truepundit--2020-12-18--The Very Real Harm Our COVID-19 Policies Are Doing To Our Kids

• Restrictions enacted throughout the coronavirus pandemic have had a devastating effect on children that will continue to have repercussions , experts warn .
• “ We ’ re going to almost need a New Deal for an entire generation of kids to give them the opportunity to catch up , ” Executive Director of Share Our Strength Billy Shore said , adding , “ we don ’ t even know what we ’ re going to be dealing with.
” • Students ’ grades are failing , class participation is down , students face the danger of not having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable students do not appear to be in school at all .
Restrictions enacted throughout the coronavirus pandemic have had a devastating effect on children that will continue to have repercussions , experts warn .
“ We ’ re going to almost need a New Deal for an entire generation of kids to give them the opportunity to catch up , ” Executive Director of Share Our Strength Billy Shore told NBC News , saying that right now , “ we don ’ t even know what we ’ re going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders in the spring requiring Americans to lockdown and stay-at-home , resulting in school closures and remote learning as early as March .
Officials have quarreled over whether schools should reopen this fall , and many teachers ’ unions have taken strong stances against reopening , arguing that it puts teachers at risk .
Data collected globally indicates that school openings did not cause a surge in coronavirus cases , yet schools in major cities such as Chicago , Philadelphia , Boston and San Diego have not reopened — despite Dr. Anthony Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that the rates of drug and alcohol use among youth , as well as arrest and incarceration rates among youth , have fallen .
But the publication found many negative effects on children compared to years past .
Compared to last year , there has been a 24 % increase in mental health-related emergency room visits for children aged 5 to 11 .
The number of children who do not have enough food increased by more than 6 million : 17 million children now face the danger of not having enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that many of these children formerly relied on free school lunches .
Many students are disproportionately struggling in virtual learning classes compared to last year , NBC found , and the number of students who have missed at least 10 % of classes has more than doubled in some school districts .
Three million vulnerable students do not appear to be in school at all , the publication reported — students who are learning English , have disabilities , are in foster care , or who are homeless .
“ Recovery from Katrina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We didn ’ t just bring the kids back and everything fell into place .
And this will be the same , ” Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington Associate Director Betheny Gross told NBC .
Gross said that the United States may need more than a vaccine to help children return to normal , adding , “ I don ’ t think we can just start school next fall and say , ‘ Everything ’ s going to be OK. ’ ” “ If we fail to address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trauma .
We ’ re compounding loss , ” Barbara Duffield , who advocates for homeless children through SchoolHouse Connection , told NBC .
“ A student who is homeless , who has a disability , who has been traumatized by the racial violence we ’ ve seen this year , and then to be disconnected from arguably the only universal support system is disastrous.
” “ It means higher rates of suicide , ” she continued .
“ Higher rates of depression , addiction , mental illness and physical disability , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developing right now .
They ’ ll face more developmental delays leading to deficits in their education as they grow.
” And it will be the most vulnerable children who will be most strongly affected , director of Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , David Hinojosa , told the publication .
“ I can tell you , ” he told NBC , citing studies he has reviewed , “ that learning time has plummeted , that English learners are being shortchanged of the language acquisition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s basically a one-size-fits-all approach , and that students with disabilities have been grossly neglected across the country.
” “ Children are frustrated , ” he added .
“ Teachers are frustrated .
Civil rights advocates are frustrated and I think it ’ s reaching a boiling point .
”

Restrictions enacted throughout the coronavirus pandemic have had a devastating effect on children that will continue to have repercussions, experts warn.
“We’re going to almost need a New Deal for an entire generation of kids to give them the opportunity to catch up,” Executive Director of Share Our Strength Billy Shore said, adding, “we don’t even know what we’re going to be dealing with.”
Students’ grades are failing, class participation is down, students face the danger of not having enough to eat, and three million vulnerable students do not appear to be in school at all.
Restrictions enacted throughout the coronavirus pandemic have had a devastating effect on children that will continue to have repercussions, experts warn.
“We’re going to almost need a New Deal for an entire generation of kids to give them the opportunity to catch up,” Executive Director of Share Our Strength Billy Shore told NBC News, saying that right now, “we don’t even know what we’re going to be dealing with.”
Elected officials enacted executive orders in the spring requiring Americans to lockdown and stay-at-home, resulting in school closures and remote learning as early as March. Officials have quarreled over whether schools should reopen this fall, and many teachers’ unions have taken strong stances against reopening, arguing that it puts teachers at risk.
Data collected globally indicates that school openings did not cause a surge in coronavirus cases, yet schools in major cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and San Diego have not reopened — despite Dr. Anthony Fauci’s late-November recommendation.
NBC News found that the rates of drug and alcohol use among youth, as well as arrest and incarceration rates among youth, have fallen.
But the publication found many negative effects on children compared to years past. Compared to last year, there has been a 24% increase in mental health-related emergency room visits for children aged 5 to 11.
The number of children who do not have enough food increased by more than 6 million: 17 million children now face the danger of not having enough to eat, the publication reported, noting that many of these children formerly relied on free school lunches.
Many students are disproportionately struggling in virtual learning classes compared to last year, NBC found, and the number of students who have missed at least 10% of classes has more than doubled in some school districts.
Three million vulnerable students do not appear to be in school at all, the publication reported — students who are learning English, have disabilities, are in foster care, or who are homeless.
“Recovery from Katrina wasn’t a one-year recovery. We didn’t just bring the kids back and everything fell into place. And this will be the same,” Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington Associate Director Betheny Gross told NBC.
Gross said that the United States may need more than a vaccine to help children return to normal, adding, “I don’t think we can just start school next fall and say, ‘Everything’s going to be OK.’”
“If we fail to address this, we’re just compounding trauma. We’re compounding loss,” Barbara Duffield, who advocates for homeless children through SchoolHouse Connection, told NBC. “A student who is homeless, who has a disability, who has been traumatized by the racial violence we’ve seen this year, and then to be disconnected from arguably the only universal support system is disastrous.”
“It means higher rates of suicide,” she continued. “Higher rates of depression, addiction, mental illness and physical disability, particularly for young children who are growing and developing right now. They’ll face more developmental delays leading to deficits in their education as they grow.”
And it will be the most vulnerable children who will be most strongly affected, director of Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, David Hinojosa, told the publication.
“I can tell you,” he told NBC, citing studies he has reviewed, “that learning time has plummeted, that English learners are being shortchanged of the language acquisition materials and teaching that they need because it’s basically a one-size-fits-all approach, and that students with disabilities have been grossly neglected across the country.”
“Children are frustrated,” he added. “Teachers are frustrated. Civil rights advocates are frustrated and I think it’s reaching a boiling point.”


truepundit--2020-12-18--The Number Of Americans That Are Depressed Or Suicidal Has Soared Because Of The COVID Lockdowns

As we head into winter , health authorities are telling us to stay at home as much as possible and to keep contact with others at a minimum .
They are telling us that we must do this for our own good , but the truth is that the mental health of the American people has been absolutely devastated by the various restrictions that have been imposed since the COVID pandemic first began .
Coming into this year , suicide was at an all-time record high in the United States and more Americans were on anti-depressants than ever before .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ things even worse .
The following is an excerpt from a study that was released just a few days ago… The unfolding of the current coronavirus 2019 ( COVID-19 ) pandemic , the worst global public health crisis in recent history , has caused unprecedented medical , social , and economic upheaval across the globe , and inflicted profound psychological pain on many people .
The rapid spread of this highly contagious disease resulted in a host of mental health consequences : feelings of uncertainty , sleep disturbances , anxiety , distress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictive measures , although helpful in controlling the spread of the virus , inevitably resulted in psychological and financial costs that may have long-term psychological sequelae .
A lot of people will never be the same again after this .
Health authorities insist that the lockdowns are helping to prevent the spread of the virus , but they are also crippling people emotionally .
If you doubt this , just consider the following numbers which come directly from the CDC ’ s own website… – READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine @ @ @

As we head into winter, health authorities are telling us to stay at home as much as possible and to keep contact with others at a minimum. They are telling us that we must do this for our own good, but the truth is that the mental health of the American people has been absolutely devastated by the various restrictions that have been imposed since the COVID pandemic first began.
Coming into this year, suicide was at an all-time record high in the United States and more Americans were on anti-depressants than ever before. Unfortunately, the COVID lockdowns have made things even worse. The following is an excerpt from a study that was released just a few days ago…
The unfolding of the current coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the worst global public health crisis in recent history, has caused unprecedented medical, social, and economic upheaval across the globe, and inflicted profound psychological pain on many people. The rapid spread of this highly contagious disease resulted in a host of mental health consequences: feelings of uncertainty, sleep disturbances, anxiety, distress, and depression. The wide adoption of restrictive measures, although helpful in controlling the spread of the virus, inevitably resulted in psychological and financial costs that may have long-term psychological sequelae.
A lot of people will never be the same again after this.
Health authorities insist that the lockdowns are helping to prevent the spread of the virus, but they are also crippling people emotionally. If you doubt this, just consider the following numbers which come directly from the CDC’s own website… – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--The Viral Assault On Small Businesses

