The LuLac Edition #4, 633, December 2nd, 2021

 

 ROE VS. WADE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

WHO DO YOU BLAME? 

(Photo: LuLac archives) 

Let’s face it folks. With the signals sent from the Conservative Court on December 1^st, Roe Vs. Wade if not overturned fully by the Supremes will be eviscerated. Women in 26 states will lose their ability to gain a safe abortion. With the Senate not getting rid of the filibuster, don’t look for the Congress to codify Roe. What will happen when Roe is invalidated will be a series of social changes mandated by this right-wing court. On deck after Roe will be Gay Marriage.

Who to blame for this fiasco? Trump voters? Nope. They voted for Trump because he kept his promise. Unlike other GOP Presidents who gave lip service to the pro-life movement, Trump meant what he said when he had the opportunity to fill those seats. It was a master stroke that will change the lives of women in this century. It is true that elections have consequences and millions of poor women will be paying the price for it.

If you need to place blame anywhere look no further than the 2016 election. Trump vs. Clinton. Clinton was a battered and bruised nominee who was dragged through the public mud. Voters believed the e mail bullshit which came to nothing. Jim Comey, sure of her election screwed her in the end with his release of a “new” investigation just a week before the election. Her campaign made horrendous mistakes that should have been avoided. Women were her own worst enemy. They said stuff like, “I just don’t care for her”, “She’d be nothing without her husband”. “She stayed with her husband too long”, “I like Jill Stein, I want a true champion of women”, “I think she’s a liar, don’t know what she’s lying about but I know she’s lying” and on and on.

Bottom line here is that women (as well as men) who didn’t vote for her, didn’t vote for a Democrat now are paying the price for their “vanity” vote of ’16.

Donald Trump will most likely go down in history as the worst President in the United States. But thanks to the election results of '16 he will also go down as the most consequential President of this new century. All one has to do is look to the Supreme Court building to see that in the days ahead.

 DR. OZ IN ON PENNSYLVANIA SENATE 

RACE

 

Doctor Oz (Photo: Variety)

The good doctor says this is what America needs, A doctor because he says Amerce is sick. Here’s what he said.

"I’m running for the U.S. Senate because America is sick, and we need a doctor to cure our country.

I’m Dr. Oz -- I’m a world-class surgeon, fighter, and health care advocate. I’ve spent the last 30 years in medicine taking on powerful special interests and telling people like it is - that you have the power to change your life for the better. Now, I’m running for the U.S. Senate to take on the out-of-touch Washington establishment and to fight for policies that empower the American people to change our country for the better.

I know the truth, the data, and the science about combatting COVID and understand how it affects you and your family. While Washington elites tell you to stay inside and mask up, I’ve been putting my expertise to work on our behalf. I won’t stand by on the sidelines while out-of-touch politicians force our businesses to shut down and keep our children out of schools.

The federal government exists to protect you - not control you. Whether it’s modernizing health care so it’s more affordable and accessible, fighting for more school choice for all Americans, protecting us by securing our borders and stopping illegal immigration, telling the truth about corporate America like how pharmaceutical companies charge too much for prescription drugs, or making sure people know the truth about COVID, I’m promising to help re-light the “divine spark” inside every American and empower us to live better lives.

I know the truth, the data, and the science about combatting COVID and understand how it affects you and your family. While Washington elites tell you to stay inside and mask up, I’ve been putting my expertise to work on our behalf. I won’t stand by on the sidelines while out-of-touch politicians force our businesses to shut down and keep our children out of schools.

The federal government exists to protect you - not control you. Whether it’s modernizing health care so it’s more affordable and accessible, fighting for more school choice for all Americans, protecting us by securing our borders and stopping illegal immigration, telling the truth about corporate America like how pharmaceutical companies charge too much for prescription drugs, or making sure people know the truth about COVID, I’m promising to help re-light the “divine spark” inside every American and empower us to live better lives."

Other candidates in the race along with Oz are; 

Jeff Bartos

Jeff Bartos, a former GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, was one of the first high-profile Republicans to enter the race. During the pandemic, he founded a nonprofit, the Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund, that provided forgivable loans to businesses hit hard by COVID-19. He’s vowed to fight for lower taxes, regulatory cuts and strong foreign policy that holds China and Iran accountable.

Carla Sands

As GOP candidates vie for former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Carla Sands has a built-in advantage: she served on Trump’s Economic Advisory Council and was named his ambassador to Denmark in 2017. Sands, who has experience both as a chiropractor and businesswoman, lists energy security, election integrity and border security as her biggest priorities as a senator.

