Sisolak can’t have it both Trump will ask Harvard, Senate passes $484 ways: Shut it all down big businesses to return billion coronavirus or open it all up coronavirus relief funds relief package PagE 2 PagE 4 PagE 6 Volume 22, Issue 9 April 22-28, 2020 Las Vegas lasvegastribune.com

“ITRIBUNE may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” — Voltaire Lawsuit being prepped to block Nevada’s mail-in primary election By Chuck Muth their destination is huge. Democrats all across the nation “Absentee ballots remain the are trying to use the Wuhan Virus largest source of potential voter crisis to change in-person elections fraud,” concluded the bipartisan to all-mail balloting — including 2005 report of the Commission on here in Nevada. Federal Election Reform, chaired This ain’t good for a lot of rea- by former Democrat President sons, not the least of which is this Jimmy Carter. from Timothy Sandefur, Vice Presi- Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, dent for Litigation at the Goldwater of next-door-neighbor Arizona, Institute… this week slammed the door on “If the history of democracy moving his August primary to an teaches us anything, it is that all-mail election, declaring: “We’re suddenly changing the rules of an not going to disenfranchise anyone election in the midst of a crisis - from voting (in person) on Election especially by the decree of a single Day.” official - is a terrible idea. Ducey noted that voters have the “Emergencies are times when OPTION of requesting a mail-in people are least likely to dispas- whole purpose of constitutional the moment. Breaking those rules In addition, the potential for ballot if they so choose for whatev- sionately weigh the long-term costs rules is to keep people from mak- can inflict permanent damage on fraud and voter disenfranchisement er reason, including worries about of benefits of their actions, and the ing bad decisions in the heat of democratic government.” due to mailed ballots not reaching (See Mail-In Ballots, Page 4) My Point Republicans take lead on of View By Rolando Larraz This coronavirus is making me a plan to reopen Nevada a different person; it has now been Special to Las Vegas Tribune leaders to step up and protect their two weeks that I have not rambled With Governor Sisolak missing livelihoods. on about anyone; this week, how- in action, Nevada Republicans are Yet Governor Sisolak continues ever I would like to cheer up my leading the way on coming up with to be missing in action. friend Joseph Barnett who last week a plan for how to reopen Nevada. That’s why the Nevada Repub- celebrated his 30-year anniversary. Yesterday, the Assembly Re- lican Party launched ads in the Las How can you be thirty years old publicans released their framework Vegas Review-Journal and Reno when you look older than me? And for how we can get people safely Gazette Journal to force Governor what is the big deal about turning back to work while safeguarding Sisolak to finally come up with a thirty? I asked my friend Joe. the health and safety of Nevadans. plan for how we can get Nevada And that’s the best part of turn- The human toll this virus has reopened for business ing thirty. Joe Barnett celebrated taken on families’ financial well-be- Sisolak’s lack of preparation for thirty years SOBER and that, in my ing has been breathtaking, and Nevada’s future stands in stark con- humble opinion, is a good reason Nevadans are looking to its local (See GOP Nevada Plan, Page 6) to celebrate. Congratulations, Joe! Maybe because I was never a fan of drinking and normally steer Confusion reigns as IRS starts away from people while they are drinking, I always like to point out people like Joe who can be sober for so long. issuing coronavirus payments Not too many people know how By Naomi Jagoda “People are losing their jobs, they’re frus- to drink; they either turn into fight- The Hill trated, they’re scared,” said Chuck Marr, senior ers or believe they are comedians The rollout of coronavirus relief payments director of federal tax policy at the left-leaning with the most stupid jokes that only has been clouded by confusion for the millions Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in they believe are funny. of Americans struggling to understand why they Washington. Once some law enforcement haven’t received their money. But experts also said they have been im- officers (you can tell I am in a The IRS last week sent out more than 80 pressed by how quickly the IRS started disburs- good mood this week to call those million payments to people via direct deposit. ing payments, even with a number of challenges particular officers by a respectful But tens of millions more are still waiting for including budget cuts over the past decade, name even if they don’t deserve their funds, and they have questions. antiquated technology and many IRS employees it) wanted me to write (‘create’) a Tax policy experts said it’s understandable needing to work remotely during the pandemic. story about some casino big wheels for those people to be upset. (See COVID-19 Payments, Page 8) because they wanted to ‘crucify’ the two men. “We want you to say something Former Nevada Senator free from bad about these two men,” they told me when they visited my office a long time ago. Then, here comes prison thanks to the Coronavirus the best part, when I told them that By Rolando Larraz Former Nevada State Senate Last week the same federal I did not know them, that they were Las Vegas Tribune Majority Leader Kelvin Atkinson judge, Jim Mahan, that sentenced way out of my league, they pulled The usual, those with name was sentenced last year to more Atkinson in March of 2019 to out a picture of those two casino big recognition, money, political power than two years in federal prison twenty-seven months in a federal wheels embracing me and they told and connections always get to the for misusing at least $249,900 of prison, today opened the doors of me that they didn’t care if I lie or courtroom with illnesses they never campaign donor money on personal that federal prison to release him not, they wanted to ‘nail those two.’ had before, or in a wheelchair. expenses including opening a Las because he supposedly has an ill- I explained to them that the only Disgraced political Nevada Vegas nightclub, announced United ness that puts him in greater danger reason I was there was because I public figure Kelvin Atkinson who, States Attorney Nicholas A. Tru- from the coronavirus. was the best man in a wedding party back in 2019, was sentenced to tanich for the District of Nevada, Other inmates and people out- but maybe because they had flown twenty-seven months in a federal Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. side American penitentiaries may me to the East Coast to be the best penitentiary walked out of prison Rouse of the FBI Las Vegas Office, suffer the same illness as Atkinson, man in their wedding, they thought last week after Federal Judge James and Acting Special Agent in Charge but have less political clout and will I might be a very important person, Mahan allowed him to be released Ismael Nevarez Jr. for the IRS not be able to go home to be “treat- but that was not the case. The bride due to the coronavirus pandemic. Criminal Investigation. (See Kelvin Atkinson, Page 5) was a good and close friend at the time and that was the reason I was there. Later, I paid the consequenc- Trump to suspend issuing green cards for 60 days es dearly for refusing to not go By Brett Samuels competition overseas. He indicated Further details about the order along with their request, but that is and Rafael Bernal during a White House briefing that were not immediately available. a story for another weekly column The Hill there would be certain exemptions, The most common type of green with names and all. President Trump on Tuesday but did not elaborate. card applications are family-based Why don’t I drink? Not because announced details of his executive “It would be wrong and unjust immigration sponsorships for per- I am some kind of saint, but because order to suspend immigration amid for Americans laid off by the virus manent residency of foreign nation- I used to know someone — a very the coronavirus pandemic, saying to be replaced with new immigrant als by their U.S. spouses. important person in my life — who the measure would initially last for labor flown in from abroad,” Trump Foreign nationals seeking to liked to drink… a lot. Never in 60 days and apply to those seeking said at the briefing. “We must first enter the United States were already public though and never made a permanent residence. take care of the American worker.” unable to do so amid the pandemic, fool out of herself. Trump portrayed the action, Trump said the administration as consulates been closed for most My friend drank and when she which he first previewed in a tweet would stop issuing certain green visa interviews since last month. thought she had enough she turned late Monday night, as an effort to cards for 60 days, a move that is Trump did not specify whether (See My Point of View, Page 2) protect American workers from certain to attract fiery opposition. (See Green Cards, Page 6) Page 2 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 Sisolak can’t have it both ways: Shut it all down or open it all up By Chuck Muth Strangers sitting right next to each Flu, right? But the health district it’s OK to keep child care centers Just another example of just other. Packed with far more than — you know, the “experts” — are open. how nonsensical Nevada Gov. ten people. Touching poles, seats saying that’s not the case. Nor can you say it’s too danger- Steve Sisolak’s statewide shutdown and doors. So either the health district is ous to go to a drive-in movie theater orders are… You know, like a New York providing inaccurate informa- (yes, we still have one in Las Ve- Remember, in justifying the subway car. And we all know how tion, or the governor’s reason for gas!), but it’s not too dangerous to #SisolakShutdown, the governor THAT turned out. shutting down golf courses — not keep building the Raiders’ stadium. said… But get this… to mention the rest of the state’s Nor can you say it’s safe to shop “Every social contact increases According to a report in Sun- businesses — is a bunch of what inside a grocery store — where your risk of exposure.” day’s Las Vegas Review-Journal… Joe Biden calls “malarkey.” people are picking up a can of Thus, his subsequent ban on “Southern Nevada Health Dis- There’s simply no way in Hades Bumblebee, deciding instead to go people going golfing. Outdoors. In trict spokeswoman Jennifer Size- you can claim that riding two-to-a- with Charlie the Tuna, and putting groups of four or less. Including more said the agency is not aware cart on an outdoor golf course risks the can of Bumblebee back on the immediate family members living of any COVID-19 cases involving “killing your grandmother” while shelf — but you can’t go into Best in the same household. people who have used public trans- simultaneously saying cramming Buy to shop for a new laptop. In trying to explain the absurdity portation.” creases your risk of exposure,” we into a bus is safe. Nor can you say it’s safe to go of this, the governor said he saw Something ain’t right. should have multitudes of cases of Nor can you say keeping schools into a convenience store and pick photographs of people riding two- If “every social contact in- bus passengers catching the Wu- open risks spreading the virus, but (See Sisolak’s Shutdown, Page 6) to-a-cart in violation of his social distancing directive. My Point of View OK, fine. Whatever. However… (Continued from Page 1) threw a party to celebrate the color People that do not know how can proudly celebrate thirty years He’s continued all along to al- to whoever was there and said out change. During the party she drank to drink should not drink; but then sober. I believe that is a task not low the operation of public buses. loud, “Hasta Manana” (good night a little too much and started acting again, who knows how to drink? easy to perform and that is why I Totally enclosed. No ventilation. in Spanish) and went to the bed- foolish. I picked up the telephone But if people learn how to control am so proud of Joe Barnett’s ac- room to sleep. and called the airline and made a the way they drink there would not complishment. Whenever we went out, she reservation for her to go back to be so many people in Alcoholics Good for you, Joe! And for drank and I drove and that was wherever she came from. Anonymous. If people know how whatever it’s worth, I am very okay with me; I remember going I told her that she needed to rest to drink there would not be so proud of your accomplishment. TRIBUNE to places and having a 7-Up while for a while because her plane was many lives lost and so many lives Congratulations! VOL. 22, NO. 9 she had Scotch and water because, leaving in eight hours. My former destroyed with people doing time My name is Rolando Larraz, and according to her, ‘the water is not dear friend, the one with the wed- in prison for driving under the as always, I approved this column. FOUNDER fattening.’ ding on the East Coast, talked me influence, which leads to so many * * * * * Rolando Larraz Once I started a relationship out of sending her back home and marriages ending in divorce. Rolando Larraz is Editor in PUBLISHER with someone from out of Las the relationship lasted almost ten Either one drinks too much and Chief of the Las Vegas Tribune. AND Vegas and when she moved in, we years and ending that relationship the other partner does not drink, or His column appears weekly in this EDITOR IN CHIEF threw a party. Back then I used to was the biggest mistake of my life. they both drink and that is how the newspaper. To contact Rolando Rolando Larraz throw parties for any excuse; you She was the best thing that ever whole relationship goes kaput. Larraz, email him at: Rlarraz@ sneeze and I’d throw a party; my happened to me and she never That is why I like to point out lasvegastribune.com or at 702- GENERAL MANAGER friend changed her hair color, and I drank again. when someone like Joe Barnett 272-4634. Perly Viasmensky

MANAGING EDITOR Maramis Choufani “Open The Nevada Economy, PRODUCTION Don Snook

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Unleash Prosperity, Save America” Colleen Lloyd

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER Kenneth A. Wegner For advertising rates, deadlines call 702-426-6022 or 702-426-5962 Las Vegas Tribune is published weekly at 717 So. 9th Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101. Main Number: (702) 714-0119 RadioTribune Call-in Number (702) 983-0711 Website: LasVegasTribune.com All rights reserved. Statements, opinions and points of view expressed by the writers are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the publish- er. Information, including prices and times, is considered correct at the time of publishing but may change without notice. Las Vegas Tribune assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, transparencies America’s First Interactive or other submitted materials. For return, please enclose a self-addressed stamped en- Drive-Through Protest Caravan! velope. Las Vegas Tribune WHO: YOUR GRAND MARSHAL & HOST published weekly by the Tribune Media Group Wayne Allyn Root, Conservative Talk Show Host David A. Rifkin, Executive Vice President 790 AM KBET — Mon-Fri 3 p.m.to 6 p.m. Quote of the Week: “Things could always be “Patriots Procession” better, but things could WHAT: always be worse.” —Show Support for Opening the Nevada Economy. —Marla Gibbs, —Show Support for Vegas Small Business. from the Jefferons —Show Support for Vegas Strip Employees Please Note: who want to get back to work. Although the Las Vegas Tribune is open to all and —Show Support for Mayor Carolyn Goodman sundry opinions about what WAYNE ALLYN ROOT we publish, we wish to inform —Celebrate Capitalism. all those who choose to submit their opinions in writing to WHEN: Friday, April 24, 2020 MEET: Premium Outlet Mall parking lot refrain from threatening anyone about whom an article is writ- Show up at 2 p.m. (Corner of Las Vegas Blvd South/Warm ten or the writer of the article. Starts at 3 p.m. Springs by McDonalds/Chevron station) In other words, any opinions containing threats will not be published. We thank you for WHERE: Drive entire Las Vegas Strip in a “PROTEST CARAVAN” adhering to this policy. to Downtown, ending at Grant Sawyer State Office Building WHY: We will dominate the Vegas Strip for miles! MISSION Creating a Massive show of strength by Las Vegas patriots, conservatives, small business STATEMENT owners and workers who are shutdown, without violating the Coronavirus guidelines. We search for the truth, HOW: A protest all from our cars. It’s all on the radio. embrace the truth, and print the truth. If we inadvertently print Speeches, interviews, call-ins — all without ever leaving the safety of your car! something that is not true, we Wayne Allyn Root will host this INTERACTIVE protest/procession from his car, LIVE on will let our readers know. We are radio the entire way — on 790 AM from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with special celebrity guests, open to documented information and YOU (Las Vegas’s patriots) calling-in LIVE from your cars, from the caravan! to shed light on any issue of concern to our readers. We are QUESTIONS: email: [email protected] of service to our community, and it is our intention to serve our SEE YA THERE, NEVADA PATRIOTS! community the best way we can. April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 3 Stunning Professional Offi ce Building Available in the Historic Downtown Lawyers’ Row SBA 504 Loan Scenario Office Building Scenario as of: 1/10/2020

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For showings please call or text Shannon Leon 702-337-6955 SHANNON LEON Realtor/Leasing Agent [email protected] Page 4 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 Trump will ask Harvard, big businesses to return coronavirus relief funds By Morgan Chalfant other big businesses were able to Shake Shack, a major burger Mnuchin also said he wanted to The Hill tap into the funds. The $350 billion chain, announced Monday it would give companies the “benefit of the President Trump said Tuesday program, called the Paycheck Pro- return $10 million it received doubt” by assuming they didn’t that he is going to ask large busi- tection Program (PPP). ran out of through the program. understand the requirements but nesses and institutions like Harvard money last week and Congress is “We have over a million com- warned of consequences for large University to return money that on the verge of passing legislation panies that have received this with businesses that take advantage of they received as part of a corona- to replenish it. less than 10 workers. There is very the program. virus relief package. The coronavirus relief package broad participation in really small Some have called for reform “I’m going to request it,” Trump that established the PPP also al- business. I will comment there have to the program, run by the Small told reporters at the White House on located billions to support higher been some big businesses that have Business Administration, in order Tuesday. “Harvard is going to pay education institutions and reports taken these loans. I was pleased to to ensure that the funds go to small back the money. They shouldn’t be surfaced last week that Harvard see that Shake Shack returned the businesses in need. taking it.” would receive over $8 million in money,” Mnuchin said. “The intent The Senate on Tuesday after- “I’m not going to mention any funding. of this was not for big public com- noon passed legislation allocating other names but when I saw Har- Treasury Secretary Steven panies that have access to capital.” over $300 billion more for the vard, they have one of the largest Mnuchin told reporters at Tuesday’s Mnuchin did not single out lending program. Trump has en- endowments anywhere in the coun- established by a third coronavirus briefing that the Treasury Depart- Harvard specifically but the pres- dorsed the legislation, which was try, maybe in the world. They’re relief package signed into law last ment would be issuing guidance ident did shortly thereafter, noting the product of negotiations between going to pay back the money,” the month has fallen under scrutiny in on the certification that businesses that the university received relief the White House and Congress, and president continued. recent days amid revelations that need to meet in order to qualify for funding. Harvard did not receive Mnuchin said he expects the House A small business loan program major restaurant chains, hotels and the loans. funding through the PPP. to pass it on Wednesday. California state election official confirms double-voting by mail in Super Tuesday Primary By John Binder “Duplicate registration and vot- concerns. Breitbart News ing is a growing problem nationally Likewise, in Allegheny County, California Secretary of State that is being confronted like seen Pennsylvania — home to Pitts- Alex Padilla has confirmed that here, New Mexico, Michigan, and burgh — PILF researchers have double-voting by mail took place in Pennsylvania,” Adams said. said there are nearly 1,600 dead the March 3, 2020, Super Tuesday Election Integrity Project Cal- people on the voter rolls, along with primary, Breitbart News has exclu- ifornia alleges that there are more more than 1,500 voters who are sively learned. than 30,000 duplicated registered listed as 100-years-old or over, and Days before Super Tuesday, voters on the state’s voter rolls. nearly 7,500 voters who have been citizen watchdog group Election The majority of these duplicated flagged due to duplicate registration Integrity Project California sent a registered voters, they say, show concerns. letter to Padilla requesting his office the same name, address, and birth In Detroit, Michigan, alone, look into possible double voting in date on their registrations. Other close to 4,800 voters have been the 2020 primary election. duplicated registered voters show flagged as having potential dupli- More than a month later, in a let- voters who have used their married cate voter registrations, allowing ter dated April 7, 2020, Padilla con- and maiden names to register twice them to vote twice in elections, and firmed double-voting in one case “suspected to have cast two ballots “Election Integrity Project Cal- and those who have multiple home possibly 2,500 dead people on the and suspected double-voting by a for the March primary election,” ifornia has an incredible accom- addresses. voter rolls. number of other registered voters Padilla wrote in the letter. plishment here. Moving the Cali- California is not the only state The findings come as elected on Super Tuesday, according to the In the remaining two cases, Pa- fornia Secretary of State to share to have issues with its voter rolls. Democrats lobby for nationwide letter obtained by Breitbart News. dilla said county election officials evidence of apparent double voting Most recently, PILF researchers mail-in voting for the November Padilla confirmed in at least “caught the duplicate voter records among duplicated registrants is a stated that there are nearly 1,700 presidential elections — a move one case that two ballots from one prior to election day and only one testament to their research meth- dead people on New Mexico’s voter that would potentially deliver voter were “opened and counted vote was tallied.” Padilla said the odology and judgment,” Public rolls, as well as 1,519 voters listed ballots to an estimated 24 million on election night.” Twelve of the findings have been “forwarded to Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) as being 100-years-old, and more ineligible voters. The plan is being 15 total registered voters identified investigators to follow-up as nec- President J. Christian Adams told than 3,100 voters who have been bankrolled by organizations funded with “duplicate voting history” are essary with the voters.” Breitbart News. flagged due to duplicate registration by billionaire George Soros. Mail-In Ballots (Continued from Page 1) ballot. primary; that such a re-writing of And now they want to come to Yesterday I helped them line up the Wu-Flu. But the Nevada Democrat Party election law had to be done by here and file a similar class action a dozen potential plaintiffs from But perhaps the greatest threat has threatened to sue the Secretary the Legislature, not the courts or lawsuit to block Nevada’s planned across the state. Lawyers are prep- of this is the Democrats’ effort to of State unless she agrees not to the SoS. all-mail primary election which ping the case. allow “ballot harvesting.” prosecute anyone for ballot har- This was a tremendous victory was ordered without approval of With any luck, Nevada voters Ballot harvesting is where some- vesting. for election integrity, spearheaded the Legislature. will enjoy the same success New one goes around — say, to a seniors They’re also demanding, among by a grassroots organization called “If you are facing this in your Mexico did Tuesday night. center or union hall — and collects other things, additional in-person True the Vote. state and are fighting back, True Keep your fingers crossed! all the mail-in ballots they can get voting sites, even though the whole Longtime supporters of Citizen The Vote will have your back,” * * * * * their hands on and then delivers stated purpose of switching to an Outreach may recall when TTV’s TTV’s Catherine Engelbrecht told Chuck Muth is president of them to the election department. all-mail election was to mitigate Anita Moncrief came to Vegas and Breitbart News. “We’re headed to CitizenOutreach.org and publisher They did this in California in the chance of someone getting the spoke at our First Friday Happy Nevada next, where a similar situ- of NevadaNewsandViews.com. He 2018 and it definitely cost some Wu-Flu while voting. Hour back in 2011. So TTV is no ation is in play, and we’re going to blogs at MuthsTruths.com. His Republicans their races. An Orange Oh, and they want ballots mailed stranger to us. stop it there too.” views are his own County election official noted that to inactive voters (voters who no ballot harvesters were showing up longer live at the address where with batches of 100 and 200 ballots they registered), and don’t want at a time. election officials verifying that the The problem with this is at least signatures on ballots match the two-fold… MOVING? MOVING? voter registration signatures on file. 1.) There’s no “chain of cus- What could go wrong, right? tody” control. What’s to stop the While I disagree with the Sec- ballot harvester from tossing any retary of State’s decision to switch ballots they think might be for a NEED A TRUCK? NEED A TRUCK? Nevada to an all-mail primary candidate other than their preferred candidate? election, I’m happy to report they 2.) There’s huge potential for told the D’s to pound sand over coercion and intimidation by ballot these demands. harvesters trying to get people to Meanwhile, the Democrats vote for certain candidates… or “Vote By Mail” (VBM) effort in else! New Mexico was stopped cold By law, ballot harvesting is ille- Tuesday night when the state’s gal in Nevada. No one other than Supreme Court ruled that the Sec- an immediate family member is retary of State could NOT order allowed to submit another person’s an all-mail election for its June

As far back as when General Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower had served as the 34th president of the United States up to the Barack Obama presidential term no other president has been abused, disrespected and mistreated as much as President Trump. DWIGHT EISENHOWER