The Viral Assault On Small Businesses

This year , fear of a deadly pandemic triggered the ruling class to spread authoritarian lockdown orders .
The god of science , like a burning bush , told them to remove their sandals and deliver policies of regression .
A paranoid public was quick to comply .
Humans have been battling viruses since well before the wheel was invented .
According to archaeologists , a fast moving epidemic roughly 5,000 years ago wiped out a prehistoric village in what is today northeastern China .
Dead bodies were stuffed inside a dwelling – the Hamin Mangha – that was later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Miaozigou site , took place about the same time and in the same general area .
Together these discoveries suggest there was a rapid outbreak of an acute infectious disease .
An epidemic ravaged the entire region .
The viral spread of submicroscopic pathogens has the potential to alter the flow of history .
Soldiers returning to the Roman Empire after war against Parthia in 165 AD brought back more than the spoils of conquest .
The Antonine Plague , which is suspected to have been smallpox or measles , claimed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had devastating consequences throughout the Roman Empire ; perhaps bringing forward the demise of Pax Romana .
About 1,350 years later Spanish forces , led by Hernán Cortés , delivered the gift of smallpox as they conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán .
About a decade after , Spanish conquerors spread the plague to the Incas .
An estimated 90 percent of the native population was killed off by the pestilence .
Aztec and Inca civilizations were swiftly wiped off the map and replaced by New Spain.- READ MORE Listen to the insightful @ @ @ @ @

This year, fear of a deadly pandemic triggered the ruling class to spread authoritarian lockdown orders. The god of science, like a burning bush, told them to remove their sandals and deliver policies of regression. A paranoid public was quick to comply.
Humans have been battling viruses since well before the wheel was invented. According to archaeologists, a fast moving epidemic roughly 5,000 years ago wiped out a prehistoric village in what is today northeastern China. Dead bodies were stuffed inside a dwelling – the Hamin Mangha – that was later burned down.
Another mass burial, the Miaozigou site, took place about the same time and in the same general area. Together these discoveries suggest there was a rapid outbreak of an acute infectious disease. An epidemic ravaged the entire region.
The viral spread of submicroscopic pathogens has the potential to alter the flow of history. Soldiers returning to the Roman Empire after war against Parthia in 165 AD brought back more than the spoils of conquest. The Antonine Plague, which is suspected to have been smallpox or measles, claimed an estimated 5 million lives. The epidemic had devastating consequences throughout the Roman Empire; perhaps bringing forward the demise of Pax Romana.
About 1,350 years later Spanish forces, led by Hernán Cortés, delivered the gift of smallpox as they conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán. About a decade after, Spanish conquerors spread the plague to the Incas. An estimated 90 percent of the native population was killed off by the pestilence. Aztec and Inca civilizations were swiftly wiped off the map and replaced by New Spain.- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Twitter Blocks Users From Liking, Replying-To Trump Tweets As President Rages Over SCOTUS, Barr, & ‘

Twitter Blocks Users From Liking, Replying-To Trump Tweets As President Rages Over SCOTUS, Barr, & ‘RINO’ Governors

Twitter on Saturday temporarily blocked users from ‘ liking ’ or replying to tweets made by President Trump , who @ @ @ @ @ on a tirade against the US Supreme Court , Attorney General Bill Barr , and @ @ @ @ @ ) governors of Georgia and Arizona .
The first Trump tweet censored by Twitter claimed @ @ @ @ @ United States were cheated , and our Country is disgraced , ” following the Supreme @ @ @ @ @ Texas ’ s bid to overturn the election results in four states .
Trump continued @ @ @ @ @ the election a “ disgrace ” and asking “ Who is a worse governor , @ @ @ @ @ @ dougducey of Arizona ?
?
?
These are two RINO Republicans who fought against @ @ @ @ @ harder than any Democrat .
They allowed states that I won easily to be stolen @ @ @ @ @ them out of office !
” – READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine @ @ @

Twitter on Saturday temporarily blocked users from ‘liking’ or replying to tweets made by President Trump, who spent much of the morning on a tirade against the US Supreme Court, Attorney General Bill Barr, and “RINO” (Republican-in-name-only) governors of Georgia and Arizona.
Twitter is now preventing users from liking and replying to some of President Trump’s Tweets. This is insane. pic.twitter.com/5GvGjkQeTD — Benny (@bennyjohnson) December 12, 2020
The first Trump tweet censored by Twitter claimed the “people of the United States were cheated, and our Country is disgraced,” following the Supreme Court’s rejection of Texas’s bid to overturn the election results in four states.
“Justices Alito and Thomas say they would have allowed Texas to proceed with its election lawsuit.” @seanhannity This is a great and disgraceful miscarriage of justice. The people of the United States were cheated, and our Country disgraced. Never even given our day in Court! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
Trump continued throughout the morning, calling the election a “disgrace” and asking “Who is a worse governor, @BrianKempGA of Georgia or @dougducey of Arizona??? These are two RINO Republicans who fought against me and the Republican Party harder than any Democrat. They allowed states that I won easily to be stolen. Never forget, vote them out of office!” – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--For The First Time Ever, Millions Of Working-Poor Americans Forced To Turn To Food Banks

For the first time , millions of Americans waited in food bank lines this year , unlike anything seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
According to AP , as the pandemic rages on , with more than 20 million still claiming unemployment benefits , food banks are dishing out more meals than ever .
The one place millions of Americans found themselves this year , as readers may recall , really starting in mid-March , have been food bank lines .
We highlighted this phenomenon sweeping across the country as the pandemic wrecked the working poor as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the most memorable sights this year , reminiscent of the Depression-era , were mile-long food bank lines .
Huge traffic jams captured by civilian drones documented large lines in San Antonio , Texas to Toledo , Ohio to Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania to Orlando , Florida , where thousands of vehicles carrying hungry people waited for care packages .
Feeding America , a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks , was overwhelmed with demand as 20 % of the organization ’ s food banks were at severe risk of running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at food banks has been so high , that Feeding America handed out 4.2 billion meals from March through October , the most ever .
The organization reported a 60 % average increase in food bank users during the pandemic – and at least 30 % are first-timers.- READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

For the first time, millions of Americans waited in food bank lines this year, unlike anything seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
According to AP, as the pandemic rages on, with more than 20 million still claiming unemployment benefits, food banks are dishing out more meals than ever.
The one place millions of Americans found themselves this year, as readers may recall, really starting in mid-March, have been food bank lines. We highlighted this phenomenon sweeping across the country as the pandemic wrecked the working poor as they grappled with food insecurity.
Among some of the most memorable sights this year, reminiscent of the Depression-era, were mile-long food bank lines. Huge traffic jams captured by civilian drones documented large lines in San Antonio, Texas to Toledo, Ohio to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Orlando, Florida, where thousands of vehicles carrying hungry people waited for care packages.
Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, was overwhelmed with demand as 20% of the organization’s food banks were at severe risk of running out of food earlier this year
Demand at food banks has been so high, that Feeding America handed out 4.2 billion meals from March through October, the most ever.
The organization reported a 60% average increase in food bank users during the pandemic – and at least 30% are first-timers.- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Oracle Moves To Texas As Silicon Valley Exodus Accelerates

The California Exodus continues , as Oracle has become the latest tech company to leave the Golden State for Texas .
The company noted the move at the very bottom of their latest 10-Q , as the tech company founded 43 years ago in Santa Clara , California announced that they would be “ implementing a more flexible employee work location policy and has changed its Corporate Headquarters from Redwood City , California to Austin , Texas , ” where the company opened a massive 40-acre riverfront campus in 2018 with the capacity for up to 10,000 employees .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position Oracle for growth and provide our personnel with more flexibility about where and how they work.
” Most Oracle employees will be able to choose their office location , or continue to work from home part time or full time , the company told CNBC .
“ In addition , we will continue to support major hubs for Oracle around the world , including those in the United States such as Redwood City , Austin , Santa Monica , Seattle , Denver , Orlando and Burlington , among others , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the company added .
“ By implementing a more modern approach to work , we expect to further improve our employees ’ quality of life and quality of output.
” – READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

The California Exodus continues, as Oracle has become the latest tech company to leave the Golden State for Texas.
The company noted the move at the very bottom of their latest 10-Q, as the tech company founded 43 years ago in Santa Clara, California announced that they would be “implementing a more flexible employee work location policy and has changed its Corporate Headquarters from Redwood City, California to Austin, Texas,” where the company opened a massive 40-acre riverfront campus in 2018 with the capacity for up to 10,000 employees.
The company says the move will “best position Oracle for growth and provide our personnel with more flexibility about where and how they work.” Most Oracle employees will be able to choose their office location, or continue to work from home part time or full time, the company told CNBC.
“In addition, we will continue to support major hubs for Oracle around the world, including those in the United States such as Redwood City, Austin, Santa Monica, Seattle, Denver, Orlando and Burlington, among others, and we expect to add other locations over time,” the company added. “By implementing a more modern approach to work, we expect to further improve our employees’ quality of life and quality of output.” – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Deutsche Bank Warns 50% Of NYC Bankers Might Be Headed To Jacksonville In Latest Cost Cuts

