The LuLac Edition #4,255, April 9th, 2020

GOVERNOR WOLF EXTENDS SCHOOL CLOSURES THROUGH END OF ACADEMIC YEAR

Your blog editor with Governor Tom Wolf (Photo: LuLac archives)

Governor Wolf today announced that all schools will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year. The governor made the decision in consultation with Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine and Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. Students and families can continue to pick up meals at designated sites.
While we had hoped that classes would continue in person later this school year, it has become evident that this action is necessary for the continued safety of our students, our school employees and all of their families as we try to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. It is imperative that we keep our students as engaged as possible throughout the remainder of the school year through creative distance learning in the most appropriate and accessible ways possible.
I, like many of you, are saddened and disappointed for our teachers and our students, mainly our high school seniors who will never be able to relive what is often the most memorable year of their young lives. Public safety must, however, be our primary concern during this pandemic. I remain hopeful that, if we remain diligent in following the Stay at Home Orders, better days will soon be here.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has secured resources intended to help all schools that want to use them – including those not currently offering online platforms, those requiring additional technology support, and those that may rely on traditional methods, such as paper lessons, to continue educating students. There is no cost to schools or students for these resources.
The Governor noted that today’s decision applies to all public K-12 schools, brick and mortar and cyber charter schools, private and parochial schools, career and technical centers and intermediate units. All Department of Education early learning program classrooms, including those for Pre-K Counts, Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) and Preschool Early Intervention, will also remain closed.
Colleges and universities may not resume in-person instruction or reopen their physical locations until the governor permits them to open or lifts the closure of non-life-sustaining businesses.
Schools will remain closed though the end of the 2019-2020 academic year as it is defined by the local school calendar. Under the state’s directive, schools could begin summer programming on the day after their academic year ends. All re-openings will be contingent on public health guidance provided by the Secretary of Health and stay-at-home orders issued by the governor.
In addition to the school closure announcement, through his order Secretary Rivera also took action that will ensure crucial stability of education programs. Under Act 13 of 2020, the secretary has exercised his executive authority to adjust requirements for the evaluation of professional employees and waive student teaching requirements that may not be possible in the context of school closure.

BERNIE SANDERS OUT

Biden and sanders before Social distancing. (Photo: USA Today)

Senator Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign for President leaving former Vice President Joe Biden in the driver’s seat. Sanders changed the conversation in 2016 and has successfully moved the party to the left. But his biggest ally seems to the Coronavirus pandemic which highlights the big gaps in income inequality
It is now time for the Sanders supporters to stop wringing their hands and support Joe Biden. Sanders will have a ton of input with a President Biden because they both like and respect each other. Hard core Sanders supporters will get more with Biden than by sitting it out and letting Diaper Don soil the Oval Office with his crap.
Time to back Joe!

GOP AGAINST VOTING BY MAIL

Right now 57 million people vote by mail. The GOP is predictably against it. The Republican party has been a voting rights denier in every Republican held Legislature in the county. Look at what they did in Wisconsin.
There is no proof that there was voter fraud when one votes by mail. The GOP who are great at attacking the very tenants of Democracy, who are great at suppressing minority voters and making up lies about illegals voting need to be stopped.
This current Republican philosophy must be fought and repudiated for the cancer on America that every individual Republican office older who doesn’t support voting by mail inflicts on all of us.

THE TRUTH FROM OBAMA, THE LIES FROM TRUMP

OBAMA CALLS OUT THE LACK OF A 'ROBUST SYSTEM OF TESTING' FOR CORONAVIRUS IN THE U.S.

(Photo: AP)

Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday criticized the lack of a "robust system of testing" for coronavirus in the US.
"Social distancing bends the curve...But in order to shift off current policies, the key will be a robust system of testing and monitoring – something we have yet to put in place nationwide," Obama tweeted.
The US is well behind other nations in terms of testing for coronavirus per capita.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday offered veiled criticism of the Trump administration's failure to establish a "robust system of testing" for the novel coronavirus.
"Social distancing bends the curve and relieves some pressure on our heroic medical professionals. But in order to shift off current policies, the key will be a robust system of testing and monitoring — something we have yet to put in place nationwide," Obama said in a tweet.
The former commander-in-chief's comments echo recent recommendations from the World Health Organization, which has said that social distancing is "buying time" but must be paired with widespread testing in order to defeat the pandemic.
The US has struggled to implement testing on a broad scale, which is largely due to early stumbles by the federal government in preparing for and responding to the novel coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent out faulty test kits in February, and the US has been behind the curve ever since.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US's top expert on infectious disease, in March told House lawmakers the US must admit it's "failing" in terms of testing for the virus.
More recently, a sobering report from the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services warned of recurring delays and issues with testing at US hospitals, as well as severe shortages of supplies.
President Donald Trump has scoffed at questions from reporters about issues with testing, and often made misleading comments about the availability of tests.
On March 6, for example, Trump said "anybody" who needs a test could get one. That was not true then, and remained false as of Wednesday.
Trump on Tuesday also falsely said the US is outpacing other countries in terms of testing.
"We've performed 1.87 million tests to date. So that's 1 million, 870 thousand — million tests. Think of that: 1,870,000 tests to date. And now we're performing them at a level that nobody has ever seen before," Trump said at the daily White House press briefing on coronavirus.
But with a population of roughly 327 million people, and less than 2 million tests conducted, this places the US far behind other countries in terms of testing per capita. (AP)