Kathy Barnette

A veteran, former professor and conservative political commentator, Kathy Barnette could be Pennsylvania’s first Black, female senator in state history. In her bid for Congress last year, Barnette campaigned on her support for the Second Amendment, school choice policies and her pro-life beliefs, according to PoliticsPA. Barnette has also stressed the importance of border security and supports banning the teaching of critical race theory.

Everett Stern

Everett Stern founded Tactical Rabbit, a private intelligence company, and later gained fame as a whistleblower who unveiled a money-laundering scandal at HSBC Bank. Stern’s Senate campaign outlines national security, the economy, border security and gun rights as a few of his core issues, along with directing more students toward the trades, addressing climate change through the development of renewable energy sources and electric vehicles.

Sean Gale

Sean Gale is a business and health care attorney who is planning to bring a Trump-like approach to politics and policy to the U.S. Senate. Gale, whose brother, Joe, a Montgomery County commissioner who also announced a bid for governor, is heavily critical of Toomey and a campaign ad for Gale outlines his platform in a single sentence: “He’s not Pat Toomey or a puppet of the Pennsylvania GOP swamp.”

Martin Rosenfeld

Martin Rosenfeld is a former deputy sheriff and constable who has four decades of experience in accounting and tax preparation. He’s running for Senate as a constitutional conservative seeking to lower taxes, rebuild infrastructure, establish term limits for elected officials and defend the Second Amendment. Rosenfeld also formerly served as the treasurer of the Elk County Republican Party.

Bobby Jeffries

Bobby Jeffries, a Republican from Hershey who previously launched a primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, is now seeking the GOP nomination for Senate. In a campaign ad, Jeffries says protecting the country’s energy independence and reinvigorating the nation’s manufacturing industry are two of his biggest goals. Jeffries also stressed the need for “America First” policies and placed an emphasis on border security.

John DeBellis

John DeBellis is campaigning on his experience as a small business owner, touting himself as a “constitutional conservative.” His campaign site promotes the fact that he isn’t a career politician – DeBellis wants to cut regulations that impact businesses, reduce illegal immigrants, crack down on large tech companies, reform the nation’s election laws and establish term limits.

Ronald Johnson

An Army veteran, Ronald Johnson hails from Oil City and is running for Senate with an “America First” mindset, with a particular emphasis on enacting term limits for members of Congress, according to Explore Venango. Johnson also told Explore Venango that members of Congress shouldn’t be able to retire after just five years. On his campaign Facebook page, Johnson describes himself as a defender of constitutional rights.

James Hayes

According to Federal Election Commission documents, James Hayes of Allison Park has filed paperwork to run for Senate as a Republican in 2022.

Craig Snyder

Craig Snyder was formerly chief of staff to the late U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, and has launched an exploratory committee and filed paperwork to run for Senate in 2022. Snyder wrote a “Manifesto for a Post-Trump GOP” that stresses the importance of conservative values, democratic capitalism, the dangers of climate change and the importance of the U.S. playing a key role in foreign affairs.

 Dr. Mehmet Oz

Yes, that Dr. Oz. Television’s own surgeon, who’s been criticized for promoting questionable medical advice on his own show, made a name for himself during guest appearances on Oprah Winfrey’s show during the 2000s. Oz, a registered Republican, is eyeing a potential Senate run in the commonwealth. He has lived in New Jersey but reportedly changed his registration to Pennsylvania after the 2020 election, so his residency may still be up in the air. If elected, Oz would be the first Muslim to hold a U.S. Senate seat.

David McCormick

The second potential Republican candidate is Army veteran and businessman David McCormick. A Pittsburgh native, McCormick served under former President George W. Bush’s Treasury Department and is currently serving as CEO is Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. The executive is likely to face scrutiny of his business practices and connections in China, but McCormick could bring a more moderate, economy-focused campaign to the field.

 

TRUMP TESTED POSITIVE FOR VIRUS DAYS BEFORE DEBATE, 2 EX-OFFICIALS SAY

President Donald J. Trump tested positive for coronavirus three days before his first debate with Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 2020, two former administration officials said Wednesday.

The White House did not announce the positive test at the time, and the president received a negative result shortly afterward and carried on with a campaign rally and the debate, the officials said. The account was first reported by The Guardian, which cited a forthcoming book by Mr. Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows.