As Deutsche Bank continues with the biggest blood-letting on Wall Street since the collapse of Lehman Brothers , managers are reportedly planning to move thousands of Manhattan-based associates , often those with the most important front-office-type jobs in sales and trading .
Ever since DB moved to expand its presence in the Americas during the late 1990s-2000s , thousands of young employees , from interns to first-year analysts , have flocked to places like Murray Hill and other parts of Manhattan to work at the city ’ s investment banks , and generally live the young banker lifestyle of late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ east side and hooking up with wannabe model types at the clubs and bars that dot ( or rather , once dotted ) the East Village and the LES .
In the post-COVID era , many of these analysts might be sent to other more cost-effective parts of the country where Deutsche Bank already has a “ presence ” , according to DB Americas CEO Christiana Riley , one of the highest-ranking women on Wall Street .
Riley told the FT that the NY head count could “ conceivably ” be cut in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggressive time table ) .
The bank currently has roughly 4,600 staff in Manhattan , which means some 2,300 could soon be reporting to DB ’ s offices in Jacksonville Fla. , long considered a dumping ground , where the bank houses its compliance department .
According to media reports , the bank ’ s compliance workers in the city have long been treated “ lower than janitors ” by a bank that ’ s become almost synonymous with criminal malfeasance ( an impression that has only been strengthened , as unfortunate or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the endless MSM reporting on the bank ’ s lending relationship with the Trumps .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

As Deutsche Bank continues with the biggest blood-letting on Wall Street since the collapse of Lehman Brothers, managers are reportedly planning to move thousands of Manhattan-based associates, often those with the most important front-office-type jobs in sales and trading.
Ever since DB moved to expand its presence in the Americas during the late 1990s-2000s, thousands of young employees, from interns to first-year analysts, have flocked to places like Murray Hill and other parts of Manhattan to work at the city’s investment banks, and generally live the young banker lifestyle of late nights out at bars on the lower east side and hooking up with wannabe model types at the clubs and bars that dot (or rather, once dotted) the East Village and the LES.
In the post-COVID era, many of these analysts might be sent to other more cost-effective parts of the country where Deutsche Bank already has a “presence”, according to DB Americas CEO Christiana Riley, one of the highest-ranking women on Wall Street.
Riley told the FT that the NY head count could “conceivably” be cut in half in 5 years (a pretty aggressive time table). The bank currently has roughly 4,600 staff in Manhattan, which means some 2,300 could soon be reporting to DB’s offices in Jacksonville Fla., long considered a dumping ground, where the bank houses its compliance department. According to media reports, the bank’s compliance workers in the city have long been treated “lower than janitors” by a bank that’s become almost synonymous with criminal malfeasance (an impression that has only been strengthened, as unfortunate or undeserved as that might be, by the endless MSM reporting on the bank’s lending relationship with the Trumps. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--China Spied on Americans’ Phones in Caribbean, Expert Finds

China allegedly used telecommunications networks in the Caribbean to spy on Americans traveling abroad , according to a network security @ @ @ @ @ by the Guardian .
Using a state-controlled tech giant , Chinese officials allegedly conducted surveillance @ @ @ @ @ communications of mobile phone users without their knowledge .
China has engaged in the practice @ @ @ @ @ targeting 3G and 4G phone users , a former telecommunications security executive told the Guardian @ @ @ @ @ occurred in countries such as Barbados and the Bahamas , affecting potentially tens of thousands @ @ @ @ @ citizens abroad .
The majority of the attacks on mobile phones were routed through the @ @ @ @ @ , according to the security expert .
Simultaneous surveillance intrusions were traced to Caribbean-based companies @ @ @ @ @ they may not have knowingly participated in malicious data theft but simply leased a network @ @ @ @ @ carrying out surveillance .
In April , Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai declared China @ @ @ @ @ the CCP.- READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

China allegedly used telecommunications networks in the Caribbean to spy on Americans traveling abroad, according to a network security expert’s findings reported by the Guardian.
Using a state-controlled tech giant, Chinese officials allegedly conducted surveillance attacks to track and intercept communications of mobile phone users without their knowledge. China has engaged in the practice since at least 2018, targeting 3G and 4G phone users, a former telecommunications security executive told the Guardian.
The surveillance attacks largely occurred in countries such as Barbados and the Bahamas, affecting potentially tens of thousands of users, including U.S. citizens abroad.
The majority of the attacks on mobile phones were routed through the state-owned telecommunications company China Unicom, according to the security expert. Simultaneous surveillance intrusions were traced to Caribbean-based companies, though the expert suggested they may not have knowingly participated in malicious data theft but simply leased a network address to a Chinese entity carrying out surveillance.
In April, Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai declared China Unicom vulnerable to control from the CCP.- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Data Shows Fears Of Overwhelmed Medical System Overblown, Ample Hospital Capacity Nationwide

According to federal government data reported by Just The News , hospitals nationwide have ‘ considerable space left to deal with both routine medical issues and COVID-19 patients , ” dispelling fears of overwhelmed medical systems and at-capacity hospitals which have been promoted by the usual media suspects .
For most of 2020 , rising positive test results of COVID-19 have brought with them fears of swamped hospitals , overwhelmed medical systems , emergency patients being turned away , and COVID-19 patients being triaged , suffering and dying in hallways and vestibules .
Much of that fear crystallized in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the northern Italian medical system were put under significant strain due to a crush of COVID-19 patients .
In response , leaders and medical officials around the world suspended elective surgeries and constructed emergency medical facilities to cope with anticipated waves of COVID-19 patients .
–Just The News Yet , many care facilities which beefed up resources for a flood of COVID-19 patients have been virtual ghost towns – with some being shuttered for a lack of patients despite millions of dollars devoted to their construction .
In Chicago , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities which have treated a total of 38 patients .
But what about the second wave ?
With ‘ flu ’ season entering historically high gear and some facilities across the country reporting difficulty accommodating a large influx of patients due to a dwindling number of beds or scarce resources , federal government data compiled at the state level suggests these reports are largely outliers , and the US has ample space to deal with COVID-19 patients .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

According to federal government data reported by Just The News, hospitals nationwide have ‘considerable space left to deal with both routine medical issues and COVID-19 patients,” dispelling fears of overwhelmed medical systems and at-capacity hospitals which have been promoted by the usual media suspects.
For most of 2020, rising positive test results of COVID-19 have brought with them fears of swamped hospitals, overwhelmed medical systems, emergency patients being turned away, and COVID-19 patients being triaged, suffering and dying in hallways and vestibules. Much of that fear crystallized in the early stages of the pandemic, when parts of the northern Italian medical system were put under significant strain due to a crush of COVID-19 patients. In response, leaders and medical officials around the world suspended elective surgeries and constructed emergency medical facilities to cope with anticipated waves of COVID-19 patients. –Just The News
Yet, many care facilities which beefed up resources for a flood of COVID-19 patients have been virtual ghost towns – with some being shuttered for a lack of patients despite millions of dollars devoted to their construction. In Chicago, the city spent $120 million on four facilities which have treated a total of 38 patients.
But what about the second wave?
With ‘flu’ season entering historically high gear and some facilities across the country reporting difficulty accommodating a large influx of patients due to a dwindling number of beds or scarce resources, federal government data compiled at the state level suggests these reports are largely outliers, and the US has ample space to deal with COVID-19 patients. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Barstool Sports Founder David Portnoy: ‘Politicians Are Stealing The Basic Right To Earn A Living’ (

Barstool Sports Founder David Portnoy: ‘Politicians Are Stealing The Basic Right To Earn A Living’ (VIDEO)

Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy let loose on politicians closing small businesses in yet another fiery rant on Friday as @ @ @ @ @ of the nation .
“ New York City just closed indoor dining , ” Portnoy @ @ @ @ @ to Twitter .
“ What do they think is going to happen ?
What do @ @ @ @ @ happen to the thousands of restaurants , the bars ?
They ’ re done !
@ @ @ @ @ , small businesses , have been squeezed and squeezed and squeezed.
” Portnoy noted that @ @ @ @ @ everything within their creative power to play ball with the government by erecting spaces and @ @ @ @ @ their customers to come and enjoy themselves .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful @ @ @ @ @

Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy let loose on politicians closing small businesses in yet another fiery rant on Friday as he lamented what has become of the nation.
“New York City just closed indoor dining,” Portnoy said in a video posted to Twitter. “What do they think is going to happen? What do they think is going to happen to the thousands of restaurants, the bars? They’re done! The bar and restaurant industry, small businesses, have been squeezed and squeezed and squeezed.”
Politicians Are Stealing the Basic Right To Earn A Living pic.twitter.com/9Yx9Vf1iP1 — Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) December 11, 2020
Portnoy noted that these many small businesses did everything within their creative power to play ball with the government by erecting spaces and creating a safe environment for their customers to come and enjoy themselves. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Hotels Consider Requiring All Guests To Have COVID Vaccination

