An alternative to debt forgiveness: This writer says eating peanut butter and jelly for lunch instead of going to a restaurant made them feel happy and in control of their life.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/m-18k-debt-went-no-143039541.html
I’m $18k in debt, so I went on a no-spend month. Here’s what I learned.
By Chegg Life
August 31, 2022
Standing in my kitchen on a recent morning, making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch later that day, it occurred to me that what would appear to be a fairly mundane (albeit delicious) task was actually so much more.
Maybe that’s because, during the previous month, I spent close to $700 on restaurants alone. That’s like a million peanut butter and jellies.
It was that revelation that inspired a month-long no-restaurants-or-shopping challenge I assigned to myself in July. I could not continue to ignore my mounting bills, and I could not go on living with the constant reminder and anxiety of my $18,000 of credit card debt.
Since getting laid off in March 2021, I’ve been funding my life on a freelance salary in one of the most expensive cities in the world. I was living beyond my means, swiftly approaching my credit limit, and I felt completely out of control. Something had to change. And fast.
I was lucky to have a supportive (and much more knowledgeable friend) in my corner. We (she) quickly went on the offensive and introduced me to Tiller, a budgeting software she uses. She showed me how to calculate my expenses for the past three months and make a budget for the long term. Fun, I thought, but begrudgingly obliged. It was like watching a scary movie. But much like seeing Scream 5 in theaters after years of convincing myself I would be too scared, confronting my spending head-on made me realize that, like the Scream franchise, this isn’t that scary at all.
Looking at my expenses, I made the difficult-to-me decision to cut restaurants and shopping out completely for a full month. No shopping for non-necessities. No takeout. No dinners out with friends. No “Let’s grab a drink!” Could I actually do it? It was an off-putting prospect for a person who has been known to refresh Resy in hopes of scoring a last-minute, hard-to-get reservation for sport. But it felt worth trying.
Along with my shopping and food restrictions and newfound budgeting habit, I knew I needed to take action to feel like I was getting things a bit more in control; it was abundantly clear during this deep dive into my credit card statements that I was not in control at all. So, I began to make a few painful decisions, canceling a laundry list of plans that I simply could not afford: a dinner plan that very evening, a trip to Seattle later in the month to celebrate a friend’s wedding. I even called a beloved bathing suit brand to cancel an order I’d placed just days earlier. As I mentally crossed out things I’d been eagerly anticipating, I returned to a saying someone shared with me that I’ve found applicable in so many situations:
Just because something feels bad doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
I expected some change as a result — like, perhaps, a little extra literal change in my account at the end of the month. And that certainly happened. But there were so many other unexpected lessons, too.
I felt so much gratitude
When I first took shopping and restaurants out of the equation, I worried about how I’d fare without the dopamine hit that comes only from clicking “buy now” or the excitement of that initial sip of an overpriced cocktail — would I feel like I was missing out?
That notion was tested a few times during the month. I went to a concert at a baseball stadium (tickets purchased pre-challenge) mid month, where, under normal circumstances, I would have typically bought, at the very least, chicken fingers and french fries and merch and, at the most, all of the above plus a $20 beer in a souvenir cup.
But I packed a sandwich and some wine in a thermos and tried to put fried food out of my mind. In line with a friend who wanted to get a drink, I felt the temptation creeping in. I’m not sure if it was the concert or the spending gods, but as we approached the front of the line, a very generous (and intoxicated) man turned around, announced he’d be buying drinks for everyone in the line and pulled out his credit card.
With the exception of the gifted tequila, I was mostly surprised to find myself not feeling deprived. I actually more grateful for not only the things I already have but for the people in my life that make it so special and sweet. Every time I shared my challenge with someone and they suggested going for a walk or having a picnic, it felt like my heart swelled three sizes.
I got more creative
That same friend who first sat me down in front of the computer to face my spending demons also helped me realize something that never occurred to me in all my life living in New York where your social life revolves around paying other people to cook for you. Meeting for dinner is so…easy.
Removing it as an option would mean getting more creative, finding more fun. I went on walks, on picnics, to the beach and to see free movies in the park that we always talk about seeing in the summer but never do. I snuck grocery store snacks into the movies. I went to Philadelphia to visit friends who planned an entire weekend of free or affordable activities — a pizza night and a bike ride. Another friend decided to host a potluck for her birthday dinner instead of going out. I found myself looking forward to finding new activities to do that didn’t involve spending money, and looking even more forward to checking my bank account and keeping tabs on my budget each day.
Who is she? I could barely recognize myself.
I tried my hand at new cuisines
Aside from the ubiquitous PB&J, I found myself trying out new recipes, like this miso-glazed salmon and a kale Caesar salad I cannot stop making. And, as an unexpected bonus, I feel… really good. It may not be sustainable to make myself every meal for the rest of forever, but having a basic idea of everything I was consuming for a month really made me feel like I was taking care of myself.
I connected with so many people
When I reached out to friends I’d made plans to spend the weekend with prior to starting this challenge, I was plagued with anxiety about how they would react. I wrote to them explaining what was going on and assured them that they were still welcome to go out to eat, that I would meet up with them when they were done. But they were more than happy to stay in and cook. Trying new restaurants is always exciting, but when it comes down to it, we make plans with people to connect and spend quality time together. And you don’t need to spend money to do that.
I started posting daily video diaries on my TikTok, mostly as a way of holding myself accountable and to keep a record of the experience. But soon, it grew into a community. I heard from so many different people who were either at some point in their debt payoff journey or looking for some inspo. I was happy to share both.
And I realized that, when given the chance, everyone has a debt story they’re eager to share.
I was initially scared to share publicly the actual amount of credit card debt I had. I was afraid of my mom seeing it, my family members on Facebook judging me. I was afraid of being made fun of, ridiculed for not knowing how to handle my money. What happened was quite the opposite.
I was on a walk with my friend (the one who helped me with the budget) one morning, agonizing over my finances when I just sort of…blurted it out, I told her I had $18,000 in debt — saying that number aloud for the first time. I waited for the shock, the disapproval. Bless her, it never came.
Once it was out there, my DMs almost immediately filled up with other people going through a similar situation, some offering tips on how to crawl out of it, some sharing personal anecdotes and even some comforting solidarity. It was not only refreshing; it was eye-opening, too. It made me realize that talking about finances openly and without judgment is something many of us are craving, and not necessarily getting.
I’m not sure what comes next. But as this month comes to an end, I have spent over $2,000 less than the month prior. I paid $1,000 off my credit card balance, put money away for taxes, and felt no anxiety about what my balance was while handing my debit card over to pay for some essentials. I didn’t get sick of peanut butter and jelly, and I have yet to miss a restaurant.
Mostly, I’m excited about the prospect of finally being in control of my finances — and my life — for what feels like the first time.
Video: Jeremy Boland, Assistant Principal of Cos Cob Elementary School in Greenwich, Connecticut, admits that when it comes to hiring teachers, he discriminates against conservatives, Catholics, and people over 30
This video from Project Veritas shows Jeremy Boland, Assistant Principal of Cos Cob Elementary School in Greenwich, Connecticut, admitting that when it comes to hiring teachers, he discriminates against conservatives, Catholics, and people over 30.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD2kM39S4d4
Here’s an article about it:
EXPOSED: Greenwich CT Assistant Principal’s Hiring Discrimination Ensures ‘Subtle’ Child Indoctrination; ‘You Don’t Hire’ Catholics Because They Are More ‘Conservative’ … ‘Progressive Teachers’ Are ‘Savvy About Delivering a Democratic Message’
August 30, 2022
Jeremy Boland, Assistant Principal of Cos Cob Elementary School: “Believe it or not, the open-minded, more progressive teachers are actually more savvy about delivering a Democratic message without really ever having to mention politics.”
