March 1, 2021

Buffalo Creek Showing Signs Of New Life, 49 Years After Sludge Spill

Today {February 26} is the 49th anniversary of one of the worst mining catastrophes in West Virginia history, the Buffalo Creek Disaster. More than 100 people died in southern West Virginia when a dam failed.

Gov. Justice visited the Buffalo Creek Memorial to lay a wreath remembering victims of the disaster. He also met with the Buffalo Creek Watershed for a ceremonial stocking of over 1,400 trout in the creek. Restoration work started about 20 years ago.

In 1972, coal companies said an “act of God” caused a dam holding 132-million gallons of black water to break. State and federal investigations found Pittston Coal was directly to blame for the dam’s failure. The collapse killed 125 people injuring over 1,100, and left 4,000 people homeless.

The watershed is now touted as one of southern West Virginia’s most popular trout streams. The Buffalo Creek Watershed covers about 20 miles of stream from the headwaters of Curtis to the Town of Man. Perry Harvey is a member of the Watershed and a survivor of the disaster.

Read more: https://www.wvpublic.org/government/2021-02-26/buffalo-creek-is-showing-signs-of-new-life-49-years-after-sludge-spill

March 1, 2021

Pennsylvania nursing home administrator indicted on fraud charges for falsifying staff timecards

A former nursing home administrator in Allegheny County has been indicted on charges that she falsified records, before the pandemic, to look like the facility met federal and state staffing requirements.

“These criminal charges represent the first step in holding accountable those who put profit over the health and safety of seniors,” said U.S. Attorney Scott Brady in a news release today.

Susan Gilbert, 60, is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, health care fraud and obstruction of a federal audit, according to a news release from Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. She was an administrator for Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center.

Gilbert, and possibly others, directed nursing staff to “clock in” for shifts but not actually work and not to include lunch breaks on their timecards, according to the news release.

Read more: https://www.theintell.com/story/news/2021/02/25/pennsylvania-nursing-home-leader-indicted-fraud-false-records-mount-lebanon-rehabilitation/6817133002/

March 1, 2021

West Virginia's coronavirus response coordinator says herd immunity very unlikely with COVID-19

WHEELING — West Virginia’s coronavirus response coordinator doesn’t think herd immunity will happen with COVID-19.

Missing that threshold isn’t as much about those who decline a COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Clay Marsh said this past week. It’s more about those who can’t receive a vaccine right now — children.

Only people age 16 and older can receive the Pfizer vaccine. The Moderna vaccine is authorized only for people 18 and older. Vulnerable children may get vaccinated, but there remains a significant swath of the United States population that can’t get a shot and will still be susceptible to getting sick.

“The absolute definition of herd immunity for a virus that has a reproductive rate or transmission rate that this virus does would be about 80 percent,” Marsh said. “And since I don’t think we’ll be immunizing our children, I don’t think we’ll get up to 80 percent as a country. Now, enough people might get infected to substitute for that, so it’s possible.”

Read more: https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2021/03/marsh-says-herd-immunity-very-unlikely-with-covid-19/
(Parkersburg News and Sentinel)

March 1, 2021

Labor unions threaten legal action over access at West Virginia Capitol

The West Virginia AFL-CIO is threatening legal action unless the Legislature takes steps to increase public access to lawmakers that has been curbed in part by pandemic safety precautions.

“There are lots of things they can do to allow the public to participate, even during this pandemic, and thus far what they’ve done, it appears, is go above and beyond to keep the public out of the process,” said Josh Sword, president of West Virginia AFL-CIO, a coalition of unions representing about 75,000 members.

In a letter sent to Gov. Jim Justice, Senate President Craig Blair and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw on Wednesday, Sword and the WV AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Andy Walters said the Legislature has taken advantage of in-person limitations to “to pull the shades on visibility and access, and forcefully manage the legislative process with greatly reduced opportunities for accountability from citizens, the press and political opponents.”

