The LuLac Edition #4, 646, December 16th, 2021

 

KEYSTONE STATE TRIES TO REMAIN KEY IN 2024 PRIMARY

Pennsylvania is again aiming to put its presidential primary in position to determine the winner, rather than let other states play that role. The state Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill to move up Pennsylvania’s primary elections in presidential election years by five weeks to the third Tuesday in March.

That is expected to put it on the same date in 2024 as Arizona, Florida and Illinois. Critics of Pennsylvania's current date in state law — the fourth Tuesday of April — say its presidential primary clout is often diminished or rendered irrelevant by its relatively late vote. “In most presidential elections, the outcome is largely decided before our voters have a chance to cast their vote,” the bill’s sponsor, state Sen. John Gordner, R-Columbia, said in a statement.

The bill goes to the state House of Representatives for consideration. A spokesperson for the House Republican majority said it has not yet been discussed in the caucus. The Senate passed an identical bill last year, but it died in the House.

Gordner said the target date for Pennsylvania's primary will not violate any rules of the Democratic National Committee or the Republican National Committee.  Last year, Pennsylvania’s primary was held the same day as those in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland and Delaware. 

The bottom line is that new districts will be redrawn and don't be surprised if you get a new Congressman, State Senator or State Rep. (AP, LuLac archives)

3 RESIDENTS OF A FLORIDA RETIREMENT COMMUNITY WERE ARRESTED AFTER CASTING MULTIPLE VOTES IN 2020 ELECTION

Authorities have arrested and charged three residents of a Florida retirement community for allegedly casting more than one ballot in the 2020 election. The Villages is an area in Florida where almost every person there feels entitled. The voters have dueling golf cart races to settle their differences. The typical GOP loud mouths who bitched about Florida fraud should have kept their mouths shut. In the Villages where fat and happy ingrates lve, they should realize that "Accusation Is Confession", 

 JOE BIDEN FIRES WARNING SHOT AT GOP ON MIDTERMS 'GET READY PAL'

President Joe Biden fired shots at Republicans during his speech at the Democratic National Committee's holiday party on Tuesday. Biden said "I want to tell my Republican friends get ready pal, you are going in for a problem" after stating they are afraid to debate United States Senate bills. Biden needs to come out swining and actually tell people what is in the bill that will help them. 

 

NORTH CAROLINA NEWSPAPER CALLS MEADOWS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO STATE

A leading North Caroline newspaper is blasting former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, calling the Republican who previously served in Congress an embarrassment to the state.

"When will the N.C. Republican Party censure Mark Meadows?" The News and Observer asked in an editorial published on Wednesday.  "The answer, of course, is never. But that won't hide the embarrassment that Meadows is for his party or for the state he represented in Congress for seven years."

Meadows has emerged "as a disgrace during a dangerous hour for U.S. democracy," the newspaper asserted. "For North Carolina, Meadows is more than a figure in a Washington drama," the outlet's editorial board continued. "He is the embodiment of how the state's turn to extreme gerrymandering has opened the way for reactionary and incompetent candidates to represent the state in Congress."

The House on Tuesday voted to hold the former Trump White House chief of staff in contempt of Congress as the special committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol continues its probe of the incident. Meadows will now be referred to the Justice Department on criminal contempt charges after refusing to testify before the committee.

The News and Observer, which has gone after Meadows before, slammed him in the latest editorial for the failure to cooperate with the probe and what it described as kowtowing to former President Trump.  "It has long been clear that Meadows is a Trump sycophant," the newspaper wrote. "Now the question is whether his eagerness to please included breaking the law. The Jan. 6 committee needs to take a hard line with the former chief of staff who never drew a line for Trump."  (AOL News)

 

REP. CARTWRIGHT INTRODUCES BILL TO HELP MINE WORKERS WITH BLACK LUNG DISEASE RECEIVE BENEFITS

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) introduced the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act, legislation that would reform the program that provides benefits to coal miners suffering from black lung disease.

“Thousands of miners who suffer from the horrible effects of black lung disease are exploited by coal company lawyers who prevent mine workers and their families from receiving the benefits they deserve,” said Rep. Cartwright. “Mine workers and their survivors deserve a fair benefits system based on unbiased medical advice. This bill helps ensure disabled coal miners who deserve black lung benefits won’t be unfairly denied.”

BACKGROUND

Between 1968 and 2020, over 79,000 miners passed away from black lung disease. A horrific condition, black lung kills slowly, with victims losing their ability to breathe.

Federal law requires that coal companies compensate disabled miners who contract black lung disease, but coal companies routinely deploy an array of unfair tactics to avoid paying miners the benefits they deserve through an adversarial litigation process. Coal miners often lack the resources, money and access to legal representation to counter these efforts.

