Latest news with #Gregerson
India.com
30-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
World's richest are storing their gold in a building due to..., the six-storey building has treasure worth Rs 120000000000, it is located in...
(Representational image/AI generated) New Delhi: Did you know that these days, the wealthy are storing their gold in Singapore? Amidst international uncertainties, diminishing trust in banks, and geopolitical tensions, the world's rich are now keeping their gold not in bank lockers but in secure vaults abroad. The biggest beneficiary of this trend is Singapore, which is becoming the 'Geneva of the East' for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) worldwide. According to a CNBC report, 'The Reserve', a six-story private vault near Singapore Airport, currently stores approximately $1.5 billion (around Rs 12,500 crores) worth of gold and silver bars. This building, covered with onyx, features top-notch security and contains thousands of safe deposit boxes and a vast storage chamber. According to the founder, Gregor Gregersen, orders for gold-silver storage have increased by 88% between January and April 2025, while gold-silver bar sales have seen a 200% year-over-year growth. Why is this trend of gold changing? Trust crisis: Wealthy individuals in countries like Lebanon, Algeria, and Egypt are losing faith in their banking systems. Inclination towards physical gold: Gregerson states that people now consider holding physical gold more secure than paper gold (ETFs, mutual funds) as it carries less counterparty risk, or the risk of default from a third party. Lessons from the banking crisis: The 2023 Silicon Valley Bank crisis made many wealthy investors realize that it's better to hold actual gold physically in a reliable location rather than relying on paper claims. Why is Singapore becoming the first choice? Political stability: Singapore is considered a 'safe jurisdiction,' much like Switzerland once was. Transit hub: It serves as an important transit center, making the import and export of gold easier. Bank-free storage: John Reed from the World Gold Council mentions that some investors now prefer to store gold outside of banks, as they feel the banking system is not completely secure anymore.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WA Gov. Ferguson signs Right to Repair bill into law
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Governor Bob Ferguson has signed a wide-ranging Right to Repair bill into law. Lawmakers hope to improve access to quicker and cheaper repairs for an array of digital and mobility devices. Big picture view The Right to Repair Act (HB 1483) will go into effect on July 26 after receiving broad bipartisan support in the legislature. At this point, several practices will be prohibited, such as "parts pairing" which has long limited customers into manufacturer-only repair options. Overall, consumers will now have fairer access to parts, tools and information needed to repair the digital devices often used on a daily basis, according to a statement from the Washington State House Democrats. What they're saying "This bill empowers everyday Washingtonians and small businesses while reducing waste," said Rep. Gregerson. "People deserve the right to fix their own devices without roadblocks." The Source Information for this story came from the Governor's Office and Washington State Democrats. Luxury Seattle hotel sues 'nuisance' building next door Firefighters in western WA train for possibility of 'above average' wildfire season Shawn Kemp lawyers claim bias in Tacoma Mall shooting case as trial nears Federal judge blocks Trump's dismantling of the Department of Education 'Where is Teekah?': Mother speaks out after Tacoma, WA cold case Activist marks 2 weeks in tree to protest logging near Port Angeles Driver arrested after deadly crash in Kent, WA To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill would allow people to sue Washington cities and counties over public camping bans
The Washington Legislature is considering a bill that would allow cities and counties to be sued for enforcing any ban on public camping that is not considered 'objectively reasonable.' While advocates for those living unhoused in Washington say the bill would be an important step to providing rights and protections for a vulnerable population, opponents argue the legal definition is subjective and would open up local governments to costly litigation at the expense of tax payers. If passed, House Bill 1380 would require that any city or town, code city or county laws regulating 'the acts of sitting, lying, sleeping, or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property that is open to the public' do so in a way that it 'objectively reasonable as to time, place, and manner.' It would also allow parties and individuals to take legal action against cities and counties they believe are enforcing such a policy in a way that is not 'objectively reasonable.' The primary sponsor of the bill, Rep. Mia Gregerson (D-33rd District), said the legislation is part of a greater effort to codify rights and legal protections for homeless people. She referred to the idea as a 'bill of rights' for the homeless population. In an interview with The News Tribune, Gregerson said the legislation would prohibit local jurisdictions from regulating camping on public spaces, but creates a framework for them to do so. 