President Biden’s Public Schedule for Thanksgiving Eve:
| Official Schedule | On Wednesday, the President has no public events scheduled Residence of David M. Rubenstein, Nantucket, MA Out-of-Town Pool |
| 10:00 AM | Out-of-Town Pool Call Time Residence of David M. Rubenstein, Nantucket, MA Out-of-Town Pool |
President Biden has tweeted…
1 tweet so far for Thanksgiving Eve.
On Tuesday night a gunman opened fire inside a Walmart in Chesapeake, VA., six people that includes the gunman died while four others were wounded.
From the article:
A motive has not been established for the mass killing Tuesday night at the Walmart Supercenter in the city of Chesapeake, but a senior law enforcement official told NBC News the suspect was a disgruntled employee who was armed with a pistol of some kind. The shooter’s identity has not yet been released.
[snip]
The first reports of gunfire at the Walmart Supercenter were logged at 10:12 p.m. Tuesday and, when police arrived minutes later, the suspected shooter was already dead, Chesapeake Police Chief Mark Solesky said.
He confirmed the employee died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and said the next of kin have not yet been notified of his death.
NBC News. 11/22/2022.
President Biden’s full statement:
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, one of our most cherished holidays that brings us together as Americans and as families, when we hug our loved ones and count our blessings. But because of yet another horrific and senseless act of violence, there are now even more tables across the country that will have empty seats this Thanksgiving. There are now more families who know the worst kind of loss and pain imaginable.
White House.gov. 11/23/2022.
Jill and I grieve for those families, for the Chesapeake community, and for the Commonwealth of Virginia, which just suffered a terrible shooting at the University of Virginia this month. We also mourn for all those across America who have lost loved ones to these tragic shootings that we must come together as a nation to stand against.
This year, I signed the most significant gun reform in a generation, but that is not nearly enough. We must take greater action.
We are grateful to the first responders who mobilized to assist victims, and I have directed federal officials to provide any support and assistance needed to the people of Chesapeake.
When the post was posted for Tuesday, President Biden had tweeted 3 times. He added 7 tweets giving him a Tuesday Tweeting Total of 10 tweets and 0 retweets.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s full statement:
Governor Kate Brown today announced a pardon for prior Oregon offenses of simple possession of marijuana, an act that will impact an estimated 45,000 individuals across the state and forgive more than $14,000,000 in associated fines and fees. The pardon will remove 47,144 convictions for possession of a small amount of marijuana from individual records, eliminating barriers for thousands of people seeking employment, housing, and educational opportunities who have otherwise been ineligible.
The pardon applies to electronically available Oregon convictions for possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana, in pre-2016 cases in which the person was 21 years of age or older, where this was the only charge, and where there were no victims. This pardon does not apply to any other offense related to marijuana or other controlled substances. More information can be found here.
“No one deserves to be forever saddled with the impacts of a conviction for simple possession of marijuana — a crime that is no longer on the books in Oregon,” said Governor Brown. “Oregonians should never face housing insecurity, employment barriers, and educational obstacles as a result of doing something that is now completely legal, and has been for years. My pardon will remove these hardships. And while Oregonians use marijuana at similar rates, Black and Latina/o/x people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.
“We are a state, and a nation, of second chances. Today, I am taking steps to right the wrongs of a flawed, inequitable, and outdated criminal justice system in Oregon when it comes to personal marijuana possession. For the estimated 45,000 individuals who are receiving a pardon for prior state convictions of marijuana possession, this action will help relieve the collateral consequences arising from these convictions.”
Following the Governor’s pardon, the Oregon Judicial Department will ensure that all court records associated with these pardoned offenses are sealed, as required by law.
Oregon,gov. 11/21/2022.
I’ve been scrolling around the interwebs and didn’t find the exact information posted in this tweet. The closest I’ve come is the tweet itself and the fact-sheet; Biden-Harris Administration is Supporting America’s Veterans and Their Families, Caregivers, and Survivors posted by the White House on Veterans Day (11/11/2022).
The image was taken Monday, when the President and First Lady attended Friendsgiving Dinner with military service members and their families. The YouTube of President Biden’s remarks at the Friendsgiving Dinner is 10 minutes and 28 seconds long. His full remarks can be found here.
The text in the tweet was taken from his remarks when he pardoned the National Thanksgiving Turkeys, Chocolate and Chip. The YouTube of the turkey pardoning is 10 minutes and 21 seconds long. His full remarks can be found here.
President Biden: This is a special time and the — in the greatest nation on Earth, so let’s be grateful. Scripture says, “Let us rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.”
The video is 1 minute and 22 seconds long.
