This recently came out in the Washington Post about Flint.

September 17, 2021
By Brady Dennis and Brittany Greeson

“Never again can we allow what happened in Flint, Michigan,” (click here) President Biden said on a sweltering Tuesday afternoon this August inside the East Room of the White House.

The admonition came as the president touted a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that had just cleared the U.S. Senate. He spoke of rebuilding the nation’s roads and bridges, boosting public transit and constructing electric vehicle charging stations.

And replacing pipes. Lots of pipes.

The legislation would set aside roughly $55 billion to repair and replace the nation’s aging water and wastewater infrastructure, including funds to eradicate lead pipes that remain buried in communities around the country. “Millions of lead pipes carrying drinking water to our homes and schools and day-care centers — they’re finally going to be replaced,” Biden said.

As he spoke, more than 500 miles to the northwest, Flint was already into its seventh year of wrestling with one of the most disastrous, high-profile water crises in the nation’s history....

The event in the American landscape was a major trauma to many in this country. It was real and happening and it was completely unbelievable that such a necessary commodity as water would become a poison and do such horrendous damage to residents of Flint, including the elderly that died of Legionnaires Disease and children accumulating lead in their bodies.

These issues were ancient. Lead in paint (click here) was tackled in the 1950s and even today is discussed when buildings change hands including and especially renters. And here it was in the very water everyone was drinking. The citizens of Flint were getting sick and no one cared about it. That is simply UNAMERICAN. 

Legionnaires manifested in 1976 (click here) and the country was horrified at the deaths this bacteria caused. To have the nightmare happen all over again was surreal. This was somehow impossible. 

So, the idea this event in Flint, Michigan happened at all left the people there stunned. Then to not have any attention to the cause and the end of such problems is unthinkable. It took an entire year of these people suffering and only then it became an issue to resolve after a Rachel Maddow show segment. I was in the audience and I was like, "What?"

The layers and layers of trauma that exist in a community with a high number of minorities is going to become legendary and will linger for a long, long time. This trauma turned the country into many that questioned if it could happen to them.

September 17, 2021

By Ron Fonger

Flint - A federal judge (click here) wants to know more about a bone-scanning facility that measured the lead in Flint residents’ bodies before making a final decision on whether to approve a historic $641-million civil settlement related to the city’s water crisis.

U.S. District Court Judge Judith Levy ruled Friday, Sept. 17, on a motion filed by Dr. Lawrence Reynolds which asked her to consider new evidence, including a state inspection of the facility that used modified, hand-held bone-scan devices that were never intended to be sold or leased for any diagnostic use, including the measurement of lead in human bones.

Although Levy denied Reynolds’ motion to allow him to file the information in a supplemental brief with the court, she directed Special Master Deborah Greenspan to “obtain and file as part of the record for purposes of the Court’s review of the settlement the complete file of the (Michigan) Occupational Safety & Health Administration inspection of the pertinent facility ... as well as any statements made by (MIOSHA) as soon as they are available.”...

I think the settlement will become void for several reasons, but, this bone scan mess is nothing but pure corruption. The lawyers pulled this boner without any consultation with people's personal physicians as to whether they would be adversely effected by such a scan. Never mind that it is completely ineffective in determining exposure to lead in the human body, this is unauthorized by any authority. It is more of the Michigan law that is of, by, and for the lawyer. The use of such a bone scan without consultation with physicians is endangering people to be exposed to not just lead now, but, some sort of idiotic scan.

I think the people exposed to lead in Flint that underwent this procedure need more than information from Michigan, they should be calling in OSHA to evaluate what occurred here. 

"File a complaint" (click here)

It only takes one complaint about OSHA to respond. It is interesting the judge trusts Michigan agencies to carry out serious evaluations. I don't think any Michigan agency under the direction of the Snyder Administration should be involved in providing factual information to the judge. We already know Snyder's people erased cell phone records and what else did they do. The entire Michigan government structure was scrapped by Snyder's right-hand man and reorganized under one czar. The judge can ask Michigan agencies for information, but, there needs to be a federal review as well that accompanies any Michigan information. My guess is that a federal review of the information will find where Michigan's agencies were tampered with in reviewing this bone scan mess.

Snyder is still whining about the process, yet again. (click here)

Here ya go, People are coming forward already because they are scared for others. Dr. Reynolds is scared for the people. This settlement won't go through. There are too many credible people coming forward to raise concerns.

September 9, 2021

By Ron Fonger

Dr. Lawrence Reynolds of Mott Children's Health Center addresses media on the Flint Water Advisory Task Force final report findings on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at Mott Community College. The team, appointed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, reviewed actions regarding water use and testing, and offered recommendations to protect the health and safety of all Michigan residents in the future. 

Flint - Before a federal court judge (click here) decides whether to give her final approval to a $641-million settlement of Flint water crisis lawsuits, a Flint doctor is asking her to consider new evidence about the use of bone scans to determine the levels of lead in city residents’ bodies.

Dr. Lawrence Reynolds, a member of former Gov. Rick Snyder’s Flint Water Advisory Task Force, filed a motion to supplement his previous objections to the settlement with the court on Tuesday, Sept. 7, saying new information about the controversial bone scan program has come to light since his initial filings with the court....

There was so much corruption during the Snyder Administration it overshadows the facts as they occurred. Records were tampered with and we know there was one man as concerned for himself as well as Snyder and he was doing everything he could to remove any evidence of guilt. 

This sort of corruption can be cleaned up when people of conscience come forward to stop it. It will take honest judges to ask the right legal questions when arguments are made to be sure this is an honest record so decisions can go forward, but, it will get cleaned up.

