westernjournal--2020-05-24--Federal Appeals Court Allows California’s Ban on Church Services To Continue

Despite a ringing dissent from a judge appointed by President Donald Trump , a federal appeals court has thrown out a lawsuit filed by a church that fought back against California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s lockdown order as it applies to churches .
The panel of the 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling Friday in a suit brought by the South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista , California , earlier this month .
The 2-1 decision came about when Judges Jacqueline Nguyen , appointed by former President Barack Obama , and Barry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton , formed a majority against Judge Daniel Collins , a Trump appointee , according to CNN .
Newsom ’ s multi-phase plan for reopening the state puts church services in Phase 3 , while allowing secular activities to increase throughout Phase 2 .
The majority said churches are not unduly harmed by the plan .
“ Where state action does not ‘ infringe upon or restrict practices because of their religious motivation ’ and does not ‘ in a selective manner impose burdens only on conduct motivated by religious belief , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the court ruling stated .
“ We ’ re dealing here with a highly contagious and often fatal disease for which there presently is no known cure .
In the words of Justice Robert Jackson , if a ‘ [ c ] ourt does not temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom , it will convert the constitutional Bill of Rights into a suicide pact , ' ” the ruling stated .
In his dissent , Collins said Newsom ’ s order was , in fact , discriminatory against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to the pandemic , California did not purport simply to proscribe specific forms of underlying physical conduct that it identified as dangerous , such as failing to maintain social distancing or having an excessive number of persons within an enclosed space .
Instead , Executive Order N-33-20 presumptively prohibited California residents from leaving their homes for any reason , except to the extent that an exception to that order granted back the freedom to conduct particular activities or to travel back and forth to such activities , ” Collins wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State has adopted a phased approach that will progressively add more and more exceptions to the baseline stay-at-home prohibition by designating additional specific categories of activities that , in the State ’ s judgment , do not present an undue risk to public health , ” he wrote .
Collins noted that Phase 2 of the plan allows child care , hospitality , offices and other businesses to open .
“ By explicitly and categorically assigning all in-person ‘ religious services ’ to a future Phase 3 — without any express regard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size of the space , or the safety protocols followed in such services — the State ’ s Reopening Plan undeniably ‘ discriminate [ s ] on its face ’ against ‘ religious conduct , ' ” he wrote .
Collins wrote that the California plan fails the test of what is known as general applicability , in which all people or groups are treated equally under the law .
“ Under California ’ s approach — in which an individual can leave the home only for the enumerated purposes specified by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide the operative rules that govern one ’ s conduct .
While the resulting highly reticulated patchwork of designated activities and accompanying guidelines may make sense from a public health standpoint , there is no denying that this amalgam of rules is the very antithesis of a ‘ generally applicable ’ prohibition , ” he wrote .
RELATED : White House Asks CDC To Investigate Why Locked-Down LA Is Seeing So Many New COVID-19 Cases “ The State is continually making judgments , at the margins , to decide what additional activities its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and thus far , ‘ religious services ’ have not made the cut .
I am at a loss to understand how the State ’ s current maze of regulations can be deemed ‘ generally applicable , ' ” Collins wrote .
Collins said the state could have banned activities that could spread the coronavirus without banning religious gatherings .
“ By regulating the specific underlying risk-creating behaviors , rather than banning the particular religious setting within which they occur , the State could achieve its ends in a manner that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the problem at hand , ' ” he wrote .
“ The State ’ s only response on the narrow-tailoring point is to insist that there is too much risk that congregants will not follow these rules , ” Collins wrote , later adding , “ the State ’ s position on this score illogically assumes that the very same people who can not be trusted to follow the rules at their place of worship can be trusted to do so at their workplace.
” The bottom line for Collins was that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got it wrong .
“ I do not doubt the importance of the public health objectives that the State puts forth , but the State can accomplish those objectives without resorting to its current inflexible and overbroad ban on religious services .
The balance of equities , and the public interest , strongly favor requiring the State to honor its constitutional duty to accommodate a critical element of the free exercise of religion —public worship , ” he wrote .
According to ABC News , the church filed an emergency petition Saturday asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9th Circuit panel ’ s ruling .
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Despite a ringing dissent from a judge appointed by President Donald Trump, a federal appeals court has thrown out a lawsuit filed by a church that fought back against California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s lockdown order as it applies to churches.
The panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling Friday in a suit brought by the South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista, California, earlier this month.
The 2-1 decision came about when Judges Jacqueline Nguyen, appointed by former President Barack Obama, and Barry Silverman, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, formed a majority against Judge Daniel Collins, a Trump appointee, according to CNN.
Newsom’s multi-phase plan for reopening the state puts church services in Phase 3, while allowing secular activities to increase throughout Phase 2.
The majority said churches are not unduly harmed by the plan.
“Where state action does not ‘infringe upon or restrict practices because of their religious motivation’ and does not ‘in a selective manner impose burdens only on conduct motivated by religious belief,’ it does not violate the First Amendment,” the court ruling stated.
“We’re dealing here with a highly contagious and often fatal disease for which there presently is no known cure. In the words of Justice Robert Jackson, if a ‘[c]ourt does not temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom, it will convert the constitutional Bill of Rights into a suicide pact,'” the ruling stated.
In his dissent, Collins said Newsom’s order was, in fact, discriminatory against churches.
“In framing its restrictions in response to the pandemic, California did not purport simply to proscribe specific forms of underlying physical conduct that it identified as dangerous, such as failing to maintain social distancing or having an excessive number of persons within an enclosed space. Instead, Executive Order N-33-20 presumptively prohibited California residents from leaving their homes for any reason, except to the extent that an exception to that order granted back the freedom to conduct particular activities or to travel back and forth to such activities,” Collins wrote.
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“In announcing its Reopening Plan, the State has adopted a phased approach that will progressively add more and more exceptions to the baseline stay-at-home prohibition by designating additional specific categories of activities that, in the State’s judgment, do not present an undue risk to public health,” he wrote.
Collins noted that Phase 2 of the plan allows child care, hospitality, offices and other businesses to open.
“By explicitly and categorically assigning all in-person ‘religious services’ to a future Phase 3 — without any express regard to the number of attendees, the size of the space, or the safety protocols followed in such services — the State’s Reopening Plan undeniably ‘discriminate[s] on its face’ against ‘religious conduct,'” he wrote.
Collins wrote that the California plan fails the test of what is known as general applicability, in which all people or groups are treated equally under the law.
“Under California’s approach — in which an individual can leave the home only for the enumerated purposes specified by the State — these categories of authorized activities provide the operative rules that govern one’s conduct. While the resulting highly reticulated patchwork of designated activities and accompanying guidelines may make sense from a public health standpoint, there is no denying that this amalgam of rules is the very antithesis of a ‘generally applicable’ prohibition,” he wrote.
“The State is continually making judgments, at the margins, to decide what additional activities its residents may and may not engage in, and thus far, ‘religious services’ have not made the cut. I am at a loss to understand how the State’s current maze of regulations can be deemed ‘generally applicable,'” Collins wrote.
Collins said the state could have banned activities that could spread the coronavirus without banning religious gatherings.
“By regulating the specific underlying risk-creating behaviors, rather than banning the particular religious setting within which they occur, the State could achieve its ends in a manner that is the ‘least restrictive way of dealing with the problem at hand,'” he wrote.
“The State’s only response on the narrow-tailoring point is to insist that there is too much risk that congregants will not follow these rules,” Collins wrote, later adding, “the State’s position on this score illogically assumes that the very same people who cannot be trusted to follow the rules at their place of worship can be trusted to do so at their workplace.”
The bottom line for Collins was that in trying to do right, California got it wrong.
“I do not doubt the importance of the public health objectives that the State puts forth, but the State can accomplish those objectives without resorting to its current inflexible and overbroad ban on religious services. The balance of equities, and the public interest, strongly favor requiring the State to honor its constitutional duty to accommodate a critical element of the free exercise of religion —public worship,” he wrote.
According to ABC News, the church filed an emergency petition Saturday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the 9th Circuit panel’s ruling.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Trump: ‘I Have a Chance to Break the Deep State’