MATT CARTWRIGHT, MAYOR JEFF CUSAT JOIN FORCES AT HAZLETON CITY HALL

Congressman Matt Cartwright and Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat. (Photo: Pa Homepage)

With Hazleton still the “hot zone” of coronavirus spread in Luzerne County, Congressman Matt Cartwright met with Mayor Jeff Cusat at City Hall for a closer look at the crisis.
Last week, the City of Hazleton declared a disaster emergency because people haven’t been following social distancing guidelines. In the past week, officials have been cracking down on the disobeying orders.
“The new message should be, do what ever you can to protect your family and friends,” Cusat said.
On Saturday, a curfew was implemented for anyone who lives or visits the city. This comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in Hazleton alone have reached nearly 1,000.
“So that positive number does not matter anymore it’s here, it’s going to increase and keep getting higher until we follow those guidelines that are set by the CDC,” Cusat said.
Cusat says people also need to follow Governor Tom Wolf’s mandate at the local level. To echo the plea, Rep. Matt Cartwright joined Cusat at City Hall.
“Hazleton is one of the focuses of COVID-19 in Northeastern Pennsylvania, so that’s why it’s important,” Cartwright said.
Cartwright discussed efforts being made on both sides of the aisle. Including efforts to increase the availablity of ventilators.
“It’s something Congressman Meuser and I have talked about to make sure we have enough, right now we do,” Cartwright said. “There is no crisis in ventilators in northeastern pennsylvania.”
However, Cartwright noted that as the spread of COVID-19 shifts, ventilators will have to be moved from hospital to hospital and from state to state and regional needs change.
Another topic of discussion Wednesday was the $2.2 trillion stimulus package, including a $1200 check for most Americans. Cartwright says people can start to expect receiving them next week.
Those who have a direct deposit on file will be first, followed by those with only addresses on file. If there is no information, Cartwright says it will take much longer to receive the payment.(Pa Homepage, Cartwright office, LuLac)

SCAMS RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS AND STIMULUS CHECKS

Our friends at Choice One Credit Union sent this message about scams during the Covid-19 period. Beware of emails, calls or other means of contact phishing for your personal financial information for the deposit of your stimulus check. This may come in the form of a text, email, social media contact, a call or another form of contact. First, remember, the government doesn’t refer to the payments as stimulus checks, but rather economic impact payments. Knowing this will come in handy when it comes to recognizing a potential scam. Second, a legitimate government agency will NEVER ask for personal information in this manner. Do not give this information out over the phone or by email. A scammer may use this information to steal your identity or steal money from your accounts. The IRS will automatically deposit your check into the direct deposit account provided on your last tax return. There is no action required on your part. If you did not provide an account, they will mail you a paper check to the address they have on file. Social Security beneficiaries who are not typically required to file tax returns will not need to file to receive a payment. Instead, payments will be automatically deposited into their credit union or bank accounts. If you receive one of these phishing calls, hang up immediately. If you receive a phishing text or email, delete it immediately and do not click on any links.
Another type of coronavirus scam related to the economic impact payment is a scammer acting as a government agency and requesting a fee to get your stimulus check. There is no fee involved in getting your stimulus check, so any contact asking you for a fee is a scam. If the sender is claiming they can get you a check faster, it is also a scam. You can visit irs.gov for more information and updates related to the Economic Impact Payment or to report a phishing attempt.
Coronavirus scams related to testing and treatment
Contacts claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offering coronavirus home test kits for sale are another scam. There are no home test kits currently available. It’s just another way for scammers to prey on our fears for their profit. Other frauds to be on the watch for related to coronavirus are ads, emails or robocalls pitching cures, treatments or vaccines. To date, there are no approved vaccines, medications or any other treatments available to treat or cure COVID-19. If you read about a cure in a social media ad or a pop-up ad, it’s a fraud. Don’t click on these links or give any credit card information. Listen to the health experts and protect yourself by social distancing. Stay home and stay safe.