Hotels have now joined airlines in considering whether or not to mandate that all guests have proof of COVID vaccination before being allowed to stay .
Several airlines have already announced plans to make the shot a compulsory condition of flying .
According to anecdotal evidence , hotels and other forms of accomodation could follow suit .
A reader of the LockdownSkeptics website reported that a hotel in Scotland which offers wildlife holidays is preparing to adopt the no vaccine , no service policy .
“ Should a vaccination programme be rolled out in the next few months , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guests to have been vaccinated before arrival , ” states an item in the hotel ’ s newsletter .
“ 2020 has undoubtedly have been a hard year for the hotel and they have already put in place a wide range of COVID-19 related “ safety ” measures which will have had significant cost and massively reduced their occupancy rates , ” states the reader .
“ They will be balancing the requirements of both the Government and their customers , and , in respect of the latter , they clearly envisage that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels of “ safety ” and will , on the whole , regard this vaccination requirement positively !
” – READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

Hotels have now joined airlines in considering whether or not to mandate that all guests have proof of COVID vaccination before being allowed to stay.
Several airlines have already announced plans to make the shot a compulsory condition of flying. According to anecdotal evidence, hotels and other forms of accomodation could follow suit.
A reader of the LockdownSkeptics website reported that a hotel in Scotland which offers wildlife holidays is preparing to adopt the no vaccine, no service policy.
“Should a vaccination programme be rolled out in the next few months, then it is likely we will require all guests to have been vaccinated before arrival,” states an item in the hotel’s newsletter. “2020 has undoubtedly have been a hard year for the hotel and they have already put in place a wide range of COVID-19 related “safety” measures which will have had significant cost and massively reduced their occupancy rates,” states the reader.
“They will be balancing the requirements of both the Government and their customers, and, in respect of the latter, they clearly envisage that their customers will expect the highest possible levels of “safety” and will, on the whole, regard this vaccination requirement positively!” – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Fashion Mogul Peter Nygard Arrested on Sex Trafficking Charges

Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard was arrested on charges alleging he sexually abused women and girls after luring them into his orbit with opportunities in fashion and modeling over the last 25 years .
Nygard , 79 , was detained after a Winnipeg , Canada , court appearance Tuesday following his Monday arrest by Canadian authorities at the request of the U.S. No date was set for a bail hearing , though he was due to return to court Jan. 13 .
His lawyer , Elkan Abramowitz , declined comment .
His arrest on sex trafficking , racketeering and related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Manhattan offices earlier this year .
The raid came soon after 10 women sued Nygard , saying he enticed young and impoverished women to his Bahamas estate with cash and promises of modeling and fashion opportunities .
Several plaintiffs in the suit , filed in New York City , said they were 14 or 15 years old when Nygard gave them alcohol or drugs and then raped them .
Nygard has denied all allegations and blames a conspiracy caused by a feud with his billionaire neighbor in the Bahamas .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used the prestige of an international clothing design , manufacturing , and supply business he founded and headquartered in Winnipeg , Canada , to persuade victims , sometimes with a history of being abused , to submit to his demands .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard was arrested on charges alleging he sexually abused women and girls after luring them into his orbit with opportunities in fashion and modeling over the last 25 years.
Nygard, 79, was detained after a Winnipeg, Canada, court appearance Tuesday following his Monday arrest by Canadian authorities at the request of the U.S. No date was set for a bail hearing, though he was due to return to court Jan. 13. His lawyer, Elkan Abramowitz, declined comment.
His arrest on sex trafficking, racketeering and related charges came after the FBI raided Nygard’s Manhattan offices earlier this year.
The raid came soon after 10 women sued Nygard, saying he enticed young and impoverished women to his Bahamas estate with cash and promises of modeling and fashion opportunities. Several plaintiffs in the suit, filed in New York City, said they were 14 or 15 years old when Nygard gave them alcohol or drugs and then raped them.
Nygard has denied all allegations and blames a conspiracy caused by a feud with his billionaire neighbor in the Bahamas.
In announcing criminal charges, authorities said Nygard used the prestige of an international clothing design, manufacturing, and supply business he founded and headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada, to persuade victims, sometimes with a history of being abused, to submit to his demands. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Report: Cleveland Indians will change their name over concerns team name is racist

The Cleveland Indians , the Major League Baseball franchise that has held the “ Indians ” name for more than a century , will reportedly change their team name .
The development comes as several major league franchises across different sports have dropped their Native American names over leftist claims that such monikers are racist .
The Washington Redskins were the latest team to drop their Native America name — and the team still has not announced a replacement — despite the vast majority of Native Americans saying they did not consider the name to be racist .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indians ’ announcement about their name change could happen as soon as this week .
ESPN confirmed the franchise has chosen to change its name .
However , it ’ s not yet clear what the baseball team will be rebranded as , nor is it clear when the rebranding process will begin .
The logistical hurdle for rebranding an organization as large as a major sports team is significant , because the team will have to coordinate with manufacturers that produce everything from team uniforms to team-branded merchandise and even the manufacturer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that adorns the team ’ s field.- READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

The Cleveland Indians, the Major League Baseball franchise that has held the “Indians” name for more than a century, will reportedly change their team name.
The development comes as several major league franchises across different sports have dropped their Native American names over leftist claims that such monikers are racist. The Washington Redskins were the latest team to drop their Native America name — and the team still has not announced a replacement — despite the vast majority of Native Americans saying they did not consider the name to be racist.
According to the New York Times, the Cleveland Indians’ announcement about their name change could happen as soon as this week.
ESPN confirmed the franchise has chosen to change its name.
However, it’s not yet clear what the baseball team will be rebranded as, nor is it clear when the rebranding process will begin. The logistical hurdle for rebranding an organization as large as a major sports team is significant, because the team will have to coordinate with manufacturers that produce everything from team uniforms to team-branded merchandise and even the manufacturer responsible for massive “Indians” signs that adorns the team’s field.- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Biden Fundraiser Floated as Ambassador Pick Took Millions in PPP Loans While His Law Firm Won Massiv

Biden Fundraiser Floated as Ambassador Pick Took Millions in PPP Loans While His Law Firm Won Massive Settlements

A prominent trial lawyer being floated as a potential ambassador pick by Joe Biden took millions of dollars in COVID relief , even as his firm was winning hundreds of millions in settlements .
Joseph Rice , cofounder of the South Carolina-based Motley Rice law firm , helped raise large sums for Biden ’ s campaign and could land an ambassadorship spot in his administration , local reports indicate .
Motley Rice received $ 7.03 million from Paycheck Protection Program funds , which were intended to help small businesses pay workers and stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic .
Several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loans when they did not need them , including from prominent Democrats .
Those criticisms don ’ t seem to have swayed the incoming administration , which the State says is considering Rice for an ambassador role .
Rice ’ s firm gained approval for the loans after stacking up massive legal wins .
In October 2019 , Motley Rice announced a $ 260 million settlement against opioid manufacturers Teva , Cardinal Health , AmerisourceBergen , and McKesson .
In November 2020 , it helped win a $ 26 billion settlement from Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Law firms often work on a contingency basis and receive portions of the settlements they reach .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

A prominent trial lawyer being floated as a potential ambassador pick by Joe Biden took millions of dollars in COVID relief, even as his firm was winning hundreds of millions in settlements.
Joseph Rice, cofounder of the South Carolina-based Motley Rice law firm, helped raise large sums for Biden’s campaign and could land an ambassadorship spot in his administration, local reports indicate. Motley Rice received $7.03 million from Paycheck Protection Program funds, which were intended to help small businesses pay workers and stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
Several companies have faced criticism for taking PPP loans when they did not need them, including from prominent Democrats. Those criticisms don’t seem to have swayed the incoming administration, which the State says is considering Rice for an ambassador role.
Rice’s firm gained approval for the loans after stacking up massive legal wins. In October 2019, Motley Rice announced a $260 million settlement against opioid manufacturers Teva, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, and McKesson. In November 2020, it helped win a $26 billion settlement from Johnson & Johnson and other pharmaceutical companies. Law firms often work on a contingency basis and receive portions of the settlements they reach. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Top Facebook, Twitter execs donated tens of thousands of dollars to Biden campaign

Top executives at Facebook and Twitter donated tens of thousands of dollars to President-elect Joe Biden ’ s campaign , @ @ @ @ @ by Fox News reveal , as the social media platforms come under fire for limiting @ @ @ @ @ Hunter Biden ’ s business dealings in the weeks leading up to Election Day .
@ @ @ @ @ FEC records shows that top executives at the social media companies made large donations to @ @ @ @ @ several who gave the legal maximum of $ 2,800 .
Fox News identified zero Facebook @ @ @ @ @ to Trump ’ s campaign .
According to FEC records , Facebook vice president of @ @ @ @ @ , donated $ 2,800 to Biden ’ s campaign on Oct. 1 , in addition @ @ @ @ @ donated to the campaign during the Democratic primaries .
Facebook chief revenue officer David Fischer @ @ @ @ @ during the primary , and an additional $ 750 during the general election , according @ @ @ @ @ READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

