Monday, December 31, 2018

Les Paul and Mary Ford


                                                                   Mister Sandman

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Andre Segovia



                                                                           1962

Saturday, December 29, 2018

This Is Our President

Trump Blames Democrats For Deaths Of 2 Children In Border Patrol Custody

“If we had a Wall, they wouldn’t even try!” the president claimed.

By Sara Boboltz 

 

President Donald Trump on Sunday pinned the recent deaths of two migrant children on the southern U.S. border on his usual political foe, the Democrats, along with what he called “their pathetic immigration policies.”

 

Full story here 

This Is Our President

Trump Blocks Federal Workers’ Pay Hike While They’re Out Of A Job

 In the middle of a government shutdown, Trump ordered that federal worker pay not be increased for 2019.

By Dave Jamieson 

Full story here

A Super Blood Wolf Moon Will Glow Red In The Sky This January

The total lunar eclipse will be visible from coast to coast in the United States.

By Carol Kuruvilla 
 
Americans all over the country will have front row seats in January to a striking sight on the celestial stage: a “super blood wolf moon.”
After the sun sets on Jan. 20, Americans will be able to see an exceptionally big, bright, red moon glowing in the sky, an event that NASA calls “one of the sky’s most dazzling shows.”
There are three reasons why stargazers are calling this event a super blood wolf moon.
First, it’s a total lunar eclipse, which means the sun and moon will be perfectly aligned on opposite sides of the Earth. The moon will be completely covered by the Earth’s shadow and take on a reddish tint ― hence the nickname blood moon. NASA calculates there will be 85 total lunar eclipses this century.
The eclipse will also happen near the moon’s perigee, a point in its orbit when it is closest to the Earth. This means the moon will appear slightly brighter and bigger than usual, known as a supermoon.

Finally, January’s full moon is traditionally called a wolf moon in the United States, according to The Farmer’s Almanac. Other cultures have different names for the full moons that occur throughout the year.
Residents of the U.S. were unable to see the longest full blood moon of the 21st century in July. It was visible only over parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. A rare super blue blood moon, which occurs when a super blood moon is also the second full moon of the month, occurred in January 2018. In the United States, that celestial event was most visible to people on the West Coast, Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands.

In contrast, January’s super blood wolf moon will be visible from coast to coast in the U.S. mainland, depending on weather conditions. People in Hawaii may also be able to see the eclipse while the moon is rising.
The moment of greatest eclipse, the instant when the moon passes closest to the axis of Earth’s shadow, is predicted to occur about 12:12 a.m. EST on Jan. 21 (9:12 p.m. PST on Jan. 20).
The super blood wolf moon will also be visible to people in South America and in the western parts of Europe and Africa.
NASA predicts the next total lunar eclipse will happen on May 26, 2021.

Beetoven's 5th


                                                    Leonard Bernstein - Conductor

Friday, December 28, 2018

NASA’s Close Encounter With Mysterious Space Object Will Make History On New Year’s Day

The New Horizons probe is hurtling toward an object nicknamed Ultima Thule in the mostly unexplored Kuiper Belt.

By Carol Kuruvilla 

As revelers on the East Coast celebrate the arrival of a new year, scientists will be crossing another kind of frontier ― 4 billion miles from the sun.
Early on Jan. 1, NASA’s New Horizons probe is scheduled to have a close encounter with the most distant planetary object that humans have ever studied.
The spacecraft, which zipped by Jupiter in 2007 and Pluto in 2015, is now making its way toward 2014 MU69 ― a mysterious chunk of rock and ice in an almost entirely unexplored region of space.
The object is nicknamed Ultima Thule — “most distant” in Latin combined with the ancient Greeks’ name for the world’s northernmost place. The New Horizons mission team said the nickname refers to “a place beyond the known world.” Ultima Thule is roughly the size of New York City and orbits the sun once every 297 yearsaccording to National Geographic.

But it’s Ultima Thule’s location that makes it interesting to scientists. The object resides 1 billion miles beyond Pluto, in the Kuiper Belt. This region stretches around the sun and is home to millions of icy bodies. Scientists believe these bodies are leftovers from the formation of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago and have remained largely unchanged since then.
“It’s the oldest relic of the solar system we’ve ever studied,” New Horizons team member Marc Buie told National Geographic.

