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Why Is AG Garland Willing to Go to the Wall Over Hur Tapes?
The wrath of Congress should not be lightly dismissed.
by Mark Angelides | Jun 13, 2024
Late Wednesday, June 12, Attorney General Merrick Garland was on the receiving end of a contempt of Congress vote, making him the third such officeholder to face the wrath of the House. In a 216 to 207, mostly party-line vote, GOP lawmakers held Garland in contempt for refusing to hand over audio files related to President Joe Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. While the AG cites politicization as the impetus for this action, the real question concerns why he would refuse to comply in the first place.
Garland Refuses to Budge
Special Counsel Hur oversaw the investigation into Biden’s mishandling of classified documents. The process saw the commander-in-chief sit down for two interviews last October. Despite myriad news reports suggesting the president was exonerated of wrongdoing, Mr. Hur actually determined that while “wilful” mishandling took place, a jury may not convict Biden and that he would come across as an “elderly man with a poor memory.”
The transcripts were released, and the left-leaning Fourth Estate declared that such evidence of cognitive decline was not apparent. Indeed, Mr. Biden’s own lawyers decried the report, calling it an unfair and unprofessional observation. Surely, if such a mischaracterization took place, those who disagree would want the audio published widely. What better way to dispel a falsehood than to disinfect with sunlight?
AG Garland, however, advised that the president should claim executive privilege over the recordings.
Something to Hide?
There are two arguments in play for the refusal to comply with the House’s subpoena. The first is that Mr. Garland claims he can see no legislative purpose in releasing the recordings. The other is wildly speculative fearmongering that the audio may be manipulated by artificial intelligence and promote disinformation.
In a novel legal filing, the Department of Justice claimed AI tampering was a sound reason for the withholding, writing:
“The passage of time and advancements in audio, artificial intelligence, and ‘deep fake’ technologies only amplify concerns about malicious manipulation of audio files. If the audio recording is released here, it is easy to foresee that it could be improperly altered, and that the altered file could be passed off as an authentic recording and widely distributed.
“A malicious actor could slow down the speed of the recording or insert words that President Biden did not say or delete words that he did say… That problem is exacerbated by the fact that there is now widely available technology that can be used to create entirely different audio ‘deepfakes’ based on a recording.”
There appear to be a few problems with this line of argument. First, as the transcript is widely available, the insertion of words would be easily dealt with. Unless, of course, the original transcript had already been edited in such a way. This is something that the White House comms team has done on numerous occasions to “tidy up” Mr. Biden’s speeches. However, this is unlikely to be something the DOJ would do.
New banner Viewpoint with eyeAnother aspect to consider is that if the DOJ’s argument passes legal muster, what is to stop all audio and video footage of any president being withheld under the same rationale?
So, what of the legislative purpose argument? It is worth noting that the government agencies fall under congressional oversight. It is not for a department to determine what Congress should and should not be investigating. In fact, lawmakers have a very real and practical interest in discovering whether Mr. Hur’s written report tells the full story – especially as the Biden administration has called it a complete mischaracterization.
Next Steps for Garland
Despite the contempt charge, the head of the DOJ has little to worry about. When AGs Bill Barr (under Donald Trump) and Eric Holder (under Barack Obama) were held in contempt, the US Attorney in Washington, DC, declined to pursue charges.
AG Garland responded to the contempt of Congress vote in a statement, accusing House Republicans of turning “a serious congressional authority into a partisan weapon.” He continued:
“Today’s vote disregards the constitutional separation of powers, the Justice Department’s need to protect its investigations, and the substantial amount of information we have provided to the Committees.”
This refutation comes hot on the heels of AG Garland writing an op-ed in the pages of Washington, DC’s most notable newspaper on June 11. In his article, he claimed: “In recent weeks, we have seen an escalation of attacks that go far beyond public scrutiny, criticism, and legitimate and necessary oversight of our work. They are baseless, personal and dangerous.”