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Your friendly neighborhood dealer at: Your friendly neighborhood dealer at: 716 South 10th Street 716 South 10th Street (Near the corner of 10th and Charleston) (Near the corner of 10th and Charleston) (702) 262-0703 (702) 262-0703 March 4-10, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 5 April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 5 Governors headed for messy fight over their coronavirus restrictions By John Kruzel restricted when emergency public health The Hill measures are in place, though the precise Governors are heading for a clash with scope of government public health power is their own citizens and local officials as they not clearly defined. weigh how and when to reopen the country’s But there has not been a direct legal ruling economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. yet on mandatory stay-at-home orders, and President Trump’s own guidelines for state and local leaders could find themselves easing social distancing restrictions, unveiled dragged into court fights if they adopt an on Thursday, leave the final decisions for overly aggressive approach to enforcing those matters with state governors. And those mitigation measures, Wiley said. governors are facing growing pressure from Governors and local officials may need the public in states such as Ohio and Mich- to walk a tight line in enforcing restrictions. igan, where protests have called on leaders “Harsh enforcement would probably to quickly lift stay-at-home orders and bans trigger lawsuits that could be more difficult on large gatherings and to allow nonessential for state and local leaders to defend than the businesses to open their doors. suits filed so far by churches, gun shops and Experts say those fights between local health care providers,” she said. In addition to citizen protests, another stakeholders eager to lift the economic shut- source of conflict could result from states down and governors, wary of losing ground moving on a faster timeline to reopen than against the virus, will be the next battle- cities, where higher population density ground in the nation’s pandemic response. makes person-to-person transmission of the “We’ve already seen significant conflicts virus easier. between state and local leaders over the “Conflicts between state and local control tweeted, followed by a tweet that read, “LIB- gan residents and businesses — claiming the imposition of social distancing restrictions, are a common problem for public health exceptions to them, and how they should be ERATE MICHIGAN.” April 9 order infringes on the constitutionally measures,” Wiley said. “We’ve seen it with enforced,” said Lindsay Wiley, a law profes- “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your protected freedom of association and due gun control and fast food regulation, and now sor at American University. “We’ll surely see great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!” process rights. we’re seeing it with social distancing.” conflicts over decisions to ease them.” read a third tweet, a reference to new gun Michigan has recorded more than 29,000 Within states, the division of public health And it’s a fight in which Trump appears to laws in the state. cases and 2,000 deaths from the coronavirus. power is based on each state’s constitution be siding with those who want the restrictions Trump’s tweets in support of the protesters Nationwide, the U.S. has more than 683,000 and statutes, creating a complicated patch- to be lifted quickly. seemed designed to put pressure on the Dem- cases and 34,000 deaths. work of authorities across the country. Trump and state governors appeared ocratic leaders of three 2020 swing states. In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has In a majority of states, the governor, legis- to reach a truce this week when the White Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee (D) fired been under criticism for his decision to in- lature or both have the power to override local House unveiled guidelines for phasing in a back at Trump, accusing him of “fomenting clude churches and other houses of worship in governments. In other cases, state constitu- reopening of the economy that seemed to give domestic rebellion.” his state’s strict social distancing guidelines. tions provide so-called home rule authority, wide latitude to states. More protests are expected in the coming During a tense interview with Tucker giving a degree of autonomy to local leaders. The federal recommendations came after days in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Idaho, Carlson of Fox News, Murphy was asked How these looming health conflicts are Trump and several state leaders recently giving a public voice to the opposition to so- about constitutional protections after police resolved will vary state by state, and early exchanged sharp words over whether public cial distancing restrictions across the country. broke up a rabbi’s funeral in early April at a signs are of a split among blue and red states, health authority ultimately resides with fed- In Michigan, a crowd of demonstra- synagogue in Ocean County, N.J., arresting with Republican governors more eager to eral or state governments. tors organized by a conservative group on 15 men. ease restrictions. “You’re going to call your own shots,” Wednesday descended on the state Capitol “That’s above my pay grade, Tucker,” Wiley said governors will face a challenge Trump told the governors during a confer- to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) stay- Murphy replied. “I wasn’t thinking of the Bill as they navigate the pressure and decide how ence call, according to The Associated Press. at-home order. of Rights when we did this. ... We looked at to enforce restrictions. “We’re going to be standing alongside of “When did one size solve everyone’s local all the data and the science and it says people “Pandemic plans urge leaders to avoid po- you.” issues?” one unidentified organizer asked lo- have to stay away from each other. That is lice crackdowns and to rely on enforcement But in a series of tweets on Friday, Trump cal news radio station WWJ. “Gov. Whitmer the best thing we can do to break the back against businesses and organizations — not appeared to back protesters in Minnesota, will put you out of business before allowing of the curve of this virus, that leads to lower individuals,” she said. Michigan and Virginia, where extended stay- mere citizens to be responsible for their own hospitalization and ultimately fatalities.” “Maintaining the public’s trust and co- at-home orders and other restrictions have behavior. That is madness.” The landmark 1905 Supreme Court de- operation will be critical over the months sparked a backlash. Whitmer faces two lawsuits over her stay- cision in Jacobson v. Massachusetts held to years for which some degree of social “LIBERATE MINNESOTA,” Trump at-home order, with the plaintiffs — Michi- that constitutional rights can be lawfully distancing is likely to be needed. Kelvin Atkinson (Continued from Page 1) es. Atkinson admitted that he used nearly “I’ve let myself and my family down. I the support that made the disgraceful politi- ed” for what could well be a fake disease and $250,000 from his campaign bank account accept full responsibility for my actions and cian Nevada Senator and later the Majority in Atkinson’s case, also to enjoy some of the for personal expenses instead of legitimate cannot express the depth of my remorse. I am Leader of the Nevada Senate, most likely for $250,000.00 he admitted misusing out of his campaign purposes. His personal spending fully sorry,” Atkinson said. being Black and Gay. campaign funds. of campaign funds included approximately Kelvin Atkinson apologized in an emo- In Nevada most public servants come out According to court documents, from at $100,000 in payments to his personal credit tional speech on the floor of the state Senate as gay before announcing their interest in run- least January 2010 to about December 2017, cards, $75,000 towards opening and oper- back then and said he was embarrassed, ning for office knowing that the community Atkinson, 49, admitted that he devised a ating a Las Vegas nightclub, and $20,000 ashamed and would be pleading guilty to as well as politicians and elected officials are charges he faces. afraid to speak negatively of gays for fear of scheme to mislead donors contributing to his on leasing a Jaguar Sports Utility Vehicle, Atkinson resigned immediately after being accused of being homophobic. campaign by falsely representing to them that among many other personal expenditures. admitting to misusing campaign funds for It is unknown if Judge James Mahan will he would use donations for lawful campaign The case was investigated by the FBI and personal use. allow the former senator to drive his now purposes. IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant United Former Clark County Commissioner two-year old Jaguar or if he even wants to In reality, he misused contributions in States Attorney Daniel R. Schiess prosecuted Christina R. Giunchigliani, AKA Chris G., drive a two-year-old car purchased with his campaign account for personal expens- the case. was a furious supporter of Atkinson and lead ill-gotten funds.

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Leftist Democrat Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, who is highly political and hates the Second Amendment, responded, “For the record, Bernie Sanders, Fidel & Raul Castro, their mur- dering regime, and co-conspirators have never had a redeeming quality, ZERO. They worked on literacy programs in a State that controls everything available for reading, in essence, liter- acy was a path to indoctrination. “I remember my high school history teacher trying to feed us the literacy achievement line,” Acevedo continued. “My response to him was I would rather be unread than to spend a lifetime reading the communist/socialists propaganda the Cuban government provided.” ART ACEVEDO Page 6 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 Senate passes $484 billion coronavirus relief package By Jordain Carney The rollout of the small-business program The Hill was beset by mishaps, including an over- The Senate on Tuesday approved roughly whelmed Small Business Administration $484 billion in new coronavirus aid for small system, banks adding additional regulations businesses and hospitals and more funding to the applications and confusion about who for testing, ending a lengthy battle over the was eligible for the funding, which was meant size and contents of the package. to provide loans and grants to businesses with The agreement was passed by a voice vote fewer than 500 companies. after days of negotiations between congres- Lawmakers have fumed this week amid sional Democrats and Treasury Secretary reports that chain restaurants were able to get Steven Mnuchin, with the talks lasting until tens of millions in loans under the program. approximately midnight on both Sunday and Shake Shack, which received a $10 million Monday. loan, announced that it would return the The deal includes an additional $310 funding amid the backlash. billion for the Paycheck Protection Program Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who chairs the (PPP), including $60 billion specifically for Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship community banks and smaller lenders, as Committee, pledged that he would subpoena well as $75 billion for hospitals, $25 billion help the agreement avoid landmines from (R-Ky.) and Senate Democrats initially tried uncooperative companies as part of oversight for testing, and $60 billion for emergency libertarian-minded lawmakers and fiscal to pass their own dueling proposals nearly he’ll do later this year. disaster loans and grants, according to a conservatives. two weeks ago, but both were blocked. “This fall, the Senate Committee on Small summary obtained by The Hill. “I urge the Senate and House to pass the McConnell was offering an additional $250 Business and Entrepreneurship will conduct Lawmakers are under pressure to act Paycheck Protection Program and Health billion for the small-business aid program, aggressive oversight into the use of the PPP. quickly as the coronavirus decimates large Care Enhancement Act with additional while Democrats wanted to add an additional If companies are not forthcoming, the Com- sectors of the economy where businesses funding for PPP, Hospitals, and Testing,” $100 billion for hospitals, $150 billion for mittee will use its subpoena power to compel have either scaled back or closer altogether. Trump tweeted. state and local governments, and a boost in cooperation,” Rubio said. Forty-three percent of respondents to a He added that once the bill is signed, he food stamp assistance. Democrats also homed in on getting more Pew Research Center survey released Tues- will start discussions on the “phase four” McConnell took a victory lap on Tues- money for testing. Public health experts warn day said they have had their wages cut or lost coronavirus bill, including more help for day, arguing that Democrats had dropped “a that ramped up, widely available testing is their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. states and local governments, infrastructure, number of their unrelated demands” during crucial before social distancing restrictions, The Senate’s passage came only hours af- “tax incentives” and a payroll tax cut. Both the negotiations. put in place to try to curb the spread of the ter a senior administration official confirmed chambers are expected to be out of Washing- “Democratic leaders blocked the money virus, are lifted. the agreement had been reached and less ton until at least May 4. and spent days trying to negotiate extraneous Democrats offered their own plan to pro- than two hours after text of the bill began to Congress faced calls to quickly replenish issues that were never on the table. I am grate- vide $30 billion for testing and the creation circulate as leadership tried to “hotline” the the PPP funds after the initial $349 billion ful our colleagues have walked away from of a nationwide strategy. deal to find out if it could pass it by consent, appropriated during last month’s $2.2 trillion those demands and will finally let Congress The deal passed by the Senate includes which would allow it to avoid bringing back coronavirus stimulus package ran out late act,” he said in a statement. $25 billion to “research, develop, validate, members amid health concerns sparked by last week amid high levels of interest from But Democrats argued that hospitals, manufacture, purchase, administer, and ex- the coronavirus. independent contractors and businesses that many of which have seen a drop in revenue pand capacity” for tests. The House is expected to pass the bill on have been hit hard by the coronavirus. as they’ve sidelined elective surgeries, and It also requires states to come up with Thursday morning, with members returning The agreement provides $310 billion for states needed additional funding. They also a plan for how to test for and mitigate the to Washington for a recorded vote. Presi- the program as well as an additional $10 bil- wanted to reform the Paycheck Protection spread of the coronavirus as well as a na- dent Trump threw his support behind the lion for administrative costs and fees. Program to earmark funding specifically for tional strategy from the administration on deal on Tuesday, an endorsement that could Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell smaller lenders. assisting states. Sisolak’s Shutdown (Continued from Page 2) In order to “save lives” and protect Law firm, Alorica “is the holding customer service. dug into it and asked Gov. Sisolak up a six-pack of PBRs but you can’t grandma they need to suffer the company of various direct and “As of November 2015, the — a former “boiler room” operator go into Lee’s Liquor to do the exact same consequences as the rest of us. indirect subsidiaries” which “are Consumer Financial Protection himself — about it. same thing. Otherwise… licensed debt collectors.” Bureau (CFPB) has closed 4 com- And you’d be wrong. NONE of this makes sense. Enough is enough of this contra- You know…those people who plaints involving EGS, with an The only way you’d know about Either the Wu-Flu is as dan- dictory, discriminatory, nonsensical call and harass you about your un- additional 1,814 complaints at- this is by reading Muth’s Truths. gerous of a threat as the governor nonsense. paid rent or student loans. tributed to Expert Global Solutions, * * * * * claims it is… and EVERY social Reopen Nevada. And those subsidiaries, again dating back to January 2013. Justia Chuck Muth is president of contact risks spreading it… or it’s Let our people go. according to Lemberg Law, have lists at least 10 cases of civil litiga- CitizenOutreach.org and publisher not. Mr. Sisolak, tear down this wall! been slapped with a multitude of tion involving EGS.” of NevadaNewsandViews.com. He If it is, then park the buses and Breaking: Debt Collection consumer complaints over the You’d think someone in the Ne- blogs at MuthsTruths.com. His force everyone to pick up their Agency Hired to Handle years… vada media would have found this, views are his own. groceries curbside or have them Unemployment Claims “As of October 2019, the BBB delivered, just like restaurants and About that new “call center” (Better Business Bureau) has closed marijuana dispensaries. Gov. Sisolak hired without initial- 32 complaints against EGS Finan- Green Cards (Continued from Page 1) If it is, then shut down every- ly telling anyone who it was, let cial Care in the preceding 3 years, the suspension would apply equally to would-be permanent immigrants thing except TRULY essential ser- alone how much it’s gonna cost with 9 complaints closed in the already in the country or only to those seeking first entry into the United vices: fire, police, hospitals. taxpayers... previous 12 months. Most of those States. And yes, that includes shutting The name of the company re- complaints alleged problems with A suspension limited to foreign nationals outside the country would down and laying off any and all portedly is Alorica. billing and collections, although have formally enacted a suspension that’s already in place. non-essential government workers. And according to the Lemberg 12 complaints cited problems with But a suspension affecting foreign nationals within the country seek- ing to change their status could put tens of thousands of people at risk of GOP Nevada Plan falling out of migratory status without recourse. (Continued from Page 1) tive,” Stonebarger said. “There are to emerge from the shadows and That would almost certainly invite extensive litigation, at a time when trast to President Trump, who re- a lot of things that need to be pre- join President Trump, Republican courts, law firms and government buildings are closed due to the pandemic. leased his comprehensive “Opening pared and a lot of things that need legislators, local leaders, and busi- Up America Again” plan last week. to get in line in order to reopen and ness executives in presenting a plan And even our local business in order to reopen safely.” to reopen Nevada. leaders are coming up with plans, It’s time for Governor Sisolak People’s lives are at stake. with Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox detailing a plan to reopen earlier this week. Bob Beckett While the federal government, Attorney At Law Republican legislators, and busi- Elected 5 terms as Nye County District Attorney ness executives are looking ahead Practice areas toward Nevada’s future; Sisolak is nowhere to be found. Criminal defense, Personal injury, Bankruptcy Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn and debt, Car accident, DUI and DWI Goodman echoed calls for a plan Licensed for 29 years to reopen Nevada Monday, saying she had the greatest respect for AVVO CONTRIBUTIONS President Trump’s plan and urged Beckett knows Nevada criminal law Sisolak to act on it. — especially how to get the most out of Monday, Las Vegas business the probation/monitoring system. owner Derek Stonebarger stressed to KSNV-3 just how critical it is for Beckett provides very effective and our entrepreneurs to hear a plan to personable service — His fees are also fair reopen the state. “Telling us a date is very import- (702) 334-4886 ant from a business owner perspec-

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), whose father, Rafael Cruz, was from Cuba and was a loyal personal close friend of Fidel Castro until death did both depart, responded, “It really makes a Get first month box difference when those you murder at the firing squad rent FREE with any can read and write.” SEN. TED CRUZ RAFAEL CRUZ U-Haul truck rental RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THE LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE EVERY WEEK! To receive a complimentary link to every new issue of the Las Vegas Tribune, please send an email to [email protected] and give us the email address where you would like your copy sent. We look forward to having you as a subscriber to our publication. April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 7 Voters, Be Aware! The Democratic Party now totally embraces socialsm

Most of the Democratic candidates have never held a job outside of the public sector. They have never missed a paycheck no matter how badly they messed up. What better credentials to have tell you what is good for you — after all, the govern- ment will take care of you because they know best.

Say goodbye to the Second Amendment. No one besides the government’s state police and criminals will have guns.

Cuba, once the jewel of the Carribean as a vacation destination, has the populace living in filthy conditions, except for state officials.

Venezuela, once one of the richest nations, now has no food on the shelves, worthless money and the worst povery in this hemisphere. Page 8 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 Fresh produce goes to waste as coronavirus wrecks supply chains By Alex Gangitano Perdue said in an interview with Fox Business The Hill on Thursday. Fresh produce is increasingly going to A USDA spokesperson told The Hill that waste as the coronavirus outbreak wreaks details on the program are “forthcoming havoc on the nation’s supply chains. shortly.” Farmers are finding it difficult to sell Experts say that consumers are still buying their products and distributors are struggling fresh fruits and vegetables, but the retail mar- to redirect food quickly with restaurants, ket can’t keep up with the increased demand schools and offi ces closed. News reports as more Americans cook meals at home. And in recent days have been rife with stories with restaurants and other businesses drying about farmers leaving produce to rot in the up as buyers, farmers fi nd it harder to sell fi elds, even as Americans see empty shelves their goods. at grocery stores and food banks say they “It’s not that people aren’t interested are overwhelmed by requests for assistance. in buying produce or consuming produce. Experts and industry groups say the We’ve got to get the surplus into the mouths changes brought on by the pandemic, which of the people that need it most. And our sys- has shut down huge swathes of the economy tem is breaking down right there,” Burns said. and kept millions at home, can’t easily be Up to 40 percent of the food supply in the accommodated by the complex supply chain good, nutritious food going to waste while to a school or a food bank for distribution,” U.S. is wasted in an average year, according networks already in place. there are thousands of people going hungry,” Burns said. to USDA data. But the current breakdown in The Produce Marketing Association, an she added. Other agriculture groups are calling for the system has startled even experts. industry trade group, estimates that about Industry groups have been pressing the the Agriculture Department (USDA) to step Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, $5 billion of fresh fruits and vegetables have Trump administration for action. in and purchase products to keep them from food studies and public health at New York already been wasted. The American Farm Bureau Federation, going to waste and to provide payments to University, said she is shocked that fruits and “I think what it demonstrates is that the an industry trade group, and Feeding Amer- producers — measures included in the $2 vegetables are going to waste simply because food supply chain that we have set up now, ica, a nonprofi t network of food banks, wrote trillion coronavirus relief package. Accord- restaurants and schools are not buying those it’s not set up to pivot ... quickly to address to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue last ing to The New York Times, the stimulus goods. this kind of shock to the system,” Brian Ron- week about the increase in wasted produce included more than $23 billion for farmers “Newspapers are full of photos of miles holm, director of food policy at Consumer and fl oated a voucher program to get those and gave Perdue control over how those of cars lined up [for food banks] ... and food Reports, told The Hill. agricultural goods to food banks in need. funds are spent. banks running out of food,” she said, urging Produce Marketing Association CEO Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, Perdue has said the USDA is working to federal action. “This happened during the Cathy Burns said the wasted fruits and veg- 98 percent of food banks reported an increase develop a program to buy agricultural prod- Great Depression of the 1930s. That’s when etables were planted months ago and that in demand for food assistance, according to ucts from farmers and ranchers and fi x holes the government stepped in and created the farmers are already starting to plan for the Feeding America, with millions out of work. in the supply chain to consumers. He has also food assistance programs that we have to this next harvest. The proposed program would cut out some stressed that the nation’s food supply chain is day. ... This is a problem that government is “There’s product literally wasting on the middlemen in the supply chain so farms can safe amid questions about safety. supposed to fi x. That’s what government is ground and then you have a whole population more easily get their goods to food banks and “We’ll take dairy products. We’ll take for.” of people that are in dire need of nutritious know they will be paid. meat, protein products, both beef and pork “In theory, it would be great if that food foods,” Burns said. “If we can get the funding to give farmers ... their produce as well. Many of this food could shift to grocery stores. Grocery store “We have hundreds of thousands of a fair price for their product, we can get it that’s being — that does not have a home in shelves are bare, but there is this excess farmers sitting on product. Because they to food service distribution centers—they a market for it, USDA will have a program food,” said Caroline Passerrello, an instructor don’t have the fi nancial means to ship and need the middle people in between—get it to that will procure this food and distribute it in the Pittsburgh University School of Health distribute it throughout the country, there is their facilities, repack it in boxes, deliver it to food banks and other nonprofi t charities,” (See Fresh Produce Wasted, Page 9) COVID-19 Payments (Continued from Page 1) directly to personal bank accounts. allows people to check the status The IRS is encouraging people ment by direct deposit or by paper “Under those circumstances, “We have seen IRS send stimu- of their payment in addition to pro- who have not yet fi led their 2019 check, or whether they will get their people need to realize that the IRS lus payments to temporary accounts viding the IRS with direct deposit returns and who need to update credit by claiming it on their 2020 is making a strong effort,” Marr for some of our clients. As long as information. their bank account information or tax return. said. it is an open account, H&R Block While Treasury Secretary Ste- home address to promptly fi le their “It’s not going to be the cleanest President Trump signed a law is processing those and sending ven Mnuchin said several million returns. thing in the world, but you will get late last month that provides one- the payment to the client’s chosen people used it to submit their An aide to House Ways and it,” Ellis said. time direct payments to most disbursement — check, Emerald bank account information, some Means Committee Democrats said When direct deposit information Americans of up to $1,200 per Card or external bank account,” are struggling to answer the IRS’s people are also reporting trouble isn’t available to the IRS, recipients adult and $500 per child. Individ- the company said. “We have also security questions. Others are with the IRS web tool if they ap- will receive paper checks instead. uals with income under $75,000 seen IRS send stimulus payments frustrated because they’ve received plied their tax refund to the follow- The Treasury Department said it and married couples with income directly to the ultimate destination messages that their payment status ing year’s taxes. will start to issue those checks this under $150,000 qualify for the full account without it passing through isn’t available, and some are fi nding In an effort to help people who week. amount. the temporary account.” that they’re not able to use the tool have experienced diffi culties using Marc Goldwein, senior vice The IRS moved quickly after en- Both H&R Block and TurboTax to submit their bank information. the tool, the IRS has created a web president and senior policy director actment, getting the fi rst batch out said they provide customers’ bank Ty Gaines, a Virginia-based page with answers to frequently at the Committee for a Responsible the door in less than three weeks. account information to the IRS. enrolled agent authorized to rep- asked questions about the Get My Federal Budget, said that in some The agency also launched web tools “The IRS has the end user bank- resent taxpayers before the IRS, Payment tool. ways, the direct payment program in an effort to help people get their ing information needed to deliver said a majority of her clients who Ryan Ellis, an enrolled agent is working faster than other relief money faster. stimulus payments and is ultimately have reported problems with the and conservative tax lobbyist, said mechanisms created by the law Trump touted the rollout at a responsible for determining how IRS website owed the government some people are concerned when Trump signed on March 27, such press briefi ng Friday. and when the stimulus payments money for 2018 and have yet to fi le they receive an error message on as the Paycheck Protect Program “I have some very good news: will arrive to Americans,” said a their 2019 tax returns. the IRS’s website that they won’t for small businesses and expanded We sent out 80 million deposits, spokesman for Intuit, which owns “When they go to the portal, it be getting a payment. But that’s unemployment insurance. and less than 1 percent had even TurboTax. “We understand from the doesn’t allow them to update their not the case, he said. The question “It’s really important to give little problems,” he said. IRS that they will continue sending bank info,” she said. is whether they will get their pay- credit where credit is due,” he said. A Treasury Department spokes- payments out.” woman said that as of Thursday, The Intuit spokesman added about 1 percent of the direct deposit that TurboTax is seeing customers payments had been rejected by receive payments in their bank banks. It’s possible more could be accounts and on their TurboTax rejected this week. debit cards. But the direct deposits and web “For TurboTax filers that re- To All Attorneys tools have come with other bigger ceived a refund advance, any stimu- hiccups, leaving many taxpayers lus payment that may inadvertently frustrated. go through that banking process is One area causing a lot of con- passed through to the individual’s fusion is how people will receive personal account with no fees and who hate writing their payment if they purchased no additional delay,” he said. tax refund anticipation loans from Some people who have received their tax preparer or used a portion payments are confused about the NEVADA APPEAL GROUP (“NAG”) offers of their refund to pay their tax- amount of their payments. Congres- prep company. 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The Treasury spokeswoman Petitions, Nevada Supreme Court briefs, and H&R Block said there have been said the department is looking into individual motions across the civil and criminal some instances where the IRS has the issue. sent coronavirus rebates to tem- Taxpayers have also experienced spectrum, including Motions for Summary porary accounts, and others where confusion over the IRS’s Get My the agency has sent the payments Payment web application, which Judgment. Turnaround time can be as minimal as 24 hours. Federal PCR is also available.

