely voted for bills that prevent young people from accessing sexual and reproductive health care without their parent's consent and stymied needle exchange programs. Lack of D.C. statehood has no doubt impact the district when it comes to COVID-19. Black residents have made up 50% of COVID cases and 70% of deaths yet have only received 37% of vaccinations.  There is current legislation that has a historic level of support led by Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton in the House and Senator Tom Carper in the Senate. The bill, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, creates a new state out of the specifically residential areas. You can learn more about it here. LinksPlanned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. on FacebookPlanned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. on TwitterMore information on the Maternal Health Resources and Access ActMore information on the Washington, D.C. Admission ActSupport the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

Policy Lessons from COVID “Nursing home residents need access to technology to speak to their loved ones.”— Lieke van Heumen, PhD 2019-2020 Health and Aging Policy Fellow Responding to COVID-10 required the Aging Services Network to become even more creative in responding to the constraints the pandemic put on service delivery.  They now feel much more prepared to deal with the challenges that a pandemic brings. Even if there are new lockdowns, they can use the experiences 2020 required to continue to serve seniors. In this week’s episode, we are joined by Lieke van Heumen and Samantha Koehler. We'll learn about: Challenges for the Aging Services Network Nutrition and Social Isolation Policy Solutions Lieke’s Next Steps in her Career after completing the Health and Aging Policy Fellowship Part One of ‘Policy Lessons from COVID with Lieke van Heumen and Samantha Koehler’ The Aging Services Network consists of the agencies, programs, and activities supported by the Older Americans Act that help older adults who live in the community be healthy and have the social engagement they need. Some states only have a state unit on aging; they don't have an Area Agency on Aging in each county. If you are unsure if your county has an Area Agency on Aging (AAA), use the Eldercare Locator website to connect with the nearest  be available AAA in your area.    In this week’s episode, we discuss the challenges COVID posed for The Aging Services Network and how they responded.     At the start of the pandemic, along with the rest of the country, seniors were asked to stay home to protect themselves and others from the virus. You can imagine how difficult it became for them to access nutritional resources,  home and community-based services, and stay socially connected without being able to leave their homes. During the spring of 2020, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) held a series of roundtables with 52 of the Area Agencies on Aging in Pennsylvania to hear directly from them about their concerns, as they tried to ensure the health and well-being of the seniors they serve. Senator Casey also spoke with the Pennsylvania Council on Aging, an organization of older adults across Pennsylvania designated to inform the Pennsylvania Department of Aging on issues that impact them.    Several different challenges were revealed during these insightful conversations, including the lack of: (1) sufficient COVID testing; (2) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); (3) sufficient staffing of the long-term care workforce; (4) technology for nursing home residents to stay in touch with their family members; and (4) concerns about Ombudsmen not being able to access seniors in congregate settings. These conversations with the AAA’s also revealed the need for flexibility with program funding; flexibility that would allow distribution of funds based on the specific needs of each county. Some expressed concern about older adults’ ability to enroll in Medicare because of the closure of some of the Social Security offices, and about delays in receiving care due to the stay at home orders. Many AAA’s shared concerns about older adults’ increased mental health needs due to  increased loneliness, social isolation, and anxiety. And finally, they shared that many more older adults were requesting home-delivered meals than before the pandemic.  “We saw a boom in older Americans requiring nutrition assistance.” — Samantha Koehler, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging COVID has impacted access to nutrition for many older adults in this country. How has the aging services network responded? Prior to COVID, seniors have long relied on a patchwork of federally funded nutrition programs to meet their needs. And yet food security has long persisted, even with this patchwork of programs administered out of the Administration for Community Living and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Due to the pandemic, even small changes in access to and availability of nutritious meals can put the health and well-being of older adults in jeopardy. Millions of seniors across the country are served each year by senior nutrition programs, particularly the home-delivered meal program. Many of us know this program as Meals on Wheels America. The home-delivered meal program and  the congregate meal program are authorized by the Older Americans Act. Many seniors are also served by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (senior food box program). These are all authorized programs under the Farm Bill and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  In March, when COVID-19 hit, there was a boom in older Americans requiring nutrition assistance. As part of both the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the CARES Act which were passed in March, Senator Casey championed over a billion dollars in funding for programs authorized under the Older Americans Act, including a significant increase in funding for home-delivered meals and congregate meal programs. The Area Agencies on Aging have used that funding to serve increasing numbers of seniors in need of nutritious foods. But most importantly, that legislation also included flexibility for Area Agencies on Aging to designate individuals who usually attended senior centers for congregate meals as eligible for home-delivered meals.  Senator Casey has also been advocating for expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. When the pandemic started, we began hearing from older Pennsylvanians who are SNAP recipients that although they had SNAP benefits, they were not able to use them because they were afraid and unable to leave their homes to go to the grocery store. Many people relied on grocery delivery during the initial phases of the pandemic. Yet, for low-income seniors who utilize SNAP there were limited options to have their groceries delivered. Throughout the pandemic's summer months, there was an expansion of the SNAP online purchasing program that Senator Casey had been pushing for. This allowed some individuals to receive grocery deliveries using their SNAP card. But additional barriers remain. Senator Casey has continued to call on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase access to SNAP grocery delivery by including additional retailers and purchasing options.  We have come a long way in the past seven months. However, we have a long way to go to make sure that seniors continue to have access to nutrition and that the Area Agencies on Aging and the SNAP program can continue to serve seniors as the pandemic unfortunately continues. Part Two of ‘Policy Lessons from COVID with Lieke van Heumen and Samantha Koehler’ Social isolation and loneliness are something that is experienced at very high rates in the older population and has worsened because of the pandemic. This has caused a lot of concern for the mental and physical health of older adults, and will probably have a long-term impact. Senator Casey co-sponsored the ACCESS Act with Senator Klobuchar (S. 3517), the purpose of this Act is to facilitate virtual visits for those who live in nursing homes. This fall, Senator Casey also published a report: ‘Reimagining Aging in America:  Blueprint to Create Health and Economic Security for Older Adults. This report explores how the pandemic has impacted seniors and offers policy solutions to address the inequities of aging in America. Preventing social isolation and loneliness is an important focus in the report. Some policy solutions that need to be enacted to alleviate social isolation and loneliness in seniors include giving Area Agencies on Aging and senior centers the tools and the funding that they need to implement virtual programming and support seniors to participate in small group activities. Another priority is expanding Internet access and increasing access to phones and tablets, which can partly be accomplished through passing the Act.  “Millions of seniors across the country are served each year by senior nutrition programs, particularly the home-delivered meal program.” —  Samantha Koehler, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Moving forward, what are some of the policy solutions that will be required to alleviate the problems older American’s are facing? Access to nutritious foods and social isolation are issues during this pandemic, but those are just two of the many issues seniors are facing at this time. There are also issues related to seniors in terms of keeping economic security during this pandemic, issues related to job loss. We continue to hear from seniors in Pennsylvania and from our Aging Network in Pennsylvania that these issues persist. While they are certainly grateful for the funding and the flexibility they have received so far, this is just a step in the right direction, and we cannot go backward. We need to continue supporting the Aging Network because they are in need, and seniors are in need.  What can the general public do to help? Or, how can individuals volunteer? At the beginning of the pandemic there were some concerns about having less volunteers available since many are older adults themselves. However the influx of volunteers has been overwhelming, particularly from younger individuals like college-age students who were home and physically unable to be on their college campuses. If you are a local business or individual, and you want to donate or volunteer, just giving a call to your local organization that serves seniors is the best thing that you could be doing. It is good to realize that there are ways of volunteering without leaving your home. Samantha highlights the importance of researchers knowing how to speak policy. She says, "I don't think that policy professionals always know how to speak about research. The more researchers that can translate their research into short, easy to consume pieces of information for policy professionals, the more likely we will consume that research. By having Lieke as a fellow, and the other fellows that we've had on the committee, just spreading the word of how to better communicate with policy with individuals in the policy sphere is so important." About Dr. Lieke van Heumen, PhD Dr. Lieke van Heumen is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research expertise is aging of adults with lifelong disabilities, specifically intellectual and developmental disabilities. She holds a PhD in Disability Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She received both her undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology with a specialization in gerontology from the Radboud University in the Netherlands. Before moving to Chicago, she worked as a direct support professional and later as a psychologist in several Dutch group homes for older individuals with intellectual disabilities. She is a 2019-2020 American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow and 2019-2020 Health and Aging Policy Fellow. About Samantha Koehler, MSW, MPH Samantha Koehler is a Senior Policy Aide for Ranking Member Bob Casey of the U.S. Senate Special Committee of Aging. Her current work focuses on the intersection of aging and health policy, including the Older Americans Act, rural health, and Medicare access and affordability. Previously, Samantha served as a direct practice social worker. As a Care Manager for older adults, she focused on long-term care planning and access to health care and social services. Samantha has her MSW and MPH from the University of Michigan. About Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FGSA, FAAN I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (‘96) and Master of Science in Nursing (‘00) as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) School of Nursing (SON). I truly enjoy working with the complex medical needs of older adults. I worked full-time for five years as FNP in geriatric primary care across many long-term care settings (skilled nursing homes, assisted living, home and office visits) then transitioned into academic nursing in 2005, joining the faculty at UNCW SON as a lecturer. I obtained my PhD in Nursing and a post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing Education from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing (’11) and then joined the faculty at Duke University School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor. My family moved to northern Virginia in 2015 and led to me joining the faculty at George Washington University (GW) School of Nursing in 2018 as a (tenured) Associate Professor where I am also the Director of the GW Center for Aging, Health and Humanities. Find out more about her work at https://melissabphd.com/.