In a new interview , President Donald Trump outlined the challenge of his presidency in stark terms as the best chance the nation has to break the stranglehold of powerful insiders on the business of government .
Trump ’ s willingness to battle what is know as the “ deep state ” came to the fore in an interview aired Sunday by the syndicated news show “ Full Measure.
” During the interview ( transcript here ) , journalist Sharyl Atkisson brought up recent actions by acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grennell to make public information about the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential campaign by America ’ s intelligence community .
“ Richard Grenell is a superstar .
He had guts , he had courage to do what he did .
We have another superstar going in as you know , John Ratcliffe .
He just got approved yesterday and he ’ ll be taking over as of Tuesday , ” Trump said .
“ Richard Grenell has done one of the best jobs I ’ ve ever seen .
I mean , in a short period of time , he exposed them as being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do a takedown of the president of the United States illegally .
It ’ s all illegal .
Now , I don ’ t know what happens .
We hope [ Attorney General ] Bill Barr is going to be as good as we think because Bill , he ’ s a great gentleman , a great man .
He ’ s got to hopefully use that information and do what ’ s right .
And he ’ ll do what ’ s right .
“ Bill Barr will do what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has done for this country is incredible , ” Trump said .
In the interview , Trump disparaged former Attorney General Jeff Sessions .
“ Jeff Sessions put people in place that were a disaster , ” Trump said .
“ They took over .
They ’ ve always had the Department of Justice , but they kept it under Jeff Sessions .
And the whole thing , the Russian thing is a total hoax .
Think of it .
They spent 40 , 45 million dollars investigating .
We took two and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No collusion.
” Trump then focused on the big picture .
“ When you look at what Richard Grenell has done in eight weeks , these people didn ’ t do anything for two and a half years .
They should have been exposing this .
So I ’ m very disappointed in certain people .
And some people have done a phenomenal job , but what am I doing ?
I ’ m fighting the deep state .
I ’ m fighting the swamp .
And I said I was doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the swamp .
I think if it keeps going the way I ’ m going , and Ratcliffe is fantastic , ” he said .
“ If it keeps going the way it ’ s going , I have a chance to break the deep state .
It ’ s a vicious group of people .
It ’ s very bad for our country .
And that ’ s never happened before , ” Trump said .
He then referred to Atkisson ’ s own battles with the “ deep state ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department during the Obama administration .
“ You happen to be a victim of the deep state .
I hate to tell you , whether you know it or not , but they ’ ve treated you horribly over the years .
And so have they treated many other people , ” Trump said .
Trump said that insiders who wanted Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to win the election have never stopped their attacks on him .
RELATED : Mail-in Elections Off to a Rocky Start : 'Where Is the Democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was going to win , and then I won .
And then they tried to get me out .
That was the insurance policy .
She ’ s going to win , but just in case she doesn ’ t win we have an insurance policy .
And now I beat them on the insurance policy , and now they ’ re being exposed , ” he said .
“ Tremendous things have happened .
They forged documents .
We caught them .
They had people that had forged documents .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faster .
I ’ ll be honest with you .
To me , I don ’ t need any more information .
I know , and I purposely stayed out of it .
Other than I appoint people .
I purposely stayed out of it , ” he said .
“ But I ’ ll tell you what , what they ’ ve done , if this were President Obama , if this were a Democrat instead of a Republican , people would have been in jail for two years , many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years already with a 50-year term .
OK ?
50 years , but we caught them .
Now , hopefully Bill Barr is going to do something about it .
And you know what ?
Other things are going to come out too .
And a lot of other things are going to come out , but you don ’ t even need other things .
What they ’ ve done is so corrupt , they ’ ve tried to take down a duly elected president of the United States , happens to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we can never allow it to happen again , ” he said .
During the interview , Trump was asked about the strongest feature possessed by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
“ Well , I would have said experience , but he doesn ’ t really have experience because I don ’ t think he remembers what he did yesterday .
So how is that experience ?
He ’ s been there a long time .
He was never known as a smart person , ” Trump said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his likely adversary .
“ He ’ s got many .
I can talk about weak points all day long .
First of all , he ’ s not mentally sharp enough to be president .
He ’ s got China and he ’ s got all these countries , ” Trump said , referring to Biden ’ s past with the Asian power and his son Hunter ’ s dealings with Chinese officials .
Later , he added , “ China doesn ’ t want me to win , but Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he doesn ’ t know he ’ s alive.
” Trump then noted that Biden is little more than a figurehead .
“ Think of it .
I ’ m against somebody that can ’ t answer simple questions .
I ’ ve never seen anything like it , but here ’ s what I am against .
I ’ m against a very powerful party , the Democrats , and they can take this glass of water and say , ‘ that ’ s your candidate.
’ “ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party .
It ’ s a very corrupt party , the Democrats , and we caught them , but I ’ m against a very powerful party .
And I ’ m against the real obstructionist , which is the media , because the media is corrupt in this country , ” he said .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

In a new interview, President Donald Trump outlined the challenge of his presidency in stark terms as the best chance the nation has to break the stranglehold of powerful insiders on the business of government.
Trump’s willingness to battle what is know as the “deep state” came to the fore in an interview aired Sunday by the syndicated news show “Full Measure.”
During the interview (transcript here), journalist Sharyl Atkisson brought up recent actions by acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grennell to make public information about the early days of the investigations into the Trump presidential campaign by America’s intelligence community.
“Richard Grenell is a superstar. He had guts, he had courage to do what he did. We have another superstar going in as you know, John Ratcliffe. He just got approved yesterday and he’ll be taking over as of Tuesday,” Trump said.
“Richard Grenell has done one of the best jobs I’ve ever seen. I mean, in a short period of time, he exposed them as being corrupt. Look, they were trying to do a takedown of the president of the United States illegally. It’s all illegal. Now, I don’t know what happens. We hope [Attorney General] Bill Barr is going to be as good as we think because Bill, he’s a great gentleman, a great man. He’s got to hopefully use that information and do what’s right. And he’ll do what’s right.
“Bill Barr will do what’s right, but what Richard Grenell has done for this country is incredible,” Trump said.
In the interview, Trump disparaged former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
“Jeff Sessions put people in place that were a disaster,” Trump said. “They took over. They’ve always had the Department of Justice, but they kept it under Jeff Sessions. And the whole thing, the Russian thing is a total hoax. Think of it. They spent 40, 45 million dollars investigating. We took two and a half years. They found nothing. No collusion.”
Trump then focused on the big picture.
Do you think President Donald Trump can break the power of the deep state? Yes No
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“When you look at what Richard Grenell has done in eight weeks, these people didn’t do anything for two and a half years. They should have been exposing this. So I’m very disappointed in certain people. And some people have done a phenomenal job, but what am I doing? I’m fighting the deep state. I’m fighting the swamp. And I said I was doing it. And I’m exposing the swamp. I think if it keeps going the way I’m going, and Ratcliffe is fantastic,” he said.
“If it keeps going the way it’s going, I have a chance to break the deep state. It’s a vicious group of people. It’s very bad for our country. And that’s never happened before,” Trump said.
He then referred to Atkisson’s own battles with the “deep state” that occurred when she was targeted by the Justice Department during the Obama administration.
“You happen to be a victim of the deep state. I hate to tell you, whether you know it or not, but they’ve treated you horribly over the years. And so have they treated many other people,” Trump said.
Trump said that insiders who wanted Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to win the election have never stopped their attacks on him.
“They never thought I was going to win, and then I won. And then they tried to get me out. That was the insurance policy. She’s going to win, but just in case she doesn’t win we have an insurance policy. And now I beat them on the insurance policy, and now they’re being exposed,” he said.
“Tremendous things have happened. They forged documents. We caught them. They had people that had forged documents. I would like to see it move much faster. I’ll be honest with you. To me, I don’t need any more information. I know, and I purposely stayed out of it. Other than I appoint people. I purposely stayed out of it,” he said.
“But I’ll tell you what, what they’ve done, if this were President Obama, if this were a Democrat instead of a Republican, people would have been in jail for two years, many people would have been in jail for two years already with a 50-year term. OK? 50 years, but we caught them. Now, hopefully Bill Barr is going to do something about it. And you know what? Other things are going to come out too. And a lot of other things are going to come out, but you don’t even need other things. What they’ve done is so corrupt, they’ve tried to take down a duly elected president of the United States, happens to be in this case, me, but we can never allow it to happen again,” he said.
During the interview, Trump was asked about the strongest feature possessed by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
“Well, I would have said experience, but he doesn’t really have experience because I don’t think he remembers what he did yesterday. So how is that experience? He’s been there a long time. He was never known as a smart person,” Trump said.
He was then asked to discuss a weakness of his likely adversary.
“He’s got many. I can talk about weak points all day long. First of all, he’s not mentally sharp enough to be president. He’s got China and he’s got all these countries,” Trump said, referring to Biden’s past with the Asian power and his son Hunter’s dealings with Chinese officials.
Later, he added, “China doesn’t want me to win, but Biden doesn’t know, I mean, he doesn’t know he’s alive.”
Trump then noted that Biden is little more than a figurehead.
“Think of it. I’m against somebody that can’t answer simple questions. I’ve never seen anything like it, but here’s what I am against. I’m against a very powerful party, the Democrats, and they can take this glass of water and say, ‘that’s your candidate.’
“I’m against a very powerful and very corrupt party. It’s a very corrupt party, the Democrats, and we caught them, but I’m against a very powerful party. And I’m against the real obstructionist, which is the media, because the media is corrupt in this country,” he said.
“It’s totally corrupt.”
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--America Is About to Face Deafening Wave of Cicada ‘Brood IX’

