Congressional candidate Ken McFeeters opposes proposed ADPH COVID rule
On Wednesday, Republican Congressional candidate Ken McFeeters announced his opposition to a proposed Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) new rule requiring all the healthcare providers in the state to report every positive COVID-19 test in their office to ADPH. The proposed new rule would reportedly even require the doctors to report every suspected COVID-19 case that comes into the office to state authorities. McFeeters condemned the proposed change in COVID-19 reporting requirements. McFeeters is running for the GOP nomination for Congressional District 6. The proposed rule changes would require all positive tests for COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 to be reported to the County or State Health Department within 24 hours. ADPH released the proposed changes on November 20, 2023. The new rules would put positive COVID test results in the same category as Rabies, Polio, Tuberculosis, and Legionairre’s disease. “This is just another example of the idiotic policies of ADPH and Dr. Scott Harris, our State Health Officer,” McFeeters said in a statement. “Dr. Harris got everything wrong during the COVID pandemic, and now he wants more power over us? To demand that every positive COVID test be reported to the Health Department within a day is ridiculous.” McFeeters is concerned that the new rule further infringes on Americans’ privacy rights. “The COVID tests are notoriously unreliable,” McFeeters continued. “The number of false positives they give is too high. A positive test in a person with no symptoms doesn’t merit an urgent call to ADPH to give them your age, sex, address, ethnicity, phone number, and birthday.” McFeeters told Alabama Today that the economy never should have shut down in 2020 over COVID. He is also skeptical of the vaccine’s effectiveness and believes that the suspected side effects outweigh the benefits of mass vaccination. “COVID isn’t rabies. It’s not TB. Yes, it’s dangerous for the old and sick, but for most of us, it’s just a cold,” McFeeters continued. “Dr. Harris and ADPH have been either clueless or complicit throughout the COVID pandemic. Scott Harris has been a good little drone, carrying out the orders of Drs. [Anthony] Fauci and [Rochelle] Walensky, pushing lockdowns, mandates, and treatment protocols that left thousands dead. At the same time, he’s touted the Big Pharma party line and worked to marginalize courageous doctors who were treating sick people and saving lives.” McFeeters continued, “We don’t need this hysteric, intrusive level of reporting for COVID tests. What we do need is accountability for Dr. Harris and ADPH for the tens of thousands of Alabamians killed or injured by their COVID mismanagement, their deadly “treatments,” and the toxic jabs they forced on us.” A public hearing on the proposed reporting changes will be held on December 13, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., at the Alabama Department of Public Health, RSA Tower, Training Room 982, 201 Monroe Street in Montgomery. Ken McFeeters co-founded PAC Insurance Agency at age 21, and has worked there for the last 42 years. McFeeters is a father and grandfather. McFeeters said in his statement that he is running for Congress to disrupt Washington’s toxic culture of deceit and corruption and protect everyday Americans. McFeeters will face incumbent Congressman Gary Palmer and businessman Gerrick Wilkins in the Alabama Republican primary on March 5. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democratic nominee Elizabeth Anderson in the November 5 general election. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Republicans hold first presidential debate – minus Donald Trump
The Republican Presidential Debate was held on Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The debate revealed some major policy differences between the candidates. Over 80 members of the combined Shelby County, St. Clair County, and Greater Birmingham Young Republicans were present at Hoover Tactical Firearms to watch the event and eat barbecue. Former President Donald Trump was conspicuous by his absence. Former Vice President Mike Pence said that Trump asked him to violate his oath to the Constitution by invalidating the Electoral College results on January 6, 2021. Pence said that he will always follow the Constitution. Trump claimed then, and still does, that the election was “stolen.” His efforts to overturn the 2020 election results have resulted in his being indicted. The other candidates said that Pence did the right thing that day. Both former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchison and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said President Trump violated his oath of office and likely cannot run again. Hutchison cited the 14th Amendment, which prevents anyone who has led an insurgency against the United States from serving. Christie said that Trump has been indicted 99 times and that lawlessness cannot be allowed. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy said that Trump was the greatest president of the twenty-first century. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Republicans should move on from this issue as it only benefits Democrats. U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) said that he was raised in poverty by a single mother and that his success shows that the American dream is alive and well. The candidates all seemed to agree that President Joe Biden’s economic policies have led to inflation, homelessness, and a significant reduction in the quality of life of most Americans. They blamed government spending. They also agreed that Biden is in mental decline. Ramaswamy, who is 38, said that America needs a new generation of leadership to lead a new American Revolution. Pence disagreed, saying that he has been in the halls of power as a member of Congress, Governor of Indiana, and Vice President, making him the most qualified to serve as President. The United States has spent $77 billion in aid for Ukraine, and President Biden has asked for $24 billion more as it appears that Ukraine’s summer offensive has stalled. Ramaswamy objected to giving any money to Ukraine, saying he wanted to move those resources to the U.S.’s southern border. “Ukraine is not a priority for the U.S.” “We can do both at the same time,” Pence said, objecting to Ramaswamy’s isolationist foreign policy. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley slammed Ramaswamy, saying, “You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows.” Haley said that Ramaswamy’s policies would lead to a world war. Pence agreed, saying that if Russian President Vladimir Putin is allowed to win in Ukraine, eventually, he will cross a NATO border, and the U.S. will have to send American troops to stop him. Haley said that Republicans need to tell Americans the truth and acknowledge that the GOP does not have the 60 votes required for the U.S. Senate to pass a nationwide abortion ban. Pence strongly disagreed and advocated for the passage of a nationwide abortion ban, saying that he would be a staunch defender of life as President. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum said that he represents a very pro-Life state but agreed with Haley that abortion policy should be left to the states and there should be no nationwide ban. Christie condemned the lawlessness on the U.S. southern border. Since Biden has been president, six million migrants have entered this country. Ramaswamy wanted to put troops and military forces on the border. DeSantis said that the U.S. should use deadly force and kill migrants crossing the border illegally. Pence said in his (and Trump’s) administration, illegal border crossing decreased by 90% (and they didn’t gun anyone down). Hutchison said that his tenure as the head of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) taught him how to interdict dangerous drugs like fentanyl. Hutchison noted that there also needs to be an education component to combat fentanyl. DeSantis said that the COVID lockdowns “should never have happened.” Ramaswamy said that if he had been President during the COVID-19 pandemic, he would have fired Dr. Anthony Fauci. Scott said his mother taught him to work hard, have faith, and “if God made you a man, you compete in sports against men.” Ramaswamy called the concept of manmade global warming a “hoax” and called on the U.S. to mine for coal, drill for oil and natural gas, and adopt nuclear energy. Haley said that climate change “is real” but noted that the U.S. should be focused on getting India and China to reduce their carbon emissions rather than mandating that Americans buy electric cars where half the batteries are made in China, While the other contenders for the Presidency were on Fox News debating, Trump gave a lengthy interview to Tucker Carlson. Trump will surrender to Georgia authorities on Thursday. The Alabama presidential primary will be held on Tuesday, March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
FEC moves toward potentially regulating AI deepfakes in campaign ads
The Federal Election Commission has begun a process to potentially regulate AI-generated deepfakes in political ads ahead of the 2024 election, a move advocates say would safeguard voters against a particularly insidious form of election disinformation. The FEC’s unanimous procedural vote on Thursday advances a petition asking it to regulate ads that use artificial intelligence to misrepresent political opponents as saying or doing something they didn’t — a stark issue that is already being highlighted in the current 2024 GOP presidential primary. Though the circulation of convincing fake images, videos, or audio clips is not new, innovative generative AI tools are making them cheaper, easier to use, and more likely to manipulate public perception. As a result, some presidential campaigns in the 2024 race — including that of Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis — already are using them to persuade voters. The Republican National Committee in April released an entirely AI-generated ad meant to show the future of the United States if President Joe Biden is reelected. It employed fake but realistic photos showing boarded-up storefronts, armored military patrols in the streets, and waves of immigrants creating panic. In June, DeSantis’ campaign shared an attack ad against his GOP primary opponent Donald Trump that used AI-generated images of the former president hugging infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. SOS America PAC, which supports Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican, also has experimented with generative AI, using a tool called VideoAsk to create an AI chatbot in his likeness. Thursday’s FEC meeting comes after the advocacy group Public Citizen asked the agency to clarify that an existing federal law against “fraudulent misrepresentation” in campaign communications applies to AI-generated deepfakes. The panel’s vote shows the agency’s intent to consider the question, but it will not decide whether to actually develop rules governing the ads until after a 60-day public comment window, which is likely to begin next week. In June, the FEC deadlocked on an earlier petition from the group, with some commissioners expressing skepticism that they had the authority to regulate AI ads. Public Citizen came back with a new petition identifying the fraudulent misrepresentation law and explaining it thought the FEC did have jurisdiction. A group of 50 Democratic lawmakers led by House Rep. Adam Schiff also wrote a letter to the