Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
babylonsister
babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
April 1, 2020
Portugal gives migrants and asylum-seekers full citizenship rights during coronavirus outbreak
By Mia Alberti and Vasco Cotovio, CNN
Updated 10:22 PM EDT, Mon March 30, 2020
(CNN) Portugal has temporarily given all migrants and asylum seekers full citizenship rights, granting them full access to the country's healthcare as the outbreak of the novel coronavirus escalates in the country.
The move will "unequivocally guarantee the rights of all the foreign citizens" with applications pending with Portuguese immigration, meaning they are "in a situation of regular permanence in National Territory," until June 30, the Portuguese Council of Ministers said on Friday.
The Portuguese Council of Ministers explained that the decision was taken to "reduce the risks for public health" of maintaining the current scheduling of appointments at the immigration office, for both the border agents and the migrants and asylum seekers.
more...
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/03/30/europe/portugal-migrants-citizenship-rights-coronavirus-intl/index.html
Portugal gives migrants and asylum-seekers full citizenship rights during coronavirus outbreak
Portugal gives migrants and asylum-seekers full citizenship rights during coronavirus outbreak
By Mia Alberti and Vasco Cotovio, CNN
Updated 10:22 PM EDT, Mon March 30, 2020
(CNN) Portugal has temporarily given all migrants and asylum seekers full citizenship rights, granting them full access to the country's healthcare as the outbreak of the novel coronavirus escalates in the country.
The move will "unequivocally guarantee the rights of all the foreign citizens" with applications pending with Portuguese immigration, meaning they are "in a situation of regular permanence in National Territory," until June 30, the Portuguese Council of Ministers said on Friday.
The Portuguese Council of Ministers explained that the decision was taken to "reduce the risks for public health" of maintaining the current scheduling of appointments at the immigration office, for both the border agents and the migrants and asylum seekers.
more...
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/03/30/europe/portugal-migrants-citizenship-rights-coronavirus-intl/index.html
April 1, 2020
Federal Court Tosses Floridas Poll Tax; Formerly Incarcerated People Can Vote in 2020
by Colin Kalmbacher | 2:32 pm, March 31st, 2020
A federal court struck down a Florida law which denied individuals with prior felony convictions the right to vote if they could not afford to pay certain fees and fines. Tuesdays decision will restore the right to vote for some 1.4 million Floridians who would have otherwise been eligible to vote but for the law making that right contingent upon their ability to pay off outstanding fines, fees and restitution.
That law, SB 7066, is now enjoined and cannot take effect. The state defendants seeking to enforce SB 7066 only have recourse to the Supreme Courtwhich is unlikely to take up their case during the present term; meaning that the ruling probably wont be overturned or even considered before the 2020 general election.
The 78-page opinion by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit is an all-but total victory for voting rights and Civil Rights advocates who have long complained that Sunshine State Republicans had effectively resurrected Floridas racist poll tax of the Jim Crow Era under a poorly-disguised legal garb.
more...
https://lawandcrime.com/2020-election/federal-court-tosses-floridas-poll-tax-formerly-incarcerated-people-can-vote-in-2020/?fbclid=IwAR2VMvRmugJwN7Gk8byRO9xR-HX9LXNn2GVA48tGr7Q5xQhqvRHrCqupbKI
Federal Court Tosses Florida's Poll Tax; Formerly Incarcerated People Can Vote in 2020
Fantastic to see this! The majority voted to let them vote, and this crooked admin tried to deny them and us.Federal Court Tosses Floridas Poll Tax; Formerly Incarcerated People Can Vote in 2020
by Colin Kalmbacher | 2:32 pm, March 31st, 2020
A federal court struck down a Florida law which denied individuals with prior felony convictions the right to vote if they could not afford to pay certain fees and fines. Tuesdays decision will restore the right to vote for some 1.4 million Floridians who would have otherwise been eligible to vote but for the law making that right contingent upon their ability to pay off outstanding fines, fees and restitution.
That law, SB 7066, is now enjoined and cannot take effect. The state defendants seeking to enforce SB 7066 only have recourse to the Supreme Courtwhich is unlikely to take up their case during the present term; meaning that the ruling probably wont be overturned or even considered before the 2020 general election.
The 78-page opinion by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit is an all-but total victory for voting rights and Civil Rights advocates who have long complained that Sunshine State Republicans had effectively resurrected Floridas racist poll tax of the Jim Crow Era under a poorly-disguised legal garb.