People who have concerns and evidence have to be strong and work past any feelings of fear or inadequacy to make the hearings happen well. It isn't easy being a whistleblower. It isn't easy to have information that needs to be presented. But, at some point, people will feel some degree of purpose and safety and more and more truth will be told. That is the way corruption is defeated. It is replaced with the truth.

I think France's reaction to a deal between three allies is a bit too much. The USA has the right to have allies on it's own terms.

I think France's President Macron did not choose the best path for his complaint. This paper is a bit dated so laws and regulations have certainly changed.

France has a legitimate complaint IF their submarines were to prove to be at least adequate to the 2021 needs of Australia. Important in this exchange of anger by President Macron and his ambassadors to the USA is the question as to what type of fuel do these submarines use? Because if they are less than nuclear powered, France does not have an argument. The Climate Crisis is upon us and to think anything other than nuclear-powered ships and subs are on the seas is contributing to the problem and not resolving it.

Then there is the issue of what exactly is "shared USA technology" mean to these submarines as compared to France's contracted subs. Will the Australian subs be able to act in unison with the USA in this shared capacity, hence, expanding an alliance and enhancing war games in the Indo-Pacific region. 

There is a lot to unpack regarding France's anger with the USA and Australia, including the issue of Brexit and it's impact. There have been shops closing in Europe due to Brexit. So, with all this financial stress on President Macron, this is another straw in the camel's saddlebags.

I am sure President Biden intends to help France in it's distress over a cancelled contract by Australia, but, this extreme measure by France is inappropriate. 

There is one other issue, Angela Merkel is leaving the Chancellor position in Germany. Her party is not doing well in the polls before the election either. So, some of Macron's closest allies are in flux. A lot is going on within these circumstances.

We analyze the optimal design of legal remedies for breach (click here) in the context of international trade agreements. Our formal analysis delivers sharp normative conclusions concerning the appropriate remedy for breach and optimal institutional design in light of features of the underlying economic and contracting environment. And our analysis also delivers novel positive predictions regarding when disputes arise in equilibrium, and how the disputes are resolved....

What a horrible human being. He had no respect for life. He valued his own and no one else.

September 17, 2021
By Jonahtan Bandler

Susan Berman: (click here) her death is a mystery, currently unraveling every Sunday night in the HBO documentary series The Jinx. 

Robert Durst, the estranged heir of one of New York’s wealthiest real estate empires, (click here) was convicted of murder Friday in the execution-style slaying of his best friend more than two decades ago.

Jurors in Los Angeles County Superior Court reached a verdict on their third half-day of deliberations following a four-month trial, finding it was Durst who fatally shot Susan Berman in her Los Angeles home just days before Christmas in 2000. The motive presented by prosecutors was that Durst had to silence Berman because she knew he had killed his wife Kathie in the couple's South Salem cottage in 1982.

Durst was the subject of the six-part HBO documentary “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” which aired in early 2015. He was arrested in a New Orleans hotel the night before the final episode, in which he was heard on a hot mic in the bathroom that he had "killed them all." Prosecutors said that was a confession....

Booster shots for the elderly are approved. They should definitely take the booster. I took the booster shot and I am fine. 

September 17, 2021

After hours of discussion (click here) and a request to revise the question they were being asked, a key federal advisory committee on Friday recommended a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine six months after full vaccination for people aged 65 and older and those at high risk of severe COVID-19.

The initial question, posed by Pfizer, would have made the booster available to everyone aged 16 and up.

There isn’t yet sufficient evidence to show boosters for people under 65 are necessary, said members of the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.

Those at high risk would include health care workers, first responders and people likely to be exposed to the virus at work, committee members said.

Members said getting it right, and waiting to follow the science, were important factors....

I am quite certain President Biden expected Republican AGs to fight the decision to demand vaccinations for employers.

After all, there are 24 Democratic Attorney Generals applauding and standing with President Biden regarding the dissent of the Texas Abortion Law.

September 15, 2021
By John Kruzel

Two dozen Democratic attorneys general on Wednesday (click here) threw their weight behind the Biden administration’s effort to block Texas’s new abortion law.

In an amicus brief, the group argued that Texas’s restrictive measure lies in “direct contravention” of Supreme Court precedent tracing back to its 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which first recognized a constitutional right to abortion.

“Today, virtually no one can obtain an abortion in Texas,” read the brief, which was filed in an Austin-based federal court. “In order to obtain abortion care, patients now have to travel out-of-state, which makes abortion for many people too difficult, too time-intensive, and too costly.”...

All anyone has to do is look at the DeSantis agenda regarding cruise ships and know there was going to be a backlash to the president's executive order.

September 13, 2021
By Dara Kam

A former Florida Supreme Court justice (click here) and a former appellate-court chief judge have lined up in support of a Santa Rosa Beach attorney who’s the focus of twin investigations after he sued Gov. Ron DeSantis for refusing to shut down state beaches last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daniel Uhlfelder garnered national headlines for donning a Grim Reaper costume to criticize DeSantis’ handling of the pandemic. As COVID-19 cases surged throughout the state in March 2020, Uhlfelder filed a lawsuit asking a judge to order the governor to close beaches and issue a “safer-at-home” order to curb the spread of the virus....

The investigations by this presidential hopeful or vice-presidential hopeful are STANDARD for elected officials that practice abuse of power. Tell me that wasn't the case with Trump that wanted to create legal barriers for every opponent to his whims. Do I see a pattern among Republicans, even in Georgia?

