Kamala Harris’s Anti-Catholic Bigotry

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/kamala-harriss-anti-catholic-bigotry/

Someone might want to remind Joe Biden, who’s just picked progressive California senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, that his vice-president-to-be believes Catholics are unfit to serve in our nation’s courts. (Biden, of course, as I considered at length on the homepage today, has spent his entire political career invoking his Catholic faith.)

In late 2018, while evaluating the nomination of Brian Buescher to serve as a district judge in Nebraska, Harris posed a series of questions insinuating that his involvement in the Knights of Columbus — a charitable Catholic fraternal organization — disqualified him from serving on the bench. Here’s one of her written questions:

Since 1993, you have been a member of the Knights of Columbus, an all-male society comprised primarily of Catholic men. In 2016, Carl Anderson, leader of the Knights of Columbus, described abortion as “a legal regime that has resulted in more than 40 million deaths.” Mr. Anderson went on to say that “abortion is the killing of the innocent on a massive scale.” Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed a woman’s right to choose when you joined the organization?

She went on to ask Buescher whether he was “aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed marriage equality when [he] joined the organization” and whether he had “ever, in any way, assisted with or contributed to advocacy against women’s reproductive rights.”

Harris’s colleague, Democratic senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, went a bit further, asking Buescher whether he intended to “end [his] membership with this organization to avoid any appearance of bias” — in other words, intimating that she would withhold her vote at least until he had left the Knights of Columbus.

These two Democrats were, in short, suggesting that belonging to a Catholic group with millions of members, which has been an important charity in the U.S. for more than a century, renders an individual unfit to serve as a judge

More sinister even than that, Harris used Buescher’s membership in the Knights of Columbus as a pretext to insinuate that opposition to abortion, a core component of Catholic teaching on the dignity and value of human life, disqualifies an individual from the bench.

Buescher eventually was confirmed, and at the behest of Nebraska senator Ben Sasse, the Senate later voted unanimously to reaffirm the constitutional clause forbidding religious tests for public officeholders. But the fact remains that Harris was guilty of reprehensible anti-Catholic bigotry, and there’s no reason to believe her views have changed.

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Want to see what insurance fraud looks like? One of my hospice patients just passed away this morning and I asked if there was anything we could do to help. I mentioned taking back any meds because we are a drug take back facility registered with the DEA. Keeping meds around the house when someone dies is not only a sad reminder of the loved one but also dangerous because they can end up in the wrong hands. The daughter pulls out boxes of meds they got over the years from the VA via mail order. This is one of the meds he no longer used but the VA kept sending it anyways. Each of these inhalers would cost an uninsured customer over $400 and the VA sent this guy 12 of them to be trashed. What a waste of money. This is why your co-pays and premiums are so high. The insurance company probably had a special kickback deal with Astrazeneca who makes this inhaler and that’s why they kept filling it and mailing it when the customer asked them to stop. This is absolutely ridiculous but your government allows it. PBMs are the biggest waste of money this country has ever seen but they line the pockets of Republicans and Democrats equally and no one bats an eye. PBMs are today’s mafia. We don’t need gangsters and drug lords… We have Express Scripts, Optum and CVS Caremark

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White House, VA launch REACH — a call to action to engage the nation in preventing suicide

July 7, 2020, 09:30:00 AM

https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=5484

WASHINGTON – The White House and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today launched the REACH national public health campaign aimed at empowering all Americans to play a critical role in preventing suicide. 

The goal of REACH, which was established by the President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS), is to change the conversation around suicide by urging people to recognize their own risk and protective factors — as well as the risk and protective factors of their loved ones. 

“REACH will empower our nation’s Veterans to seek and receive help and it will encourage them to reach out to their brothers and sisters in need who may be vulnerable,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “The power of this campaign will change how we talk about mental health and suicide in our nation. It will ensure that those in need, especially the men and women who have served our great nation, will receive the care and support they deserve.” 

“The REACH campaign will inspire and educate all Americans — encouraging them to share their own struggles and to reach out to those who are hurting. It will engage our Veterans to help lead the way as we change how we think about, talk about and address suicide,” said PREVENTS Executive Director Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen. “I urge everyone to go to wearewithinreach.net and take the PREVENTS Pledge to REACH and be part of the solution. Together, we will prevent suicide.” 