Top executives at Facebook and Twitter donated tens of thousands of dollars to President-elect Joe Biden’s campaign, Federal Election Commission records reviewed by Fox News reveal, as the social media platforms come under fire for limiting the circulation of reports surrounding Hunter Biden’s business dealings in the weeks leading up to Election Day.
A Fox News review of FEC records shows that top executives at the social media companies made large donations to the Biden campaign, including several who gave the legal maximum of $2,800.
Fox News identified zero Facebook or Twitter executives who donated to Trump’s campaign.
According to FEC records, Facebook vice president of public policy, Erin Egan, donated $2,800 to Biden’s campaign on Oct. 1, in addition to the $2,800 she donated to the campaign during the Democratic primaries.
Facebook chief revenue officer David Fischer donated $2,800 to Biden during the primary, and an additional $750 during the general election, according to FEC records. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Winning Elections Won’t Fix Our Broken Legislature

One of the biggest cliches in politics is that the Democratic and Republican parties are polarized ideologically .
If there is one thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on these days , it ’ s that there aren ’ t many things on which they agree .
Polarization ’ s consequences are especially evident on Capitol Hill , where lawmakers regularly call for action in Congress to address pressing problems and then refuse to compromise with one another to advance legislation that solves them .
Lawmakers reflexively blame their partisan rivals for the gridlock that results instead of engaging in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions suggest that they can ’ t legislate until voters defeat their partisan opponents at the ballot box .
This shared outlook demonstrates that Democrats and Republicans have more in common than many presently assume .
They agree that parties that win elections win the opportunity to make policy and that parties that lose elections lose that opportunity .
While this view is correct to the extent that winning elections is a necessary part of lawmaking , it overlooks what happens in-between elections when lawmakers gather in Congress to legislate .
Partisan agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy process ’ s primary driver is apparent in how Democrats and Republicans alike understood the stakes of the 2020 presidential contest between Joe Biden and Donald Trump .
While they disagreed on which candidate should win , they agreed on the consequences if their favored candidate lost .
The parties also agree on the importance of next month ’ s special elections to fill Georgia ’ s two Senate seats .
If Republicans win at least one of the races , they will retain their majority in the Senate next year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an evenly divided Senate if they win both races , thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris ’ s tie-breaking vote .
There are , admittedly , important differences between the Democratic candidates ( Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock ) and the Republican candidates ( David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler ) in the two Georgia special elections .
But it is not apparent that a victory of one over the other will have a meaningful impact on how the Senate , and Congress , function .
This is because party control in a narrowly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not significantly alter what senators do and how they do it .
Absent other developments , the status quo will persist even though millions of people from across the political spectrum , and hailing from all walks of life , are frustrated with it and the gridlock in Congress that has become its defining feature .
Of course , this does not mean that the political status quo can ’ t change .
Control of Congress and the presidency frequently alternates between Democrats and Republicans .
And either party can influence the composition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vacancies on the bench happen to occur when it controls the presidency and the Senate at the same time .
But the bipartisan support that most of Donald Trump ’ s judicial nominations received over the past four years suggests that the rhetoric surrounding the confirmation process does not always align with its reality .
And recent court decisions demonstrate that a party can ’ t guarantee how nominees will decide cases once the Senate confirms them .
Still , Democrats and Republicans alike think the Georgia special elections are important because party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ability to confirm the people that Biden nominates to serve in his administration and in the federal judiciary .
Reflecting the significance of controlling the executive branch and the courts , electoral politics has become the primary lens through which we see and understand politics .
Consider how most lawmakers approach their job today .
They typically view electoral competition and campaigning for reelection as the primary focus of their attention while in office .
While the need for reelection has been a constant concern of members throughout American history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature of that concern has changed in recent decades .
Where the need for reelection in the past may have been understood in terms of the individual member and his or her constituency , it is increasingly seen through the lens of the political party today .
Maintaining ( or regaining ) the majority in the House and Senate appears to be the ultimate end of lawmakers ’ efforts .
Their actions ( or lack thereof ) inside Congress suggests that they subsume everything else under this need , including their policy goals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very idea of representative government .
Congress isn ’ t likely to change regardless of which party controls the Senate , because lawmakers no longer see the House and Senate as the preeminent venue where they engage in politics on behalf of the people they represent to resolve their differences and compromise .
There appears to be bipartisan agreement that administrative agencies and courts in the federal judiciary are more appropriate venues for making controversial decisions .
Lawmakers believe that letting the other branches of government make controversial decisions makes it easier for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections .
The reality of such an agreement is itself evidence that the locus of the government ’ s decision-making has shifted from the legislative to the executive and judicial branches .
This shift has profound implications for the health of the American republic .
Far from being the preeminent branch of government originally envisioned by the Framers of the Constitution , Congress at present is a phantom whose presence is felt only by its absence .
For example , contrast today ’ s House and Senate with the institutions described by James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The legislative department is every where extending the sphere of its activity , and drawing all power into its impetuous vortex.
” Albeit in different ways , both administrative agencies and the courts make decisions by substituting bureaucratic expertise or a self-evident authority for the messy realities of self-government in a democratic republic like the United States .
In doing so , they have the effect of expunging the concept of legitimate political conflict from politics altogether .
Decisions made by virtue of expertise or pursuant to a higher authority are final .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing side to accept the illegitimacy of their original claims .
When conflict and the underlying disagreement out of which it arises are no longer characteristic of government action , politics itself ceases and gives way to rule .
At that point , the political process is transformed into a struggle for dominance of the government .
When that happens , the American people lose their ability to inform their rulers ’ decisions .
This is because the people can ’ t hold officials in the executive and judicial branches accountable as easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branch .
Conversely , officials in the executive and judicial branches are unable to legitimize the decisions they make .
To do that , they need the active involvement of legislators in the lawmaking process .
Without them , the link between citizens and their government is effectively severed .
The polarization cliche demonstrates that while Democrats and Republicans may disagree on many things , the things on which they agree — how politics works — are responsible for the gridlock in Congress .
This is because they see elections as the policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to minimize their intra-party divisions to win them .
In doing so , lawmakers in both parties have encouraged Congress to shift its responsibilities to the president and the courts .
While this may be expedient in the near term , it undermines representative government in the long term .
And it makes it harder for people opposed to the status quo to change it .
Given these contradictions , electoral politics is by itself insufficient for genuinely changing the status quo .
Overcoming gridlock in Congress instead requires looking beyond the daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better understand why they , either consciously or subconsciously , perceive the conflict that arises from genuine deliberation as something to be avoided at all costs .
Lawmakers and the people they represent must change how they think about politics and the role conflict plays in making it work ; the role it plays in facilitating compromise inside the House and Senate .
The status quo in Congress will persist regardless of who wins elections as long as the Democratic and Republican parties agree on how politics works .
Dr. James Wallner is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The R Street Institute .
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation .

One of the biggest cliches in politics is that the Democratic and Republican parties are polarized ideologically. If there is one thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on these days, it’s that there aren’t many things on which they agree. Polarization’s consequences are especially evident on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers regularly call for action in Congress to address pressing problems and then refuse to compromise with one another to advance legislation that solves them. Lawmakers reflexively blame their partisan rivals for the gridlock that results instead of engaging in the hard work of legislating. Their actions suggest that they can’t legislate until voters defeat their partisan opponents at the ballot box.
This shared outlook demonstrates that Democrats and Republicans have more in common than many presently assume. They agree that parties that win elections win the opportunity to make policy and that parties that lose elections lose that opportunity. While this view is correct to the extent that winning elections is a necessary part of lawmaking, it overlooks what happens in-between elections when lawmakers gather in Congress to legislate.
Partisan agreement on the importance of elections as the policy process’s primary driver is apparent in how Democrats and Republicans alike understood the stakes of the 2020 presidential contest between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. While they disagreed on which candidate should win, they agreed on the consequences if their favored candidate lost. The parties also agree on the importance of next month’s special elections to fill Georgia’s two Senate seats. If Republicans win at least one of the races, they will retain their majority in the Senate next year. However, Democrats will take control of an evenly divided Senate if they win both races, thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote.
There are, admittedly, important differences between the Democratic candidates (Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock) and the Republican candidates (David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler) in the two Georgia special elections. But it is not apparent that a victory of one over the other will have a meaningful impact on how the Senate, and Congress, function. This is because party control in a narrowly (or evenly) divided Senate will not significantly alter what senators do and how they do it. Absent other developments, the status quo will persist even though millions of people from across the political spectrum, and hailing from all walks of life, are frustrated with it and the gridlock in Congress that has become its defining feature.
Of course, this does not mean that the political status quo can’t change. Control of Congress and the presidency frequently alternates between Democrats and Republicans. And either party can influence the composition and direction of the federal judiciary if vacancies on the bench happen to occur when it controls the presidency and the Senate at the same time. But the bipartisan support that most of Donald Trump’s judicial nominations received over the past four years suggests that the rhetoric surrounding the confirmation process does not always align with its reality. And recent court decisions demonstrate that a party can’t guarantee how nominees will decide cases once the Senate confirms them. Still, Democrats and Republicans alike think the Georgia special elections are important because party control of the Senate impacts the institution’s ability to confirm the people that Biden nominates to serve in his administration and in the federal judiciary.
Reflecting the significance of controlling the executive branch and the courts, electoral politics has become the primary lens through which we see and understand politics. Consider how most lawmakers approach their job today. They typically view electoral competition and campaigning for reelection as the primary focus of their attention while in office. While the need for reelection has been a constant concern of members throughout American history, there is reason to believe that the nature of that concern has changed in recent decades. Where the need for reelection in the past may have been understood in terms of the individual member and his or her constituency, it is increasingly seen through the lens of the political party today. Maintaining (or regaining) the majority in the House and Senate appears to be the ultimate end of lawmakers’ efforts. Their actions (or lack thereof) inside Congress suggests that they subsume everything else under this need, including their policy goals and, in the process, the very idea of representative government.
Congress isn’t likely to change regardless of which party controls the Senate, because lawmakers no longer see the House and Senate as the preeminent venue where they engage in politics on behalf of the people they represent to resolve their differences and compromise. There appears to be bipartisan agreement that administrative agencies and courts in the federal judiciary are more appropriate venues for making controversial decisions. Lawmakers believe that letting the other branches of government make controversial decisions makes it easier for their parties to maintain unity and win elections. The reality of such an agreement is itself evidence that the locus of the government’s decision-making has shifted from the legislative to the executive and judicial branches.
This shift has profound implications for the health of the American republic. Far from being the preeminent branch of government originally envisioned by the Framers of the Constitution, Congress at present is a phantom whose presence is felt only by its absence. For example, contrast today’s House and Senate with the institutions described by James Madison in the Federalist 48: “The legislative department is every where extending the sphere of its activity, and drawing all power into its impetuous vortex.”
Albeit in different ways, both administrative agencies and the courts make decisions by substituting bureaucratic expertise or a self-evident authority for the messy realities of self-government in a democratic republic like the United States. In doing so, they have the effect of expunging the concept of legitimate political conflict from politics altogether. Decisions made by virtue of expertise or pursuant to a higher authority are final. They require those who were on the losing side to accept the illegitimacy of their original claims.
When conflict and the underlying disagreement out of which it arises are no longer characteristic of government action, politics itself ceases and gives way to rule. At that point, the political process is transformed into a struggle for dominance of the government. When that happens, the American people lose their ability to inform their rulers’ decisions. This is because the people can’t hold officials in the executive and judicial branches accountable as easily as their elected representatives in the legislative branch. Conversely, officials in the executive and judicial branches are unable to legitimize the decisions they make. To do that, they need the active involvement of legislators in the lawmaking process. Without them, the link between citizens and their government is effectively severed.
The polarization cliche demonstrates that while Democrats and Republicans may disagree on many things, the things on which they agree — how politics works — are responsible for the gridlock in Congress. This is because they see elections as the policy process’s primary driver and try to minimize their intra-party divisions to win them. In doing so, lawmakers in both parties have encouraged Congress to shift its responsibilities to the president and the courts. While this may be expedient in the near term, it undermines representative government in the long term. And it makes it harder for people opposed to the status quo to change it.
Given these contradictions, electoral politics is by itself insufficient for genuinely changing the status quo. Overcoming gridlock in Congress instead requires looking beyond the daily posturing that characterizes lawmakers’ activities to better understand why they, either consciously or subconsciously, perceive the conflict that arises from genuine deliberation as something to be avoided at all costs. Lawmakers and the people they represent must change how they think about politics and the role conflict plays in making it work; the role it plays in facilitating compromise inside the House and Senate. The status quo in Congress will persist regardless of who wins elections as long as the Democratic and Republican parties agree on how politics works.
Dr. James Wallner is the Resident Senior Fellow for Governance at The R Street Institute.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.


truepundit--2020-12-18--WATCH: Biden Attacks Republicans In Speech, Refuses To Answer Questions About Criminal Investigation

WATCH: Biden Attacks Republicans In Speech, Refuses To Answer Questions About Criminal Investigation Into Son

In a speech Monday that followed the Electoral College giving him enough votes to secure the presidency , Joe Biden attacked President Donald Trump and other top Republicans .
In a speech where Biden repeatedly coughed and had to clear his throat , the 78-year-old used his margin of victory in the Electoral College to take a shot at Trump after he said in 2016 that he had won in a “ landslide ” after winning by the same margin .
“ More than 81 million of those votes were casts for me and Vice President-elect Harris .
That too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ticket has received in the history of America , ” Biden said .
“ It represents a winning margin of more than 7 million votes over the number of votes cast for my opponent .
Together , the Vice President-elect Harris and I earned 306 electoral votes , well exceeding the 270 electoral votes needed to secure victory .
Three hundred six electoral votes is the same number of electoral votes that Donald Trump and Vice President Pence received when they won in 2016 .
At the time , President Trump calls the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By his own standards , these numbers represented a clear victory then , and I respectfully suggest they do so now.
” - READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

In a speech Monday that followed the Electoral College giving him enough votes to secure the presidency, Joe Biden attacked President Donald Trump and other top Republicans.
In a speech where Biden repeatedly coughed and had to clear his throat, the 78-year-old used his margin of victory in the Electoral College to take a shot at Trump after he said in 2016 that he had won in a “landslide” after winning by the same margin.
ICYMI — Here was Biden’s snide comment to Fox’s Peter Doocy when he again tried to ask him about the Hunter Biden investigation: “Thanks for the congratulations. Appreciate it.” pic.twitter.com/3cgSzQUNFU — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 15, 2020
Q: “Did Hunter Biden commit a crime? Have you spoken to your son Mr. President-elect?” President-elect @JoeBiden: “I’m proud of my son.” pic.twitter.com/Pa01cKnbZ9 — CSPAN (@cspan) December 11, 2020
“More than 81 million of those votes were casts for me and Vice President-elect Harris. That too is a record. More than any ticket has received in the history of America,” Biden said. “It represents a winning margin of more than 7 million votes over the number of votes cast for my opponent. Together, the Vice President-elect Harris and I earned 306 electoral votes, well exceeding the 270 electoral votes needed to secure victory. Three hundred six electoral votes is the same number of electoral votes that Donald Trump and Vice President Pence received when they won in 2016. At the time, President Trump calls the Electoral College tally a ‘landslide.’ By his own standards, these numbers represented a clear victory then, and I respectfully suggest they do so now.”- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Cruz: ‘I’ve Said ‘Screw The Chinese Communists.’ Little Did I Know How Closely Swalwell Was Listenin

Cruz: ‘I’ve Said ‘Screw The Chinese Communists.’ Little Did I Know How Closely Swalwell Was Listening’

On Thursday , Senator Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) issued a tweet targeting Rep. Eric Swalwell , who denounced President Trump as an agent of Russia but now has been revealed to have gotten so “ close ” with a Communist Chinese spy that the FBI felt compelled to intervene .
Cruz tweeted , “ More than once , I ’ ve said ‘ screw the Chinese communists.
’ Little did I know how closely Swalwell was listening.
” As The Daily Wire reported : A suspected Chinese spy operating in the Bay Area during the Obama administration reportedly got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D-CA ) that the FBI had to intervene and provide him with a defensive briefing .
Fang ’ s ties to Swalwell began when he was a councilmember for Dublin City , California , which is part of China ’ s long-term strategy of getting in with people before they make it big on the national stage .
Fang met Swalwell through a Chinese student organization and by 2014 had quickly “ developed close ties to Swalwell ’ s office ” and was a “ bundler ” for him — meaning that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

On Thursday, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) issued a tweet targeting Rep. Eric Swalwell, who denounced President Trump as an agent of Russia but now has been revealed to have gotten so “close” with a Communist Chinese spy that the FBI felt compelled to intervene. Cruz tweeted, “More than once, I’ve said ‘screw the Chinese communists.’ Little did I know how closely Swalwell was listening.”
More than once, I’ve said “screw the Chinese communists.” Little did I know how closely Swalwell was listening. — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 10, 2020
As The Daily Wire reported: A suspected Chinese spy operating in the Bay Area during the Obama administration reportedly got so close to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) that the FBI had to intervene and provide him with a defensive briefing. Fang’s ties to Swalwell began when he was a councilmember for Dublin City, California, which is part of China’s long-term strategy of getting in with people before they make it big on the national stage. Fang met Swalwell through a Chinese student organization and by 2014 had quickly “developed close ties to Swalwell’s office” and was a “bundler” for him — meaning that she helped him bring in big donors.– READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--Mo Brooks: ‘Trump Won the Electoral College’ — I Can Be a Part of the ‘Surrender Caucus’ or I Can Fi

Mo Brooks: ‘Trump Won the Electoral College’ — I Can Be a Part of the ‘Surrender Caucus’ or I Can Fight for Our Country

Monday during an appearance on FBN ’ s “ Lou Dobbs Tonight , ” Rep. Mo Brooks ( R-AL ) vowed not to go down without a fight despite states having certified Electoral College results earlier in the day , which paved the way for Joe Biden to become the President-elect .
Brooks told host Lou Dobbs about his effort to challenge the Electoral College , which has happened as recently as 2017 after Donald Trump won the presidential election .
“ Well , it ’ s happened many times in the past , ” Brooks said .
“ Apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history .
By way of example , the Democrats in the House tried it in 2017 when they tried to strike Alabama ’ s votes for Donald Trump .
Georgia , the same way , the House Democrats tried to strike it .
Barbara Boxer tried to strike Ohio for George Bush back in 2005 , so this is not unusual .
The law is very clear , the House of Representatives in combination with the United States Senate has the lawful authority to accept or reject Electoral College vote submissions from states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re not worthy of our trust.
” And in this instance , with what has happened nationally , I ’ m quite confident that if we only counted lawful votes cast by eligible American citizens , Donald Trump won the Electoral College , and we should not be counting illegal votes and putting in an illegitimate President of the United States.
” he continued .
The Alabama Republican congressman also pledged not to be a part of what he deemed the “ surrender caucus ” with the GOP , adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join his challenge to the Electoral College for it to be successful .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