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For more information and immediate response, call or email: (702) 902-5050 702-262-0703 Nag@criminaldefenseo asvegas.com April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 9 USDA under pressure as food safety concerns grow By Alex Gangitano service workers fall ill. The Hill Experts were hesitant to sound the alarm The U.S. Department of Agriculture on the two-month gap in recalls, noting the (UDSA) is facing growing pressure to ensure many factors go into determining food re- the safety of the nation’s food supply during calls, but they acknowledged the challenges the coronavirus outbreak. facing the USDA. Experts who spoke to The Hill stressed “On the one hand, it could be that there that the food supply was safe now. But they are fewer reports of product withdrawals or also pointed to growing challenges for the recalls because industry members are doing USDA as food industry workers fall sick and a better job of safely processing the food they inspectors scramble for limited resources, put out in the marketplace,” said Richard questioning whether officials responsible Blau, chairman of alcohol, beverage and food for food supply safety are ready for the task law at GrayRobinson. “On the other hand, at hand. a reduction in reported recalls may be the Experts noted that the USDA’s Food Safe- product of government budget cuts and reg- ty and Inspection Service has recalled only ulation rollbacks that have resulted in fewer one product over the last two months. On Feb. food facility inspections, the retrenchment 8, a product from Family Traditions Meat of government oversight and our reliance on Company was recalled due to misbranding. industry to self-police.” But there were no other recalls until April “Since COVID-19 is such a huge focus assure the American public that government “I don’t think consumers should be too 10, when the USDA recalled chicken bowls for everyone, not just the food industry, I and industry will take all steps necessary worried about the reduction of recalls. I from Conagra Brands over possible foreign can see how we all might be a bit distracted to ensure continued access to safe and think there’s typical ebbs and flows,” said matter contamination and pork products from from the normal day-to-day operations of the wholesome USDA-inspected products,” the Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Jowett Farms for missing some inspections. food system,” Chapman said. “But I would statement added. Consumer Reports. Recalls, though, were flowing in regularly say that in the short term the distractions are USDA officials wrote a letter to stake- Food recalls in the U.S. have become more before February, with five in January, four likely not leading to changes in food safety.” holders that same month saying that the common in recent years. The total number of in December, four in November and three Still, the lack of recalls comes at a trou- department “remains committed to working recalls increased by 10 percent between 2013 in October. bling time as concerns about food safety closely with industry to fulfill our mission of and 2018, and there were 905 recalls in 2016, Those who spoke to The Hill were careful grow. Those worries have gained attention in ensuring the safety of the U.S. food supply Time reported. to note that there were no signs food safety recent days with the closing of meat process- and protecting agricultural health.” There are three levels of recalls, with level has been compromised during the pandemic ing plants where workers have contracted the Another food safety agency, the Food and one being an urgent public health risk, two but urged officials to stay vigilant and found coronavirus. Pork processor Smithfield Foods Drug Administration (FDA), has also seen indicating that a person was sick but not with the gap in recalls puzzling. closed two more plants, one in Cudahy, Wis., its resources stretched with the outbreak and a life-threatening illness, and three meaning “I do think that it is unusual that there and one in Martin City, Mo., this week, and a scaled back some routine inspection work to that there was misbranding or incorrect were no recalls during that time frame,” worker from its closed Sioux Falls, S.D., fa- protect inspectors. labeling. said Donald Schaffner, a professor of food cility died. Two employees of Tyson Foods’s The USDA told The Hill it remains com- Experts worried about oversight with the microbiology at Rutgers University. Columbus Junction, Iowa, pork processing mitted to ensuring food safety. new challenges from the pandemic. “COVID-19 has been a distraction,” plant have also died. “At USDA, we are committed to ensur- Chapman said that there is no need to Schaffner added, but he cautioned that the The risk from the coronavirus will make it ing the food supply chain remains safe and worry about the drop in recall actions. pandemic “has probably not directly impact- harder for USDA inspectors to continue their secure. USDA’s Food Safety Inspection “A blip in recalls aren’t really an indicator ed food safety yet.” work even at operating processing plants, workers are on the front line, day in and day that food is getting less safe,” Chapman said Benjamin Chapman, food safety extension experts said. out, to make sure our food is safe,” a USDA but added that “it’s something to look at.” specialist at North Carolina State University, As the coronavirus outbreak intensified spokesperson said. The department did not Martin Wiedmann, a food scientist at Cor- agreed that the outbreak could be a distraction in the U.S. in March, the agency said in a respond to specific questions about the two- nell University, said the lack of recalls could with people off work or at home and more statement that it would “ensure that grading month break in any recalls. be due to a number of factors that aren’t the resources being devoted to the immediate and inspection personnel are available.” The spotlight on the agency and its work is fault of the USDA. One explanation could be pandemic response. “It is more important than ever that we certain to intensify, particularly if more food (See USDA Under Pressure, Page 10) Trump announces $19B program to help agriculture sector By Sylvan Lane As restaurants and schools and chicken. The Hill across the U.S. shutter and millions “The wholesome food that our President Trump on Friday an- of Americans are forced to cook families depend upon and starts nounced a $19 billion program to a greater portion of meals them- with America’s farmers and ranch- help the struggling agriculture sec- selves, farmers are struggling to sell ers,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny tor and distribute food to families certain products and distributors are Perdue said during the White House in need amid the economic toll of scrambling to redirect food quickly. briefing. the coronavirus pandemic. Some farmers have been forced “American agriculture has been The U.S. Department of Ag- to let produce rot in the field or hard hit like most of America with riculture (USDA) will purchase dump oversupplies of milk, while the coronavirus and President crops and livestock from farmers COVID-19 breakouts in meat Trump is standing with our farmers and ranchers facing a steep decline processing plants have raised con- and all Americans to make sure in orders and massive supply chain cerns about meeting the growing we all get through this national disruption. demand for store-ready beef, pork emergency.” Funding will come from the $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic relief bill and separate USDA funds to support commodity prices. chase $3 billion in fresh produce, “Never complain — they just do USDA will offer $16 billion in dairy, and meat to distribute to food what they have to do.” direct grants to farmers and ranch- banks, community organizations The coronavirus food aid pro- ers to compensate for short-term and charities. grams comes as the economic col- drops in demand and oversupply “These are great people, great lapse and social upheaval driven by driven by the coronavirus pan- Americans,” Trump said after the pandemic snarl grocery supply demic. announcing the program during a lines and create drastic imbalances The department will also pur- Friday briefing at the White House. across the food industry. Fresh Produce Wasted (Continued from Page 8) Carli Liguori, a registered dieti- Marketing Association survey of and Rehabilitation Sciences. tian and visiting instructor in the 500 shoppers released on April 1. She said supply chains “have to University of Pittsburgh, said that Fifty-seven percent said they shift to focus on the grocery store perishables like fruits and vege- have been paying more attention to purchases because that’s where the tables are wasted even in normal the shelf life of produce and trying majority of food is being purchased times. to buy produce that has a longer now.” “People don’t use their food in shelf life. Fifty-three percent said Some experts said that con- time. I think that that certainly holds they are more likely to buy produce sumers’ purchasing habits are also now as well. People maybe aren’t now if it came in sealed containers changing because of panic buying. as equipped to be able to purchase or bags. Consumers may also be buying fruits and vegetables in a timely “U.S. consumers actually ar- items that last longer instead of manner ... and use it within a week,” en’t abandoning produce, so this perishables, like fresh fruits and she said. “Things that we see driv- demonstrates that they understand vegetables, so they can avoid trips ing food waste normally is people it is a significant part of the sector. to the store. not being able to get creative.” But the sector has a natural flow, “In judging by the shelves when There are also growing concerns and fruits and vegetables no longer Meet the “real” Ben Childs I go to the stores, many of the items about safety and if the coronavirus have a place to go. That’s where it’s Before you cast your vote on Family Court judge that I would normally recommend can be transmitted through foods. become more challenging,” Burns in these uncertain times are de- The Food and Drug Administration explained. candidates in Department G think twice and learn pleting. It is more difficult to find has said that the country’s food sup- Ronholm said the challenges about the real Benjamin Boone Childs, AKA Ben dried bean or high-shelf-life stable ply is not a source of transmission posed by the outbreak highlight Childs, a real estate and family attorney in Clark products. Frozen and canned fruits for the virus. “just how complex the food supply and vegetables are very inexpen- But 61 percent of Americans chain is.” County. sive with long shelf lives,” Connie said they are concerned about the “I think folks will maybe gain Benjamin Boone Childs, AKA Ben Childs, betrayed Weaver, distinguished professor at safety and cleanliness of fresh more of an appreciation of what his “pro-bono” client for a few dollars with the ap- Purdue University’s Department of produce during the coronavirus goes into putting food on shelves,” Nutrition Science. pandemic, according to a Produce he added. proval of the presiding judge, the Honorable District Court Judge Robert Barr, and with the blessings of Leftist Democrat Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, who is the Nevada State Bar, which is famous for not an- highly political and hates the Second Amendment, responded, swering complaints from abused litigants. “For the record, Bernie Sanders, Fidel & Raul Castro, their mur- He’ll be in the pocket of the largest donated attor- dering regime, and co-conspirators have never had a redeeming neys, not those appearing before him. quality, ZERO. They worked on literacy programs in a State His own daughter yelled at him during his child that controls everything available for reading, in essence, liter- custody procedure, saying, “I hate you, I hate you!” acy was a path to indoctrination. “I remember my high school We request that his ex-wife’s boyfriend be ques- history teacher trying to feed us the literacy achievement line,” tioned about what he knows and saw in the home Acevedo continued. “My response to him was I would rather be of this candidate, Benjamin Boone Childs, AKA Ben unread than to spend a lifetime reading the communist/socialists propaganda the Cuban government provided.” Childs, while living with the former Mrs. Childs. ART ACEVEDO Paid Political Advertisement by the Las Vegas Tribune Page 10 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 Intelligence chief Grenell hits back against Schiff criticism of agency reorganization By Maggie Miller intelligence community through the appoint- The Hill ment of Lora Shiao as acting director of the Acting Director of National Intelligence NCTC and of Clare Linkins as the executive Richard Grenell on Tuesday hit back against director of the NCTC. recent criticism of the reorganization of “Diversity of the IC workforce should intelligence community (IC) agencies from always be celebrated, and I am proud that we House Intelligence Committee Chairman increased diversity within the ODNI’s senior Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). ranks, to include more women and members Grenell wrote to Schiff that the reorga- of the LGBT community,” Grenell wrote. nization under his leadership came on the Shiao and Linkins were appointed follow- heels of calls for change from intelligence ing the retirement of former acting NCTC committee staffers. Director Russell Travers in March. President “Career IC officials have conducted four Trump nominated Christopher Miller to studies in the last two years calling for re- serve as a permanent director of the NCTC forms at the ODNI [Office of the Director of last month. National Intelligence], and the career officials Grenell pointedly ended his letter by are eager to implement the recommenda- telling Schiff he hoped future letters would tions,” Grenell wrote in a sharply worded be more bipartisan, as Schiff was not joined letter to Schiff. “It is my duty to listen to during a March 10 all-members briefing on missal, along with other staffing issues, by any committee Republicans in sending election security. were not addressed by Grenell in Tuesday’s these ODNI career employees who have ideas his initial letter. Grenell wrote to Schiff that intelligence letter, something Schiff expressed frustration on how to improve the work we do for the “I strongly agree with your statement of American people.” community staff were “offended” by his al- over in a statement provided to The Hill on a bipartisan legislative commitment to the Grenell added that he would “encourage” legations that they did not give “unvarnished” Tuesday. IC,” Grenell wrote. “I would hope to see this Schiff to “think of the relationship between intelligence reports to Congress. “In his letter, Acting Director Grenell commitment reflected on the signature line of your committee and the IC as that between “As the Acting DNI, I am compelled to did not respond in any way to our oversight your future letters.” the legislative and executive branches of defend these career officers from unsub- requests regarding the decision to fire the IC Schiff told The Hill that while his com- government, rather than that between a hedge stantiated indictments of their motivations IG, sudden staffing changes at the NCTC, mittee “remains ready” to work with the fund and a distressed asset, as your letter and judgment,” Grenell wrote. “Many are and his pursuit of structural and personnel ODNI, Grenell must “rise to meet the serious suggests.” offended by the accusations that they did changes at the ODNI without the approval of responsibilities of his office as long as he Grenell’s letter was sent two weeks after not share unvarnished assessments. If you Congress,” Schiff said. “The Acting Director Schiff sent him a missive strongly criticizing share with me the reports you believe provide failed to respond to important questions about occupies it.” steps he had taken to reorganize the intel- evidence for these claims, I can promise you whether the IC IG was investigating matters Grenell, who formerly served as U.S. am- ligence community since being appointed that I will review them with the seriousness that may go uninvestigated as a result of his bassador to Germany, was appointed acting acting director of national intelligence. such accusations demand.” firing by Trump.” director of national intelligence in February Schiff noted that Grenell was pursuing Another issue raised by Schiff was the Schiff emphasized that “the simple fact he by Trump after Joseph Maguire stepped down leadership changes at intelligence agencies decision by President Trump to fire Michael was not willing to respond to a reasonable re- from the role. without seeking authorization from Congress Atkinson, the now-former acting inspector quest from his agency’s oversight committee Maguire, who had also been serving in an and raised questions about the removal or general of the IC. Atkinson alerted Congress raises new basis for our concerns, particularly acting capacity, left the position after being departure of every Senate-confirmed official to the anonymous whistleblower com- given this Administration’s history of cover- strongly reprimanded by Trump for allow- at the ODNI. plaint around Trump’s July phone call with ing up blatant misconduct.” ing officials in the intelligence community Schiff also accused Grenell of allowing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Grenell did comment on staffing changes to brief the House Intelligence Committee, his staff to “interfere with the production that ultimately kicked off the impeachment at the National Counterterrorism Center including Schiff, on concerns that Russia and briefing of intelligence information” on investigation into Trump. (NCTC), but only to criticize Schiff for not may be seeking to interfere in the 2020 presi- election security that was given to Congress Schiff’s concerns over Atkinson’s dis- addressing the increased “diversity” in the dential election in an effort to reelect Trump. Bipartisan Senate report reaffirms intelligence findings that Russia meddled in 2016 elections By Maggie Miller in 2020, and we must not be caught “The actions of our adversaries The Hill unprepared.” challenge our intelligence capabil- The Intelligence Community Their warnings echoed those ities,” Wyden wrote. “In this case, was correct in its assessment of of former special counsel Robert in which audits are inadequate, state Russian meddling in the lead-up Mueller, who testified to Congress and local election officials lack the to the 2016 elections, a bipartisan last year that Russian agents were expertise and resources to identify report released by the Senate In- attempting to interfere in the 2020 sophisticated cyber-attacks, and telligence Committee on Tuesday elections “as we sit here.” DHS lacks comprehensive, na- concluded. Mueller concluded in his report tion-wide information, the harm is The report, which is the fourth of that Russian agents interfered in partly self-inflicted.” an expected five volumes to emerge the run-up to the 2016 elections in The report is the fourth to be from the committee’s investigation order to favor Trump, using both a published, following three others into Russian interference in the sweeping disinformation campaign slowly rolled out by the committee 2016 elections, digs into the Intel- and cyberattacks on state election beginning last year on Russian ef- ligence Community’s Assessment infrastructure and Democratic forts to target election infrastructure (ICA) of Russian active measures campaign groups to do so. in 2016, the use of social media to used to sway the election. More recently, reports emerged sway the presidential election, and The assessment, made public in that intelligence community offi- evaluating the U.S. government early 2017 shortly before President cials told the House Intelligence response to the interference efforts. Obama left office, concluded that Committee during a classified A fifth report, not yet released, Russian President Vladimir Putin Christopher Steele, a former MI6 He noted that “with the 2020 briefing that there was evidence will address the committee’s coun- “ordered an influence campaign in agent who compiled opposition re- presidential election approaching, Russia was already interfering in terintelligence findings around 2016 aimed at the US presidential search against Trump, was not used it’s more important than ever that the 2020 elections. Officials also Russian interference in 2016. election,” and that there was a to reach any conclusions in the ICA. we remain vigilant against the told Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in The investigation by the Senate “clear preference” for now-Presi- Committee leaders warned that threat of interference from hostile February that Russians were trying Intelligence Committee is seen as dent Trump to win the election on Russian interference in the 2016 foreign actors.” to help boost his presidential cam- a rare bipartisan project on this is- the part of the Russians. elections could easily happen Senate Intelligence Committee paign, an issue Sanders called an sue, which has grown increasingly The committee concluded that again during the presidential elec- ranking member Mark Warner (D- “ugly thing.” heated over the past few years. the ICA “presents a coherent and tions later this year, an issue that Va.), a key cybersecurity advocate The report published Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin well-constructed intelligence ba- government officials and experts on Capitol Hill, was more blunt in the majority of which was heav- has denied that Russian agents sis for the case of unprecedented have increasingly warned may be his assessment of the dangers to ily redacted, included two pages meddled in 2016, a view Trump Russian interference in the 2016 a problem. elections this year. of views from Sen. Ron Wyden initially backed up during a 2018 U.S. presidential election,” and that “One of the ICA’s most import- “The ICA correctly found the (D-Ore.), a member of the com- joint press conference with Putin. all analysts involved in compiling ant conclusions was that Russia’s Russians interfered in our 2016 mittee. Wyden, who has pushed The House Intelligence Com- the ICA were under no pressure to aggressive interference efforts election to hurt Secretary [Hillary] hard for election reforms, warned mittee also investigated the in- come to a specific conclusion. should be considered ‘the new Clinton and help the candidacy of that Russian interference was made terference, but Republicans and One critique of the ICA was normal,’ ” Senate Intelligence Donald Trump,” Warner said in easier by U.S. shortcomings. Democrats clashed on the findings. that it could have benefited from Committee Chairman Richard Burr a statement. “Our review of the “a more comprehensive presenta- (R-N.C.) said in a statement. “That highly classified ICA and underly- tion of how Russian propaganda warning has been borne out by the ing intelligence found that this and ... was used” as part of the overall events of the last three years, as other conclusions were well-sup- influence campaign. Russia and its imitators increasing- ported. There is certainly no reason The panel also concluded that ly use information warfare to sow to doubt that the Russians’ success information provided to analysts by societal chaos and discord.” in 2016 is leading them to try again USDA Under Pressure (Continued from Page 9) to be the same.” challenges of the outbreak, Ron- that there are fewer food safety re- “FDA and USDA are spending holm said, consumers also have a ports for the agency to investigate. a lot of time on COVID-19 too, part to play. “My gut feeling is if people and they don’t have people sitting “Consumers have to make sure have a foodborne illness right now, around. Could that also add to it? that they’re practicing some safe they’re just going to ride it out. If ... We have an extremely stressed food handling practices at home,” DO YOU NEED AN EDITOR? you go to the doctor, the doctor has system, and the same system that he said. “Washing their hands and Have you been embarrassed lately when someone to take a sample, and the sample has deals with COVID-19 usually deals separating fresh product from raw to be tested,” he said. “The doctor with that,” Wiedmann said. product, minimizing their risk as pointed out to you that you misspelled a word in your might be less likely right now to But as officials deal with the much as possible.” report or maybe had a whole sentence all messed take a sample and send it to the up? Have you personally felt that you could’ve done lab because there’s other testing Left-wing CNN commentator a much better job on that manuscript but just didn’t labs need to do right now, which is Ana Navarro tweeted: have the time? COVID-19.” The closing of restaurants, “Castro regime’s been in power schools and other venues also elim- in Cuba for +60 yrs. w/o free Why put off doing what you know you should have inates another source of informa- elections. They’ve killed, done before: call in an editor! As a word-, sentence-, tion about potential food problems. jailed, tortured thousands. They and document-doctor, she will fix what needs fixing “There’s been a tremendous confiscated assets, expelled by adding a little of this or that, and taking out what amount of change happening with priests and nuns… And let’s be shouldn’t have been there in the first place. food distribution systems,” Wied- clear, Cubans weren’t exact- mann said. “A lot of things have ly communicating by grunts. to come together [for a recall], and Give yourself the luxury of looking your best in print! Most knew how to read.” [email protected]. 1-775-513-0942 anytime you disrupt one thing in ANA NAVARRO that system, things are not going April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 11 POLITICAL ANALYSIS The coronavirus is no reason to waive the rules for immigrants By Matt O’Brien still here. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused So-called “temporary” extensions almost a necessary slowdown in government op- never are transitory. When aliens are permit- erations. That’s frustrating to anyone who ted to remain “temporarily” in the U.S., their needs the Department of Motor Vehicles, advocates inevitably wind up asserting that or a permit to replace a damaged hot water since we have allowed them to stay so long, heater. And the unavailability of certain it would be cruel to ask them to leave. The government services has posed challenges to longer the allegedly temporary authorization working people everywhere. However, only is extended, the more strident those assertions immigrant advocates appear to be arguing become. And that’s how short-term exten- that their clients deserve a free pass from sions morph into permanent ones. applicable laws for the duration of shelter- If the COVID-19 epidemic has demon- at-home orders. strated anything, it is that the U.S. must Since the beginning of the outbreak, control its borders. Public health security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is national security. And border security is (USCIS) has fielded calls from mass migra- public health security. This is not the time tion advocates to extend immigration filing for USCIS, ICE or Customs and Border deadlines and grant automatic extensions to Protection to be arbitrarily and unilaterally any foreigners whose status is about to expire. allow anyone who wishes to do so, licensed the U.S. has implemented permitting a gov- relaxing the laws Congress enacted to protect Many mainstream media outlets have carried or unlicensed, to operate a motor vehicle on ernment agency to offer blanket extensions of our borders and maintain our sovereignty. opinion columns that claim allowing more our public roadways. immigration status — rather than considering From a practical standpoint, what immi- time to file applications would “save lives” What’s really going on? The open-borders them on a case-by-case basis — has been a gration advocates seek in this instance simply and that “USCIS policies make immigration contingent is trying to create a back-door failure. isn’t necessary. The Department of Homeland difficult and dangerous.” amnesty by capitalizing on a public health Take, for example, Temporary Protected Security and other government agencies, such That’s nonsense. And the recent USCIS crisis. And what’s worse, they are suggesting Status (TPS). Enacted by Congress in 1990, as the Postal Service, continue to provide announcement directing non-immigrants to USCIS take actions that it has no statutory the program was intended to offer temporary essential services. There is no reason that seek extensions individually is both legally authority to implement. respite to migrants in the U.S., whether here nonimmigrants with pending applications correct and wise public policy. USCIS has a The Immigration and Nationality Act lawfully or not, who came from countries can’t mail required documents prior to dead- responsibility to protect both the American clearly states that aliens seeking temporary experiencing natural disasters or political up- lines, or furnish written explanations of why public and foreign visitors. It can only fulfill admission to the United States must estab- heaval. Instead, for the majority of recipients their personal situation merits a discretionary that responsibility by vetting extension re- lish, to the satisfaction of the Department of it became the “golden ticket” to multi-decade extension. And nothing prohibits aliens from quests on a case-by-case basis. Homeland Security, that they are eligible for authorization to remain in the U.S. And be- mailing, telephoning or emailing USCIS to Assertions to the contrary, made by nonimmigrant status. To obtain an extension, cause the TPS legislation allowed the execu- request an extension. advocates for migrants, are hyperbolic and aliens requesting additional time in the U.S. tive branch to give the status to broad classes The COVID-19 pandemic presents a real baseless. The proof lies in the fact that must individually establish that they either of migrants, and then extend the privilege at threat to public health. It does not, however, nobody is making similar arguments about continue to remain eligible for the status in will, administrations exploited it to pander to furnish an excuse to foolishly abandon im- comparable government-administered ben- which they were admitted, or that they are immigrant communities. migration vetting procedures that have kept efits. An approved immigration application qualified for a change of status. USCIS has no At present, TPS has been granted to more us reasonably safe in the decades since the is roughly equivalent to a driver’s license. legal authority to confer what is, in essence, than 400,000 foreigners, coming from at 9/11 terror attacks. It demonstrates that the government has blanket amnesty without congressional au- least 10 countries. Many of them were given Matt O’Brien is director of research at accorded a privilege to an individual who thorization to do so. Anyone arguing other- protection decades ago. Yet most of them are the Federation for American Immigration has satisfied a set of legal conditions and wise is blinded by partisanship and willfully still here, even if the circumstances allegedly Reform (FAIR), a nonprofit group advocating demonstrated that he or she merits an exercise ignorant of U.S. immigration law. preventing them from going home were re- for legal immigration. He is a former assis- of the government’s discretion. Nevertheless, Even more disturbing than immigration solved long ago. For example, an estimated tant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and no one has been howling that the United advocates asking that USCIS do something 86,000 Hondurans were given “temporary” Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a former States will not survive the COVID-19 crisis illegal is the fact that they think their request permission to remain in the U.S. following U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as a moral and upstanding nation unless we is a good idea. Every immigration program 1998’s Hurricane Mitch; most of them are (USCIS) division head. Can the Trump administration prevent asylum- seeking aliens from entering the US during COVID-19? By Nolan Rappaport report from the PEW Research Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Center, the movement of people and nine other Democratic sena- across international borders has tors wrote a letter to DHS Acting come to a standstill in much of Secretary Chad F. Wolf in which the world as countries close their they accuse him of exploiting the borders to foreign visitors because COVID-19 pandemic to summar- of COVID-19 fears. ily expel large numbers of people More than 90 percent of the arriving at our border in clear con- people in the world live in countries travention of existing federal laws. that have travel restrictions due to DHS has been engaging in such COVID-19. expulsions to implement the CDC’s For a description of the restric- “Order Suspending Introduction of tions being imposed by countries Certain Persons From Countries around the world, see The New Where a Communicable Disease York Times article, “Coronavirus Exists,” which was issued pursuant Travel Restrictions, Across the to 42 U.S.C. § 265 of the Public Globe.” Health and Welfare Act. Before the suspension order According to the senators, “DHS went into effect, the Border Patrol has gone far beyond the parameters apprehended more than 31,000 of CDC’s limited order and granted aliens a month who had crossed the itself sweeping powers to summari- Mexican border illegally between ly expel large, unknown numbers of POEs, and approximately 7,200 individuals arriving at our border.” aliens a month were found to be They argue that contrary to ex- inadmissible at the POEs. duce such persons … is required spreading COVID-19 among the period as he shall deem necessary, isting law, DHS is depriving aliens If there is a safe way to provide in the interest of the public health, aliens being processed — and ev- suspend the entry of all aliens or arriving at the border of an oppor- the processing that the senators are the Surgeon General, … shall have eryone else at the stations — and any class of aliens as immigrants tunity to apply for asylum or other demanding during the COVID-19 the power to prohibit, in whole or from there into the interior of the or nonimmigrants …” forms of humanitarian protection. crisis, I don’t know what it would in part, the introduction of persons country. In Trump v. Hawaii, the Su- The senators acknowledge that be. … from such countries or places as The order, therefore, requires preme Court held that section the courts have interpreted section In any case, I am satisfied that he shall designate in order to avert CBP to return them to the country 212(f) “entrusts to the president 212(f) of the INA as giving the the administration is not exceeding such danger.” from which they entered the Unit- the decisions whether and when Executive Branch extraordinary its authority with the emergency CDC Director Dr. Robert R. ed States — or to their country of to suspend entry, whose entry to authority to deny entry to certain measures the senators are com- Redfield, explains in the order that origin — as quickly as possible to suspend, for how long, and on what plaining about. aliens, but they claim that this pro- the suspension applies to persons minimize the amount of time they conditions.” * * * * * vision is limited to specific classes traveling to the United States from spend in the common areas. The sole prerequisite to exercis- Nolan Rappaport was detailed of individuals and therefore does Canada or Mexico (regardless of According to newspaper ac- ing this authority is that the presi- to the House Judiciary Committee not apply to this situation. their country of origin) who do not counts, undocumented aliens who dent find that the entry of the cov- as an executive branch immigra- I understand the concern they have valid entry documents or are are apprehended in the vicinity of ered aliens would be detrimental to tion law expert for three years. He are expressing over depriving aliens apprehended in the vicinity of the the Mexican border after making an the interests of the United States. subsequently served as an immigra- arriving at our border of an oppor- border after making an entry with- illegal entry are returned to Mexico The Court notes that if congress tion counsel for the Subcommittee tunity to apply for humanitarian re- out inspection. in an average of 96 minutes. They had intended to constrain the pres- on Immigration, Border Security lief, but the administration is using The senators are expressing con- are processed in the field without ident’s power to determine who and Claims for four years. Prior emergency measures to deal with cern primarily about undocumented setting foot in a Border Patrol may enter the country pursuant to to working on the Judiciary Com- a COVID-19 crisis that are well aliens coming from Mexico. station. this authority, it could have chosen mittee, he wrote decisions for the within the scope of its authority. According to the COVID-19 Section 212(f) language directed to that end. Board of Immigration Appeals for The order Dashboard maintained by the President Donald J. Trump We are not the only country 20 years. Follow him on Twitter @ 42 U.S.C. § 265 authorizes the Center for Systems Science and could have suspended the entry of that is restricting entries NolanR1 or at https://nolanrappa- Surgeon General of HHS to prohibit Engineering at Johns Hopkins these undocumented aliens without According to an April 1, 2020, port.blogspot.com. the entry of people from a foreign University, COVID-19 cases have relying on the CDC — simply by country who may have a commu- been confirmed in 185 countries, issuing a proclamation pursuant Former Obama White House nicable disease. CDC is part of including Mexico and all of Central to his 212(f) authority, which is staffer Christopher Hale wrote: HHS too. The pertinent part of this America. much broader than the senators are “Fidel Castro was a dictator provision reads as follows: Most of the undocumented indicating. The pertinent part of this and a tyrant. He spent his “Whenever the Surgeon General aliens coming from Mexico who are section reads as follows: determines that by reason of the not Mexicans come from Central “(f) Suspension of entry regime murdering dissidents, existence of any communicable America. or imposition of restrictions imprisoning gay people, disease in a foreign country there is Redfield explains that in the by President. separating families from each serious danger of the introduction absence of the suspension, undoc- Whenever the President finds other, banning the free and of such disease into the United umented aliens are held for process- that the entry of any aliens or of open practice of religion, and States, and that this danger is so ing in the crowded common areas any class of aliens into the United bringing the world to the brink increased by the introduction of of the 328 Ports of Entry (POEs) States would be detrimental to the of nuclear war. He’s not persons … from such country that and the 136 Border Patrol stations. interests of the United States, he worthy of praise.” a suspension of the right to intro- This presents a serious danger of may by proclamation, and for such CHRISTOPHER HALE Page 12 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 POLITICAL ANALYSIS Why China will likely avoid liability in spread of coronavirus pandemic By Jonathan Turley attenuated. In cases such as James Joseph Stalin once said “a single Ryan versus New York Central death is a tragedy” and “a million Railroad, courts cut off liability for deaths is a statistic.” The observa- spreading fires by limiting it to nat- tion was chilling because it has a ural direct damage rather than the grain of truth about how we process ultimate damage. Courts ruled that tragedies. The same is sometimes spreading fires is caused by many true legally. If a government kills reasons. Courts could also balk at one person, it is a murder. If it kills liability for millions of cases, tens thousands of people, it is a policy. of thousands of deaths, and trillions That cold fact soon may be evident of dollars in losses. They could rule in a growing number of class action that the outbreak was due to negli- lawsuits now brought against China gent decisions by countries. over its failure to notify the world Some of us would welcome promptly of the coronavirus, along an evidentiary discovery into the with renewed allegations that the origin of the coronavirus. But outbreak may have started in a Democrats and Republicans appear laboratory in Wuhan. wedded to political narratives for The question of Chinese respon- their advantage. With questions sibility, and of potential liability, about financial support for the lab became more acute this week. by the Obama administration and Many in the media have dismissed allegations over a slow response by allegations of a release from the lab the Trump administration, we may as a politically motivated conspir- have another farcical commission acy theory. It is the same narrative been filed in the United States. One exception under this law concerns eign Immunities Act. Congress or investigation in which each aggressively pushed by China. For lawsuit claims the coronavirus was commercial activities by foreign then amended it to allow for such party appoints loyalists to protect some of us, however, the dismissal designed as a biological weapon, nations. For that reason, some lawsuits with the Justice Against its interests. The 9/11 commission of the lab as the possible source an allegation that both experts and lawsuits have stretched the facts to Sponsors of Terrorism Act. Presi- skillfully avoided holding anyone always seemed willfully blind. It intelligence officials have rejected. suggest that the wet market or lab dent Obama vetoed it, but Congress responsible despite negligent acts might not prove to be true, but it All of the lawsuits allege intentional in Wuhan were commercial enter- overrode his veto. It is possible that by government officials. However, hardly seems a baseless idea since or negligent acts. prises effectively run or directed by Congress could do so again for this litigation means building a prov- the lab was working on coronavirus The Foreign Sovereign Immu- China. That argument is likely to virus, which has now cost tens of able case rather than maintaining a research. We also know that China nities Act of 1976 extends blanket be far too attenuated for the courts. thousands of lives and trillions of narrative. The brutal fact is that, in arrested and silenced people who immunity to countries from most One legal question could turn dollars in losses. politics as in war, tens of thousands tried to raise alarms. lawsuits in the United States. The on Congress. In 2008, a lawsuit Even with a legislative fix, of deaths can just be a statistic. For The true origin of the corona- exceptions are rather narrow and with some interesting analogies China is unlikely to make people some politicians, the real tragedy is virus may be incredibly difficult rarely accepted by American courts, was filed against Saudi Arabia over or information freely available who ends up with the blame. to prove. The media reported on which read this statute as clearly the financing of the terrorists who and, even if it was found to be * * * * * an account by scientists that the conveying the intent to discourage attacked us on 9/11. The kingdom liable, we are back to what Stalin Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro genome sequence of the corona- such lawsuits. The United States had been accused of effectively said. There is corollary in tort law Professor of Public Interest Law virus does not show any signs of can be sued just as easily in foreign releasing terrorists, rather than a for personal injuries in causation at George Washington University. being artificially manipulated or courts and thus favors immunity as virus, but the courts rejected those theory. Courts tend to cut off You can find his updates online @ engineered. The coverage suggest- the general rule. The most common claims under the Foreign Sover- liability when causation gets too JonathanTurley. ed that it is now established that it was a purely natural outbreak rather than the fault of China. That would not seem to definitively answer the question, however, of whether a lab employee had been infected by a bat carrying the coronavirus. Two years ago, the State De- partment raised concerns over coronavirus research on bats at the lab and its allegedly lax practices. Both American and British intel- ligence officials recently found a credible possibility that the lab was the source and that the outbreak then spread at first through the Huanan Seafood Market. There is no proof of this, but dismissal of the theory occurred as some in the media condemned President Trump for his use of the terms “Wuhan virus” and “Chinese virus.” That narrative seemed to demand univer- sal rejection of the theory that the outbreak might have been the result of negligence at the lab. There remains no evidence that supports the theory of an intentional release of the coronavirus. While legitimate questions sur- round the origin, there is little de- bate that the Chinese government cost the world crucial weeks of preparation and containment by hiding the outbreak and by silenc- ing those brave doctors who tried to warn of a new highly contagious respiratory illness. There are even reports that the coronavirus may not have really emerged in Wuhan. Needless to say, had China fulfilled its responsibility to alert global experts and be transparent on early testing and data, many countries might have restricted international travel, ramped up production of medical supplies, or imposed social distancing rules much sooner than they did. Many continue to advance the narrative that the outbreak is not the fault of China. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said “we are in the crisis that we are today” not “because of anything that China did” but “because of what this president did.” Some critics now call it the “Trump virus” and attack those who focus on the responsibility of China as Trump supporters peddling conspiracy theories. Such narratives are music to the ears of Chinese officials, and they undermine any hope of an investigation by Congress that examines the issue with no bias or agendas. The single advantage to private litigation is that it comes with evidentiary discovery if that is even allowed. Such lawsuits are exceptionally difficult, and China is known for blocking depositions and document disclosures. At least four class action lawsuits have recently April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 13