Alan Stern, the NASA mission’s principal investigator, said in a Facebook Live video that scientists aren’t sure what to expect from Ultima Thule. “When we fly past Ultima, we’re going to have a chance to see the way things were back at the beginning,” he said. “It’s completely unknown and unexplored.”

New Horizons launched into space in January 2006. Four years ago, astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to pinpoint Kuiper Belt objects within the spacecraft’s reach and settled on Ultima Thule.
New Horizons is hurtling through space at 31,500 miles per hour (more than eight miles a second) to reach the object. As it passes Ultima Thule, it will take hundreds of photographs and other measurements to collect more information about the celestial body. The team hopes to map the object’s surface, figure out its temperature and determine if it has an atmosphere, moons or rings.
According to a schedule released by the New Horizons team, the spacecraft will fly by Ultima Thule at 12:33 a.m. Eastern time on Jan. 1. It will travel within 2,200 miles of the body, less than one-third the distance of its closest approach to Pluto.

There’s still some uncertainty, though; New Horizons’ images could come back blurred if Ultima Thule is rotating rapidly, National Geographic reports. And there’s also a chance that the spacecraft’s camera could miss it completely.
“We might get it, and we might not,” Stern said on Facebook Live. “And if we get it, it’s going to be spectacular.”
The New Horizons team will be counting down to the spacecraft’s closest approach to Ultima Thule early on New Year’s Day. Some results from the encounter will be shared in the following days, but it will take the spacecraft until 2020 to send all the data from the encounter back to Earth.
Michael Buckley, the New Horizons team’s media spokesperson, told HuffPost that the partial government shutdown that started Saturday will have no effect on the project’s mission or science operations.
In case the shutdown remains in effect on Jan. 1, the team has partnered with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to provide live coverage of the flyby.
Coverage will be streamed on the laboratory’s YouTube channel and the New Horizons mission website.

Leonard Bernstein


                                                               What Is A Melody

Thursday, December 27, 2018

The Beatles


                                                                  Twist and Shout

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Shutdown Slashes Nearly All Federal Food Stamps Office Staff

As of Wednesday morning, remaining employees dwindled down to a mere 5 percent.


 
As the government shutdown drags into its fifth day, nearly all employees in the office overseeing federal food stamps have been cut.
As of Wednesday morning, the remaining staff dwindled down to a mere 5 percent.
The drastic change was flagged by CNN, which pointed a U.S. Department of Agriculture summary breaking down each of its resources under threat, and the days left until they disappeared. The Food Nutrition and Consumer Services office deals not only with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but also the Child Nutrition Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
While SNAP benefits will remain available in January and Child Nutrition programs will continue into February, the future of WIC is uncertain as the shutdown lingers on. The USDA suggested that states turn to local resources if needed.
In a statement Friday just before the government’s partial closure, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue attempted to ease concerns, noting the agency would try its best to keep to business as usual.
“There may be a lapse in funding for the federal government, but that will not relieve USDA of its responsibilities for safeguarding life and property through the critical services we provide,” Perdue said. “Our employees work hard every day to benefit our customers and the farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers who depend on our programs. During a shutdown, we will leverage our existing resources as best we can to continue to provide the top-notch service people expect.”
The agency echoed Perdue’s message on Twitter hours after the shutdown kicked in.

Key USDA services that won’t be cut include its inspections of poultry, meat and eggs and its monitoring of imports and exports for pests.
So far, there’s no end to the shutdown in sight as President Donald Trump continues battling for a spending bill with border wall funding, which has been stymied by the House despite passing the Senate. It is becoming increasingly possible the government might not reopen until January when Democrats gain control of the House.

