March 2, 2018


News and Views


SO IS THIS BYE, BYE KELLY?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-kellys-comment-about-god-punishing-him-with-cos-job-aggravated-trump/
CBS NEWS March 2, 2018, 10:34 AM
John Kelly's comment about God punishing him with chief of staff job aggravated Trump

White House chief of staff John Kelly's comment that God punished him when he left the Department of Homeland Security for the West Wing aggravated President Trump and was not well received, CBS News' chief White House correspondent Major Garrett reports.

Kelly made the remark, in a joking fashion, Thursday morning at at an event marking the 15th anniversary of his old department, DHS.

"I miss every one of you every day," Kelly said, rolling his eyes as the audience laughed. "Truly, six months, the last thing I wanted to do was walk away from one of the great honors of my life — being the secretary of homeland security — but I did something wrong, and God punished me, I guess."

More laughter ensued from the audience.

But the president did not take the joke so well. Mr. Trump, Garrett reports, believes he gave Kelly a lot of power when he arrived, and thinks Kelly should remember and appreciate that — not suggest he was cursed.

Kelly has been in a tough position in recent weeks, managing a White House facing turnover and shifting policy positions from the president. He faced scrutiny for the handling of Rob Porter, the ex-aide who was accused of abusing his ex-wives but operated on an interim security clearance in close proximity to the president for a year. Kelly now faces other staffing challenges, with the impending departure of Hope Hicks, one of Mr. Trump's most trusted allies who has served as the White House communications director. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster's job is also in jeopardy, Garrett reports. Sources tell Garrett an exit strategy may be in the works.

Meanwhile, the president's announcement that he will impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports Thursday surprised many in the White House. The announcement temporarily halted conversations about gun reforms, which have been a focus in the White House since the Parkland shooting.

Kelly became White House chief of staff last summer, after the departure of Reince Priebus from that post.

— CBS News' Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.



I’M SORRY WHEN ANYONE COMMITS SUICIDE, BUT DECIDING AGAINST KILLING OTHERS IS A RELIEF TO ME. I’VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY PEOPLE WHO ARE SUICIDAL WANT TO “TAKE OTHERS WITH THEM.” I HAVE LONG HEARD, THOUGH, THAT DEPRESSION IS CAUSED BY REPRESSED ANGER.

MANY PARENTS WHEN THEIR CHILD OR TEEN EXHIBITS DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, OR OFTEN MORE DISTURBING ONES, TEND TO SAY TO THEMSELVES, “HE’LL GROW OUT OF IT.” THE OBVIOUS ANSWER IS, “YES, IF THEY LIVE LONG ENOUGH THEY MAY, BUT THEY’RE STILL GOING TO NEED MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND IT MAY BE HARDER TO FIND THE WAY INTO THEIR MIND AS THEY GET OLDER. MENTAL ISSUES ARE INDEED ILLNESS, BUT THEY AREN’T A CASE OF THE FLU OR CHICKEN POX.

GOOD TALK THERAPY UNTIES THE KNOTS OF THOUGHT AND FEELING IN THE MIND. IT’S A SLOW PROCESS, BUT THE RESULTS ARE REALLY GOOD. SO, EVEN IF WE DON’T WANT TO PUT OUR KIDS ON PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION (THOUGH SOME ARE QUITE SAFE FOR KIDS); WE SHOULD LINE THEM UP FOR ONE TO ONE TALK THERAPY AND VERY LIKELY GROUP AS WELL. SOCIAL PHOBIAS SUCH AS FEAR OF INTERACTING WITH OTHERS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS PRESENT IN YOUNG PEOPLE.

IT IS MY OPINION THAT GOOD PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS ARE VITALLY IMPORTANT, BUT A GOOD ONE-TO-ONE RELATIONSHIP WITH A THERAPIST IS THE WAY TO A REAL CURE. WHEN THEY HAVE ONE OF THE SEVERE FORMS OF ILLNESS, THEY MAY HAVE TO TAKE MEDS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE, BUT IF THEY ARE PUT ONTO A PATH TO AN ENJOYABLE AND PRODUCTIVE LIFE, IT’S WORTH THE BOTHER – AND THE EXPENSE. LUCKILY PSYCHIATRY HAS ADVANCED CONSIDERABLY SINCE THE 1950S. SHOCK TREATMENTS AND LOBOTOMIES ARE FOR THE MOST PART A THING OF THE PAST.