I am not surprised these AGs are confronting the White House regarding NECESSARY vaccines to end the disease, variants, and deaths of this virus. They don't care about anything EXCEPT an underlying understanding that LIBERTY is far more precious than life. That is laughable since one has to be alive to appreciate liberty, but, that is the disastrous Republican party and their priorities.

Then there is the criminal Texas AG that will use every distraction available to cry out there is a conspiracy against Liberty to deflect any guilt he may have. The Republican Party is in very poor condition when it comes to the idea that a democracy guarantees liberties and to overthrow it is not in a citizen's best interest.

Republicans will cry over aborted fetuses, but, never blink an eye over the deaths of citizens due to high drug prices and insurance that doesn't pay for it or the deaths that can be avoided with a simple mRNA vaccine.

Oh, by the way, today would be a good day for the conservatives on the Supreme Court for the Shadow Docket in case they think the country is not watching and distracted by Obsessive Compulsive social content.

Ruth, are you watching this mess? 

Recently, Justice Breyer stated he would like to see term limits on the Supreme Court justices. 

I agree and I disagree at the same time. I think term limits would be a way of battling back from private strategies as carried out by the Federalist Society. There would be less incentive to think they could load "the bench" while Moscow Mitch manipulates the dissolving of the legitimacy of the Supreme Court. 

HOWEVER

Term limits would have to be an Amendment to the USA Constitution. That is a two-thirds majority in the Congress in both houses and two-thirds of the states ratifying it within two years. It does not solve the problem now.

Adding more justices can be conducted by the legislative branch of the government to balance the WRONGFUL political intent of the current five justices that just can't help themselves to power the USA Constitution never gave them. 

I don't see opposition to adding justices at this point. They can also be eliminated later. I am sure the American people are fully fed up with the current court's corruption by the power agenda displayed over the Texas abortion bill.

Did the USA Justice Department under the current Attorney General assess the findings of the Mueller investigation?

I am assuming Mr. Durham has the opinion of an equal to Mr. Sussmann when it comes to the law and cybersecurity. Cyber experts have their own way of walking and talking. I think there is a lot of wiggle room for them when it comes to the law. Cyber security changes on a regular basis due to an incredible desire in the world to hunt and peck at every security wall. So, the idea there is a law that actually applies to this very fluid technology is wrong on it's face.

I hope Dr. Durham has done an excellent job, but, my initial impression is that the charges won't hold water.

September 16, 2021
By Ken Dilanian

Washington - The special counsel (click here) appointed by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department to probe the Russia investigation has charged a prominent Democratic lawyer with making a false statement to the FBI by not disclosing he was working for multiple clients, including the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.

Special counsel John Durham charged lawyer Michael Sussman over a statement during a Sept. 19, 2016 meeting between Sussmann and the then-FBI general counsel, James Baker, at which Sussman told Baker about suspicions relating to alleged secret communications between the Trump campaign and Russia. The suspicions were later determined to be unfounded.

According to the indictment, "During the meeting, Sussmann lied about the capacity in which he was providing the allegations to the FBI. Specifically, Sussmann stated falsely that he was not doing his work on the aforementioned allegations ‘for any client,’ which led the FBI General Counsel to understand that Sussmann was acting as a good citizen merely passing along information, not as a paid advocate or political operative."

"In fact, Sussmann acted on behalf of specific clients, namely a U.S. Technology Industry Executive, a U.S. Internet Company, and the Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign.”

The indictment says the lie was material because it misled the FBI “about the political nature of his work.”...

There were many resignations during the Trump administration and under former AG Barr. It is appropriate to bring those that worked with the Mueller investigation back or at least invite them to send any comments that might bring more information to the Department of Justice as to a swiftly closed investigation that never left the DRAFT form.

September 11, 2020

By Edward H. Mahoney

Federal prosecutor Nora Dannehy, (click here) a top aide to U.S. Attorney John H. Durham in his Russia investigation, has quietly resigned — at least partly out of concern that the investigative team is being pressed for political reasons to produce a report before its work is done, colleagues said.

Dannehy, a highly regarded prosecutor who has worked with or for Durham for decades, informed colleagues in the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Haven of her resignation from the Department of Justice by email Thursday evening. The short email was a brief farewell message and said nothing about political pressure, her work for Durham or what the Durham team has produced, according to people who received it....

What is Macron talking about? This will make democracies stronger.

25 August 2021

NATO and Australia (click here) have been engaged in dialogue and cooperation since 2005. Australia is one of a range of countries beyond the Euro-Atlantic area, often referred to as “partners across the globe”.

In a joint political declaration in June 2012, NATO and Australia signalled their commitment to strengthening cooperation.2013, work continues to advance the relationship through an Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme. This agreement was renewed in 2019....

Australia has been a really good friend to the USA. It has acted as an extension of NATO for a least a decade. Australia was in Afghanistan when the war was still taking casualties and Australians died there. I guess the EU wasn't represented and it has Macron angry as one of the five legal nuclear nations.

Maybe Macron is worried that other democracies will have USA technology without France benefitting from it. Why can't there be French partners observing and assisting if necessary in all the plans for updating Australia's navy?

September 16, 2021
By Roger Cohen and Michael D. Shear

Furious over President Biden’s announcement (click here) of a deal to help Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines, French officials in Washington on Thursday angrily canceled a gala at their Washington embassy to protest what they called a rash and sudden policy decision that resembled those of former President Donald J. Trump.

The event commemorating the “240th Anniversary of the Battle of the Capes,” which was to have taken place Friday evening at the French embassy and aboard a French frigate in Baltimore, will not happen, according to the official. France’s top naval officer, who had traveled to Washington for the event celebrating their navy’s help with America’s battle for independence in 1781, will return to Paris early instead.