Boland: “So, it’s subtle. They [teachers I hire] will never say, ‘Oh, this is [a] liberal or a Democratic way of doing this.’ They’ll just make that the norm — and this is how we handle things, it’s subtle…That’s how you get away with it.”
Boland: “The conservative [teacher], who is stuck in her ways. I’ll never be able to fire her, and I’ll never be able to change her. So, I make an impact with the next teacher I hire.”
Boland: “Protestants in this area [of Connecticut] are probably the most liberal. But if they’re Catholic — conservative…You don’t hire them.”
Boland: “If someone is raised hardcore Catholic, it’s like, they’re brainwashed — you can never change their mindset.”
Boland: “For one position, I think we had 30 applicants. So out of all those applicants, I don’t think I interviewed anybody over the [age] of 30…the older you get, the more set in your ways — the more conservative you get.”
Connecticut Law, Section 46A-60B1, specifically bars discriminatory employment practices. A violation occurs if anyone refuses to hire or employ people “because of the individual’s race, color, religious creed, age, sex, gender identity or expression.”
[Greenwich, Conn. – Aug. 30, 2022] Project Veritas released the first video in its newly launched Education Series today exposing a senior official at a prominent public school.
Jeremy Boland, who serves as Cos Cob Elementary School’s Assistant Principal, was recorded bragging about how he oversees the hiring of teachers who will disseminate “progressive” political ideas in the classrooms:
Boland: You’re teaching them [children] how to think. That’s it. It doesn’t matter what they think about. If they think about it in a logical progressive way, that becomes their habit.
Veritas Journalist: So, you kind of like, gear them to think in a more liberal way?
Boland: Mm-hmm. Believe it or not, the open minded, more progressive teachers are actually more savvy about delivering a Democratic message without really ever having to mention politics.
The school administrator noted it is difficult to terminate an employed teacher, so his focus is on who to onboard next:
Boland: Remember that teacher I was talking about before? The forty-year-old? I’ll never change that teacher.
Veritas Journalist: You’re what?
Boland: I’ll never be able to change that teacher.
Veritas Journalist: Which one?
Boland: The conservative one, who is stuck in her ways. I’ll never be able to fire her, and I’ll never be able to change her. So, I make an impact with the next teacher I hire. So, my instinct for hiring — I’ve hired maybe four or five people. They’re pretty good.
Veritas Journalist: Okay.
Boland: So, that’s where I make my impact.
He explains to the Veritas journalist how the teachers he hires will advance his political and ideological objectives:
Boland: So, it’s subtle. They [teachers I hire] will never say, “Oh, this is [a] liberal or a Democratic way of doing this.” They’ll just make that the norm. And this is how we handle things, it’s subtle.
Veritas Journalist: And that’s how you get away with it?
Boland: That’s how you get away with it.
Veritas Journalist: And how do you make sure the parents don’t find out?
Boland: They can find out, so long as you never mention [the] politics of it.
The Assistant Principal is clear about how he judges a prospective teacher who sympathizes, in a hypothetical scenario, with parents during the interview process:
Veritas Journalist: Okay, so someone sides with the parent, then what?
Boland: You let them explain, and then you move on to the next question.
Veritas Journalist: But then eventually [what is] the outcome of that?
Boland: They don’t get the job.
Transgender ideology in school was also an issue discussed in the video. It has been a controversial topic, especially amongst parents, in recent years.
On this matter, Boland affirms that any teacher who refuses to acknowledge a child’s gender preferences has no place in his Elementary School.
“So, if you have someone [teacher] who is hardcore religious or hardcore conservative, they will probably say something detrimental to the effect, ‘Well, I don’t think kids have enough knowledge to make that decision [gender identity] at this age,’” Boland said.
“You’re out. You’re done,” he concluded.
Boland admitted to the Veritas journalist that he discriminates against potential hires based on their religion:
Boland: I’m not a huge expert on religion, but Protestants in this area [of Connecticut] are probably the most liberal. But if they’re Catholic — conservative.
Veritas Journalist: Oh, so then what do you do with the Catholics? If you find out someone is Catholic, then what?
Boland: You don’t hire them.
Veritas Journalist: So, would you ever hire a Catholic then?
Boland: No, I don’t want to…Because if someone is raised hardcore Catholic, it’s like they’re brainwashed. You can never change their mindset. So, when you ask them to consider something new, like a new opportunity, or “you have to think about this differently,” they’re stuck — just rigid.
The Elementary School administrator goes on to say that he discriminates against older individuals as well.
“I need younger [teachers]. So, because Greenwich pays very well, you get teachers from other districts who have been there for a long time, that want to come to Greenwich. But if they’re older, I’m not allowed to do that — I can’t tell them, ‘I’m not interviewing you because you’re older.’ I just don’t interview them. So, for one position, I think we had 30 applicants. So out of all those applicants, I don’t think I interviewed anybody over the [age] of 30…Because sometimes the older you get, the more set in your ways, the more conservative you get.”
There’s a “smart” phone app that tells you when your jar of peanut butter is empty. How dumb can people be?
By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)
August 29, 2022
I’ve never actually owned a “smart” phone. And I guess this is one reason why.
There is now an app that tells your “smart” phone when your jar of peanut better is empty.
This article from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is from four years ago, but I just found about it now. It says:
Even though no one can see you eating peanut butter off a spoon in the middle of the night, the jar’s label might soon be “watching.”
Adrich, a Pittsburgh company that designs smart labels that could alert customers when they’re running low on their favorite products, just signed its first major deal to slap their innovation on products bound for consumers’ homes.
The labels will be able to track when and how much of a product people use. Sensors embedded in the labels can detect movement and also determine how much of a product remains, Aji said. Adrich then uses a proprietary algorithm to make sense of the data.
For example, during tests in which labels were on jars of peanut butter, Adrich found that people snacked on peanut butter at all hours of the day.
Companies can send coupons or other promotions when they sense a customer is about to run out of a product. Customers can learn when they should restock.
The labels — “almost like a mini-computer,” Aji said — contain a battery and sensors but are nearly as thin as a regular label. The label connects to a user’s smartphone through Bluetooth.
I’m 51 years old. I’ve been eating peanut butter ever since I was a child. And I’ve never, ever had trouble figuring out if the jar was empty.
And even when the jar is empty, well, I plan in advance, so I always have an extra jar (or a few, actually) because I always stock up on all of the non-perishable foods that I eat on a regular basis. That’s why homes have kitchen cabinets, shelves, and pantry closets. I have actually never, ever run out of peanut butter, soap, or toothpaste, because I always know that I’m always going to be using those things, so I always keep extra in my home.
Is there anyone who is so dumb that they need an app to tell them when their jar of peanut butter is empty?
Corporate America Is Adult Day Care
This person works at LinkedIn. Start watching this video at 2:49.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cEdT-mCFYs
Student debt bailout pays for hot tubs, spas, rock climbing walls, steaks, and movie theaters
By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)
August 26, 2022
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 1980 and 2020, regular inflation has caused average prices to increase by 228%. However, during that same time period, college tuition has increased by 1,184%.