NOW IF WE COULD JUST GET PAST THE OLD IDEA THAT MENTAL AND EVEN PHYSICAL ILLNESSES ARE SHAMEFUL, TOTALLY DISFIGURING, “WEAKNESS,” OR WORST OF ALL, “A PUNISHMENT FROM GOD,” WE WOULD BE IN AN EVEN BETTER POSITION AS PEOPLE OF INTELLIGENCE AND UNDERSTANDING. THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO SEE AMERICANS REACH FOR, RATHER THAN “A MERCEDES BENZ.” [THAT WAS A TIP OF THE HAT TO THE GREAT JANIS JOPLIN.]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-student-who-committed-suicide-at-ohio-middle-school-planned-school-massacre/
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS NEWS March 2, 2018, 4:17 PM
Police: Student who committed suicide at Ohio middle school planned school massacre

Photograph -- Parents gather outside Jackson Memorial Middle School in Ohio after police said a student shot himself in the school's restroom on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. WOIO

JACKSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio - The death of a 13-year-old from Jackson Township has been ruled a suicide, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner, and police said the teen intended to carry out a school shooting, reports CBS affiliate WOIO.

The teen shot himself in the head with a semiautomatic rifle at Jackson Middle School on the morning of Feb. 20, just six days after 17 people were killed in a shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

According to a news release from Jackson Township Police Chief Mark Brink, notes on the student's phone showed an "admiration" for the Columbine shooters and an eight-step plan of "attack" on his middle school.

Three days before the attack, the teen wrote: "I'll look in to those scared little britches [sic] in the eyes before I kill them…It's going to be fun."

Authorities said the student had 80 rounds of ammunition on him and did not know why he changed his mind about his alleged plans and shot himself.

Two days before the attack, according to the news release, the teen wrote on his phone: "I'm going to die doing it, I hate those people, when they interview my parents and ask how they didn't see the signs they should know it's not them it's me and it's because of how I see the world....I'd hurt and destroy something bigger but my schools an easy target...."

According to the news release, a student leaving the bathroom noticed the 13-year-old had a weapon and alerted faculty.

The boy was taken to Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, where he died from his injuries the following day, according to WOIO.

Jackson Township police say the teen put the gun underneath his clothes, took it on the bus to school, and carried it unnoticed onto campus.

WOIO reports that police say the gun came from the teen's mother's house but investigators do not know who legally owns the gun.

Police say the investigation is ongoing but that they do not currently have any evidence that anyone else was aware of the teen's plans.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


AS OF 8:38 PM TONIGHT, NOW IN OTHER WORDS, I HAVEN’T SEEN AN UPDATED STORY, BUT THE POLICE OFFICIAL SAYS THAT THEY DO HAVE A NAME, AND THEY KNOW IT IS A DOMESTIC ISSUE. THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND HIM. SEE THE SECOND AND LONGER ARTICLE ALSO.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/central-michigan-shooting-university-responds-to-report-of-shots-fired-says-suspect-at-large-live-updates/
CBS NEWS March 2, 2018, 9:45 AM
Central Michigan shooting: University responds to report of shots fired, says suspect at large - live updates

Audio live – Shooting at Central Michigan University

A Michigan college urged people to avoid a building on campus Friday morning after receiving a report of shots fired. Central Michigan University said a suspect was at large and police advised people in the area to take shelter.

Central Michigan U.
✔
@CMUniversity
There has been a report of shots fired at Campbell Hall on campus. Suspect is still at large, police advise all to take shelter. If you see something suspicious, call 911.

9:31 AM - Mar 2, 2018
1,049
2,927 people are talking about this

Officials in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where the campus is located, described the suspect on Twitter as a black male who was considered armed and dangerous.

