The increasingly incoherent ramblings of the "Get off my lawn!" candidate — are our current manifestation of "The Emperor's New Clothes" by H.C. Andersen. My guess is that virtually all of the US population has heard or read the story. How can it be that so many did not grasp the moral?

Someone has to come forward and speak the truth. It cannot be a political opponent; it must, as in the fable, be someone pure, innocent and without purpose or guile.

Brothers and sisters, if you need an excuse, vote for VP Harris and Gov. Walz as mere caretakers and earn another choice in 2028, proposed by an embarrassed but reawakened and honest (R) Party. The clearly unprepared JD Vance is not qualified to step into the presidency, and the likelihood of Tr*mp making it to 83 having resumed speaking in complete sentences are not great.

(Image: Former president D. Tr*mp, indicating to rally participants where to look at the Sun during an upcoming eclipse. Courtesy Smoldering Stump Gazette and Creative Commons.)

By Edward Muguluma*, via Tom Herriman

Here's a Beautiful story from Edward Muguluma, School Director at Kisa Primary School in Nansana, Uganda:

In Nansana village, is where you find a resilient struggling mother named Sanyu nakasenge aged 53 years old who has been a resident for more than 18 years now. With three little ones Charles Luvumu (7), Divine Naluyombya (13) and Malcom Luzinda (10) all relying on her tender care, life's burdens have often weighed heavy upon her shoulders with no one to help her out as they divorced with the husband due to family mistreatment after the birth of their last born charles. So when hardship knocked relentlessly on her door, she turned to the beacon of hope in her community—Kisa Foundation Uganda.

Embraced by the warmth of the support by Richmond rotary club,Sanyu embarked on a journey of empowerment. Through the unwavering guidance at Kisa Foundation Uganda, she honed her skills in tailoring where she could stitch her dreams into reality with every thread she wove. Four months flew by and Sanyu had emerged not only a skilled seamstress but also a beacon of determination.

With a sewing machine gifted to her, Sanyu has transformed the humble veranda of her rented home into a sanctuary of craftsmanship where she has been living a quite long now.

Amidst the good and bad times with her beautiful children, she had stitched together a future brimming with promise.

Though the weight of school fees for her kids is very heavy on her, Sanyu can at least cater for her children's feeding on a daily through working on her veranda with her sewing machine.

With tearful gratitude, she has on and on whispered her thanks to Richmond rotary club through kisa foundation Uganda, for they had not only dressed her in skills but also adorned her life with a new found hope.
____________
* Edward Muguluma is school director at Kisa Primary School in Nansana, Uganda, a part of the Kampala metropolitan area. Tom Herriman is the former publisher of the Seattle Press and a community organizer.

The theme of this years gathering is Accelerating Inclusion.

All are welcome. Join your neighbors at Spruce Elementary 17405 42nd Ave W, Lynnwood from 5:30 to 7:30 PM March 8.

Sponsored by Edmonds Schools, City of Lynnwood, LETI.

Steve Pool was a reporter at Seattle's KOMO TV for about 40 years. He died recently from complications of Alzheimer's Disease after cementing a model legacy for the Northwest.

The video linked below is a tribute from his colleagues. (The source is YouTube, so of course there's an ad at the beginning; you can suppress it after a few seconds of really, really information about dog food, patent medicine, etc. Not our fault.)

View the video

County council member Jeanne Kohl-Welles gave us a heads-up on this story, reported by Seattle Times. (Follow link below to read the whole story.)

"A loose barge drifted through Elliott Bay on Thursday (2 November) afternoon, colliding with the marina near Pier 66 and briefly triggering calls for evacuation in nearby buildings.

The barge has been secured, no injuries have been reported and the evacuation was eventually called off, according to Seattle Fire Department spokesperson David Cuerpo.

The Coast Guard was notified at 1:25 p.m. that the floating platform was drifting from Terminal 18 toward Pier 66 in Elliott Bay.

The wayward barge could have caused more damage if not for quick thinking by Capt. Dan Krehbiel, who was manning the King County Water Taxi from West Seattle to Pier 50. Around 1 p.m., he noticed it floating without any tugboats, apparently heading toward the Great Wheel and the Seattle Aquarium, according to a spokesperson for King County Metro."

Our admiration goes to Capt. Krehbiel.

Original story

United Way of King County, in partnership with Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, has launched the Free Summer Meals program for school-aged children to help families meet their nutritional needs. ESPAÑOL

Sara Seelmeyer, food security program manager at United Way of King County, said hunger was an issue before COVID-19, but the pandemic exacerbated the food insecurity that continues today. The crisis has disproportionately increased food insecurity of Black, Indigenous and other people of color.