'If you are going to enforce, then enforce through this lens,' she said. Gregerson said the bill is intended to create representation for an otherwise vulnerable population. On Jan. 21, the bill was the subject of a public hearing by the House Committee on Housing. Jazmyn Clark of ACLU Washington testified in support of the bill. Clark said HB 1380 is a vital step toward managing the homelessness crisis, in part, because it includes language requiring local governments to consider the 'totality of circumstances' when regulating camping on public property. According to the bill, a local government must consider whether prohibitions on public camping protect the safety of both housed and unhoused individuals, whether there is accessible alternative shelter or housing available for those experiencing homelessness, and whether enforcement is proportional to the issue, among other factors. Supporters of the bill say cities and counties would be protected from litigation as long as regulation of public camping considers those factors and is 'objectively reasonable. Opponents say reasonableness is difficult to define in this instance. During the Jan. 21 hearing, Curtis Steinhauer, a policy analyst at Washington State Association of Counties, testified in opposition to HB 1380. 'Counties are responsible for addressing homelessness in their jurisdiction, and we appreciate the efforts of this body to advocate for the most vulnerable members of our communities,' Steinhauer testified. 'However, this bill will result in unnecessary litigation for local governments without creating any new rights for unsheltered people.' Steinhauer said the lack of a clear definition for what is 'objectively reasonable' would leave local governments to guess when drafting policies to regulate public spaces. 'The only way to find out what ordinances meet this standard is through litigation,' he told the committee. 'When litigation occurs, it will come at the expense of taxpayers in these jurisdictions, possibly paid for by revenue that could have been used to create more resources for vulnerable people that this bill is meant to protect.' The City of Tacoma has an ordinance prohibiting camping in public spaces within a 10-block radius of a shelter or within a certain distance of a waterway. Maria Lee is a spokesperson for the City of Tacoma. When asked if Tacoma's camping ban ordinance would be considered 'objectively reasonable' under the bill, Lee told The News Tribune it is unclear. 'We recognize the intent of the proposed legislation, and we're seeking to understand how it will interact with current city ordinances, including the camping ordinance.' Lee told The News Tribune in an email. 'It's likely that further legal interpretation will be needed to provide clear guidance regarding enforcement and to ensure city ordinances meet the new standard.' The bill has not been scheduled for a floor vote. On Feb. 28, it was referred to the House Rules Committee.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington Legislature considers allowing local elections in even years as secretaries of state voice concerns
Feb. 21—The Washington Legislature is again considering a proposal that would allow jurisdictions to shift local elections to even years, an idea that proponents say will boost low voter turnout. The bill, though, is opposed by both the current and a former secretary of state in Washington. If passed, the bill would allow cities and towns to shift their elections to even-numbered years through either a vote of residents or an ordinance adopted by the town's council. A similar proposal cleared the House of Representatives last session, though it died in the Senate. Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac, said the bill could boost turnout in elections that regularly see half as much turnout as ballots that feature either a presidential or congressional race at the top of the ticket. "One of the calls to action is always to try to find out how we can get more people to participate in our democracy," Gregerson said during a Jan. 21 House State Government Committee Hearing. "When we have more people participating, we have a healthier community, the people who are leading that community and making those decisions have a better electorate to be able to listen to, and more people feel like they are feeling heard." According to data from the Washington Secretary of State, nearly 79% of Washington's 5 million registered voters cast their ballots in November, an election that included races for the presidency, the governorship, a slate of other statewide offices and four statewide initiatives. With a seat in the U.S. Senate up for grabs in 2022, nearly 64% of Washingtonians submitted their ballots. But with only local races up for grabs in 2023, 36.4% of registered voters in the state cast a ballot, the lowest rate in an odd-year election since at least 1980. Data from the Secretary of State's Office shows that odd-year elections have seen a steady decline in participation, with less than 40% of voters returning ballots in each election since 2013. According to Gregerson, the bill is geared toward groups that have historically had lower voter turnout, including young people and those in lower income brackets. During a Feb. 13 hearing in the House Appropriations Committee, Gregerson said the bill would have other benefits, including reducing the cost for elections by including more races on the same ballot. Gregerson said 19 other states allow local jurisdictions to hold elections in even-numbered years. But while Gregerson hopes the option would boost participation, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs worries it would result in a higher number of voters submitting partial ballots. During testimony in the Jan. 21 hearing, Hobbs pointed to higher voter turnouts in presidential races compared to races down the ballot, even in even years. Of the nearly 4 million voters who cast a ballot last November, less than one 1% failed to vote in the presidential election. Nearly one in five, though, did not select either Sal Mungia or Dave Larson for a seat on the state Supreme Court. "If you have other races down below, it starts dropping off even further," Hobbs said. Hobbs pointed to Contra Costa County, California, which