A governmentE big enough toditorials give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. — Thomas Jefferson Our Point of View Demand identification: Verbal attacks hide behind anonymity The White House media corps attending the coronavi- rus task force briefing should identify themselves by first and last name and their organization’s name so the people watching on television are able to recognize those asking important and good questions concentrating on what is important to the nation and what is a political attack on the duly elected president of this great nation. It is a fact that CNN is an anti-Trump news organization that uses all the time afforded to it to attack anything and everything the president does and doesn’t do. It is already public knowledge that Jorge Ramos is a Mexican national who married a Cuban woman, the mother of his daughter, to obtain legal status in this country. It is already a known fact that Abilio James Acosta, AKA Jim Acosta, the son of a Cuban refugee, has quite a resent- ment against the duly elected president of the United States. You can’t handle the truth Perhaps that resentment comes from his father having been By Thomas Mitchell and distribute tests. The state of Nevada abrupt- Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of fired by the Trump administration, even if the media called ly shutdown two operations that the National Institute of Allergy and it a resignation; we have to live with the fact that Donald were administering antibody tests Infectious Diseases, has said the Trump, as a businessman, as a presidential candidate, and as to determine whether people had White House coronavirus task force president, does honor his television show YOU’RE FIRED. possibly developed an immunity to has been discussing the idea of “cer- In July of 2019, the Miami Herald newspaper wrote this the coronavirus, according to the tificates of immunity,” which could morning paper. be issued to people who had previ- about Acosta: Officials at Sahara West Urgent ously been infected, according to “Of all the things Alex Acosta has accomplished, he may Care & Wellness confirmed the The New York Times. “As we get to now be remembered most for what he failed to do. Nevada Department of Health and the point of considering opening the “Acosta, the Miami-raised son of Cuban immigrants, Human Services shutdown testing country,” he told the paper, “it is very graduated from Harvard Law School, rose to lead the De- that had begun this past week. Cura important to understand how much Telehealth began testing Tuesday but that virus has penetrated society.” partment of Justice’s civil rights division and pursued ter- ThoMaS MiTChell rorists and corrupt politicians as the top federal prosecutor by midafternoon its licensed nurse practitioner over- This could allow those who are immune to return seeing testing quit, described as being overwhelmed to work. Many people have been exposed to the virus in South Florida. He became the celebrated dean of Florida by the turnout. The operation was told by the state and developed immunity but showed no symptoms. International University’s law school before his ascension it could not continue with only physician assistants Researchers in Iceland reported 50 percent of their in 2017 to U.S. Secretary of Labor. doing the testing. Both were doing drive through novel coronavirus cases who tested positive had no But at the pinnacle of his career, Acosta’s decision a doz- testing operations. symptoms, according to Healthline. en years earlier to drop a federal sex trafficking case against The story reported, “Health department represen- Dr. Vit Kraushaar, medical investigator for the tatives could not be reached for comment.” The tests Southern Nevada Health District, told the morning accused serial sex predator Jeffrey Epstein would prove to were halted despite the fact the Food and Drug Admin- newspaper the problem with some antibody tests is that be his downfall. On Friday, standing on the White House istration, which has not yet approved an antibody test they test positive for other types of coronaviruses, such lawn next to President Donald Trump — who was once for this virus, has allowed companies to manufacture (See Mitchell, Page 15) Epstein’s neighbor in Palm Beach — Acosta announced his resignation.” Since when does homeless Perhaps Rene Alexander Acosta’s son, Abilio James Acosta, AKA Jim Acosta, does not want to understand that give you property rights? his father did the right thing when he “resigned” from the By Perly Viasmensky top were in a big reunion as if they were holding a Trump administration and his resentment made him look It doesn’t matter how much we try to understand the “Homeless Union Meeting” in the parking lot of the like a fool on national television. homeless situation, we still cannot cope with their lack same business. At this time a homeless woman walked of respect for others — others’ lives and their property. into the office of the business, probably knowing that Now there is another Cable News Network, AKA CNN, The sad part of the situation is that we don’t have the owners of the business were not in at the time, and dummy in the White House media corps, perhaps placed any resources for where to go to get help in case of told the young woman that was threatened by the man there by the resentment of Abilio James Acosta, AKA Jim an emergency. with a knife the day before, “You have it coming, little Acosta, who is now chief White House correspondent for There is a young woman working alone in one of girl; you have it coming big time.” those so-called “essential” businesses, so essential that At the same time a patrol officer drove around to that Cable News Network, AKA CNN. they haven’t seen a customer in a six-week period. A the group camping and socializing as if they owned This unknown person became agitated and disrespectful, homeless man with a knife approached her outside the place. The young woman walked up to the Metro as most of the CNN employees are against President Trump, her office, threatening her. She rushed inside and officer and pointed to and identified the woman who but we will never know his name because the White House called 911; the emergency operator told her she was had just threatened her, explaining to him what the media corps are not asked to identify themselves before being transferred to 311, because it was not an actual situation was. emergency call. Can any of you reading this column do anything to asking any question of the president or anyone else who is Not an emergency call? What does Metro Police protect the young woman? That’s the exact attention at the press conference. believe an emergency is? Does the woman have to wait paid to the young woman’s complaint by the Metro It is important that the public and anyone else watching to be stabbed and killed and then when someone else officer. It’s like either the police are afraid of homeless the coronavirus task force briefing or any other press con- calls they’ll send 17 cars to investigate? people gathered in big groups or they are hoping for Finally, they sent a patrol car, but by that time the a big crime to occur. ference called by the White House or anyone else in the man was long gone. Yesterday morning when the young woman opened Trump administration learn who is asking serious questions The following day, a group of homeless people the office for business, she found that all the equip- or who is there to antagonize the president or to interrupt of more than eight with shopping carts piled to the (See Viasmensky, Page 18) the procedure. The founders and owners of the Las Vegas Tribune ON A PERSONAL NOTE newspaper are Cubans, not Cuban descendants like Acos- Does anyone wonder how the ta’s family; the owners of this newspaper were born and raised in Havana, Cuba and immigrated to the United States pandemic is affecting our military? when the communist regime was given to Fidel Castro and By Maramis On the Politico website, an article his criminal enterprise when the socialist Congress of the Maybe it’s because I was in the by Bryan Bender covers a lot of those United States helped the Castro Crime Family take over the Army that I do, or maybe even concerns. best and most prosperous country in the Caribbean. more it’s because I used to be an “If the services shut down boot It pains the founders and owners of the Las Vegas Tribune Army recruiter, but I can see how camp, that stops the flow of personnel this coronavirus situation can affect into the military,” said Mark Cancian, newspaper to see Cubans or Cuban descendants that call every aspect of our military. a retired Marine colonel who is now themselves Republicans taking sides with others who do not First, since the military cannot a senior adviser at the Center for represent the values and integrity that they claim to have, exist without its troops, how are they Strategic and International Studies. but there is room in this great nation to allow socialists to to be found, tested, and given their “The military loses about 25 percent express their opinion and to take sides with those who are physicals to finally get them into the of its strength every year. That means various branches? As far as I know, it loses two percent of its strength trying to destroy this country by giving it to the communist all recruiting stations have been every month.” mentality of those in the Democrat party. closed down. And for those who MaraMiS Choufani He said that depending on how Once again we would like to remind those who think made it through just before this whole shut-down thing long the pandemic lasts, “that could really put a dent that Communism is the answer to all the problems in the started, even the way their basic training is conducted in military capabilities.” Canceling or postponing war United States of America to look at Venezuela and Cuba, has been changed to some degree, including the length games or field exercises is one thing, be added, but to mention just a couple, where the only ones with money of time recruits will be spending in basic training. “if people don’t go in basic training, there’s nothing. For those who have been looking forward to grad- “The military has to be looking at how to cope living in luxury are the leaders and members of the com- uating after their long grueling weeks of training to be with its training establishment,” he added. “I would munist regime. part of our military troops, no matter which branch, expect something pretty soon, frankly. That could be The only things those countries give to their people are those ceremonies will be carried on minus all their a shutdown. They could redesign the training, scale it hunger and depression, with a large side of oppression. friends and loved ones being allowed to be there in back, pace people out. That gets at very fundamental We want to be able to convince the Trump administration person. Some will be streamed live; some will not. But aspects of military capability.” the big concern, maybe the biggest, is about all those Imagine, if you will, trying to conduct training with that it is not only the right thing to do, but it is the most who will NOT be entering the military; and even if they any group of troops and trying to be sure they stay six sensible move to make, to keep the public alert and with did, not having the usual, proper full-length training feet apart. Imagine if all the restrictions and require- their eyes wide open. would leave them something short of full readiness for ments that are foisted upon the general population had the very job they signed on for. (See Maramis, Page 18) Page 14 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020

