Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

US judge dismisses lawmaker lawsuit against Pence over electoral count – The Jerusalem Post

A judge on Friday rejected a lawsuit filed by a U.S. lawmaker from Texas and other Republicans against Vice President Mike Pence who is set to preside Wednesday over a joint session of Congress to formalize the results of the 2020 presidential election. US District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle said Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas and the slate of Republican presidential electors for the state of Arizona who filed suit Sunday lack standing to bring the legal action seeking to overturn the election of President-elect Joe Biden.

Source: US judge dismisses lawmaker lawsuit against Pence over electoral count – The Jerusalem Post

Hiltzik: Trump’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution fiasco – Los Angeles Times

As of Monday, about 11.4 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been distributed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But only 2.1 million people have been vaccinated.

By the administration’s own standards, this is a massive failure. On Dec. 10, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar promised that 20 million Americans would be vaccinated in “the next several weeks.”

experts say that leaving vaccine administration solely to the states is no answer at all. What was needed—and isn’t coming—is federal coordination.

There has been “no real planning on what happens when vaccines arrive in state,” Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, tweeted this week. “No plan, no money, just hope that states will figure this out.”

Source: Hiltzik: Trump’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution fiasco – Los Angeles Times

Opinion | Horrified by the Blackwater Pardons – The New York Times

Having spent many hours with the innocent Iraqi victims who are permanently maimed and crippled because of the actions of these Blackwater guards, and the heartbroken family members of those killed, I am embarrassed for our country. I believe we will pay a heavy price in our relationships with other countries as a result of these pardons.

I’m so glad that I’m retired and will never again be asked to risk my life and those of my fellow investigators, only to have killers pardoned for purely political reasons.

Austin can prohibit late on-site dining over holiday weekend, judge rules | The Texas Tribune

(What are these so-called elected leaders thinking? Putting people’s health and lives at risk rather than work to help restaurants survive without killing patrons?)

Gov. Greg Abbott directed restaurants to ignore local curfews — specifically in Travis County — that were implemented to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus on New Year’s Eve.

“To Texas restaurants. A formal statement. ‘The Governor’s statewide executive order allows food establishments to be open for in-person dining on New Years Eve as authorized by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. They should remain open. Happy New Year!’ Cheers!” Abbott wrote on Twitter at 7:39 p.m., within three hours before the Austin-area curfew was to go into effect.

“I’m not a lawyer, but… This appears to me to be a response to @KenPaxtonTX’s latest court defeat and it appears our Governor, who is a former AG and Supreme Court Justice, is telling the public to defy the ruling of a Texas District Judge. *Please* tell me I’m wrong,” wrote Democratic state Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie on Twitter.

Source: Austin can prohibit late on-site dining over holiday weekend, judge rules | The Texas Tribune

COVID-19: Army Corps of Engineers sent to help L.A. hospitals – Los Angeles Times (no quick fix, sadly)

Dr. Christina Ghaly, L.A. County health services director, said that the buildings’ old pipes couldn’t maintain sufficient pressure and, at times, started to freeze. In a scramble, Ghaly said, some hospitals were forced to move patients to lower floors, because it’s easier to deliver oxygen there without needing pressure to push it up to higher floors.

Another oxygen-related problem — the chronic shortage of portable tanks — has also hampered hospitals abilities in recent days, county officials said. To discharge recovering patients as quickly as possible and free up space for other, sicker patients, hospitals often send patients home with oxygen tanks.

The team of design and construction experts from the Corps will evaluate six hospitals — Adventist Health White Memorial in Boyle Heights, Beverly Community Hospital in Montebello, Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina, Lakewood Regional Medical Center, Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City and PIH Health Hospital in Downey — and then oversee upgrades where they’re deemed necessary. Source: COVID-19: Army Corps of Engineers sent to help L.A. hospitals – Los Angeles Times