"Kids in low-income families benefit from and rely on free and reduced-price school meals program during the school year," said Seelmeyer. "Summer can be an uncertain time for low-income families who rely on these programs because that resource isn't available. The Free Summer Meals program is designed to help ensure kids have the fuel they need during the summer months. It brings nutrition into the communities where kids are living and playing in the summer."

Seelmeyer said families end up spending over $300 extra per month in groceries during the summer to feed their children.

The program is an underutilized resource across Washington. Historically, less than 15% of school-aged youth who access free and reduced-price meals during the school year also access summer meals statewide. Last summer, just 19% of all youth in the state who qualified for free and reduced-price meals accessed Free Summer Meals.

Over 10,000 children and adolescents receive free meals over the summer in King County in a typical year. In 2020, during one of the peaks of the pandemic, that number tripled to 30,000 students.

The Free Summer Meals sites are located at community centers, public parks, schools and other locations. In King County, they are operated by a team of dedicated AmeriCorps VISTAS, some of whom also provide home delivery services to families at affordable housing complexes. Delivery service will be provided at more than 25 King County housing locations.

To find the closest meal site, families can access United Way's Free Summer Meals page. They can also text the word SUMMER (or VERANO for Spanish), to 97779.

Funding for Free Summer Meals comes from OSPI, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, No Kid Hungry, and the Kellogg Company.

Additional information: Cesar Canizales; (206) 461 8414; ccanizales@uwkc.org.

Details







Comidas De Verano Gratuitas Para Niños En Edad Escolar Lanzadas En Todo El Estado

(SEATTLE) - United Way del Condado de King está lanzando el servicio de Comidas Gratuitas de Verano (Free Summer Meals) para niños y jóvenes en todo el Condado de King. Además, este año, United Way se está asociando estrechamente con la Oficina del Superintendente de Instrucción Pública de Washington (OSPI) para apoyar a los proveedores de Comidas Gratuitas de Verano en todo el estado para maximizar el impacto de los programas en sus comunidades.

Sara Seelmeyer, gerente del Programa de Seguridad Alimentaria de United Way del Condado de King, dijo que el hambre era un problema antes del COVID-19, pero que la pandemia exacerbó la inseguridad alimentaria que continúa hoy. La crisis ha aumentado de manera desproporcionada la inseguridad alimentaria de las personas de raza negra, indígenas y de color.

“Los niños de familias de bajos ingresos se benefician y dependen del programa de comidas escolares gratuitas y de precio reducido durante el año escolar”, dijo Seelmeyer. “El verano puede ser una época incierta para las familias de bajos ingresos que dependen de estos programas porque ese recurso no está disponible. El programa Free Summer Meals está diseñado para ayudar a garantizar que los niños tengan el combustible que necesitan durante los meses de verano. Trae nutrición a las comunidades donde los niños viven y juegan en el verano ".

Seelmeyer añadió que las familias gastan más de $300 adicionales por mes en comestibles durante el verano para alimentar a sus hijos. Si usan este programa, las familias podrían ahorrar esta cantidad.

El programa es un recurso infrautilizado en todo Washington. Históricamente, menos del 15% de los jóvenes en edad escolar que acceden a comidas gratuitas o de precio reducido durante el año escolar también acceden a las comidas de verano en todo el estado. El verano pasado, solo el 19% de todos los jóvenes del estado que calificaron para recibir comidas gratuitas o de precio reducido tuvieron acceso a las Comidas Gratuitas de Verano.

Más de 10,000 niños y adolescentes reciben comidas gratis durante el verano en el Condado de King en un año típico. En 2020, durante uno de los picos de la pandemia, ese número se triplicó a 30.000 estudiantes.

Los sitios de Comidas Gratuitas de Verano están ubicados en centros comunitarios, parques públicos, escuelas y otros lugares. En el Condado de King, son operados por un equipo de AmeriCorps VISTAS dedicados, algunos de los cuales también brindan servicios de entrega a domicilio a familias en complejos de viviendas asequibles. El servicio de entrega se proporcionará en más de 25 ubicaciones de viviendas del Condado de King.

Para encontrar el sitio de comidas más cercano, las familias pueden acceder a la página Comidas Gratuitas de Verano de United Way. También pueden enviar un mensaje de texto con la palabra "VERANO" al 97779.

Los fondos para las comidas gratuitas de verano provienen de OSPI, el Departamento de Agricultura de EE. UU., No Kid Hungry y Kellogg Company.