VEditors note:iew The views expressed are entirely those of the writersP and do not necessarilyoints reflect the opinions of the Las Vegas Tribune. Reopen Nevada protest rallies turn up heat up on Gov. Sisolak By Chuck Muth which states they came from. Many Nevadans appear to have Kamau’s as smart and well-in- had enough… and they ain’t gonna formed on our nation’s history as take it anymore. they come. A pair of rallies were held in He’s also colored. No, wait, Carson City and Las Vegas on black. No, wait, African-Ameri- Saturday protesting Nevada Gov. can. No, wait, he refers to himself Steve Sisolak’s discriminatory, con- as an… tradictory and dictatorial statewide “Ex-nigga.” shutdown order. (Clutches pearls!) Can’t speak for the one in Car- No, seriously. That’s what he son City, but the one in Vegas was says. huge. Police reports estimated the And he wonders why the term crowd size at 500, but I’d guess it “colored person” is considered was at least double that. Then again, CHUCK MUTH offensive but “person of color” is I went to public school. won’t see the light, make them feel OK… when they both mean and Naturally, Jon Ralston — the the heat! say the exact same thing. Good ever thin-skinned liberal grifter/ The protests and rallies — grow- question. blogger and king of fake news ing in size and frequency — are against Democrat Rep. Dina Titus He’s an entrepreneur and small He also wonders why no one in Nevada — got his panties in a clearly forcing the governor to — a woman whose grating voice businessman by trade, and an had a cow when “comedian” Larry bunch. He referred to the Nevadans FINALLY take seriously the im- makes fingernails on a chalkboard out-spoken constitutionalist by Wilmore, at the White House Cor- who participated as “irresponsible mediate need to stop flattening our sound like a baby lullaby — in Ne- philosophy. respondents Dinner in 2016 featur- loons” and referred to elected economy. vada’s 1st congressional district as He can also rattle off the entire ing then-President Barack Obama, officials calling for the state to be The Antidote for an Independent American. list of 50 states, including the exact said to the President… re-opened “twits.” DinaTitusitis Lemme tell you a little about date they entered the union and in “Yo, Barry, you did it, my nig- Nevertheless, just hours after the I’ve known Kamau Bakari for Kamau… what order. ga.” pair of rallies ended, Gov. Sisolak some 25 years now — dating back He was on my executive board He can also tell you off the top “Blacks need to stop calling weakly tweeted that he was “mak- to the mid-90’s when I was the when I was chairman. Can’t say of his head the names of the six themselves niggas if they expect ing considerations for our state-spe- Clark County Republican Party we always agreed on every issue, Founding Fathers who signed both everyone else not to use the word,” cific re-opening plan.” chairman. but he was always able to back up the Declaration of Independence Kamau says. As the old saying goes, if they And he’s running in November his position with reason and facts. AND the Constitution, as well as (See Muth, Page 16) “Can’t We All Get Along?” By Mace Yampolsky by clear and convincing evidence bar. There were no matching names. borderline frivolous, but if you can Those were the immortal words that no less restrictive alternative I also looked him up on the list of think of some salient factors that of Rodney King as the LAPD will satisfy its interests in ensuring rabbis in Chicago. Once again, his will help us prevail, I’m all ears. was beating the crap out of him the defendant’s presence and the name was missing. I was planning People in Glass Houses on March 3, 1991. The incident community’s safety. This is a clear to email him some documents and “Since we are on the subject was filmed. The four officers were mandate that courts should consid- I requested his email address. He of someone being unprofessional, tried, two were convicted, two were er fewer retrieval requirements so couldn’t provide one to me at first there are a couple of issues I would acquitted. Also, the City of Los that more defendants will be able but later on he did. He told me it like to discuss. First, why won’t you Angeles awarded King 3.8 million to be released from custody while was Rabbiimfullofcrap666@gmail. tell us your first name or provide us dollars. His plea for forbearance awaiting trial. But as I’ve said to com . Really? Of course, it did not with a physical address? You allege will not be forgotten. many clients, this is not a get-out- go through. I was finally given one you are a lawyer. If that is the case, While I’ve been accused of be- of-jail-free card. that worked. When I was accused may I inquire as to which state(s) ing quick to criticize and reluctant Everyone’s a critic of being unprofessional by this you are licensed in and what is/are to praise, I’m trying to go with the My client was accused of killing individual, I took umbrage. I sent your bar number(s)? I would much flow more in these troubled times. his 9-month-old son. He asked that him the requested discovery. I also prefer sharing any information I’m not carping at my clients about I share the discovery with this indi- sent him a letter. I’ve reproduced about my client’s case with a lawyer late payments. I’m not jamming up MaCe YaMPolSKY vidual he refers to as a Rabbi. I refer most of it here so that you can get because it would then be protected any DAs, even though I am going bad case). He wants me to file this to him as Rabbi Imfullofcrap (not the flavor of my response: by the attorney-client privilege. stir crazy and I’m trying not to take motion for compassionate relief. his real name — the names have Dear Rabbi FNU (first name How many murder cases have you it out on anyone. I’m really trying After I discussed the merits with been changed to protect the guilty). unknown) Imfullofcrap, “... while handled? Apparently, you are not to be the kinder, gentler Mace. But, him, he realized it has no chance When my investigator asked where speaking to my client’s investigator, satisfied with my representation of in spite of the best-laid plans of of success but he asked me to file to send the flash drive, he gave us you opined that advising my client my client. Why don’t you represent Mace and men, sometimes things it anyway. the address of my client’s mother. that his motion for compassionate him instead? go awry. The Nevada Supreme Court in He had the audacity, the brazen release would be denied was un- “Also, when I asked for an email Many of my clients are in cus- a recent case instructed the DAs to temerity, and the unmitigated gall professional of me. Please advise. I address to send the previous infor- tody. They are concerned about the look for less restrictive alternatives to tell my investigator that I was believe that I have a duty to inform mation that my client asked me to coronavirus so they want to get out. to setting a high bail. The case held unprofessional because I told my my clients of the likelihood of supply, you were not able to provide Both State court and Federal court in part: client that the motion would not be success of any motion they wish to one during that phone call. This have relaxed their guidelines a bit. First, as we stated earlier, when granted. That was the proverbial file (a likelihood of success which seemed awfully suspicious to me. But this doesn’t mean they are go- the State requests bail to be set straw that broke the camel’s back. I deem to be ZERO in this case), Later, you did ultimately produce ing to let everyone out. I’ve had a following an indictment, the de- It’s all I can stands and I not to mention an obligation as an an email address of “rabbiimfullof- couple of clients accused of a mur- fendant is entitled to a prompt can’t stands no more officer of the Court to forego filing crap666@gmail com.” This email der that want out (who wouldn’t?), individualized hearing on his or Thank you, Popeye, for those frivolous motions. COVID 19 and address, of course, did not work. but I explained they most likely her custody status. At the hearing, appropriate sentiments. When I the crisis of confidence it has cre- Do you think that it is professional would not be considered candidates the defendant shall have the right to previously spoke to Rabbi Im- ated does not represent a wholesale for a religious leader to use the for compassionate release. They say be represented by counsel and shall fullofcrap, I asked him if he had a ‘get of jail free card’ to all charged aforementioned email address? please file these motions. I usually be afforded the right to testify and first name. He said he had several, parties. “By the way, I’m aware that decline because I have an obligation present evidence. but did not provide me with any. “My client is accused of murder rabbis attend a rabbinical school to the court not to file frivolous Second, given the important na- He represented to me that he was of his 9-month-old child. He has no to develop their expertise. As a motions. I have a client accused ture of the liberty interest at stake, a lawyer. I looked for his name on local address where he could live layperson, I certainly don’t have of killing his 9-month-old child (a the State has the burden of proving the list of attorneys of the Illinois if released. I believe this motion is (See Mace, Page 15) Insider trading by Congress? It’s time to fix the law By Patrick augustin, insider trading, the Stop Trading securities based on broad market in- The growth of the passive in- Francis Cong and on Congressional Knowledge dices such as ETFs would alleviate vestment fund industry is a tes- Marti G. Subrahmanyam (STOCK) Act was passed almost issues that would appear in either tament to the attractiveness of Is trading by Congress illegal? unanimously by the Senate and the extreme proposal. On the one hand, broad-based market strategies that Should members of Congress be House in 2012. total prohibition of securities trad- are less sensitive to private infor- allowed to trade financial secu- While research suggests that ab- ing may deter qualified candidates mation. In light of the diversity of rities that are sensitive to private normal profits earned by members from running for office altogether. mutual funds available, members of information? The “coronavirus diminished after the passage of the On the other hand, allowing trading Congress would certainly not fall trades” made by Sen. Richard Burr STOCK Act, there are also con- without close oversight damages short of choices. (R-N.C.) and his wife just prior to cerns that subsequent amendments the public trust. Since most privi- While our proposal would curb the March ’20 market crash raise to it increased the difficulty of po- leged information that such officials elected officials’ opportunity to these questions and signal the need licing insider trading by Congress. receive is more likely to impact in- “become lucky,” it would also for changes to the law. Some pro- There is debate about the legality of dividual security prices than broad- eliminate their ability to abuse their posals go as far as banning stock the “coronavirus trades” made by based market indices, concerns over power for private benefit. Further trading by members of congress members of Congress. But if their potential insider trading would be it would minimize the public costs outright. The other extreme is to actions did abuse their privileged the last decade or so, when the bar mitigated using our solution. of monitoring and policing the allow full discretion. The right solu- position, it may be challenging to for the definition was constantly Financial research repeatedly trading activities of public officials. tion is in between: Only allowing prove that such actions are indeed changed. In light of this ambiguity points out that it is difficult to Perhaps most importantly, it would public officials to trade securities illegal. about the definition of insider trad- consistently beat the market. Legit- help regain trust that has been lost. based on broad market indices. One fundamental problem in ing, it is time to fix the law. imate outperformance is likely the Patrick Augustin is assistant The concern over insider trading recognizing illegal insider trading Fortunately, clear guidelines result of luck or superior financial professor of finance at the Desau- by members of Congress is not is the lack of clarity in U.S. secu- for new regulation have already skill, the latter requiring focused tels Faculty of Management at Mc- new. Academic research shows rities laws. The history of insider been proposed by the former fed- attention to the markets. Trading Gill University. Francis Cong is a that investment strategies that trading prosecution indicates that eral prosecutor Preet Bharara’s task would anyway distract elected researcher at the Desautels Faculty mimic trades by members of the the boundaries of illegal insider force on insider trading. However, officials from fulfilling the man- of Management at McGill Uni- U.S. Senate and the House of trading are at best time variant, and it is still not clear how this applies date of public office. Unethical or versity. Marti G. Subrahmanyam Representatives outperform the at worst, blurred. to members of Congress and other illegal outperformance would be is Charles E. Merrill Professor market by more than 6 percent per The obfuscation of insider trad- public officials. due to access to privileged private of Finance and Economics at the year. Following an investigative ing laws is evident in a number of Our proposed compromise to information, which is precisely the Stern School of Business at New report revealing congressional contradictory judicial rulings over allow public officials to trade only transactions that should be banned. York University. April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 15 Why Do We Vote As We Do? Several studies have tried to properly grasp our voting behaviour and our visions of democracy By José Azel level of political information. Democratic voting does not An alternative theory of demo- always produce good goverments. cratic voting is the “retrospective Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in the theory of voting.” In contrast to final free election of the Weimar the prospective romantic theory of Republic, and Hugo Chavez’s democracy, the retrospective theory election in Venezuela are just two regards the voters as appraisers of salient examples. Thus, understand- the past performance of leaders. ing voting behavior has become Voting retrospectively only requires one of the most studied subjects in voters to monitor their own and the social sciences straddling the their fellow citizens’ well-being. disciplines of economics, political That is, voters need not be informed science, psychology and sociology. or engaged as demanded by the ro- Joining this effort social scien- mantic theory of democracy. Voters tists Christopher Achen and Larry identify good or bad government The citizenry’s level of political knowledge remains very low. Bartels explore, “why elections do performance according to how it retaining those that are competent of retrospective voting appears not produce responsive govern- has impacted their lives. economic managers and replacing sound. Most voters are busy with ment” with their book “Democracy José Azel Voting retrospectively does not those that are not. Retrospective their lives and not able to devote for Realists.” Here, I borrow from However, contemporary polit- require the citizenry to know the voting induces leaders to strive for the time required to understand the their work to overview some con- ical science has found little evi- precise polices of an administra- good economic outcomes in order complexities of policy decisions. cepts of voting behavior. dence that voters fit this idealistic tion or party. In order to ascertain to retain their jobs. Instead, at election time, voters are In our traditional understanding profile. This raises questions as to performance, voters need only to Scholars also point out that ret- content with asking whether things of democracy we, as voters, have whether citizens can properly per- asses how it has changed their own rospective voting “lays no policy are going well or badly lately. In preferences about what the gov- form the role required of them by welfare or that of the nation. Retro- constrains on the governing admin- essence, and perhaps inelegantly, it ernment should do, and we elect the romantic theory of democracy. spective voting expresses approval istration; rather, the government is is not political ideology but a look leaders that vow to enact policies Scholars of public opinion tell us or disapproval for past performance free to innovate, knowing that it at the rearview mirror that best ex- inline with our preferences. This that, notwithstanding the dramatic and, as such, is a powerful instru- will be judged on the results of its plains why we vote as we do. future-looking romantic theory of increase in the variety of mass me- ment of electoral accountability. actions rather than their specifics.” * * * * * democracy assumes that engaged dia, the citizenry’s level of political For example, voters’ assess- In other words, in this rearview José Azel left Cuba in 1961 as a citizens are capable of informing knowledge remains very low. It ments of economic conditions mirror thesis, election outcomes 13 year-old political exile in what themselves on the many issues a turns out that, although today we are very significant in determin- do not depend on ideas or political has been dubbed Operation Pedro nation faces, and can master the have available an unprecedented ing election outcomes. Research ideology, but rather on our approval Pan — the largest unaccompanied policy intricacies to judge intel- level of political information, we shows that voters tend to reward or disapproval of the actual per- child refugee movement in the his- ligently. The romantic theory of have discarded the most thoughtful incumbents for good economic formance of incumbent political tory of the Western Hemisphere. democracy also posits that voters resources in favor of an assortment times and punish them for bad leaders or parties. In practice, He is currently dedicated to the in- can asses the qualifications of com- of entertainment sources. Round- times. Consequently, as an elec- democratic voting does not back up depth analyses of Cuba’s economic, peting candidates and then vote for the-clock media has resulted in an tion rationale, retrospective voting the conventional romantic theory of social and political state, with a the candidate that best matches their increase in the variety of informa- functions to improve the economic democracy. keen interest in post-Castro-Cuba own political values. tion without changing the average competency of political leaders by While a bit cynic, the logic strategies. ON THE HOLMES FRONT Ocasio-Cortez slams Joe Biden over sexual assault charges By Frank Holmes Wednesday, but hadn’t raised the wrote left-wing journalist Katie In the weeks since a woman ac- issue with him a single time. Halper, who broke the story for cused Joe Biden of sexual assault, Media operatives continually The Intercept. the mainstream media interviewed asked President Donald Trump A few left-wingers have had the Biden around a dozen times and about the Billy Bush tape, with decency to speak out. One of them asked him more than 80 questions. CNN’s Anderson Cooper saying is none other than Ocasio-Cortez. How many were about alle- Trump’s words amounted to “sex- On Tuesday, she said, “I think gations from a female intern that ual assault.” it’s legitimate to talk about these he molested her inside the U.S. The Washington Post reported things. And if we want, if we again Capitol? that Reade had changed her story want to have integrity, you can’t Not a single one — and it has over the years — but it reported say, you know — both believe even far-left Rep. Alexandria Oca- Christine Blasey Ford and Julie women, support all of this, until it sio-Cortez, D-N.Y., upset. Swetnick’s “evolving” stories as inconveniences you, until it incon- It’s been weeks since former fact. veniences us.” Biden staffer Tara Reade accused The headlines show deep-seated “I find this kind of silencing of the presumptive Democratic pres- media bias. all dissent to be a form of gaslight- idential nominee of pinning her Compare the Times’ bland head- ing,” she said. down in a hallway, groping her, Alexandra DeSanctis. after Bernie Sanders withdrew from line, “Examining Tara Reade’s Sex- And AOC said Democrats who then inserting his fingers into her But that’s where the similarities the Democratic primaries. ual Assault Allegation Against Joe refuse to hold Biden to account for vagina. in media coverage end. The Associated Press defended Biden” with “Kavanaugh’s Nomi- alleged sexual harassment have Reade said when she protested, Ultra-leftists treat the charges its blackout by saying it “declined nation in Turmoil as Accuser Says “the exact opposite of integrity.” Biden said, “Come on, man, I heard against Biden as a “he said/she to publish details of the interview at He Assaulted Her Decades Ago.” The media’s handling of the you liked me.” When Reade resist- said.” Feminist blogger Amanda the time because reporters were un- The paper’s feminist columnist Biden and Kavanaugh stories “offer ed more, Biden told her, “You’re Marcotte told three podcasters, able to corroborate her allegations, Michelle Goldberg called Kava- an instructive case study in media nothing to me.” “There’s not a whole lot more to and aspects of her story contradict- naugh and his supporters “Pigs bias,” wrote Emily Jashinsky at The Her brother and two friends say the accusation.” ed other reporting.” All The Way Down.” But she said Federalist. They show “the kind that Reade told them about Biden’s The podcast, which has the But they published uncorrob- Reade’s story is “being used to troll of biased treatment conservatives roaming hands after she started blasphemous name “Pod Save orated stories from Kavanaugh’s the #MeToo movement.” receive regularly from the corporate in Biden’s office in December America,” is hosted by three former accusers. At The Nation, Joan Walsh wrote media, which largely refuses to 1992. And two interns Reade over- officials of the Obama administra- The media also changed their about “The heart-wrenching trauma address the problem and instead in- saw were confused when Reade tion: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and story after it was published…to of the Christine Blasey Ford and sists its critics are dangerous fools.” “abruptly stopped supervising them Tommy Vietor. keep the Biden campaign happy. Brett Kavanaugh hearings.” Her Conservatives aren’t crazy or in April” 1993, The New York Times Barack Obama just endorsed his When the Times finally covered headline about Biden? “The trou- foolish. Even the most left-wing reported. She left Biden’s office former vice president and let it be the story — 19 days after other re- blesome Tara Reade story,” which member of Congress admits the four months later. known he did not endorse Bernie porters broke it — they wrote that she says there are “many reasons journalists are “gaslighting” them Reade, who supported Bernie Sanders to win the nomination. they found “no pattern of sexual to doubt.” — and nothing could prove it better Sanders in the Democratic prima- But the media have covered the misconduct by Mr. Biden, beyond So much for believing all wom- than their Biden blindness. ries, filed a police report against Biden story like Democratic Party the hugs, kisses, and touching that en. * * * * * Biden this month. operatives. women previously said made them “Marcotte, NY Times, & WaPo Frank Holmes is a veteran Don’t be embarrassed if this is Before he got into the Demo- uncomfortable.” have a demonstrable double stan- journalist and an outspoken con- the first time you’ve heard about cratic presidential primaries, the But the “newspaper of record” dard when it comes to truth between servative that talks about the news it. The media have had a full-scale Big Three networks — ABC, CBS removed the reference to Biden’s Reade and Biden and truth between that was in his weekly article, “On blackout, and Democratic leaders and NBC — spent 26 minutes of well-documented history of un- Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh,” The Holmes Front.” are trying to explain it away. their evening news broadcasts wanted physical contact with wom- It’s a huge difference from the covering allegations that Biden en, and girls, of all ages — because Mace way they handled ludicrous-sound- touched, hugged, or kissed them the Biden campaign asked them to. (Continued from Page 13) now on, please only communicate ing allegations of gang-rape leveled inappropriately. But once Biden Megyn Kelly, who accused her the credentials to advise a man of in writing. You may email me against Supreme Court Justice Brett declared, they covered the allega- boss at Fox News of sexual ha- the cloth on spiritual matters. But, directly at [email protected]. Kavanaugh. tions for another 92 seconds that rassment, responded to the Times‘ in popular culture, 666 is the mark Alternatively, please feel free to Both alleged incidents hap- week, then dropped it altogether. excuses for its coverage with two of the devil. According to the Book mail a letter to my physical address pened decades ago. There were no And even though the Times, The words: “Holy sh*t.” of Revelation in the Christian Bible, (which I am not afraid to disclose) eyewitnesses. But at least “it can Washington Post, and other major At least the Times covered the 666 is the number associated with of 625 S. 6th St., Las Vegas, NV be established that Reade knew media outlets knew about Reade’s story. The major networks had the beast. The beast, according 89101. I anxiously await reviewing Biden,” tweeted conservative writer story last year, they sat on it until interviewed Biden 10 times by this to the Book of Revelation, is the your written response.” Devil. With all due respect, I can’t Govern yourself Mitchell imagine any spiritual leader using accordingly! (Continued from Page 13) 666 in their email address. Maybe So that is what I wrote. Don’t as the common cold. “So you see in your congregation, presuming mistake politesse (formal politeness that you test positive, and you think you have one, this number has or etiquette) as weakness or passiv- it’s because you had COVID.” But special significance. If so, please ity. I can’t wait for his response, it could be another type of corona- enlighten me. if that ever happens. I thought virus. “We still don’t really have a “You made reference to cer- Mick Jagger said it best in (how good sense of whether this provides tain members of the Las Vegas appropriately) Sympathy For The long-term immunity. … So I think Metropolitan Police Department Devil: “Use all your well-learned some of those things need to be (hereinafter “LVMPD”) who had politesse or I’ll lay your soul to answered before we started doing conspired to deny my client and waste”! Instead of physician, heal mass testing.” previous (unnamed) defendants thyself, I say rabbi (self-appointed, The perfect is the enemy of the their constitutional rights. When I self-anointed, or even self-delud- good? asked for the defendants’ names’ so ed), counsel thyself! An article in USA Today cited that I could contact their lawyers, * * * * * comments by Dr. Fauci on CNN you stated that I shouldn’t contact For more information regarding that antibody testing can show who their lawyers. If you are actually a Nevada laws, or if you feel your has developed immunity to the much this virus is penetrating this Thomas Mitchell is a former lawyer you would know that it is rights have been violated, please coronavirus and can safely go back society,” he said. newspaper editor who now writes unethical to contact anyone that is call Mace Yampolsky & Associates. to work without getting reinfected. The state of Nevada doesn’t conservative/libertarian columns represented by counsel without in- Call or text us at (702) 385-9777. “As we get to the point of at least think you can handle the informa- for weekly papers in Nevada. forming their lawyer. I am still wait- We are available 24/7 for emergen- considering opening up the coun- tion a test can provide, even with You may email Mitchell at thom- ing for these defendants’ names. cies. If you need help, CALL NOW try, as it were, it’s very important the caveat that it is not perfect. [email protected]. He blogs at “I would hate to misconstrue before it is too late. We can help! to appreciate and understand how * * * * * http://4thst8.wordpress.com/. anything that you say. So, from Page 16 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 Americans will protect themselves in times of crisis By Lawrence Keane suicide, and firearms “does not credibly The COVID-19 crisis in the U.S. has demonstrate a causal relationship between the spurred uncertainty in almost every aspect of ownership of firearms and the causes or pre- American life. In the face of such widespread vention of criminal violence or suicide,” the concern, it is only natural that individuals turn firearms industry is nonetheless committed to their right to bear arms to ensure personal to addressing the mental health epidemic that safety or the safety of their families. Gun con- is the root cause of so many people’s pain. trol groups, however, refuse to acknowledge The firearms industry has also actively the fears of so many Americans and have addressed unauthorized access to firearms instead concocted a narrative in which the through Project Childsafe by distributing — gun industry tells people to buy ammo and at no cost — over 38 million firearm safety firearms en masse — and everyone obliges. education kits that include gun locks to more The truth, however, is that Americans are than 15,000 law enforcement partners in buying guns because they do not feel safe. every single state for distribution in local Efforts by gun control groups to carelessly communities. Gun locks are a simple yet paint gun owners as ignorant and paranoid radically effective tool to ensure children is not new, but to do so during our current or other individuals who are unauthorized pandemic simply ignores our current reality. cannot access a firearm. NSSF’s Project While some gun control advocates have who wants a firearm is legally fit to own one. Amendment when what is really needed is Childsafe has been promoting gun safety chosen to downplay the threats posed by The National Shooting Sports Foundation more resources for our government agencies since 1999. Our industry has been focused state governments’ choice to release prison (NSSF), the firearms industry trade associa- that ensure the continuity of gun rights while on these issues for more than 20 years. inmates or to delay policing of certain crimes tion for which I work, was a key stakeholder also protecting our communities. There is no doubt that the national crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, most Amer- in the original establishment of NICS and also While Americans are ordered to stay at caused by COVID-19 will have lasting im- icans are rightfully worried about the public a leading voice for the bipartisan Fix NICS home and/or are being laid off in unprece- pact on our country for years to come, and it safety implications of such choices. Act that ensures, even throughout a pandem- dented numbers because of the coronavirus, is disheartening that gun control advocates The Center for Individual Freedom is right ic, that NICS officials have access to as many there are legitimate and tragic concerns about have not taken the opportunity to learn that to point out that “emergency responders are applicable records as possible to determine increases in accidental deaths and an increase they and the firearms industry can work stretched even more to their limits… due to a purchaser’s eligibility for gun ownership. in suicide. To say that the firearms industry, together to produce real solutions for gun their ongoing interaction with the public and Our industry has always been a staunch however, is either ignorant or indifferent to safety. The first step to a good partnership, elevated levels of stress placed upon them advocate for a strong NICS process to ensure these issues is both purposefully misleading however, is to show empathy towards Ameri- under perilous conditions.” As such, there guns stay out of the hands of the mentally ill, and flat-out wrong. The NSSF has pioneered cans who are fearful of these uncertain times, is little question as to why Americans are domestic abusers, and criminals. With NICS gun safety initiatives with the Real Solutions and so far, gun control advocates have shown taking a newfound responsibility for their under more strain during this gun purchasing campaign that includes working extensively very little. own safety. surge, Congress should provide ATF and with the American Foundation for Suicide Lawrence G. Keane is the Senior Vice Such large increases in gun sales, howev- NICS with the enhanced resources each Prevention at the state level to address the President and General Counsel for the er, has predictably led to increased strain on agency needs to comply with the law. Too national suicide crisis. While a study by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the the National Instant Criminal Background many times, gun control advocates opportu- National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, firearm an ammunition industry trade as- Check System (NICS) that ensures everyone nistically embrace restrictions on the Second and Medicine found that data on homicide, sociation. Democrats hope to tank the economy and take down Trump By Todd Starnes unemployment, strong wage growth, and The new unemployment numbers are out, gross domestic product growth would assist and there’s really no way to butter this biscuit, his opponent,” she wrote. “Democrats would folks. Unless America’s economic engine is reap the whirlwind, potentially causing may- restarted, we will be plunged into a Great hem before taking office, then using a 2021 Depression. recession to seek broad new fiscal powers.” Since the global pandemic hit our shores, Americans are not built to shelter in place. more than 22 million Americans have filed That’s not who we are. Americans are engi- for unemployment benefits. neered to be hard workers. We don’t want And the only way to stop this economic a handout from the government. We don’t death spiral is for every freedom-loving cit- want a monthly check in the mail. We want izen to embrace their constitutional rights, to stand on our own two feet. take to the streets and demand that their state But that cannot happen when state govern- leaders reopen this nation. ments deploy an army of health workers and As I wrote in “Culture Jihad: How to Stop building inspectors and police to shut down the Left From Killing a Nation,” the time has our privately owned businesses. come for gun-toting, Bible-clinging patriots Not only is it possible that the Democrats to rise up with a mighty voice and declare could tank the economy, I believe it is a very that this great American experiment is worth real possibility. Just remember that it was the saving. may not reopen until September. to happen. I think it’s very clear.” Democrats who held every American tax- It’s hard to fathom what our country has Let me be perfectly frank: Would that hap- Remember what Bill Maher said back in payer hostage with that bloated coronavirus been through over the past few months. pen, the city as we know it will be destroyed. 2018 on his HBO show, “Real Time.” stimulus package. The nation was shut down based on a virus Small businesses will not be able to survive. “This economy is going pretty well. I feel And as of this writing, House Speaker death-count that thankfully proved not to be Crime will surge to catastrophic levels. like the bottom has to fall out at some point. Nancy Pelosi is blocking small-business accurate. I understand why these Democrat over- And by the way, I’m hoping for it. Because owners from receiving government assis- Our diners and department stores were lords are hesitant to relinquish their control. I think one way you get rid of Trump is a tance. shuttered based on that data. Our baseball They have tasted of the power to decide who crashing economy. So, please, bring on the In March former Chicago Mayor Rahm fields and church houses were closed. Our gets to plant a garden and who gets to surf recession. Sorry if that hurts people, but it’s Emanuel resurrected his infamous quote civil liberties have been stripped away be- in the ocean. either root for a recession or you lose your from the 2008 financial meltdown: never let cause of what the medical experts told our They have become intoxicated by the democracy,” Maher said. a crisis go to waste. government leaders. authority they have to suspend civil liberties And Maher is not the only one raising “Never allow a crisis to go to waste,” The mainstream media did their part by and order jackbooted thugs to shut down this issue. Consider these headlines from the Emanuel said on ABC’s “This Week.” fomenting national hysteria as part of a sick churches and appliance stores. anti-Trump propagandists in the mainstream “Start planning for the future. This has to be and twisted narrative that the nation was in But I believe the Democrats also see this media: the last pandemic that creates an economic the throes of a dystopian apocalyptic reality virus as a political opportunity to take down —NEW YORK TIMES: “A Virus Spreads, depression. We’re going to have more pan- show. a president whose economic policies brought Stocks Fall, and Democrats See an Opening demics, but this has to be the last economic On Thursday President Trump unveiled historic prosperity to this country. to Hit Trump” depression.” his plan to open up America again — a plan “The media would like to see me do —NEW YORK MAGAZINE: “How There are more than 22 million unem- that has strong support across the country. poorly in the election,” President Trump said Coronavirus Could Tank the Economy — and ployed Americans, and if the Democrats And while there are glimmers of hope that a in March. “I think there are certain people Trump’s Odds of Reelection” have their way, we could all be standing in number of the states will soon be reopening who would like it not to open so quickly. —POLITICO: Dems find a rallying cry: the breadline together. for business, many Democratic leaders are There are certain people who would like [the Trump tanked the economy Todd Starnes is president of Starnes Me- balking. economy] to do poorly because that would be Kristin Tate, writing for The Hill, asked dia Group and host of “Todd Starnes News New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio even very good as far as defeating me at the polls. the following question: & Commentary,” a daily radio commentary suggested during a Fox News Channel inter- I don’t know if that’s so, but I think there are “The economy under Trump has made heard nationally on hundreds of radio sta- view with Bill Hemmer that the Big Apple people in your profession that would like that gains every month. Any deviation from low tions. Coronavirus exposes vulnerabilities in food supply chain By John R. Clifford The stakes are high. Pandemics stand to As the world continues to grapple with be part of our future. Working together with the spread of the coronavirus, it is clear that governments, the livestock industry can outbreaks of new infectious diseases are not immediately and meaningfully impact food one-off incidents. safety, protecting our livestock and citizens In recent years, African Swine Fever as a result. In the long run, our food security (ASF) and Avian Influenza wreaked havoc on depends on it. the food industry — this, on top of increas- Dr. John R. Clifford, DVM is the former ing pressures on the food supply chain our Chief Veterinary Officer of the United States interconnected world is facing as the global and a former chief trade advisor for the U.S. population continues to grow. If nothing else, Department of Agriculture’s Animal and the current coronavirus crisis only magnifies Plant Health Inspection Service. the critical importance of a safe food supply chain and its impact on food security and Muth public health. (Continued from Page 14) With international trade so fundamental Talking about race like this is explosive to prosperity, health and environmental sus- stuff. Makes most white people very, very tainability, we must clearly identify disease risks associated with ASF — a virus that has egies are not implemented. uncomfortable. carriers and intervene at critical control points already resulted in the loss of half of China’s Several recent Kansas State studies But Kamau argues that unless we talk in order to keep trade flowing without com- pig stocks. A study from Iowa State Universi- demonstrate the role of animal feed as a more openly about it, both whites and blacks, promising safety. Trade halts, quarantines ty found that an ASF outbreak in the United carrier in ASF transmission. Improving the lingering racial tensions aren’t going away. and, even more challenging, the need to States could cost as much as $50 billion over quality and safety of animal feed, includ- And he’ll be talking about this and much depopulate livestock farms, come at a high 10 years. Livestock epidemics can cause ing the responsible use of feed sanitization more this Friday on KKVV-1060AM in Las price for our food industry. substantial economic damage to agricultural treatments, has been scientifically proven to Vegas from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Pacific. You Disease outbreaks have significant long- industries, with annual cost estimates ranging help prevent disease outbreaks without com- should listen and, by all means, call in and term implications on food security and they from $900 million to almost $2 billion due to promising animal welfare or workers’ safety. ask him questions. can adversely impact consumer confidence Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) outbreaks. The importance of livestock and poultry But be prepared: Kamau doesn’t hold and hit brand values for years to come. An- American researcher Dr. Scott Dee, the health is critical to our collective economic, back. Ask him a straight question and he’ll imal feed and associated raw materials are director of Research for Pipestone Veterinary health and environmental wellbeing. Cor- give you a straight answer. two such critical control points. By taking Services, has gone on record to suggest the porate stakeholders, government officials The perfect antidote for DinaTitusitis! action to ensure they are pathogen-free, we ASF virus has probably already entered the and regulators — working collaboratively * * * * * can protect our global food supply and ensure United States, potentially as a result of con- — must ensure best practices and effective Chuck Muth is president of Citize- both food safety and security. taminated feed ingredients, and it is only a procurement policies are in place to prevent nOutreach.org and publisher of NevadaN- Most recently, the U.S. hog industry cam- matter of time before it infects a commercial epidemics and prioritize public health and ewsandViews.com. He blogs at MuthsTruths. paigned to raise awareness of the potential swine operation if effective mitigation strat- food security. com. His views are his own. April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 17 Government should be limited — even during a pandemic By Charlie Gerow and Michael Dimino welfare” — a standard that provides essen- for people to spend time with loved ones. If truth is the first casualty of war, the tially no limit on Congress’s discretion. Public buildings, including government liberty of the people may be the second. Thus, the more than $2 trillion in expen- offices, libraries and entertainment venues In this metaphorical war against the novel ditures approved by Congress to combat the are closed. Some states have delayed their coronavirus — as with literal wars against virus and restart the economy are within primary elections. Schools are closed — in America’s military enemies — we have been accepted limits on Congress’s authority. many states through the end of the academic willing to sacrifice aspects of our individual The national government also has power year. Business-closure orders have put people liberty for the collective goal of defeating the to regulate international trade and to control out of work and made it hard for consumers immediate threat. its borders, so international travel restrictions to purchase items — a concern that implicates Yet all restrictions on liberty, even ones are also constitutional. Even our right to bodi- people’s financial well-being as well as their motivated by a desire to save lives, can be tak- ly autonomy can be limited, at least to a point, Second Amendment rights by making it en too far. As Attorney General William Barr as the Supreme Court recognized in 1905 harder to buy firearms. has recommended, we should re-evaluate the when it upheld compulsory vaccinations. While none of these rights is absolute most “draconian” measures to ensure that we Other actions, however, would be outside — each can be limited if the need is great are not unnecessarily limiting our freedom. the scope of the law, even in an emergency. enough — it is important to remember that The U.S. Constitution, the oldest and most Without congressional authorization, the the government must justify its limitations enduring written constitution, is a compila- president lacks the power, for example, to on our inherent freedoms. Doing so is, and tion of checks and balances and protections delay the November election or to impose a should be, a very heavy burden. of fundamental liberties. It was written to extraordinary government action, it is always nationwide quarantine. A public-health emergency justifies some ensure that we limit government even when within limits. The states have not been as constrained, limitations on our rights, and stopping the those limits make it harder for us to get what With the aid of hindsight, we can see the and many states have imposed significant spread of this virus must be a top priority. we want. abuses that come from granting the govern- restrictions on their citizens’ freedom. Most But, as Justice Robert Jackson reminded us, In 1952, during the Korean War, the Tru- ment too much power. We should be careful governors have issued stay-at-home orders, “emergency powers ... tend to kindle emer- man administration seized the nation’s steel to ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes and some areas have imposed curfews, im- gencies.” We must be wary of giving the mills to avert a strike and ensure the contin- of previous generations that subjected Japa- posing severe restriction on people’s freedom government expansive emergency powers ued production of materiel. The Supreme nese Americans to curfews and internment of movement. Nobody knows when those when we don’t know what the next emer- Court held the seizure unconstitutional, after Pearl Harbor or suppressed sedition at restrictions will be lifted. gency will be. affirming the principle that even during the end of the 18th century, anti-war speech Even before stay-at-home orders went into * * * * * emergencies, our leaders exercise power during World War I, and communist advocacy effect, people were prohibited from gather- Charlie Gerow is a lawyer and CEO of only according to limits established in the during the “Red Scare.” ing in groups, imposing an obvious limit on Quantum Communications. He is vice chair Constitution and laws. The law gives the national government our most-treasured First Amendment rights of the American Conservative Union. Follow During the Civil War, the Great Depres- expansive — but limited — power to deal of assembly, speech, protest and religious him on Twitter @Charlie_Gerow. Michael sion, World War II, and the War on Terror, with crises such as the current pandemic. The exercise. Dimino is a professor of law at Widener Uni- the Supreme Court has similarly acknowl- Constitution permits the government to tax, Visits at hospitals and nursing homes have versity Commonwealth Law School. Follow edged that while emergencies may justify borrow and spend money for the “general been drastically limited, making it difficult him on Twitter @mrdimino. How virtual Congress would fully transform the work of lawmakers By Aaron Jones years, would have to become a priority as We live in an age where pandemics are lawmakers spend less time concentrated in rare. Without even realizing it, an assumption one area. They would also have to figure out of continued health has allowed the govern- how to conduct oversight in meaningful ways ment to grow and become more focused on from a distance. The annual federal budget Washington. But the coronavirus has forced is about $4 trillion. That is a lot of dollars lawmakers to stay home, and grapple with to ensure are being spent correctly. The best how to do the work they were literally sent case scenario is a $6 trillion federal budget to Washington to do. this year. For more than 150 years, Congress met in Those are the immediate effects. But the the winter and spring and vacated the capital biggest change would occur more gradually. when the weather in Washington became Within a few years, Congress would be less hot and humid. With air conditioning added focused on the capital. There would be more in the middle of the 20th century, Congress time in the district to address local issues. began to spend more time in session. At the It would also lead to less expertise based in same time, an astounding boom in modern Washington and more in their home offices. medicine made the threat of plagues, which Staffers who come from all over the country in earlier years had emptied the capital of to be in the capital to take part in the gov- lawmakers, almost nonexistent. ing on local issues and helping constituents challenge for lawmakers for years. It is not ernment would be needed by members at Congress spending more time in session navigate the federal labyrinth with casework. just the political expediency of being with home rather than in a House or Senate office also paralleled growth in what the federal For all the jokes made about Congress, it constituents either. Members with children building. government oversees. The first session of is a full time job that requires Congress to face difficult decisions of whether to bring This would lead to sweeping changes in Congress maintained a watch over roads, be a human institution where members and their families to Washington or to see them how the policy apparatus functions, with tariffs, and appropriations. Now a lawmaker staffers interact with each other. The word only briefly at home. While $174,000 is local lobbyists getting a leg up on firms in can attend committee hearings on funding Congress literally means coming together. a great salary, for lawmakers who are not Washington. Think tanks, which proliferate for fleets in the Pacific Ocean and financial Congress is now contemplating doing this independently wealthy or hail from high the capital landscape, would have to rethink regulations in the morning, vote on housing task from afar. Some have suggested holding cost districts, the price of maintaining two how they do business with members. Spring and agency bandwidth in the afternoon, then virtual hearings, while others have proposed residences is not easy, so there has always industry flyins would have less importance. do a media interview on new legislation under some way to vote on legislation from off site. been an appetite to spend more time at home. The coronavirus is bound to change how all consideration in the evening, not to mention Leaders in both chambers so far have resisted What might Congress look like if mem- of us think and act in our daily lives. For fundraisers after work. those calls. But if the current crisis persists, bers take more time away from the capital Congress, it could lead to a total makeover. No one lawmaker can be an expert on all or if we are faced with recurring instances of and engage in virtual legislating? Congress * * * * * issues. Over the decades, thousands of hard similar consequence, Congress will have to must first be more intentional about its own Aaron Jones is director of congressional working staffers have migrated to Washing- make changes in order to do its work. online security to ensure that communica- relations at the Woodrow Wilson Interna- ton to handle various portfolios. Meanwhile, The balancing act of working in Washing- tions are safe. Physical security for rank and tional Center for Scholars and was a former a bevy of staffers are busy back home work- ton and being present back home has been a file members, an issue discussed in recent staffer on Capitol Hill. How to flatten the jobless curve by revisiting unemployment benefits By Brent Orrell filings, and allowing workers to be transitioned back to regular and Mason Bishop immediately begin receiving all payrolls. Any costs to employers of The social distancing and stay their benefits. managing the employment stabili- home orders that have begun to Using the average weekly ben- zation benefits, such as calculating flatten the curve of coronavirus efit amount of $378, we propose income losses or other administra- infections have imposed great providing coronavirus employment tive activities, would be reimbursed costs on workers. The unemploy- stabilization assistance to workers through a fully refundable federal ment that began as a service sector who remain on employer payrolls tax credit. Moreover, an advantage phenomenon is spreading to every but are not able to work due to stay of an employment stabilization corner of the economy. Even “re- home orders or declines in eco- system is that Congress can easily cession proof” fields such as law, nomic activity. Rather than filing increase benefits for short periods, medicine, and information technol- individually for benefits, employers as was done under the Cares Act, ogy are seeing business dry up with would certify a temporary layoff to and ratchet supplementary benefits the downward spiral of recession. hours on hold or seeing their ap- existing program structures in ways the state unemployment insurance down as conditions improve. Unemployment is projected to plications repeatedly rejected by that will prevent layoffs, maintain system and benefits would automat- We believe that revamping ex- reach levels exceeding those of a overwhelmed online systems can relationships between employers ically begin to flow. This would use isting systems to adapt to rapidly decade ago and perhaps rising to tell you, the very antiquated unem- and workers amid sudden shocks, the state unemployment insurance changing economic conditions is a levels seen in the Great Depression. ployment insurance system, which and lay the groundwork for quick systems to issue weekly payments better approach than creating more News stories that show cars waiting was first conceived back in the restarts when economic activity to workers making up to $50,850 programs that layer on additional in line for miles to make it to food New Deal era, is crumbling under resumes. each year. This avoids the process categories of benefits. Employ- banks demonstrate the gravity of the current pressure of processing Structural changes over the of individual filing, keeps money in ment stabilization modernizes what people are facing. millions and millions of claims. long term are needed to fully the hands of workers, and promotes the approaches to unemployment Congress and the administra- The coronavirus challenge calls implement an employment stabi- continued labor force attachment. assistance by promoting the con- tion have responded with relief for rethinking both the purpose and lization system, but in the current Employment stabilization pay- nection between employers and legislation that has boosted and the administration of unemploy- pandemic, Congress can use it to ments would not be taxed, thus workers, sending money quickly expanded economic support pro- ment benefits as well as moderniz- help workers now. The Cares Act adding more dollars to the market. to those who need it, and laying the grams, including unemployment ing the way these benefits are de- gives unemployed workers $600 If employees saw their hours re- foundation for a fast return to work. insurance, in an effort to help these livered. We propose moving away weekly on top of the regular amount duced but not eliminated, employ- * * * * * people cope with job losses. What from the notion of unemployment and extends benefits for up to 39 ment stabilization payments can Mason Bishop is an adjunct Congress and the administration insurance and toward the model that weeks. Employment stabilization be used to make up the difference fellow with the American Enter- could not do, however, was expand promotes workforce attachment would beat this process by skipping between current and previous wag- prise Institute and Brent Orrell is the capacity of state unemployment and retention. We call this concept the layoff process, reducing the es, like the existing unemployment a resident fellow at the American insurance systems to manage this employment stabilization. Its core administrative chaos with consoli- insurance work share program. As Enterprise Institute. Both authors vast influx of newly unemployed ideas are relatively simple. Employ- dated employer filings rather than the economy finally resumes to served as former senior officials at workers. As anyone waiting for ment stabilization would build on hundreds of thousands of individual normal levels, employees would the Labor Department. Page 18 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 Defense budget cuts following the pandemic will be hard to swallow By Dov S. Zakheim the need for a new bomber, and instead will Congress has appropriated more than call for converting the strategic nuclear triad $2.25 trillion to counter the impact of to a dyad of land- and submarine-based mis- COVID-19 on American families and the siles. Other critics of the triad may support the economy. It is likely to spend even more bomber program and might prefer dispensing once legislators return from their recess in with the land-based leg in favor of the bomber early May. This unprecedented level of ex- and submarine legs. Budget pressures will penditure is resulting in a massive deficit and underscore both sets of arguments. national debt levels that are likely to exceed With respect to general purpose forces, 120 percent of the nation’s gross domestic there no doubt will be a renewed call to halt product, especially as GDP growth itself is all aircraft carrier procurement beyond the no longer a foregone conclusion. In turn, two Ford class carriers under construction, or there will be renewed pressure on the defense at best to support construction of one more. budget, which already is forecast to have no Even President Trump at one point voiced real growth in fiscal year 2021. his concern about the program. Given its Interest on the national debt, which at skyrocketing costs, the F-35 also may find some point will begin to rise again, will create itself in the crosshairs of budget hawks. The a massive burden on annual federal budgets. Army recently dropped its program to devel- The demand for increases in domestic spend- Indeed, should the Democratic Party take rus’s spread within the military, it may prove op an Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, ing will be difficult to ignore in the aftermath the White House or the Senate (or both) in difficult for the services to maintain their its third attempt to replace the 1980s Bradley of the pandemic. For these reasons, it is not the upcoming elections, even deeper cuts in recruitment objectives. Similarly, operations Infantry Fighting Vehicle, only to renew it beyond the realm of probability that defense defense are sure to follow. Yet the threats and maintenance budgets cannot be tampered several weeks later. It might have to drop it budgets beginning in fiscal year 2022 will posed by China and Russia, already projected with to maintain deterrence against possible again. Finally, there have long been calls for not even grow in nominal terms. to increase, may well prove to be even greater new adventurism on the part of Russia, China, a re-evaluation of the elements — and costs Even if the Department of Defense (DOD) in the face of a weakened and disorganized North Korea or Iran. — of the nearly four-decades-old missile had been forced to address only the reality West. The DOD, therefore, will have to Apart from force-level reductions, there- defense program. of no real growth in defense spending — as take seriously the need for a fundamental fore, the only other candidates for cuts are Cutting procurement is always a difficult opposed to the additional burden of minimal re-evaluation of its priorities, and not merely research and development and the procure- pill for the services to swallow, and this time nominal growth — it would have had to undertake another cut drill. ment accounts. Reductions in R&D, typically will be no different. No doubt DOD will point re-evaluate its spending priorities. Historical- The last time the department fundamen- favored in cut drills, will be more difficult, to the need to maintain the defense industrial ly, when DOD has been forced to undertake tally shifted its focus was in the early 1990s, given the need to maintain an advantage base, and workers’ jobs, as a reason for avoid- what it terms “cut drills,” these have been when its base force resulted in a 25 percent over Russia and China in the realms of hy- ing major reductions in defense procurement. done with the greatest reluctance, and at reduction in force structure, a 20 percent personics, artificial intelligence, quantum That argument certainly will resonate with times have been completed with little analysis reduction in manpower relative to fiscal year computing and other cutting-edge technolo- Congress. This time, however, the case for of the implications of potential trade-offs. 1990 and a 10 percent reduction in budget gies. Procurement accounts are thus the only resisting change may be overwhelmed by the Invariably, what resulted from these efforts authority. DOD may have to consider launch- remaining targets for budget reductions. impact of a plague that has caught the nation were reductions in spending for operations ing an effort along similar lines if it is not to Budget cutters for years have zeroed in unprepared and may well return with even and maintenance, force level reductions, or be caught flat-footed next year, as a result of on the strategic nuclear triad, and current greater force in the months or years ahead. the shedding of research and development either the full budget impact of coronavirus plans for its modernization offer them new Dov S. Zakheim is a senior adviser at of untried weapons and systems. On the spending or the November elections, or both. targets. Global Strike Command is seeking the Center for Strategic and International other hand, the department and especially the As with the base force, force levels are a $200 billion over the next decade to fund new Studies and vice chairman of the board for armed services were exceedingly reluctant to likely target for reductions. Pay and benefits, bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He was dispense with longstanding legacy programs. to include family housing, are untouchable command and control and related supporting under secretary of Defense (comptroller) and This time, however, DOD faces a budget because they are key to maintaining a top-lev- elements of the strategic nuclear triad. On the chief financial officer for the Department of challenge of unmatched proportions. Defense el volunteer force. This is especially critical at other hand, longtime opponents of spending Defense from 2001 to 2004 and a deputy un- budgets are certain to decline in real terms. this time because, in the aftermath of the vi- on strategic nuclear forces will argue against der secretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987. Poor state reporting hampers pandemic fight By Drs. Steven Goodman prevalence of infection, not just of our ability department functions. bined with underlying conditions. and Nigam Shah to find them through testing, and they also It is urgent for citizens, journalists, policy- In the longer term, we must dramatically Short of a cure or vaccine, our most pow- are measures of the burden on the healthcare makers, and researchers to see as quickly as increase investments in public health data erful weapon against the COVID-19 pandem- system. Trends in those indicators tell us possible how a particular state and subregion infrastructure and coordination at every level ic is the information: The right data can tell directly whether interventions are working is faring under social distancing policies, and of government, from counties to states to the us the severity of the problems we face and for the outcomes that matter. soon, under their relaxation. Without that federal level. This crisis has exposed that whether social distancing is working. Despite Not one of the 11 states with the highest information we’re not just flying blind, we information infrastructure to be inexcusably considerable handwringing by public officials number of COVID-19 deaths provides daily are willfully donning a blindfold. inadequate, while also showing that a strong about what we don’t know about this disease, trends in even two of those numbers while In the short term, the Federal Government public health system is a critical piece of our state health departments already have most or reporting on cases in copious detail. Wash- should issue formal guidance about the con- national defense. We now understand the all of the relevant data. Unfortunately, they ington State comes closest by reporting daily tent and format of coronavirus data reporting steep price of disinvestment. don’t make it available in ways that provide deaths and weekly (not daily) hospitalizations from all state and local departments of health. We need to use all our assets to fight a clear picture of what’s happening. on graphs that show how the state is doing The CDC last week released detailed guid- COVID-19. Right now, one of our most This problem can be solved at little cost, overtime. None of the other 10 (New York, ance on the content of death certificates for important and least costly assets is the infor- with the stroke of a pen. The Centers for New Jersey, Michigan, Louisiana, California, those who died from COVID-19; why not mation we already have. It’s beyond time to Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or Illinois, Massachusetts, Georgia, Connecticut release similar guidance to improve reports show us that data. the White House Coronavirus Task Force and Florida) provides or displays trend data in of data aimed at preventing those deaths? Steven Goodman, M.D., Ph.D., is an should issue guidance about how to report either daily admissions or deaths. All report These reports should include, at a mini- associate dean of clinical and translational information that is already known to most deaths as cumulative totals. Similarly, the five mum, daily (not total) counts of new cases research, and professor of epidemiology state and local health departments but cur- that report any data on hospitalizations (Cal- (which hopefully will soon reflect proper and population health and of medicine, at rently presented in ways that make it difficult ifornia, Louisiana, Florida, Connecticut and population surveillance), daily hospital ad- the Stanford University School of Medicine. or impossible to track the daily course of the Georgia), provide only the current hospital missions, ICU admissions and deaths, with Nigam Shah, MBBS, Ph.D. is an associate epidemic. census or cumulative totals, not the trend in historical data and trend lines for all of these professor of medicine (Biomedical Infor- Let’s first stop paying so much attention daily admissions. How can we know if we are indicators. These should also be augmented matics) and of Biomedical Data Science at to cases, which most departments focus on. flattening the curve without seeing curves? with breakdowns by sex, age and race, com- the Stanford University School of Medicine. These make for frightening click-bait head- The CDC website provides little help. lines, but right now are not useful. We cannot On April 8th, the main page reported 12,754 tell whether an increase in cases is due to the total U.S. deaths, but for more detail one is Viasmensky daily increases in testing, more testing of directed to a page with weeks-old data that (Continued from Page 13) If Metro officers are afraid of all those symptomatic patients, or a true change in the reports 3307 confirmed U.S. deaths with no ment’s back doors already cleaned and disin- parasites of society (not because they’re infection rate. So-called case maps are closer trend data or curves. Rates of new hospital- fected for rental were open and full of junk, homeless, but because they have no regard, to testing maps. izations are displayed for 14 states, but only pillows, blankets, urine and the rest which is no concern, and no respect for others), then Case counts will be useful only when we from selected counties, the interactive data not proper to discuss here. the City Councilwoman needs to take ac- move to scientific surveillance of population are hard to find, are 1-2 weeks old, and are What proof does anybody have that any or tion—or is her job just too big for her? samples to properly estimate prevalence. averaged weekly, not daily. When delays by all of those items were not infected with the Government officials are of the opinion They currently contribute to three dangerous decision-makers of even 3-5 days make huge coronavirus? Why should that young woman that the economy needs to be reopened fast illusions: they underestimate true preva- differences, this is too slow. or anybody else for that matter have to be and I believe they mean businesses because lence because they don’t count infections The best health department reporting exposed to any possible disease carelessly the economy is not going to be improved any scientifically, they exaggerate the increase comes not from a state but from New York and yet deliberately (by their lack of regard time soon. Maybe the real meaning of their in infections as we test more people, and City, whose website clearly displays daily and respect for others) left behind in their be- statement is to open up things to allow more they inflate the apparent mortality rate per hospitalizations and deaths, making appar- longings and their excretions? Must those of of the homeless in so they can continue to be infection because we’re underestimating the ent improving trends this week that made us who get “invaded” (yes) by the homeless pampered, and the rest of us will just have to number of people infected. This is a formula headlines. have to put up with the very real possibility pray we won’t get infected by a mysterious for transforming rational concern into a panic. Because of this information vacuum, en- (even probability) of getting infected by virus or whatever else they leave behind. What numbers can we rely on now to terprising scientists and media outlets have someone we don’t even know? * * * * * know whether the current lockdowns are had to step in, asking questions about why If you ask any of those people why they Perly Viasmensky is the General Manager working? We should be looking at trends over data is not easily accessible, or re-displaying don’t go to a shelter that the city so graciously of the Las Vegas Tribune. She writes a weekly time in three measures: new hospitalizations, data obtained from the health departments has set up for them, you are going to hear column in this newspaper. To contact Perly new ICU admissions and the daily number themselves in interpretable form. Newspa- the same response — “We don’t like to be Viasmensky, email her at pviasmensky@ of deaths. These indicators reflect the true pers should not have to perform basic health supervised by anyone.” lasvegas tribune.com.