Stephanie Hale shares her journey applying for and receiving Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Mentioned on the Show The Pharmacist’s Guide to Conquering Student Loans by Tim Church Join the YFP Facebook Group FedLoan Servicing Ask a YFP CFP #36: If I’ve been under the wrong repayment plan, can I apply for Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF)? YFP 018: Maximizing the Benefits of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) YFP 078: Is Pursuing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program a Waste? College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF) Email TEPSLF@myfedloan.org Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Support (PSLF) Facebook Group Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast    

Welcome to Finance and Fury, the Say What Wednesday edition.   Last part of a 3 part series from Ryan’s questions – looking at alternative future investment strategies Episode two weeks ago – went through debt jubilees – Last week went through policies and how these have affected asset prices This episode we will be focusing on alternative investment options – such as crypto – thinking outside traditional investments like shares or property when it comes to future investment strategies Before we start - Hypothetical question – what has more value – A litre of water or a new 60” flat screen TV Depends on your situation – and perception of value Most people would say a new TV would be more valuable – as the monetary cost is maybe around $1,000 – water out of the tap is a fraction of a cent – based around that situation – monetary only – TV is better – but what if someone is dying of thirst – water is more valuable – what if in a hypothetical situation in the future – electricity is gone – TV would have no use then and have no value Price is not value - All assets can be propped up on prices – overdemand – hand sanitizer or toilet paper Why determining the value of an investment to you is important Before looking at alternative investments – have to ask the question: What is your purpose of investing? That is where you can get value from Need to narrow it down – can’t just be something generic like to make money – or become wealthy Is it for passive income – if so, you need to invest in income paying assets Is it to accumulate wealth – if so, you need good long term growth and diversification to help protect from downside volatility – As if you are after something that gains wealth long term - then it Cant be extremely speculative – if goal is to accumulate wealth – and put it into something that only has value due to confidence – can create a situation where your goal is failed -loss of value – in addition – extreme political risks exist with some asset classes – Each traditional investment is Within the ‘system’ – this can work for people as this system protects its own - through laws – but depending on the type of asset you purchase - this can work in your favour or against you – For instance - can the investments that you are planning on purchasing be banned Will the law protect you if something illegal is done in the investments you hold? This relates to – Crypto – Done many episodes on this in the past – most were last year –older but still relevant - check out Is Bitcoin the future of money? If the future of money is crypto currency, why might Bitcoin be a trap? The BIS versus BTC – What are the plans to replace current crypto currency markets? – Central banks works on Crypto and legislation pieces Ryan’s made mention of this question – he said “From this point of view I am thinking that bitcoin or cryptocurrencies that can't be 'printed' as such out of thin air and gold to a certain extent will continually rise in the future until something occurs along the lines of the government contravenes and makes policies that forbid people to hold gold or cryptocurrencies” Two major points here – the supply of an asset and the political risk For supply - True that Gold cannot be printed out of thin air – but synthetic versions of it can based around futures contracts – also the price of gold can be set by monetary authorities – Example – to be a money base $10k as a price level is what some like Jim Rickards suggest Also – some risk of fake supply – few months ago 82t of gold was found to be fake – copper Each crypto can be capped in supply – but they are exactly printed out of thin air with 1s and 0s – through process of mining – which becomes harder as each token is completed According to crypto market capitalization aggregators, thereare more than 5,000 cryptocurrencies in existence today and over 20,000 different types of markets   Going deeper is bitcoin/crypto as an option? The valuation side to it is interesting - what do you value BTC in? Is it AUD? Or USD? Think about that – is it really a new form of money if it is still valued in current currency – not in relation to good themselves Fractal version of fiat currency – you need fiat money to start with to purchase under current economy Currencies need reserves to lower chance of going to zero – without something backing it (other currencies, gold, etc.) – no perceived floor in panic – beyond this – confidence is the most important factor now How do we value currencies? Subjective theory of value – what is the value? What we can use money for – and have confidence in – This confidence comes from the ability to use it as a medium of exchange – can go buy things with AUD – need to convert back from BTC to AUD in most cases for a purchase Perception of value is important – what creates this Reserves and Gov decree - provide lots of subjective value in Fiat – lots of confidence – until there isn’t Seen currencies suffer massively under this – even with safety measures Subjective value – when btc goes 11k, is seen as subjective value – speculation in further prices Has a form of floor value mechanism – cost of mining versus price – if price goes to $2k, nobody mine – supply stop Confidence - When it is lost – depending on how bad - impossible to regain –requires confidence – or short memory The fact that BTC doesn’t have an Intrinsic value doesn’t matter as much as how resilient it is to confidence shocks– BTC just went through a confidence shock to the market – faired worse than shares Doesn’t escape concentrations in control/supply – cheapest power or deepest pockets – China has both June 2018, over 80% of Bitcoin mining is performed by six mining pools - five of those six pools are managed by individuals or organizations located in China. Other is in Iceland. First – why concentration in china? Cheap power – mining takes a lot of Electricity power requirements Why Iceland or China – mining Using as much as Nigeria – 90m people – soon as much as japan No way it can be allowed if environmentalists get wind – but that is what you need to increase mining incentives – higher prices – current cost of mining 1BTC = $4k USD If prices are low - Then you hit a wall in the mining incentives – chain creation dries up Second – control of mining production and supply allows price manipulations – unregulated Painting the tape - a form of market manipulation whereby players attempt to influence the price of a security - buying and selling it among themselves create the appearance of substantial trading activity. ... Painting the tape is an illegal activity that is prohibited – but only in markets that are regulated We are both BTC miners – we both trade the same coins back and forward – slowly increasing the Also Called a ramp – old trick – think boiler room – painting the tape Price action is going up – who would have most influence on this? Could go to $50k - Looks to be having a second wind bubble – Remember the first Massive bubble Looking back to if Crypto or Gold can be banned – this is all dependent on the legal system and the competition that these types of assets face Gold – when it was banned it was the monetary backing of the time – and the Government wanted to get as much base for the currency as possible – hence they did a massive gold buy back from the population – were ways around it – collectible coins – but in general – they couldn’t have any competition in money and needed control over the supply – For Crypto – Central banks – BIS – looking at their own forms of digital currencies – They may ban cryptos – but only if they see them as competitors to their own currencies – The types that may be competition are stablecoins - stablecoin can be pegged to a cryptocurrency, fiat money, or to exchange-traded commodities – so if any of these exist that are competition - then they would be first on the regulatory chopping block Alternatively – if too much money goes into cryptos and it is seen as a destabilising factor – that is also grounds for the powers that be to regulate   Methods of legislation to be used – while Bitcoin and similar payment structures are outside any direct control of central banks and individual governments BIS V notes that cryptocurrencies ‘can only be regulated indirectly’ and discusses some of the possible approaches. also note that ‘Since cryptocurrencies are global in nature, only globally coordinated regulation has a chance to be effective.’ What are some methods they can use? A first key regulatory challenge is anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT). The question is whether, and to what extent, the rise of cryptocurrencies has allowed some AML/CFT measures, such as know-your-customer standards, to be evaded.  shutdown of Silk Road, a major marketplace for illegal drugs, suggest that a non-negligible fraction of the demand for cryptocurrencies derives from illicit activity regulation could focus on the point at which a cryptocurrency is exchanged into a sovereign currency Other existing laws and regulations relating to payment services focus on safety, efficiency and legality of use. These principles could also be applied to cryptocurrency infrastructure providers, such as "crypto wallets" ensuring consumer and investor protection - common problem is digital theft – access to distributed ledgers are complex - so most users access their cryptocurrency holdings via third parties such as "crypto wallet or exchanges” Irony is many people turned to cryptocurrencies out of distrust in banks and governments – but are relying on unregulated intermediaries – many examples like Mt Gox or Bitfinex – either being fraudulent or hacking attacks Major justification - concerns the stability of the financial system may be at risk without taking over cryptos widespread use of cryptocurrencies and related self-executing financial products will likely give rise to new financial vulnerabilities and systemic risks – Systemic risk is the competition from crypto crashing banking system cryptocurrencies with regulated financial entities could be addressed - The tax and capital treatment rules for regulated institutions wanting to deal in cryptocurrency-related assets could thus be adapted Regulate the exchanges – where most people trade crypto – you can regulate the crypto markets policy responses, including regulation of private uses of the technology, the measures needed to prevent abuses of cryptocurrencies and the delicate questions raised by the issuance of digital currency by central banks There are other laws that can achieve this – such as encryption laws – In the US - Senate Bill 4051, the “Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act” – LEAD act - was introduced to congress last week  This could effectively make cryptos illegal as they reply on data encryption too. Your ‘wallet’ is essentially a public key / private key combination - so in theory - only you are supposed to have access to this – but with this legislation the government would have a backdoor to this . Not going to happen in Aus? Well – we got our own form of this - the Assistance and Access Act 2018 – data encryption laws already in place -   I like the idea of a currency that people can use – but it goes against the foundations of a modern economy – Not seen as enough of a threat by the monetary powers that be – Might not be thinking outside of the box enough – Personally – I don’t see Cryptos as an investment Meant to be a medium of exchange – chances gov lets it take off and replace their own forms of currency is essentially zero Those who actively trade crypto and know what they are doing can make money off it – just have to declare this as assessable incomes For me – there is too much volatility and legislation risks to see it as a viable long term strategy The real meta for future investments – not too dissimilar to that of what has done well – that with real value In all of this thought and theory – action is more important – decision fatigue – information overload – Just do and learn from that – few tips on what I have learned – real assets that people will have confidence in and will use – Bonds – Difference between Corporate credit and Gov bonds – but you wont be as rewarded for owning these due to increased supply or lowering yields when these should rise as risks of default increase Property in a lot of places is overvalued in its price – but there is some that is not block of land or an inner city apartment – what has better chance of going up in price from here? Which is already overvalued? A lot of this is monetary policy – but going forward – price growth may have to become reliant on fundamentals – which will lower demand on assets which have larger levels of supply Usable land – goats – water – own produce – or a house with a block on it has Shares – ones that people have confidence in shares in a tiny mining company that is still yet to make a profit or shares in Telstra or WOW When it comes to returns – you can get specific – growth, income, etc. Depending on what your requirements are - May be best to avoid indexes – getting a lot of companies in there that may not meet your return requirements Gold – Own gold as well - I like gold – but it forms its place in my portfolios – as a capital hedge and as a position against the devaluation of cash – gold does have long term growth when valued against cash – but doesn’t pay income Resources – water – this one is interesting – do another episode on this to expand further In summary – the investment strategy needs to be what is right for you – but it needs to be specific – not just doing something because it is the next new thing or because everyone is doing it. Thank you for listening to today's episode. If you want to get in contact you can do so here: http://financeandfury.com.au/contact/

Nancy Pelosi's radical $3 trillion bill has many provisions in it, that if passed, would dramatically change our country. In this episode, Newt discusses the ACCESS Act within the bill which could lead to undermining the integrity of the 2020 election. Part two of a special podcast series detailing Nancy Pelosi's so called HEROES Act.

Dr James Renwick CSC SC is Australia’s Independent National Security Legislation Monitor. In 2019, he was tasked by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security to review the controversial Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 (Cth). As Dr Renwick moves to finalise his report of the review, he will discuss possible models for reconciling the legitimate interests of individuals, organisations, and business, and intelligence, police and integrity agencies. Dr Renwick joined the Lowy Institute for an address, chaired by Lowy Institute Fellow and Middle East security expert Rodger Shanahan. Dr James Renwick CSC SC is a member of the NSW Bar with a general commercial, regulatory, and public law practice. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Australian National University and has been the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor since 2017.

On this episode of the ASC Podcast with John Goehle, we discuss the ASC Quality and Access Act, Mourn the death of one of the first women ASC owners, discuss communication techniques and in our focus segment review cost savings strategies. Thank you to our Sponsor: Encompass Healthcare Data Solutions Links to Items discussed in podcast: WHO Online Training: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/07-02-2020-online-training-as-a-weapon-to-fight-the-new-coronavirus ASC Association Becker’s ASC Review Modern Healthcare   Get a copy of John’s newest book - the 2020 Edition of The Survey Guide - A Guide to the CMS Conditions for Coverage & Interpretive Guidelines for Ambulatory Surgery Centers    Visit the ASC Podcast with John Goehle Website Benefits of Becoming a Patron Member Support the ASC Podcast with John Goehle by becoming a patron member. Get AEU Credits for Listening to the Podcast! Purchase John’s Books Go to the ASC Podcast Store   Patron Members of the ASC Podcast with John Goehle have access to ASC Central - an exclusive membership website that provides a one-stop  ASC Regulatory and Accreditation Compliance, Operations and Financial Management resource for busy Administrators, nurse managers and business office managers.   Become a member today!  