Monday during an appearance on FBN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) vowed not to go down without a fight despite states having certified Electoral College results earlier in the day, which paved the way for Joe Biden to become the President-elect.
Brooks told host Lou Dobbs about his effort to challenge the Electoral College, which has happened as recently as 2017 after Donald Trump won the presidential election.
“Well, it’s happened many times in the past,” Brooks said. “Apparently, some folks have not done their history. By way of example, the Democrats in the House tried it in 2017 when they tried to strike Alabama’s votes for Donald Trump. Georgia, the same way, the House Democrats tried to strike it. Barbara Boxer tried to strike Ohio for George Bush back in 2005, so this is not unusual. The law is very clear, the House of Representatives in combination with the United States Senate has the lawful authority to accept or reject Electoral College vote submissions from states that have such flawed election systems that they’re not worthy of our trust.”
And in this instance, with what has happened nationally, I’m quite confident that if we only counted lawful votes cast by eligible American citizens, Donald Trump won the Electoral College, and we should not be counting illegal votes and putting in an illegitimate President of the United States.” he continued.
The Alabama Republican congressman also pledged not to be a part of what he deemed the “surrender caucus” with the GOP, adding that he needs a U.S. Senator to join his challenge to the Electoral College for it to be successful. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-18--FDA Authorizes First Over-The-Counter Home Coronavirus Test

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first over-the-counter , at-home coronavirus test Tuesday .
The test , developed by the Australian company Ellume Limited , is a rapid antigen test that can deliver results in approximately 20 minutes , and works on any patient older than two years of age , the FDA said in its announcement .
“ Today ’ s authorization is a major milestone in diagnostic testing for COVID-19 , ” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said Tuesday .
“ By authorizing a test for over-the-counter use , the FDA allows it to be sold in places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can buy it , swab their nose , run the test and find out their results in as little as 20 minutes.
” The announcement follows the FDA ’ s approval of an at-home prescription coronavirus test in November .
The agency has now authorized over 225 coronavirus tests since the pandemic began , according to its release .
The FDA on Tuesday also released data reaffirming the safety and effectiveness of Moderna ’ s coronavirus vaccine , clearing the way for its emergency approval later this week .
A vaccine advisory panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s data before voting on whether to recommend it for emergency use .
The process is to FDA ’ s actions last week on Pfizer ’ s vaccine .
The FDA released Pfizer ’ s data Dec. 8 , the panel voted to recommend its authorization Thursday , and it was officially granted emergency approval late Friday .
Pfizer ’ s vaccine began to be distributed over the weekend , and administration started Monday in states across the country .
Officials have said that Moderna is prepared to distribute 6 million vaccine doses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Pfizer , meaning that its coming emergency authorization could help alleviate the extraordinary demand for safe and effective vaccines as virus cases , hospitalizations and deaths spike across the country .
The U.S. surpassed 300,000 total coronavirus-related deaths Monday , according to Johns Hopkins University .

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first over-the-counter, at-home coronavirus test Tuesday.
The test, developed by the Australian company Ellume Limited, is a rapid antigen test that can deliver results in approximately 20 minutes, and works on any patient older than two years of age, the FDA said in its announcement.
“Today’s authorization is a major milestone in diagnostic testing for COVID-19,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said Tuesday. “By authorizing a test for over-the-counter use, the FDA allows it to be sold in places like drug stores, where a patient can buy it, swab their nose, run the test and find out their results in as little as 20 minutes.”
The announcement follows the FDA’s approval of an at-home prescription coronavirus test in November. The agency has now authorized over 225 coronavirus tests since the pandemic began, according to its release.
The FDA on Tuesday also released data reaffirming the safety and effectiveness of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, clearing the way for its emergency approval later this week. A vaccine advisory panel will meet Thursday to scour Moderna’s data before voting on whether to recommend it for emergency use.
The process is to FDA’s actions last week on Pfizer’s vaccine. The FDA released Pfizer’s data Dec. 8, the panel voted to recommend its authorization Thursday, and it was officially granted emergency approval late Friday.
Pfizer’s vaccine began to be distributed over the weekend, and administration started Monday in states across the country. Officials have said that Moderna is prepared to distribute 6 million vaccine doses, over twice the amount initially distributed from Pfizer, meaning that its coming emergency authorization could help alleviate the extraordinary demand for safe and effective vaccines as virus cases, hospitalizations and deaths spike across the country.
The U.S. surpassed 300,000 total coronavirus-related deaths Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University.


truepundit--2020-12-18--Some Businesses Shutting Down While Others Prosper, Warren Buffett Says Urging Congress To Extend St

Some Businesses Shutting Down While Others Prosper, Warren Buffett Says Urging Congress To Extend Stimulus

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett urged Congress Tuesday to renew the Paycheck Protection Program and said while many small businesses have been shut down , other companies have prospered .
Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett , one of the most renowned investors in the U.S. , said Tuesday that Congress must work to immediately extend the Paycheck Protection Program to help struggling small businesses , according to CNBC .
He said government-imposed coronavirus lockdown measures have favored some businesses while harming many others .
“ I think the country owes it to the millions of small-business people … just renew the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the tunnel , ” Buffett told CNBC host Becky Quick .
“ When we went into World War II , a lot of industries were shut down ; everything went to the defense production .
Well , we ’ ve shut down a lot of people in this particular induced recession and others are prospering.
” Coronavirus stimulus package negotiations have stalled since the summer with Democratic and Republican lawmakers unable to reach an agreement , CNBC reported .
Meanwhile , small businesses continue to buckle under continued local restrictions .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 908 billion stimulus package Monday evening in the latest attempt to break the stalemate on Capitol Hill , according to CNBC .
The bill included $ 300 billion in small business aid .
Buffett said Congress is “ in the process of dashing the dreams of tens of thousands , ” by delaying small business relief , CNBC reported .
“ The PPP is a necessary lifeline for millions of American small businesses suffering through the fallout of another wave of Covid-19 and related state and local restrictions on business activity , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer of the Job Creators Network said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation .
“ Lawmakers must pass this extension immediately so that small businesses can keep their doors open and staff employed until herd immunity is reached in a few short months , ” Ortiz said .
New jobless claims increased to 853,000 Thursday signaling a slowing economic recovery .
The U.S. added just 245,000 jobs in November , while unemployment fell to 6.7 % , according to the Department of Labor data released Dec. 4 .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of November , surpassing 30,000 for the first time in the index ’ s history due to positive vaccine developments , according to CNBC .
Health care providers began inoculating Americans with pharmaceutical company Pfizer ’ s coronavirus vaccine Monday .
Average coronavirus cases and deaths per million have been steadily increasing in the U.S. since mid-October , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
On Monday , the U.S. reported 1,358 new coronavirus-related deaths and 193,384 new cases while 110,549 Americans remained hospitalized from the virus .

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett urged Congress Tuesday to renew the Paycheck Protection Program and said while many small businesses have been shut down, other companies have prospered.
Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett, one of the most renowned investors in the U.S., said Tuesday that Congress must work to immediately extend the Paycheck Protection Program to help struggling small businesses, according to CNBC. He said government-imposed coronavirus lockdown measures have favored some businesses while harming many others.
“I think the country owes it to the millions of small-business people … just renew the PPP and get us to the end of the tunnel,” Buffett told CNBC host Becky Quick. “When we went into World War II, a lot of industries were shut down; everything went to the defense production. Well, we’ve shut down a lot of people in this particular induced recession and others are prospering.”
“It’s an economic war,” Buffett said.
Coronavirus stimulus package negotiations have stalled since the summer with Democratic and Republican lawmakers unable to reach an agreement, CNBC reported. Meanwhile, small businesses continue to buckle under continued local restrictions.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a $908 billion stimulus package Monday evening in the latest attempt to break the stalemate on Capitol Hill, according to CNBC. The bill included $300 billion in small business aid.
Buffett said Congress is “in the process of dashing the dreams of tens of thousands,” by delaying small business relief, CNBC reported.
“The PPP is a necessary lifeline for millions of American small businesses suffering through the fallout of another wave of Covid-19 and related state and local restrictions on business activity,” Alfredo Ortiz, president and chief executive officer of the Job Creators Network said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“Lawmakers must pass this extension immediately so that small businesses can keep their doors open and staff employed until herd immunity is reached in a few short months,” Ortiz said.
New jobless claims increased to 853,000 Thursday signaling a slowing economic recovery. The U.S. added just 245,000 jobs in November, while unemployment fell to 6.7%, according to the Department of Labor data released Dec. 4.
However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged at the end of November, surpassing 30,000 for the first time in the index’s history due to positive vaccine developments, according to CNBC. Health care providers began inoculating Americans with pharmaceutical company Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine Monday.
Average coronavirus cases and deaths per million have been steadily increasing in the U.S. since mid-October, according to The COVID Tracking Project. On Monday, the U.S. reported 1,358 new coronavirus-related deaths and 193,384 new cases while 110,549 Americans remained hospitalized from the virus.


