Line Not Crossed
“Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed legislation that would have prohibited doctors from providing gender confirming hormone treatments, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18 years old, or from referring them to other providers for the treatment.” To explain the veto Hutchinson said, “If (the bill) becomes law, then we are creating new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents as they deal with some of the most complex and sensitive matters involving young people.” AP: Arkansas governor vetoes transgender youth treatment ban The reasoning is not enougth in my opinion but the outcome is good. At least it isn’t law. As I heard Anthony Scaramucci say on CNBC one morning,” Republicans are all for small government, unless it’s in my bedroom.” Stop policing people’s personal lives! Why are these legisltatures even attempting to make laws about transgender children and whether or not they can have treatments. That is up to their parents.
Chauvin Trial
Monday, the Chauvin murder trial brought the testimony of the Minneapolis Police Chief, Medaria Arradondo who fired Chauvin. “He testified Chauvin’s actions violated Minneapolis police policy. The jury also heard from another police official, Inspector Katie Blackwell, who oversaw the department’s training. Both police officials testified Chauvin’s restraint of George Floyd using his knee was not something Minneapolis officers are taught. Arradondo testified there was an “initial reasonableness in trying to just get [Floyd] under control” in the first few seconds of the deadly May 25 encounter. But when Floyd had stopped resisting and “clearly when Mr. Floyd was no longer responsive and even motionless, to continue to apply that level of force to a person prone out, hands cuffed behind their back — that in no way, shape or form is anything that is by policy,” Arradondo said. “It’s not part of our training and it’s certainly not part of our ethics or values.” CBS News: Minneapolis police chief testifies Chauvin’s actions violated policy Well that was good testimony for the prosecution. If this method is not even under police policy, it should not have been done at all. At any rate, it is good to see police officers stating plainly that what another officer did was just wrong. I hope this makes a difference in the outcome of this trial.
Racial Pause
In a very rare move, President Biden’s Department of Transportaion has invoked the Civil Rights Act to stop a highway project near Houston. This “comes as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has identified racial equity as a major priority for his department. DOT’s intervention follows complaints from local activists that the state’s proposed widening of Interstate 45 would displace an overwhelmingly Black and Hispanic community, including 1,000 homes, 344 businesses, five places of worship, and 2 schools. It would also, indirectly, bring 26 schools within 500 feet of the highway, increasing children’s exposure to pollution in a metropolitan area that’s already rife with car exhaust.” Politico: DOT halts Texas highway project in test of Biden’s promises on race This is a big deal because it so rarely happens. For decades, states have made transportation decisions that disadvantaged black residents. This goes back to Jim Crow when to break up a successful black community, the state legislature would just put a highway in the middle of it. For years activists have been saying that these decisions have disproportionally affected Black Americans. So, that is why it is so important that this administration not only paused a project but did it on the grounds that it may violate the Civil Rights Act. In the Houston area, the opponents have suggested a plan with a smaller footprint, that does not disrupt as many people.
Out of Line
In an effort to recoup cost, some businesses are creating barriers to getting the vaccine that should not exist. “To aid them in passing along the bill, major pharmacies ask those being vaccinated for their Social Security numbers and insurance information. They aren’t supposed to deny a shot to people who aren’t covered or try to make them pay the fees. But both of those things have happened. Workers at vaccine sites have also turned away people who they felt didn’t provide sufficient proof that they belonged to an eligible group, demanding to see medical records or other evidence of underlying conditions. While the vast majority of states don’t require such documentation, government officials haven’t always communicated that clearly.” Pro Publica: False Barriers: These Things Should Not Prevent You From Getting a COVID Vaccine The Truth: you don’t need anything to get a COVID vaccine, not a social security number, not insurance, not a green card. The federal government has said everyone can get one that wants one. That’s it. Everybody can get it (except kids right now, lol)
Yahoo Without Answers
“Yahoo Answers, one of the longest-running and most storied web Q&A platforms in the history of the internet, is shutting down on May 4th. That’s the day the Yahoo Answers website will start redirecting to the Yahoo homepage, and all of the platform’s archives will apparently cease to exist. The platform has been operating since 2005.Yahoo, which is now part of Verizon Media Group following the company’s sale to the telecom for nearly $5 billion in 2017, announced the change at the top of the Yahoo Answers homepage.” Verge: Yahoo Answers will be shut down forever on May 4th Who knew this even still existed?
The Culture Commentary 