City of Mt. Pleasant
@MtPleasantMI
UPDATE: The suspect is a black male and considered armed and dangerous. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

9:35 AM - Mar 2, 2018
55
183 people are talking about this

The College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences at the school urged people on Twitter to avoid Campbell Hall.

CHSBS at CMU
@cmuCHSBS
Please avoid Campbell Hall until we hear more information. We received an emergency alert of shots fired in Campbell Hall.

9:23 AM - Mar 2, 2018
14
37 people are talking about this

This is a developing story and will be updated.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


NBC NEWS, 8:06 PM

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/central-michigan-university-shooting-leaves-two-wounded-gunman-loose-n852611
NEWS MAR 2 2018, 8:06 PM ET
Student sought in fatal shooting of parents at Central Michigan University
by ANDREW BLANKSTEIN and CORKY SIEMASZKO

The sprawling Central Michigan University campus was on lockdown Friday as police searched for a student who they said fatally shot his parents with his father's gun.

The suspect, James Eric Davis Jr., is named after his dad — a police officer in the Chicago suburb of Bellwood, Illinois State Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch confirmed.

Manhunt underway after shooting leaves two dead at Central Michigan University Play 1:13

Davis, who was 19 and enrolled at the school, somehow got the weapon off his father when they returned to his dorm from a local hospital and opened fire around 8:30 a.m., a source told NBC News.

Image: James Eric Davis
James Eric Davis. City of Mt. Pleasant

Described as "armed and dangerous," Davis was caught on surveillance camera fleeing Campbell Hall on foot from the campus in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, said Lt. Larry Klaus of the CMU campus police.

More than 100 officers from multiple agencies were searching for him, campus police said.

"We believe this situation was a domestic type incident," said Klaus. "He was last seen running in a northbound direction."

"This has been a tragic day," said university President George Ross. "The hurting will go on for a while."

Image: Gun violence victim
Diva Jeneen Davis

Klaus did not say what sparked the shooting, but said police had contact with Davis overnight for a drug-related incident of some kind. Davis was taken to McLaren Central Michigan hospital and released, he said.

Rachel Blizzard, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said after the press conference that Davis was never a patient there and may have gone to another ER facility in Mount Pleasant.

In any event, Davis was not admitted and at around 8:30 am CT (9:30 a.m. ET) gunfire erupted on the fourth floor of the dorm, police said.

The CMU student government sent a tweet urging students to "stay inside and lock your doors." Parents were urged to stay away from the campus and not try to pick up their children.

Klaus said did not say what kind of weapon was used in the deadly shooting but said guns are banned at CMU. "We have a gun free policy on the campus," he said.

Davis is from another Chicago suburb called Plainfield. His parents were James Eric Davis Sr., 48, and Diva Jeneen Davis, 47, the university police department said in a release. They had gone to the campus to bring their son home for spring break.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Emanuel Chris Welch
✔
@RepChrisWelch
The shooting at Central Michigan University today strikes close to home. A sad day in Bellwood and across the 7th District. My sincerest condolences go out to the family of Bellwood Police Officer James Davis Sr. and his wife who were shot and killed this morning. May they RIP.

3:25 PM - Mar 2, 2018 · Chicago, IL
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1,588 people are talking about this
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CMU has more than 20,000 students and is one of the biggest universities in the country. Mount Pleasant is about 155 miles northwest of Detroit.

The shooting comes as the nation is still reeling from the Valentine's Day massacre of 17 students at a Parkland, Florida, high school, which has reignited the contentious debate over gun control.