“Continued unfounded attacks against the Justice Department’s employees are dangerous for people’s safety,” he wrote. “They are dangerous for our democracy. This must stop.”
While this was certainly a political powerplay by the House GOP, it would be a stretch of the imagination to believe Mr. Garland’s accusation that lawmakers seeking to obtain an audio file that would determine if Mr. Biden’s lawyers’ claim of mischaracterization was true or false is a danger to “our democracy.” It may well turn out to be, however, a threat to Mr. Biden’s chances in the 2024 election.
https://www.libertynation.com/why-is-ag-garland-willing-to-go-to-the-wall-over-hur-tapes/
Thursday's Energy Absurdity: Revisiting the Left's Keystone XL Lie
David Blackmon
Jun 13, 2024
Reuters reports that Canada’s Trans-Mountain pipeline is running smoothly and without significant issues now, transporting up to 890,000 barrels of oil per day of Albertan and British Columbian crude across the Canadian Rockies to Vancouver.
From the Vancouver terminal, officials expect to be able to load up to 22 massive oil tankers full of crude every month and ship it across the ocean to be delivered to China and other Asian destinations. So far, so good, right? Sure, from a pure operational perspective, Trans-Mountain is a huge success.
But when I read this story, my mind immediately goes to the fact that about 800,000 of those 890,000 barrels of crude each day could have by now be moving down to the US Gulf Coast on the Keystone XL Pipeline, where the oil would be refined by the world’s best refining companies under the world’s strictest emissions regulations. Instead, it is going to Asian ports where regulations are far laxer, thus needlessly raising global emissions.
But wait: You may remember that the main argument used by Biden and the climate alarm community in opposition to Keystone XL was that it would raise emissions. Yeah, that was a lie, and they all knew it at the time.
Another argument used by Biden and his green supporters was that the completion of Keystone XL would result in increased Canadian oil production, that Biden could lower emissions by forcing Canadian operators to leave it in the ground. Yeah, that was another bald-faced lie, and they all knew it at the time.
Ironically, Justin Trudeau’s leftist government made sure of that, providing low-interest capital to fund the major Trans-Mountain expansion that doubled its capacity. Trudeau did that specifically to make sure the Albertan oil would not remain in the ground. Not only that, but the cancellation of Keystone XL simply means that hundreds of thousands of additional barrels of Canadian crude flow into the US every day via vastly more-polluting and less safe trains and trucks.
Oh.
Literally every argument used by the radical climate alarmist left to kill Keystone XL was 180 degrees from the truth. It was all lies.
If you still believe anything these people say has anything to do with protecting you or the environment, well, as the great Bill Engvall would say, here’s your sign:
That is all.
https://blackmon.substack.com/p/thursdays-energy-absurdity-revisiting?publication_id=712558&post_id=145600750&isFreemail=true&r=rd9j8&triedRedirect=true
GOP Plans for the Ultimate Nov. Outcome: a Trump Win and a Congressional Sweep
By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 12 June 2024 07:38 PM EDT
House Speaker Mike Johnson met with Senate Republicans Wednesday to discuss Donald Trump’s ambitious agenda should he get elected and the GOP capture congressional majorities this November, reported the Hill.
"The principal focus in the lunch was if and when we have Republican majorities in the House and Senate that we should hit the ground running with a positive, pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda that focuses on tax reform and regulatory reform," said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, after the meeting.
Johnson was "pretty clear that they want to try to go big, and that means more than just extending the tax cuts," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told the news outlet.
Johnson pitched lawmakers on extending Trump-era tax cuts, spending cuts, and regulatory reforms, while other GOP lawmakers pitched a big increase in defense spending and cuts to mandatory government spending to reduce the projected federal deficit.
Cornyn reportedly pitched his colleagues on tackling mandatory spending, which includes entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and required interest spending on the federal debt.