The court unanimously ruled that a persons right to vote cannot be contingent upon their ability to pay, said Julie Ebenstein, a senior staff attorney with the ACLUs Voting Rights Project in a press release. This law is a modern-day poll tax. This ruling recognizes the gravity of elected officials trying to circumvent Amendment 4 to create roadblocks to voting based on wealth.
This is a great win for voting rights! added Myrna Perez, director of the Voting Rights and Elections program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. The Eleventh Circuit told the state of Florida what the rest of America already knows. You cant condition the right to vote on a persons wealth.
This is a great win for voting rights! added Myrna Perez, director of the Voting Rights and Elections program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. The Eleventh Circuit told the state of Florida what the rest of America already knows. You cant condition the right to vote on a persons wealth.
more...
https://lawandcrime.com/2020-election/federal-court-tosses-floridas-poll-tax-formerly-incarcerated-people-can-vote-in-2020/?fbclid=IwAR2VMvRmugJwN7Gk8byRO9xR-HX9LXNn2GVA48tGr7Q5xQhqvRHrCqupbKI
April 1, 2020
more...
https://www.wfla.com/community/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-in-florida-gov-desantis-gives-update-on-states-response-to-pandemic/
Gov. DeSantis: White House has not recommended Florida shutdown in response to coronavirus
He doesn't own two of his own brain cells to rub together?
Gov. DeSantis: White House has not recommended Florida shutdown in response to coronavirus
by: WFLA 8 On Your Side Staff
Posted: Mar 31, 2020 / 04:31 PM EDT / Updated: Apr 1, 2020 / 05:20 AM EDT
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday stood by his decision to not implement a statewide shutdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic, adding that he has been in touch with members of the White House coronavirus task force to discuss the issue.
Im in contact with them and basically Ive said, are you guys recommending this? The task force has not recommended that to me, he said. If they do, obviously that would be something that would carry a lot of weight with me.
more...
https://www.wfla.com/community/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-in-florida-gov-desantis-gives-update-on-states-response-to-pandemic/
April 1, 2020
Hostage Survival Tips for Drs. Fauci and Birx
Trump has them in his power. But they have what Trump wantscredit, adulation, the appearance of scientific expertise. And their survival means our survival.
By Frank Figliuzzi
March 30, 2020
Survival Tips for Drs. Fauci and Birx From A Former FBI Hostage Negotiator
Frank Figliuzzi: Hostage Survival Tips for Drs. Fauci and Birx
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/03/survival-tips-for-drs-fauci-and-birx-from-a-former-fbi-hostage-negotiatorHostage Survival Tips for Drs. Fauci and Birx
Trump has them in his power. But they have what Trump wantscredit, adulation, the appearance of scientific expertise. And their survival means our survival.
By Frank Figliuzzi
March 30, 2020
Survival Tips for Drs. Fauci and Birx From A Former FBI Hostage Negotiator
Dear Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci,
If you are reading this, you are now entering your third month as members of President Donald Trumps coronavirus task force. As you attempt to infuse presidential decision-making with medical and scientific knowledge, those of us who have experienced successful hostage resolution [The author oversaw an FBI squad that responded to kidnappings of Americans throughout Latin America and ran another squad that addressed kidnappings in northern California] are seeing some uncanny comparisons to siege scenarios. In order for all of us to survive the next month and beyond, youll both need to understand how similar your predicament is to a hostage standoff, and how you can employ kidnap and ransom negotiation techniques to overcome the challenges of your figurative captivity. Since you just bought us all another month of smart social distancing, there are already signs that you are applying some of these proven methods even if you dont fully grasp them as such. But this can go south quickly, and were counting on you to get it right.
These techniques wont work as well if the hostage-taker becomes aware of them, but based on available intelligence about your captor, he wont likely read this. First, successful hostage negotiators must understand the kidnappers motivation. In most kidnappings, the captor wants money, but publicity, political demands, and yes, even ego, can drive ransom demands. This means that you both retain your value if you can remain alive; in your case that means not being kicked off the task force. Since the president has kept you in place thus far, he seems to understand that he needs you around, even if hes growing weary of your incessant talk of science and epidemiological modeling. This mutually dependent dynamic gives you the leverage and influence needed to shape outcomes. You control what the president wants: public adulation, credit for mitigating a deadly virus, and the appearance that he understands complex medical concepts. You must delicately and subtly message the president that if he harms the hostages (you and us), he wont get what he wants. This can be fraught with peril.