Maramis(Continued from Page 13) have positive effects on military readiness, people wearing face masks. I don’t know if Cancian, the retired Marine colonel, said to be taken into account for our recruits and said Michael O’Hanlon, a military specialist it’s going to be that we give the military the it is paramount that the U.S. keep signaling even our regular troops. There’s no way that at the Brookings Institution. first vaccines. I don’t know if it’s just that its forces are ready so that potential enemies one can expect military recruits to wear those He pointed out that military preparedness we rotate, so certain units are ready or have — even if they are struggling to control the masks, or wash their hands each time after is supported by many elements, not just day- a higher number of people who are sick, and virus, too — don’t misjudge the situation. touching all that equipment or each other, to-day preparations and training. It also rests other units, we keep them healthy and don’t While all of us stay-at-homes think we be it accidentally or in the course of their on mental health and family well-being. train quite as hard at the same time.” have it rough, give a thought to our some- training or duties. “So you take advantage of this kind of a Some like Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), what shrinking troops, and to our possibly The good news, however, is that most moment to rest,” O’Hanlon said. “Most parts a former Pentagon official and member of the less-than-fully-trained recruits (while we will recruits are generally young and ostensibly of our military can probably use a month or House Armed Services Committee’s readi- all assume that their somewhat abbreviated in good shape. They would be the ones least two of rest.” (Ya think?) ness panel worry about what those possibil- training will motivate them to pick up the likely to be affected during this pandemic. But ultimately, the military may have little ities mean over the longer term, especially if slack on their own and be right in stride with choice but to accept a lower level of readiness But there will still be no new recruits if there potential adversaries think they can somehow those who trained before the pandemic hit). is no basic training to train them, and not and incur more risk, at least temporarily, he take advantage. This situation has affected us at so many even any recruiters to interview them and see said. “My constituents ask me, ‘Are we at great- levels and in so many ways, let’s not forget that they get processed for enlistment or for “Maybe you just accept that a certain unit er risk of attack right now? Is our military the ways it can affect our country right down OTS (officer training school). So young and could have a higher likelihood of disease,” healthy is fine, but no recruit is a good recruit O’Hanlon said. “But unless you really think going to be able to handle that if one of our to the very basic issue of those who would unless he or she can be properly trained, you’re going to need to send the 3rd Infantry adversaries decides to take this opportunity have wanted to join the military but can’t. which presupposes that first, such recruits Division over to Korea, you actually let that to kind of punch us in the gut?’” she said. * * * * * will still be there and still be willing to make unit go to a little bit lower level of readiness.” “While I still think the military is very capa- Maramis Choufani is the Managing Ed- that decision to sign up. But “we’re going to have to have a ble of chewing gum and walking at the same itor of the Las Vegas Tribune. She writes a Bender’s article continued: The need for strategy for how to get the military to start time, the secretary [of Defense] has to be weekly column in this newspaper. To contact the military to hunker down and take extra doing higher level training by the fall,”he thinking about what it could mean if he had Maramis, email her at maramistribune@ precautions to minimize the outbreak could added. “And I don’t know if it’s going to be outbreaks in his active-duty forces.” gmail.com. April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 19 EntErtainmEnt