"We’ve tried to deal with spending just looking at discretionary spending. Actually, discretionary spending has not jumped up nearly as much as mandatory," he said.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told the Hill Republicans have "to prepare."
"We’ve got to be able to think through what are the key issues that we could do," he said. "We don’t know what the makeup [of government’s] going to be. The American people will decide that in November, but we should starting talking about it, starting with taxes."
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/trump-agenda-johnson/2024/06/12/id/1168536/?ns_mail_uid=110c4f27-b39e-4490-8c9e-becd156886f8&ns_mail_job=DM637508_06132024&s=acs&dkt_nbr=0101041q52tx
Older Arizona Voters Strongly Favor Trump Over Biden in AARP Poll
Wednesday, 12 June 2024 08:20 PM EDT
Voters over age 50 in the key battleground state of Arizona strongly favor Donald Trump in November's election rematch, a new poll from the U.S.'s largest organization for older Americans shows, highlighting a potential new weakness in Democrat Joe Biden's support.
Arizona voters overall favor Republican Trump over Biden by 45% to 37%, with 11% of support going to independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) poll released on Wednesday shows.
Trump's lead is greatest among voters ages 50 and older, at 49% to 39%, the poll shows, showing a fresh weakness for Biden, whose support among voters without college degrees, young voters and Black voters has dropped since 2020. Among women voters only age 50 and older, Biden is tied in Arizona, the AARP poll shows.
Exit polls by NBC News after the 2020 election showed Arizona voters over 50 favored Trump by a margin of 52% to 47% for Biden; CNN exit polls showed Arizona voters aged 50 to 64 favored Trump 55% to 45%, while those over 65 favored him by just 50% to 49%.
Biden won Arizona by less than 11,000 votes in 2020.
Biden's weakness in the AARP poll isn't reflective of a broader party split. Arizona voters overall favor Democrat Ruben Gallego over Republican Kari Lake 48% to 45% in the state's race for a U.S. Senate seat, while the two candidates are tied with over-50s.
On Thursday, Biden's campaign kicks off "Seniors for Biden-Harris" in Arizona with bingo events in Arizona. First lady Jill Biden is traveling to Arizona on Saturday to speak to seniors.
Biden has lowered costs for insulin and other prescription drugs, passed rules that make hearing aids cheaper, and pledged to protect funding for Social Security, the U.S. government pension program.
In March, the Biden campaign said it would attack Trump over Republican threats to cut Social Security and Medicare in the key states of Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, with an advertising campaign and several press conferences.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/biden-trump-aarp/2024/06/12/id/1168543/?ns_mail_uid=110c4f27-b39e-4490-8c9e-becd156886f8&ns_mail_job=DM637508_06132024&s=acs&dkt_nbr=0101041q52tx
Attorney General Garland Targets “Conspiracy Theories” After Launching “Election Threats Task Force” with FBI, Sparking Censorship Concerns
Didi Rankovic
Some might see US Attorney General Merrick Garland getting quite involved in campaigning ahead of the November election – albeit indirectly so, as a public servant whose primary concern is supposedly how to keep Department of Justice (DoJ) staff “safe.”
And, in the process, he brings up “conspiracy theorists” branding them as undermining the judicial process in the US – because they dare question the validity of a particular judicial process that aimed at former President Trump.
In an opinion piece published by the Washington Post, Garland used one instance that saw a man convicted for threatening a local FBI office to draw blanket and dramatic conclusions that DoJ staff have never operated in a more dangerous environment, where “threats of violence have become routine.”
It all circles back to the election, and Garland makes little effort to present himself as neutral. Other than “conspiracy theories,” his definition of a threat are calls to defund the department that was responsible for going after the former president.
Ironically, while the tone of his op-ed and the topics and examples he chooses to demonstrate his own bias, Garland goes after those who claim that DoJ is politicized with the goal of influencing the election.
The attorney general goes on to quote “media reports” – he doesn’t say which, but one can assume those following the same political line – which are essentially (not his words) hyping up their audiences to expect more “threats.”