Source for image:
And what are colleges doing with all this extra money?
Forbes wrote:
The College Amenities Arms Race
A free movie theater. A 25 person hot tub and spa with a lazy river and whirlpool. A leisure pool with biometric hand scanners for secure entry. A 50 foot climbing wall to make exercise interesting. And a top-of-the-line steak restaurant with free five course meals.
This isn’t a list of items from a resort brochure. They’re facilities you can find on a college campus. And with college construction costs rising, it could be the best four-year getaway you’ve ever had.
In “Country Club as College,” a paper published last year, University of Michigan researchers examined college financial consumption against enrollment.
“We found that the lower ability students and higher income students have a greater willingness to pay for these amenities,” says Brian Jacob, a researcher from the University of Michigan. “The more academic, high achieving students cared about intellectual achievement.”
In other words? Harvard University might not spend approximately $700 million to renovate their campus, but High Point University would. Under the leadership of President Nido Qubein, High Point’s campus has grown into a collegiate theme park, complete with plasma televisions in dorm rooms, a free movie theater, and steak restaurant. And their five-star, country club accommodations have made the percent admitted decline from 86.1% in 2002 to 64.2% in 2012.
The University of Iowa has an estimated $53 million campus recreation center, complete with an 18 foot diving well, bubble benches, and lazy river. Texas Tech University has a veritable water park in their backyard. California State University, Fullerton has a 30 foot rock wall. And California State University, Long Beach has a $70 million wellness center with hand scanners for secure entry.
So the real problem isn’t a lack of bailout money. The real problem is that colleges are spending money on frivolous luxuries that have nothing to do with education.
Bailing out student loans doesn’t address this problem.
On the contrary. The bailout only gives colleges an incentive to raise their tuition even more.
Los Angeles high school principal Richelle Brooks says she shouldn’t have to pay back her $230,000 in student debt. Schools should teach their students about personal responsibility. Principal Brooks is teaching her students the exact opposite.
By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)
August 25, 2022
This essay was written by a Los Angeles high school principal named Richelle Brooks. She thinks that she should not have to pay back her $230,000 in student debt. She is setting a bad role model for her students. Schools should teach personal responsibility. Principal Brooks is teaching her students the exact opposite.
Here are some of the rules of personal responsibility that Principal Brooks is teaching her students to break:
1) Keep your promises. If you borrow money and sign a contract where you promise to pay it back, keep your promise.
2) Don’t borrow money if you can’t afford to pay it back.
3) Live within your means.
4) Take responsibility for your actions.
Here is the essay by Principal Brooks:
https://therealnews.com/opinion-i-am-not-asking-for-debt-forgiveness-i-am-demanding-justice
Opinion | I am not asking for ‘debt forgiveness.’ I am demanding justice
President Biden has the power to cancel all student loan debt with a stroke of his pen, a move that will ensure Black women like me have, for perhaps the first time, a real shot at prosperity
By Dr. Richelle Brooks
March 31, 2022
When I graduated from college, I knew my purpose was to serve this country’s most vulnerable. For the last eight years, I have served as an educator and high school principal in Los Angeles, California, and in 2021 I founded ReTHINK It, a nonprofit that addresses the material needs of marginalized communities. I have dedicated myself to empowering and educating young people and advocating for folks victimized by systemic and systematic oppression.
But I drastically underestimated the cost of this work—both personal and financial.
At present, I owe $230,000 dollars in student loan debt. Like countless borrowers, I owe more than I did when I first graduated college. I am but one example of the stark racial disparity governing the student debt-loan crisis: After 12 years of payments, the typical white male in the US has paid off 44% of his student loan balance, while the typical balance for Black women borrowers grows by 13%.
On April 4, debtors and our allies from around the country will head to the doorsteps of the Department of Education in Washington, DC, to demonstrate our collective strength and send a clear message that Joe Biden must do more than simply extend the payment moratorium. He has the power to cancel all student loan debt with a stroke of his pen, a move that will ensure Black women have, for perhaps the first time, a real shot at prosperity.
For years, I believed my student loan debt was the result of my personal failings—a lie that countless borrowers, particularly those who are Black or from poor and working-class families, come to internalize. Then, in September of 2020, I joined the Debt Collective, an organization fighting for the abolition of all forms of debt through the creation of a debtor’s union. Soon, I became one of the Biden Jubilee 100; we declared ourselves on strike from ever repaying our student loan balance, and demanded the full cancellation of student loan debt within President Biden’s first 100 days in office.
Joining the Debt Collective allowed me to finally politicize my experience. More importantly, it showed me that I was not alone: All student loan debt is the result of the systemic failures in this country. And the policy decisions and economic arrangements that created this system, which has buried generations under mountains of un-repayable student loan debt, comprise a catastrophic societal failure that can and must be rectified.
Growing up, I was told that achieving the American Dream would require going to college so I could secure a career. Home ownership, one of the most important ways that families build intergenerational wealth, is comically beyond reach. In my hometown of Carson, California, the median home price has increased over the past year by 19.7% to over $700,000.
Racist banking practices have also made the prospect of home ownership increasingly infeasible for Black borrowers. Wells Fargo has faced renewed public scrutiny in recent weeks, following a bombshell Bloomberg report that found the bank had denied home loans to 53% of its Black applicants in 2020, at the height of the pandemic-induced crisis and the ensuing economic hardship. The highest-earning Black families, or those earning over $168,000 a year, were approved for home loans at a rate nearly identical to the lowest-earning white families, or those earning less than $63,000 a year. The blatant discrimation was infuriating, yet hardly surprising.
For my generation, the American Dream feels like just that, a dream—it is never going to become reality. With my student loan debt, owning a house of my own is a hopeless fantasy.
The same goes for most millennials. According to one recent survey, student loan debt has kept some 35% of millennial borrowers from buying a home—nearly double the amount of baby boomers. It is especially hopeless for those of us from poor and working-class communities. Student loan debt decimates our credit-worthiness, barring many from ever owning a home.
For millions of us, wage discrimination makes the dream even more illusory. Although Black women make up a substantial share of the workforce, they earn just 63% of what white men are paid. Overall, women across nearly all races and ethnicities experience higher rates of poverty than men, a disparity due largely to single motherhood and the gender pay gap. But Black women are disproportionately represented among all women living in poverty: In the US, they constitute 22.3% of women living in poverty, but only 12.8% of the population.
As women aim to “pull themselves” and their families out of poverty, low and stagnant wages fail to allow them to make a living. Debt piles up. Women graduate college owing, on average, about $22,000—for men, it’s $18,880. Black women graduate college owing nearly twice the debt of men, an average of $37,558. Thanks to astounding interest rates, these balances grow over time.
Without assertive action from the Biden administration, many families will be unable to free themselves from the shackles of debt. Between 1989 and 2019, the national household net worth for white families grew from $462,000 to a whopping $953,000; meanwhile, the national household net worth for Black families only moved slightly, from $82,000 to $141,000.
Evidence shows that the racial wealth gap is growing wider, decade after decade. Student loan debt will exacerbate this as the indebtedness of Black families continues to grow. While white families can and tend to pass on their wealth and net worth to succeeding generations, Black families pass on debt and use their resources to support family members who also lack wealth and net worth. On average and in the aggregate, wealth compounds with each generation for white families, while indebtedness compounds with each generation for Black families. We are fighting now for the survival of our children and their children.