ANDREW BLANKSTEIN
CORKY SIEMASZKO



THE SUBJECT OF THIS NAOMIKLEIN.ORG ARTICLE IS “DISASTER CAPITALISM.” IF IT WERE IN A WAR ZONE, IT WOULD BE CALLED “WAR PROFITEERING.” IN THE OLD SOUTH IT WOULD BE CALLED “THE CARPETBAGGERS” COMING IN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IMPOVERISHED SOUTHERNERS. IN YOUR HOMETOWN AFTER YOUR OWN DAMAGING HURRICANE, IT IS THE PEOPLE WHO PROMISED TO REPAIR YOUR ROOF, BUT WHO HAD TO HAVE $3,000 UP FRONT TO START. WHEN YOU CALLED THEM BACK, THE CONTACT INFORMATION THEY GAVE YOU TURNED OUT TO BE A FICTITIOUS ADDRESS AND “NOT A WORKING NUMBER.”

FOR SOMETHING CHILLING, READ THIS, CALLED SHOCK DOCTRINE:
http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine



“SANDERS WENT ON TO LIST THE BENEFITS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFERS TO CITIZENS ON THE MAINLAND BUT DENIES TO PUERTO RICANS, INCLUDING PARITY FOR MEDICAID, THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT, AND THE CHILD CARE TAX CREDIT.” LET’S FACE IT. IT’S NOT JUST AN ISSUE OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY, BUT SKIN COLOR AND ETHNIC DIFFERENCES.

https://theintercept.com/2018/03/02/puerto-rico-hurricane-relief-bernie-sanders/
BERNIE SANDERS ON PUERTO RICO NEGLECT: “DO YOU THINK THIS WOULD BE HAPPENING IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY?”
Rachel M. Cohen
March 2 2018, 12:03 p.m.

ON MARCH 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson signed a law granting U.S. citizenship to the residents of Puerto Rico. But 101 years later, the federal government, by abandoning the island in the wake of a crippling debt crisis and an even more devastating hurricane, is treating Puerto Ricans like citizens in name only.

Washington’s failure to adequately help Puerto Rico rebuild its economy and school system was the focus of a daylong conference at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, hosted by the American Federation of Teachers, the Hispanic Federation, and the Albert Shanker Institute.

The event drew powerful progressive politicians — namely Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. All three back the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act, often referred to as a “Marshall Plan” for the territories. The bill, authored by Sanders, would provide $146 billion to Puerto Rico’s recovery, would forgive its debt, and would establish Medicaid and Medicare parity. Unlike in the U.S., the federal government subjects Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to annual Medicaid caps.

Five months after Puerto Rico’s worst natural disaster in nearly a century, more than 30 percent of the island — over 900,000 people — still live without electricity. Roughly 270 public schools still lack power, and some areas of the island do not expect to see restored electricity until the end of May. Puerto Rico was struggling even before Hurricane Maria: With roughly $123 billion in debt, the island declared bankruptcy last May.

Take our survey: Should Puerto Rico’s debt be wiped out?

The federal government last month promised some additional aid to Puerto Rico. When Congress passed a two-year budget to avoid a government shutdown, it included billions of dollars for Puerto Rico’s recovery, though still far short of the $94.4 billion the island requested. The U.S. Department of Education also announced on Wednesday that it would be distributing an additional $2.7 billion to Puerto Rico to help its public schools and universities recover.

>But the government’s assistance so far has been underwhelming. Last October, when Congress passed a $36.5 billion disaster relief bill to help areas ravaged by hurricanes and wildfires, it gave Puerto Rico $4.9 billion as a loan. (Other devastated areas like Texas, Florida, and California instead received grants. The loan adds to Puerto Rico’s already crushing debt.) On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury announced it would be cutting that loan to $2 billion, though it’s not clear if the federal government will even agree to distribute these funds at all.

At the conference on Thursday, Warren called the federal government’s recovery response “embarrassing” and stressed the need for sustained pressure on lawmakers to take action. She pointed out that in December, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy joined Sanders and seven Democrats in asking Lamar Alexander, Republican chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, to hold hearings on Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

“Given the extent of the damage inflicted upon both territories, as well as the important roles of the departments under this committee’s jurisdiction in ongoing hurricane relief efforts, we believe such hearings would be an important part of the Committee’s oversight related to hurricane recovery,” they wrote in a letter.

Warren cited Cassidy’s support as an encouraging glimmer of bipartisan hope, but noted that the committee has yet to act on that recommendation. “If we don’t keep pushing, the hearings won’t happen” she said.