“Media reports indicate there is an ongoing effort to ramp up these attacks against the Justice Department, its work and its employees,” is how Garland put it.
And he pledged that, “we will not be intimidated” by these by-and-large nebulous “threats,” with the rhetoric at that point in the article ramped up to refer to this as, “attacks.”
Garland’s opinion piece is not the only attempt by the DoJ to absolve itself of accusations of acting in a partisan way, instead of serving the interests of the public as a whole.
Thus, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote to House Republicans, specifically House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, to accuse him of making “completely baseless” accusations against DoJ for orchestrating the New York trial of Donald Trump.
While, as it were, protesting too much, (CNBC called it “the fiery reply”) – Uriarte also went for the “conspiracy theory conspiracy theory”:
“The conspiracy theory that the recent jury verdict in New York state court was somehow controlled by the Department is not only false, it is irresponsible,” he wrote.
Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray recently discussed plans to counter election threats during a DoJ Election Threats Task Force meeting. Critics, suspicious of the timing with the upcoming election, cite the recent disbandment of the DHS Intelligence Experts Group.
https://reclaimthenet.org/ag-garland-election-threats-task-force-censorship-concerns
House committee subpoenas 15 Biden Cabinet secretaries to hand over documents on voter mobilization 'scheme'
Rep. Bryan Steil called Biden's executive order an 'attempt' to 'tilt the scales ahead of 2024'
By Brianna Herlihy
Published June 13, 2024 6:00am EDT
FIRST ON FOX: A House committee is issuing subpoenas to 15 executive agencies in the Biden administration related to constitutional concerns with one of Biden’s executive orders and the departments' implementation.
In March 2021, Biden signed Promoting Access to Voting, which states that "executive departments and agencies should partner with State, local, Tribal, and territorial election officials to protect and promote the exercise of the right to vote, eliminate discrimination and other barriers to voting, and expand access to voter registration and accurate election information."
The plan has already come under scrutiny from Senate Republicans, who have called it a federal "voter mobilization" effort with "potentially partisan impacts."
Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., chairman of the Committee on House Administration, is subpoenaing Biden’s 15 cabinet secretaries for their detailed plans for carrying out the order just five months out from the November election.
"The Committee has concerns about the implementation of E.O. 14019, particularly regarding its compatibility with provisions of the National Voter Registration Act (NRA) of 1993," Steil told the agencies in a subpoena letter.
"Congress delegates to federal agencies specific functions and missions, which by law they are required to follow. Congress's delegation of authority to HUD does not include using funds and resources to provide Americans with voter registration materials," he said.
"Moreover, E.O. 14019 requires every federal agency to submit a strategic plan outlining how the agency can promote voter registration and voter participation.
"Over the last few months, some agencies have taken actions that were likely outlined in their strategic plans. Examples include the Department of Education's new federal work-study requirements, and the Small Business Administration's entrance into a voter registration agreement with Michigan," Steil explained.
"Both of those actions and the actions of other agencies raise substantial questions and concerns, some of which may be answered by access to the strategic plans drafted by the agencies."
Steil added that the committee is considering legislation that would repeal E.O. 14019 and require the agencies' strategic plan to be submitted to Congress.
"As the Committee continues to investigate this issue, the strategic plans and other documents requested will inform the Committee on what additional legislation, if any, needs to be considered to clarify that the NRA does not enable executive branch agencies to focus on voter registration," he wrote.
Included in the subpoena list are the Department of Commerce, Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Justice Department, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Department of Interior, Department of Labor, Office of Management and Budget, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Treasury Department and the Department of Agriculture.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Steil called the executive order a "scheme" to carry out "partisan activities" for which Congress did not appropriate funds.
"Elections are partisan, but our election administration should never be partisan. Allowing federal employees from the Biden administration to flood election administration sites threatens election integrity and reduces Americans’ confidence," Steil said.