The letter warns that if changes aren’t made in five business days, the union coalition will take action, including potentially going to court.

Read more: https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2021/02/25/labor-unions-threaten-legal-action-over-access-at-west-virginia-capitol/

March 1, 2021

West Virginia lawmakers say 'school choice' will help all kids. But the bills wouldn't help some

West Virginia lawmakers say ‘school choice’ will help all kids. But the bills wouldn’t help some with disabilities


West Virginia lawmakers are pushing two education bills this year they say will help parents find options that better meet their children’s needs.

The buzzword is “school choice.” The bills would expand the number of charter schools that could open in West Virginia, and also allow parents who choose private schools or homeschooling to access the funds public schools would have received for their kids.

Senate Education Chairwoman Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, said she is promoting the bills because “they will help all students and families find the educational option that works best for them.”

But what lawmakers are billing as more choices for all won’t necessarily help many West Virginia children who need that help the most — kids with disabilities.

Read more: https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2021/02/26/west-virginia-lawmakers-say-school-choice-will-help-all-kids-but-the-bills-wouldnt-help-some-with-disabilities/

February 28, 2021

'Transphobes have got to go': Protests against anti-trans legislation held statewide

More than 75 people gathered at the Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls Saturday as part of a statewide protest against anti-trans legislation in the state of South Dakota.

The statewide marches are in protest of House Bill 1217, legislation that would ban transgender women and girls from competing on the sports teams that match their gender identity, according to Susan Williams, executive director of the Transformation Project Advocacy Network.

The bill's sponsors say it is to promote continued fairness in women's sports, according to the state legislature website.

"We want to show these trans kids that we have their backs, we're here for them and there are people here that will fight for their rights," Williams said.

Read more: https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/02/27/transphobes-have-got-go-protests-against-anti-trans-legislation-held-statewide/6840869002/

February 28, 2021

Along with the Allegations, Lawmakers Must Address the Environment that Enabled the Alleged Behavior

Buried in the multiple accusations of indecency from Dickinson Rep. Luke Simons to the female staff at the North Dakota Capitol was another revelation that must be addressed. No formal complaint has been filed because staff didn’t feel Republican legislative leadership was taking the situation seriously. There needs to be a change to prevent anything similar from happening.

Following the file full of complaints becoming public, Simons took to his phone and recorded a rambling denial of the multiple allegations from multiple women. He tried to paint himself as the victim of some elaborate three-year-long plot by “liberal democrats” to take him down for being “effective.” His claims are as believable as Rep. Jim Kasper saying his Facebook was hacked multiple times by someone to post multiple racist memes on his page over the last three years.

First, one of the allegations from staff was corroborated by Republican Rep. Brandy Pyle. Not exactly a “liberal democrat.” Second, can anyone point to what Simons has accomplished in the Legislature for him to claim he is being targeted for being effective? Lastly, until February 25th few people in the general public likely knew who Simons was. Why would they? Well, they do now because of the multiple claims of harassment and his unwelcome behavior. Yet, his colleagues and his leadership knew him and of the behavior. That cannot be ignored.

Buried in the 14-page complaint against Simons, were details and a timeline that also needs our attention. Legislative staff who felt harassed have yet to file a formal complaint against Simons. The documents claim that is because the staff didn’t believe they had the support of other legislators. That claim was reported in February of 2021. Two years before that revelation, in March of 2019, those same records claim Assistant House Majority Leader Scott Louser from Minot questioned whether the victim did anything to give Simons the impression she would welcome his “advances.” No wonder the staff didn’t feel like other legislators were taking this harassment seriously.

Read more: https://ndxplains.com/2021/02/26/along-with-the-allegations-lawmakers-must-address-the-environment-that-enabled-the-alleged-behavior/

February 28, 2021

Sweetheart deals with taxpayer dollars violate the public's interest

The ever-expanding use of taxpayer dollars and sweetheart deals by public officials to incentivize and subsidize the private projects of some of the wealthiest corporations is a violation of the public’s interest.