The website also includes information on factors that may protect against suicide, such as belonging to a faith-based community, healthy family relationships, having a purpose in life and strong problem-solving skills. REACH encourages everyone to intentionally strengthen their protective factors — to care for their emotional health and well-being just as they do their physical well-being. 

Although suicide is preventable, the nation is facing an epidemic in deaths, with 132 Americans dying by suicide each day. In 2017 there were 47,173 suicide deaths and an estimated 1.4 million suicide attempts. For Veterans, the overall suicide rate is 1.5 times higher and the female Veteran suicide rate is 2.2 times higher than the general population after adjusting for age and/or gender. 

To that end, the REACH campaign website, we are within reach, provides information to help people recognize risk factors for suicide, including financial stress, chronic illness or pain, isolation and mental illness, in themselves and in their loved ones. It also links to resources that can provide assistance in avoiding the hopelessness that can lead to suicide. 

Campaign messages and imagery using the hashtag #REACHNow will be evident on a wide range of digital platforms immediately after the launch. The website will include a video public service announcement supported by a partnership with the PenFed Foundation and SoldierStrong and created by Tree Media. Media covering this issue can download VA’s Safe Messaging Best Practices fact sheet for important guidance on how to communicate about suicide. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or is in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for confidential support 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255. Veterans and service members, including National Guard and Reserve, who need immediate help should call the 1-800 number and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line, chat online at www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/chat or text 838255.

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Seeking Justice for Pain Patients: Class Action Lawsuits Filed Against CVS, Walgreens and Costco for Refusal to Fill Opioid Prescriptions for Chronic Pain Patients

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seeking-justice-for-pain-patients-class-action-lawsuits-filed-against-cvs-walgreens-and-costco-for-refusal-to-fill-opioid-prescriptions-for-chronic-pain-patients-301108583.html

PROVIDENCE, R.I. and SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — National class action lawsuits have been filed against the largest pharmacy chains in the country for discrimination in refusing to fill legitimate prescriptions for opioid medication.  Edith Fuog, a 48 yr. old Hispanic divorced mother , from Riverview, Fla., filed a nationwide class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island located in Providence, R.I. against CVS on behalf of the millions of other legitimate users of legally prescribed opioid medication, seeking legal relief that will allow them to get their legitimate opioid prescriptions filled, as written, without additional limitations or restrictions, and without the constant fear that their prescriptions will be denied. 

Susan Smith, a 43 yr. old married mother from Castro Valley, Ca., has filed a similar national class action against Walgreens and Costco in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California located in San Francisco, Ca.

Edith Fuog suffers from chronic pain brought on by numerous medical conditions, including stage-1 breast cancer, MRSA, VRSA, Guillainn-Barre Syndrome, Parsonage Turner Syndrome, Trigeminal Facial Nerve Neuropathy, Hashimotos Thyroid disease, Lupus and arthritis.  As alleged in her lawsuit, since at least 2017, numerous different CVS pharmacies have refused to fill her legitimate prescriptions for opioid medication in violation of the American with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the anti-discrimination provisions of the Affordable Care Act.  She filed complaints with CVS’ corporate headquarters, but despite promises that the matter would be investigated, has never heard back from CVS.

Susan Smith suffers from Mesial Temporal Lobe Sclerosis of the brain, which is an extreme form of scar tissue in her brain that leaves her with constant migraine headaches that are so severe, that at times she cannot walk, will lose vision in her eyes, and experiences extreme bouts of nausea and vomiting.  The only medications she can take to provide her with any sort of relief from the extreme pain are opioids.  As alleged in her lawsuit, numerous Walgreens and Costco pharmacies have refused to fill her legitimate prescriptions for opioid medication in violation of the American with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the anti-discrimination provisions of the Affordable Care Act.  She complained to Walgreens corporate, but they were dismissive of her plight. 

Efforts to combat the national crisis of abuse of opioids, while originally well-intentioned, have led to discrimination against millions of Americans who legitimately need opioid medication to combat the terrible pain they live with every day.  As alleged in the lawsuits, CVS, Walgreens and Costco have implemented nationwide policies that  that have resulted in their pharmacies treating patients who presents a valid prescription for opioid medication as if they are a drug abuser, interfering with the customer’s relationship with his or her treating doctor and improperly refusing to fill legitimate prescriptions for opioid pain medication or imposing medically unnecessary limitations or other requirements before agreeing to fill the prescriptions.