As Americans get ready to go outside again , there is someone waiting .
Actually , a lot of someones .
In some places , there will be a few million of them as what scientists call “ Brood IX ” of cicadas emerge from the ground for the first time since 2003 .
“ Communities and farms with large numbers of cicadas emerging at once may have a substantial noise issue , ” said Eric Day , a Virginia Cooperative Extension entomologist in Virginia Tech ’ s Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disturbance is tempered by just how infrequent — and amazing — this event is , ” he said , according to Virginia Tech ’ s website .
When a whole field of cicadas gets buzzing , the noise can reach 90 decibels , the level or a dirt bike or lawnmower , according to Vice .
Part of southwestern Virginia , West Virginia and North Carolina will be Ground Zero for the brood emerging this year .
Next year , Brood X , or “ the Great Eastern Brood , ” will swarm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of buzzing bugs might number in the trillions .
“ Cicadas can occur in overwhelming numbers and growers in predicted areas of activity should be watchful , ” said Doug Pfeiffer , a professor and extension specialist in the Department of Entomology .
Cicadas spend most of their lives underground , and when they are the right age to make their every-17-year appearance , they emerge when the ground temperature rises to 65 degrees at a depth of eight inches .
The buzz about the bugs took place on Twitter as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spotted in US for First Time “ It ’ s commonly in mid-May to the last week of May , depending on how warm it is , because the trigger for the day of emergence is the ground temperature , ” said Chris Simon , a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut .
“ The trigger for the year of emergence is that they ’ ve been counting , but the exact day of emergence is the ground temperature , ” Simon said .
In some places , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Up to 1.5 million bugs can emerge from a single acre , where they will find mates to create the generation of 2037 .
“ This insect is really fascinating , and if you don ’ t have fruit trees or grapevines to protect , you can enjoy this phenomenon while it lasts , ” Pfeiffer said .
The unique rhythm of cicadas could change , one expert said .
“ With global warming , it seems like much more often we see a lot [ of 17-year cicadas ] that are ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll come out as 13-year cicadas , ” Simon said .
“ Even the 13-year cicadas in the South can come out as four years early as 9-year cicadas.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

As Americans get ready to go outside again, there is someone waiting. Actually, a lot of someones. In some places, there will be a few million of them as what scientists call “Brood IX” of cicadas emerge from the ground for the first time since 2003.
“Communities and farms with large numbers of cicadas emerging at once may have a substantial noise issue,” said Eric Day, a Virginia Cooperative Extension entomologist in Virginia Tech’s Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
“Hopefully, any annoyance at the disturbance is tempered by just how infrequent — and amazing — this event is,” he said, according to Virginia Tech’s website.
When a whole field of cicadas gets buzzing, the noise can reach 90 decibels, the level or a dirt bike or lawnmower, according to Vice.
Part of southwestern Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina will be Ground Zero for the brood emerging this year. Next year, Brood X, or “the Great Eastern Brood,” will swarm the Midwest and Eastern U.S.
That batch of buzzing bugs might number in the trillions.
“Cicadas can occur in overwhelming numbers and growers in predicted areas of activity should be watchful,” said Doug Pfeiffer, a professor and extension specialist in the Department of Entomology.
Cicadas spend most of their lives underground, and when they are the right age to make their every-17-year appearance, they emerge when the ground temperature rises to 65 degrees at a depth of eight inches.
The buzz about the bugs took place on Twitter as well.
It is gonna be LOUD cause these guys emerged TODAY in droves! Our yard, driveway, sidewalk, siding, house, deck, etc. are covered in exoskeletons. #ScienceIsCool #Cicadas https://t.co/PhDliuHrRb — Tribrarian (@triathlete2210) May 22, 2020
Turn your volume up and you can easily hear the #cicadas in Pittyslanvia County. pic.twitter.com/2LQOJqD9og — brady (@geo_brady) May 22, 2020
Millions of #Cicadas are expected to emerge from underground for the first time in 17 years in parts of the U.S. https://t.co/qFuFUyehCN — John Burnett (@IamJohnBurnett) May 22, 2020
“It’s commonly in mid-May to the last week of May, depending on how warm it is, because the trigger for the day of emergence is the ground temperature,” said Chris Simon, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut.
“The trigger for the year of emergence is that they’ve been counting, but the exact day of emergence is the ground temperature,” Simon said.
In some places, cicadas have already started to emerge.
Up to 1.5 million bugs can emerge from a single acre, where they will find mates to create the generation of 2037.
“This insect is really fascinating, and if you don’t have fruit trees or grapevines to protect, you can enjoy this phenomenon while it lasts,” Pfeiffer said.
The unique rhythm of cicadas could change, one expert said.
“With global warming, it seems like much more often we see a lot [of 17-year cicadas] that are ready four years early, and they’ll come out as 13-year cicadas,” Simon said. “Even the 13-year cicadas in the South can come out as four years early as 9-year cicadas.”
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--New UN Language Code Uses Slave-Era Word, Some People Must Be Referred to As ‘Owners’

The best-laid plans of mice , men and international organizations oft go awry .
When it comes to mice and men , it ’ s pretty easy to spot how this happens .
Mice get caught in mousetraps , for instance .
Men set those mousetraps and then end up stepping on them and going to the emergency room with a broken toe .
International organizations , however , generally don ’ t set mousetraps , so it ’ s a bit more difficult to spot the awry-ness .
Thankfully , we have the United Nations , so it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , China just got selected for a place on the United Nations Human Rights Council , something that must have come as an unpleasant surprise to the people of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong .
On a less serious note , however , we have the U.N. ’ s attempts to shape language to make it seem more gender-neutral .
In doing so , the organization remade the perfectly acceptable term “ landlord ” into a slave-era colonialist term that absolutely no one with half a brain should have been happy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the global body to get the world to use “ gender-neutral ” language .
“ What you say matters .
Help create a more equal world by using gender-neutral language if you ’ re unsure about someone ’ s gender or are referring to a group , ” the Monday tweet read .
This sort of piffle is usually good for a laugh while changing absolutely nothing , so I was game to take a look .
However , the short primer on U.N. Newspeak went from hilarious piffle to relatively offensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably guess a few of the terms without even looking at the list .
“ Mankind ” is now “ humankind.
” “ Policeman ” is now “ police officer.
” “ Fireman ” is now “ firefighter .
Some of them are predictably clunky .
“ Maiden name ” is now “ family name ” — which is actually something completely different , but whatever .
“ Businessman ” is now “ representative , ” an interesting choice , considering no less than three thesauruses that I consulted — both in book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even list that as a potential synonym .
And then there ’ s the one that stood out .
See if you can guess what most people were aghast over : RELATED : Days After Trump Cut WHO Funding , Michelle Helped Raise $ 55 Million for Incompetent Globalist Org As Fox News pointed out , “ owner ” is “ a term that has its own problematic connotations related to slavery and can not typically be swapped for the former term without dramatically changing the meaning .
( ‘ This is Bob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” There is that , of course .
Beyond the slavery issue , the two words don ’ t mean the same thing .
I ’ m the owner of the MacBook I ’ m typing this on .
I don ’ t rent it out to people who live in it .
Almost everything that ’ s owned , in fact , isn ’ t rented out in such a fashion .
That ’ s what makes this such a poor linguistic substitute Beyond that , however , is the distinctly troubling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been brought about because the word “ lord ” apparently has sexist connotations to it .
Now , granted , nobody is under any compunction to use any of this garbage language .
On the other hand , this is the United Nations , the world ’ s most powerful organization that technically has no real power .
If you don ’ t believe me , consider the World Health Organization , organized under the aegis of the United Nations .
Look at how it ’ s conducted itself over the past few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can espy the same organizing principle at play there .
That ’ s perhaps what ’ s most troubling here : This was tweeted out May 18 , as the entire world remains paralyzed by a pandemic .
What is the United Nations concerned about ?
Not using sexist language regarding your landlord .
Sorry , your owner .
Sounds so much better , doesn ’ t it ?
This is what the United Nations is concerned about — controlling your language .
In a world where the innocent are executed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribe or inconsequential personal decisions they make with their lives , this is what a group of bureaucrats in some office somewhere upon this globe thought was worth spending time on .
One hopes there isn ’ t a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic around Christmastime .
I don ’ t particularly want to hear the tin-eared talk about how we should really be talking about 11 genderless owners a-leaping as more people are dying .
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The best-laid plans of mice, men and international organizations oft go awry.
When it comes to mice and men, it’s pretty easy to spot how this happens. Mice get caught in mousetraps, for instance. Men set those mousetraps and then end up stepping on them and going to the emergency room with a broken toe. International organizations, however, generally don’t set mousetraps, so it’s a bit more difficult to spot the awry-ness.
Thankfully, we have the United Nations, so it’s not too difficult. After all, China just got selected for a place on the United Nations Human Rights Council, something that must have come as an unpleasant surprise to the people of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong.
On a less serious note, however, we have the U.N.’s attempts to shape language to make it seem more gender-neutral. In doing so, the organization remade the perfectly acceptable term “landlord” into a slave-era colonialist term that absolutely no one with half a brain should have been happy with.
The occasion was a push by the global body to get the world to use “gender-neutral” language.
“What you say matters. Help create a more equal world by using gender-neutral language if you’re unsure about someone’s gender or are referring to a group,” the Monday tweet read.
This sort of piffle is usually good for a laugh while changing absolutely nothing, so I was game to take a look.
However, the short primer on U.N. Newspeak went from hilarious piffle to relatively offensive piffle in a hurry.
You can probably guess a few of the terms without even looking at the list. “Mankind” is now “humankind.” “Policeman” is now “police officer.” “Fireman” is now “firefighter.
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Some of them are predictably clunky. “Maiden name” is now “family name” — which is actually something completely different, but whatever. “Businessman” is now “representative,” an interesting choice, considering no less than three thesauruses that I consulted — both in book form and online — didn’t even list that as a potential synonym.
And then there’s the one that stood out. See if you can guess what most people were aghast over:
What you say matters. Help create a more equal world by using gender-neutral language if you’re unsure about someone’s gender or are referring to a group. https://t.co/QQRFPY4VRn #GenerationEquality via@UN_Women pic.twitter.com/koxoAZZuxq — United Nations (@UN) May 18, 2020
A “landlord” is apparently an “owner.” Interesting.
As Fox News pointed out, “owner” is “a term that has its own problematic connotations related to slavery and cannot typically be swapped for the former term without dramatically changing the meaning. (‘This is Bob. Bob is my owner.’)”
There is that, of course. Beyond the slavery issue, the two words don’t mean the same thing. I’m the owner of the MacBook I’m typing this on. I don’t rent it out to people who live in it. Almost everything that’s owned, in fact, isn’t rented out in such a fashion. That’s what makes this such a poor linguistic substitute
Beyond that, however, is the distinctly troubling slavery aspect, something that’s been brought about because the word “lord” apparently has sexist connotations to it.
This can’t have been written by a native English speaker. Landlord, for instance, is self-explanatory. “Jim is my landlord.” “Jim is my owner.” -What?
“Jim is the owner of my house.” -What?
“Jim is the owner of the house in which I live.” -Oh, he’s your landlord! — Rorate Caeli (@RorateCaeli) May 18, 2020
the *united nations* would like you to stop saying landlord because it’s gendered lmao https://t.co/WXAlXR48tg — steele (@laborseller) May 18, 2020
Now, granted, nobody is under any compunction to use any of this garbage language. On the other hand, this is the United Nations, the world’s most powerful organization that technically has no real power.
If you don’t believe me, consider the World Health Organization, organized under the aegis of the United Nations. Look at how it’s conducted itself over the past few months and ask yourself whether or not you can espy the same organizing principle at play there.
That’s perhaps what’s most troubling here: This was tweeted out May 18, as the entire world remains paralyzed by a pandemic. What is the United Nations concerned about? Not using sexist language regarding your landlord. Sorry, your owner. Sounds so much better, doesn’t it?
This is what the United Nations is concerned about — controlling your language. In a world where the innocent are executed for their race, their creed, their tribe or inconsequential personal decisions they make with their lives, this is what a group of bureaucrats in some office somewhere upon this globe thought was worth spending time on.
One hopes there isn’t a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic around Christmastime. I don’t particularly want to hear the tin-eared talk about how we should really be talking about 11 genderless owners a-leaping as more people are dying.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--COVID Survivor Was Banned from Flying Trump Flag To Thank POTUS, New Tribute Is Much Better