As I came to be more involved with the Debt Collective, I watched Black women suffer under their growing loan balances, even as they continued to show up for their families, communities, and this nation. But I also realized that, together, we had power beyond anything I could have imagined.
Black women have been outspoken about the perverse systems barring us from any form of upward mobility. We are doing everything “right” to ensure our future generations aren’t forced into the same dire situations: going to college, graduating, pursuing well-paying careers, attempting to purchase homes and build savings and resources so we can pass them on to future generations. But we cannot dismantle entire systems without the help of those who most benefit from our marginalization.
Specifically, this means white men, the most privileged demographic in this country—they must use their power, wealth, and social capital, to repair the harm endured by people who are categorically oppressed by the very system that empowers them. The longer Joe Biden fails to act, the longer he perpetuates the violence of a white supremacist system that further traps us in debt.
By canceling student loan debt, Joe Biden could create jobs, stimulate the economy, and narrow the racial wealth gap. Doing so would keep trillions of dollars in the hands of people and communities. Families would have less debt and more money to spend, providing immediate and direct economic stimulus to those impacted most by the pandemic: Black families and other families of color. Debt cancellation would provide Black families, especially millennial-parent households, a chance at home ownership, immediately increasing the possibility of building up one’s net worth and having intergenerational wealth to pass on. It’s that simple.
As countless pundits have noted, Black women voters saved the country from a second Trump term, all without adequate recognition or compensation. Empty praise and calls to “thank Black women” are not enough. We need material redistribution and economic transformation. We are owed nothing less.
We have paid enough—and I say no more. I am not asking for “debt forgiveness.” I am demanding justice.
These UCLA students don’t know what the capital of the United States is. This is proof that getting into college is way too easy. No wonder why so many college students think that borrowing money doesn’t entail paying it back.
This new video from James Klug is called, “BRUTAL: Gen Z Fails To Answer The EASIEST Questions.”
He asks adults the following questions. They don’t know the answers:
What’s the capital of the United States?
How many stars are on the United States flag?
What ocean is on the east side of the United States?
What country is the Queen of England from?
What was Adolf Hitler’s first name?
What is two times two times one?
Who was the first President of the United States?
They don’t know the answers.
This is proof that getting into college is way too easy.
No wonder why so many college students think that borrowing money doesn’t entail paying it back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsDVwYqs0ws
Rookie cop dead after being shot by lifelong criminal
https://thepostmillennial.com/rookie-cop-dead-after-being-shot-by-lifelong-criminal-police
Rookie cop dead after being shot by lifelong criminal
24-year-old police officer and US Army veteran Noah Shahnavaz was shot and killed by a man who shot at cops in the past and whose criminal record dates back to 1998.
August 1, 2022
By Joshua Young
24-year-old police officer and US Army veteran Noah Shahnavaz was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop early Sunday morning in Madison County, Indiana by a lifelong violent criminal.
Fox News Reports that around 2 am Shahnavaz stopped suspect Carl Roy Webb Boards II, who got out of his 2012 Buick LaCrosse, opened fire on the officer, and then fled the scene.
Shahnavaz, who was struck at least once by the gunfire, was rushed to an Indianapolis-area hospital where he later died.
42-year-old Carl Roy Webb Boards II was tracked down by Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies around 2:30 am. They used a tire deflation device and performed two pursuit intervention techniques to send Boards’ Buick into the median. Boards was arrested and is being held without bond.
Shahnavaz had been a member of the Elwood Police Department for 11 months and leaves behind a mother, father, and siblings. Elwood Mayor Todd Jones said at a press conference, “Noah proudly wore the Elwood Police Department uniform, serving the citizens of Elwood, he was part of our city family. A senseless act of violence robbed this man of the life and career that he had ahead of him.”
Local Fox News reports that Boards will be charged for murder, resisting arrest, and possession of a firearm by a violent felon. Madison County chief deputy prosecutor Andrew Hannah said two enhancement charges will be attached for his use of a firearm and being a habitual offender.
Carl Roy Webb Boards II’s criminal record started in 1998, when he was convicted of battery. In 2001 he was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious felon and possession of cocaine and narcotic drugs. In 2006 he got into a police chase and was charged with attempted murder and related charges for firing at the cops. In that instance he was subdued by taser and had multiple weapons in his possession including an AK-47.
For the police chase he was convicted of all the charges except attempted murder and was released from prison in 2019. Three years after being released from prison for firing his gun at police officers he has been charged with shooting and killing another police officer.
Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said of the incident, “When’s it going to stop? I wish I had the answer. This young man served this country for five years and chose to come back and serve a local community.”
Man on ‘triple probation’ convicted of armed robbery in Dayton
https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-triple-probation-convicted-armed-035900369.html
Man on ‘triple probation’ convicted of armed robbery in Dayton
By Jen Balduf
August 4, 2022
A jury found a Dayton man guilty Wednesday in a gunpoint robbery in February at a carryout.
Timothy C. Lewis, 38, was “on triple probation” in three criminal cases at the time of the Feb. 15 robbery at the Delphos Carryout, 2903 W. Third St., according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
He will be sentenced Aug. 15 following his conviction for two counts of aggravated robbery and one counts of grand theft — motor vehicle.
Lewis was inside the victim’s vehicle when Dayton police found it following the robbery. Lewis had the victim’s wallet when he was arrested, the prosecutor’s office said.
At the time of the armed robbery, Lewis was on probation in three other criminal cases. He was convicted of possession of heroin in June 2018 and was given probation. He was then convicted of aggravated possession of drugs in April 2019 and was granted Intervention in Lieu of Conviction (ILC). In September 2020 he was convicted of aggravated robbery. His ILC was revoked and he was placed on probation for all three cases.
After the jury’s verdict was announced in the latest case, a motion was made to revoke the defendant’s bond, but it was denied by the court, the prosecutor’s office stated.
Armed federal agents raid organic, Amish farm and demand that it shut down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1oABmOolFo
Amish farm under threat from U.S. federal govt for refusal to abandon traditional farming practices
Amos Miller, the farm’s owner, contends that he’s preparing food the way God intended — but the United States government doesn’t see things that way.
By Jeremy Loffredo
August 16, 2022
Miller’s Organic Farm, located in the remote Amish village of Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, has been around for almost 30 years.
The farm supplies everything from grass-fed beef and cheese, to raw milk and organic eggs, to dairy from grass-fed water buffalo and all types of produce, all to roughly 4,000 private food club members who pay top dollar for high quality whole food.
The private food club members appreciate their freedom to get food from an independent farmer that isn’t processing his meat and dairy at U.S. Department of Agriculture facilities, which mandates that food be prepared in ways that Miller’s Organic Farm believe make it less nutritious.
Amos Miller, the farm’s owner, contends that he’s preparing food the way God intended — but the U.S. government doesn’t see things that way.
They recently sent armed federal agents to the farm and demanded he cease operations. The government is also looking to issue more than $300,000 in fines — a request so steep, it would put the farm out of business.
This is an attack on Amish religious freedom just 150 miles from Washington D.C.
Making it even more independent, Miller’s farm also doesn’t use gasoline or fertilizer, and therefore the war between Ukraine and Russia isn’t affecting his bottom line, unlike every other farming competitor in the country.