State Senator Connie Leyva, Chair of the CA State Legislature's Women's Caucus & Jessy Rosales, Campus Coordinator w/The Women's Foundation of California, discuss SB 24, the 'College Student Right to Access Act,'...and Jessy shares her own, impactful abortion story. Please click here for a closed-captioned version of this audio

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Today on the podcast, Justin is joined by Whitney Craig, RIMS Government Relations Director, to discuss government affairs and review the recent Legislative Summit that RIMs held October 16th–17th, 2019, in Washington, DC.   At the conference, they had a lot to discuss with several members of Congress, and in this episode, Whitney will be telling you all about it! She speaks about some of the key takeaways from this year’s summit, some of the changes and new events that were added in this year, and what to expect going forward! She also shares information and progress regarding the Access Act bill, the NFIP, and TRIA. Stay tuned to get the full scoop!   Key Takeaways: [:15] About today’s episode! [:30] About upcoming RIMS events. [1:18] More about today’s topic. [1:37] Justin welcomes Whitney to RIMScast. [1:48] Whitney gives a recap of this year’s Legislative Summit! [2:20] What was on the agenda for this year’s Legislative Summit? [3:02] When will it be known if RIMS is successful with the Access Act bill? [3:29] How did RIMS do with NFIP and TRIA? [3:50] Whitney speaks about Dr. Daniel Kaniewski’s fantastic keynote. [4:21] How was this year’s Day on the Hill event? [4:47] Whitney speaks about the collateral that RIMS leaves behind with the representatives and their staff and where to find these documents online. [5:17] What can risk managers and RIMS members do to further the cause of the risk management profession? [6:07] Whitney gives some details on the ‘exclusive tour’ that was available at the summit this year. [7:08] What does Whitney have on the horizon for RIMS? [8:00] Whitney shares how she is available and visible within RIMS membership and the greater risk management community! [8:30] Justin gives his special thanks to Whitney Craig for joining RIMScast this week! [8:34] Justin highlights some links to check out in this episode’s show notes!   Mentioned in this Episode: Register here for the RIMS ERM Conference 2019 and enter code ANDERSON2019 to receive 10% off! (Nov. 4th–5th in New Orleans, LA) RIMS Risk Forum India 2019 (Nov. 22nd in Mumbai, India)RIMS RiskTech Forum 2019 (Dec. 9th in New York City) RIMS 2020 (May 2nd–6th in Denver, CO) — Booth space is now available! Upcoming RIMS Events RM Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS Membership — Discover why 10,000 of your peers from more than 60 countries are a part of the RIMS community! RIMScast Ep: “Mark Humphreys on How the ACCESS Act, H.R. 4099 Legislation Helps Businesses Comply with the ADA” RIMScast Ep: “Dr. Daniel Kaniewski on FEMA Resilience” RIMScast Ep: “Advocacy Update with Whitney Craig, RIMS Government Relations Director” The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) RIMS Advocacy Whitney Craig’s Email: WCraig@RIMS.org    Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on iTunes. Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook and Twitter, and join the RIMS Group on LinkedIn.   Follow up with Our Guest: Whitney Craig’s LinkedIn Whitney Craig’s RIMS Community Profile Whitney Craig’s Email: WCraig@RIMS.org  

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Prior to the Congressional recess in 2019, Ken Calvert of California introduced the ACCESS Act, H.R. 4099. This legislation is designed to help businesses comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Though RIMS is in favor of the ADA, its members have reported that the law is being exploited by opportunists in an effort to make a quick buck by threatening typically baseless discrimination suits. By amending the ADA to correct this loophole, business owners will be better protected. This is why RIMS is taking action.   To discuss today’s topic with Justin is special guest, Mark Humphreys! Mark is the Vice President of Litigation and Risk Management at Watt Companies in California, as well as the Vice-Chair of the RIMS External Affairs Committee — so he is definitely the person you want to hear from on this topic!   In today’s episode, Mark covers everything you need to know about the ADA, how the law is being exploited, and how the ACCESS Act, H.R. 4099 will help amend this loophole.   Key Takeaways: [:12] About today’s episode and featured guest! [:37] About upcoming RIMS events! [1:00] More about the ACCESS Act, H.R. 4099 and how it impacts RIMS, RIMS members, and Mark Humphreys. [1:58] Justin welcomes Mark to the podcast! [2:07] Mark explains the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and some of the current issues with it. [3:46] Mark gives an example of an accidental ADA violation and how attornies have made a business out of it. [6:25] How the ACCESS Act, H.R. 4099 helps businesses comply with the ADA (without getting slammed with lawsuits!) [9:29] Does Mark see a lot of these ‘drive-by lawsuits’ on a regular basis (that have occurred because of the ADA)? And who is hurt the most by them? [12:14] How the ACCESS Act solves this issue. [12:45] How the ACCESS Act will be a focus during the RIMS Legislative Summit and the Day on the Hill event, and why it is incredibly important that we all lobby for this, collectively. [18:37] Mark speaks about some of his standout memories from years past’s summits. [20:30] If you’re affected by these types of lawsuits, click the link in the show notes to contact your Member of Congress to support the bill! [20:38] About upcoming RIMS events and links to follow-up on.   Mentioned in this Episode: ADA Suits: Contact Your Congressman Here RIMS Advocacy RISK PAC Introducing ACCESS Act, H.R. 4099 – July 30th, 2019 ADA.Gov RIMSCAST Episode: “Dr. Daniel Kaniewski on FEMA Resilience” RIMSCAST Episode: “Kristen D. Peed on RISK PAC’s Mission” RIMS Legislative Summit: Oct. 16th–17th in Washington, DC (Use promo code RIMSCAST25 at checkout to save on registration!) RIMS ERM Conference 2019: Nov. 4th–5th in New Orleans, LA Upcoming RIMS Events RM Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS Membership — Discover why 10,000 of your peers from more than 60 countries are a part of the RIMS community!   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on iTunes. Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook and Twitter, and join the RIMS Group on LinkedIn.   Follow up with Our Guest: Mark Humphrey’s LinkedIn

The Ministry for Primary Industries is reviewing the Walking Access Act 2008. Asher Wilson-Goldman, the Walking Access Commission's Strategic Communications and Partnerships Manager talks about what the Act is, how it promotes public access to the outdoors and what people might want from it in the future. MPI wants to hear from people interested in access to the outdoors, so it can get the best possible results from the review. The Act is about increasing free access to tracks, trails and other areas for all sorts of recreation associated with walking - biking, horse riding, four wheel driving, access by Māori to sites of significance, surfing, hunting and fishing.To find out more or give your feedback:MPI Walking Access Act Review pagePublic feedback paperSummary of public feedback paperOnline feedback form

What is Health Freedom? Do you believe your health freedoms are protected by government?  Meet Diane Miller who lives Health Freedom!  Diane Miller is a Minnesota attorney who successfully helped to defend a Minnesota farmer from charges of “practice of medicine without a license”. After State v. Saunders, Miller proceeded to design health freedom legislation for the State of Minnesota and was the lead lobbyist and legislative consultant to the Minnesota Natural Health-Legal Reform Project responsible for passing the consumer driven legislation entitled the Minnesota Complementary and Alternative Health Care Freedom of Access Act. The new law exempts unlicensed health care practitioners from charges of “practice of medicine without a license”. In 2000 Miller co-founded the National Health Freedom Coalition, a national information resource for health freedom decision-making, to support individuals and states that are interested in health seekers access to complementary and alternative health care. Miller is currently Legal and Public Policy Director of the National Health Freedom Coalition (NHFC) and it’s sister organization, the National Health Freedom Action (NHFA). NHFC provides information and resources to health freedom decision-makers across the country. Her work monitors and promotes an understanding of various forms of legislation, international trade guidelines, and Charters.  Contact: Diane and the National Health Freedom Coalition and Action organizations  Check out Rosanne books on self-healing based on her story:  Free Your Voice Heal Your Thyroid: Reverse Thyroid Disease Naturally and The Nature of Healing: Heal the Body, Heal the Planet.