The Who


                                                                    My Generation

Rolling Stones


                                                    (I Can't Get NO) Satisfaction

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Scrooge



                                                              1951 - Alastair Sim

Monday, December 24, 2018

Handel's Messiah


                                                         Complete - over two hours

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Vienna Boys Choir


                                                                  Carol of the Bells

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Eddie Cochran


                                                                   C'mon Everybody

Thursday, December 20, 2018


Chubby Checker


                                                                          The Twist

Fats Domino



                                                                      Blueberry Hill

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Vivaldi



                                                                    Four Seasons

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Trump And The Elected Republicans

Republicans are still strongly behind Trump. A couple of Republican legislators denounced Saudi Arabia for the killing of a reporter, but with all the investigations and wrong doing by Trump and his administration Republicans are still silent and supporting Trump's actions, behavior, and words.

Republican legislators are responsible for Trump's actions legally and morally.

We will see this Friday if McConnell will support a government shut down because of funding for Trump's wall on the Mexican boarder.

Chris Mathews of MSNBC is predicting Trump will resign in the next two weeks. That would be great, but that's Mathew's wish and hope. Trump will not resign. Trump will fight to the bitter end and Trump will make it bitter.

Republicans will start jumping on the anti Trump band wagon as the reality of Trump's criminal actions become clear. That will not excuse them from their complicity in their actions and support of Trump's actions. They have supported Trump legally and morally throughout his campaign for president and as president. The whole Trump administration and Republican legislators should be fully investigated and charged with any wrong doings.

One of the problems with Nixon's pardon is that many people in his administration were never investigated, or charged with possible crimes they may have committed and remained in our national politics for decades to continue to harm America. Trump and his administration members should not be allowed to just walk away. Justice must be served.

I'll never understand why the American voter could not see Trump's immoral and criminal character and put him in the oval office. It does no good to say I told you so, or to excuse the mistake the voters made. They must live with that mistake and will pay dearly for the consequences of their vote. Unfortunately, future Americans will have to pay for that mistake, which they had nothing to do with, just as future Americans will have to pay for the mistakes made (financial, militarily, and otherwise) over the last 50 years.

It's a sad situation and time in our country's history, but we will survive, wounded and limping. The sooner Trump is out of office the sooner we can get on with our national life. We can prosecute Trump and his administration members for years, but getting Trump out of office should be our priority right now.

I think Republicans understand they are fighting for the life of their party, if they don't, they better, because this Trump episode could be the death of the Republican party as it has been known for over 150 years.

The Democrats must regain majority and then get down to serious government business, thetre is much to be done.

Denver Mayor Moves To Ban Conversion Therapy For LGBTQ Minors

“These terrible practices that target our youth, simply for being who they are, are dangerous and immoral,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said.

By Alanna Vagianos 

Denver is the latest city to propose a ban on “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ youths.
Mayor Michael B. Hancock (D) and two City Council members introduced the proposal on Monday, which will be reviewed by the Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee on Wednesday. If passed, the ban would be the first anti-conversion therapy legislation to pass in the state of Colorado.
“These terrible practices that target our youth, simply for being who they are, are dangerous and immoral. We’re going to make sure that they never happen within our city,” Hancock said in a Monday statement.
The proposed ban hopes to protect LGBTQ youth form “dangerous and discredited practices aimed at changing their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression,” according to the mayor. The proposal aims to target state-licensed therapists within the city of Denver who claim that being gay, bisexual or transgender is a mental illness.
Conversion therapy is rooted in the belief, often found in religious communities, that sexuality and gender identity is a choice, and something that can be changed through therapy. Dozens of government health organizations have condemned the practice, including the American Psychological Association, which said the risks of conversion therapy include “depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior.”
The American Psychoanalytic Association described the controversial practice as going “against fundamental principles of psychoanalytic treatment,” which “often result in substantial psychological pain by reinforcing damaging internalized attitudes.”

In his Monday statement, Hancock recalled when his brother came out as gay to his family and was met with love and support.

“All our LGBTQ+ youth here in Denver deserve the same, and they should be proud of who they are,” he added. “We celebrate who they are, and they should feel welcome and that our city is open to them. Their safety, well-being and happiness are our highest priority with this proposal.”
Colorado lawmakers have previously tried to ban conversion therapy throughout the state, but the proposed legislation has failed four times, according to CBS.

Fourteen states, in addition to Washington, D.C., have banned conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth. Other states that have outlawed conversion therapy for minors include New Jersey, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Washington and Hawaii.