Kidnappers can quickly come to regret taking hostages because, quite honestly, their care and feeding becomes almost unbearable. Thats when some hostages find themselves dumped alongside a road or come to an even worse fate. So, you must avoid upsetting the president to the point that he neutralizes you. Youve already had success in convincing the president to back off the indefensible assertion that the nation can return to normal on Easter Sunday. Dr. Fauci, your minimizing of Trumps nonsensical notion as simply aspirational was masterful in that it helped him to save face and to view you as less of a threat. Bravo. Similarly, Dr. Birxs praise of the president as attentive to the scientific literature and the details and the data may have stroked the presidents planet-sized ego to buy you some time.
Second, hostage negotiators must prepare for the abductors initial ransom call. Maybe thats already happened. Maybe that first demand was to reopen the economy by Easter. If so, you handled it well. But more demands are coming. In fact, expect to see that first demand repeated. Thats why successful negotiators select a primary communicator to engage the captor. Two physicians coming at the president at once wont work. The communicator must present a previously agreed upon message but maintain limited authority. In other words, lets say you select Dr. Birx (the president seems to view her as less of a threat). Dr. Birx should already secretly know what Dr. Faucis position on things is, but when negotiating with the president, should always say, Let me make sure we have Dr. Faucis opinion, or, Ill have to get back to you after I consult the team. This allows for the negotiator to establish a requirement for what hostage negotiators call a reasonable delay. In life or death hostage crises, reasonable delays can make the difference between the abductor doing something rash and emotional, or doing the right thing.
Third, a real hostage communicator is never a debater but more of an influencer and persuader. Hostage communicators maintain some control by scheduling set times to speak with the abductor. This also allows them to develop their objectives and rehearse responses with their larger team. Hostage negotiators work from a quiet, tucked away negotiation operations center. They plot out anticipated demands and scripted responses on white boards around the room. They have a plan even when the captor doesnt. Got it? Drs. Fauci and Birx, we need you to have a plan. Our survival may depend on your survival. In a sense, were all being held hostage, and you are negotiating for our safe release. Hostages sometimes develop Stockholm syndrome when they start identifying with their captor and his causes as a survival mechanism. Dont let that happen to you. Dont let that happen to us.
If you are reading this, you are now entering your third month as members of President Donald Trumps coronavirus task force. As you attempt to infuse presidential decision-making with medical and scientific knowledge, those of us who have experienced successful hostage resolution [The author oversaw an FBI squad that responded to kidnappings of Americans throughout Latin America and ran another squad that addressed kidnappings in northern California] are seeing some uncanny comparisons to siege scenarios. In order for all of us to survive the next month and beyond, youll both need to understand how similar your predicament is to a hostage standoff, and how you can employ kidnap and ransom negotiation techniques to overcome the challenges of your figurative captivity. Since you just bought us all another month of smart social distancing, there are already signs that you are applying some of these proven methods even if you dont fully grasp them as such. But this can go south quickly, and were counting on you to get it right.
These techniques wont work as well if the hostage-taker becomes aware of them, but based on available intelligence about your captor, he wont likely read this. First, successful hostage negotiators must understand the kidnappers motivation. In most kidnappings, the captor wants money, but publicity, political demands, and yes, even ego, can drive ransom demands. This means that you both retain your value if you can remain alive; in your case that means not being kicked off the task force. Since the president has kept you in place thus far, he seems to understand that he needs you around, even if hes growing weary of your incessant talk of science and epidemiological modeling. This mutually dependent dynamic gives you the leverage and influence needed to shape outcomes. You control what the president wants: public adulation, credit for mitigating a deadly virus, and the appearance that he understands complex medical concepts. You must delicately and subtly message the president that if he harms the hostages (you and us), he wont get what he wants. This can be fraught with peril.
Kidnappers can quickly come to regret taking hostages because, quite honestly, their care and feeding becomes almost unbearable. Thats when some hostages find themselves dumped alongside a road or come to an even worse fate. So, you must avoid upsetting the president to the point that he neutralizes you. Youve already had success in convincing the president to back off the indefensible assertion that the nation can return to normal on Easter Sunday. Dr. Fauci, your minimizing of Trumps nonsensical notion as simply aspirational was masterful in that it helped him to save face and to view you as less of a threat. Bravo. Similarly, Dr. Birxs praise of the president as attentive to the scientific literature and the details and the data may have stroked the presidents planet-sized ego to buy you some time.