Miller isn’t dependent on big industry players or the government, and he’s providing healthy food to his community the way he believes God intended. The government is trying to intimidate his operation and shut it down.
Liberals Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks: Man Previously Arrested 41 TIMES Assaults Innocent Worker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FOqmrY0wpo
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Philip Thornton released a violent serial criminal, and asked him not to commit any more crimes. Anyone who’s not an idiot can guess what happened next.
By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)
August 21, 2022
Seattle is in King County, Washington. Pierce County is part of the Seattle metropolitan area.
The Seattle metropolitan area is pro-crime.
Aaron Fulk is a 48-year-old violent serial criminal who lives in the Seattle metropolitan area.
Fulk was recently arrested for threatening a security guard who was working at a transit stop. Pierce County Superior Court Judge Philip Thornton released Fulk without bail, and asked him not to commit any more crimes.
Eight days later, Fulk used a metal pole to fatally beat a 66-year-old disabled many to death.
Settle’s city council had recently voted to defund the police.
The Seattle metropolitan area is pro-crime.
New Orleans is pro-crime. They gave zero jail time to a repeat armed carjacker.
Crime victims upset after Mayor Cantrell attends court in support of juvenile perpetrator
By Natasha Robin
August 19, 2022
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Crime victims say they felt victimized all over again when Mayor Latoya Cantrell showed up in court to support a juvenile perpetrator during sentencing.
“I was in shock. She wasn’t there for us. She was there for the assailant and his mother. It felt like she supported the crime,” says the victim.
“Your own Mayor isn’t supporting you,” says another victim.
Both women became victims of the same 13-year-old last September in separate incidents. They say he was one of three young gunmen who threatened and robbed them.
“I opened the door, and there is a kid in my face yelling at me to get out of the car and leave my keys or else he is going to shoot me,” says the victim.
“He had a gun, and he was like, I have a weapon. Give me everything you have,” says a victim.
Both women gave up their cars and belongings, and both say their lives were changed forever.
“I live in fear, and that’s not a good peaceful way to live,” says a victim.
“I don’t even feel safe. I’m always looking and praying that there’s not somebody out to get me again,” says a victim.
Putting their fears aside, both women and even a third victim testified in court against the juvenile, and Judge Renord Darensburg found him guilty.
Thursday, Judge Darensburg sentenced him, and the victims say they were taken aback when Mayor Cantrell walked into the courtroom.
“Someone approached us, and says, I’m going to warn you, the Mayor is here and she’s sitting on the other side,” says the victim.
“It’s like your city obviously doesn’t care and like the city is on the side of the attacker,” says a victim.
The victims are filled with emotions.
The Judge told FOX 8, the public defender introduced the Mayor as a character witness for the 13-year-old. While she didn’t speak, the victims say the Mayor sat next to the young attacker’s mother as they read their impact statements to the court.
“I couldn’t believe it. Three women were shedding tears and holding each other and comforting each other and she’s sitting next to this mom. I’m looking at the situation, and I’m confused. Did I do something wrong here? Was I at fault for something? That’s what I felt,” says the victim.
The Judge sentenced the 13-year-old to 3 years suspended sentence, meaning no jail time. The Judge told FOX 8, “Outside influences do not impact my decisions. My decision was based on the best interest of the juvenile and the community as this youth participated in 8 months of programming and remains compliant.”
“There has to be some sort of consequence for an action that has traumatized and terrorized three innocent women and complicated our lives,” says a victim.
While the victims aren’t happy with the sentence, they say the Mayor’s support for the young criminal made them feel victimized all over again.
District Attorney Jason Williams released a statement saying:
“As I’ve said repeatedly since taking office in January 2021, the violent offenders wreaking havoc in our neighborhoods must be held accountable, and we are practicing what we preach at the DA’s Office. In this case, our prosecutors fought and argued for the judge to impose the maximum possible sentence. It was abundantly clear based on the facts, evidence, and circumstances that serious jail time was required to ensure accountability and public safety. We are extremely disappointed in the sentence that was ultimately handed down. Our office is deeply committed to securing justice for victims and survivors, but – especially as it pertains to juvenile offenders and our young people in New Orleans more broadly – it will take all of us to turn the tide. Nobody at the DA’s Office, myself included, was given advance notice of the Mayor’s presence or can provide any context for her participation at yesterday’s hearing.”
Lockdown effects feared to be killing more people than Covid
Lockdown effects feared to be killing more people than Covid
Unexplained excess deaths outstrip those from virus as medics call figures ‘terrifying’
By Sarah Knapton, Science Editor
18 August 2022
The effects of lockdown may now be killing more people than are dying of Covid, official data suggests.
Figures for excess deaths from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that around 1,000 more people than usual are dying each week from conditions other than the virus.
The Telegraph understands that the Department of Health has ordered an investigation into the figures amid concern that the deaths are linked to delays to and deferment of treatment for conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Over the past two months, the number of excess deaths not from Covid dwarfs the number linked to the virus. It comes amid renewed calls for Covid measures such as compulsory face masks in the winter.
But the figures suggest the country is facing a new silent health crisis linked to the pandemic response rather than to the virus itself.
The British Heart Foundation said it was “deeply concerned” by the findings, while the Stroke Association said it had been anticipating a rise in deaths for a while.
Dr Charles Levinson, the chief executive of Doctorcall, a private GP service, said his company was seeing “far too many” cases of undetected cancers and cardiac problems, as well as “disturbing” numbers of mental health conditions.
“Hundreds and hundreds of people dying every week – what is going on?” he said. “Delays in seeking and receiving healthcare are no doubt the driving force, in my view.
“Daily Covid statistics demanded the nation’s attention, yet these terrifying figures barely get a look in. A full and urgent government investigation is required immediately.”
Figures released by the ONS on Tuesday showed that excess deaths are currently 14.4 per cent higher than the five-year average, equating to 1,350 more deaths than usual in the week ending Aug 5.
Although 469 deaths were because of Covid, the remaining 881 have not been explained and the ONS does not break down the remaining deaths by cause.
Since the beginning of June, the ONS has recorded nearly 10,000 more deaths than the five-year average – around 1,089 a week – none of which is linked to Covid. The figure is more than three times the number of people who died because of the virus over the same period, which stood at 2,811.
Even analysis that takes into account ageing population changes has identified a substantial ongoing excess.
Questioned by The Telegraph, the Department of Health admitted it had asked the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities to look into the figures and had discovered that the majority were linked to largely preventable heart and stroke and diabetes-related conditions.
Many appointments and treatments were cancelled as the NHS battled the pandemic throughout 2020 and last year, leading to a huge backlog that the health service is still struggling to bring down.
This week, an internal memo from the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan, leaked to the Health Service Journal (HSJ), warned it was becoming “increasingly common” for patients to die in A&E as they waited for treatment.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, the British Heart Foundation chief executive, said: “We’re deeply concerned by the initial findings that excess deaths in recent months seem to be being driven by cardiovascular disease.
“Without significant help for the NHS from the Government now, this situation can only get worse.”
Last week, official England-wide statistics showed emergency care standards had hit an all-time low.
Juliet Bouvier OBE, the Stroke Association chief executive, said: “We know people haven’t been having their routine appointments for the past few years now, so we’ve been anticipating a rise in strokes for quite a while now.