Mother Barred From Seeing Dying Toddler Due To Trump Travel Ban

The child’s father is an American citizen who brought the 2-year-old to California for treatment.

By Sara Boboltz 

A California man on Monday begged the U.S. State Department to allow his wife into the country to see the couple’s reportedly dying 2-year-old son.
Ali Hassan, 22, is an American citizen who says his wife has been barred from the country due to the Trump administration’s travel ban, which restricts visa applicants from the Muslim-majority nations of Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.
The child’s mother, 21-year-old Shaima Swileh, is a native of Yemen who lives in Egypt, according to the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which is advocating on behalf of the family.
Hassan had brought the toddler, Abdullah, to the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, California, a few months ago for treatment for a genetic brain condition.
According to CAIR, doctors have said that Abdullah cannot endure life support for much longer.
“My wife is calling me every day wanting to kiss and hold her son,” Hassan said at a tearful press conference Monday.
“For the one last time ― time’s running out. Please help us. I am here today for your support to help bring my family together for the one last time,” he said.
In a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court voted in late June to uphold the travel ban, which was the Trump administration’s third attempt to crack down on immigration from select nations. Critics say the ban unfairly targets Muslims, while the measure’s supporters claim it strengthens national security.
Swileh has applied for a waiver in order to see her son, CAIR said.

U.S. Border Agents Who Detained Girl Won’t Speak With Congress About Her Death

Congressional Hispanic Caucus members plan to visit the patrol station where 7-year-old Jakelin Caal was taken.

Toscanini


       Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 "Choral"

Fantasia


                                                                              1940

Monday, December 17, 2018

Dogs Thrown From Vehicle On New York Highway, Police Say

The two beagle mixes are recovering after being rescued by a state trooper and a truck driver who said he witnessed the horrific scene.

By Nina Golgowski 

Two beagle mixes are recovering after authorities said they were tossed from a moving vehicle onto a New York highway, igniting a search for the culprits.
A man driving a tractor-trailer said he was traveling along Interstate 81 in Cortland County around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday when he saw the dogs tossed from an SUV’s back window in the southbound lane, according to the New York State Police.
The truck driver, whom police identified only as Adam, said he immediately hit the brakes and parked his vehicle on the side of the road to help. A passing state trooper assisted after spotting the trucker’s abandoned vehicle and then the two dogs, one of which was described as seriously injured.
“[Adam] seemed to be very angry that somebody could do such a despicable act to dogs,” police spokeswoman Trooper Aga Dembinska told WBNG 12 News.
The dogs, since named Adam and Trooper after their heroes, were taken to the Broome County Humane Society in Binghamton for treatment. Trooper, who suffered the worst injuries of the two, had one of his legs amputated. Adam suffered only a few abrasions, the Humane Society said.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Humane Society described Trooper as “alert” and “determined” to get well.
“He was very alert and mobile this evening. He was moving on 3 legs!” the organization shared. “Although a bit unsteady, and only moving a short distance, it is very obvious that he is determined.”
An earlier Facebook update showed photos of Adam also in good spirits while donning a Santa hat and a Snoopy bandana.
The person or people responsible for the dogs’ injuries remain wanted by police. The vehicle involved is believed to be an older, dark blue Dodge Durango. It was described by the responding trucker as very dirty and with rust along the hatch near the bumper area, police said.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the New York State Police Department at (607) 749-1614. Those wanting to help Trooper and Adam’s recovery can donate to the Broome County Humane Society.

How To See ‘Christmas Comet’ 46P/Wirtanen With The Naked Eye

The bright green comet has arrived just in time for the holidays.