Ryan Baker recently performing “Shades of Sinatra” at the Suncoast. Michael Shapiro of “Reckless in Vegas” at recent St. Jude’s Children’s benefit concert. At-Home Shows for Charity By Sandy Zimmerman #talkshowhostinseclusion Las Vegas Tribune Photos “at home” and during their hotel shows by Sandy Zimmerman I usually review show openings with all the pizzazz of a premiere or first niter, inter- view on the red carpet and attend the after parties but these evenings are awaiting news of the Corona virus to open. In answer to the Corona virus situation, the Stars of Las Vegas brought their enter- tainment to Facebook Live, Youtube Live, Instagram, and other networks brightening the times until everyone can enjoy a “normal” life again. Entertainer’s talent shines in living rooms, studios, or wherever they choose to perform. Seeing them perform in their homes without all of the frills of a showroom, stage, lights, costumes and makeup is great! I had time to see two in-home shows this week — Michael Shapiro of “Reckless in Ve- gas” and Ryan Baker of “Shades of Sinatra.” After interviewing Michael three times on the red carpets, it was great to see him per- form with his band and back-up singer at St. Jude’s Ranch for Children’s benefit concert. What a show! He played his guitar while singing songs from the 60’s along with films of Dean Mar- Singer Michael Shapiro of “Reckless in Vegas” “at home” concert on Facebook during the seclusion. tin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Elvis, Frank Sinatra were the stars in Early Las Vegas, the songs When he appeared on Facebook in his He has also portrayed Frank in David and other stars on the mega-screen. These that fans still love. home’s guitar, there were about 14 guitars Cassidy’s show, The Rat Pack Is Back! (Con- hanging on the walls, he performed an ex- necticut’s Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino). citing hour and even did some movements In Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show in Las from his show! Vegas, Ryan portrayed Dean Martin and Joey Michael began playing the piano, guitar, Bishop roles. singing, writing and recording as a teenage During Ryan’s show at his home, he sang with his first album in 1995 and three more. Sinatra songs and talked to the audience. His single “Hope” received was strong across I enjoyed both renditions of Frank Sinatra the US, thus landing him on a sold out nation- and the stars of yesterday. al tour with a band Live and he began rockin’ * * * * * as “Reckless in Vegas”. Michael’s performed Award-winning Sandy Zimmerman pro- at the Hard Rock and many other hotels but duces television programs, documentaries, everything is on-hold now. TV commercials, filmed a Cattle Drive in The first time I saw Ryan Baker was in Reno, Nevada, travel specials in the US and “Shades of Sinatra” totally built around around the world, as a Photographer/ Vid- Sinatra (Suncoast Hotel). I was impressed eographer/ Editor/ Talk Show Host of Sandy with his Frank “sound!” Zimmerman’s Las Vegas TV television pro- Ryan performed at the Four Seasons, gram, airing 6 X’s each week and “Discover Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, and many others the Ultimate Vacation” travel specials. Sandy as well as a contract engagement (Artisanin) is a syndicated columnist featuring Show/ 2005. In 2008, Baker joined the cast of Dining reviews, travel, luxury and more. For “Drinkin,’ Singin,’ Swingin’” rat pack show information or questions, call 702-515-0846 portraying Frank Sinatra. or write [email protected]. Singer Michael Shapiro of “Reckless in Vegas” “at home” concert on Facebook during the seclusion.

Ryan Baker “at home” concert on Facebook during the seclusion. Page 20 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 John Chin Wins ‘Chipping All- In’ Charity Poker Tournament Tournament raises more than $150,000 to assist MGM Resorts employees and their families economically impacted by coronavirus This Week in Las Vegas

By Mike Kermani

showing solidarity with all those who are currently suffering and gratitude towards everyone helping to overcome the crisis, on April, 15 they dedicated the projections to America. “Dear friends from America, Zermatt has been deeply connected to you throughout many years. The USA is the most affected country in the COVID-19 crisis. Our thoughts are with the American people: er”, “Us”, and “Wild Love.” Tune stand together and hold on. May in tomorrow at 1PM EST for his our message be a sign of solidarity next lesson. James Bay recently and give you hope and strength. performed as part of Global Citi- We look forward to meeting again zen’s #TogetherAtHome concert at the foot of the Matterhorn, “a series in support of the World mountain that means a lot to you Health Organization. too.” James Bay’s Guitar Les- They projected the American sons: “Let It Go;” “Hold Back The flag on the east side of the Mat- River;” “Us;” “Wild Love;” and terhorn, which rises to over 1,000 “Scars” metres. * * * * * For more information visit By Mike Kermani Award-nominated and BRIT ZERMATT SWITZERLAND http://www.zermatt.ch/en/Media/ Las Vegas Tribune Award-winning multiplatinum GIVES MESSAGE OF HOPE Media-corner/Pressebilder-News/ The “Chipping All-In” charity singer-songwriter James Bay con- TO THE UNITED STATES Illumination-of-the-Matterhorn poker tournament saw some of the tinues to give guitar lessons on Since the emergence of the coro- Mike Kermani is an entertain- biggest names in golf, poker elites Instagram Live Wednesdays and navirus crisis in Switzerland, differ- ment writer for the Las Vegas and a basketball star hit the virtual Fridays at 1PM EST. This week he ent symbols have been projected Tribune newspaper. He writes a felt with John Chin, a current Korn taught fan favorite “Scars.” every night onto the Matterhorn. weekly column in this newspaper. Ferry Tour player, claiming the win. In the past, BAY has taught fans Zermatt wants this illumination to To contact Mike Kermani, email Major champion golfers including “Let It Go”, “Hold Back The Riv- be a symbol of hope. The village is mkermani@ lasvegas tribune.com Jimmy Walker, Michelle Wie and John Daly as well as Las Vegas ENJOY THE CAPITAL Aces Head Coach Bill Laimbeer GRILLE AT HOME competed in the Texas Hold’em Curbside takeout, 12 noon to 8 online tournament on Thursday, p.m. daily. April 16 and helped raise more than Times are uncertain and chang- $150,000 for the MGM Resorts ing daily. But our commitment to Foundation’s Employee Emergency providing you with exceptional Grant Fund. The Fund provides the dining is unwavering. So it is our hospitality company’s employees pleasure to make the refined cuisine and their immediate families with of The Capital Grille available for short-term relief in making pay- takeout. Curbside pickup and de- ments or to meet obligations during livery options available. unexpected hardships and emergen- The Capital Grille takeout menu cies. The Fund is designed to assist features many of our most popular those impacted by the coronavirus, offerings as well as family style including part-time employees, dinners ready to serve at home. We on-call employees and those facing are also making available a Butch- layoff or furlough. er Shoppe selection of uncooked The field of 58 was narrowed steaks, hand-carved by our in-house down to a final table featuring Pat butcher and packaged with our Perez, Danielle Kang, Aaron Wise, house-made seasoning and steak Chin, Graham DeLaet, Taylor butter for you to prepare as you like. Montgomery, John Oda and poker You are cordially invited to pe- personality Maria Ho. Eventually, ruse our takeout menu and call to Chin defeated local Las Vegas and place your order to go. UNLV alum Montgomery in the * * * * * decisive showdown. “I had a great time playing, all to help out an amazing cause. I caught a lot of cards during the tournament and the chips went my way,” said Chin. The biggest upset of the day came when golfer Keith Mitchell eliminated popular poker pro Phil Hellmuth 90 minutes into the tour- A PREVIEW OF THE NEW nament. Mitchell’s set of 6s sur- DATES OF THE MASTERS prised the poker legend, who went OF MAGIC WORLD all-in with Ace-King and finished CONVENTION 2020 with a pair of kings. We are experiencing an emer- Major donations during the tour- gency and we, at Masters of Magic, nament were made by Coca-Cola, are sincerely close to all the people Michelob Ultra, Shriners Hospitals who suffer and those who work in for Children, among others. hospitals. Jyoti Chopra, Senior Vice Pres- For all of us, the greatest desire ident, Chief Diversity & Sustain- is to return to our daily lives. ability Officer for MGM Resorts Precisely for this reason, in International, said, “We thank all search of our magical normality, of our partners for producing a with all the unknown factors of the dynamic and engaging event and case and with all the complications especially all the players for taking of the period, we managed to reor- time out of their day to support our ganize the Masters Of Magic 2020 colleagues during the COVID-19 World Conference with extreme crisis. Chipping All-In was a great rapidity. success raising needed proceeds, We anticipate as of now, that we and hopefully generated a few will do everything in our power to hours of fun and entertainment to make the Masters of Magic Con- fans around the world.” gress as safe as possible. We are Lance Evans, Senior Vice Presi- pleased to communicate you the dent of Sports and Sponsorships for new dates, 22 23 24 25 October. MGM Resorts, said, “It was special In our heart and in our intent we to see an amazing coalition of our want it to be a moment of rebirth partners — from big businesses and celebration, the first great to the sports community — rally magical party to be experienced together to create this event in a extraordinarily all together. short period of time. We are very * * * * * appreciative to have such great THREE-TIME GRAMMY support across the board.” AWARD-NOMINATED JAMES To learn more about the Employ- BAY’S FREE GUITAR ee Emergency Grant Fund, visit LESSONS WEDNESDAYS www.mgmresortsfoundation.org. AND FRIDAYS * * * * * Three-time GRAMMY April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 21 LifestyLes

Free streaming of “The American Nurse” documentary By Sandy Zimmerman Las Vegas Tribune Photos by Kino Lorber With the COVID-19 virus epidemic, the public has become even more aware how important the doctors, nurses, and all of those health care workers. Without thinking of themselves, these brave professionals face the panic and up- heaval of treating so many epidemic victims. This has been a severe test to them and to the public awaiting help. Our country is awakening to new ways of dealing with this powerful virus, technical training and logistics of handling virus and other conventional illnesses. Kino Lorber has released their acclaimed “THE AMERICAN NURSE” documentary offering free streaming’s following their six-year anniversary from now through May coinciding with National Nurses Week and the World Health Organization (WHO) and 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. “Every day we hear about nurses on the frontlines who are risking their own lives to care for others. Who are the people that choose to do this work? What is their DNA? This film follows five nurses to understand To honor nurses on the front lines of the at the commitment, necessity, and compas- between suffering and peace; between chaos what compels them to walk toward a crisis COVID-19 crisis, Kino Lorber is offering sion behind this profession that impacts us all. and order. With nurses risking their lives to- instead of running from it.” — Carolyn Jones, a free streaming re-release of the acclaimed “Nurses matter now more than ever. They day responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Director documentary, THE AMERICAN NURSE are on the frontlines of our health care system I am so glad that we are able to make the film At no time in recent history has the vital WEBSITE: www.americannurseproject.com every single today. At some point in our life available to people in their homes for free.” role of nurses in America been so clear. Watch The Documentary: https://vimeo. each of us will encounter a nurse, whether President & CEO Richard Lorber said, com/402744498 it be as a patient or as a loved one,” said “We are humbled to have been selected to The documentary highlights the lives of filmmaker and photographer Carolyn Jones, offer this important and timely film for free to five American nurses from diverse special- director of THE AMERICAN NURSE. “And viewers, honoring the heroic work of nurses. ties, bringing to the big screen a sincere look that one encounter can mean the difference It’s a film all of us need to see right now to fully appreciate heroes who are always at the front lines working hard to protect and save us.” * * * * * Award-winning Sandy Zimmerman pro- duces television programs, documentaries, TV commercials, filmed a Cattle Drive in Reno, Nevada, travel specials in the US and around the world, as a Photographer/ Videographer/ Editor/ Talk Show Host of Sandy Zimmerman’s Las Vegas TV television program, airing 6 X’s each week and “Dis- cover the Ultimate Vacation” travel specials. Sandy is a syndicated columnist featuring Show/ Dining reviews, travel, spas, luxury and more. Suggest topics for articles, for information or questions call 702-515-0846 or write [email protected] Page 22 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 How Leaders Keep Calm in Crisis By Doug Dickerson “Hardships often prepare ordi- nary people for an extraordinary destiny.” — C.S. Lewis We are living in unprecedent- ed times. We are living during a moment of history that will be read about in the history books a hundred years from now. These are trying times for sure! How we handle this crisis will be debated for years to come. As leaders, how we step up right now is as important as ever. As a leader, you might be able to identify with Tom Welling who said, “I have so much chaos in my DoUg DICkErsoN life, it’s become normal.” Can you relate? an example of the calming effect Being a leader does not exempt that your leadership can have. Here you from chaos, stress, pressures, are four ways that happen. and such. If anything, it might add Calm leaders see to it. the big picture But as a leader, your style and Calm leaders are not rocked by understanding they can lead with a of action. Waiting is not necessarily maturity and stability that is often approach at such times are import- every disruption that comes along. steady hand. a finer quality. But calm leaders lacking during turbulent times. ant. Others are looking to you to see Short-sightedness tends to fuel the Calm leaders have an intuition for timing. They Calm leaders know that their ac- how you react which in many ways insecurities in people. A calm leader understand timing know when it’s time to wait and tions, attitudes, reactions, and determines how they will react. can exude confidence because they One of the hardest things to learn when it’s time to act. The calming thinking go a long way in determin- In these times, your people need see the big picture and it’s with that as a leader is timing. We are people effect of timing within your orga- ing successful outcomes. nization and with your people can Strive to be a leader who, when BEHIND THE MIKE make a world of difference. everything around them seems to be Calm leaders in chaos, brings a calming presence challenge norms to the situation. We could surely use The Wrong Doctor Calm leaders tend to challenge more calm leaders. By Michael A. Aun the hip and replace the rest of me. norms and stretch others to grow in It was Robert Schuller who once April 15 has a painful signifi- There are dozens of people in my ways they are not often comfortable said, “Know that tough times don’t cance for many Americans because life that would have voted for that with. Call it what you will — hu- last but tough people do.” And we you-know-who-needs-you-know- option. Unfortunately, the new hip man nature, gut reactions, etc., but are certainly in the midst of tough what… your tax returns are due. will not make me more hip… but at many people react to things hap- times. It will be doubly painful for me least I will be able to sleep at night. pening to them or around them in Be encouraged today and know this year because I will be under- The good news… I do not fly as ways that only make matters worse. that we will get through this to- going my second hip replacement. much as I used to (by choice). I will But a calm leader is processing. gether! My right hip was done about ten be setting off fewer metal detectors A calm leader brings peace to the * * * * * years ago. I had so many problems at airports everywhere. The bad storm, level-headed thinking, and Doug Dickerson is a syndicated with that replacement that I did news is I cannot accept the fact that challenges the norms that define the columnist. He writes a weekly col- everything in my power not to do age is catching up with me. way things have always been done. umn for this newspaper. To contact surgery on the left hip. To make that easier, I have Calm leaders bring stability Doug Dickerson go to www.doug- Quarterly shots worked well found it more convenient to just Calm leaders bring a level of dickerson.net. for many years and then you are add ten years to my age when rewarded with comments like “You others inquire. My wife Christine have reached your point of dimin- cannot wrap her head around this ishing return,” meaning that’s all MICHAEL A. AUN strategy. People come up to you and folks! This column goes to press the than the other. When you make say- “You look great” for 90, 80 or day of my surgery, so you’ll have to your living giving speeches on whatever age you want! sit tight to see how it went. your feet for up to two hours at a The alternative of rounding Doctors have a rather dry sense time without a break, you develop down has few redeeming prereq- of humor about rebuilding your defense mechanisms. Mine was to uisites. It is funny, people give you bionic parts. One told me I was overcompensate for the shorter leg the benefit of the doubt when you not “very hip” to begin with. He by leaning on the longer one, essen- “lie up” and not “down” about how happened to be the same doc who tially speaking on one leg at a time. old you are. screwed up the first surgery, so my The previous doctor told me he If my strategy is working, I’ll be opinions about him will not make it evened the length of the legs when running like a 40-year old shortly to his “atta-boy comments” section he replaced the right hip. The unin- while disguising myself as an 80- on his web site. tended consequences of the world’s year old. I think what I really need As a result, he was one-and-done best laid plan? I literally had to is to see a shrink… and not an for me. Yes, I believe it is perfectly learn how to stand, walk and run orthopedic doctor. okay to fire your doctor, especially again. This is not some photoshop Michael Aun is a syndicated col- one who takes the longest, most treatment; they literally shortened umnist and writes a weekly column expensive way around the problem my leg to match the other. for this newspaper. To contact Mi- to serve his interests and not yours. Too bad they cannot just keep chael Aun go to www.aunline.com. Don’t ask. My main goal is to get the wheels rolling again. Spring foot- ball is just around the corner and I Bob Beckett have the difficult job of being the Attorney At Law world’s oldest ball boy for the St. Cloud High School Bulldog foot- Elected 5 terms as Nye County District Attorney ball teams where my son coaches. Practice areas Since I was never very fast on my feet, the transition should so- Criminal defense, Personal injury, Bankruptcy lidify my rep as the world’s slowest and debt, Car accident, DUI and DWI ballboy as well. Fortunately for me, Licensed for 29 years most of the refs slogging (slow jog- ging) along the sidelines are older AVVO CONTRIBUTIONS than I am. Beckett knows Nevada criminal law The primary reason for the hip replacement is I would love to have — especially how to get the most out of a complete night of sleep in my the probation/monitoring system. future. When pain has you up every two hours you come to the point Beckett provides very effective and where you would do anything for personable service — His fees are also fair Sundays from 11.30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. uninterrupted sleep. Please call 775-513-0942 One of the things I learned from my previous hip replacement was (702) 334-4886 for more information that one of my legs was longer OUT WITH CABLE. IN WITH SAVINGS. $ † ™ Get a 100 AT&T Visa® Reward Card when you sign up for DIRECTV SELECT Package or above. MUST MAINTAIN SVC & REDEEM W/IN 75 DAYS (CARD IN 4 WKS). Ends 8/15/18. Restrs apply. See below for o er details.