The gala’s cancellation was an immediate reflection of the rage felt among French officials and diplomats in the wake of the submarine deal, which Mr. Biden announced at the White House on Wednesday with the leaders of Australia and Britain joining virtually....

Another South Carolina lawyer with no respect for the rule of law to the point of self-assassination attempt.

The State of South Carolina contributes less than 1 percent to the USA GDP which is garnered from tourism centered around Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Hilton Head. They call that an economy?

Previous to the Child Tax Credit for all USA families, South Carolina was enjoying a 22 percent poverty rate for families with over 300,000 children in those families. The percentage of Black children (43%) and Hispanic/ Latino children (45%) in poverty is about three times the percent of white children (15%). The state is no different from other impoverished southern states can't seem to get any real economic strength. South Carolina is dependent on federal dollars to support it's population and that is especially true of minority people (click here). Then an attorney can't pay his bills and hires an assassin to bring in his insurance money.  Should there be insurance in South Carolina greater than the annual earnings of any person?

Where are the ethical investigations into the grossly bad politics in that state? Lawyers such as this should not have their law licenses. Murdaugh has obvious mental health issues and I am not sure that is true for many others that simply find oppression a way to manage minorities within states favoring racism.

September 16, 2021

By Ryan W. Miller

Hampton, South Carolina - Alex Murdaugh, (click here) the prominent South Carolina lawyer at the center of multiple state investigations, turned himself into police Thursday afternoon.

Murdaugh was charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false police report, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said. He was booked at the Hampton County Detention Center.

State police this week listed him as a co-defendant in a botched scheme to arrange his murder in order for his life insurance policy to be paid out to his son. Multiple death investigations, including those of his wife and youngest son, remain swirling around the case.

"I can assure you that SLED agents will continue working to bring justice to anyone involved with any criminal act associated with these ongoing investigations," Chief Mark Keel said. "The arrests in this case are only the first step in that process."...

This is absolutely magnificent in every way, especially considering General Milley's discussion with China to avert war.

There are just no reasons that can defend this decision as a poor decision. There is no trusting China and Australia is very vulnerable. There is no way China can get by without The West. 

A couple hug at Hong Kong's International Airport on July 18, 2021, the day before a deadline by the British government which allows Hong Kong residents the right to visit the UK if not eligible to enter under an existing immigration route.

The citizens of Hong Kong that understand and embrace democracy are now called "activist families." I doubt they would agree that they are activist at all. They were living legally and within the Hong Kong treaty and now they have to run for their lives. I would not call that activism which is supposed to bring enlightenment to otherwise obscure realities. The people of Hong Kong were robbed of their freedom and they are victims to China's expansionist agenda.

China is Australia's largest two-way trading partner (click here) in goods and services, accounting for nearly one third (31 per cent) of our trade with the world. Two-way trade with China declined 3 per cent in 2020, totalling $245 billion (Australia’s global two-way trade declined 13 per cent during this period). Our goods and services exports to China totalled $159 billion in 2020, down 6 per cent compared to 2019. This decline largely reflects reduced services exports as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (down 36 per cent in 2020). A series of trade restrictive measures by China has also impacted Australian goods exports to China, which were around 7 per cent lower in the second half of 2020, compared to the second half of 2019.

China, no different than Communist Russia, has an expansionist agenda. That is all too obvious with it's movement into the ocean waters bordering the country. Then there is the vicious handling of Hong Kong (click here). And where are the complaints about Hong Kong? Taiwan is mistreated by China (click here). If it weren't for Taiwan's semiconductor company (click here), the people of Taiwan would be completely disregarded. Why would anyone believe China would not act against the freedom and government of Australia at the first opportunity. It is nonsense.

This treaty between the UK, USA, and Australia is long overdue. The nuclear-powered submarines are not armed with nuclear weapons. These are used for conventional warfare and FUELED in the only way the subs can be fueled without adding oil dependency to the country of Australia which has advocated in changes to energy due to the climate crisis for decades.

I think this is a great partnership and one that every American can and should be proud of in the Biden Presidency.

 

Trumpism is dead. Governor Newsom defeated it with minimal effort.

Any elected official up for re-election that advocates this extremist agenda should be easily defeated, including the likes of US Senator Marco Rubio. The rally that was supposed to take place at the capital had extremists there and few of them at that. The Trump crowd is a security challenge.

Louisiana is in terrible condition. Louisiana is a national emergency all by itself.

Besides the fact, Louisiana has a high rate of COVID-19 cases the state is underwater. President Biden issues emergency provisions for food stamps in Louisiana and the people need to take advantage of that. There is yet another storm slamming into New Orleans, Louisiana, and the southeast.

September 15, 2021
By Brett Martel

New Orleans - Six unidentified members (click here) of the New Orleans Saints coaching staff, a player and a nutritionist have tested positive for COVID-19, two people familiar with the situation said.

The people spoke with The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the team and NFL had not made a public statement about the matter. The people said the entire Saints coaching staff had been vaccinated.

Later Tuesday, Michael Thomas — who already was ineligible to play the first six games while on the club’s physically unable to perform list — was placed on New Orleans’ COVID-19 reserve list.

The names of most others who tested positive were not expected to be released in the short term because of federal medical privacy laws.

It is unclear how long those who tested positive will remain isolated from the team before they may return to the field or in-person meetings....