By Ed Mazza 

It may not be the star of Bethlehem, but there’s a bright green comet passing Earth by just in time for Christmas.
On a clear night, you might even be able to spot it with the naked eye ― if you know where to look. 
Comet 46P/Wirtanen, a.k.a. “The Christmas Comet,” passed within 7.1 million miles of Earth on Sunday, its closest approach. But it should be easily visible for much of the coming week and even beyond.
This could be one of the brightest comets in years,” Paul Chodas, manager of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a news release.
The approach gives astronomers “an important opportunity to study a comet up close with ground-based telescopes, both optical and radar,” Chodas stated.
According to NASA, the comet will be in the constellation Taurus near the Pleiades. Look for a blur in a Christmas shade of green, which will slowly move across the sky:

If you can’t find the Pleiades cluster, stargazing apps can help you locate it. Of course, darker skies and clearer nights will also help.
The University of Maryland has posted some charts and more tips to help spot the comet, and an observer at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles has compiled a chart that will assist West Coast skywatchers:

EarthSky and Sky and Telescope also have some pointers for spotting the comet, which was named for astronomer Carl Wirtanen, who first observed it in 1948 at the Lick Observatory near San Jose, California.
The comet should be visible for between two and eight hours per night over the coming year, NASA said. The best time to see it with the naked eye will be this week. After that, you’ll need binoculars or a telescope.

Yoda's Theme


                                                                     John Williams

Feliz Navidad


                                                                     Jose Feliciano

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Abbott and Costello


                                                                  Who's On First

Debbie Reynolds


                                                                  Beyond The Stars

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Enya


                                                              Silent Night (in Irish)

Silver Bells



                                                         Bob Hope - Marilyn Maxwell

Friday, December 14, 2018

7-Year-Old Migrant Girl Dies Of Dehydration In Border Patrol Custody:

The Guatemalan child was taken to an El Paso hospital after her temperature topped 105.

 By Antonia Blumberg

A 7-year-old girl from Guatemala died of dehydration and shock while in U.S. Border Patrol custody last week, The Washington Post reported Thursday, citing U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The girl, who the Post said was not identified by the CBP, started having seizures roughly eight hours after the Border Patrol took her into custody along with her father and a group of 163 other people who had crossed the border illegally along a stretch of New Mexico desert.
The migrants had turned themselves in to U.S. agents and were taken into custody about 10 p.m. Dec. 6. The girl began having seizures at 6:25 the following morning, CBP records stated. 
She “reportedly had not eaten or consumed water for several days,” CBP said. Emergency responders measured her temperature at 105.7 degrees and took her by helicopter to an El Paso hospital. There, she went into cardiac arrest and “was revived,” CBP said. “However, the child did not recover and died at the hospital less than 24 hours after being transported.”
CBP officials did not immediately provide comment to HuffPost.
“Our sincerest condolences go out to the family of the child,” Andrew Meehan, a spokesman for the agency, said in a statement to the Post.
“Border Patrol agents took every possible step to save the child’s life under the most trying of circumstances,” Meehan said. “As fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, we empathize with the loss of any child.”
Meehan did not comment to the Post on whether Border Patrol agents provided the girl with food and water in the eight hours between when she was taken into custody and when her seizures began.
Border Patrol agents detained a record 25,172 “family unit members” in November and 5,283 “unaccompanied minors,” according to Department of Homeland Security figures released last week.
The Trump administration is no longer enforcing the family separations carried out in May and June, which sparked a nationwide outcry and prompted a federal judge to order the government to reunite children with their guardians.
But the child’s dehydration death last week could inflame anger over the agency’s treatment of children, especially with new reports this week about the conditions of CBP facilities.
The government is currently holding nearly 15,000 unaccompanied migrant children in federally contracted detention facilities, the Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday. Shelters holding children are about 92 percent full, agency spokeswoman Evelyn Stauffer told CNN.

Merry Christmas


Elvis


                                                                  Blue Christmas

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Posting May Be Suspended

I am having surgery tomorrow, Friday the 14th. Recovery will be slow and depending on that recovery I probably won't be posting regularly. Music will still post as I have those selections pre-scheduled. If I'm not back for a while have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

What People Get Wrong About Suicides On Tribal Lands

The conversation around mental health and Native Americans needs to change, says expert Doreen Bird.

By Locke Hughes 

Native American communities experience a much higher rate of mental health issues, such as substance abuse and suicide, than any other racial or ethnic group in the country ― and the media tend to fixate on these grim figures.
Data shows that tribal communities experience psychological distress 1.5 times more often than the general population, and Native Americans use and abuse alcohol and drugs at younger ages and at higher rates than any other ethnic group. Plus, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 10- to 34-year-olds in tribal communities.