Información adicional: César Canizales; (206) 461 8414; ccanizales@uwkc.org.

Program Details • Detalles del Programa (inglés)

OLYMPIA – Washington’s economy added 11,200 jobs in April and the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate stayed constant at 5.5 percent from March to April, according to the Employment Security Department (ESD).

State Employment Dept. Report

OLYMPIA – Washington’s economy added 23,100 jobs in March and the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate decreased from 5.6 percent in February to 5.4 percent in March, according to the Employment Security Department (ESD).

“Broad gains in hiring continued from February through March in response to the improving public health position,” said Paul Turek, economist for the department. “Although employment remains below pre-pandemic levels, the state’s labor market is on track to make up the deficit relatively quickly.”

ESD released the preliminary job estimates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics as part of its Monthly Employment Report.

The department also announced that February’s previously reported unemployment rate of 5.6 was confirmed. February’s preliminary estimated gain of 24,500 jobs was revised to a gain of 33,200 jobs.

The national unemployment rate decreased from 6.2 percent in February to 6.0 percent in March. In March 2020, the national unemployment rate (revised) was 4.4 percent.

ESD paid unemployment insurance benefits to 428,790 people in March, an increase of 28,246 over the previous month.

<b>More workers are returning to the job market</b>

The state’s labor force in March was 3,849,500– an increase of 12,500 people from the previous month. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the labor force increased by 5,200 over the same period.

From March 2020 to March 2021, the state’s labor force decreased by 82,500 while the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region increased by 35,200.

The labor force is the total number of people, both employed and unemployed, over the age of 16.

From February to March the number of people who were unemployed statewide decreased from 215,600 to 209,500. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the number of people who were unemployed decreased from 95,000 to 93,600 over the same period.

Eleven industry sectors expanded, one sector contracted and one sector was unchanged in March

Private sector employment increased by 18,600 jobs while government employment increased by 4,500 jobs.

<b>Employment still down from a year ago</b>

Washington lost an estimated 166,400 jobs from March 2020 – March 2021, not seasonally adjusted. Private sector employment fell by 4.2 percent, down an estimated 121,200 jobs, while public sector employment fell by 7.5 percent with a net loss of 45,200 jobs.

From March 2020 – March 2021, nine major industry sectors contracted while four industry sectors expanded.

The three industry sectors with the largest employment losses year-over-year, not seasonally adjusted, were:

Leisure and hospitality down 74,900 jobs
Government down 45,200 jobs
Manufacturing down 27,200 jobs
The four industry sectors which expanded year-over-year, not seasonally adjusted, were:

Retail trade up 6,800 jobs
Information up 4,400 jobs
Construction up 3,100 jobs
Education and health services up 2,100 jobs

Oregon Public Broadcasting has produced an easily understood explanation of the concept and how it could help return us all to a normal routine. Follow the link to view the video.

Watch video at YouTube

OLYMPIA - Unemployed workers throughout Washington will get jobs to help the state address and recover from the COVID-19 disaster, receive training for in-demand careers and get targeted help with their job search.

The $12 million disaster recovery grant from the U.S. Department of Labor also will help the state’s workforce system adapt to providing services virtually during and after the pandemic.

The grant will:

• Place laid-off workers into jobs to respond to or mitigate effects of the COVID-19 disaster, including positions in emergency management; treatment and quarantine area set-up; unemployment claims intake; behavioral and developmental health, custodial services; delivery; food banks, shelters, and social and human services.

• Provide more workers with:
Career coaches to help create customized re-employment plans.
Immediate help with job search and placement into jobs on the state’s COVID-19 essential jobs list and other high-demand occupations.
Short-term job readiness training for laid-off workers.
Longer-term training to help people enter secure careers as the economy recovers.

• Provide equipment, connectivity and training to help the state’s workforce system adapt to virtual services.
The grant will prioritize help for people of color, those who are low income, and those who live in rural areas. The Employment Security Department, the Washington Workforce Association and the Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board, which wrote the grant together, currently are determining exactly how many people the $12 million will serve, but all agree the grant will kick start the state’s efforts.

"These funds will help Washington begin its pivot from disaster response to economic recovery," said Gov. Jay Inslee. "Washington was among only six states that received $12 million – the highest amount awarded. We’re planning ahead and will apply for more grants to keep cranking up our economic engines."

"Like any good economic recovery plan, ours applies short- and long-term strategies," said Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine. "Our first-rate workforce development system will employ some people immediately and train others for jobs of the future."

The Employment Security Department will distribute the money using a formula based partly on the number of unemployed people in each of the state’s 12 Workforce Development Areas. ESD and the state’s Workforce Development Councils expect the money to be available soon.

"The need out there is so great, and we’re committed to working with our partners to help Washington’s businesses and workers survive these difficult times," said Kevin Perkey. Perkey is chief executive officer of the Workforce Southwest Workforce Development Council and president of the Washington Workforce Association, which represents the 12 WDCs.

"The stakeholders who came together to support this grant, including the Association of Washington Business, Washington State Labor Council, and other state and local agencies made the difference," said Eleni Papadakis, executive director the Washington’s Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board. "Together, we see a future that banks on all Washingtonians accessing a route to economic security."

People who have lost their job through no fault of their own are eligible to benefit under the grant rules. If interested, they should contact their local WorkSource center via phone or email. All WorkSource offices currently are closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

OLYMPIA – Washington’s economy lost 11,100 jobs in March and the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate for March increased from 3.8 percent to 5.1 percent according to the Employment Security Department (ESD).

“The impacts of COVID-19 may not be fully captured in the March report and are more likely to be evident in the April Report”, said Paul Turek, economist for the department. “Although we have seen widespread closings of schools, restaurants, and theaters, these actions largely took effect starting the week of March 16th, after most workers would have been counted. As a result, even if some firms started laying off workers as early as the second week of March, many still would have worked or received pay for at least part of the payroll period including the 12th, and thus their loss of employment is not yet fully reflected in the March report.”

The Employment Security Department released the preliminary job estimates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics as part of its Monthly Employment Report.

The department also announced that February’s previously reported unemployment rate of 3.8 was confirmed. February’s preliminary estimated gain of 3,500 jobs was revised to a gain of 3,900 jobs.

The national unemployment rate (preliminary) rose from 3.5 percent in February 2020 to 4.4 percent in March 2020. In March 2019, the national unemployment rate (revised) was 3.8 percent.

Employment Security paid unemployment insurance benefits to 185,458 people in March.

Labor force decline is by far the largest month to month decline since 1990

The state’s labor force in March was 3,889,700 – a decrease of 72,800 people from the previous month. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the labor force decreased by 31,900 over the same period.

From March 2019 through March 2020, the state’s labor force grew by 27,700 and the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region decreased by 200.

The labor force is the total number of people, both employed and unemployed, over the age of 16.

From February 2020 to March 2020, the number of people who were unemployed statewide increased from 151,500 to 197,600. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the number of people who were unemployed increased from 44,700 to 93,400 over the same period.

Five industry sectors expanded and eight contracted

Private sector employment decreased by 11,700 while the public sector increased by 600 jobs in March. This month’s report shows the largest private job growth occurred in construction up 2,500 jobs and professional & business services up 1,500 jobs. Also posting increases were information and retail trade, both up 600 jobs. The industries that posted the highest losses were leisure and hospitality down 12,300 jobs, financial activities down 1,500 jobs and, manufacturing down 1,400 jobs. Also posting losses were other services down 700 jobs, wholesale trade down 500 jobs, transportation, warehousing & utilities down 300 jobs and mining & logging and education & health services both down 100 jobs.

Year-over-year growth in payroll employment still up for now

Washington gained an estimated 64,400 jobs from March 2019 through March 2020, not seasonally adjusted. The private sector grew by 2.0 percent, up an estimated 56,400 jobs, while public sector employment rose 1.4 percent with a net gain of 8,000 jobs.

From March 2019 through March 2020, eight out of the thirteen major industries added jobs while five sectors contracted.

The three industry sectors with the largest employment gains year-over-year, not seasonally adjusted, were:

Professional & business services with 18,000 new jobs
Construction with 12,900 new jobs
Retail trade with 12,600 new jobs
The three industry sectors with the largest employment losses year-over-year, not seasonally adjusted, were:

Manufacturing down 1,600 jobs
Leisure & hospitality down 1,200 jobs
Other services down with 1,100 jobs
COVID-19 impacts

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had impact on the March 2020 survey data. The household survey measures labor force status, including unemployment. The establishment survey measures nonfarm employment by industry. The changes in these measures reflect the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and efforts to contain it. However, it should be noted that the March survey reference periods for both surveys predated many coronavirus-related business and school closures that occurred in the second half of the month.

March data from the establishment and household surveys broadly reflect some of the early effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the labor market. We cannot precisely quantify the effects of the pandemic on the job market in March at this time. However, it is clear the decrease in employment and the increase in unemployment can be ascribed to effects of the illness and efforts to contain the virus.

More from US Dept. of Labor Statistics

These observations by University of Washington Physicians are a good summary of how to respond to possible infection.

What are the most common symptoms of COVID-19?

Experts have identified three main symptoms of this disease: fever (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), a newly developed dry cough and shortness of breath. These symptoms may appear individually or together. To ensure you’re getting an accurate reading, take your temperature at least 30 minutes after eating, drinking or exercising and at least six hours after taking fever-reducing medications.

What are other COVID-19 symptoms you may feel?

Along with the classic trio of COVID-19 symptoms, you may also experience body aches, fatigue, a runny nose, a sore throat, a loss of your sense of smell or taste, headaches or gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea. These symptoms don’t always occur but, if they do, they’re easy to confuse with the symptoms of a cold, flu or seasonal allergies. The main way to tell the difference between COVID-19 and these other conditions is if your symptoms worsen or don’t improve after about a week.

What does a mild or moderate case of COVID-19 feel like?

In about 80% of known COVID-19 cases, the resulting illness is mild or moderate. This can range from feeling like you just have a bad cold to feeling like you have the flu and can’t get out of bed. Although you may feel unwell, people with a mild or moderate case usually don’t need to be hospitalized and can care for themselves at home. The typical recovery time is one to two weeks.

What does a severe case of COVID-19 feel like?

A severe case of COVID-19 means you require medical attention, either because you’re having trouble breathing or because you’ve developed a complication from the disease like heart failure, pneumonia or a life-threatening bacterial infection called sepsis. A mild or moderate case can develop into a severe one over the course of a few days or hours, and it can take up to six weeks for you to recover. If you’re older than 60, are pregnant or have an existing health condition or weakened immune system, you’re at greater risk of developing a severe illness from COVID-19 — but it can happen to anyone.

When should you go to the emergency room?

When you first start to feel sick, call your doctor for guidance and track your symptoms. You don’t need to go to the hospital unless you’re experiencing emergency warning signs. Things that are considered a medical emergency include having trouble breathing, feeling a persistent pain or pressure in your chest, becoming confused or disoriented, or having your face or lips turn blue. If you can, have someone call the hospital in advance so they can prepare for your visit.

Most primary care clinics remain open for in-person, medically necessary appointments. Most urgent-care are still operating. Please call in advance before traveling to any physician or clinic. To make receiving care easier, you can also choose to see your provider via a video-based telehealth appointment.


(Adapted from University of Washington Medicine.)

OLYMPIA – During the week of March 8-14, 2020 14,154 new claims for unemployment benefits were filed with the Employment Security Department (ESD) which was an increase of 7,606 new claims over the previous week. In King County the number of new initial claims filed increased from 1,837 to 5,834 over the same period.

New unemployment insurance claims are just beginning to rise due to COVID-19 related layoffs

In Washington state, the highest percentage of new claims filed during March 8-14 (week 10 per chart below) over the previous week occurred in the accommodation and food services sector, up 597.3 percent; educational services, up 569.5 percent; arts, entertainment and recreation, up 255.8 percent; and real estate, rental and leasing, up 147.5 percent. Individuals 34 years of age and younger represented the largest group of workers filing new claims.

“A dramatically larger number of employers are announcing coronavirus-related layoffs or are utilizing SharedWork, so we anticipate substantially higher numbers of new claims in the report that will come out on March 26,” said ESD Commissioner, Suzi LeVine. “Already this week, we have seen the daily rate of new claims coming in at levels that are similar to the highest weeks of the 2008-2009 recession. Our agency is working in close coordination with the Governor’s office as well as other state and federal agencies to ensure we do everything we can to address this crisis and find every support possible for Washington’s families and economy. Our priorities are to get benefits out more quickly to those who are eligible, help more people become eligible for benefits and help those employers who are hiring get the staff they need right now.”

Gov. Jay Inslee also announced a number of measures on Wednesday to provide relief for businesses, workers and renters.

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Our self-anointed physician-in-chief has now applied his very good brain to the current global epidemic known as coronavirus, announcing among other things that once spring comes and temperatures rise everything will be juuust fine.

This will be good news in Singapore where most of my immediate family lives. Daytime high temperatures there average 93°F, plunging into the high 80s at night.

One might therefore wonder how sunny Singapore has incurred an infection rate 107 times that of the US and by what miraculous circumstance US median springtime temperatures in the 60s and 70s are going to solve this problem.

Note to trumpeteers: The fools in this scenario are not Tr*mp and his handlers, apologists or toadies; they are instead those continue to believe this man who couples ignorance with incompetence to produce bad judgment more effectively than anyone since Pharaoh detained the Hebrews.