The two former officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, confirmed the timeline on Mr. Trump’s test results contained in “The Chief’s Chief,” by Mr. Meadows, Mr. Trump’s fourth and final White House chief of staff.

The revelation came nearly a year after widespread speculation that Mr. Trump was sick when he first shared a stage with Mr. Biden for their first presidential debate on Sept. 29, months into the pandemic.

The White House declined repeatedly at the time to give a precise chronology of when precisely Mr. Trump first received a positive coronavirus test result. The administration first told the public in the early hours of Oct. 2 that Mr. Trump had tested positive. Mr. Trump was hospitalized later that same day.

Mr. Trump’s positive result was revealed only after a top adviser, Hope Hicks, was reported to be sick with Covid-19. At the time, Mr. Trump intimated in an interview with Fox News that Ms. Hicks might have given him the virus.

But Mr. Meadows wrote in his book that three days earlier, on Sept. 26, Mr. Trump received a positive test shortly before departing the White House for Air Force One to travel to Pennsylvania for a rally. The White House doctor, Sean Conley, called to deliver the news. “Mr. President,” Mr. Meadows writes that he told Mr. Trump, “I’ve got some bad news. You’ve tested positive for Covid-19.”

Mr. Trump’s response rhymed with “‘Oh spit, you’ve gotta be trucking lidding me,’” Mr. Meadows wrote. The day of the positive result was the day that Mr. Trump held a large Rose Garden event announcing his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.

According to The Guardian, Mr. Meadows wrote that the positive test was taken with an older testing kit, and that the new one was the “Binax system, and that we were hoping the first test was a false positive.” Mr. Trump took the second result as “full permission to press on as if nothing had happened,” Mr. Meadows wrote, according to The Guardian. Mr. Meadows asserted in the book that he “instructed everyone in his immediate circle to treat him as if he was positive” during that trip.

The two former officials who confirmed the positive test did not recall Mr. Meadows giving such a directive. And a few hours after the positive test was received, Mr. Trump walked to the back of Air Force One and chatted with reporters, not wearing a mask. One of the reporters, who works for The New York Times, later tested positive for the virus.

The day after the positive result, Mr. Trump attended an event for military families.

Mr. Meadows wrote in his book that Mr. Trump appeared physically off around the time of that test, although by the time of the first debate against Mr. Biden, he seemed a little better.

“His face, for the most part at least, had regained its usual light bronze hue, and the gravel in his voice was gone,” Mr. Meadows wrote, according to The Guardian. “But the dark circles under his eyes had deepened. As we walked into the venue around five o’clock in the evening, I could tell that he was moving more slowly than usual. He walked like he was carrying a little extra weight on his back.”

In a statement released by his office, Mr. Trump replied, “The story of me having Covid prior to, or during, the first debate is Fake News. In fact, a test revealed that I did not have Covid prior to the debate. “Once more Trump LIES to himself and the American people. Anything that doesn’t jive with his account, is “fake”. Just like he was, is and will be.   (The Guardian, LuLac)

 

CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES FY2020 FEDERAL AWARDS FOR FIREFIGHTERS IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA & NEW APPLICATION PERIOD FOR FY2021 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright  announced that fire companies in Northeastern Pennsylvania received awards totaling $3,242,857.59 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant from FY2020.

FY2020 Awards in PA-08:

AFG - Awardees

Award Program

Federal Award

Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Co.

Operations and Safety

$18,000.00

Hanover Township Community Ambulance Assoc.

Operations and Safety

$67,810.10

Honesdale Hose Company No. 1

Operations and Safety

$4,285.71

Hughestown Hose Co. #1

Operations and Safety

$47,142.86

Jefferson Township Volunteer Fire Co.

Operations and Safety

$9,419.05

Laflin Volunteer Fire Department

Operations and Safety

$47,600.00

Ledgedale Volunteer Hose Company

Operations and Safety

$76,033.33

Plains Township

Fire Department/Fire District

$93,104.76

Scranton City

Hiring of Firefighters

$2,596,047.50

Scranton City

Fire Prevention and Safety

$42,857.14

William Walker Hose Co.

Vehicle Acquisition

$22,584.76

Westfall Township Volunteer Fire Dept.