FEC urging the agency to advance the petition, saying, “Quickly evolving AI technology makes it increasingly difficult for voters to accurately identify fraudulent video and audio material, which is increasingly troubling in the context of campaign advertisements.” Republican Commissioner Allen Dickerson said in Thursday’s meeting he remained unconvinced that the agency had the authority to regulate deepfake ads. “I’ll note that there’s absolutely nothing special about deepfakes or generative AI, the buzzwords of the day, in the context of this petition,” he said, adding that if the FEC had this authority, it would mean it also could punish other kinds of doctored media or lies in campaign ads. Dickerson argued the law doesn’t go that far, but noted the FEC has unanimously asked Congress for more authority. He also raised concerns the move would wrongly chill expression that’s protected under the First Amendment. Public Citizen President Robert Weissman disputed Dickerson’s points, arguing in an interview Thursday that deepfakes are different from other false statements or media because they fraudulently claim to speak on a candidate’s behalf in a way that’s convincing to the viewer. “The deepfake has an ability to fool the voter into believing that they are themselves seeing a person say or do something they didn’t say,” he said. “It’s a technological leap from prior existing tools.” Weissman said acknowledging deepfakes are fraud solves Dickerson’s First Amendment concerns, too — while false speech is protected, fraud is not. Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizen’s executive vice president, said under its proposal, candidates would also have the option to prominently disclose the use of artificial intelligence to misrepresent an opponent, rather than avoid the technology altogether. She argued action is needed because if a deepfake misleadingly impugning a candidate circulates without a disclaimer and doesn’t get publicly debunked, it could unfairly sway an election. For instance, the RNC disclosed the use of AI in its ad, but in small print that many viewers missed. Gilbert said the FEC could set guidelines on where, how and for how long campaigns and parties need to display these disclaimers. Even if the FEC decides to ban AI deepfakes in campaign ads, it wouldn’t cover all the threats they pose to elections. For example, the law on fraudulent misrepresentation wouldn’t enable the FEC to require outside groups, like PACs, to disclose when they imitate a candidate using artificial intelligence technology, Gilbert said. That means it wouldn’t cover an ad recently released by Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting DeSantis, that used an AI voice cloning tool to imitate Trump’s voice, making it seem like he narrated a social media post. It also wouldn’t stop individual social media users from creating and disseminating misleading content — as they long have — with both AI-generated falsehoods and other misrepresented media, often referred to as “cheap fakes.” Congress, however, could pass legislation creating guardrails for AI-generated deceptive content, and lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have expressed intent to do so. Several states also have discussed or passed legislation related to deepfake technology. Daniel Weiner, director of the Elections and Government Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said misinformation about elections being fraudulently stolen is already a “potent force in American politics.” More sophisticated AI, he said, threatens to worsen that problem. “To what degree? You know, I think we’re still assessing,” he said. “But do I worry about it? Absolutely.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama researcher Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo will succeed Anthony Fauci in infectious disease post
A research scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham was named Wednesday to succeed Dr. Anthony Fauci as the nation’s top infectious disease expert. Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo will become director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the fall. She will oversee the agency’s $6.3 billion budget, its research, and its response to infectious disease outbreaks. Fauci, 82, retired from a five-decade career in December. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became a household name as he gave updates at daily White House press conferences and in frequent media interviews. Since Fauci’s retirement, Dr. Hugh Auchincloss Jr. has been serving as acting director. Marrazzo’s research has focused on sexually transmitted diseases and the prevention of HIV infection. At the university, she is director of the medical school’s division of infectious diseases. Her appointment was made by Lawrence Tabak, acting director for the National Institutes of Health. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Daniel Sutter: COVID Lab leak misinformation