WHY TOILET PAPER? 

When the history of the coronavirus pandemic is written, the vanishing of toilet paper might rank as just a footnote in an otherwise dark and frightening account. But it might be a very long, complex and even wise footnote, because toilet paper — or rather, the lack of it — turns out to reveal a great deal about who we are and how we behave in a crisis.
It showed David Cohen something about the nature of humanity: As a checkout guy at a supermarket in Asheville, N.C., he saw people buying absurd amounts of toilet paper, but he also saw people reach the cashier’s counter and decide suddenly to consider those who have less.
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“Some people said, ‘Wait, I’m going to put these rolls back on the shelf so somebody else can get some,’” said Cohen, who was happy to wait while his customers made a quick return visit to Aisle 14.
It inspired Leslie Klein to poetry: “The store shelves are bare of necessities / Fear took the helm driving shopping to insanity / So, a cushion of paper gives a sense of security.” Klein, an artist — and poet, if she didn’t already know it — in West Stockbridge, Mass., isn’t finding any rolls in her local stores, but she’s been cheered to find that a sort of underground market in TP info has developed.
“Friends pass along hot tips,” she said. “Like, ‘You can find some wholesale at this place.’ It’s something people really feel they can’t do without.”
It confirmed Ronald Blumer’s view that “people have deep emotional connections to what goes into and comes out of our bodies. It sounds highfalutin, but it’s part of your being.”
Blumer, a writer in Manhattan who actually wrote a book about toilet paper in 2013, managed to find a stash of the stuff the other day in, of all places, a little hardware store. “People don’t know they carry it, so they still have some,” he said. “Or maybe it’s because it’s not the best TP. Single-ply, oh dear!”
It has become something of an obsession. You can’t find it at your local market, which can’t get nearly enough from its distributors, which are getting their normal supply from the manufacturers, which isn’t remotely sufficient.
The economics and logistics of the problem are a bit controversial, though there are good and plentiful theories to explain why your favorite supermarket’s bland assurance that “more is on the way” — Google finds more than half a million hits for that bit of corporate hype about the easing of the TP shortage — is misleading.
Fleets of experts, working from home, already are examining the question from as many perspectives as a university has departments. The quants — who have studied “the toilet paper problem” for years, asking why some people in public restrooms take from the larger, fuller roll while others, known as “little choosers,” use the roll that’s closer to empty — are focused on why the supply chain has broken down. Psychologists are curious why TP — not exactly essential to sustaining human life — ranks right up there with milk and bread in our panic-buying behaviors. Social historians look at why people came to view toilet tissue as vital when it didn’t even become a household staple until the 1940s. (USA Today)

WE WEREN’T READY NO MATTER WHAT THE TRUMPSTERS SAY

September 2019 White House economists published a study that warned a pandemic disease could kill a half million Americans and devastate the economy... In late February and early March, as the virus began to spread from China to the rest of the world, President Trump’s top economic advisers played down the threat the virus posed to the U.S. economy and public health. The 2019 warning undermines administration officials’ contentions that no one could have seen the virus damaging the economy as it has. The study was requested by the National Security Council.

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400-The Game, NEPA's Fox .Sports Radio and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

ECTV PREVIEW

David DeCosmo hosts another edition of PREVIEW on ECTV from his home during the week of April 13th. His guest is Mary Garm, Administrator of the Lackawanna County Library System. The Library doors are closed. But, as Mrs. Garm explains, there are plenty of library services available to all!

PREVIEW is seen 3 times daily on Comcast channel 19 and on the electric city television YouTube page.

BUDDY RUMCHEK

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:20 and 8:20 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

1980

Our 1980 logo.

Samuel Kanyon Doe takes over Liberia in a coup d'état, ending over 130 years of democratic presidential succession in that country.......Terry Fox begins his Marathon of Hope from St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada........Iron Maiden's debut self-titled album Iron Maiden is released in the U.K.....Zimbabwe gains de independence from the United Kingdom; Robert Mugabe becomes Prime Minister.....Rosie Ruiz wins the Boston Marathon, but is later exposed as a fraud and stripped of her award. Locally a battle for the 11th Congressional seat vacated by Congressman Dan Flood rages on. Attorney Frank Harrison and Paul Kanjorski along with Richard Adams, Ed Mitchell and State Representative Ray Musto are vying for the Special Election win....And forty years ago the number one sing in LuLac land and America was "Special Lady" Ray, Goodman & Brown