Operations and Safety

$193,229.52

Wilson Fire Company No. 1

Operations and Safety

$24,742.86

“For far too long, both paid and volunteer Fire and EMS Companies across Northeastern Pennsylvania have seen a decline in personnel,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “It is imperative we support our first responders, who perform invaluable work for their communities each day, with the necessary funds they need to do their job and stay safe. I thank the first responders for their dedication and will continue to advocate for federal funding.”

 

SUPPORT BUILDS FOR BIPARTISAN STURDY ACT TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM FALLING FURNITURE ACCIDENTS

IKEA, ROOM & BOARD SHOW SUPPORT FOR REVISED STURDY ACT, URGE PASSAGE IN CONGRESS TO PREVENT CHILD TIP-OVER INJURY AND DEATH

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives) 

Following the introduction of the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act, introduced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the Senators are announcing a robust coalition of new endorsers and supporting organizations for their revised bill, including manufacturers and retailers like IKEA, Room & Board, Crate & Barrel and Williams-Sonoma, in addition to consumer groups and Parents Against Tip-overs. The bipartisan bill would change the stability standard for manufacturers of clothing storage units from voluntary to mandatory—requiring companies to ensure their products are tested for safety and stability before being sold. The original version of the bill passed the House earlier this year with broad, bipartisan support.

“When it comes to our children, safety is non-negotiable. The broad coalition of supporters for my bipartisan STURDY Act demonstrates that we have the momentum to make safety a requirement for furniture manufacturers and retailers, and the opportunity to prevent hundreds of kids from being injured or killed by tip-overs of chests, dressers and bureaus. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to pass this legislation and get it to the President’s desk,” said Senator Casey.

“No family should live in fear that a furniture accident could severely injure or even kill their child,” said Senator Klobuchar. “The STURDY Act will implement stronger industry standards to stabilize furniture, which in turn will help prevent furniture tip-overs. As support for this bill continues to build, I’ll keep working to move this legislation forward and ensure the safety of our kids.”

“The STURDY Act would enact strong furniture stability standards to prevent deadly tip-overs and protect children. I am encouraged by the building momentum for this bill and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure it passes Congress so that no more families are forced to grieve the preventable death of their child,” said Senator Blumenthal.

IKEA:

“The STURDY Act is the result of the combined efforts of many people and organizations – including parents, advocates, lawmakers and business – working together to create a safer life at home. We applaud Senators Casey, Blumenthal, and Klobuchar for reintroducing this bill and their colleagues for considering it. IKEA is proud to support this legislation, which will foster collaboration between business and regulators as we seek innovative solutions to preventing furniture tip-over.”

Room & Board:

“Room & Board values customer safety. We support the STURDY act and look forward to the enhanced furniture stability standards it will bring to the industry,”

Parents Against Tip-overs (PAT):

“Parents Against Tipovers (PAT), which represents over 500 families across the country who have unnecessarily lost their children to furniture tip-overs, has worked tirelessly to advance legislation that would prevent these tragedies from happening to other families. With unprecedented momentum behind the STURDY Act, we are now at a turning point. PAT supports the reintroduction of this amended version of the STURDY Act, which maintains the effectiveness and timelines of a new safety rule, while adding language that encourages manufactures to engineer safer products. It is rare for families of those injured or killed, consumer groups and industry to come together and develop legislative language which protects both consumers and corporations. The Senate must now do their part, and help us finish the job.  PAT calls on the Senate to immediately pass the STURDY Act, the only path which ensures a timely and effective solution to this ongoing problem.”

Coalition - Consumer Reports, Consumer Federation of America [CFA], Kids In Danger [KID] and Public Citizen:

“For nearly two decades, the furniture industry has failed to develop a voluntary dresser stability standard that adequately protects children. Too many children have already died to delay action any further. This recently introduced version of the STURDY Act builds on the strength of the previous bill by encouraging manufacturer innovation that would result in safer, more stable furniture designs. The STURDY Act has long been supported by parents, healthcare and consumer groups, and now support behind this critical bill has expanded. Our coalition strongly urges all members of the U.S. Senate to stand with stakeholders and support this life-saving legislation that will protect families from preventable tragedies.”

American Academy of Pediatrics President Lee Savio Beers, MD, FAAP:

“Too many families have experienced the tragedy of losing a child because of furniture in their home that posed a dangerous tip-over risk. When purchasing furniture, parents should not need to worry or question whether it is safe for their family. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports the STURDY Act as a needed step forward to prevent more children from being injured and killed by furniture tip-overs, and thanks Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and cosponsors for their bipartisan leadership on this bill.”

