New law will boost benefits for veterans
- President Biden signed the Sargent First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics, which expands VA health care to veterans.
- The law will address illnesses from exposure to toxic burn pits and expand presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure.
- The bill will also add 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to the VA’s list of service presumptions, including hypertension.
- In addition, 31 new VA health care facilities will be opened across 19 states under the Act, which was named after Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson who died in 2020 from toxic exposure as a result of his military service.
CDC relaxes COVID rules for schools
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated COVID-19 protocols in schools, eliminating a recommendation for test-to-stay after potential exposure.
- The CDC also lifted the requirement to quarantine if exposed to the virus, deemphasizing screening for people with no symptoms.
- The update represents an increasing focus on individuals making their own decisions about their level of risk and how they want to mitigate that risk.
- It also brings the recommendations for unvaccinated people in line with people who are fully vaccinated.
Seattle mayor wants more access to cannabis
- Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell submitted a package of bills aimed at helping boost diversity and backing cannabis store employees.
- The bill would establish a city-level social equity license aimed at helping individuals most affected by the war on drugs to join the industry and open marijuana stores.
- It would also lay the groundwork for the future cannabis-related business in partnership with Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board focusing on social equity.
- The bill would set up 90-day retention of store workforce in case of new ownership and create an advisory committee that gathers input from workers, community members, and industry leaders.
Power costs impacting U.S. industrial market
- Workers at Century Aluminum Co., the second-largest aluminum mill in America, accounting for 20% of U.S. supply, learned they were losing their jobs because the plant can’t afford electricity.
- The electric bill tripled in a matter of months as a result of soaring natural gas and electricity costs.
- A group of factories across the Midwest also told regulators they were on the verge of closing for the summer or longer because of high electricity costs.
- This challenge could create widespread issues across U.S. plants and factories, and it would be a further drag on the economy that is already reeling.