"This executive order is another attempt by the Biden administration to tilt the scales ahead of 2024. I will continue working to provide transparency and accountability on this administration’s latest scheme as Congress did not appropriate taxpayer funds for partisan activities."
In November, top Republican senators pushed the Biden administration for answers about its "voter mobilization" efforts and said they were stonewalled by the White House for months.
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., sent a letter with 23 senators, co-signed by top leadership, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., admonishing President Biden for his administration’s "failure to respond" to their inquires about the executive order on Promoting Access to Voting.
"This policy directive merits congressional oversight both as a general matter and under the Antideficiency Act," the lawmakers wrote, reiterating their request for how federal agencies planned to carry out the executive order, including a request for copies of their plans submitted to the White House.
In April, a lawsuit challenging the executive order alleged it targeted key demographics to benefit the president’s political party and his own re-election.
Tarren Bragdon, president and CEO of the Foundation for Government Accountability, which filed an amicus brief in a case now pending before the Supreme Court, said "it’s no wonder Team Biden is using their authority and resources to target welfare populations with a federally funded get-out-the-vote effort.
"If they are allowed to fully execute their plan, it could swing the election outcome."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-committee-subpoenas-15-biden-cabinet-secretaries-hand-over-docs-voter-mobilization-scheme
Hey bbotcs-
Fauci is a nefarious individual that needs to go away to jail for the rest of his life.
...................al
Employees at Philadelphia Coffee Chain Voted to Unionize – All Three Stores Closed Down a Week Later
by Ben Kew Jun. 12, 2024 11:20 am
Employees at a Philadelphia coffee chain may now be regretting their decision to form a union.
Just one week after staff at the OCF Coffee House informed him of their intention to unionize, owner and real estate developer Ori Feibush confirmed that he would be closing all three locations down.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
Feibush, who met with available staff in person Monday afternoon, called the shutdown a difficult decision, citing rising costs, reduced sales, and the expiration of leases for a business that he said was never profitable during its 13 years.
”But we pushed forward because we understood the positive impact we were making in our communities and the importance to maintain a level of compensation and benefits … that you each deserved,” he wrote in an email announcing the decision to staff who did not attend Monday’s meetings.
Combined with financial and logistical headwinds, however, “the administrative and legal costs associated with your desire to organize has regrettably moved us beyond any cost that we could sustain,” he wrote.
According to Feibush, the business was already losing money. However, employees were already earning $20 to $25 an hour in wages as well as tips and health and dental benefits. Some will even receive severance pay.
A post shared by PJB Workers United (@phillyworkersunited)
Speaking to the Inquirer, baristas Alex Simpson and Ava Alabiso said they were shocked by the decision.
“This does feel like retaliation,” said Alabiso. “It’s all just so incredibly sudden. We’re all just in the lurch trying to figure out what to do.”
“There was some talk of shutting down, but we genuinely believed that our connections with the community, especially in Fairmount, are so strong that he wouldn’t do it — we’re where people get their drinks and their lunch and have meetings every single day,” added Simpson.
It is never nice seeing people lose their livelihoods. However, until leftists get a basic understanding of how the economy works, such needless job losses will continue to take place.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/06/employees-philadelphia-coffee-chain-voted-unionize-all-three/
"What happened to Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro when they decided to defy a subpoena of the Congress?"
Predator who should have been in prison charged in Minneapolis rape, carjacking
Rodriguez should have been incarcerated at the time of the alleged rape and carjacking last week, following convictions in two separate cases in two counties in 2022.
By
Crime Watch MN -
June 12, 2024
Eliezer Rodriguez/Hennepin County Sheriff's Office
A convicted predatory offender who should have been in prison on convictions in at least two cases, including a gun crime, has now been charged in a new Minneapolis sexual assault and carjacking case.
The suspect was also the subject of a manhunt in Otter Tail County over the weekend, where he apparently fled following Friday’s incident in Minneapolis.