As noted in the suits, in a June 16, 2020 letter to the CDC, the American Medical Association stated that “The nation no longer has a prescription opioid-driven epidemic” and “We can no longer afford to view increasing drug-related mortality through a prescription drug-myopic lens.”  The AMA noted that guidelines issued by the CDC in 2016 “included multiple arbitrary dosage and quantity limitation recommendations that have been consistently misapplied by State legislatures, national pharmacy chains, pharmacy benefit management companies, health insurance companies and federal agencies.”  The AMA letter cited CVS and Walgreens policies as “inappropriate” policies that misapply “the CDC guidelines in different ways and have resulted in specific harm to patients.”  The AMA further noted that: “These policies, moreover, have not withstood any meaningful evaluation or data analysis as to whether they have improved pain care or reduced opioid-related harms.”

As Scott Hirsch, one of the lead attorneys handling the cases, explained:  “Many Americans are unaware of the difficulties chronic pain patients have getting pharmacies to fill their lawfully-obtained opioid prescriptions.   It is not only a crisis for Edith and Susan, but for millions of Americans due to the backlash caused in part by the national publicity concerning opioid abuse.  These lawsuits seek to allow the millions of chronic pain patients to obtain their legitimate opioid prescriptions without being discriminated against, harassed, denied, or embarrassed.  It will hopefully improve their quality of life and save many lives in the process.”

The filed Class Actions are: Smith v. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., et al., Case No.: 20-cv-05451 and Fuog v. CVS Pharmacy, Inc., et al., Case No.: 20-cv-00337

For a copy of the Complaints and more information about the allegations, click here or visit https://seekingjusticeforpainpatients.com.

Rhode-Island law suit link

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https://youtu.be/IABRgZH12YA

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Johnna Magers, Founder and CEO of The American Pain and Disability Foundation

https://therappreportpodcast.podbean.com/e/e20-johnna-magers-founder-and-ceo-of-the-american-pain-and-disability-foundation/

Johnna Magers has 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry and is a chronic pain patient. She started trying to help the disabled several years ago when this crisis started for herself. The mission of The American Pain and Disability Foundation  includes encouraging and enabling self-advocacy: maintaining their highest level of functioning possible; stopping the stigma surrounding those who are in pain management, due to chronic pain or painful disabilities.  Encouraging that they be treated with respect so they can retain their dignity. 

Be sure and check out their website: https://americanpaindisabilityfoundation.org/

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Prominent Minnesotans pitch lockdown to slow COVID-19

https://www.startribune.com/prominent-minnesotans-pitch-lockdown-to-slow-covid-19/572054322/

A prominent University of Minnesota health researcher and the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis are calling for a strict, state-by-state lockdown to suppress COVID-19, saying tougher restrictions in the short-term would save lives and more quickly restore the economy.

The U’s Michael Osterholm and Neel Kashkari of the Minneapolis Fed argue states were too quick this spring to give up on social restrictions to combat the virus and failed to go far enough to keep workers home during that time.

Depending on when it would start, a lockdown of up to six weeks could allow for the normal functioning of schools and elections by November, they say. Measures this summer are now starting to control case growth in some Sun Belt states, but Osterholm said as schools reopen and activities move indoors, infections are poised to rebound.

“What does that mean for our country in terms of not only lives lost and health care issues, but to the economy?” Osterholm said in an interview. “In the long run, economically, it makes a lot of sense for the country to deal with it now — take your medicine now.

“If we keep at these numbers like we have now, this is only going to deteriorate until we have a vaccine, which could be six to 18 months away.”

Osterholm and Kashkari put forward the idea of a comprehensive lockdown in an op-ed piece published online Friday by the New York Times.

Photos by Glen Stubbe • glen.stubbe@startribune.com

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari, top, and Michael Osterholm, the U’s infectious disease research director, argue for a lockdown to check the spread of the coronavirus.

In an interview Saturday, Kashkari said remote learning isn’t working for students, particularly younger learners, but questioned how schools can safely reopen if the pandemic is still raging. He said the economy can’t recover until the virus is under control.

“If we don’t do the hard shutdown, it’s going to be a much longer, harder economic recovery, with much more serious health consequences for many Americans,” Kashkari said. “We can continue to fumble our way through it, or we could take a much more strategic approach.”

On Saturday, the Minnesota Department of Health reported a large one-day jump in COVID-19 cases, which pushed the statewide total to 60,101 confirmed cases during the pandemic. Eight more people have died from the virus, the state reported, including four residents of long-term care facilities.