truepundit--2020-12-18--An Innocent Naked Woman Whose Home Was Wrongly Raided By Police Had To FOIA For The Evidence

Recently released police body camera footage shows officers with guns drawn handcuffing an innocent naked woman during a raid of the wrong home in early 2019 , a local CBS affiliate reported Monday .
Anjanette Young had to file a Freedom of Information Act Request with the Chicago Police Department ( CPD ) to obtain the body camera footage of officers wrongly entering her home and handcuffing her on Feb. 21 , 2019 , CBSN Chicago reported .
A court order required the CPD to provide Young with the footage as part of an ongoing lawsuit against the department .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want us to have this video because they knew how bad it was , ” Young said , CBSN reported .
“ They knew they had done something wrong .
They knew that the way they treated me was not right , ” Young added , CBSN reported .
At least nine officers wearing body cameras entered Young ’ s residence using a battering ram shortly after she returned from a shift at a hospital where she works as a social worker , CBSN Chicago reported .
“ It was so traumatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the door , ” Young said , CBSN Chicago reported .
“ And it happened so fast , I didn ’ t have time to put on clothes.
” Police announced they had a search warrant for the residence , CBSN Chicago reported .
Young complied with the officer ’ s orders and kept her hands up as officers handcuffed her and began searching her home .
“ What is going on ?
” Young asked , CBSN Chicago reported .
“ There ’ s nobody else here , I live alone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ here ?
You ’ ve got the wrong house .
I live alone.
” “ It ’ s one of those moments where I felt I could have died that night , ” Young said , CBSN Chicago reported .
“ Like if I would have made one wrong move , it felt like they would have shot me .
I truly believe they would have shot me.
” Police reportedly failed to verify a tip from a confidential informant who said a known male felon in his 20s was seen with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address , CBSN Chicago reported .
The informant provided Young ’ s address as the felon ’ s residence .
Young told the officers over 40 times that they were at the wrong apartment , CBSN Chicago reported .
The felon lived in the apartment next to Young ’ s .
The CPD did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for comment .

Recently released police body camera footage shows officers with guns drawn handcuffing an innocent naked woman during a raid of the wrong home in early 2019, a local CBS affiliate reported Monday.
Anjanette Young had to file a Freedom of Information Act Request with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to obtain the body camera footage of officers wrongly entering her home and handcuffing her on Feb. 21, 2019, CBSN Chicago reported. A court order required the CPD to provide Young with the footage as part of an ongoing lawsuit against the department.
“I feel like they didn’t want us to have this video because they knew how bad it was,” Young said, CBSN reported.
“They knew they had done something wrong. They knew that the way they treated me was not right,” Young added, CBSN reported.
Wow: Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s law department went to court to try and stop @cbschicago from airing video of Chicago police raiding a social worker’s home. She was changing and naked; police refused to give her the video until a judge ordered them to.https://t.co/HHeaX0ixM2 — Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) December 15, 2020
At least nine officers wearing body cameras entered Young’s residence using a battering ram shortly after she returned from a shift at a hospital where she works as a social worker, CBSN Chicago reported.
“It was so traumatic to hear the thing that was hitting the door,” Young said, CBSN Chicago reported. “And it happened so fast, I didn’t have time to put on clothes.”
Police announced they had a search warrant for the residence, CBSN Chicago reported. Young complied with the officer’s orders and kept her hands up as officers handcuffed her and began searching her home.
“What is going on?” Young asked, CBSN Chicago reported. “There’s nobody else here, I live alone. I mean, what is going on here? You’ve got the wrong house. I live alone.”
“It’s one of those moments where I felt I could have died that night,” Young said, CBSN Chicago reported. “Like if I would have made one wrong move, it felt like they would have shot me. I truly believe they would have shot me.”
Police reportedly failed to verify a tip from a confidential informant who said a known male felon in his 20s was seen with a firearm and ammunition at Young’s address, CBSN Chicago reported. The informant provided Young’s address as the felon’s residence.
Young told the officers over 40 times that they were at the wrong apartment, CBSN Chicago reported. The felon lived in the apartment next to Young’s.
The CPD did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.


truepundit--2020-12-18--Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Colorado Church, Bars State From Restricting Worship

The U.S. Supreme Court ordered Tuesday that a federal court must reexamine Colorado ’ s coronavirus restrictions on indoor religious services .
In an unsigned decision , the court threw out a federal district court ’ s ruling that had rejected High Plains Harvest Church ’ s challenge to the state ’ s restrictions on houses of worship , according to the Star Tribune .
The decision comes after the Supreme Court granted temporary relief from Democratic New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s coronavirus restrictions on houses of worship .
The court also tossed out an order from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had upheld Democratic California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s restrictions on houses of worship .
Three of the liberal justices who dissented emphasized that Colorado had already lifted the restrictions on houses of worship , noting that the state had amended its public health order to remove capacity limits on houses of worship “ in response to this Court ’ s recent decisions , ” according to the Star Tribune .
“ High Plains Harvest Church has sought to enjoin Colorado ’ s capacity limits on worship services , ” Justice Elena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor .
“ But Colorado has lifted all those limits.
” “ Absent our issuing different guidance , there is no reason to think Colorado will reverse course — and so no reason to think Harvest Church will again face capacity limits , ” Kagan continued .
“ When ‘ subsequent events ’ thus show that a challenged action can not ‘ reasonably be expected to recur , ’ a case is well and truly over.
” The case is one of many cases involving religious freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year .
D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory filed a lawsuit Friday evening against D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser accusing the Democrat of “ arbitrary ” and “ discriminatory ” restrictions on churches ahead of Christmas .
“ Under both the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act , the District ’ s arbitrary , unscientific , and discriminatory treatment of religious worship is illegal , ” the lawsuit said .
Gallup polling released last week found that only those who attended religious services weekly saw a positive change between 2019 and 2020 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No other demographic group in the Gallup poll saw a percentage increase in rating their mental health as excellent .
“ Houses of worship and religious services provide so much more than just a weekly meeting place — they are where so many Americans find strength , community , and meaning , ” the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty ’ s Director of Research Caleb Lyman told the Daily Caller News Foundation Wednesday .
“ Findings from this year ’ s Religious Freedom Index — that 62 percent of respondents said that faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ align with Gallup ’ s findings on the importance of religious services to Americans ’ mental health , ” he added .

The U.S. Supreme Court ordered Tuesday that a federal court must reexamine Colorado’s coronavirus restrictions on indoor religious services.
In an unsigned decision, the court threw out a federal district court’s ruling that had rejected High Plains Harvest Church’s challenge to the state’s restrictions on houses of worship, according to the Star Tribune.
The decision comes after the Supreme Court granted temporary relief from Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus restrictions on houses of worship. The court also tossed out an order from a Central District of California court that had upheld Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s restrictions on houses of worship.
Three of the liberal justices who dissented emphasized that Colorado had already lifted the restrictions on houses of worship, noting that the state had amended its public health order to remove capacity limits on houses of worship “in response to this Court’s recent decisions,” according to the Star Tribune.
The Supreme Court has sided with a Colorado church challenging the state’s capacity limits for houses of worship. Justice Kagan leads the liberal trio in dissent, arguing the case is moot. #SCOTUS pic.twitter.com/S2gIv4BLxR — Kevin Daley 🏛 (@KevinDaleyDC) December 15, 2020
“High Plains Harvest Church has sought to enjoin Colorado’s capacity limits on worship services,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent, joined by Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor. “But Colorado has lifted all those limits.”
“Absent our issuing different guidance, there is no reason to think Colorado will reverse course — and so no reason to think Harvest Church will again face capacity limits,” Kagan continued. “When ‘subsequent events’ thus show that a challenged action cannot ‘reasonably be expected to recur,’ a case is well and truly over.”
The case is one of many cases involving religious freedom that have come before the Supreme Court this year. D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory filed a lawsuit Friday evening against D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser accusing the Democrat of “arbitrary” and “discriminatory” restrictions on churches ahead of Christmas.
“Under both the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the District’s arbitrary, unscientific, and discriminatory treatment of religious worship is illegal,” the lawsuit said.
Gallup polling released last week found that only those who attended religious services weekly saw a positive change between 2019 and 2020 in how they rated their mental health. No other demographic group in the Gallup poll saw a percentage increase in rating their mental health as excellent.
“Houses of worship and religious services provide so much more than just a weekly meeting place — they are where so many Americans find strength, community, and meaning,” the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty’s Director of Research Caleb Lyman told the Daily Caller News Foundation Wednesday.
“Findings from this year’s Religious Freedom Index — that 62 percent of respondents said that faith had been important during the pandemic — align with Gallup’s findings on the importance of religious services to Americans’ mental health,” he added.