Crime Watch Minneapolis reported on Friday afternoon that police had been dispatched to an address in Uptown Minneapolis on a report of a carjacking at knife point, according to police scanner audio. Later dispatches and information obtained by Crime Watch indicated that the incident had occurred at Cedar Lake in Minneapolis, and that it had also involved a sexual assault.
Eliezer Rodriguez, 31, of north Minneapolis was booked into custody at Hennepin County Jail late Sunday night and has now been charged with felony counts of kidnapping, two counts of first-degree sexual assault while armed, and first-degree armed carjacking.
Charges state that the victim told police she had been walking on a trail at Cedar Lake toward her vehicle when she was suddenly attacked and raped at knife point in the woods while the suspect threatened to stab her.
The suspect then walked the victim back to her car and forced her to drive him around. They eventually ended up in a parking ramp, where the suspect raped her again, according to the charges. The suspect then forced the victim to drive to McDonald’s on East Lake Street, the charges say.
After leaving McDonald’s, the suspect told the victim to drive to the area of 28th and Colfax Avenue South, where he pulled out a syringe and told the victim he had one more thing to do. The victim was then able to escape the vehicle and run, when a passerby asked her if she needed help. The victim told the witness that she had been raped, and the suspect tried to drug her. The witness saw the suspect drive off in the victim’s vehicle.
The victim was observed by police to have multiple scratches on her arms, legs, and shoulders.
At some point on June 8, a State Patrol trooper found the victim’s vehicle on I-94 between Fergus Falls and Dalton, Minn. The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office had sent out a shelter-in-place notice early Saturday to nearby residents as a manhunt took place looking for the suspect, who was eventually located and detained about 2:40 p.m. after a resident spotted him at a rest area.
Overnight/early a.m. shooting in Ottertail County. A shelter-in-place was issued. Authorities are looking for this suspect, specifically in the Dalton area.
He is considered armed and dangerous. He is a short Hispanic male with a teardrop tattoo near his left eye. If you have… pic.twitter.com/oc8Om8Nl0Q
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) June 8, 2024
The suspect, identified at that time as Rodriguez, was transported for a medical evaluation, where he was observed with scratches on his bicep and upper torso that were consistent with defensive wounds, the charges state. Video was obtained from McDonald’s that showed the victim driving her vehicle and showed the passenger with a distinctive rip in his jeans. Video was also obtained from a Dalton business that showed the suspect with the same rip near the left knee.
Criminal history
Rodriguez has a 2016 conviction for kidnapping and aggravated robbery after he forced a woman at gunpoint from her Barnum, Minn., home and forced her to drive him to Pine County. Two other charges of first-degree burglary and threats of violence were dismissed under the terms of a plea deal, and Rodriguez was sentenced to 68 months in prison. As a result of the conviction, Rodriguez is required to register as a predatory offender. Under Minnesota law, Rodriguez was only required to serve about 45 months of the 68-month sentence.
However, Rodriguez should have been incarcerated at the time of the alleged rape and carjacking last week, following convictions in two separate cases in two counties in 2022.
Rodriguez was convicted in Stearns County in March 2022 for being a felon in possession of a firearm after he was captured fleeing from police in the city of Melrose, Minn., according to court documents in that case.
The conviction was Rodriguez’s second for illegal gun possession, with a prior conviction in 2017.
Despite Rodriguez’s history as a predatory offender and the prior illegal gun possession case, his 60-month prison sentence was stayed for five years by Judge Andrew R. Pearson in a downward departure from sentencing guidelines.
Instead, Judge Pearson sentenced Rodriguez to 189 days of time already served, and he was placed on probation for a term of five years.
Two weeks later, also in March 2022, Rodriquez was convicted in Renville County on a felony count of being a non-compliant predatory offender. His 45-month prison sentence in that case was stayed by Judge Dwayne Knutsen. Rodriquez was instead placed on probation for a term of five years.