The U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic will hold a hearing on July 11 on “Investigating the Proximal Origin of a Cover Up.” The recent Federal District Court injunction against government censorship of social media increases this hearing’s significance. The hearing will not decide if a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) started the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The hearing will examine the backstory of the March 2020 Nature Medicine paper, “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2.” In this paper, five leading virologists concluded, “We do not believe that any type of laboratory-based scenario is plausible.” “Proximal Origin” was one of the most cited scientific papers of 2020. Dr. Anthony Fauci and many others dismissed the lab leak hypothesis for almost two years by referencing this paper. One potential response could be that real-time prognostication is frequently wrong. Law professor Richard Epstein in March 2020, predicted no more than 50,000 deaths worldwide from SARS-CoV-2, which was off by two orders of magnitude. But thanks to numerous Freedom of Information requests, we know that three “Proximal Origin” authors thought that the lab leak was a 50-50 proposition or better. The WIV was collecting coronaviruses from bats across China to identify potentially deadly viruses before they might begin infecting humans. This research necessarily made a leak a possibility, made more likely since much of WIV’s coronavirus research was being done in a Level 2 Biosecurity lab rather than a Level 4 area. But it gets worse. The authors were aware of a furin cleavage site in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, never previously observed in any coronavirus. This was the key to infection: “Without this feature, SARS-CoV-2 would not have posed a pandemic threat.” WIV and EcoHealth Alliance had sought funding from DARPA to insert a furin cleavage site into a coronavirus. This proposal was not funded, but the research might still have been conducted, making a lab leak a leading candidate when such a coronavirus emerged in Wuhan. Four of the five authors of Proximal Origins were on a phone call on February 1, 2020, with Dr. Fauci, National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, and Wellcome Trust’s Jeremy Farrar. Somehow none of their concerns made it into the paper. As Roger Pielke Jr. summarizes the case: “A group of scientists, ‘prompted’ by government officials and ‘shepherded’ by Farrar … chose to misrepresent in a ‘scientific’ article published in a major journal, what they knew and believed, as expressed in private emails.” The case sheds light on government censorship of social media. The expert assessment justified deplatforming lab leak proponents from Twitter and Facebook. Censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story proceeded similarly, with 51 intelligence experts claiming the story was Russian disinformation. Michael Shellenberger and Matt Taibbi dub what their excellent reporting, beginning with the Twitter files, has uncovered the “Censorship Industrial Complex.” A lawsuit by the attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri led to this week’s injunction from Federal Judge Terry Doughty, who wrote, “If the allegations made by the Plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States’ history.” Americans must push back against this censorship. I will consider only the tiny sliver posed by “Proximal Origin.” Here’s a potential response: permanently ban the paper’s authors from future Federal research funding. We the people and taxpayers invest in research to make our lives better. Only scientists adhering to the highest standards can advance knowledge. Scientists willing to lie in such a publication have zero credibility to conduct honest research. The “Proximal Origin” authors are not the only blameworthy parties here. Dr. Fauci, who was funding research at WIV through NIAID, appears particularly culpable. I would support punishment for this, but Dr. Fauci has since retired. The Federal government justifies social media censorship to combat misinformation. We still do not know whether Covid-19 emerged from the WIV. But discrediting the lab leak hypothesis represents pure government misinformation. Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.
Alabama home to six of the highest paid government employees
Recently federalpay.org listed the top 100 highest-paid government employees of 2021. The state of Alabama is home to six of these government employees. The website lists the highest paid employee as Dr. Anthony Fauci, whose salary is $456,028. In the number six position for highest pay is Dr. Joseph K. Smith. The website lists him as a Medical officer in Birmingham, Alabama. His pay is $418,756. Dr. Smith specializes in Diagnostic Radiology and has more than 30 years of experience. At #12 on the list is Dr. William L. Holman. Dr. Holman is a Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at UAB and the Chief of Surgical Services at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Birmingham. Holman’s salary is $415,141. Drs. Mark N. Hadley, Barton L. Guthrie, and Winfield S. Fisher are listed as #14, 15, and 16, respectively. The men are all medical officers for the Veterans Health Administration and make $414,284. Dr. Hadley has been a neurosurgeon since 1988 and has been a Professor at UAB for 26 years. He has been recognized as one of America’s Top Doctors since 2001. Dr. Guthrie recently retired from the UAB Department of Neurosurgery. Guthrie and his colleagues developed several patented technologies in support of neurosurgical patient care. Dr. Fisher is a retired captain in the United States Naval Medical Corps and has developed a nationally recognized neurovascular service at UAB. At #59 is Yasser Sakawi. The medical officer from Birmingham, Alabama, makes a salary of $406,213. Dr. Sakawi is currently a Professor of Anesthesiology and Medical Director of Obstetric Anesthesiology and is also the Chief of Anesthesiology at the Birmingham VA Medical Center. The website describes medical officers as those who advise on, administer, supervise, or perform professional and scientific work in one or more fields of medicine. Most positions in this occupation require a current license to practice medicine and surgery in a State or territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia. According to the website, FederalPay.org is a free public resource for United States Government employees. The website has pay tables and pay calculators for all four major Federal Government payscales and military service members.