FEMA needs to incorporate "Sea Level Rise" in the ability to provide for homes that have been flooded and/or the property they are currently sitting on. It is tragic that so many problems exist in the USA with serious storms, tornadoes, and flooding, but, the fact that sea-level rise is occurring in the year 2021 as it hasn't in previous years, the emergency responders need to warn people about CONTINUING dangers.

Survivors of these storms can't' be taken lightly. The USA has had great success in past years in recovering areas of the country where FEMA responded, but, I might remind that after Katrina the FEMA trailers were the only shelter many families had and probably still maintain even today. This reality of sustained needs for FEMA trailers speaks to the condition of the land post-tragedy and the ability of Americans to recover after being displaced. I would expect FEMA to bring the reality of sea-level rise to the survivors of these water-related issues and ask them to move on rather than continue to be in danger today and in the near future.

Surviving such tragedies is not a minor accomplishment. Considering the ongoing climate issues, the survivors need to take themselves seriously and not necessarily return to the areas where sea-level rise is expected to be a problem. It makes no sense for people to return to the same inundated areas when storm after storm continues to plague the southeast region of the country.

September 14, 2021
By Bill Chappel, Barbara Campbell, and Jaclyn Diaz

Sports fishing should not be allowed when a hurricane is expected. The State of Texas should be closing beaches and outlawing such activity. This is ridiculous. If this is subsistence fishing, it should still be outlawed and perhaps Texas needs additional emergency food stamps, too.

Hurricane Nicholas (click here) made landfall along the Texas coast early Tuesday morning, bringing with it heavy wind, rain and dangerous storm surge threats.

The Category 1 hurricane made landfall in Texas just before 2 a.m. ET along the Matagorda Peninsula, a strip of land just off the southeastern coast of Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A hurricane warning was in effect overnight from Port O'Connor to Freeport in Texas, and a hurricane watch was issued for Freeport to San Luis Pass, a narrow channel between Galveston Island and the Texas mainland. The Houston metro area, which was soaked by Hurricane Harvey four years ago and again by Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019, is on alert for damaging floods, though Nicholas has been downgraded to a tropical storm.

The Houston Independent School District canceled classes for Tuesday ahead of the storm's arrival.

More than 150,000 customers lost power in Texas as the storm made landfall overnight....

There is a climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland the beginning of November. Every major city and even small cities should be represented there and commit to climate targets.

September 15, 2021

New Orleans - The Archdiocese of New Orleans (click here) reports major damage to church and school buildings in multiple parishes from Hurricane Ida.

Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon Aug. 29 as a dangerous Category 4 storm that slowly made its way through southeast Louisiana.

A parish-by-parish list of the damage was published in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Clarion Herald. Notable buildings, such as St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, sustained extensive damage.

According to the Archdiocese, the cathedral's spires and turrets were damaged along with its roof, lanterns, doors, columns and stained glass windows. The church's rectory also suffered broken windows, possible roof damage, and ceiling and wall damage.

Some of the most extensive damage was reported at schools and churches in Laplace....

Cenk has a point. This was predictable and people are dying.

The South Carolina Bar needs to review Lynn Woods' law license and issue a strong letter of concern for his role in advocating malpractice with this American woman, Veronica Wolski.

Ivermectin is a drug used to eliminate roundworms in animals. These are some of the side effects possible when human beings take it. 

Lynn Wood was definitely attempting to bring this American out of a CARE situation in the hospital without any knowledge of her treatment regime. This is gross malpractice by a lawyer in South Carolina. At no time does he state he would be willing to take this issue before a judge or find a lawyer in Chicago to do so. This was a political stunt by Lynn Wood and it should be treated with the brevity in which he intended it. Just because he is a former Trump lawyer doesn't mean he is exempt from malpractice.

Headache, (click here) dizziness, muscle pain, nausea, or diarrhea may occur. If you are being treated for "river blindness" (onchocerciasis) you may experience reactions to the dying parasites during the first 4 days of treatments, including joint pain, tender/swollen lymph nodes, eye swelling/redness pain, weakness, vision changes, itching, rash and fever. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

To reduce dizziness upon standing, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or shw has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Tell your doctor right away if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: neck/back pain, swelling face/arms/hands/feet, chest pain, fast heartbeat, confusion, seizures, loss of consciousness....

We already know that Illinois in general and Chicago specifically have done a fairly good job of vaccinations. There is currently a surge in hospital admissions I believe it was southwest Illinois. Well, when this type of lunacy is allowed to exist and other government officials want to wreak havoc in Illinois there are going to be people believing what is said. Lynn Wood is part of this deception and Illinois, regardless of the advocacy for vaccines is seeing problems with a population that is swamping the hospitals.

In my opinion, this is Lynn Wood screaming fire in a theater. I believe it is criminal behavior and it needs to be reined in. The Illinois Attorney General needs to regard Lynn Wood as a liar willing to spread dangerous opinions among the public that results in real deaths. This is not freedom of speech. Lynn Wood cannot go around spreading lies that lead to the death of citizens of this country. There need to be repercussions and soon.

Dog(s)

In the world of home invasion prevention and  protection the answer is a watch dog. That does not mean an attack dog. It could be an “ankle-biter” so long as the dog sounds an alarm of a violation and/or anticipated violation of their/it’s  territory.

Once the family (including one person) is awake and aware there will be a follow-up even if it is a so-called false alarm. My perspective is that there is no such thing as a false alarm coming from the family dog. I maintain that a barking dog will PREVENT and/or deter any home invader.

Now, the follow-up to the barking dog can differ according to circumstances. If the area is crime riddled and police response to any call is slow (both are extreme descriptors) then the people with a defensive firearm will probably be necessary. But, in areas where crime is low and/or police response is quick (the other extreme descriptors) nothing but a 911 call is necessary.