Even if the sentences in the two 2022 convictions had run concurrently, and under Minnesota’s two-thirds sentencing law, Rodriguez would have been in prison until mid-2025. Instead, he was in the community on probation.
Rodriguez is currently being held in Hennepin County Jail on $500,000 bail and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Wednesday.
https://alphanews.org/predator-who-should-have-been-in-prison-charged-in-minneapolis-rape-carjacking/
The unsung healthcare inequity
By Deane Waldman, M.D.
You can’t follow news about healthcare without seeing daily headlines about inequities in medical outcomes. Minority groups, whether divided by skin color, place of origin, religion, or legality of residence, are reported as having inferior health status and medical outcomes compared to majority white populations. There is an entire agency, Health Equity Education Center, devoted to studying these minority disparities.
Yet, there is a greater inequity in medical outcomes that gets little play in the press: the urban-rural disparity. NPR recently called this a “crisis.” And it is, just not acceptable headline material for most Washington-complicit media.
In 1960, the state of Texas had 325 rural hospitals, most were quite small with 25–50 beds. All had emergency rooms. Despite a population growth from 9.6 million in 1960 to 30.5 million today, Texas has fewer than 150 rural hospitals. Most have limited emergency facilities; many have none. Nationally, 136 rural hospitals closed from 2010 to 2021 adding these towns to the increasing number of “medical deserts.” Sporadically, there are solo physicians or nurse practitioners in these areas but no emergency facilities.
In Dallas, Texas, the average maximum wait time for a new patient appointment with a primary care physician in 2017 was 12 days. In a small city like Albany, NY, the maximum wait then was a medically unacceptable 122 days. Obviously in rural medical deserts, the wait time is, well, forever.
Washington and the complicit media don’t expend much airtime on the urban-rural inequity, probably because the federal government is largely responsible.
This unsung inequity stems from federal payments, what are called allowable reimbursement schedules. While these directly determine payments for Medicaid, Medicare, and Tricare enrollees, private insurance companies tend to follow these payment schedules or face the wrath of Washington and/or their shareholders. So, Washington effectively dictates all U.S. medical payments.
The payment for delivering care is generally less than the cost of doing business. With rural hospital annual financial losses of 9% to more than 20%, closures are inevitable and ongoing. Those that remain open despite ongoing losses of at least 5% do so through supplemental revenue from local taxes, bond issues, or state grants.
There are also the financial losses mandated by EMTALA (Emergency Medical Transport and Labor Act of 1986). Any person who enters a hospital that receives funds from Washington — virtually all U.S. hospitals, both rural and urban — and who needs urgent medical services must be given medical care, even if the hospital never gets paid for said care. Such persons are daily occurrences in U.S. hospitals.
The influx of more than seven million illegal migrants during the Biden administration has had an additional massive negative financial impact on communities located on or near the southern border. First, these individuals are usually in ill health and needing urgent care, exacerbating hospital losses. Second, they need social services such as food, housing, and education for children. This takes money from the tax base leaving no funds to supplement the hospitals.
Urban hospitals, especially large university medical centers, can survive the losses incurred by low payments for direct care while rural hospitals cannot, for two reasons. The large institutions have many expensive technologies such as MRI scanners and ultrasound machines where payment is considerably greater than cost. Without such advantages, rural hospitals have no profits from tests to make up for losses from care delivery.
Large urban hospitals have a second funding source unavailable to small rural institutions: research grants. Such grants are in the millions, even billions of dollars. NIH grants typically have a 40% overhead expense (sometimes higher) built into the grant. While some of this amount is necessary to pay for research lab overhead, much of it can be diverted to defray losses from care delivery. Washington never sees a report that shows a hospital did this.
The solution is obvious and politically radioactive given the power of numerous special interests through lobbyists with their campaign contributions.
Pay more for care delivery and less for fancy tests. Like that is going to happen!