Carlos Gavidia is a COVID-19 survivor who wanted to thank President Donald Trump for touting the drugs he says saved his life , hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin .
He decided that flying a flag from the end of his dock would be a good way to do it .
The management of his community in Jupiter , Florida , thought otherwise .
Banned from flying the flag from his dock , Gavidia decided to one-up things : He wrapped his boat in a star-spangled theme with “ TRUMP ” in capital letters along the side .
Gavidia , 53 , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were infected when they visited a hotel restaurant during a ski trip to Aspen , Colorado .
“ Fever , body aches , extreme migraine total exhaustion , wiped out .
Laura had no fever , but she was totally wiped out she just lays in bed .
I don ’ t even get out of bed except to go to the bathroom , you get diarrhea the entire time and lose your sense of taste , ” he said .
However , Gavidia credits the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the illness .
“ I don ’ t know why they say it doesn ’ t work , because it does , ” he told Voice of America .
As Gavidia felt better , he looked for ways he could help , including offering to donate his plasma and passing on his regimen of drugs to others with the coronavirus .
But he also wanted to show his appreciation to the president , and that included putting a flag on his dock .
According to The Palm Beach Post , his homeowner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Cove complex wasn ’ t too pleased with that .
When he took the 42-footer out on the water for a spin , there were apparently some objectors .
It was against regulations .
And therein lies the great thing about being on the right .
The first person who came up with the phrase , “ I don ’ t get mad , I get even , ” wasn ’ t just coining a catchphrase .
He or she was also engaging in a key conservative coping mechanism .
If we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time we encountered overregulation or a busybody HOA , we ’ d never get anything done and we ’ d be popping clonidine like Tic-Tacs .
It ’ s a lot better to have your neighbors raging against the heavens instead of you , even if they may have won the first round .
In that vein , I present to you TrumpBoat 2020 : RELATED : Federal Government Gives $ 121k in COVID Relief to a Hospital That 's Been Closed Almost a Year All right , so it ’ s actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Palm Beach Post .
I still think not calling it TrumpBoat 2020 ( or even TrumpBoat 2020 !
— with the exclamation point ) is a missed opportunity , but given the roll Gavidia is on , I ’ m going to have issues convincing him otherwise , I think .
The point is , that ’ s one-upmanship par excellence .
As owning the libs goes , I can ’ t imagine anything as great as … Gavidia estimated the wrap cost him $ 7,000 ; I would say it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is me !
!
!
# MAGA , ” Gavidia tweeted after Eric Trump , son of the president , retweeted the video earlier in May .
And by the way , have we mentioned that Gavidia is our kind of conservative ?
A man who came to the United States from Peru as a boy , he would eventually become a citizen in the 1990s .
He began as a street vendor in Washington and would end up running a credit card processing firm .
And , fresh off of viral fame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boat flotilla — or “ Trumptilla ” — from Jupiter to Mar-a-Lago earlier this month , which drew hundreds of vessels .
He ’ s been on Fox News a few times .
The president mentioned him on another appearance on the network , as well .
In other words , I ’ d say this has worked out for him .
“ It ’ s been a whirlwind , but it ’ s been good , ” Gavidia said .
“ It ’ s been all about President Trump.
” And to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this line from The Palm Beach Post ’ s treatment of the story : “ Admiral ’ s Cove POA General Manager Peter Moore did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
” That was the group that apparently made him remove the Trump flag , if you ’ ll recall .
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Carlos Gavidia is a COVID-19 survivor who wanted to thank President Donald Trump for touting the drugs he says saved his life, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. He decided that flying a flag from the end of his dock would be a good way to do it.
The management of his community in Jupiter, Florida, thought otherwise.
Banned from flying the flag from his dock, Gavidia decided to one-up things: He wrapped his boat in a star-spangled theme with “TRUMP” in capital letters along the side.
Gavidia, 53, told WVNS-TV he and his wife, Laura, were infected when they visited a hotel restaurant during a ski trip to Aspen, Colorado.
“Fever, body aches, extreme migraine total exhaustion, wiped out. Laura had no fever, but she was totally wiped out she just lays in bed. I don’t even get out of bed except to go to the bathroom, you get diarrhea the entire time and lose your sense of taste,” he said.
However, Gavidia credits the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, along with the antibiotic azithromycin, with his recovery from the illness.
“I don’t know why they say it doesn’t work, because it does,” he told Voice of America.
As Gavidia felt better, he looked for ways he could help, including offering to donate his plasma and passing on his regimen of drugs to others with the coronavirus.
Should this COVID survivor have been forced to take down his Trump flag? Yes No
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But he also wanted to show his appreciation to the president, and that included putting a flag on his dock.
According to The Palm Beach Post, his homeowner’s association in the Admiral’s Cove complex wasn’t too pleased with that. When he took the 42-footer out on the water for a spin, there were apparently some objectors. It was against regulations.
And therein lies the great thing about being on the right. The first person who came up with the phrase, “I don’t get mad, I get even,” wasn’t just coining a catchphrase. He or she was also engaging in a key conservative coping mechanism. If we were to rage against the heavens every time we encountered overregulation or a busybody HOA, we’d never get anything done and we’d be popping clonidine like Tic-Tacs.
It’s a lot better to have your neighbors raging against the heavens instead of you, even if they may have won the first round. In that vein, I present to you TrumpBoat 2020:
The owner had put a Trump flag on his dock and the people across from his house complained to the club. Admirals told him that he had to take the flag down. The guy got pissed & sent his boat to get wrapped. This was a video of him bringing the boat home after. @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/3BFTdJwwWm — Wendy Hope (@HopeHeck) May 1, 2020
All right, so it’s actually only named the Trump, according to The Palm Beach Post. I still think not calling it TrumpBoat 2020 (or even TrumpBoat 2020! — with the exclamation point) is a missed opportunity, but given the roll Gavidia is on, I’m going to have issues convincing him otherwise, I think.
The point is, that’s one-upmanship par excellence. As owning the libs goes, I can’t imagine anything as great as …
Very cool. Please thank him! https://t.co/7nc79fCFip — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 2, 2020
I stand corrected.
Gavidia estimated the wrap cost him $7,000; I would say it was worth every penny.
“Omg this is me!!! #MAGA,” Gavidia tweeted after Eric Trump, son of the president, retweeted the video earlier in May.
And by the way, have we mentioned that Gavidia is our kind of conservative?
A man who came to the United States from Peru as a boy, he would eventually become a citizen in the 1990s. He began as a street vendor in Washington and would end up running a credit card processing firm.
And, fresh off of viral fame, he decided to lead a pro-Trump boat flotilla — or “Trumptilla” — from Jupiter to Mar-a-Lago earlier this month, which drew hundreds of vessels.
He’s been on Fox News a few times.
The president mentioned him on another appearance on the network, as well.
In other words, I’d say this has worked out for him.
“according to one of the cop friends i’ve got down there in the jupiter area, six or seven hundred boats showed up for what they call the trumptilla, and everyone was flying the trump flag” pic.twitter.com/Cg4DiPZUfy — Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) May 4, 2020
Thank you very much to our beautiful “boaters.” I will never let you down! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/BiqIqzgOcL — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 17, 2020
“It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been good,” Gavidia said. “It’s been all about President Trump.”
And to top it all off, there was this line from The Palm Beach Post’s treatment of the story: “Admiral’s Cove POA General Manager Peter Moore did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.”
That was the group that apparently made him remove the Trump flag, if you’ll recall.
Whoops.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Former Florida GOP Rep Airlifted to Hospital After Motorcycle Crash

Former Florida Rep. Allen West , a prominent spokesman for the conservative cause , was injured Saturday in a motorcycle accident in Texas , according to reports .
West , who is now a Texas resident , was returning to Dallas with other motorcyclists from a “ Texas Freedom Rally ” in the state capital of Austin when he was injured on Interstate 35 outside Waco , UPI reported .
A post on the retired Army lieutenant colonel ’ s Facebook page said he is in stable condition .
He was airlifted to a hospital his motorcycle collided with another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a car “ I am alive by the grace of God , ” West said in the Facebook post .
West and the other motorcyclist were taken to Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center in Waco , according to Townhall .
According to the Waco Tribune-Herald , Sgt .
Ryan Howard of the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed the account of the crash that was given on West ’ s Facebook page , though he did not name the riders involved .
He said a vehicle on the interstate changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , cutting off the two motorcycles .
“ The motorcyclist attempted to brake , and the rear motorcyclist crashed into the front motorcyclist , ” Howard told the newspaper .
Numerous Republicans and conservatives took to social media to offer their best wishes and ask for prayers for West .
Among them were Texas Gov .
Gregg Abbott , former Arkansas Gov .
Mike Huckabee , Fox News host Laura Ingraham and conservative commentator and former National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch .
RELATED : Lt. Col. Allen West Says 'Pelosi Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition to his 22-year Army career and a term in Congress – he served from 2011 to 2013 – West is well known as a conservative commentator and strong defender of President Donald Trump .
He not only led the motorcade to Austin for Saturday ’ s rally but according to a press release he was also a speaker at the event .
West is currently running for State Chair of the Republican Party of Texas .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
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Former Florida Rep. Allen West, a prominent spokesman for the conservative cause, was injured Saturday in a motorcycle accident in Texas, according to reports.
West, who is now a Texas resident, was returning to Dallas with other motorcyclists from a “Texas Freedom Rally” in the state capital of Austin when he was injured on Interstate 35 outside Waco, UPI reported.
A post on the retired Army lieutenant colonel’s Facebook page said he is in stable condition. He was airlifted to a hospital his motorcycle collided with another in his group after being cut off by a car
“I am alive by the grace of God,” West said in the Facebook post.
West and the other motorcyclist were taken to Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center in Waco, according to Townhall.
According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, Sgt. Ryan Howard of the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed the account of the crash that was given on West’s Facebook page, though he did not name the riders involved.
He said a vehicle on the interstate changed lanes when it was unsafe to do so, cutting off the two motorcycles.
“The motorcyclist attempted to brake, and the rear motorcyclist crashed into the front motorcyclist,” Howard told the newspaper.
Numerous Republicans and conservatives took to social media to offer their best wishes and ask for prayers for West.
Among them were Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Fox News host Laura Ingraham and conservative commentator and former National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch.
All the best for LTC Allen West.
All those prayers are gonna be answered. https://t.co/TerVvjkdNX — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 24, 2020
I’ll be on @foxandfriends Sun 8am ET @FoxNews & I hope you watch, but more importantly, I hope you pray for my friend @AllenWest who was in motorcycle wreck tonight. He’s a truly great American patriot, veteran, and class act. He’s fought for us-let’s pray he’s okay! — Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) May 24, 2020
Prayers up for @AllenWest from all of us! https://t.co/t19hMANYhD — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) May 24, 2020
Praying for Allen West, a friend and patriot. https://t.co/7P43PcnSe7 — Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) May 23, 2020
In addition to his 22-year Army career and a term in Congress – he served from 2011 to 2013 – West is well known as a conservative commentator and strong defender of President Donald Trump.
He not only led the motorcade to Austin for Saturday’s rally but according to a press release he was also a speaker at the event.
West is currently running for State Chair of the Republican Party of Texas.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Black Panthers Protest Chinese Restaurant, Only Prove They Desperately Need a Map

A protest by members of the New Black Panther Party might have sought to address injustices overseas and at home , but the move failed miserably once the details of whom they were protesting emerged .
The activists ’ Washington , D.C. , picket was reported by Stephanie Mencimer , a staff writer for Mother Jones , on Tuesday .
“ The New Black Panthers are out on 14th St trying to shut down Yum Yums , ” she wrote on Twitter .
What could have inspired these members to protest a popular local Chinese take-out restaurant ?
Was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perhaps the eatery posted a sign perceived as racist , provoking a brutal backlash ?
Thankfully , Mencimer investigated a little further and found something truly bewildering .
“ The panthers are here at Yum ’ s , ” she wrote , “ to protest the Chinese government ’ s expulsion of Africans from their homes and hospitals , a woman explained to me.
” Yum ’ s is not owned or operated by China or by anyone linked to the communist nation .
According to Washington City Paper , the Yum ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven ) were started by Jerry Chen and his brother .
The industrious Chen immigrated to the United States in 1979 from Hong Kong .
When Chen left that city for opportunities overseas , it was firmly under British control , where it would remain until 1997 .
Considering this very relevant information , the Panthers ’ protest could be likened to petitioning Taco Bell for a redress of grievances from the government of Guatemala .
The activists ’ choice of target was so mind-boggling that it left Mencimer questioning what the restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Abrams Says Cops 'Scare ' Black Voters but Ignored Armed Black Panthers Campaigning for Her in 2018 It seems these Panthers should have allocated some of their protest sign money for a map of Washington , because a better target for their outrage is only a short jaunt from the restaurant .
The Embassy of the People ’ s Republic of China is less than a 15-minute drive from Yum ’ s 14th Street location , meaning the activists could have easily confronted representatives of the repressive communist state instead of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily avoided this humiliation by dipping into its coffers to spring for a map of the city .
Instead , diners inside Yum ’ s got both dinner and a show .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A protest by members of the New Black Panther Party might have sought to address injustices overseas and at home, but the move failed miserably once the details of whom they were protesting emerged.
The activists’ Washington, D.C., picket was reported by Stephanie Mencimer, a staff writer for Mother Jones, on Tuesday.
“The New Black Panthers are out on 14th St trying to shut down Yum Yums,” she wrote on Twitter.
The New Black Panthers are out on 14th St trying to shut down Yum Yums pic.twitter.com/fUrSivrnd9 — Stephanie Mencimer (@smencimer) May 19, 2020
What could have inspired these members to protest a popular local Chinese take-out restaurant? Was a waiter rude to a black patron? Perhaps the eatery posted a sign perceived as racist, provoking a brutal backlash?
Thankfully, Mencimer investigated a little further and found something truly bewildering.
“The panthers are here at Yum’s,” she wrote, “to protest the Chinese government’s expulsion of Africans from their homes and hospitals, a woman explained to me.”
The panthers are here at Yum’s to protest the Chinese government’s expulsion of Africans from their homes and hospitals, a woman explained to me. @PoPville — Stephanie Mencimer (@smencimer) May 19, 2020
Yum’s is not owned or operated by China or by anyone linked to the communist nation.
According to Washington City Paper, the Yum’s restaurants (of which there are seven) were started by Jerry Chen and his brother. The industrious Chen immigrated to the United States in 1979 from Hong Kong.
When Chen left that city for opportunities overseas, it was firmly under British control, where it would remain until 1997.
Considering this very relevant information, the Panthers’ protest could be likened to petitioning Taco Bell for a redress of grievances from the government of Guatemala.
The activists’ choice of target was so mind-boggling that it left Mencimer questioning what the restaurant did to attract the outrage.
It’s not clear what Yum’s has done to require justice except for being an Asian business. — Stephanie Mencimer (@smencimer) May 19, 2020
It seems these Panthers should have allocated some of their protest sign money for a map of Washington, because a better target for their outrage is only a short jaunt from the restaurant.
Should the New Black Panthers apologize for harassing this business? Yes No
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The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China is less than a 15-minute drive from Yum’s 14th Street location, meaning the activists could have easily confronted representatives of the repressive communist state instead of an unrelated restaurant.
The party could have easily avoided this humiliation by dipping into its coffers to spring for a map of the city. Instead, diners inside Yum’s got both dinner and a show.
UPDATE, May 26, 2020: This article headline has been updated to clarify that members of the New Black Panther Party were protesting at Yum’s.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Hundreds of Doctors Sign Letter to Trump Warning of Consequences of Shutdown as ‘Mass Casualty Incid