I do not believe guns for self-defense is necessary in most American households. The danger within our society of gun violence has increased drastically since the year 2000 and the sundown of the assault weapons ban of 1994.

In the year 2021 there is no such slogan stating “All that is necessary for a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” In the USA there is gun violence of passion taking over any criminality involving gun violence. Not to dispel the idea there is criminal use of guns, of course there is, but, along side is a growing and dangerous trend of passionate use of guns for violence against others. This is a huge change in the gun culture in the USA. Arsenals are now a status symbol.

Bottom line is that there are too many guns on the street, in our neighborhoods and in the American home. They aren’t necessary AT ALL.

The only REAL preventative to home invasion is a barking dog and a response that brings police to the address if there is in fact danger to the household. 

I tend to think a household dog is better than dogs roaming the property. Why? Because dogs can be killed as well. Inside the home they are members of the “family pack” and protected from injury or death.

Guns are not necessary in a society that values life, including animal life, with neighborhoods where police know their town and the people within it and respond to calls that are meaningful to a good outcome.

People in the USA are taking the law into their own hands. I recently heard on the news how a woman shot and killed a Peeping Tom through the wall of her home. The assailant was not within the confines of her home. Peeking into windows should never be a death sentence. Basically, that is a nuisance and misdemeanor under the law for most cases. It is a mental health issue. The woman who killed the person outside her windows should face prison for aggravated manslaughter.

All that said, get a dog before getting a gun.

Trump trying to be relevant are futile lies.

Any American helicopter secrets to be learned by Russia or China occurred during the bin Laden raid in Pakistan. One of the helicopters malfunctioned during that raid and only one helicopter returned with bin Laden body later disposed of at sea.

The American liter left in Afghanistan holds no special secrets. Trump is trying to say he has special connections with Russia and China that reveal a poor exit by the USA military. It is all nonsense.

What surprises me is that Trump isn’t protected in Moscow as every other Russian ally like Litvinenko and Yanukovych. They can’t be extradited.

But, Trump’s helicopter statement is just more lies.

Shanksville speech

The FCC needs to review what occurred with FOX News on Sunday, September 12, 2021. They are complaining about no eyes and ears on the ground in Afghanistan and across the bottom of the screen stated, "Bush predicts more terror attacks." Something like that.

I listened to the Shanksville speech. It was quite something. Former President Bush indicted Donald John Trump in the attacks on the USA Capitol on January 6, 2021 and made parrallel insights about what motivates people to act against authority. But, nowhere in the speech did he predict more terrorist attacks. That is all spin of a very important speech to the people gathered at the memorial in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2021.

The fact is George W. Bush never predicted any attacks and that is significant. He spoke clearly about the exploitation of Trump in his seat of power in the presidency. It is my opinion FOX News is a channel of hate and is seeking to inspire MAGA followers to act again (click here).

Those in the country that cannot abide by a Biden presidency, need to seek comfort with George W. Bush and reject Trump's inflammatory path. He intends to take the 2024 presidential election by hook or by crook. He is practicing in the 2022 elections for the best method to manipulate not only the voters, but, also the voting machines. His methods will be employed during the 2022 elections to perfect them by 2024. 

I find FOX News an ally to Trump and proports misinformation to inspire more violence in the country. 

I also point to the recent trend of deaths of people unrelated in any way to the murderer that uses gun violence. There have been Sherriffs and Police Chief alike reporting on mass killings which is defined as more than 2 people as having an unrelated MOTIVE to the killer. I think this is all part of the so called MAGA movement to kill Americans loyal to the country and the USA Constitution. There needs to be a concensus about this trend in growing murder rates by gun violence with unrelated motives within the USA.

After all President Biden has taken a solumn oath to protect domestic tranquility. If that is not occurring there must be something wrong with this presidency. FOX and Trump are chronically seeking ways to defame President Biden and have him declared incompetent within the 24th amendment. The attacks on Americans' sanity is ever ongoing.

I have conducted my own experiment about gun violence to actually test the THEORY by gun advocates about the "gap" of time from a 911 call to the appearance of police at the door step. This is not an artifiicial call to the police, twice someone attempted to break in to my home, once while I was asleep in my bed. But, the purpose of this is the idea that a gun makes all the difference in the world, it doesn't really. 

l. A person has to wake up to begin with, if that doesn't happen there is no self-defense by any gun in the home used for self-defense. There are parts of sleep that would not allow a wake up phase. 

2. The gun has to be readily available. Many gun owners use safes both large and small for their home arsenal. That is a good thing. But, in the case of a home invasion even with alarms going off and a gun in a clam-shell lock box there is still the issue of being awake enough to arm oneself and then act to end the invasion. 

3. The average response time in suburban neighborhoods for police to arrive is about 15 minutes. The theory that being armed for self-defense is going to close that gap is highly inaccurate. If one is awake at all or enough to actually open the clam-shell, remove the gun, throw a preloaded bullet clip into the gun and actually out gun the invaders is more time than INSTANTLY occurring. It is my opinion that once an invasion begins and the resident is awake enough to unlock the safe, remove the gun and clip and actually address the growing danger of an armed invader it is at least 5 to 10 minutes. Sure that is quicker than police response time, but, hardly enough time to end a home invasion and then the gun used in self-defense can become a weapon to facilitate a fully awake and aware invader.

4. Would a self-defense gun and ammo have ended the random killings now being talked about by Sheriffs and Police Chiefs? Maybe. The circumstances would dictate the outcome.