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AT&T, Globe logo, DIRECTV, and all other DIRECTV marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T aliated companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. April 22-28, 2020 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 23 Social Security awareneSS Will you wind up returning to work after retiring? Chances are, Yes! By Maurie Backman by 16 percent, so in the example The Motley Fool above, a $1,500 monthly benefit Countless people look forward would become $1,740 — for life. to retirement for one key reason: Meanwhile, let’s assume that not having to endure the grind of you can work two extra years maintaining a full-time career. But and max out a 401(k) during that new data from Adecco suggests that period. Doing so adds $49,000 some workers may be jumping the (including catch-up contributions) gun on retirement. to your nest egg. Assuming zero In a recent survey, among the investment growth, that translates 17 percent of adults who returned into roughly $2,000 of additional to work over the past three years income per year when we apply the after being out of the workforce for 4 percent rule. at least 12 months, 13 percent were But boosting your savings and retirees who resumed their careers Social Security benefits aren’t the because they needed the additional only options to consider if you’re income. lacking in savings. While the idea of retiring and then going back to This news is hardly surprising. full-time work may not sit well The average household nearing with you, working part-time in retirement has a median savings retirement on your own terms is of just $17,000, according to data another story. If you find something from the Economic Policy Institute, you’re passionate about, it’ll not and in a more recent study by GO- only serve as a means of occupying How much money do way to tell is to use what’s known If that’s what your nest egg looks BankingRates, one-third of adults your time but also generate income. you need to retire? 55 and over were said to have less as the 4 percent rule. The rule states like, you’re probably in decent And if you go this route, you’ll be than $10,000 in a nest egg. Throw Let’s be clear: You don’t neces- that if you start by withdrawing 4 shape. But if you’re looking at a in good company — seniors 65 in the fact that loads of workers file sarily need a $1 million nest egg to percent of your nest egg during much-lower balance, you’ll need and older are more likely to be for Social Security as early as possi- retire comfortably and avoid a sce- your first year of retirement and to rethink your plans. self-employed than any other age ble, thereby reducing their benefits, nario in which you end up having then adjust subsequent withdrawals Making up for lost savings group, according to the U.S. Bureau and it’s no wonder income, or lack to return to work. But having little for inflation, your savings should, So what happens if you discover of Labor Statistics. thereof, is a problem for seniors. to no savings is hardly acceptable. in theory, last for 30 years. It’s not you’re way behind on retirement Though transitioning from a Of course, returning to work That’s because Social Security a perfect formula by any means, but savings late in your career? For one full-time work schedule to retire- when the money starts running is in no way sufficient to sustain it’s a good way to get a handle on thing, you might consider postpon- ment can be challenging in its own out is a smarter move than resign- seniors on its own. Those benefits where you stand financially based ing retirement, socking away some right, going from being retired to ing oneself to an impoverished will replace about 40 percent of the on your current savings level. extra money during that period, and working full-time is unquestionably lifestyle. But let’s face it: There’s average worker’s pre-retirement Imagine you estimate your se- growing your Social Security bene- difficult. Be smart about assessing something demoralizing about the income, but most retirees need nior living expenses at $3,000 per fits simultaneously. Imagine you’re and building your savings, maxi- notion of thinking you’re done in double that amount to pay the bills. month, half of which will come looking at a full retirement age of mize your Social Security benefits, the workforce only to have to step And that money therefore needs from Social Security. This means 66 for Social Security purposes, and plan for a part-time gig — and back into it when times get tough. If to come from somewhere, such as you’ll need to supply $1,500 a only instead of leaving your job and with any luck, you’ll never have to you’d rather avoid this fate, you’ll your savings. month, or $18,000 a year on your filing for benefits at 66, you wait go through the process of returning need to take an entirely different So how can you be sure you’ve own. Multiply $18,000 by 25, and until 68. Doing so will allow you to the workforce when you thought approach to retirement. really saved enough to retire? One you get a $450,000 savings target. to boost your monthly payments you were done with it for good. Four Reasons Your Social Security Benefit May Be Worth Much Less Than You Think By Christy Bieber If you’re forced to take Social Motley Fool Security before your FRA, your Most Americans will be eligible benefits could be substantially re- to receive Social Security when duced. Social Security benefits are they retire, and many of them ex- reduced by five-ninths of 1 percent pect Social Security to be a major for each month before FRA that source of income during retirement. you retire. If you retire more than If you’re one of them, you may have 36 months before FRA, benefits a problem: Social Security benefits are reduced by an additional five- may not be as substantial as you twelfths of 1 percent. This reduc- expect and living off those benefits tion is permanent. Consider how could be very tough. A quick look at retiring early impacts an average Social Security statistics — which $1,404 Social Security benefit if show an average monthly benefit of FRA was 67: just $1,404 for all retired workers Age 62-30 percent reduction = and just $2,340 for a senior couple $983; Age 63-25 percent reduction receiving benefits in 2020 — re- = $1,053; Age 64-20 percent reduc- veals the issue. tion = $1,124; Age 65-13.3 percent These numbers should make you reduction = $1,218; Age 66-6.7 very nervous if you’re counting percent reduction = $1,310. on Social Security to support you. Being forced to retire early Looking at low average benefits could also impact benefits in other doesn’t even tell the whole story, as Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, COLAs have averaged just 1.35 Social Security went up in 2018, adverse ways. Your Social Security Social Security benefits may actual- Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, percent per year. In three of the past they became responsible for the benefits are based on formula fac- ly be even lower than they seem at North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, 10 years, seniors didn’t get a raise extra $25 in premiums. toring in your highest 35 years of first glance. Here are four reasons Vermont, and West Virginia. at all, and in 2016, the COLA was Since Medicare premiums in- earnings, adjusted for wage growth. why your Social Security benefits Not everyone pays taxes on So- just 0.3 percent. creased so much, around 70 percent If you’re forced to retire earlier than may be a lot lower than you expect. cial Security in these states — your 3. Medicare premiums are of retirees saw their entire COLA planned and don’t have 35 years of 1. You may be taxed on Social income usually has to be above a paid out of Social Security eaten up by the extra premiums and earnings, you’ll have some years of Security benefits certain threshold, with rules varying Seniors on Social Security are won’t get any more money in their $0 earnings factored in. The aver- When you receive Social Secu- by state. But if you do, you’ll typ- typically covered by Medicare. Social Security checks in 2020, age wages your benefits are based rity benefits, there’s a chance your ically see a significant reduction in However, contrary to what many even with a 2 percent raise. This on will be lower. benefit will be reduced by federal benefits when state and local taxes believe, Medicare isn’t free. Pre- is a problem many older people Don’t let yourself depend and state taxes. combine. miums are typically charged for will face throughout their lifetimes on Social Security benefits The federal government taxes 2. Social Security benefits Medicare Part B, which covers while collecting Social Security. With Social Security benefits Social Security benefits once your aren’t keeping pace with rising routine visits to the doctor. These 4. You could be forced to take providing such a limited income, income as an individual exceeds costs of living premiums are directly deducted benefits early and get less than start saving early to build a nest $25,000. If you file a joint return Retirees receiving Social Se- from Social Security checks for expected egg so you don’t have to rely on with your spouse, you’ll have to curity benefits get periodic cost of most seniors. If you have little savings and Social Security. pay taxes on benefits if you have living adjustments (COLAs). CO- Most retirees pay a standard plan to rely on Social Security, you If you have access to a 401(k) a combined income of more than LAs are tied to the Consumer Price Medicare Part B premium and are may plan on working longer to in- at work, talk to your payroll or $32,000. If you’re married and Index for Urban Wage Earners and protected by hold-harmless provi- crease Social Security benefits. This HR department about setting up file separate tax returns, the Social Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Unfor- sions preventing premiums from isn’t a bad idea because if you retire automatic contributions so money Security Administration also indi- tunately, many believe this is the rising more than a Social Security after full retirement age (FRA) — is diverted to retirement savings cates you’ll probably be taxed on wrong index to tie benefit increases COLA adjustment. If premiums rise 67 for those born in 1960 or later— each paycheck before you have a benefits. For these purposes, com- to because it does not accurately $20 but COLAs provide only a $10 you’d get an increased benefit. The chance to spend it. If you don’t have bined income is generally defined reflect seniors’ spending patterns. raise, you’ll only pay $10 more. amount of your monthly benefit a 401(k), set up a tax-advantaged as your income from sources other Seniors often devote more of However, seniors with modified ad- increases by two-thirds of 1 percent account such as an IRA at a bank than Social Security, plus one-half their income to medical costs than justed gross incomes above $85,000 for each month after FRA that you or brokerage firm and automatically of your Social Security benefits. the general population. Unfortu- for singles or $170,000 for married delay claiming benefits. transfer funds from your paycheck For singles with income between nately, in 33 out of the past 35 years, couples must pay an income-related Unfortunately, you may not have to the account on payday. $25,000 and $34,000, up to 50 healthcare costs have risen at faster monthly adjustment amount and a choice about when you retire. If Try to work up to saving at percent of benefits is taxed. If your rates than Social Security COLA aren’t protected by hold-harmless you’re in a physically demanding least 15 percent of your income for income exceeds $34,000, up to increases. Food and housing cost provisions. job, you may get too old to work. retirement. While this may seem 85 percent of benefits is taxed. If increases are also outpacing COLA The problem occurs when Social And, in any job, if you’re laid off in daunting, start small. Making little you file jointly, you’re taxed on 50 for retirees on Social Security. Security raises come and seniors your 60s, finding new work could lifestyle changes to cut spending percent of Social Security benefits If Social Security benefits don’t are paying premiums below the be difficult. like skipping meals out, plan- if your income is between $32,000 rise as much as the costs of products standard premium because of An analysis by the Schwartz ning weekly menus to avoid food and $44,000. If your income ex- and services used by seniors, the hold-harmless provisions. When Center for Economic Policy Anal- waste, and cancelling unnecessary ceeds $44,000, you’ll pay tax on latter have less purchasing power. this happens, Medicare costs in- ysis found the real unemployment subscriptions could make a surpris- 85 percent of benefits. Even if income appears to go up crease. rate for workers 55 and up was ingly big difference in freeing up Depending upon where you live, because you receive a small raise, This occurred when seniors got 12 percent in 2016 — almost 2.5 money in your budget. you could also end up paying taxes benefits will actually be worth less a 2 percent COLA from 2018 to times the national jobless rate when You’ll be happy to have the on Social Security to the state, re- in real terms. 2019. In 2018, standard Medicare factoring in those who’d dropped extra cash as a senior and grateful ducing benefits even further. There And, unfortunately, there’s not premiums were $134, but seniors out of the workforce, who were un- for your efforts when you’re not are 13 states that tax Social Security even a guarantee you’ll get a raise protected by hold-harmless provi- deremployed, or who were looking struggling to survive on a Social benefits: Colorado, Connecticut, — even on paper. Since 2010, sions were only paying $109. When for work. Security benefit that is far too low. Page 24 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 there are ways to counteract deci- sion fatigue! Decision fatigue occurs when people become overly exhausted What You from making too many choices. It’s the emotional and mental strain resulting from a burden of choices. Need To While your brain has the capacity to consume a tremendous amount of energy — no one can maintain high Know levels of focus and output without By Dr Nina Radcliff paying a biological price. The reason you experience de- cision fatigue is due to your brain’s built-in safety system, known as self-preservation mode. Brains are Decision Fatigue hard-wired to ensure survival at all By Dr. Nina Radcliff, MD surface? costs — and as your decision-mak- As we reinforce COVID-19 Have I been exposed? How ing and extended focus carry on, efforts in helping to build a healthy should I or my family member your brain monitors your body’s shield of protection for ourselves, who is a frontline worker or part energy output closely. When there our family, friends, associates, local of the critical workforce keep the is an overload, the brain begins communities and nation — there other members of the household to shut down what it considers are a lot of decisions being made COVID-free? Am I overreacting? “non-essential” services, which moment-by-moment. Under-reacting? How’s everyone unfortunately includes the area of It’s estimated that on an average, doing? How am I doing? Anyone the brain responsible for complex non-pandemic day, you face more need something? How do I handle decision-making. This response is than 30,000 decisions from the someone outside moving too close? one explanation as to why sensible progress and daily wins. your stress– and your reaction to it. time you awaken to when you go Should I go for a car ride? What if people may become overly tired, —Self-care — be mindful of —It’s a dynamic time — stay to sleep. Some are simple, some are it breaks down? Is my workplace lash out, make some irrational how many decisions you’re mak- true to the heart of who you are — complex — ranging from process- okay? Is everyone eating healthy, decisions like opting for junk food ing — and give yourself a well-de- your values in decision-making. ing details with what to eat to deci- getting enough quality sleep, be- or mindless screen watching, or served break. Don’t just push Stick with sources of credible sions that involve your emotional, ing active enough? Mental health? experience loss of thoughts, con- through. Set aside (at a minimum) information, so you can avoid mis- financial, and physical well-being. Next? What’s happening? I lost my centration, focus, or perspective. 10 minutes between major tasks, information about the virus. Today, those decisions are ampli- job…. how do I pay my bills? This mental state becomes further allowing yourself to gain more —Stay tuned but don’t overdose fied with exhaustive questions like: These are just a few of the de- compromised by stress, nutritional perspective and energy from it! on media, hype, worry or misin- Do I wash my hands again? Is cision-related questions you didn’t deficiencies and other environmen- Also, plan some “me-time” en- formation this the right soap? Am I washing HAVE to make so relentlessly and tal factors with each contributing to joying something you love. Take Making these healthy decisions long enough — between every cautiously before COVID19. Too, more related health concerns. time to stay connected to family will help make a big difference finger, underneath each nail? Do fumbling a few decisions wasn’t as The key to overcoming decision and friends. Also, ensure you are while conserving your energy for the knobs/handles need cleaning? costly as it is today. And, in addition fatigue is 1.) to be aware that it getting the daily nutrition you the decisions that really matter. Should that box that was just de- to these weighty COVID-19 deci- is happening and 2.) know ways need — including healthy proteins, Take great care — you’re precious!! livered be placed in a quarantine sions, you are still processing the to combat and counteract it - in- staying hydrated along with quality * * * * * area for a few days? Or, do I wipe other 30,000 choices you routinely cluding: sleep, nightly! Maintain good sleep This article is for general in- it with an antibacterial wipe? Is the make throughout your day. —Map-out a day or two ahead, hygiene, starting your bedtime at formation only and should not be mail clean? It adds up — causing decision keeping priorities well-focused least an hour earlier than when you used for the diagnosis or treatment Is that cough allergy-related? fatigue which impacts your overall —Write down top priorities for plan to sleep, turn down lights, and of medical conditions and cannot Should I start a grocery order now? physical and mental well-being. each day, tackling what you can, spend time relaxing. substitute for the advice from your Are there enough virus-killing Add to that, daily routines and first. This way, your most import- —Keep routines — times of medical professional. Dr. Nina has cleansers to last? Until…? Did alllll rhythms are off — along with the ant decisions get done when your eating, sleeping, waking, physical used all reasonable care in com- the groceries get wiped clean? fact you don’t have much control energy is at its highest activities piling the current information but Should I stop for gas? When I’m over the current situation. All —Each day, recognize major —Acknowledge your stress. It it may not apply to you and your out, do I wear gloves, a mask, and which has been shown to make decisions (what impacts your life moves you from operating from symptoms. Always consult a doctor can that mask become infected? people more off balance, stressed the most, now) and review what a reactive place to a position of or other health care professional How can I clean my mask? Did and anxious than they may realize you need to work your plan; shore- strength providing an opportunity for diagnosis and treatment of my clothes touch a contaminated in making decisions. Good news is up weak spots; and acknowledge to understand what’s at the heart of medical conditions.

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Cold Winter Getaway By Sandy Zimmerman Las Vegas Tribune Photos by Virtually Visiting With 25 years as a travel writer (entertainment and dining review- er), I usually enjoy jungles, islands, off the beaten path villages, and animal tours. There are so many exciting stories about the Arctic, a desolate frozen winter landscape yet this may be an experience to remember. Virtual Visiting con- tacted me about their new Virtual Videos featuring the ICEHOTEL, TreeHotel, and others in 360 degree VR Video. The ICEHOTEL is not an igloo, their large square building has hallways, rooms, bedrooms, suites, chairs, beds, chandeliers, decora- tions, and more all made of snow and ice blocks. The regular bed sits on an ice foundation with pillows, coverings and sleeping bags on top. Walking from room to room the atmosphere is stark white, I feel the Ice Artist should paint some colors to brighten the atmosphere. The temperature inside the ICEHOTEL is always minus 5 even when it is minus 30 or minus 40 degrees outside. Matilda, the guide, explained, “It takes 2 weeks to rebuild the ICEHOTEL every year working from 7 a.m. until late at night.” If you have heard about the ICEHOTEL there are several with that name around the world. Snow Explore the main hall, learn more Sledding Tour with Yellow Snow Award-winning Sandy Zimmer- X’s each week and “Discover the fans would love to just ski or take about how the ICEHOTEL is made Husky Tours, Snowmobile Adven- man produces television programs, Ultimate Vacation” travel specials. a sled over to the ICEHOTEL. The before heading deeper inside to ture, and Aurora Safari Camp. documentaries, TV commercials, Sandy is a syndicated columnist area is warmer during the summer. explore some of the amazing Art I rode in a helicopter to the gla- filmed a Cattle Drive in Reno, featuring Show/ Dining reviews, This is a FREE guided virtual Suites all in VR 360! Your guide cier in Juneau, Alaska and took a Nevada, travel specials in the US travel, spas, luxury and more. Sug- tour of northernmost Swedish Matilda will ensure that you are dog sled which was very exciting and around the world, as a Vid- gest topics for articles, for informa- Lapland (bordering Norway and well looked after as she talks to and would recommend their Yellow eographer/ Editor/ Talk Show Host tion or questions call 702-515-0846 Finland) and you don’t have to you about some of the ideas and Snow Husky Tour. of Sandy Zimmerman’s Las Vegas or write sandyzimm2003@yahoo. dress in warm coats, just sit at concepts that the artist had before * * * * * TV television program, airing 6 com home with your computer and click starting on the processes of building the link: https://virtuallyvisiting. their amazing rooms, and as always com/360-journeys/ with Virtually Visiting it’s as good This season saw the 30th winter as there! ICEHOTEL built just outside Kiru- For more information visit the na in Swedish Lapland with each website https://youtu.be/66H- year being unique and different. kF-0OV7M. This 360 VERus tour takes you They also offer other virtual on a tour of that very ICEHOTEL tours including “Meet the Moose with your very own personal guide. at Cape Wild, Treehouse Tour; Dog Page 26 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / April 22-28, 2020 July 10-16, 2019 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 27 financialis, predictions conflicts based ofon interestlots of em may- todaythus far are to completely look in more safe detail to eat. on Alsomate ofmodeling concern to is do the groundbreak genetic con- havepirical tainted data about the how research. much global Ad- Regardless,a regional basis, testing especially should contin given- taminationing research of into wild the species likelihood due ofto ditionally,average temperature many scientists is expected still to ue,that especially climate change for new has varieties not only of crossthings breeding like floods with in GMOs. the Pacific This feelrise andthat bythe when. jury isn’t out on the GMOslarge-scale that aren’tbut also well local studied. conse- isNorthwest, particularly expected a risk moisture in the case flux safety“Global of GMOs. climate A models2015 scientific (GCMs) quences.Environmentally, These so-called GMOs regional are a ofconvergence GMO farmed and salmon.ensuing Ifdrought these papersimulate signed the interactionsby 300 independent between mixedclimate bag. models Most (RCMs) crops are work geneti by- fishin the escape Southwest, fish farmingand, even operations further researchersthe atmosphere, from around ocean theand world land callymagnifying modified the resolutionin an effort of toGCMs fight andafield, contaminate projected wild climate stocks, change the statesto project that futurethe effects climate, of GMOs based onon pests.in a small, There limited are two areaways of to interest,accom- ecologicaland impacts consequences in Southeast could Asia. be health remain “unclear.” plish this goal. The first is to create severe. assumptions about future emissions typically within a 3,000 square The analytical techniques being Another factor is that scientific plants that produce pest-killing tox- All in all, GMOs are still shroud- of greenhouse gases,” reports the mile radius. Only by creating and pioneered at UW are being shared studies on GMO-related health ins “endogenously”: When pests eat ed in uncertainty. They seem to Climate Impacts Group at the Uni- analyzing RCMs can we assess the with researchers around the world risks have generally been short such plants, they die. These types have some benefits, and many versity of Washington (UW). influence of myriad fixed geograph- with the hope that more and more term. We can’t extrapolate the ef- of GMOs can actually be good for scientists believe they can help According to ClimatePrediction. ic conditions and other local factors scientists will start to run RCMs in fects of years of GMO consumption the environment in that they often address world hunger. However, onnet, human a volunteer health by computing looking at andthe don’tsuch asrequire land height, as many land pesticides use, lakes, as there’stheir own still regions a chance to helpGMOs planners could seeminglyclimate modeling null results project from aout year- of unmodifiedsea breeze, mountain plants. ranges and lo- causeplan andhealth improve issues, people’sand they liveshave longthe UK’sstudy onUniversity rodents. Itof could Oxford, still calizedUnfortunately, weather patterns an alternate on climate pest alreadydespite causedthe warming some environmental climate. beglobal that GMOsclimate are models causing (GCMs) health fightingimpacts forstrategy a particular that also metropoli uses ge-- issues.GCMs If you’re and RCMs not convinced are both im by- issues,are designed but we’ve to calculate failed to establishwhat the netictan area, modification state or country. — engineering theportant research tools to in date, figuring and prefer out how to aclimate causal islink doing because (in terms of how of wind,long plants“For to thebe resistantpractical to planning pesticides of avoidto cope GMOs with the altogether, effects of look climate for EarthTalkDear EarthTalk:® Whatis pro are so-- responsibletologists specifically for the lovecreation to create of called regional climate models GMOsmodels haveof how also the been planet responsible and its thesetemperature, issues take humidity, to manifest. etc.) That at a andlocal herbicides issues such — as waterhas the resources oppo- thechange, non-GMO whether project a worst label case on sce the- andduced why bydo weRoddy need themScheer given forvarious a large natural portion systems of the and research cycles said,number it’s ofquite discrete possible points that on most the siteor flood effect, defenses, generally countries leading require to foodsnario isyou borne buy. out or something not thatand we alreadyDoug have Moss pretty decentfor onwill their react health with the effects. input Therefore,of way too (ifEarth’s not all) surface GMOs as onwell the as market in the aninformation increase inon agricultural a much more waste. lo- quite so cataclysmic.* * * * * atmosphere and out at sea. The cal scale than GCMs are able to * * * * * globalthe 501(c)3climate models? nonprofit -- Rich W., many greenhouse gas emissions in Seattle, WA the atmosphere. Climate science points are then laid out in a grid provide,” adds ClimatePrediction. EarthTalk® is produced by EarthTalkScientists (and. Toeconomists donate, and has come a long way since its covering the planet’s surface. The net. “Regional models provide one Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss for businessvisit www.earthtalk.org. people) love to create early days a few decades back, but more points at play, the finer the res- solution to this problem.” the 501(c)3 nonprofit EarthTalk. models to help predict future out- most of what we think will happen olution (and accuracy) of the model. UW’s Climate Impacts Group To donate, visit www.earthtalk. comesSend as questions a way to direct to: quesplanning- regarding global warming comes Nowadays climate researchers has been able to leverage its exper- org. Send questions to: question@ [email protected]. preparedness efforts. Clima- from global climate models — that are applying what they have learned tise in global and now regional cli- earthtalk.org. Dear EarthTalk: What’s the current thinking on the safe- ty of genetically engineered or modified products with regard to environmental, farm worker and consumer health? — A.J. Cary, NC Few topics are as divisive as genetic engineering. Plants and animals that have had their ge- nomes artificially altered now dominate the world of agriculture. The vast majority of U.S.-grown corn and soybeans are genetically engineered. In grocery stores, over 60 percent of processed foods contain at least some components derived from GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Given all this, it makes sense to ask whether or not these altered forms of life have deleterious effects on humans or the environment. When it comes to human health, the evidence suggests GMOs are harmless. Exhaustive meta-analy- ses of scientific studies on GMOs have generally found no links between their consumption and negative health outcomes. Howev- er, there are some caveats. One is The vast majority of soybeans grown in the U.S. come from genetically modified seeds. that the biotechnology companies Public health and environmental advocates wonder whether these “frankenfoods” are hurting our health and the environment. This graphic shows the United Kingdom as represented in a Global Climate Model (GCM), a Regional Climate Model (RCM) and actual observations. LASLAS VEGASVEGAS TRIBUNETRIBUNE CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS

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