Anthony Fauci to retire in December; Jerry Carl critical of the USA’s top doctor
On Monday, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced that he will step down from his role as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President in December. Fauci served various Presidents over decades, but COVID-19 and the U.S. response to the global pandemic vaulted Fauci into being one of the most controversial men in America. Congressman Jerry Carl has long been a critic of Dr. Fauci. “Fauci just announced he’s resigning. It’s about dang time!” Rep. Carl said on Twitter. “I called for his immediate removal last summer, and I’ve also introduced a bill to strip him of his pension since he LIED to the American people. We will hold him accountable.” “After more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field,” Fauci said in a statement. “I want to use what I have learned as NIAID Director to continue to advance science and public health and to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats.” U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has also been a harsh critic of Dr. Fauci and his handling of the COVID-19 global pandemic. “Fauci’s resignation will not prevent a full-throated investigation into the origins of the pandemic,” Sen. Paul said on social media. “He will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussions he participated in concerning the lab leak.” Fauci first went to work at the NIH in 1968. Paul and some experts believe that the source of the SARS-CoV-2 strain of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 escaped from a lab studying variations of the coronavirus. This lab received some funding from the NIH. Fauci denies the conjecture that the virus escaped from a lab. President Joseph Biden praised Fauci in a statement. “Dr. Fauci has served under seven Republican and Democratic Presidents during his career, beginning with Ronald Reagan,” Biden wrote. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008 under President George W. Bush. For almost four decades, he has served as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, helping our country navigate health crises ranging from HIV/AIDS to COVID-19. Because of Dr. Fauci’s many contributions to public health, lives here in the United States and around the world have been saved. As he leaves his position in the U.S. Government, I know the American people and the entire world will continue to benefit from Dr. Fauci’s expertise in whatever he does next. Whether you’ve met him personally or not, he has touched all Americans’ lives with his work. I extend my deepest thanks for his public service. The United States of America is stronger, more resilient, and healthier because of him.” Jerry Carl represents Alabama’s First Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
White House urges caution on COVID variants, pushes boosters
The Biden administration is calling on people to exercise renewed caution about COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of getting booster shots for those who are eligible and wearing masks indoors as two new highly transmissible variants are spreading rapidly across the country. The new variants, labeled BA.4 and BA.5, are offshoots of the omicron strain that has been responsible for nearly all of the virus spread in the U.S. and are even more contagious than their predecessors. White House doctors stressed the importance of getting booster doses, even if you have recently been infected. “Currently, many Americans are under-vaccinated, meaning they are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Staying up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines provides the best protection against severe outcomes.” Walensky said the U.S. has seen a doubling in the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 since April, reflecting the spread of the new subvariants, though deaths remain steady around 300 per day. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said while the new variants are concerning, with boosters, indoor masking, and treatments the country has the tools to keep them from being disruptive. “We should not let it disrupt our lives,” he said, “but we cannot deny that it is a reality that we need to deal with.” He added that even if someone recently had COVID-19, they should get a booster. “Immunity wanes, so it is critical to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines,” he said. All Americans age five and over should get a booster five months after their initial primary series, according to the CDC, and those age 50 and over — or those who are immunocompromised — should get a second booster four months after their first. According to CDC, tens of millions of eligible Americans haven’t received their first booster, and of those over 50 who got their first booster, only 28% have received their second. “If you’re over 50 and you haven’t gotten the shot this year, you should go get a shot,” said White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. “It’s going to save your life.” Jha and Fauci said the U.S. is regularly discussing expanding eligibility for a second booster shot to all adults but that no decision has been made yet. “It’s a regulatory decision on the part of the FDA,” Fauci said. Jha