Full Report Here

Preserving U.S. Democracy Means Breaking Up Monopolies Like Facebook And Amazon

Opinion - Columnist
 
For decades, Americans have feared that an oppressive federal government would strangle political and economic freedom. Instead, massive private institutions increasingly direct public policy, distort political discourse and dominate our daily lives.
The problem is not capitalism per se ― as with the worries about government, it’s size. Allowing business enterprises to accumulate unchecked dominance over key sectors of our economy corrodes competition, constrains opportunity and, ultimately, corrupts representative governance. True democracy, it transpires, can flourish only when economic power and prosperity are more equitably distributed.

Full Column Here
 

5 Democrats Bail Out Paul Ryan And Protect Saudi Arabia

Reps. Jim Costa, Al Lawson, Collin Peterson, Dutch Ruppersberger and David Scott helped the GOP ensure the House won’t consider a companion bill to anti-Saudi legislation soon expected to pass the Senate.

By Matt Fuller and Akbar Shahid Ahmed


WASHINGTON ― Five Democrats saved House Republicans from an embarrassing floor defeat Wednesday, voting with the GOP on a farm bill rule that controversially included language blocking a vote on U.S. involvement in Yemen.
The rule ― which set up consideration for the farm bill ― waived a War Powers Resolution–based measure that could have given Democrats a floor vote on ending U.S. assistance to the Saudi-led coalition blamed for thousands of deaths and widespread starvation in Yemen. 

Full Report Here

Darlene Love


                                                                         Christmas

Eartha Kitt


                                                                      Santa Baby

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Parkland, Florida School Massacre Panel Recommends Arming Teachers

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission voted to recommend allowing teachers to carry guns on campus to stop future shootings.

 Terry Spencer and Curt Anderson - AP


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The panel investigating the Florida high school massacre recommended Wednesday that teachers who volunteer and undergo extensive background checks and training be allowed to carry concealed guns on campus to stop future shootings.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission voted 13-1 to recommend the Legislature allow the arming of teachers, saying it’s not enough to have one or two police officers or armed guards on campus. Florida law adopted after the Feb. 14 shooting that left 17 dead allows districts to arm non-teaching staff members such as principals, librarians and custodians — 13 of the 67 districts do, mostly in rural parts of the state.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, the commission’s chairman, pushed the measure at the Tallahassee meeting. He said most deaths in school shootings happen within the first few minutes, before officers on and off campus can respond. He said suspect Nikolas Cruz stopped to reload his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle five times, all of which would have been opportunities for an armed teacher to shoot him.
“We have to give people a fighting chance, we have to give them an opportunity to protect themselves,” Gualtieri said. He said there aren’t enough officers or money to hire one for every school, but even then officers need backup. “One good guy with a gun on campus is not enough.”
The state teachers union and PTA have previously expressed opposition, saying teachers are hired to educate, not be police officers.
Commissioner Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son Alex died in the massacre, cast the lone vote against the motion. He said the state should focus on hiring more police officers for campuses and allowing non-teaching staff to carry guns.
“We do need more good guys with a gun on campus — nobody understands that and wishes we had more at Marjory Stoneman Douglas than myself,” Schachter said. But arming teachers “creates a host of problems.” The father and wife of other victims, who are not on the commission, also spoke against arming teachers.
After the shooting, Florida law was changed to allow school districts to train and arm employees other than teachers except those who are former or current police officers, current members of the military or Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructors.
Currently, teachers in 28 states can carry firearms, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center, a conservative nonprofit organization. District approval is required in most states and restrictions and training requirements vary.
The 15-member commission, which has been meeting periodically since April, will present a report to Gov. Rick Scott, incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature by Jan. 1.
The commission includes law enforcement, education and mental health professionals, a legislator and the fathers of two slain students.
Also Wednesday, a judge rejected former Stoneman Douglas campus deputy Scot Peterson’s contention that he had no obligation to confront Cruz.
Refusing to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the parent of a victim, Broward Circuit Judge Patti Englander Henning found after a hearing that Peterson did have a duty to protect those inside the school. Video and other evidence shows Peterson, the only armed officer at the school, remained outside while shots rang out.
The negligence lawsuit was filed by Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed. Pollack said it made no sense for Peterson’s attorneys to argue that a sworn law enforcement officer with a badge and a gun had no requirement to go inside.
“Then what is he doing there?” Pollack said after the ruling. “He had a duty. I’m not going to let this go. My daughter, her death is not going to be in vain.”
Peterson attorney Michael Piper said he understands that people might be offended or outraged at his client’s defense, but he argued that as a matter of law, the deputy had no duty to confront the shooter. Peterson did not attend the hearing.
“There is no legal duty that can be found,” Piper said. “At its very worst, Scot Peterson is accused of being a coward. That does not equate to bad faith.”
The commission voted Wednesday to condemn Peterson’s actions, calling him “derelict” in his duties.
Cruz, a 20-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student, has pleaded not guilty, but his lawyers have said he would plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