The latest numbers show 309 patients were hospitalized, including 154 in intensive care. Daily tallies for hospitalized patients in Minnesota have been rising in recent weeks, although they remain well below peaks in late May of more than 600 hospitalized patients and about 260 people in the ICU.

Saturday’s net increase of 916 new cases came on a volume of 17,857 completed tests, a high one-day total. That means the share of positive tests continued to hold steady at around 5% — a level that likely won’t trigger further restrictions to slow the virus spread, Gov. Tim Walz said Thursday.

“I do worry [if] we start getting above 6% or 7% daily positivity rates, and most of that is coming through community spread of unknown origin,” Walz added.

Asked about a broader shutdown, state Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said that returning to some form of a stay-at-home order would be “an unfortunate step that could become necessary down the road if we don’t have enough people step up and make the everyday decisions needed to slow the spread.”

Malcolm suggested that by wearing masks and keeping distant, Minnesotans might avoid the economic and social costs of a shutdown.

Some states are moving too fast to reopen schools and businesses, but Minnesota still has a chance to keep case growth at a manageable level — particularly if younger people cut back on the parties and socializing that can fuel the virus spread, said Dr. John Hick, emergency physician and medical director for emergency preparedness at Hennepin Healthcare.

“The best time to request everyone to literally stay home may be over the holidays — that could be a triple whammy with travel, flu and COVID and trigger a devastating surge nationally in January,” Hick said via e-mail.

COVID-19 is a viral respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus that was found circulating late last year. Since the first case was reported in Minnesota in early March, 5,506 people have required hospitalization.

People at greatest risk are those 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities and those with underlying medical conditions such as lung disease, serious heart conditions, obesity and diabetes.

Most COVID-19 patients don’t need to be hospitalized, since it usually causes mild or moderate sickness. Studies suggest that up to 45% of those who are infected won’t have symptoms.

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https://youtu.be/kTcRRaXV-fg

There was a large bureaucratic fight about the Russians influencing the 2016 election – which was never proven… but for a new/unknown virus showing up early in this election year from China has seemingly turned ours and a lot other countries’ economy upside down.  The timing seems suspicious and it showed up in China just as big Chinese holiday where people travel to see celebrate with family.  After all China has 1.4 billion people… what is losing a few million to help spread this virus and disrupt the world’s economy.  Trump has apparently played pretty “hard ball” with China… something they  are not use to from a USA President previously.

Right now we have 30 million unemployed and Congress could not come to a compromise to extend/replace all the “freebies ” that expired about a week ago and left town to go home for their scheduled “August vacation”. It has been reported that there is still ONE TRILLION that was previously authorized that had never been distributed and they couldn’t even cut that loose to help people.  Of course, none of the 535 members of Congress nor any of the 2 million federal workers have lost one penny of pay since this pandemic reared its ugly head in March.

But President Trump signed four Executive orders yesterday to implement financial assistance to untold millions that Congress chose to close up shop and leave town for the month and let them scrounge for themselves.  What is Nancy & Chuckie going to do, sue the President for extending financial assistance that they allowed to  expired and TAKE THE MONEY BACK  ?   These members of Congress are suppose to represent the people in their respective districts.

Did anyone see the clip of Joe Biden yesterday – riding a bicycle ?….  wearing a face mask and NO HELMET ?

With Joe “hiding in the basement” it sort of reminds me of the Eddie Murphy  movie “Distinguished Gentleman “

I just wonder, if they are trying to keep Joe out of sight and hoping that he gets elected with a black/female as VP and within the first year of his administration… they invoke the 25 th Amendment  or he steps down because of health issues and all of a sudden our country has a 47th President a black/female and if the House remains <D> controlled… Nancy Pelosi steps up to be VP.

Who are the idiots that arranged for the first Presidential debate to be after many states have sent out absentee ballots and people will be able to cast their vote before the first debate ?

What if Trump gets re-elected… if the two Houses of Congress do not shift as to which party is in control… are they going to try to impeach him again ?

If they do, he just might “take the gloves off” … he can’t be reelected and he has – believe it or not – been pulling his punches this first term…  There seems to be a lot of “skeleton in the swamp’s closet” and he has not taken action against and AG Barr seems like a very smart, cunning man and he too has not shown all his cards.

His promise to “drain the swamp” may get more attention in his next term.

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