said people who are eligible for a booster but haven’t received one shouldn’t wait for forthcoming vaccines targeted at the omicron strain in addition to the original form of the coronavirus. The U.S. has ordered 105 million of those updated shots, which studies show provide better protection against omicron variants, but they won’t be available until the fall. “Let me be clear, if you get vaccinated today, you’re not going to be ineligible to get the variants specific vaccine, as we get into the later part of fall and winter,” Jha said. “So, this is not a tradeoff. We’ve got plenty. It’s a great way to protect yourself.” Added Fauci, “The threat to you is now.” Walensky noted that CDC data shows that about a third of Americans are living in areas the agency classifies as experiencing a high level of COVID spread, where the agency recommends people wear masks in public indoor spaces. Another 41% live in the CDC’s “medium” level, where it recommends that people consider their own individual risk and consider masking. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Lindy Blanchard launches new campaign ads aimed at questioning Kay Ivey’s record
The campaign for gubernatorial hopeful Lindy Blanchard launched two new ads on broadcast and cable television. Both ads will run statewide. The first ad, raises questions about Gov. Kay Ivey’s record, arguing that some of her actions around Covid-19 and the gas tax have drawn praise from the Biden Administration. The second ad highlights Blanchard’s national security experience as a Trump appointee and compares and contrasts Ivey to Blanchard. “Try as I may, I cannot make sense of Kay Ivey’s liberal record. It’s no wonder she’s trying to rewrite history about her record but her actions speak louder than any campaign ad she may put out,” stated Blanchard. “After signing a pledge to not raise taxes, she led the charge to do just that. Now, while gas prices are devastating family budgets, she refuses to act and lead the effort to provide the relief we need.” “During the pandemic, Kay Ivey shut down Alabama businesses; adding insult to injury she condemned and mocked those who made the personal decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccination. It’s safe to say that when Joe Biden and Anthony Fauci are on your side, you’re on the wrong side of Alabama”, continued Blanchard. “After the 2020 election, where widespread fraud put Joe Biden in office, Kay Ivey gave up on President Donald Trump and welcomed Joe Biden with open arms. When Trump came to town? Ivey couldn’t be bothered to stand with him. Kay Ivey doesn’t believe President Donald Trump won the election and she doesn’t believe Alabama voters are smart enough to see through her weak leadership on the issue. “One of President Donald Trump’s legacies will be his conservative court appointments. Given the same opportunity, Kay Ivey appointed 8 liberal judges to Alabama courts. This includes choosing democrats to run elections in major counties rather than Trump conservatives. “I will stand up for the voters and make sure that confidence is restored to the election process. I will only appoint Republicans,” Blanchard concluded. Blanchard is on the ballot in the Republican primary for Governor on May 24th. She is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist from Montgomery, Alabama. A conservative outsider, Blanchard has never run for elected office before and will bring a fresh perspective, vast business and management experience, and conservative common sense to the governor’s office.
Jerry Carl cosponsors legislation to require public officials to disclose financial records
Congressman Jerry Carl has co-sponsored new legislation called the Financial Accountability for Uniquely Compensated Individuals (FAUCI) Act, named after Dr. Anthony Fauci. Texas congressman Lance Gooden introduced the bill. The legislation is the House companion to Senator Roger Marshall’s FAUCI Act. The FAUCI Act specifically includes a “special consultant” appointed under Section 207(f) of the Public Health Service Act, which is Fauci’s employment classification. It would also require public access to a list of confidential financial disclosure filers whose pay is equal to or more than a Member of Congress. This information would include each individual’s name, position, and salary, plus a description of the specific type of information included in the financial disclosure report filed by the individual. Carl expressed his support for the bill, calling for more transparency in the financial documents of government officials. “The American people should have full access to the financial disclosures and investments of government officials who are earning a taxpayer salary. Unfortunately, bureaucrats like Dr. Fauci often hide their financial records from the public and avoid accountability,” Carl stated. “I’m proud to cosponsor legislation to change this broken system and bring increased transparency to the federal government. The FAUCI Act would require public access to financial disclosures of government officials who make as much or more than a Member of Congress, which is an important step to reign in the power of unelected bureaucrats and prevent them from enriching themselves off the taxpayer’s dime,” Carl concluded.