President Biden: Folks, I want to give an update on my student debt relief plan. As Americans continue to recover from the pandemic, my Administration’s been working to provide student debt relief to millions of working and middle class families across the country.
President Biden con’t: But Republicans special interest and elected officials sued to deny this relief even for their own constituents. But I’m completely confident my plan is legal. But right now, it’s on hold because of these lawsuits. We’re not going to back down though, on our fight to give families breathing room.
President Biden con’t: That’s why the Department of Justice is asking the Supreme Court of the United States to rule on the case. But it isn’t fair to ask tens of millions of borrowers eligible for relief to resume their student debt payments while the courts consider the lawsuit.
President Biden con’t: For that reason, the Secretary of Education is extending the pause on student loan payments while we seek relief from the courts. But no later than June 30th 2023, which would give the Supreme Court an opportunity to hear the case in it’s current term. Payments will resume 60 days after the pause ends.
President Biden con’t: I’m never going to apologize for helping working class and middles class families recover from the economic crisis created by the pandemic. And I’ll continue working to make government work to deliver for all Americans, for all Americans. This is important.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs posted the following press releases on November 7th:
VA will prioritize delivering benefits to Veterans with cancer under PACT Act
Today, on National Cancer Awareness Day, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will prioritize the processing of Veterans’ benefits claims for cancers associated with the PACT Act. VA will expedite these claims to ensure Veterans with cancer are getting timely access to the care and benefits they need and deserve.
The PACT Act added presumptions of service connection for more than 20 new conditions, including various cancers. These presumptions help Veterans get their earned benefits by reducing the evidence necessary for VA to find that a condition was caused by burn pits or other toxic exposures. They also simplify the claims process by eliminating the need to establish a link between the Veteran’s service and the claimed condition.
Since the PACT Act was signed into law August 10, Veterans have filed nearly 125,000 PACT Act-related claims. Of those claims, nearly 14,000 are for cancers covered by the PACT Act.
“We are working hard to get benefits to all Veterans who qualify under the PACT ACT as soon as possible, and Veterans living with cancer are at particular risk,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “Expediting claims for these Vets will ensure that they get the care and benefits they need and so rightly deserve.”
This decision is a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader efforts to care for those with cancer and end cancer as we know it. In addition to prioritizing claims for Veterans with cancer, VA will continue to prioritize the processing of claims for Veterans with terminal illnesses and those experiencing homelessness.
VA will begin processing all PACT Act-related claims Jan 1, 2023. In anticipation of the surge in new claims, VA is hiring at 56 regional offices and 39 other special processing and call centers within the United States and Puerto Rico. Learn about the positions and how to apply.
For more information about PACT Act and how to file a claim, visit va.gov/PACT. If Veterans, their families, caregivers or survivors have questions about PACT Act and wish to speak with someone to help, they may call 1-800-MyVA411 at any time.
Va.gov. 11/07/2022.
Tomorrow, all Veterans enrolled in VA health care will be eligible for new toxic exposure screenings
Beginning tomorrow, Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and clinics across the country will offer enrolled Veterans a new toxic exposure screening. These screenings are a key part of the PACT Act, a new law that empowers VA to deliver care and benefits to millions of toxic exposed Veterans and their survivors.
The screening takes five to 10 minutes and begins by asking Veterans if they believe they experienced any toxic exposures while serving in the armed forces. Veterans who answer “yes” are then asked about specific exposures, including: open burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation, contaminated water, and other exposures.
Veterans enrolled in VA health care will be offered an initial toxic exposure screening then follow-up screenings at least once every five years.
“These screenings are an important step toward making sure that all toxic exposed Veterans get the care and benefits they deserve,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “At the end of the day, these screenings will improve health outcomes for Veterans—and there’s nothing more important than that.”
Veterans who report concerns about toxic exposures will be connected to information about clinical resources and benefits. These screenings are a part of VA’s broader efforts to provide world-class health care for toxic exposed Veterans.
Veterans can ask about receiving the screening at their next VA primary care provider appointment. If Veterans are not assigned to a Primary Care team or wish to be screened sooner than their next appointment, we invite them to contact their local facility and ask to be screened by the Toxic Exposure Screening Navigator.
VA began a pilot of this program on September 6. Since then, VA has screened more than 19,000 Veterans and found a 37% concern of exposure among those Veterans.
We encourage Veterans not currently enrolled in VA health care to apply now. Visit https://www.va.gov/health-care/apply/application/introduction to learn more.
Access the following links for more information:
Va.gov. 11/07/2022.
- VA.gov/PACT.
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures.
- https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/education/toxicexposurescreeninformation.asp.
Have a happy Thanksgiving Eve!
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