5. To purchase a gun is somewhat intricate and getting a concealed carry permit is being taken very seriously by those conducting the background check. But, in all honesty to be your own best friend in handling a gun during a home invasion, takes practice and plenty of it to feel comfortable with the gun and operate it competently while adrenaline is rushing through one's body on the way to end the life of a home invader. It is expensive to own guns and those most vulnerable to attack most likely can't afford them and/or the training that accompanies competent gun ownership.

It is time the people of the USA become familiar with home invasion and the best way to protect from it until the police arrive. A gun is probably, in most instances, not the best protection.

The FCC must investigate FOX News to it's willingness to be friendly to insurrectionists, including Donald John Trump.

My apologies to Former President George W. Bush for allowing myself to think that FOX News was more than propaganda. They dishonored the Former President and blantantly lied about the speech to favor fear in the people over the truth.

Good night for now.

Severe weather

There is a severe thunderstorm warning tonight. 

The thunder right now Is continuous. No let up and this is due to continue to 11:00 pm. Unbelievable. Lots of lightning.

This I believe is the same issue as two Sundays ago. It might be a pattern. 

FOX news is pushing that the USA has no eyes and ears on the ground in Afghanistan as Bush is now predicting the future stating there will be more terror attacks. That is spring boarding off a permanent commemorative day of September 11th. It is nothing but fear politics and the right should be ashamed of themselves.

The technology today can hear a pin drop miles and miles away and the USA has friends in the region. The Taliban has their hands full with protests and internal push from Deash. If there was any inkling of trouble President Biden would mobilize what he needed.

Afghanistan is not the 51st state and never will be. 

Until later……

I respect those that find September 11, 2001 an important time to grieve those lost and reflect on global terrorism throuigh the recognition of the victims that day. They were civilians and every American was chilled by the act of violence that put Osama bin Laden front and center.

The expanse of that attack reaches far beyond that day. It encompasses for me the agenda of deceit that followed including the Iraq War. What sincerely bothers me is that those attacks became a political drumbeat more than the depth of understanding what occurred that day and why.

I think the wars that followed those attacks have proven to be excessive. Osama bin Laden caught democracy unaware of the dangers of the lack of security of our infrastructure. The attacks were also a failure of intelligence in that the brevity of it never was regarded as important by the president or the cabinet of that time.

There needs to be a legislative trigger that compels a president to act in protection of national security. Senator Feinstein was very verbal after the attack to bring the truth forward of her knowledge and attempts to bring brevity to the importance of the intelligence to the Vice President. She should have been able to declare a national security threat to the people, hence Congress within no longer than one week of the intelligence report if needed. I would have paid attention to any Congress person with such intelligence. The airlines definitely would have paid attention to a congressional letter. Such capacity would stem the tolerance of nitwits in the government. Sharing is caring.

I could go on and on about the unseen truths, but, there is one that was overshadowed by the long and unnecessary wars; the climate crisis was distanced to Americans, hence, made to be unimportant. We cannot afford to allow such distraction again in the face of the dangers that accompany Earth's warming. It is time to take on the Climate Crisis seriously for our children and their future.

Not to minimize the importance of a school superintendent suing the school board, there are developments with the water crisis.

September 10, 2021
By Ron Fonger

Flint - Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s claims of misconduct (click here) in the pending criminal case against him amount to nothing more than “an effort to distract from the atrocities that happened” during the Flint water crisis, prosecutors say.

Attorneys for Snyder filed a motion in Genesee District Court on Wednesday, Sept. 8, seeking a temporary halt in the production of documents seized by prosecutors, claiming there has been “a breathtaking and flagrant disregard” for his due process rights.

Snyder has pleaded not guilty to two counts of willful neglect of duty for his role in the water crisis -- misdemeanors that are punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who are leading the prosecution, said in a statement to MLive-The Flint Journal that they look forward to addressing claims made by Snyder’s legal team in court....

See, the State of Michigan is paying for Snyder's lawyers so there is a ridiculous stall tactic going on because Snyder has no defense. All Snyder has is excuses.

Every possible motion will be made and every possible legal stunt will be pulled by lawyers representing Snyder that still have a license to practice they obtained from a Cracker Jack's box.

So, this is the "state of justice" in Michigan. One man Grand Juries and excuses by lawyers to extend the conviction deadline. My, my, my. It is truly a state for and by the lawyer. Michigan has a profound corruption problem that extends to their local judges as well. My, my, my.

This is an article about the lawsuit between the Flint Superintendent and the school board. That is really bad when that happens.

September 9, 2021
By Dylan Goetz

Flint Community Schools Superintendent Anita Steward (click here) filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, Sept. 8, against the district’s Board of Education in Genesee County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit cites Steward’s contract, a warning the board imposed in June and the superintendent’s January evaluation. It alleges that board members violated the district’s bylaws and procedures by interfering with day-to-day operations and that board members “didn’t care” about bylaws or policies.

Steward reported these actions to now-fired district attorney Kendall Williams, claiming that the board created a hostile work environment and reported that she was being impeded and prevented from doing her job, according to the lawsuit.

Board President Carol McIntosh and board members Joyce Ellis-McNeal, Danielle Green and Laura MacIntyre are all named in the lawsuit. Adrian Walker, the only remaining active board member, is not named.

Attorney Tom Pabst, who is representing Steward, told MLive-The Flint Journal that the superintendent went on personal leave last week due to the pressure she felt from the board. Pabst said the board even attempted to fire her during leave.

“I am in my 70s right now and the reason I am still practicing law is to represent people like Anita -- who do the right thing and get pounded like a tent pick,” Pabst said. “I’m proud to represent her.”...

