Category: Uncategorized

From UW News:

The following is a statement from the University of Washington in response to allegations U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made during a speech at Georgia Tech on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020:

This is the latest false statement and shameful deflection from an administration whose State Department and Department of Education took no effective action on behalf of Vera Zhou in response to the University’s requests, and now wishes to shift attention from that failure. That the Secretary of State would think a university has more power in this situation than the United States government is bizarre. That he would single out a staff member by name is unbecoming of the office and his statement is flatly wrong. While several UW offices have been in contact with Vera throughout her experience, no staff in the UW Office of Federal Relations has had direct contact with Vera or her family.

The University of Washington has been deeply concerned for Vera’s safety and well-being throughout her ordeal, and was relieved to hear of her safe return. We cannot even begin to imagine the turmoil this has caused in the lives of Vera, her mother and other loved ones.

However, the notion that the UW did not act on Vera’s behalf is completely untrue and the insinuation that the University allowed financial interests of any kind to interfere with its handling of this situation is outrageous. We have no record of contact from any State Department official to the UW President’s Office (or elsewhere in our Administration) that indicates anything regarding a negotiation with a Chinese institution, nor would we balance a student’s well-being against any financial concern. We have no idea what “multimillion-dollar deal” is being referenced.

The issues at hand rest directly with the federal government, not the UW, though we endeavored to provide Vera support regardless of the circumstances. The UW consulted directly with the U.S. State Department on opportunities for federal intervention, which they reported were extremely limited due to her status as a Chinese citizen. We understand the Department of Education’s billing servicer was unwilling to make changes to Vera’s loan, despite being provided information about her extraordinary circumstances. The UW was in regular communication with Vera in the Fall of 2019 to advise her on additional options to try for resolution.

UW staff in the offices of Global Affairs, Student Life and Student Fiscal Services have connected with Vera and her mother on several occasions to proactively express how happy we were to hear she was home, answer questions and provide her with guidance regarding her concerns, and to help provide as smooth a transition whenever and wherever she decided to continue her education. Since Vera’s return to the U.S. and the state of Washington, our staff have been in regular contact during her enrollment at a community college, advising her on financial aid options still available to her.

And, we can confirm that as of this quarter, Vera is again enrolled at the UW.

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Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

COVID-19: New models suggest US deaths could exceed 170k, northern Virginia enters phase 2 of reopening, and King County is approved for “Phase 1.5”. However, cases continue to climb. More at CNN.

Seattle: Protesters have claimed part of Capitol Hill in Seattle as the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone”, barring police and demanding several things from local government. Seattle Mayor and Washington Governor clashed with President Trump on twitter over ongoing protests. Full story at USA Today.

Uber: Starting Monday, in the UK face masks will become mandatory in all Ubers. The American CDC also suggests using face coverings while on public transport. More at BBC.

Starbucks: The coffee giant faced backlash for, and then later repealed, its ban on employees wearing Black Lives Matter messages at work. More at Forbes.

France: Protests in against police brutality in France, especially violence directed towards ethnic minorities, has resulted in a nationwide choke-hold ban. However, French police oppose the ban and any association with racism. More at New York Times.

The government’s economic stimulus is set to quickly balloon into trillion-dollar territory in the coming days, the largest rescue in modern American history, as major industries flood the Administration and Capitol Hill for aid while huge swaths of the economy stall from the coronavirus crisis.

The size and scope of the package are morphing rapidly as the economic and market damage mounts. Senate Republicans and the White House are exploring how to fast-track existing legislation with the upcoming stimulus packages.

The Administration is expected to ask for a third package of $850 billion, which would consist of direct spending and tax breaks.

Stay tuned.