The Massachusetts senator also pushed the necessity of debt forgiveness. “Puerto Rico needs debt relief. Vulture funds should not get one more cent from the island,” she declared. “It is especially the case that money that Congress appropriates to Puerto Rico is money that should not go toward paying Wall Street.”

“Puerto Rico needs debt relief. Vulture funds should not get one more cent from the island.”— Sen. Elizabeth Warren

For his part, Sanders took clear swipes at Puerto Rico’s proposed education reform bill that would bring charter schools and vouchers to the island. He likened it to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and warned that disaster capitalists might prey on Puerto Rico.

“Disaster capitalism means people who take advantage of a disaster to do bad things, and what they’re trying to do in this moment, in this terrible moment for Puerto Rico, is to move to very aggressively privatize public services like schools and the electrical grid,” he said.

Sanders went on to list the benefits that the federal government offers to citizens on the mainland but denies to Puerto Ricans, including parity for Medicaid, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Child Care Tax Credit.

“Do you think this would be happening in Westchester County, New York?” Sanders asked the audience, referring to the island’s snail-paced recovery. “We are here to tell the people of Puerto Rico that they are not forgotten, that they are not alone, that we will do everything that we possibly can to rebuild the island.”

Marie Mora, an economics professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, was one of several academics who spoke at the conference. Mora traced Puerto Rico’s economic decline back to 2006, when the federal government eliminated tax breaks for companies doing business there. Following the expiration of IRS Code Section 936, there was a significant loss in private and public sector jobs, and a massive net outmigration to the mainland. This, Mora said, coupled with a rapidly aging population and diminishing healthcare, education, and utility investments, all contributed to the fiscal stress and “vicious cycle” Puerto Rico now faces.

Though the island’s population has been shrinking, 3.3 million people still live there — a population larger than that of 21 states and Washington, D.C.

Leaders from Puerto Rico — including María Meléndez, mayor from the Puerto Rican municipality of Ponce, and Aida Díaz, president of the Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico, the island’s 40,000-member teachers union — also spoke at the conference.

Díaz slammed the charter and voucher proposal, which is backed by Puerto Rico’s Gov. Ricardo Rosselló. Díaz said her union is pushing an alternative education reform plan based on turning each public school into a community hub that would provide increased social services. The so-called transformation zones are similar to models in New York City and the Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

“We know that some students are failing and we need transformation of our school system, but it is not something that comes from someone who is behind a desk,” Díaz said. “It should be made in a way that everyone participates, to debate what we want, what kind of citizens we want to develop, what are the needs of the country, what should be done first, what political issues need to be solved.”

Puerto Rico’s Education Secretary Julia Keleher previously told The Intercept that she felt that embracing education reform proposals like charters and vouchers would help the island attract new sources of federal funds for its recovery. But the teachers union feels left out of the conversation. Díaz told The Intercept last week that her union was not included in drafting the government’s education reform bill, and she does not feel as though teachers’ feedback has been taken seriously since the legislation was first introduced.

Some education experts offered early endorsements for the alternative reform plan put forth by Díaz and her union.

“The children of Puerto Rico will be well-served by transformation zones in which schools anchor local communities,” said Susan Moore Johnson, a research professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, in a statement.

“Across the United States, school districts have relied on this template to build strong systems that provide a solid education for their students, and the model makes great sense for Puerto Rico as well,” said David Kirp, a public policy professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

It’s now up to the federal government to change course and help the island get back on track — and treat Puerto Ricans like the U.S. citizens they are.

Top photo: A school bus crosses a makeshift bridge for vehicles, near where the original bridge was washed away by Hurricane Maria flooding, on December 20, 2017 in Morovis, Puerto Rico.