The COVID-19 Orphans.

How many children are orphaned because of COVID-19? How many people that were married with or without children find themselves widows or widowers because of COVID-19?

This virus did more damage than any other in the way it destroyed families.

September 10, 2021
By Jennifer Chambers

The family of a Detroit couple with seven children (click here) are grieving after both parents were infected with COVID-19 and died less than a day apart.

Troy and Charletta Green, married for 22 years, had plans to go to Florida with their seven children in August, Troy's sister Tiki Green said.

Charletta's mother died from COVID-19 in May and the Detroit couple had planned an August vacation with their kids, ages 10 to 23, to spend time together and grieve the loss of their loved one, Tiki Green said.

"Everyone took it so hard," she told The Detroit News on Friday.

But days before leaving for Orlando on Aug. 13, Troy felt ill and decided to stay back in Detroit until he felt better.

Charletta went ahead with the children and her sister, but when she arrived in Florida, she too fell ill, Tiki Green said. Within two days, Charletta was bedridden and taken to a hospital in the Orlando area....

An estimated 40,000 children lost parents from COVID-19. There was one other time in modern history a high number of children were orphaned because of a virus. That was HIV/AIDS in Africa. The longevity of the countries involved dropped because of parents dying and leaving their children behind. Now, the USA is having children with one parent or none. That doesn't even account for the children that lost their grandparents. Grandparents sometimes help with childcare and now what is a family going to do when those vital people die?

April 5, 2021

By Melissa Jenco

Researchers estimate 40,000 children in the U.S. (click here) have lost a parent to COVID-19, a tragedy disproportionately impacting Black children.

The team called for national efforts to support these children, especially as they face increased hardship and isolation during the pandemic.

“Children who lose a parent are at elevated risk of traumatic grief, depression, poor educational outcomes, and unintentional death or suicide, and these consequences can persist into adulthood,” authors wrote in a research letter published today in JAMA Pediatrics.

To calculate the parental losses, the team created a statistical model taking into account the number of deaths from COVID-19 since February 2020 and demographics of those who have died. They determined about one in every 13 deaths resulted in a child under 18 losing a parent.

As of February 2021, there were 479,000 recorded deaths. When deaths indirectly linked to the pandemic are included, that figure grows to 552,000. Using their statistical model, researchers determined roughly 37,000 to 43,000 youths have lost a parent. About three-quarters of those experiencing parental loss are adolescents....

Perhaps Americans need to realize over and over that the spread fo this virus was completely preventable. Now, through government neglect of it's citizens there are children without parents. It is not their fault and having a single-parent family may be a new challenge for a mother or father, not to mention some families lost their primary breadwinner. 

OH, YES, this spread of SARS-CoV-2 was completely preventable. The article below was written soon after it was apparent the USA was in for a very rough ride with a virus out of CHINA AGAIN!

Every American that suffered from the virus and those who died are all human rights violations by Trump and his minions that seek to overthrow the USA democracy to save them from facing the facts.

March 22, 2020
By Marisa Taylor

Washington - Several months before the coronavirus pandemic began, (click here) the Trump administration eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China, Reuters has learned.

The American disease expert, a medical epidemiologist embedded in China’s disease control agency, left her post in July, according to four sources with knowledge of the issue. The first cases of the new coronavirus may have emerged as early as November, and as cases exploded, the Trump administration in February chastised China for censoring information about the outbreak and keeping U.S. experts from entering the country to help.

“It was heartbreaking to watch,” said Bao-Ping Zhu, a Chinese American who served in that role, which was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2007 and 2011. “If someone had been there, public health officials and governments across the world could have moved much faster.”

Zhu and the other sources said the American expert, Dr. Linda Quick, was a trainer of Chinese field epidemiologists who were deployed to the epicenter of outbreaks to help track, investigate and contain diseases....

COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE. IT ONLY TAKES ONE TRAINED PERSON TO DETECT A DISEASE OUTBREAK. 

JUST ONE.

This is called national security. This form of national security does not roll into town with tanks, guns, and soldiers, it is deployed with KNOWLEDGE and USA directives to seek out and find dangerous and deadly diseases to prevent human tragedy in the homeland.

COVID-19 spread, AKA SARS-CoV-2 WAS COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE.

Today, Trump is running as hard as he can to declare his next hapless years in the presidency. Let me correct that, it wasn't at all hapless, but, it definitely is feckless.

He is spreading all the lies he can about the vote for 2020 to win sympathy and excuses for extremist groups to have hope this too will be the end of the democracy that encourages diversity and inclusiveness in all walks of life. 

These people are human rights violators right here in the USA. Trump knows who the Americans are with a grudge for whatever reason they do and actively seeks them out to vote him into office in 2024. I don't think he is really interested in the office of the presidency, just free room and board while he plays General and Little Tin God.

SARS-CoV-2 started under Trump's watch because he decided he could do away with taxes for the US Treasury, so he cut everything HE THOUGHT was unnecessary government spending. That included American scientists that SAVED THE WORLD from previous outbreaks, some we don't even know about. There was no grand conspiracy by China to destroy the populations of the world. It happened for the reasons it always happens in China, overpopulation, poverty and some of it is profound poverty and lack of education about basics like sanitation. 

Donald John Trump is a human rights violator and directly responsible for all the illnesses in the USA and the deaths. He is also responsible for orphans and new single-parent families. Do you know most single-parent families didn't start out that way? There were two parents under one roof that loved and cared about each other until divorce or death struck.

GET VACCINATED. YOUR CHILDREN NEED YOU.