“This lack of opportunity to identify risk factors for stroke coupled with increasing ambulance delays is a recipe for increased stroke mortality and disability in those that survive.”
Reuters: “A study of 301 teens in Thailand found mild and temporary heart rhythm changes after a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine among one in six teenagers”
Fact Check-Study of Thai teenagers did not find one third experienced heart effects after COVID vaccination
August 18, 2022
A study of 301 teens in Thailand found mild and temporary heart rhythm changes after a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine among one in six teenagers, not one-third as social media posts claim. The study also saw possible signs of heart inflammation in just seven of those teens with rhythm changes and confirmed myocarditis in only one of the seven.
Social media users are circulating the study of post-vaccination heart effects in Thai teenagers with the claim that a third of participants experienced heart effects, and the suggestion that the results indicate a new danger level for children. These posts are missing context: the study’s authors concluded, “We found the risk of these symptoms to be not as low as reported elsewhere, but in all cases, symptoms were mild with full recovery within 14 days.”
A Twitter post shared more than 11,000 times (here) contains a link to the preprint study by Suyanee Mansanguan of Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital in Bangkok and colleagues, with the comment, “BREAKING: A new study has found cardiovascular adverse effects in around a third of teens following Pfizer vaccination, and heart inflammation in one in 43, raising fresh concerns about the risks of vaccination for young people. This is beyond concerning.”
Similar versions of the post on Facebook can be seen (here) (here) (here) (here).
The original tweet garnered responses that include comments suggesting the study is a new cause for concern, such as “I am so worried about my teen-aged-children finding a healthy life partner in the future. My understanding is that ~61% of kids ages 12-17y.o. are (sorry for putting it bluntly) damaged goods now” (here) and “Makes me so angry that my very healthy son, a college athlete, was required to get this vaccine, or not continue his collegiate career” (here).
Mansanguan and colleagues note in their draft study, released as a preprint on Aug. 8 (here), that they likely saw higher rates of heart rhythm disturbance and signs of inflammation than in other studies because they did tests that detected mild changes in participants with no symptoms who would not ordinarily have been screened.
The analysis included 301 people aged 13-18 recruited from two Bangkok schools before receiving their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in November and December of 2021. The students were mostly male (67%) and none had “abnormal” symptoms after their first vaccine shot, the study notes.
Before receiving the second vaccine shot, each participant had a physical exam, a heart ultrasound called an echocardiogram, heart rhythm measurements by electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and blood tests to look for heart-related biomarkers including Troponin-T and CK-MB, both markers of damage to heart muscle. The exam and the tests were repeated on days 3 and 7 following the second vaccine shot, and on day 14 for some of the teenagers. The participants also kept symptom diaries throughout the study period and were able to contact or visit the study team doctors at any time to ask questions or discuss unusual symptoms.
Overall, 50 of the 301 students reported fever after the second vaccine shot and 35 reported headache, both common general side effects following COVID-19 vaccination.
Among cardiovascular effects detected only by ECG, 54 participants (18%, so roughly one in six, not one in three as social media rates) had rapid heartrate or abnormal heart rhythm. Of these, 39 had reported symptoms such as palpitations or chest pain. Fifteen reported no symptoms at all.
Among the participants with abnormal ECG, seven – all males — also had elevated biomarkers of heart muscle injury or inflammation. Of these seven, four had reported chest discomfort or pain, but three had no symptoms other than the elevated biomarkers. All seven also had normal heart function and no sign of reduced pumping ability that can signal heart failure.
One young man was admitted to the hospital intensive care unit for observation of his arrhythmia over four days, treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, and his symptoms resolved within days, with no detectable damage to his heart, according to the report.
Of that patient — the only one formally diagnosed with myocarditis — the study authors write, “One patient with myopericarditis in our study follow-up with [cardiac MRI] at 5 months after vaccination showed complete recovery and no scar.”
Although the study authors note in their paper that many of the survey participants (44%) had other underlying diseases including asthma, allergies, blood or thyroid disorders and migraine, the study does not analyze whether these conditions were associated with differences in risk for side effects or cardiovascular effects after the vaccine. The authors also note that they were unable to do baseline testing of kids prior to the first vaccine shot, which is a limitation of the study. Reuters contacted the study’s senior author for comment.
The rates of heart effects or suspected heart effects detected by prospectively testing everyone in the Thai study are higher than seen in many studies that rely on voluntary reporting of possible adverse events to databases such as the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) (vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html), or studies that rely on retrospective analysis of medical records for people diagnosed with myocarditis.
The Thai team confirmed one case of myocarditis (heart inflammation) in the 301 students — not one in 43 as suggested in social media posts.
The 1 in 301 myocarditis rate in the Thai study would translate to roughly 332 per 100,000. In contrast, one retrospective study in Israel (here) found that the odds of myocarditis following vaccination were nearly twice as high after the second shot than after the first. The rates were also highest among young men aged 16-19, at 13.60 per 100,000.
A recent study by CDC researchers looking at data from 40 U.S. health systems found that myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination was diagnosed at a rate of 22.0–35.9 per 100,000 among males aged 12-17 (here).
However, a U.S. pediatric cardiologist who reviewed the Thai study at sciencebasedmedicine.org (here) questioned whether the heart readings that the study calls abnormal really were indicative of adverse effects on the heart, especially in teenagers with no other symptoms.
Abnormal ECG alone is not sufficient to diagnose myocarditis in someone without symptoms, writes Dr. Eric Han, who notes that the reader also cannot tell how abnormal any readings might have been because data from before vaccination isn’t provided for comparison.
Of the different types of heart rhythm described as abnormal in the study, all but one could be considered normal in a child depending on the circumstances, Han notes. “Elevated troponin has its own causes as well, not all of which are myocarditis,” he also writes.
“To the trained observer,” Han concludes, “there are no shocking findings in this study. Overall, it supports the current body of knowledge regarding COVID vaccination myocarditis.”
VERDICT
False. The study of teenagers in Thailand following a second COVID-19 vaccination found that 18% — not one third — experienced any detectable cardiac effect, and that 1 in 301, not 1 in 43, had confirmed myocarditis. A large proportion of purported abnormalities detected by testing were without symptoms, and 100% of the teens in the study fully recovered after 14 days, the authors reported.
Lauren Chen: The Left Hates Asians (The Affirmative Action Debate)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkRB-X0vWlU
Newport News, Virginia: This teenager just committed his second shooting. His punishment for the first was to wear an electronic ankle monitor.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-heritage-high-school-student-175100915.html
Former Heritage High School student sentenced to 10 years in shooting of two students last year: ‘I’m trying to redeem myself.’
By Peter Dujardin
August 5, 2022
A former Heritage High School student was sentenced Friday to 10 years behind bars in a shooting that wounded two students at the school last fall.
Circuit Court Judge Christopher Papile sentenced Jacari Taylor — who was 15 at the time of the September shooting and is now 16 — to a blended sentence that will include juvenile detention and state prison time.
“I can’t ignore that he brought a gun to school, got into an altercation, and decided to pull the gun out, shooting it many times and hitting these two victims,” Papile said. With the crowd of students in the hallway at the time, the judge said, “I’m flabbergasted that it wasn’t much worse.”
The Sept. 20 shooting came less than two weeks into the school year as about 1,200 students returned to full in-person classes following pandemic lockdowns.
Word of the incident spread quickly on social media, with parents rushing to the school en masse. Hundreds of students fled the building, while others hid in closets and barricaded classrooms. The school was closed for more than a month.