Analysis by the Center for Public Integrity and ABC News found that doctors who are paid by coal companies have systematically misdiagnosed miners with black lung as having other diseases, thus preventing the miners from accessing benefits. Furthermore, hearings in the U.S. Senate showed that coal company lawyers have caused some miners’ claims to be denied by withholding medical evidence that proves that the miner has black lung.

BLACK LUNG BENEFITS IMPROVEMENT ACT

The Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act aims to level the playing field for miners and their survivors seeking benefits under the Black Lung Program that is administered by the Department of Labor. Specifically, the Act assists claimants by:

Requiring full disclosure of medical information related to a claim, whether or not such information is entered as evidence;

Enabling more miners to get legal assistance;

Allowing miners or their survivors to reopen their cases if they had been denied because of medical interpretations that have subsequently been discredited; and

Adjusting black lung benefits to increases in the cost of living.

This bill is co-sponsored in the U.S. House by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA-03).

 

SENATOR CASEY APPLAUDS AWARD OF $500,000 TO NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA CONSERVATION AND OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

PENNSYLVANIA WILDS CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO RECEIVE HALF A MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO INVEST IN TOURISM, WORKFORCE TRAINING FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives) 

U.S. Senator Bob Casey released a statement applauding the award of $500,000 to the Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship for their placement as a finalist in the Build Back Better Regional Challenge:

“I applaud the Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship for their achievement in receiving this competitive award. Their efforts to strengthen and expand the region’s outdoor recreation workforce and tourism industry will support economic recovery in the Commonwealth, contribute to efforts to preserve its natural resources and help revitalize communities across the region. I will continue to advocate for Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation and tourism industry as we build back better and work to invest in our Nation’s economic infrastructure,” said Senator Casey.

The Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship is dedicated to integrating conservation and economic development in order to strengthen communities and bolster the outdoor recreation industry and workforce in the Pennsylvania Wilds region of northern Pennsylvania.

As a finalist in the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, The Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship is awarded $500,000 to further develop its proposed projects and strengthen their regional coalitions in advance of submitting a Phase 2 application.

 

WOLF ADMINISTRATION ASKS FEDS TO SUPPORT HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN BATTLING PANDEMIC

Governor Tom Wolf (Photo: LuLac archives)

The Wolf Administration requested additional support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Pennsylvania’s health care system in its continued battle against COVID-19.

“Our health care system is strained from COVID-19 cases and further exacerbated by persistent staffing shortages across the sector,” said Gov. Wolf. “Today, I outlined key areas that my administration, along with health care systems, believes would garner the most impactful support for our deserving health care professionals who have been on the front lines battling this pandemic for 22 months.”

Gov. Wolf outlined the following key areas to FEMA:

Critical Staffing Support of clinical and non-clinical professionals across the commonwealth with the highest hospital utilization including:

Hospital strike teams,

Skilled nursing facility strike teams, and

Ambulance strike teams.

Continued Pandemic Response Support specifically focused on rural areas, regions with higher social vulnerability, and lower vaccinations rates including:

1 million rapid at-home COVID-19 tests, and

Increased allocation of monoclonal antibodies.

“I want to thank the Biden Administration for their steadfast leadership in addressing the pandemic since taking office,” said Gov. Wolf. “I am hopeful that these critically important supports will be addressed to alleviate the strain on our health care system and ultimately be able to provide Pennsylvanians the care they need during this time.”

 

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guest is John Adams, President of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership and 7:30 am on 105 The River. 

BOBBY V’s DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT

1987

Our 1987 logo.

Gustáv Husák resigns as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia………. In history's worst peacetime sea disaster, the passenger ferry MV Doña Paz sinks after colliding with the oil tanker Vector 1 in the Tablas Strait in the Philippines, killing an estimated 4,000 people (1,749 official)………Turgut Özal of ANAP forms the new government of Turkey (46th government)……….In Zimbabwe, the political parties ZANU and ZAPU reach an agreement that ends the violence in the Matabeleland region known as the Gukurahundi…….Ivan F Boesky sentenced to 3 years for insider trading…..Nuts" with Barbra Streisand premieres….76th Davis Cup: Sweden beats India in Gothenburg (5-0)……Dona Paz ferry sinks after crash with oil tanker Vector in Philippine waters, 4,386 die in world's deadliest peacetime maritime disaster……..3 white NY teens convicted of manslaughter in death of a black man……… Soyuz TM-4 launches 3 cosmonauts - Vladimir Titov, Musa Manarov, and Anatoli Levchenko - to space station Mir. Titov and Manarov stay in space for just under 366 days, setting a new spaceflight record…….Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx overdoses from heroin…  

 Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, serving a life sentence for attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford, escapes from Alderson Prison and this week in 1987 the number one song in America and LuLac land was “So Emotional”  by Whitney Houston.