DANGEROUS SURGERY CENTERS -- THIRD WORLD NATIONS, HERE WE COME! WHEN CONGRESS CUTS FUNDS AND REGULATORY ATTENTION TIME AFTER TIME ON THE BASIC HUMAN NEEDS – HEALTHCARE, MENTAL HEALTH, DECENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, EDUCATION, CHILDCARE, FOOD – WHILE GIVING MONEY TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY SWOLLEN WITH WEALTH, WE ARE MOVING TOWARD THAT LOWER STATUS AS WELL, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS. CITIES HAVE BETTER HEALTH FACILITIES THAN RURAL AREAS, FOR INSTANCE, AND POOR HOUSING AREAS ARE LIKELY TO HAVE PATIENTS WHO CAN’T PAY TOP PRICES. SOME DOCTORS, AND ESPECIALLY DENTISTS, WILL NOT TAKE A MEDICAID PATIENT.

THERE ARE FEWER AND FEWER SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR COUNTRY COMPARED TO THE 1950S, WHO COULD USE SOME OF THAT GOVERNMENT “CORPORATE WELFARE” SO THEY COULD COMPETE IN THEIR INDUSTRY. I CARE ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY EMPLOY MANY PEOPLE AND CREATE A ZONE OF RELATIVE WEALTH IN SMALL PLACES LIKE THE NORTH CAROLINA CITY OF 15,000 WHERE I GREW UP. IF WE STAY ON THIS TRACK, OUR ABILITIES REDUCING MORE AND MORE OVER TIME, THE LOWER 50% OF OUR POPULATION – WHICH IS MOST OF US -- WILL DIE EARLY, HAVE UNDERWEIGHT BABIES, GET A LIMITED EDUCATION AND LIVE IN POOR QUALITY HOUSES. THAT HAPPENED IN 1950, BUT I’M NOT WILLING TO SEE IT COME OUR WAY AGAIN.

THE RESULT OF THAT LIFESTYLE OF SLOW DEPRIVATION IS PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPRESSION AND LACK OF HOPE AND ENTHUSIASM FOR MAKING IMPROVEMENTS. WE NEED VISION AND ENERGY TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. THAT’S THE WAY IT WAS IN THE 1920’S AND WE ARE SLIDING BACKWARD TOWARD THAT LEVEL ECONOMICALLY AGAIN. MY MOTHER WAS BORN IN 1916 AND MY FATHER IN 1911, SO I’VE HEARD A GREAT DEAL ABOUT HOW LIFE WAS FOR THE FARMERS AND FACTORY WORKERS IN NORTH CAROLINA AT THAT TIME. I WOULD CRY IF WE WERE TO FIND OURSELVES IN THAT SITUATION AGAIN. I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN PROGRESS AS BEING SOMETHING SUSTAINABLE, BUT IT IS CLEAR NOW THAT POVERTY WAITS JUST OUTSIDE THE DOOR.

IF THE GOVERNMENT AGAIN REGULATED AND PROMOTED GOOD QUALITY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, PUNISHED POOR QUALITY AND OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH FEES, INSTEAD OF JUST REWARDING PROFITS AND THOSE LOVELY CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, PEOPLE WOULDN’T CATCH DEADLY BACTERIA WHILE GETTING THEIR MINOR SURGERY, OR NOT NEARLY AS OFTEN, ANYWAY. LOOK AT THE STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE. ONE BOY IS MENTIONED HERE WHO DIED FROM A SIMPLE TONSILLECTOMY. THEY GO TO SUBSTANDARD MEDICAL FACILITIES TO SAVE MONEY, AND END UP SICKER THAN WHEN THEY WENT IN. THAT’S NO BARGAIN, AND IT’S SAD TO ME TO SEE US DECREASING AS A NATION BIT BY BIT. THE REPUBLICANS FOCUS ON BIG BUSINESS, BUT I FOCUS ON THE LIFE OF THOSE WHO ARE BENEATH THE $100,000 LEVEL IN INCOME. ONE SERIOUS ILLNESS CAN WIPE US OUT.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/surgery-centers-report-highlights-risks/
CBS NEWS March 2, 2018, 7:47 AM
Investigation highlights potential dangers of surgery centers in the U.S.