Taylor was arrested the day of the shooting after his father took him to turn himself in.
Prosecutors said Taylor and a 17-year-old student were arguing in the school cafeteria when the dispute spilled into a hallway. Surveillance footage shows Taylor and the other student falling to the floor, after which Taylor pulled a gun and began shooting. He fired several rounds before fleeing down the hallway, with dozens of students scattering.
One bullet entered behind the 17-year-old’s left ear, lodging in his lower left jaw, with the teen also struck in the leg and finger. Another round hit a 17-year-old girl in the leg as she ran. (Both students have since recovered).
Taylor faced up to 65 years Friday after pleading guilty in April to two counts of malicious wounding and four gun counts.
Deputy Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Travis White asked for a sentence of 10 years and seven months, or the midpoint of state sentencing guidelines.
“What occurred was a destruction of the sense of safety, the school as a sanctuary,” White said Friday. The incident caused anxiety to “every parent who sat in the parking lot hoping it wasn’t their child who was shot,” he said.
But White said Taylor deserves credit for “not dragging the community through a protracted case” — he confessed to the crime, did not fight the transfer to adult court and pleaded guilty. White called it one of the quickest cases he’s had from offense to sentence.
Assistant Public Defender Emily Hunt asked for five years — which would have allowed Taylor to serve his entire time in the juvenile system — saying Taylor is a smart teen who is introspective and “amenable to change.”
“This started with a fight and started with fear,” Hunt said. “He did not go to school with anger or a desire to shoot other people … This was not a Columbine situation.”
Hunt noted that Taylor told a detective he took the gun to school because he was having a beef with another student and didn’t know how to fight. Taylor, skinny and only 115 pounds, told detectives he wasn’t trying to kill anyone but opened fire so the other teen would “get off me.”
Taylor’s father, Jamar Taylor, testified he talks to his son every other day, calling him “quiet, goofy … and just like any other kid,” who did his chores. “He tries to uplift (his siblings) and make sure they don’t be where he at,” he said.
A counselor with the Department of Juvenile Justice, Aaron Webb, testified he and Taylor have been working well together in recent months, with a key turning point being his “straight As” on a June report card.
Jacari Taylor declined to address Papile before the sentence, but the judge read aloud a letter he submitted through his lawyer.
“I take responsibility for my actions,” Taylor wrote in part. “From the middle of my heart, I really apologize and hope you can see that I’m trying to make it all better … Hurting people doesn’t make me happy or give me confidence … I pray and hope you see that I’m trying to redeem myself.”
But Papile noted that Taylor’s time in juvenile custody — at least before the past few months — hasn’t always been without incident. That included threats against others, throwing a trash can around his pod and assaulting a fellow inmate in May, only five days after his guilty plea.
Papile also noted that at the time of the Heritage shooting, Taylor had another malicious wounding case already pending against him. “It wasn’t the first time he had taken out a gun and shot somebody,” the judge said.
In the July 2020 incident, when Taylor was 14, he was charged with shooting a teen, and pleaded guilty to that charge in March 2021. In September of 2021 — only a couple of weeks before the Heritage shooting — a juvenile court judge ordered him to wear an electronic ankle monitor in that case.
The judge asked Friday if there was a relationship between the two shooting incidents, and Hunt confirmed a partial link. She didn’t spell out the connection, but said both shootings stemmed from disputes others were having with Taylor’s brother.
Papile sentenced Taylor to 45 years on the charges from the Heritage shooting but suspended 35 years, reducing the active time to 10 years. The judge also ordered Taylor to stay away from the shooting victims and pay about $6,281 in medical bills for one victim.
“You might think what I am doing is severe,” Papile told him. “But you will be a very young person when you get out. You will be in your 20s and you will have your whole life ahead of you.”
The COVID-19 lockdowns continue to kill large numbers of people
https://www.yahoo.com/news/silent-crisis-soaring-excess-deaths-203000182.html
Silent crisis of soaring excess deaths gripping Britain is only tip of the iceberg
Sarah Knapton
August 18, 2022
Britain is in the grip of a new silent health crisis.
For 14 of the past 15 weeks, England and Wales have averaged around 1,000 extra deaths each week, none of which are due to Covid.
If the current trajectory continues, the number of non-Covid excess deaths will soon outstrip deaths from the virus this year – and be even more deadly than the omicron wave.
So what is going on? Experts believe decisions taken by the Government in the earliest stages of the pandemic may now be coming back to bite.
Policies that kept people indoors, scared them away from hospitals and deprived them of treatment and primary care are finally taking their toll.
Prof Robert Dingwall, of Nottingham Trent University, a former government adviser during the pandemic, said: “The picture seems very consistent with what some of us were suggesting from the beginning.
“We are beginning to see the deaths that result from delay and deferment of treatment for other conditions, like cancer and heart disease, and from those associated with poverty and deprivation.
“These come through more slowly – if cancer is not treated promptly, patients don’t die immediately but do die in greater numbers more quickly than would otherwise be the case.”
The Government has admitted that the majority of the excess deaths appear to be from circulatory issues and diabetes – long-term, chronic conditions that can be fatal without adequate care.
Such conditions were also likely to have been exacerbated by lockdowns and work-from-home edicts that increased sedentary lifestyles and alcohol intake at a time when Britain was already facing historic levels of obesity and heart disease.
Dr Charles Levison, the chief executive of Doctorcall, a private GP service, said: “People really, really struggled and so many did not get the help they needed. That has caused lasting damage.
“It is time that we had a proper national debate about this, with a full government investigation.”
The latest fallout could not be hitting the NHS at a worse time, when it is struggling to bring down the pandemic treatment backlog and failing to meet targets across the board.
Figures released last week showed that a record 29,317 patients were forced to endure 12-hour waits in accident and emergency in July, a rise of a third in a month.
The number of 12-hour A&E waits rose 33 per cent in July, with a record spike of 7,283 – up from 22,034 the previous month. Before the pandemic, the figure for the same month was just 450.
Latest figures show that heart attack or stroke patients in England waited more than half an hour longer for an ambulance to arrive in July, compared with before the pandemic – crucial minutes that could prove fatal.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, the chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Right now, too many people with heart conditions are facing dangerously long waits for potentially life saving cardiac care.
“Cardiovascular disease is one of the nation’s biggest killers but getting seen on time can be the difference between life and death.”
There is growing frustration among health professionals that little is being done to highlight the excess death problems. When a similar number of people were dying from Covid each week, there was a clamour for greater restrictions.
Prof Carl Heneghan, the director of the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at Oxford University, said excess deaths began to increase noticeably from around the end of April. They have stayed high compared with the past seven years.
“The signals in the data suggest something is not quite right,” he said. “Sustained rises in deaths should trigger an investigation that may involve accessing the raw data on death certificates, a random sample of medical notes or analysing autopsies.
“I feel there is a lack of clear thinking at the moment and, when it comes to people’s health and wellbeing, you can’t wait – it’s unacceptable.”
Huge numbers of the excess deaths appear to be happening at home, with 681 recorded in the latest release by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday – 28.1 per cent above what would usually be expected.
Some experts think the excess deaths may still be people whose health was weakened by a Covid infection, which is known to increase the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
Research has also shown that people who have recovered from a Covid infection are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Dr Adam Jacobs, the senior director of biostatistics at Premier Research, said: “It’s certainly possible that just allowing millions of people to be infected could have increased deaths from cardiovascular disease as an indirect effect of Covid.”