So, rural Americans, in their millions, suffer death by queue — dying while waiting for technically possible care that never comes — while their urban brethren have general doctors, specialists, and subspecialists (like this pediatric cardiologist author) at their beck and call.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/06/the_unsung_healthcare_inequity.html
Muslim migrants’ terror attack against a ‘gay haven’ mosque thwarted by authorities
By Olivia Murray
With Hunter Biden found guilty, expect Democrats to use that verdict against Trump
By Andrea Widburg
Pakistani man tries to start a gay club… and immediately finds himself committed to the loony bin
By Olivia Murray
The press and other Democrats are out to discredit the Supreme Court
By Jack Hellner
President Trump challenges a partisan judge for a garbage trial where there was no crime, the media is outraged and says he is trying to destroy the judicial system.
But if they seek to destroy and threaten the Supreme Court justices, that is perfectly O.K.
They continually attack and then they take a push poll to see if the public trusts the Supreme Court and in no surprise, they say they have lost trust.
Journalists and other Democrats can't stand that the Supreme Court has judges who understand that the Constitution prescribes three branches of government and what their functions are.
Democrats like it when justices at all levels can make laws instead of just do their jobs. They like it when the district attorneys campaign on destroying Trump and then find ways to charge Trump for fictional crimes.
They also like it when unelected bureaucrats impose draconian restrictions on Americans instead of going through the cumbersome legislative process.
It has always been a lie when people said that Roe v. Wade was a Constitutional right, or a law. All it ever has been was a Supreme Court decision. The current Supreme Court correctly ruled that abortion laws should be made by legislators, not judges.
Here, a "progressive" reporter lied and said she was Catholic and then secretly recorded Justices Samuel Alito and John Roberts.
In Secret Recordings, Alito Endorses Nation of ‘Godliness.’ Roberts Talks of Pluralism.
Justice Samuel Alito told a woman posing as a Catholic conservative last week that compromise in America between the left and right might be impossible and then agreed with the view that the nation should return to a place of godliness.
The justice’s comments appeared to be in marked contrast to those of Chief Justice John Roberts, who was also secretly recorded at the same event but who pushed back against the woman’s assertion that the court had an obligation to lead the country on a more “moral path.”
And what did Alito say that the media is outraged about?
He said truthfully that there is a great difference in opinions by Americans. He said he believes in God.
Heaven forbid.
I bet if this idiot reporter secretly recorded the three liberal justices, they, too, would also say opinions are deeply divided.
The reporter has a disadvantage. She probably doesn't work with anyone who is not a far left person.
Merrick Garland is outraged that anyone believes that his Justice Department is politicized.
Merrick Garland: Unfounded attacks on the Justice Department must end
Somehow, he has not shown any outrage when Sens. Chuck Schumer or Dick Durbin, or any other Democrat threatens the Supreme Court if they don't rule the way they want.
He has also not shown outrage when Biden brags that he ignores Supreme Court rulings on student loans.
Selective outrage is fake.
I wonder why so many have the view that the Garland Justice Department has been politicized?
Could it be that they target Catholics and parents?
Could it be that they target peaceful pro-life protesters and don't care about violent pro abortion people who destroy churches and crisis pregnancy centers?
Could it be that they let Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden off no matter how many crimes they committed?
Could it be that the FBI lied to social media outlets that the Hunter laptop was Russian misinformation and no one was punished?
Could it be that they target Trump supporters?
FBI Suspends Employee’s Clearance After Probing Trump Support, COVID-19 Views
The FBI revoked the security clearance of an employee after asking colleagues questions–under threat of discipline–about his support for former President Donald Trump and views on the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a complaint to the Justice Department’s internal watchdog.
Basically, the only thing Garland and other Democrats care about is power. They certainly don't care about equal treatment under the law or that no one is above the law.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/06/the_press_and_other_democrats_are_out_to_discredit_the_supreme_court.html
It has started: FBI busts Tajik illegal alien terror ring plotting an ISIS-style 'Boston marathon'-like attack
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