Employers Must Ensure the Safety of Home Workspaces
WACD Reading List
US Coronavirus: A concerning variant is about to become dominant in the US, experts say, and how Americans act could help fuel or curb a surge - CNN
The safety measures will be especially crucial now that multiple variants of the virus are circulating -- including the highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant that was first identified in the UK. It's projected to become the dominant variant in the US by the end of this month or early April, Walensky said Monday.
Google Warns Mac, Windows Users of Chrome Zero-Day Flaw | Threatpost
Google is hurrying out a fix for a vulnerability in its Chrome browser that’s under active attack – its third zero-day flaw so far this year. If exploited, the flaw could allow remote code-execution and denial-of-service attacks on affected systems.
State legislative report 0314: Budget negotiations picking up steam | WAWG
The focus of the Legislature has shifted from approving bills on the floor of the House and Senate to meeting in committees, holding public hearings and voting on bills that the opposite chamber approved. Bills need to pass out of their respective policy committees by March 26 to continue to advance through the legislative process.
Citizens of Washington Take Up Climate Change Solutions - Sightline Institute
Could randomly selected Washingtonians from all walks of life come up with something better? That’s what the Washington Climate Assembly is hoping to find out.
Revised March 2021 Economic Forecast
The Revised March 2021 Economic Forecast is now available online.
Drought in California: why 77 percent of the Western US is abnormally dry - Vox
Rising temperatures and lack of rain threaten to decrease water supplies and bring more wildfires this summer and in the years to come.
Half the Country Is Now Considering Right to Repair Laws
But people across the world are tired of it and 25 states in the U.S. are considering right-to-repair legislation in 2021.
What Is a Rain Garden and How Do You Make One?
a rain garden is a garden where native shrubs, perennials and flowers are planted in a small dip in the ground, usually formed on a natural slope, the Groundwater Foundation explains. The goal of a rain garden is to temporarily hold and absorb rain water runoff coming from roofs, driveways, patios or lawns.
Deadline Approaches For Wildfire-Related Loans | Spokane Public Radio
The Small Business Administration says the window is still open for people and firms harmed by last September’s wildfires.
The federal agency is reminding eastern Washington and north Idaho residents interested in wildfire-related loans due to last September’s fires that they must apply by April 12.
The Secret of Adaptable Organizations Is Trust
However, the real issue is not successfully transforming your organization on a one-time basis — it’s writing the ability to adapt and transform into the company’s DNA. It’s developing a mechanism or reflex for dealing with whatever crisis comes along, be it financial, technological, environmental, or health related.
Cascade Snowpack More Vulnerable To Climate Change Than Inland Neighbors, Study Suggests | Northwest Public Broadcasting
New research suggests mountain snowpack in the Cascades is among the most vulnerable in the U.S. to the effects of climate change.
A Mixed Bag: Northwest’s Iconic Salmon Face Tough Conditions During Ocean Journey | Northwest Public Broadcasting
Ocean conditions can be integral to salmon survival. And in 2021, the Pacific Northwest’s iconic fish will face a mixed bag: some good and some bad conditions while out at sea.
Morning Wire: State of the Legislature post-cutoff - Washington State Wire
Forest Service grants available to NCW | Local News | wenatcheeworld.com
People, nonprofits and government agencies can apply for funding through the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest through the Secure Rural Schools program.
Washington climate activists disagree about how to cut carbon | Crosscut
A landmark bill in the state Legislature has split environmentalists, with some questioning whether it will reduce pollution in communities hardest hit by it.
Measure allowing overtime for farmworkers moves forward
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Agricultural workers in Washington state would become eligible for overtime pay under a bill moving through the Legislature in Olympia.
What’s in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for Agriculture?
Combined, the nutrition and agricultural provisions are estimated at $22.7 billion. Today’s article reviews the agricultural provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Northern Hemisphere Summers Are Trending Towards a Hugely Disruptive Length
The climate crisis is affecting our planet to such an extent, summers in the Northern Hemisphere could last half the year by 2100, scientists have warned.
ZIPX files that aren't: Keep a weather eye out for disguised malware in email attachments • The Register
By using the .zipx extension to obfuscate EXE payloads, crooks might be hoping to sneak the elderly NanoCore remote-access trojan through users' email and endpoint-scanning software.
Inslee announces statewide move to Phase 3 of recovery plan, return to spectator events and Tier 2 vaccine eligibility | by WA Governor’s Office | Washington State Governor's Office | Mar, 2021 | Medium
Gov. Jay Inslee today announced that Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery will be transitioning from a regional approach to a county-by-county evaluation process. The governor also announced a new third phase of the Roadmap and a return for in-person spectators for professional and high school sports.
Effective March 22, the entire state will enter Phase 3.
Mitigate Microsoft Exchange On-Premises Product Vulnerabilities | CISA
CISA issued ED 21-02 requiring federal civilian departments and agencies running Microsoft Exchange on-premises products to update or disconnect the products from their networks until updated with the Microsoft patch.
Race in the Workplace | Time
Join Shaun Harper, one of the world’s leading racial equity experts, and Zoom’s Chief Diversity Officer Damien Hooper-Campbell, for a multi-part series focused on practical approaches to improving and
advancing racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in organizations.
FACT SHEET: United States Department of Agriculture Provisions in H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan | USDA
WASHINGTON, Mar. 10, 2021 – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021...Specifically, provisions within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will reduce hunger across the country, strengthen the food supply chain, invest in rural America, and provide long awaited support to underserved, socially disadvantaged farmers.
Capital gains: The emergency clause, the voters and the courts - Washington State Wire
While only three amendments passed, none was more consequential than Sen. Steve Hobbs’s amendment 413, which removed the emergency clause from the underlying bill...But, the impact was more profound — for political, electoral and legal reasons.
The bills we’re tracking in the 2021 Washington state Legislature | Crosscut
Pandemic relief, climate change, taxes and more — here’s what we’re watching halfway into the session.
State House OK’s long-term plan to prevent and fight wildfires – Washington State House Democrats
In the 1990s, Washington lost 86,000 acres a year to wildfires. By 2015 the average had climbed to nearly a half million acres a year. Last year? 812,000 acres of forests and grassland were destroyed by wildfires, not to mention homes, businesses, and lives.
Microsoft Exchange hack, explained
Cyberattacks Are Inevitable. Is Your Company Prepared?
Cyberattacks always happen when you least expect them. And when they happen, they happen quickly. Responding appropriately is not just the responsibility of your cybersecurity team; everyone in the organization has a role to play.
Microsoft Patch Tuesday Updates Fix 14 Critical Bugs | Threatpost
Microsoft has released its regularly scheduled March Patch Tuesday updates, which address 89 security vulnerabilities overall.
Included in the slew are 14 critical flaws and 75 important-severity flaws. Microsoft also included five previously disclosed vulnerabilities, which are being actively exploited in the wild.