Hundreds of Doctors Sign Letter to Trump Warning of Consequences of Shutdown as ‘Mass Casualty Incident’

A coalition of more than 500 physicians has insisted that lockdowns are hurting the health of everyday Americans and wrote a letter to President Donald Trump to urge action to end shutdowns across the nation .
“ We write to you today to express our alarm over the exponentially growing negative health consequences of the national shutdown , ” the physicians wrote , according to a copy of the letter .
“ In medical terms , the shutdown was a mass casualty incident , ” they continued , adding that millions of Americans face critical health care issues .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have had a new cancer detected through routine screening that hasn ’ t happened , millions who have missed routine dental care to fix problems strongly linked to heart disease/death , and preventable cases of stroke , heart attack , and child abuse .
Suicide hotline phone calls have increased 600 % .
” The physicians noted that other Americans are at less serious levels , but have still been impacted by lockdowns as they have increased unhealthy behaviors .
“ Liquor sales have increased 300-600 % , cigarettes sales have increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationships have become frayed , and millions of well-child check-ups have been missed , ” the letter said .
They continued on to say that “ hundreds of millions ” of Americans are suffering because economic hardships are impacting their lives and health .
“ These are people who currently are solvent , but at risk should economic conditions worsen .
Poverty and financial uncertainty is closely linked to poor health .
A continued shutdown means hundreds of millions of Americans will downgrade a level.
” The doctors said that these Americans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus cases dominating the media .
“ The downstream health effects of deteriorating a level are being massively under-estimated and under-reported .
This is an order of magnitude error .
It is impossible to overstate the short , medium , and long-term harm to people ’ s health with a continued shutdown .
“ Losing a job is one of life ’ s most stressful events , and the effect on a person ’ s health is not lessened because it also has happened to 30 million other people , ” they continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is incalculably detrimental for children , teenagers , and young adults for decades to come .
“ The millions of casualties of a continued shutdown will be hiding in plain sight , but they will be called alcoholism , homelessness , suicide , heart attack , stroke , or kidney failure.
” Dr. Simone Gold , who organized the letter , said that for most Americans , shutdown is doing more harm than the virus would .
“ When you look at the data of the deaths and the critically ill , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin with , ” she said , “ There ’ s always exceptions .
… But when you look at the pure numbers , it ’ s overwhelmingly patients who are in nursing homes and patients with serious underlying conditions .
RELATED : Federal Appeals Court Allows California 's Ban on Church Services To Continue “ Meaning , that that ’ s where our resources should be spent .
I think it ’ s terribly unethical … part of the reason why we let [ the virus ] fly through the nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across society at large .
We have limited resources we should put them where it ’ s killed people.
” Dr. Scott Barbour , an Atlanta orthopedic surgeon , said when the facts are in , the disease may well appear less lethal than many have claimed .
“ The vast majority of the people that contract this disease are asymptomatic or so minimally symptomatic that they ’ re not even aware that they ’ re sick .
And so the denominator in our calculation of mortality rate is far greater than we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The risk of dying from COVID is relatively small when we consider these facts.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A coalition of more than 500 physicians has insisted that lockdowns are hurting the health of everyday Americans and wrote a letter to President Donald Trump to urge action to end shutdowns across the nation.
“We write to you today to express our alarm over the exponentially growing negative health consequences of the national shutdown,” the physicians wrote, according to a copy of the letter.
“In medical terms, the shutdown was a mass casualty incident,” they continued, adding that millions of Americans face critical health care issues.
“These include 150,000 Americans per month who would have had a new cancer detected through routine screening that hasn’t happened, millions who have missed routine dental care to fix problems strongly linked to heart disease/death, and preventable cases of stroke, heart attack, and child abuse. Suicide hotline phone calls have increased 600%.”
The physicians noted that other Americans are at less serious levels, but have still been impacted by lockdowns as they have increased unhealthy behaviors.
“Liquor sales have increased 300-600%, cigarettes sales have increased, rent has gone unpaid, family relationships have become frayed, and millions of well-child check-ups have been missed,” the letter said.
They continued on to say that “hundreds of millions” of Americans are suffering because economic hardships are impacting their lives and health.
“These are people who currently are solvent, but at risk should economic conditions worsen. Poverty and financial uncertainty is closely linked to poor health. A continued shutdown means hundreds of millions of Americans will downgrade a level.”
The doctors said that these Americans are lost in the daily tallying of new coronavirus cases dominating the media.
Should all the lockdowns end right now? Yes No
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“The downstream health effects of deteriorating a level are being massively under-estimated and under-reported. This is an order of magnitude error. It is impossible to overstate the short, medium, and long-term harm to people’s health with a continued shutdown.
“Losing a job is one of life’s most stressful events, and the effect on a person’s health is not lessened because it also has happened to 30 million other people,” they continued. “Keeping schools and universities closed is incalculably detrimental for children, teenagers, and young adults for decades to come.
“The millions of casualties of a continued shutdown will be hiding in plain sight, but they will be called alcoholism, homelessness, suicide, heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure.”
Dr. Simone Gold, who organized the letter, said that for most Americans, shutdown is doing more harm than the virus would.
“When you look at the data of the deaths and the critically ill, they are patients who were very sick to begin with,” she said, “There’s always exceptions. … But when you look at the pure numbers, it’s overwhelmingly patients who are in nursing homes and patients with serious underlying conditions.
“Meaning, that that’s where our resources should be spent. I think it’s terribly unethical … part of the reason why we let [the virus] fly through the nursing homes is because we’re diverting resources across society at large. We have limited resources we should put them where it’s killed people.”
Dr. Scott Barbour, an Atlanta orthopedic surgeon, said when the facts are in, the disease may well appear less lethal than many have claimed.
“The vast majority of the people that contract this disease are asymptomatic or so minimally symptomatic that they’re not even aware that they’re sick. And so the denominator in our calculation of mortality rate is far greater than we think,” he said.
“The risk of dying from COVID is relatively small when we consider these facts.”
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Bar Owners Uncover Spectacular Decades-Old Mural While Redecorating During Lockdown

Two bar owners in the village of Hanbury in Worcestershire , England , discovered a mural that had been hidden underneath wallpaper for 50 years while they were redecorating during the lockdown .
Andy Harrison and Tom Smith were preparing to replaster the walls of the Cock Inn while it was empty during the current health crisis , The Sun reported .
“ We decided , obviously , to close the pub due to the coronavirus outbreak , ” Wendy Harrison , Andy ’ s wife and the pub ’ s manager , said .
“ We thought we would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t been touched for years.
” As landlords Andy Harrison and Smith scraped away the wallpaper , they revealed a painting that was drawn on the original plaster .
“ We noticed that it went all the way around the pub , ” Wendy Harrison said .
Andy Harrison stopped the redecorating effort immediately to avoid damaging the mural .
Wendy Harrison said the mural was so big that they had to take down the dartboard to reveal more of it .
“ It ’ s a landscape painting and it is quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lake on it , with a bridge and there are lots of trees , ” she said .
“ There are a man and a boat on there too , it ’ s really very impressive .
There are rabbits , birds in the sky , there is all sorts going on in there.
” “ George Cole , 1953 ” was signed at the bottom of it .
The painting has been covered for about 50 years , but the bar owners think it is around 70 years old .
RELATED : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Out During Controversial Vote “ It would be nice to have some more information on George Cole and the piece .
We think he ’ s local but we ’ ve got no information on him , ” Wendy Harrison said .
There is an English painter named George Cole listed on Wikipedia who was known for his landscapes , but it is unknown whether this is the man behind the beautiful mural .
Wendy Harrison hopes to be able to restore the painting to its original glory .
“ We have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touched up , ” she said .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Two bar owners in the village of Hanbury in Worcestershire, England, discovered a mural that had been hidden underneath wallpaper for 50 years while they were redecorating during the lockdown.
Andy Harrison and Tom Smith were preparing to replaster the walls of the Cock Inn while it was empty during the current health crisis, The Sun reported.
“We decided, obviously, to close the pub due to the coronavirus outbreak,” Wendy Harrison, Andy’s wife and the pub’s manager, said.
“We thought we would do some decorating as it hasn’t been touched for years.”
As landlords Andy Harrison and Smith scraped away the wallpaper, they revealed a painting that was drawn on the original plaster.
“We noticed that it went all the way around the pub,” Wendy Harrison said.
Andy Harrison stopped the redecorating effort immediately to avoid damaging the mural.
Do you think there are other restaurants that might have hidden gems underneath wallpaper? Yes No
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Wendy Harrison said the mural was so big that they had to take down the dartboard to reveal more of it.
“It’s a landscape painting and it is quite big. It’s got a lake on it, with a bridge and there are lots of trees,” she said.
“There are a man and a boat on there too, it’s really very impressive. There are rabbits, birds in the sky, there is all sorts going on in there.”
“George Cole, 1953” was signed at the bottom of it.
The painting has been covered for about 50 years, but the bar owners think it is around 70 years old.
“It would be nice to have some more information on George Cole and the piece. We think he’s local but we’ve got no information on him,” Wendy Harrison said.
There is an English painter named George Cole listed on Wikipedia who was known for his landscapes, but it is unknown whether this is the man behind the beautiful mural.
Wendy Harrison hopes to be able to restore the painting to its original glory.
“We have been in touch with artists about getting it touched up,” she said.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Poll: Landslide Majority of College Students Support Restricting ‘Offensive’ Speech