Hospitalizations skyrocket in kids too young for COVID shots
Hospitalizations of U.S. children under 5 with COVID-19 soared in recent weeks to their highest level since the pandemic began, according to government data released Friday on the only age group not yet eligible for the vaccine. The worrisome trend in children too young to be vaccinated underscores the need for older kids and adults to get their shots to protect those around them, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since mid-December, as the highly contagious omicron variant has spread furiously around the country, the hospitalization rate in these youngest children has surged to more than 4 in 100,000 youngsters, up from 2.5 per 100,000. That compares with a current rate of about 1 per 100,000 for children ages 5 to 17, according to CDC data. In a statement, Walensky said that while children still have the lowest rate of hospitalization of any age group, “pediatric hospitalizations are at their highest rate compared to any prior point in the pandemic.” At a briefing, she said the numbers include children hospitalized because of COVID-19 and those admitted for other reasons but found to be infected. She noted that just over 50% of children ages 12 to 18 are fully vaccinated and only 16% of those 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated. As of Tuesday, the average number of children and teens admitted to the hospital per day with COVID-19 was 766, double the figure reported just two weeks ago. At a White House briefing this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said many children hospitalized with COVID-19 have other health conditions that make them more susceptible to complications from the virus. That includes obesity, diabetes, and lung disease. Fauci and Walensky have emphasized that one of the best ways to protect the youngest children is to vaccinate everyone else. Data suggest booster shots offer the best protection against omicron, and CDC this week recommended them for kids as young as 12. Among older ages already eligible, just 34% have received them. The surge in hospitalizations only heightens the concerns of parents worried about how to keep their infants and toddlers safe. Emily Hojara and Eli Zilke of Sawyer, Michigan, are being extra protective of their daughter Flora, who turns 2 in May. They limit her contact with other children, and no visitors are allowed in the house unless masked, not even grandparents. “It’s been a struggle, and now with this new variant, I feel it’s knocked us back,” Hojara said. She said the new hospitalization data “just reminds you that that anxiety is hovering really close.’’ “It’s scary that she can’t be vaccinated,” Hojara said of her daughter. Dr. Jennifer Kusma, a pediatrician with Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital, said she has seen increasing numbers of kids hospitalized with omicron, and while most aren’t severely ill, she understands parents’ worries. “As a pediatrician, I really wish we already had that vaccine for these young kids,” Kusma said. But she added that what may seem like a long wait should reassure parents that vaccine testing is not being rushed. Many had hoped the new year might bring a vaccine for young children, but Pfizer announced last month that two doses didn’t offer as much protection as hoped for in youngsters ages 2 to 4. Pfizer’s study has been updated to give everyone under 5 a third dose, and data is expected in early spring. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Anthony Fauci says early reports encouraging about omicron variant
U.S. health officials said Sunday that while the omicron variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading throughout the country, early indications suggest it may be less dangerous than delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations. President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that scientists need more information before drawing conclusions about omicron’s severity. Reports from South Africa, where it emerged and is becoming the dominant strain, suggest that hospitalization rates have not increased alarmingly. “Thus far, it does not look like there’s a great degree of severity to it,” Fauci said. “But we have really got to be careful before we make any determinations that it is less severe or it really doesn’t cause any severe illness, comparable to delta.” Fauci said the Biden administration is considering lifting travel restrictions against non-citizens entering the United States from several African countries. They were imposed as the omicron variant exploded in the region, but U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has blasted such measures as “travel apartheid.” “Hopefully, we’ll be able to lift that ban in a quite reasonable period of time,” Fauci said. “We all feel very badly about the hardship that has been put on not only on South Africa but the other African countries.” Omicron had been detected in about a third of U.S. states by Sunday, including in the Northeast, the South, the Great Plains, and the West Coast. Wisconsin, Missouri, and Louisiana were among the latest states to confirm cases. But delta remains the dominant variant, making up more than 99% of cases and driving a surge of hospitalizations in the north. National Guard teams have been sent to help overwhelmed hospitals in western New York, and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker issued an emergency order requiring any hospitals facing limited patient capacity to reduce scheduled procedures that are not urgent. U.S. officials continued urging people to get vaccinated and to receive booster shots, as well as take precautions such as wearing masks when among strangers indoors, saying anything that helps protect against delta will also help protect against other variants. Even if omicron proves less dangerous than delta, it remains problematic, World Health Organization epidemiologist Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove told CBS “Face The Nation.” “Even if we have a large number of cases that are mild, some of those individuals will need hospitalizations,” she said. “They will need to go into ICU, and some people will die. … We don’t want to see that happen on top of an already difficult situation with delta circulating globally.” Two years into the outbreak, COVID-19 has killed over 780,000 Americans, and deaths are running at about 860 per day. More than 6,600 new hospital admissions are being reported daily, according to tracking data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 cases and deaths in the U.S. have dropped by about half since the delta peak in August and September, but at more than 86,000 new infections per day, the numbers are still high, especially heading into the holidays, when people travel and gather with family. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