A joint investigation by USA Today Network and Kaiser Health News highlights the dangerous conditions that have apparently led to many deaths in facilities known as surgery centers across the U.S. The report takes an in-depth look at operations performed at these non-hospital facilities and found more than 260 patients have died after surgery center procedures since 2013.

There was no reason for Scott and Sandy Van Veldhuizen to think they'd have to say goodbye when their 12-year-old son Reuben had his tonsils removed in 2016. Scott remembers the last thing he said to him: "Go get 'em bud."

"Our surgeon said this is not going well. She told us he had coded, and they had called the ambulance," Sandy recalled.

An ambulance, because the procedure wasn't at a hospital, but at one of more than 5,600 surgery centers across the U.S., reports CBS News' Tony Dokoupil. There are now more surgery centers, which focus on routine, same-day operations, than hospitals. The industry says this can make for cheaper, faster and more convenient service than in a hospital, but when something goes wrong during surgery, the hospital may be the safer option.

Anesthesiologist charged with murder in death of plastic surgery patient

"We were watching them work on our boy and one nurse would talk to us and then the doctor said it was done," Sandy recalled.

A federal report shows a paramedic who arrived to treat Reuben "received no response from the facility staff when she inquired who was in charge" of CPR. In response to a lawsuit, the center and one of its doctors claimed Reuben's death was "the result of pre-existing conditions, acts of others, or conditions over which" they "had no control or responsibility."

"We had reporters in multiple states who were digging through court records, digging through autopsy, digging through EMS records," said Christina Jewett of Kaiser Health News.

nfa-dokoupil-usat-surgery-center-needs-tracks-and-gfx-frame-2446.jpg
Christina Jewett CBS NEWS

Jewett was one of those reporters. The joint investigation turned up more than 260 deaths in surgery centers since 2013 -- ranging from the dozens who've died after routine procedures, like colonoscopies and tonsillectomies to at least 14 people who've died after more complex spine surgeries.

"The majority of the cases go great in these facilities. But what we found was that some of the patients are not appropriate for the setting. They might be too sick. Some of the surgeries might be too complicated, and we also found that sometimes the centers just aren't prepared," Jewett said.

The report shows inspectors "have discovered 230 lapses in rescue equipment or training regulations at surgery centers since 2015."

Bill Prentice heads the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, which represents these facilities. He said the report is "doing a disservice to patients."

"If you took that wider view and looked at the number of adverse events that happen in hospitals compared to surgery centers, you'd see that we're actually a very safe site of service," Prentice said.

He says the fact that 90 percent of these centers are at least partially-owned by physicians gives them greater responsibility for everything that happens there.

CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook works at an outpatient facility that closely follows the standards of a hospital. We asked him if patients should worry about doctors' financial interests.

"I think if patients are being recommended to an outpatient surgical facility, it's a perfectly reasonable question to say, 'are you a part owner of that?'" LaPook said.

If the answer is yes, you might want to ask yourself some questions.

"Well, then you perhaps have to go back-and-forth about do I really need this, why am I doing it in this facility versus another facility, is it just as safe for me to do it in the outpatient setting as the inpatient setting?" LaPook said.

Perhaps the most high-profile surgery center death was that of Joan Rivers, who stopped breathing during a procedure in 2014. Her daughter Melissa filed a malpractice suit claiming doctors took cellphone pictures of the sedated star and fumbled their response to the crisis. The two sides reached a settlement in 2016.

nfa-dokoupil-usat-surgery-center-needs-tracks-and-gfx-frame-6849.jpg
Bill Prentice CBS NEWS

But USA Today Network and Kaiser Health News team had to dig hard to learn about the cases we hadn't heard about.

"It shouldn't take a national team of investigative journalists to answer these basic questions. There really should be something for patients to turn to, to find out what is the safest center in my area," Jewett said.

Prentice agrees we need a better system for reporting problems and a simpler way for patients to compare the price and quality of care.

"We're not about trying to hide from an adverse event, because the only way you're going to learn from it and improve it and make sure it never happens again is by making sure people know about it," he said.