According to a report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, tip-overs cause an average of 25,500 emergency room-treated injuries each year, with 44 percent of that number involving children who are crushed, trapped or struck by furniture, TVs and appliances. Product instability that can lead to a tip-over incident can be caused or affected by an unstable dresser design such as a small base and top heavy, use on a sloped or unstable surface such as carpet, not using a restraint device or using a defective tip-over restraint device, heavy objects placed on top of a dresser such as a TV, or multiple dresser drawers open simultaneously. The bill also requires rigorous testing measures for furniture and to simulate real-world use and provides warning requirements based on the most up-to-date safety standards.

Supporting Organizations: Consumer Reports, Parents Against Tip-overs, Kids in Danger, Consumer Federation of America, Public Citizen, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Safe Kids Worldwide, IKEA, Room & Board, Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel.

GOV. WOLF ANNOUNCES $15.7 MILLION IN VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION GRANT

Governor Tom Wolf (Photo: LuLac archives)

Governor Tom Wolf announced $15.7 million in grant funding to support local strategies to stop gun and group violence across Pennsylvania. Grants were awarded to 40 projects through the Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Grant Program administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).

“Gun violence is a scourge that cuts right to the heart of our communities. We must do more to prevent violence in our commonwealth and stop the trauma of violence from blighting our future,” said Gov. Wolf. “These grants will provide communities and local organizations with necessary resources to disrupt violence, promote healing and make our communities safer. This funding is an important next step in tackling the gun violence epidemic and reducing violence in our communities.”

Reducing gun violence in Pennsylvania is a top priority for Governor Wolf. In 2019, he signed an Executive Order creating the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and a Special Council on Gun Violence within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, as well as the Division of Violence Prevention within the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

One of the Special Council’s recommendations was to prioritize funding to support community-led efforts and address resource disparities. As a result, PCCD has prioritized support for organizations working at the neighborhood and community level to prevent and reduce violence. The VIP grants awarded today fund effective, community-designed and community-led strategies to reduce gun violence.

VIP grants provide funding to local organizations for a wide range of programs focused on reducing community violence, including street outreach and violence interruption programs utilizing credible messengers; Safe Corridors/Safe Passages programs, which prevent incidents to/from school and other community centers; providing referrals to partner agencies focused on meeting basic needs of participants, including education, employment, health and other services; comprehensive pre-release and reentry programs for returning citizens; trauma-informed approaches to support victims and survivors of gun violence; as well as youth activities and mentorship.

“With the initial awards of funding today, a significant step was taken to combat the rising violence plaguing many of our communities,” ​said Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vince Hughes ​D-Phila/Montgomery. “By making investments in a wide variety of neighborhood-based organizations the Commonwealth, for the first time, is making a significant investment of new state dollars available to combat the violence that has inundated many black and brown communities.  This historic investment will serve as a down payment for many neighborhood groups that understand the fabric of their communities and can actively address the systematic causes of the violence epidemic affecting every county across the Commonwealth.”

“Every day we lose Pennsylvanians to gun violence, traumatizing our families and our communities,” said House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Phila/Delaware. “These violence prevention grants are an important tool for our communities to support and expand safety initiatives, to protect families and neighborhoods, and to begin to reverse the epidemic of gun violence and its negative outcomes.”

Gov. Wolf announced the $24 million VIP grant program in September. This is the first round of awards, with a second round expected to be announced in early 2022.

 

 

MEDIA MATTERS 

  

WALN TV

 

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guest is Michael G. Stanton discussing his upcoming "Shower for Charity" You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP 

 

 

1987 

 

Our 1987 logo.

Digging begins to link England & France under English Channel…..Chicago City Council elects Eugene Sawyer acting mayor Jennifer Steele, 17, of Colorado becomes Miss Teen of America…….US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site….."334" club forms as 334 brave Devil fans journey through 20" of snow to attend New Jersey Devils 7-5 NHL victory over Calgary at Meadowlands……Karlstad skates world record 10 km (13:48.51) Schonbrunn skates world record 3 km ladies (4:16.76)……3 satanist Missouri teenagers bludgeon comrade to death for "fun"……Christa Rothenburger skates female world record 500m (39.39 sec)…..43 die in Pacific Southwest Airline crash in California (man shot pilots)…..  

Gorbachev arrives in US for a summit meeting…..Palestinian uprising against Israel in West Bank and during this week in 1987 the number one song in LuLac lands and America was “Moonlighting” by Al Jarreau.