shifted its elections to even years. The change, Hobbs said, resulted in a ballot that was six pages, with many voters opting to leave entire pages blank. A sample ballot with local elections on an even-year ballot for Snohomish County is four pages, which Hobbs said could grow to five or six pages in a primary. "This leads to the operational problem, and the technical problem, of trying to control these ballots, because they're multiple pages, and issues with potential jamming, reconciliation, and just voter confusion in general," Hobbs said. Joining Hobbs in a bipartisan show of opposition is Sam Reed, a Republican who served as the secretary of state of Washington from 2001 to 2013. Testifying before the House Government Committee, Reed said the proposal could also prove challenging for candidates. "I'd say this is, potentially, kind of an incumbent protection plan," Reed said. "If you don't want to have much visibility for your opponents, what you should do is switch to the even year. Because by the time people go through 36 other races, are they going to get down to the town council or water district or fire district? No, that's my experience." Among those against the proposal is Spokane City Council Member Michael Cathcart, who introduced a city resolution to oppose the legislation. In a statement Thursday, Cathcart said "holding local elections concurrently with presidential, legislative, and congressional campaigns will leave voters little time or energy to research down-ballot issues." "City elections work best when voters can focus on local leadership, not when they're lumped in with national political brawls," Cathcart said. The proposal cleared the House Appropriations Committee Thursday and previously received support in the House Government Committee.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill could allow challenges to local anti-camping ordinances that aren't 'objectively reasonable'
Feb. 14—OLYMPIA — The Washington Legislature is considering a bill that would allow residents to challenge local anti-camping regulations they believe are not "objectively reasonable." Under the bill, which has cleared the House Housing Committee and is currently in the Appropriations Committee, regulations adopted by cities, towns, counties and other jurisdictions to restrict outdoor camping and sleeping on public property would be required to be "objectively reasonable for the time, place, and manner." Whether a statute meets this classification would be based on "the totality of the circumstances" of a situation. The legislation would allow residents to challenge an ordinance in court if it does not meet this criteria. It does not establish a framework for "monetary damages." The bill's prime sponsor, Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-Sea Tac, said during a hearing Wednesday that the proposal is "not a one size fits all fix, but this bill does seek to help provide guideposts to allow each community to deal with their own unique challenges." The proposal, Gregerson said, comes as the state struggles to address a rising homeless population, which she attributed to a shortage of housing, a lack of affordable housing and a lack of shelter availability. Gregerson said while lawmakers have made recent strides to create more housing, "the need continues to grow faster than the expansion of more access to these housing opportunities." Among those in support of the legislation are the ACLU of Washington, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance and the Northwest Justice Project. The bill is sponsored by Spokane Reps. Timm Ormsby and Natasha Hill. Wednesday's hearing included objections from local officials throughout the state, including Spokane City Council Member Jonathan Bingle, who said he was testifying in his personal capacity. "This bill is not just an overreach, it is a blatant affront to the Democratic will of Spokane citizens," Bingle said. Bingle pointed to the approval of Prop 1 in November 2023, which largely prohibits homeless residents from setting up camp in most of the city, including within 1,000 feet of parks, schools and childcare facilities. The proposition was passed with nearly 75% approval, and Spokane Police began enforcement last summer. "This is a clear mandate from our community to prioritize public safety and the wellbeing of our children," Bingle said. "By undermining local ordinances like Spokane's Proposition 1, this bill jeopardizes public safety, it hampers our ability to maintain clear and secure public spaces, protect our children, and uphold the quality of life our residents demand." Bingle added that potential challenges to Spokane's ordinance "threatens to divert funds from essential services, exacerbating the issues it purports to address." Spokane Business Owner Larry Andrews, who protested the bill through a half-page ad published in The Spokesman-Review on Feb. 9 that targeted Hill, said during testimony Wednesday that the bill "does not help the homeless." "This bill confuses established laws," Andrews said. The ad, Andrews said, was meant to "save the homeless from this insanity." "You are not allowed to camp in our state without a permit, why would you allow people to camp on our streets?" Andrews said. Testifying in support of the legislation, Sharyl Brown, director of operations at Jewels Helping Hands in Spokane, said during Wednesday's hearing that the "burden of fines, citations and incarceration doesn't just create obstacles, it resets the entire process." "People lose all progress towards stability, forced to navigate an already complicated system from square one again, making lasting success nearly impossible," Brown said. "For many unhoused individuals, safety depends on being in public spaces, yet they are constantly penalized for simply existing when they have nowhere else to go."