There are risks associated with any procedure, wherever it happens. If considering a surgery center, Dr. LaPook recommends asking about backup plans in case something goes wrong and looking at how long it would take to get to the hospital. If it's a long distance and your underlying health is poor, you might just want to have the procedure at the hospital.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



THIS LOOKS LIKE TRUE CORRUPTION IN THE GEORGIA STATE GOVERNMENT, TO ME. WILL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAGE OPEN WARFARE AGAINST GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENS, TOO?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/georgia-lawmakers-ok-big-tax-hit-on-delta-over-its-nra-stand/
AP March 2, 2018, 10:49 AM
Georgia lawmakers OK big tax hit on Delta over its NRA stand

ATLANTA -- As companies across America take a stand on guns after the Florida school massacre, Delta Air Lines is experiencing swift political retribution in its home state of Georgia for cutting ties with the National Rifle Association.

Ignoring warnings that the state's business-friendly image could be tarnished, Republicans in the state legislature voted Thursday to kill a tax break that would have saved Delta millions of dollars in sales tax on jet fuel. The proposal wasn't controversial until Delta announced last weekend it would no longer offer discounted fares to NRA members.

"I hope they are better at flying airplanes than timing P.R. announcements," Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, a Republican, said after his chamber gave final approval to a larger tax-cut bill that was stripped of the jet fuel tax exemption.

The Feb. 14 slayings of 17 students and educators in Parkland, Florida, by a gunman armed with an AR-15 assault-style rifle has prompted retailers including Walmart, Kroger and Dick's Sporting Goods to tighten their gun sales policies. Meanwhile, Delta and other companies including MetLife and Hertz have ended business ties with the NRA.

Delta's decision triggered a showdown with pro-gun lawmakers in Georgia, where the Atlanta-based airline is one of the largest employers with 33,000 employees statewide. Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, the state Senate's presiding officer, vowed Monday to stop any tax break that would benefit Delta.

"Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back," tweeted Cagle, who is also running for governor.

GOP lawmakers amended a sweeping tax bill to eliminate a fuel-tax exemption worth at least an estimated $38 million to Delta and other airlines.

The Senate passed the tax measure 44-10, with Democrats accounting for all the no votes. The House - which had passed an earlier version with the jet fuel exemption before the Delta controversy erupted - followed with a 135-24 vote.

Republican Gov. Nathan Deal criticized the Delta controversy as an "unbecoming squabble" but said he would sign the broader tax measure in whatever form it passed.

Delta did not immediately return messages seeking comment Thursday. NRA spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen had no immediate comment.

The Delta provision barely came up Thursday in either legislative chamber during debate on the underlying tax bill, designed in part to give back to Georgia taxpayers $5.2 billion in extra state revenue expected over the next five years because of the recent federal tax overhaul.

Cagle took a softer tone in celebrating victory Thursday.

"Obviously the political environment does sometimes get a little testy, but in the end, it's all about the product," said Cagle, who is running this year to succeed the term-limited governor. "And the product we have today is something that all of us can be very proud of."

GOP Sen. Michael Williams, another gubernatorial candidate, praised Republicans for holding out in the face of criticism from the news media and corporate America.

"We've stayed strong," Williams said. "We've even stayed strong against our own governor."

Among Democrats voting against the tax bill was Sen. Nikema Williams of Atlanta, who applauded companies that have taken swift action on guns after the Florida tragedy. She said Delta's decision to end its NRA discounts led her to support the jet fuel tax break.

"The small steps that Delta and Dick's Sporting Goods are taking, to take a stand and say enough is enough, is what we all need to be doing as adults," Williams said. "We're the leaders of this state and we need to be coming together for solutions, not bullying corporations who are trying to do the right thing."

Critics of the GOP effort to retaliate against Delta have warned it could backfire by harming Georgia's ability to lure businesses - including Amazon, which recently named Atlanta a finalist in its search for a second headquarters.

"It definitely could have an effect when an outside company looks at something that happens this quickly around election time to one of the largest employers in the state," said William Hatcher, a professor at Augusta University who studies economic development. "But will it be the dominant factor? I don't think so."

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