However, others believe the excess deaths are likely to be a complex response to government policies and restrictions to tackle the virus.
Dr Tom Jefferson, also of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, added: “Clearly, Covid is not really an issue any more and instead there appears to be an increase in cardiovascular events and diabetes which fits in with a more sedentary lifestyles brought about by the pandemic restrictions.
“Increased alcohol and food intake, not exercising enough, stress, not getting treatment can all lead to strokes and heart attacks. Then you ring the ambulance and it doesn’t come.”
This week, the Department of Health and Social Care finally admitted that it is concerned about the figures. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has been analysing the excess deaths.
It is understood the Government is concerned that a combination of long delays for ambulances and emergency care, coupled with people missing out on routine checks and treatment due to the Covid response, is behind the increase.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “Analysis is ongoing, however early investigation suggests circulatory diseases and diabetes may be partly responsible for the majority of excess deaths.
“The latest data highlight the importance of actively managing risks around heart issues as there is good evidence many of these deaths are potentially preventable.”
Getting to the bottom of what is behind the rise is likely to prove tricky, but it is imperative if we are to understand the true and lasting impact of policies to tackle Covid.
At the moment, the majority of excess deaths appear to be related to heart disease and diabetes, but it will only be a matter of time that people will start dying of longer-term conditions left untreated, such as cancer.
In July 2020, a government report warned that lockdowns could cause the deaths of 200,000 people because of delayed healthcare. At the time, those findings were largely ignored, as the Government was urged to press ahead with restrictions.
If that report holds true, the current excess deaths will be just the tip of the iceberg. Sadly, that iceberg was only too visible before we crashed into it.
New York City continues to be pro-crime
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nyc-attempted-murder-suspect-dismissed-001454047.html
NYC Attempted-Murder Suspect Dismissed from Court after Charge Reduced to Misdemeanor
By Caroline Downey
August 18, 2022
A man arrested on an attempted-murder charge, who also is a registered sex offender, was dismissed from court in New York City on supervised release without bail Thursday after his charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.
Bui Van Phu, the 55-year-old man accused of brutally sucker punching a diner Friday night, inflicting trauma to the head that posed significant risk to his life, had his charges lessened to third-degree assault and second-degree harassment by Bronx Criminal Court. The grounds for the lower charge were that he “‘intentionally (caused) physical injury and with intent to harass, annoy or alarm another person,”’ according to court records obtained by the Daily Mail.
Phu had been incarcerated for six years with lifetime parole after he was convicted for attempted robbery in 1991 and raping a 17-year-old girl at gunpoint in 1994, for which he was designated a Level 3 sex offender. Phu was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon and robbery in New York City in the 1990s, the outlet reported. He has been out of prison since March 2019.
A video from the New York Police Department shows Phu leaving the Fuego Tipico restaurant in the Bronx, putting on work gloves, and without apparent provocation violently punching 52-year-old Jesus Cortes in the head from behind. The victim suffered a fractured skull, a broken cheekbone, and a brain bleed, and he is currently in a coma at the hospital.
Cortes’s family members were dismayed to hear of the vicious attack and expressed outrage that the perpetrator is now roaming free.
“That kind of person shouldn’t be out on the street,” the victim’s sister, Veronica Cortes, 50, told the N.Y. Daily News. “I felt helplessness and anger and sadness because that person who did the damage does not know the damage he did to the whole family.”
The incident comes as Mayor Eric Adams and the city’s progressive prosecutors, such as Democratic district attorney Alvin Bragg, have come under intense criticism for their soft-on-crime policies, such as bail reform, which many residents say has fueled the rising wave of homicides, theft, and aggravated assault.
Last month, Bragg originally chose to charge with murder and set a $500,000 cash bail for a New York City bodega worker who fatally stabbed an attacker in what he said was self-defense. Bragg later dropped the charge in response to public backlash.
The Bronx DA and New York City police union did not immediately respond to requests for comment from National Review.
Elephant at Chinese zoo filmed returning shoe to child
https://www.yahoo.com/news/elephant-chinese-zoo-filmed-returning-230905431.html
Elephant at Chinese zoo filmed returning shoe to child
By Rebecca Moon
August 18, 2022
An adorable elephant in Shandong province of eastern China was caught on video returning a little boy’s shoe after it fell into his enclosure at a zoo.
The video, uploaded to Twitter on Wednesday by Now This, shows the elephant grabbing the tiny shoe with his tusk and carefully reaching up to the boy as the child grabs his shoe back.
https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1559918724169117696
Twitter users praised the elephant for the kind gesture.
“Elephants are the most loyal protective matriarchal animals that exist,” one user wrote.
“How beautiful that it reciprocates the gesture of the child,” another user commented.
Some Twitter users, however, suggested that the elephant appeared “sad.”
“It doesn’t belong in a zoo. Its eyes also look sad,” one user commented.
“That’s also obviously a routine, human throws something in and hands elephant some grass when it is returned. That small barren enclosure with shreds of grass on the floor. Nothing about this is lovely. So sad for that wonderful animal,” another user commented.
The video has garnered over 2.5 million videos and 14,200 likes since being uploaded.
Liberal Ana Kasparian of the Young Turks criticizes California for not punishing violent criminals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbcIoUEFGRc
This is self defense. Once the robber jumped over the counter, the owner’s life was potentially at risk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCu4G_ZkBI0
New York City continues to be pro-crime
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nyc-career-criminal-sees-hate-122212058.html
NYC career criminal sees hate crime charge dropped in alleged slashing of Asian woman
By Carl Samson
August 4, 2022
The man accused of slashing an Asian woman in New York City on Sunday will no longer be charged with a hate crime, according to reports.
Anthony Evans, 30, will instead undergo a psychiatric evaluation but remain held without bail for the Times Square attack, which left the 59-year-old victim with a severely injured hand and trauma.
Surveillance footage of the attack at 7th Ave. and W. 42nd St. shows the assailant allegedly running up to the victim and slashing her from behind with a box cutter.
Evans, who has at least 30 prior arrests, was busted on Tuesday morning and initially charged by police with assault as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon.
Prosecutors, however, dropped the hate crime enhancement on Wednesday and instead charged Evans with assault and attempted assault, according to the New York Daily News.
The victim is a tailor who required 19 stitches for her injury. While no words were reportedly exchanged during the incident, she suspects she was targeted for being Asian.
Court records show that Evans was also arrested for a violent robbery just days before Sunday’s attack, but a Queens judge let him loose on supervised release, the New York Post reported.
Evans allegedly stole a pack of noodles from SkyFoods on College Point Boulevard on July 22. He then hit the store’s manager in the face after the latter confronted him outside, as per a criminal complaint.
Then, on July 27, Evans allegedly stole an 18-pack of Miller Light beer from a Walgreens. A worker confronted him outside and retrieved the beer, according to court records.
Evans was charged with second-degree robbery for the July 22 incident and petty larceny for the July 27 case. During his July 27 arraignment, prosecutors reportedly sought a $50,000 bail, but the judge released him for free.
Prosecutors sought to have Evans held on a $200,000 bail for the latest attack, but he was instead ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, according to reports. He must return to court on Aug. 25.
Dan from Squirrel Hill's Blog 