Last month Australia passed a sweeping surveillance law, quickly and without meaningful debate, called the Assistance and Access Act. Like the UK's Investigatory Powers Act of 2016. this law aims to give authorities unprecedented power to force makers of messaging services to break their software and lie to their users. Danny O'Brien, International Director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, helps us understand the true implications of these law and why they are truly harmful to democracy. Guest Information Danny O'Brien has been an activist for online free speech and privacy for over 20 years. In his home country of the UK, he fought against repressive anti-encryption law, and helped make the UK Parliament more transparent with FaxYourMP. He was EFF's activist from 2005 to 2007, and its international outreach coordinator from 2007-2009. After three years working to protect at-risk online reporters with the Committee to Protect Journalists, he returned to EFF in 2013 to supervise EFF's global strategy. He is also the co-founder of the Open Rights Group, Britain's own digital civil liberties organization. Twitter: @EFF, @malaWebsite: https://www.eff.org/ Further Information: Truly Secure Messaging: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/truly-secure-mobile-calls-and-messaging-for-free/Why Privacy Matters (TED Talk): https://www.ted.com/talks/glenn_greenwald_why_privacy_mattersThe Value of Privacy: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/05/the_value_of_pr.htmlDonate to the EFF! https://supporters.eff.org/donate/join-4

This week, I talk with Paul Ashley about the Australian Assistance and Access Act and what it means to all of us globally. I also recap the recent OSINT webinar and discuss new ways of searching breach data. Listen to all shows or subscribe at inteltechniques.com/podcast.html. Data Removal Workbook: inteltechniques.com/data/workbook.pdf

Our duty as voters is to judge the job performance of our members of Congress and decide whether or not they deserve to be re-hired or fired from their positions as lawmakers. In this episode, Jen summarizes 20 controversial bills and laws that passed during the 115th Congress which you can use to judge whether your Representative and two Senators have voted in your best interest. Links to all of the votes are listed in this episode's show notes on www.congressionaldish.com Please Support Congressional Dish - Quick Links Click here to contribute a lump sum or set up a monthly contribution via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North Number 4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD174: Bank Lobbyist Act CD163: Net Neutrality CD157: Failure to Repeal CD151: AHCA - The House Version (American Health Care Act) CD129: The Impeachment of John Koskinen CD069: Giving Away Your Land CD048: The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Bills S.2155: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, introduced Nov 16, 2017, enacted May 24, 2018. Outlined in detail in CD174: Bank Lobbyist Act First significant re-writing of the banking laws since Dodd-Frank in 2010 Most significant change: Kills a Dodd-Frank requirement that banks with more than $50 billion in assets undergo stress tests to ensure their stabilityr. Bank Lobbyist Act changed that so stress tests will only be required for banks with over $250 billion. This exempts 25 of the 38 largest US banks from important regulations. Passed the Senate 67-31 Passed House of Representatives 258-159   H.R.1628: American Health Care Act of 2017, introduced March 20, 2017, passed House May 4. 2017. Outlined in detail in CD151: ACHA The House Version (American Health Care Act) There were quite a few versions of bills that would have ripped up the rules placed on insurance companies by the Affordable Care Act, but every version - including this one - eliminated the requirements that health insurance cover “essential health benefits”, which include: Ambulances Emergencies Hospital stays Maternity and newborn care Mental health Prescription drugs Rehab Lab work Preventative visits Dental and vision for children Would have also allowed - in some circumstance - insurance companies to charge us more for “pre-existing conditions” Passed the House of Representatives 217-213 All Democrats no's 20 Republicans no’s   S.Amdt. 667 (McConnell) to H.R. 1628: Of a perfecting nature., July 28, 2017. The “Skinny Repeal” is a wildly irresponsible 8 page bill, which was only available to read for a few hours before the vote, which also would have allowed the sale of health insurance that doesn’t cover the essential health benefits. This vote was the famous, dramatic moment when John McCain turned his thumb down and killed the bill. Get the full story in CD157: Failure to Repeal Failed Senate 49-51 All Democrats and Independents voted no   S.J.Res. 34: A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to "Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services." introduced March 7, 2017, enacted April 3, 2017. Regulation overturned: Killed a regulation that applied the privacy requirements of the Communications Act of 1934 to internet access and telecommunications providers. Required them to: Provide privacy notices that clearly and accurately inform customers Get opt-in or opt-out customer approval to use and share customer information Require opt-in’s when the company is making money from selling our information Secure our information Notify customers of data breaches Not condition service upon the customer’s surrender of privacy rights Passed Senate 50-48 All Republicans yes All Democrats and Independents no Passed House 215-205 - All Democrats no   H.R. 21: Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2017, introduced January 3, 2017, passed House January 4, 2017. Allows Congress to bundle rules that they want to prevent into one bill so there is a single vote on a joint resolution of disapproval. This means that each one will not be carefully considered as is required now. Passed the House of Representatives 238-184 Every Democrat voted no Has not been voted on in the Senate   H.R. 26: Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2017, introduced January 3, 2017, passed House January 5, 2017. Changes the Congressional Review Act to require Congressional review of major agency regulations before they can go into effect. Passed the House 237-187 all Republicans voted yes Has not been voted on in the Senate   H.J.Res. 38: Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior known as the Stream Protection Rule, introduced January 30, 2017, enacted February 16, 2017. Regulation overturned: Killed the “Stream Protection Rule”, which required permits to specify when coal mining would reach a damaging level for ground and surface water quality. Stricter water quality monitoring requirements in streams. Required land disturbed by mining be restored to a condition similar to what it was before the mining. Passed Senate 54-45 Passed House 228-194   H.J.Res. 41: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to "Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers." introduced January 30, 2017, enacted February 14, 2017. Regulation overturned: Kills a regulation requiring fossil fuel companies to annually report any payments made by the company or a subsidiary to a foreign government or the Federal Government for the commercial development of oil, natural gas, or minerals. Passed Senate 52-47 All Republicans yes All Democrats and Independents no Passed House 235-187   H.J.Res. 44: Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pusuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, introduced January 30, 2017, enacted March 27, 2017. Regulation overturned: Kills a regulation that enhanced opportunities for public involvement during the preparation of resource management plans by increasing public access to plans in earlier stages of the process, allowing the public to submit data and other information. Passed Senate 51-48 All Republicans yes All Democrats and Indepedents no Passed House 234-186   H.J.Res. 40: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, introduced January 30, 2017, enacted February 28, 2017. Regulation overturned: Kills a regulation that required Federal agencies to give the Attorney General information on more people for inclusion in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). People who would be added include people collecting disability benefits due to mental instability. Passed Senate 57-43 All Republicans voted yes Passed House 235-180   H.J.Res. 83: Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to Clarification of Employer's Continuing Obligation to Make and Maintain an Accurate Record of Each Recordable Injury and Illness, introduced February 21, 2017, enacted April 3, 2017. Regulation overturned: Kills a regulation that made clear that the requirement to record work-related injuries and illnesses is an ongoing obligation; the duty does not expire if the employer fails to create records in the first place. The records must be complete for as long as records are required, which is 5 years and citations can be issued for up to 6 months after that. Passed Senate 50-48 All Republicans yes All Democrats and Independents no Passed House 231-191   H.J.Res. 37: Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration relating to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, introduced January 30, 2017, enacted March 27, 2017. Regulation overturned: Kills a regulation that required contractors for the Defense Department, General Services Administration, and NASA to report their compliance with 14 federal labor laws, required contractors to provide documentation on “hours worked, overtime hours, pay, and additions to or deductions from pay” in each pay period, and limited mandatory arbitration of employee claims for contracts and subcontracts worth more than $1 million. Passed Senate 49-48 All Republicans voted yes All Democrats and Independents voted no Passed House 236-187   H.J.Res. 111: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Finanacial Protection relating to "Arbitration Agreements" introduced July 20, 2017, enacted November 1, 2017. Regulation Overturned: Killed a regulation that prohibited banks and other financial institutions from forcing arbitration in their contracts to prevent customers from filing and participating in class action lawsuits. Passed Senate 51-50 VP Mike Pence broke the tie All Democrats and Independents voted no Passed House 231-190 All Democrats voted no   S.J.Res. 57: A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer financial Protection relating to "Indirect Auto Lending and Cmopliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act" introduced March 22, 2018, enacted May 21, 2018. CFPB regulation overturned: Killed a regulation that included auto dealers in the definition of “creditor” for the purpose of prohibiting them from discriminating in any way in a credit transaction on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or welfare assistance. Passed Senate 51-47 All Republicans yes All Independents no Passed House 234-175   S. 204: Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017, introduced January 24, 2017, enacted May 30, 2018. Allows people diagnosed with a life-threatening diseases or conditions who have exhausted approved treatment options and can’t participate in a clinical trial on an experimental drug that has not been FDA approved to get that drug directly from the drug company, with a doctor’s approval. Allows drug companies to sell their unapproved drugs directly to customers as long as the drugs have to have been through a completed Phase 1 of a clinical trial. This law says the Secretary of HHS can’t use the clinical outcomes of the patient’s use of the drug to delay or adversely affect the review or approval of the drug, unless he/she certifies it’s for safety reasons or the drug company requests that data be used. Gives legal immunity to the drug companies, prescribers, dispensers or an “other individual entity” unless there is willful misconduct, gross negligence, to the intentional breaking of a state law. Passed the Senate by unanimous consent (no recorded vote) Passed House 250-169 on May 22 All Republican votes were yes's Along with 22 Democrats   H.R. 772: Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2017, introduced January 31, 2017, passed House February 6, 2018. Changes the calorie disclosure requirements from telling us the number of calories in the standard menu item as usually prepared to allowing them to tell us the calories per serving, with them determining what a serving is. Allows restaurants to choose whether they will display calories by entire combo meals, by individual items in combos, by servings in items in combos. Let’s them use ranges, averages, or “other methods” as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (making it a decision of political appointee) Eliminates the requirement that restaurants provide calories in store if “the majority of orders are placed by customers who are off-premises” Restaurants will not be required to get any signed certifications of compliance. Restaurants can not be held liable in civil courts for violating nutrition disclosure laws. Passed the House 266-157 Has not been voted on in the Senate   H.R. 2936: Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017, introduced June 20, 2017, passed House November 1, 2017. Allows more wood to be removed by the logging industry from Federal Forests and exempts them some from environmental regulations Passed House 232-188 Has not been voted on in the Senate   H.R. 4606: Ensuring Small Scale LNG Certainty and Access Act, introduced December 11, 2017, passed House September 6, 2018. Deems the importation or exportation of natural gas to be “consistent with the public interest” and says the applications for importation or exportation “shall be granted without modification or delay” if the volume does not exceed 0.14 billion cubic feet per day and if the application doesn’t require an environmental impact statement. Passed House 260-146 Has not been voted on in the Senate   H.R. 1119: Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act (SENSE Act), introduced Febraury 16, 2017, passed House March 8, 2018. Says the EPA must give coal companies the choice of if their steam generators will comply with emissions standards for hydrogen chloride or sulfur dioxide. The EPA is not allowed to require compliance with both Passed House 215-189 Has not been voted on in the Senate       H.R. 3053: Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018, introduced June 26, 2017, passed House May 10, 2018. Forces the continuance of the process of moving all the nuclear waste in the United States to Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Grants the entire US government immunity for damages caused in the course of “any mining, mineral leasing, or geothermal leasing activity” conducted on the land reserved for nuclear waste disposal. Speeds up the approval process by 6 months for interim storage and basically forbids disapproval Would Increase by 57% the amount of spent fuel allowed to be held during construction - no environmental review to make sure the tanks can hold this much The Secretary of Energy does NOT need to consider alternative actions or no-action alternatives to infrastructure projects needed for Yucca mountain as far as environmental analysis are concerned. Passed the House of Representatives 340-72 Has not been voted on in the Senate                       H.R. 7: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017, introduced January 13, 2017, passed House January 24, 2017. Makes permanent a common funding law amendment that prevents federal money from being used to perform abortions. This bill would also prevent any government payment assistance on the health insurance exchanges for plans that cover abortion - which effectively would stop health insurance companies from offering abortion coverage in their plans since that would make them ineligible for many of us to purchase. Passed the House of Representatives 238-183 All Republicans voted yes Has not been voted on in the Senate       Additional Reading Article: Pompeo eyes Fox News reporter to head Counterpropaganda Office by Robbie Gramer and Elias Groll, Foreign Policy, September 6, 2018. Article: "Right to Try" is a cruel farce by Beatrice Adler-Bolton, Jacobin Magazine, August 12, 2018. Article: The 'right to try' could cost dying patients a fortune by Michelle Cortez, Bloomberg, June 20, 2018. Article: Congress works to revive long-delayed plan to store nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain by Michael Collins, USA Today, June 3, 2018. Report: Johnson to FDA: Agency should comply with right to try law, U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, May 31, 2018. Article: Senator behind right-to-try law says its intent is to weaken FDA by Anna Edney, Bloomberg, May 31, 2018. Opinion: Right to Try Act poses big challenge for FDA by Michael D. Becker, NPR, May 24, 2018. Article: Right-to-try bill headed for vote puts bigger burden on FDA to protect patients, Gottlieb says by Ike Swetlitz and Erin Mershon, Stat News, May 17, 2018. Article: Walden, Shimkus, Lance, Walters steer House toward advancing nuclear waste bill by Ripon Advance News Service, May 14, 2018. Article: House passes Yucca bill, but its future is uncertain as Heller pledges to stop it in the Senate by Humberto Sanchez, The Nevada Independent, May 11, 2018. Article: The revenge of the stadium banks by David Dayen, The Intercept, March 2, 2018. Article: Pence says that Congress should get right-to-try legislation 'done' by Erin Mershon, Stat News, January 18, 2018. Statement: Examining patient access to investigational drugs by Scott Gottlieb, FDA.gov, October 3, 2017. Article: What was in the failed Senate 'skinny repair' health care bill? by Tami Luhby, CNN Money, July 28, 2017. Article: Scott Gottlieb: Conflicts surround Trump's FDA pick by Sandee LaMotte, CNN, April 4, 2017. Report: House passes bill to overturn 'midnight' regulations en masse by Lydia Wheeler, The Hill, January 4, 2017. Article: Now you have to keep OSHA injury records for 5 years by Fred Hosier, Safety News Alert, December 21, 2016. Opinion: With Harry Reid's retirement, will the Yucca Mountain plan be revived? by The Times Editorial Board, Los Angeles Times, December 8, 2016. Article: Bankers ease rules on automatic student loan defaults by Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, The Washington Post, October 27, 2016. Article: Sallie Mae under fire for death-induce defaults by Shahien Nasiripour, Huffpost, April 25, 2014. Report: Victim: Gang-rape cover-up by U.S., Halliburton/KBR by Brian Ross, Maddy Sauer, And Justin Rood, ABC News, December 10, 2007. Resources Company Information: Volks Constructors Corporation Congressional Publication: Disapproval of Regulations by Congress: Procedure Under Congressional Review Act, Oct 10, 2001. Court Report: Petition for Review of a Final Order of the Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission Disease Information: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), MDA.org Explanatory Statement: Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018 Fact Sheet: President Trump: Cutting Red Tape for American Businesses FDA: Expanded Acces INDs and Protocols Law Resolutions: Congressional Review Act (CRA) Letter: Scott Gottlieb to Elizabeth J. Fischmann, Associate General Councel for Ethics Letter to the Senate: Dean Heller, Re: 2019 NRC Approps LinkedIn Profile: Scott Gottlieb OpenSecrets.org: Rep. Bruce Westerman - Arkansas District 04 OpenSecrets.org: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers - Washington District 05 OpenSecrets.org: Domino's Pizza OpenSecrets.org: Sen. Ron Johnson - Wisconsin Study Report: Clinical Development Success Rates Study 2006-2015 Sound Clip Sources House Session: Legislative Day of May 22, 2018, HouseLive.gov. 6:13:00 - Rep. Mike Burgess (TX) "The bill we will be voting out soon is about patients. It is about having more time with their loved ones. In the words of Vice President MIKE PENCE, ‘‘It’s about restoring hope and giving patients with life-threatening diseases a fighting chance.’’ With hundreds of thousands of Americans with a terminal illness and their families looking for us to act, I urge Members of this House, the people’s House, to support restoring hope and giving them a fighting chance at life." Hearing: House Hearing; Yucca Mountain, May 10, 2018. 32:00 Representative Greg Walden (OR): You know, the Department of Energy’s Hanford site is just up the mighty Columbia River from where I live and where I grew up. That area and those workers helped us win World War II, and the site’s nuclear program was instrumental in projecting peace through strength throughout the Cold War. While the community has been a constructive partner in support of our vital national security missions, it did not agree to serve as a perpetual storage site for the resulting nuclear waste. Fifty-six million gallons of toxic waste sitting in decades-old metal tanks at Hanford—these are those tanks that were being constructed to hold this waste. They are now buried in the ground. The only entry point is right here. The amount of waste stored at Hanford would fill this entire House Chamber 20 times over. According to a recent Government Accountability Office report, the oldest of these tanks, some of which date back to the 1940s, have single-layer walls, or shells. They were built to last 20 years. They will be almost 100 years old by the estimated end of their waste treatment. The Department of Energy has reported that 67 of these tanks are assumed or known to have leaked waste into the soil. There is an understandable sense of urgency in the Northwest behind the cleanup efforts that are under way at Hanford. H.R. 3053 will provide the pathway to clean up the contaminated Hanford site. You see, the waste from Hanford will end up in a secure permanent storage site that we believe will be Yucca Mountain. 35:15 Representative Greg Walden (OR): The legislation authorizes the Department of Energy to contract with private companies to store nuclear waste while DOE finishes the rigorous scientific analysis of the repository design and the associated Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing process. So, an interim storage facility can bring added flexibility to DOE’s disposal program and may provide a more expeditious near-term pathway to consolidate spent nuclear fuel. 41.31 Representative Fred Upton (MI): In my district, we have two nuclear plants. Both of them have run out of room in their storage, so they have dry casks that are literally a John Shimkus baseball throw away from Lake Michigan. Every one of these 100-some sites across the country is in an environmentally sensitive area, and at some point they’re going to run out of room. In Michigan, we’ve got two other sites that also have dry casks in addition to the two in my district. 45:05 Representative Buddy Carter (GA): This legislation is important not only because of what it means to the future of clean-energy opportunities for this country, but also what this means for our communities. Nuclear energy has become a safe and effective way to generate energy, all while not producing greenhouse gas emissions. 