Second, hostage negotiators must prepare for the abductors initial ransom call. Maybe thats already happened. Maybe that first demand was to reopen the economy by Easter. If so, you handled it well. But more demands are coming. In fact, expect to see that first demand repeated. Thats why successful negotiators select a primary communicator to engage the captor. Two physicians coming at the president at once wont work. The communicator must present a previously agreed upon message but maintain limited authority. In other words, lets say you select Dr. Birx (the president seems to view her as less of a threat). Dr. Birx should already secretly know what Dr. Faucis position on things is, but when negotiating with the president, should always say, Let me make sure we have Dr. Faucis opinion, or, Ill have to get back to you after I consult the team. This allows for the negotiator to establish a requirement for what hostage negotiators call a reasonable delay. In life or death hostage crises, reasonable delays can make the difference between the abductor doing something rash and emotional, or doing the right thing.
Third, a real hostage communicator is never a debater but more of an influencer and persuader. Hostage communicators maintain some control by scheduling set times to speak with the abductor. This also allows them to develop their objectives and rehearse responses with their larger team. Hostage negotiators work from a quiet, tucked away negotiation operations center. They plot out anticipated demands and scripted responses on white boards around the room. They have a plan even when the captor doesnt. Got it? Drs. Fauci and Birx, we need you to have a plan. Our survival may depend on your survival. In a sense, were all being held hostage, and you are negotiating for our safe release. Hostages sometimes develop Stockholm syndrome when they start identifying with their captor and his causes as a survival mechanism. Dont let that happen to you. Dont let that happen to us.
April 1, 2020
https://www.wesh.com/article/pittsburgh-woman-made-changes-to-living-will-in-event-medical-professionals-must-decide-who-gets-life-saving-equipment/31989167
'I am willing to give up my ventilator': Woman makes changes to living will amid coronavirus outbreak
A retired nurse says she made changes to her living will in case medical professionals have to decide who gets life-saving equipment if more people become sick with COVID-19.
WTAE Updated: 8:06 AM EDT Mar 31, 2020
Marcie Cipriani
Reporter
PITTSBURGH Darlene Freyer said she is worried that medical professionals may soon have to decide who gets ventilators if more people become sick with COVID-19.
"I am willing to give up my ventilator to someone who still has a life to live," the Pittsburgh-area woman said Monday.
Freyer said she has underlying medical issues and she worries that if she becomes ill, she will be given a ventilator that someone else might need.
"I've lived my life. I'm 65 years old," she said. "I've raised a whole family. I spoke to them about this decision. They respect this decision."
Freyer said she has informed her power of attorney and changed her living will to reflect her decision.
Freyer said she hopes her decision will save a life and help health care professionals make otherwise tough decisions.
She said she retired from her career as a nurse six years ago.
'I am willing to give up my ventilator': Woman makes changes to living will amid coronavirus outbre
https://www.wesh.com/article/pittsburgh-woman-made-changes-to-living-will-in-event-medical-professionals-must-decide-who-gets-life-saving-equipment/31989167
'I am willing to give up my ventilator': Woman makes changes to living will amid coronavirus outbreak
A retired nurse says she made changes to her living will in case medical professionals have to decide who gets life-saving equipment if more people become sick with COVID-19.
WTAE Updated: 8:06 AM EDT Mar 31, 2020
Marcie Cipriani
Reporter
PITTSBURGH Darlene Freyer said she is worried that medical professionals may soon have to decide who gets ventilators if more people become sick with COVID-19.
"I am willing to give up my ventilator to someone who still has a life to live," the Pittsburgh-area woman said Monday.
Freyer said she has underlying medical issues and she worries that if she becomes ill, she will be given a ventilator that someone else might need.
"I've lived my life. I'm 65 years old," she said. "I've raised a whole family. I spoke to them about this decision. They respect this decision."
Freyer said she has informed her power of attorney and changed her living will to reflect her decision.
"I don't want to take some college student's ventilator, I don't want to take some young mother with four children's ventilator, I don't want to take a 70-year-old person's ventilator who maybe has a disabled child that they're still caring for. Age doesn't always have to be a factor with this," she said.
Freyer said she hopes her decision will save a life and help health care professionals make otherwise tough decisions.
She said she retired from her career as a nurse six years ago.
"Common sense tells me our medical professionals are going to have to make some very hard decisions choosing who gets the ventilators and who does not," Freyer said. "Why not help our warriors that are on the front line do their job just a little bit easier?"
Profile Information
Gender: FemaleHometown: NY
Home country: US
Current location: Florida
Member since: Mon Sep 6, 2004, 09:54 PM
Number of posts: 171,056