The Krause Group wants the taxpayers to contribute monies for a sprawling new downtown soccer stadium project. The preliminary proposal would use $40 million to $50 million of taxpayer dollars. For decades, economists have deemed such investment a poor use of public money.

Research shows that such projects do not bring enough economic benefit to justify the cost. The conclusion of decades of research tells us that scarce economic development dollars could be better used for other investments. A 2007 study in the Journal of Sports Economics found that adding a professional team did “not have a positive economic impact on the local community” and contributed no rise in regional incomes.

In addition, the ongoing legal saga over Downtown Des Moines Fifth Project has taxpayers on the hook for over $47 million. Some suggest the Des Moines City Council selected the wrong builder for the project. The Council members’ approval of the sale without discussion is a dereliction of their duty as public officials. City Council member Josh Mandelbaum, cousin of the developer, abstained from the vote, according to The Des Moines Register. The troubled project’s final cost to taxpayers is still unknown.

The “sweetheart deal” between the City of West Des Moines and Google might have worse optics. The city is handing over $40 million to the trillion-dollar corporation Google, for a citywide internet conduit network.

Read more: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/02/27/sweetheart-deals-with-taxpayer-dollars-violate-the-publics-interest/

February 28, 2021

Evers signs bill to launch UI overhaul, protect business from COVID-19 lawsuits

Gov. Tony Evers signed legislation Thursday to start an overhaul of the state’s unemployment compensation computer system. The same bill includes language that grants businesses and nonprofit organizations immunity from being sued by people who blame them for transmitting the virus responsible for COVID-19.

The new law starts the process for the state Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to solicit proposals for a new computer system to process claims for unemployment insurance (UI). The department’s 50-year-old system was among the issues that DWD cited as responsible for massive delays when UI claims skyrocketed as businesses laid off workers because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new law lacks specific funding for the UI project, however, requiring DWD to go back to the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee for financing.

The legislation originated with a special session that Evers called in January and that the Legislature’s Republican leaders at first rebuffed. After initially gaveling in but taking no action on the special session — as with several other special sessions the governor has called to focus on specific initiatives, including gun violence and racial justice — leaders of the GOP majority that controls both the Assembly and the Senate pivoted in February to move the legislation forward.

In doing so, they resurrected the COVID-19 lawsuit immunity language, a prize objective for business lobbying groups, including Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. After reaching a compromise on the language in January, Evers had said he would sign it into law. An Assembly rewrite of that earlier legislation, however, introduced a series of additional measures that the governor said would undermine public health, leading him to veto that bill.

Read more: https://wisconsinexaminer.com/brief/evers-signs-bill-to-launch-ui-overhaul-protect-business-from-covid-19-lawsuits/

February 28, 2021

That time Mike Lindell declared a 'fake bankruptcy' to avoid a lawsuit

The $1.3 billion lawsuit filed by the voting machine company Dominion against Minnesota pillow mogul Mike Lindell Monday is not the first time he’s faced a potentially ruinous lawsuit.

By late 2003, after more than a decade owning his beloved Victoria bar called Schmitty’s Tavern, Lindell had $147,000 in debts, according to court records, and couldn’t keep up with the bar mortgage payments. Lindell sold the bar that year for $500,000, with part of the purchase financed through two promissory notes requiring the buyer to make monthly payments.

But then Lindell learned his corporation was being named as a co-defendant in a dram shop lawsuit — that’s when a bar owner is sued if a customer is over-served and then causes injury, in this case a snowmobile crash.

Lindell writes in his book “What are the Odds?” that he decided to avoid the potential damages by declaring bankruptcy — a “fake bankruptcy,” he calls it in the book. By doing so, he could protect his assets from the people suing him and embark on his next plan: Becoming a professional gambler.

Read more: https://minnesotareformer.com/2021/02/23/that-time-mike-lindell-declared-a-fake-bankruptcy-to-avoid-a-lawsuit/