53:29 Representative Leonard Lance (NJ): New Jersey is home to four nuclear reactors at three generating stations: Oyster Creek, Hope Creek, and Salem. Oyster Creek will be closing this October. In the congressional district I serve, these plants account for about half of the power generation and 90 percent of the carbon-free electricity. New Jersey’s nuclear plants avoid 14 million tons of carbon emissions each year. Public Service, FirstEnergy, and Exelon are doing their part in storing their station’s spent nuclear fuel on-site, but we need a permanent site. The expertise and know-how of the federal government has a responsibility to my constituents and to the American people. I want the 3,000 metric tons of nuclear waste out of New Jersey and consolidated in a national protected facility. 58:54 Representative Dina Titus (NV): The first ‘‘Screw Nevada’’ bill was passed in 1982, and since that time, Nevada’s residents, elected officials, business leaders, health and environmental groups have steadfastly opposed the Yucca Mountain repository. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record over 100 letters from those groups in opposition. 59:19 Representative Dina Titus (NV): You’ve heard that the legislation before you now, ‘‘Screw Nevada 2.0,’’ is a work of compromise, a bipartisan effort, not perfect, but a step forward. Well, that, frankly, is an opinion. It’s not the facts. Here are the facts: the legislation overrides environmental laws, allowing the EPA to move the goalposts in terms of radiation limits to ensure that nothing will ever interfere with the agenda of the nuclear industry. It sets up a consent-based process for the establishment of an interim storage facility but imposes a permanent facility at Yucca Mountain. It increases the amount of nuclear waste to be dumped in Nevada by 37 percent, 110 metric tons more that were not considered in any of the environmental or safety studies being used to justify the project. It also removes the prohibition currently in law that prohibits Nevada from being the de facto interim storage facility until a permanent one can be licensed. It was also changed after passing out of committee to address the high scoring costs—is it already three minutes? Chairman: Gentlewoman’s time has expired. Representative Paul Tonko: Mr. Speaker, we grant the gentlelady another minute. Chairman: Gentlelady’s recognized. Rep. Titus: Thank you. —to address the high scoring costs, making it less likely that we get host benefits. Also, contrary to the sponsor’s comments, the area around Yucca Mountain is not some desolate area. It has iconic wildlife, endangered species, and Native American artifacts. Also, the proposed facility sits above the water table and on an active fault and can only be reached by roads that travel through 329 of your congressional districts. 1:03:53 Representative Ruben Kihuen (NV): You know, Mr. Speaker, I find it offensive. I sit here and listen to all my colleagues, and they all want to send nuclear waste to the state of Nevada. They’re all generating this nuclear waste, and they want to send it to my backyard right in the Fourth Congressional District. You know, bottom line is this, Mr. Speaker: if you generate nuclear waste, you should keep it in your own backyard. Don’t be sending it to our backyard. 1:11:27 Representative Joe Courtney (CT): Next to me is a picture of Haddam Neck, Connecticut, which is a pristine part of the state where the Connecticut River and the Salmon River come together. Where the circle is on the photograph, there are 43 casks of spent nuclear power uranium rods that, again, today, pretty much cordon off that whole area. If you drove up in a car, you’d be met by a platoon of heavily armed security guards who, for good reason, have to patrol that area every single day because of the dangerous material that is stored there. That has been the case for over 20 years. It costs Connecticut ratepayers $10 million a year, again, for a site that should be long overdue for renovation and access to folks from all over the world because of its rich archeological and historical area. This bill provides a way out for this area, along with 120 other sites across the country, that host communities have been saddled with storage of spent nuclear fuel because of the fact that this country has been unable to come together with a coherent policy. And this bill provides a way out. 1:15:23 Representative Dana Rohrabacher (CA): This bill authorizes the construction of Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste storage site, which would alleviate the burden of incredible risk that is now borne by communities throughout the country, such as in my district, where homes are not far located from the closed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. That, and many other plants throughout the nation, have closed their doors in decades. Yet, Congress has yet to agree of how to safely store that waste, while—and what’s really important is we must store the waste—but while we develop new nuclear energy technologies, that we are capable of doing, that are safe and produce less of their own waste and can consume the waste of older plants—I reminded Secretary of Energy Perry of that yesterday—but, in the meantime, until that technology—by the way, it is sinful that we have not developed that technology, which we are capable of, that could eat this waste—but until we do, having safe storage at Yucca Mountain makes all the sense to me and is safe for my constituents. 1:17:07 Representative Rick Allen (GA): Mr. Speaker, I have the great honor of representing Georgia’s 12th Congressional District, which is home to every nuclear reactor in our state, and we are leading the way in the new nuclear. At Plant Vogtle, in my district, there are thousands of spent fuel rods being held in spent fuel pools and dry cask storage containers, and in the next few years we’re going to double the number of nuclear reactors online at Vogtle. Hearing: House Hearing; Forests Act, November 1, 2017. 3:02:49 Representative Bruce Poliquin (MA): Now, H.R. 2936 brings federal regulations in line with this new technology and new standards of safety by allowing family-owned logging business the ability to train 16- and 17-year-olds under very close supervision of their parents. 3:23:31 Representative Greg Walden (OR): In Oregon, this bill would take away arbitrary prohibition on harvesting trees over 21 inches in diameter. It’s tied the hands of our forest managers. 3:28:00 Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA): I represent the Colville National Forest, which is about a million-acre forest. It’s really the engine of our economy in the Northwest, because what happens on the Colville National Forest determines whether or not we have Vaagen’s lumber or 49 Degrees North ski resort or the biomass facility that Avista runs, converting wood waste into electricity. This is all providing jobs, energy, recreational opportunities. Yet mills have been closed, jobs have been lost. It’s unacceptable. It’s time to pass the Resilient Federal Forests legislation. 5:32:57 Representative Jeff Denham (CA): The Resilient Federal Forests Act gives us the tools to immediately reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires. It allows us to expedite the removal of dead trees and rapidly mitigate disease-infested areas. 5:41:58 Representative Louie Gohmert (TX): If you want to just leave it to nature, nature will destroy massive numbers of acres of land. So we have a responsibility. Even in the Garden of Eden when things were perfect, God said, tend the garden. 6:06:29 Representative Raul Grijalva (AZ): This is not the first time we have seen the bill, this piece of legislation. House Republicans sent a version to the Senate in the 113th and the 114th Congress, where it languished on the shelf because our colleagues on the other side of the Capitol found it too extreme. Rather than view that experience as an opportunity to seek compromise, this time around, today, we are considering a bill that is even more extreme and polarizing. They doubled the environmental review waivers, added language to undermine the Endangered Species Act, and scaled back protections for national monuments and roadless areas. 6:07:39 Representative Raul Grijalva (AZ): But this bill is not about forest health or wildfire mitigation; it’s about increasing the number of trees removed from our forests. 6:18:24 Representative Tom McClintock (CA): You know, there’s an old adage that excess timber comes out of the forest one way or the other—it’s either carried out or it burns out. When we carried it out, we had resilient, healthy forests and a thriving economy, as excess timber was sold and harvested before it could choke our forests to death. In the years since then, we’ve seen an 80 percent decline in timber sales from our federal lands and a concomitant increase in acreage destroyed by forest fire. I would remind my friend from Oregon that timber sales used to generate us money, not cost us money. The direct revenues and spin-off commerce generated by these sales provided a stream of revenues that we could then use to improve our national forests and share with the local communities affected. 6:22:38 Representative Jared Huffman (CA): Title I of this bill allows intensive logging projects of 10,000 to 30,000 acres each. That’s as big as the entire city of San Francisco. Projects of that size can proceed on federal public lands without any environmental review under NEPA, without any compliance with the Endangered Species Act. Title II of the bill eliminates the requirement that the Forest Service consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service; essentially, lets the Forest Service decide for itself if it wants to follow the Endangered Species Act consultation requirements regarding any of its projects on public lands. Title III further chokes judicial review by prohibiting the recovery of attorneys' fees for any challenges to forest management activity under the Equal Access to Justice Act, including meritorious successful challenges. This severely limits public review of logging projects on federal public lands. Hearing: Examining patient access to investigational drugs, Energy & Commerce, October 3, 2017. House Session: Legislative Day of January 4, 2017, Houselive.gov 4:15:30 - Rep. Darrell Issa (CA) "For the freshmen of either party,when you go to make a vote on this, re-member, we are not changing the un-derlying law. Only one regulation under the underlying law has ever been repealed, and it was bipartisan in both the House and the Senate when it was repealed. It has been 16 years, and the few that will likely be considered under this act and the underlying law will be just that, a relatively few regulations that are believed to be unnecessary and for which the House, the Senate, and the President concur.   Video: Josh Lyman Sick of Congress, YouTube, July 23, 2012. Community Suggestions See more Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)  

Episode Notes New York A00506 – Enacts the "computer spyware protection act" New York A01399 – Telecommunications and cable corporation call centers New York A02048 – Creates the broadband internet access act of 2017

APN's Legal Correspondent, Martha Buyer, sits down with Fletch to discuss the recent enactment of the NYC law requiring compliance with what has become known as Kari's Law, requiring direct access to 911, on-site notification and prohibits calls from being intercepted.

Charlotte View welcomes back Jeremy Turner with Safe College Funding (financial aid consulting company) and Rhett Brown with WIngate University Interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans are set to double from 3.4% to 6.8% on July 1 (2012), unless Congress intervenes. The lower rate was part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. Although President Obama and presidential candidate Mitt Romney both support temporarily extending low interest rates, Congress continues to debate how to fund the lower rate. According to the Congressional Budget Office, keeping the lower rate is expected to cost $6 billion for one year. The Wall Street Journal reports, "Many predict any rise in rates could push more families to seek out less-expensive colleges -- furthering a shift that is already underway". Since his State of the Union address, President Obama has asked the National Governors Association to increase state funding for higher education, proposed federal incentives for colleges to rein in tuition costs, and talked about how job-skills training helps grow the economy. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York calculates that the outstanding student-loan balance now stands about $870 billion, with about two-thirds of that debt held by people under age 40. SAFE College Funding, LLC | info@safecollegefunding.org | 1110 Sam Newell Road, Suite C Matthews, NC, 28105 USA | Phone 704.708.9949