A new survey of college students shows that more students believe in curbing speech they believe to be offensive than in preserving wide open free speech rights .
The survey was conducted by Gallup for the Knight Foundation , a nonprofit , pro-First Amendment group .
The survey found that 68 percent of the students who responded believe that citizens ’ free speech rights are “ extremely important ” to democracy .
However , the figure pales in comparison to the number of students who think colleges should be able to muzzle speech that could be considered “ offensive.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to restrict free speech to ban the use of “ language that is intentionally offensive to certain groups , ” such as slurs against a student ’ s race , gender or sexual orientation .
The 2020 edition of the poll found that support for restraining offensive speech has grown .
When the poll was conducted in 2016 , only 69 percent of students thought colleges should be able to restrict certain forms of speech .
That rose to 73 percent in 2017 .
The poll noted an increase in students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrict what the Knight Foundation called “ costumes that stereotype certain racial or ethnic groups.
” In the 2020 poll , 71 percent of students said they felt this way , compared to 60 percent in 2017 .
College campuses reflect the same partisan divide that polls show everywhere else in the country , according to the survey .
Students who identify as Democrats favor restrictions more than those who are independents or Republicans .
The poll said this peaks on the question of colleges being able to restrict stereotypical costumes , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but gets a roughly evenly split reaction among Republicans .
The Confederate flag also divides students along partisan lines .
Sixty-eight percent of Democratic students said they think colleges should be able to restrict clothing with an image of the Confederate flag , compared to only 26 percent of Republican students .
Gender and race also divide students , according to the poll , which noted that female and black students generally support restrictions on free speech more than male and white students .
Most students understand that free speech can be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 63 percent agreeing with the statement that the climate at their campus “ deters students from expressing themselves openly.
” That result was up from 54 percent in 2016 .
RELATED : City Passes Resolution Declaring Term 'Chinese Virus ' is Hateful , Encourages Citizens to Report Its Use to Authorities The poll also found that students believe campus conservatives are less able to express themselves on campus .
In assessing the climate of social media , where students said most discussions take place , only 29 percent said social media debate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
The poll also said there ’ s a climate of fear on social media .
Fifty-eight percent said social media debate is negatively impacted by students living in fear that they will be “ attacked or shamed ” over their views .
That figure was up from 49 percent in 2016 .
Although almost three-quarters of the students surveyed said they believe colleges should not restrict political views that could upset others , 78 percent supported so-called “ safe spaces ” where what students perceive as “ threatening actions , ideas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Results are based on web interviews with a random sample of 3,319 U.S. college students aged 18 to 24 who are currently enrolled as full-time students at four-year colleges , including an oversample of students at historically black colleges and universities , ” the survey ’ s methodology section said .
“ Web interviews were conducted Oct. 28-Dec. 19 , 2019 , ” it added , pointing out that the margin of error was plus- or minus-2 percentage points .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
@ @ @ @ @

A new survey of college students shows that more students believe in curbing speech they believe to be offensive than in preserving wide open free speech rights.
The survey was conducted by Gallup for the Knight Foundation, a nonprofit, pro-First Amendment group.
The survey found that 68 percent of the students who responded believe that citizens’ free speech rights are “extremely important” to democracy.
However, the figure pales in comparison to the number of students who think colleges should be able to muzzle speech that could be considered “offensive.”
Seventy-eight percent of students said colleges should be able to restrict free speech to ban the use of “language that is intentionally offensive to certain groups,” such as slurs against a student’s race, gender or sexual orientation.
The 2020 edition of the poll found that support for restraining offensive speech has grown. When the poll was conducted in 2016, only 69 percent of students thought colleges should be able to restrict certain forms of speech. That rose to 73 percent in 2017.
The poll noted an increase in students who think colleges should be able to restrict what the Knight Foundation called “costumes that stereotype certain racial or ethnic groups.” In the 2020 poll, 71 percent of students said they felt this way, compared to 60 percent in 2017.
College campuses reflect the same partisan divide that polls show everywhere else in the country, according to the survey.
Students who identify as Democrats favor restrictions more than those who are independents or Republicans. The poll said this peaks on the question of colleges being able to restrict stereotypical costumes, which is supported by 82 percent of Democrats but gets a roughly evenly split reaction among Republicans.
Does democracy need unrestricted free speech to thrive? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 92% (84 Votes) No: 8% (7 Votes)
The Confederate flag also divides students along partisan lines.
Sixty-eight percent of Democratic students said they think colleges should be able to restrict clothing with an image of the Confederate flag, compared to only 26 percent of Republican students.
Gender and race also divide students, according to the poll, which noted that female and black students generally support restrictions on free speech more than male and white students.
Most students understand that free speech can be a casualty of a campus climate, with 63 percent agreeing with the statement that the climate at their campus “deters students from expressing themselves openly.”
That result was up from 54 percent in 2016.
The poll also found that students believe campus conservatives are less able to express themselves on campus.
In assessing the climate of social media, where students said most discussions take place, only 29 percent said social media debate is civil, compared to 41 percent in 2016.
The poll also said there’s a climate of fear on social media.
Fifty-eight percent said social media debate is negatively impacted by students living in fear that they will be “attacked or shamed” over their views. That figure was up from 49 percent in 2016.
Although almost three-quarters of the students surveyed said they believe colleges should not restrict political views that could upset others, 78 percent supported so-called “safe spaces” where what students perceive as “threatening actions, ideas or conversations” are banned.
“Results are based on web interviews with a random sample of 3,319 U.S. college students aged 18 to 24 who are currently enrolled as full-time students at four-year colleges, including an oversample of students at historically black colleges and universities,” the survey’s methodology section said.
“Web interviews were conducted Oct. 28-Dec. 19, 2019,” it added, pointing out that the margin of error was plus- or minus-2 percentage points.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Federal Government Gives $121k in COVID Relief to a Hospital That’s Been Closed Almost a Year