New Medicare drug policy a step down for seniors



Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently issued a shocking pronouncement. They've decided to prioritize insurers over patients.
The agency recently released new instructions to insurers that participate in Medicare Advantage, allowing them to require patients to take "the most preferred drug" on the market for their condition first, before trying any other treatments.

Unfortunately, "most preferred" is often merely a euphemism for cheapest. So even if a doctor has concluded, for sound medical reasons, that a different treatment would be more effective, an insurer can demand that a patient first try — and fail — with the "most preferred" drug.

This process, known as "step therapy," will delay treatments for cancer patients and other seriously ill seniors, putting their health — and their lives — at risk.

Step therapy is a blemish on the otherwise popular Medicare Advantage program, which offers seniors who opt in privately administered health plans. Coverage options can include the majority of beneficiaries' health needs, including prescription drugs, physician, hospital and outpatient services.
CMS' new guidance will impede access to care for Medicare Advantage patients receiving medications administered under a doctor's direct supervision, which fall into Medicare's "Part B" category. These include infusion treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Step therapy can be downright cruel for patients battling chronic and painful conditions. Imagine suffering in agony for weeks, months or even years trying out different treatments that your physician knows are unlikely to help. With each new drug comes a new set of side effects, but no noticeable health benefits.

Previously, a 2012 CMS directive banned step therapy for Part B treatments — and for good reason. Part B drugs are highly specialized. Doctors must take into consideration a patient's diagnosis, lifestyle, medical history and more to find the best treatment or combination of medications.
Lifting this ban puts some of Medicare's sickest beneficiaries in real danger.

Consider the cancer patients who rely on Part B for chemotherapy. Such treatment regimens are highly individualized — with some patients responding better to one drug rather than another.
To combat the disease effectively, doctors must find the most appropriate treatment as quickly as possible. That process can be challenging under the best circumstances. Step therapy requirements only add to those difficulties, compounding patient suffering.

In the time it takes to satisfy an insurer's "fail first" requirements, a patient's cancer could go from treatable to hopeless. That's especially true for patients with fast-moving cancers. Those diagnosed with esophageal cancer, for instance, have just a 46 percent chance of surviving six months. For pancreatic cancer, it's 27 percent.

It's no surprise that the medical community is overwhelmingly opposed to step therapy. The American Medical Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society for Radiation Oncology, and the American Society of Hematology have all condemned the CMS move as a threat to patient health.

Their denunciations are richly deserved. CMS' new policy guidance puts insurer profits above the best interests of patients. Introducing step therapy into Medicare Part B will prolong the suffering of America's most vulnerable seniors.

Peter J. Pitts, a former Food and Drug Administration associate commissioner, is president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.

GOP Confirms Another Trump Judge Who Was Rated ‘Not Qualified’ To Serve

Jonathan Kobes, 44, just got a lifetime seat on a U.S. circuit court. No big deal!

By Jennifer Bendery 

WASHINGTON ― Senate Republicans voted Tuesday to confirm one of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees, Jonathan Kobes, even though Kobes has earned an abysmal “not qualified” rating from the American Bar Association.

Rest of the story Here 

Dr. Seuss


                                                   You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch