DAILY NEWS
More to work without pay ● Macy’s closures ● Disaster averted
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
ALSO at The Stand — This shutdown has made America less safe (by Monika Warner of PASS) — Each day that goes by with no compensation, our nation’s aviation safety workforce grows more frustrated, devalued, and distracted about their benefits, their families, their bills, and their futures. And each day that goes by without proper inspections and oversight, the skies — and the flying public — are less safe.
► In today’s NY Times — A typical federal worker has missed $5,000 in pay from the shutdown so far — The 800,000 federal workers who haven’t been paid during the government shutdown have each missed more than $5,000 in wages on average so far.
► From HuffPost — Some renters are already facing eviction, thanks to the shutdown — Tens of thousands of low-income renters nationwide could lose housing assistance, including many seniors and people with disabilities.
► From The Hill — Leaders nix recess with no shutdown deal in sight
► From The Hill — Pelosi asks Trump to postpone State of the Union over shutdown
► In the NY Times — Shutdown’s economic damage starts to pile up, threatening an end to growth — The partial government shutdown is inflicting far greater damage on the United States economy than previously estimated, the White House acknowledged on Tuesday, as President Trump’s economists doubled projections of how much economic growth is being lost each week the standoff with Democrats continues.
► In the WSJ — Shutdown squeezes small businesses that do work for government (subscription req’d) — For many contractors, revenue and work have dried up and cash to keep paying employees is running out.
► From the Hill — Trump loses support from key constituency of white people without a college degree: poll — Forty-five percent approved of the job done by Trump in a new CNN poll, compared to 54 percent who had backed him in December. The shutdown, which entered its 26th day on Wednesday, may be a factor in the declining support.
► In today’s Seattle Times — ‘Nonessential’: The federal shutdown’s most unique victim is one of the Northwest’s best-kept secrets (by Danny Westneat) — Roger Oakes of Port Angeles helps run what has got to be the federal shutdown’s most unique, far-flung victim: the Hurricane Ridge Ski Area.
► In the Seattle Times — Furloughed federal workers offered 90-day, interest-free loans by Washington Federal
► In the Wenatchee World — Cashmere Valley Bank offering free payroll advance to furloughed federal employees
LOCAL
► In today’s Seattle Times — Macy’s will close its Northgate store next year, Redmond store in next few months — In the latest sign of hard times for traditional retailers, Macy’s will close its Northgate Mall store in early 2020. Macy’s has already informed employees at both locations of the closure plans. Employees whom the company can’t place at nearby Macy’s stores “will be eligible for severance, including outplacement resources,” a company spokesperson said.
► In today’s Columbian — Vancouver schools, support staff contract talks hit snag — Leadership and members of the Vancouver Association of Educational Support Professionals said Tuesday that the district has backed out of the tentative agreement. District spokeswoman Pat Nuzzo, however, denied that.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Seattle still has the most cranes in America, and construction isn’t losing much steam — The city of Seattle has 59 cranes sprouting out across the skyline, down slightly from the 65 counted six months ago. But that’s still 15 more than Los Angeles, the next-highest city.
► In the (Everett) Herald — County harassment trainer let go after harassment complaints — The county determined that he made improper remarks as he led training sessions on proper behavior.
THIS WASHINGTON
EDITOR’S NOTE — This report doesn’t explain that I-976 is actually an initiative to the Legislature, but because lawmakers would never approve such a economically harmful and job-killing measure, it then goes to this fall’s ballot.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Gov. Jay Inslee uses State of the State to urge action on mental health, climate change, orcas — Standing before a Legislature that for years has balked at his carbon-reduction agenda, Gov. Jay Inslee implored lawmakers Tuesday to make bold moves to combat climate change.
THAT WASHINGTON
► From The Hill — House Dems fire first salvo in drug pricing fight — The House Oversight and Reform Committee launched a sweeping investigation into how the industry sets its prices, in what is being seen as one of the broadest drug pricing investigations in decades.
► In today’s NY Times — Trump and Putin have met five times. What was said is a mystery. — The unusually secretive way he has handled these meetings has left many in his own administration guessing what happened and piqued the interest of investigators.
► In today’s Washington Post — T-Mobile announced a merger needing Trump administration approval. The next day, 9 executives had reservations at Trump’s hotel. — T-Mobile executives have returned to President Trump’s hotel repeatedly since then.
NATIONAL
► From the AP — Charter school educators back striking Los Angeles teachers
TODAY’S MUST-READ
Public-sector unions have been hard at work to re-engage members and convince them not to opt out. These initial efforts have been successful, with far lower opt-out rates than feared, some below 1 percent. The unions are benefiting from a favorable climate: Approval of labor unions is at a 15-year high, and a majority of Americans view unions positively. “I’d like to think this is backfiring on all the corporate anti-union forces that cooked this up,” says CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens.
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.