I know it must seem to be a quaint notion nowadays , what with the federal government spending trillions on COVID-19 relief with more likely to come , but we ’ re a country of limited resources .
Even with Washington hemorrhaging money like a dysfunctional airline , it ’ s not a good idea to waste taxpayer funds , no matter how much the outlay may be .
Now , $ 121,722 isn ’ t going to break the treasury by any metric .
Heaven knows we ’ ve mortgaged generations to come in a quixotic attempt to stem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supererogatory to go on about money that couldn ’ t even buy a higher-end BMW these days .
And , after all , that $ 121,722 went to a hospital .
How could you argue against that , particularly given the coronavirus pandemic ?
Well , let ’ s start with the fact the hospital has been closed for nigh on a year .
According to WVEC-TV , the Jamestown Regional Medical Center in Tennessee has gotten six figures worth of government money in the coronavirus giveaway .
This is funny because not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of resources the Department of Health and Human Services could have come up with , the facility ’ s owner actually owes the government money — $ 1.2 million , to be exact .
“ On Monday , there were no cars in the parking lot , no lights on and no doctors inside the facility , ” WVEC reported last week .
“ Faded signs posted on the doors since June 13 , 2019 , warned no patients would not be treated until it reopened.
” Spoiler alert : It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near future , anyway .
According to The Associated Press , when the medical center closed last year , in part because it stopped receiving Medicare and Medicaid payments for new patients , parent company Rennova said it hoped the center could reopen sometime in the future .
The hospital also had supply issues .
None of that has changed in the interim .
Meanwhile , the $ 121,722 wouldn ’ t even put too much of a dent into the $ 1.2 million the hospital owes in federal taxes .
RELATED : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flag To Thank POTUS , New Tribute Is Much Better Hospitals also don ’ t reopen on a dime , literally or metaphorically , particularly given the amount of money that would be needed to get a medical center up to code and able to deal with COVID-19 patients .
And while $ 121,722 isn ’ t a dime , it ’ s also barely enough to renovate the coffee room .
“ It ’ s not fair for them to direct money to a hospital that has currently no real ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care , ” former Jamestown nurse Miah Elmore told WVEC .
“ It ’ s disgusting in a way , ” former Jamestown nurse Karen Cooper told the station .
“ There are hospitals and things that are seeing the COVID patients that could ’ ve utilized that money.
” Oh , yes , and speaking of Karen Cooper , that brings up another Jamestown Medical Center problem .
Cooper is part of a class-action lawsuit that accuses Rennova of not paying the federal government the Social Security or payroll taxes it withheld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this is another frivolous lawsuit from disgruntled employees looking for a quick settlement .
I ’ m no mind-reader .
Here ’ s a question , though : Why would you give a cool six figures to a closed hospital that owes seven figures in back taxes and is currently involved in a lawsuit that claims it didn ’ t bother turning payroll tax and Social Security withholding money over to the government ?
Oh , and get this : Rennova also took more of your money in the form of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to WVEC .
Not that the company is sure it will be able to meet the strictures of the program , mind you — one of which is not laying off employees .
“ While the Company currently believes that its use of the loan proceeds will meet the conditions for forgiveness of the loans , we can not assure you that we will not take actions that could cause the Company to be ineligible for forgiveness of the loans , in whole or in part , ” the company wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just in case you think this couldn ’ t get any better , Rennova ’ s required quarterly Securities and Exchange Commission report will be filed late , which is apparently a not infrequent occurrence for Rennova , according to WVEC ’ s report .
The company did say it had gotten $ 7.4 million from the federal government through its coronavirus relief funding , according to WVEC , which should go a long way to paying off the $ 4.4 million in tax liens it owes on two other hospitals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government in the various phases of the coronavirus relief packages .
Even as a conservative , I ’ m unusually lenient when it comes to this ; these packages were put together in mere weeks and were designed to keep entire sectors of our economy from collapsing .
Mistakes are going to happen .
There are moments where one draws the line , however , and that line definitely gets drawn at Rennova .
Not only is the company in profoundly troubled financial straits , it ’ s accepting money for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open since 2019 and which , from all appearances , will not be reopening anytime soon .
This isn ’ t something a local TV station needed to tell the government , although kudos to WVEC-TV .
This is something anyone interested could have learned from Google .
I understand we just spent trillions of dollars we ’ re never going to get back .
This is $ 121,722 we could have very easily saved — especially since it went to a closed hospital .
At the very least , there are lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shocked to read a media report that Jamestown Hospital received $ 121,000 in COVID relief funding when , in fact , the hospital has been closed for nearly one year , ” GOP Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn wrote in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services ’ inspector general on Wednesday , according to WVEC .
“ It is inconceivable to me that a closed hospital would properly qualify for such funds , ” GOP Tennessee Rep. John Rose said in a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as of Sunday morning , shamed Rennova into giving back the money .
In fact , the company maintains the money is going toward reopening the facility .
“ We can confirm that Jamestown TN Medical Center , Inc. has received assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services Provider Relief Fund as indicated and publicly disclosed , ” Rennova CEO Seamus Lagan wrote in a letter to WVLT-TV published Thursday .
“ We are unsure on the metrics used to calculate the amount received but we believe and endeavor to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accordance with the guidelines and terms of such relief , ” Lagan said .
Or , you know , it could have been used on a hospital with an operational emergency room that could have taken patients immediately .
This is good money thrown after bad .
Like government checks going to the dead , this is taxpayer funding given to a company that ’ s not in the best of financial health in its own right .
There ’ s only one acceptable resolution to this travesty : Rennova needs to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

I know it must seem to be a quaint notion nowadays, what with the federal government spending trillions on COVID-19 relief with more likely to come, but we’re a country of limited resources.
Even with Washington hemorrhaging money like a dysfunctional airline, it’s not a good idea to waste taxpayer funds, no matter how much the outlay may be.
Now, $121,722 isn’t going to break the treasury by any metric. Heaven knows we’ve mortgaged generations to come in a quixotic attempt to stem the bleeding. It seems a little supererogatory to go on about money that couldn’t even buy a higher-end BMW these days.
And, after all, that $121,722 went to a hospital. How could you argue against that, particularly given the coronavirus pandemic?
Well, let’s start with the fact the hospital has been closed for nigh on a year.
Jamestown Regional Medical Center’s front doors remain closed. A sign greets patients reading, “No patients will be seen”. It’s a recurring sign across many hospitals in TN. Community leaders worry the future of rural hospitals in TN will continue to die. https://t.co/TGuaSDcRF3 — Tennessee Justice Center (@TNJusticeCenter) August 8, 2019
According to WVEC-TV, the Jamestown Regional Medical Center in Tennessee has gotten six figures worth of government money in the coronavirus giveaway.
This is funny because not only is the hospital not the best use of resources the Department of Health and Human Services could have come up with, the facility’s owner actually owes the government money — $1.2 million, to be exact.
Should the federal government be more careful about who gets stimulus money? Yes No
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“On Monday, there were no cars in the parking lot, no lights on and no doctors inside the facility,” WVEC reported last week.
“Faded signs posted on the doors since June 13, 2019, warned no patients would not be treated until it reopened.”
Spoiler alert: It’s not reopening, not in the near future, anyway.
According to The Associated Press, when the medical center closed last year, in part because it stopped receiving Medicare and Medicaid payments for new patients, parent company Rennova said it hoped the center could reopen sometime in the future. The hospital also had supply issues.
None of that has changed in the interim. Meanwhile, the $121,722 wouldn’t even put too much of a dent into the $1.2 million the hospital owes in federal taxes.
Hospitals also don’t reopen on a dime, literally or metaphorically, particularly given the amount of money that would be needed to get a medical center up to code and able to deal with COVID-19 patients. And while $121,722 isn’t a dime, it’s also barely enough to renovate the coffee room.
“It’s not fair for them to direct money to a hospital that has currently no real ability to reopen and provide adequate and safe patient care,” former Jamestown nurse Miah Elmore told WVEC.
“It’s disgusting in a way,” former Jamestown nurse Karen Cooper told the station.
“There are hospitals and things that are seeing the COVID patients that could’ve utilized that money.”
Oh, yes, and speaking of Karen Cooper, that brings up another Jamestown Medical Center problem. Cooper is part of a class-action lawsuit that accuses Rennova of not paying the federal government the Social Security or payroll taxes it withheld from paychecks.
For all I know, this is another frivolous lawsuit from disgruntled employees looking for a quick settlement. I’m no mind-reader.
Here’s a question, though: Why would you give a cool six figures to a closed hospital that owes seven figures in back taxes and is currently involved in a lawsuit that claims it didn’t bother turning payroll tax and Social Security withholding money over to the government?
Oh, and get this: Rennova also took more of your money in the form of a $2.3 million Paycheck Protection Program loan, according to WVEC. Not that the company is sure it will be able to meet the strictures of the program, mind you — one of which is not laying off employees.
“While the Company currently believes that its use of the loan proceeds will meet the conditions for forgiveness of the loans, we cannot assure you that we will not take actions that could cause the Company to be ineligible for forgiveness of the loans, in whole or in part,” the company wrote in a financial filing, WVEC reported.
Just in case you think this couldn’t get any better, Rennova’s required quarterly Securities and Exchange Commission report will be filed late, which is apparently a not infrequent occurrence for Rennova, according to WVEC’s report. The company did say it had gotten $7.4 million from the federal government through its coronavirus relief funding, according to WVEC, which should go a long way to paying off the $4.4 million in tax liens it owes on two other hospitals.
Plenty of money has been wasted by the federal government in the various phases of the coronavirus relief packages. Even as a conservative, I’m unusually lenient when it comes to this; these packages were put together in mere weeks and were designed to keep entire sectors of our economy from collapsing. Mistakes are going to happen.
There are moments where one draws the line, however, and that line definitely gets drawn at Rennova. Not only is the company in profoundly troubled financial straits, it’s accepting money for a hospital that hasn’t been open since 2019 and which, from all appearances, will not be reopening anytime soon.
This isn’t something a local TV station needed to tell the government, although kudos to WVEC-TV. This is something anyone interested could have learned from Google. I understand we just spent trillions of dollars we’re never going to get back. This is $121,722 we could have very easily saved — especially since it went to a closed hospital.
At the very least, there are lawmakers demanding the money back.
“I was shocked to read a media report that Jamestown Hospital received $121,000 in COVID relief funding when, in fact, the hospital has been closed for nearly one year,” GOP Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn wrote in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general on Wednesday, according to WVEC.
“It is inconceivable to me that a closed hospital would properly qualify for such funds,” GOP Tennessee Rep. John Rose said in a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar Tuesday, WVEC reported.
Neither letter has, as of Sunday morning, shamed Rennova into giving back the money. In fact, the company maintains the money is going toward reopening the facility.
“We can confirm that Jamestown TN Medical Center, Inc. has received assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services Provider Relief Fund as indicated and publicly disclosed,” Rennova CEO Seamus Lagan wrote in a letter to WVLT-TV published Thursday.
“We are unsure on the metrics used to calculate the amount received but we believe and endeavor to ensure the money has been used in accordance with the guidelines and terms of such relief,” Lagan said.
Or, you know, it could have been used on a hospital with an operational emergency room that could have taken patients immediately. This is good money thrown after bad. Like government checks going to the dead, this is taxpayer funding given to a company that’s not in the best of financial health in its own right.
There’s only one acceptable resolution to this travesty: Rennova needs to give the money back posthaste.
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