A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies over the U.S. Embassy, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP Photo) US Features
By Allan Stein August 17, 2021 Updated: August 17, 2021 biggersmallerPrint
Billy Vaughn of Florida is hesitant to say whether the war in Afghanistan was worth it or not, believing it’s not for him to pass judgment.
All the Gold Star father knows for certain is that his son, Aaron, died in that far-away conflict 10 years ago almost to the day, at the tender age of 30.
Each year, the family struggles with their loss.
“It’s always a difficult day,” Vaughn told The Epoch Times. “He was about as humble a boy as there ever could be.
“At the same time, he was a fierce protector and a fierce defender against injustice.”
Navy SEAL Aaron Vaughn in Afghanistan. (Courtesy of the Vaughn Family)
Aaron was a proud member of Navy SEAL Team Six, who believed in the sacred trinity of flag, family, and faith.
In the end, “he gave up his life for that flag,” his father said.
Vaughn lost his son when his U.S. Army helicopter exploded over the Tangi Valley in Afghanistan on Aug. 6, 2011, killing all 30 aboard. It was the largest loss-of-life incident in the Afghanistan war.
Vaughn said that if his son were alive today, he’d be “sickened” by the sight of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan after thousands of U.S. service members died defending the country against tyranny.
“I’ve never seen such a tragedy unfold in my lifetime,” Vaughn said. “It’s really inexplicable to describe in my mind how badly the Biden administration has handled [the crisis]. There is no reason for us to flee like dogs with our tails between our legs.”
At best, Vaughn sees it as a “replay on steroids” of the failed Middle East policy of the Obama–Biden administration.
“He [Biden] is full of insults for everybody else,” Vaughn said. “You just can’t hardly believe that people are that stupid. It makes you wonder if it wasn’t done on purpose.
“We lost a boy over there. What I will say is this: These men and women who fought and died did what they did because they loved this country and they wanted to help the people of Afghanistan. If my son were alive today, he’d do it all over again,” he added.
At VFW Post 1709 in Flagstaff, Arizona, former U.S. Marine Cpl. Gabriel Winse said he served two tours in Iraq, in 2005 and 2009, and lost friends and fellow soldiers in Afghanistan.
He questioned the leadership that led to the humiliating takeover of the country by the Taliban.
Gabriel Winse of Flagstaff, Arizona, stands outside VFW Post 1709 in Flagstaff on Aug.16, 2021, a day after the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. Winse, a Marine Corps veteran who served two tours in Iraq, said his sincere hope is that U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan “didn’t die for nothing.” (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)
“I don’t know if [the war] was worth it,” Winse told The Epoch Times. “Honestly, I really don’t know. They told me it was a waste of time—all my buddies that are over there.
“My biggest thing is the families that have lost a father, son, or daughter,” he said.
He said U.S. service members either died for a cause, “or they died for nothing.”
Dr. Tony Brooks, a former member of the elite 75th Army Ranger Regiment who lives in Washington, served in Afghanistan in 2005 and in Iraq from 2006 to 2007 in support of the global war on terror.
He now questions whether any of it was worth it.
After watching the tragedy in Afghanistan unfold on television, “I’ve experienced literally every emotion during the past week,” he said—from happiness that U.S. troops will soon be coming home, to sadness and disappointment over the terrible fate of the Afghan people who believe in democracy.
At the same time, 10,000 Americans are waiting to be evacuated at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan’s capital, he said.
“I know what this means. I know where this is going,” Brooks told The Epoch Times. “I went over there to fight. I don’t know what it was for at this point. It feels very much like a complete failure—Vietnam 2.0.”
Tony Brooks (L), on a mission in Afghanistan as a member of the elite 75th Army Ranger Regiment. (Courtesy of Tony Brooks)
In terms of lives and treasure lost, Brooks is appalled that nearly 2,450 U.S. service members have died and $2 trillion has been spent in the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan.
“I did not risk my life to watch women in Afghanistan turned into slaves. They will suffer the greatest setback in women’s rights that we’ve seen in our lifetime. We finally have women in Afghanistan that are adults who have lived under a regime where they’ve had rights. Now, the Taliban is taking those rights and enslaving them,” Brooks said.
Brooks is the author of “Leave No Man Behind: The Untold Story of the Rangers’ Unrelenting Search for Marcus Luttrell, the Navy SEAL Lone Survivor in Afghanistan.”
In the aftermath of the Taliban conquest of Afghanistan, Brooks said he doesn’t support a return of U.S. troops to the country.
“I think the answer is no. It’s too late. To put people in the lion’s den again—that is not OK. I don’t think the government has a clue.” Allan Stein Allan Stein is an Epoch Times reporter who covers the state of Arizona.
Counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards recently seized by Customs And Border Protection officers in Aug. 2021. (U.S. Customs And Border Protection) US News
By Jack Phillips August 20, 2021 Updated: August 20, 2021 biggersmallerPrint
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials seized more than 3,000 fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in Anchorage, Alaska, that came from China—the second such instance in about a week.
According to a news release from CBP, the fabricated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cards from China were of “low quality” but still “closely resemble” real CDC vaccine cards provided by healthcare practitioners when administering the vaccine around the United States.
“Getting these fraudulent cards off the streets and out of the hands of those who would then sell them is important for the safety of the American public,” said Lance Robinson, Area Port Director of the Area Port of Anchorage, according to the release. “Looking out for the welfare of our fellow Alaskans is one of the many and varied responsibilities CBP is proud to take on.”
Last week, CBP officials in Memphis, Tennessee, said they obtained thousands of fake COVID-19 vaccine cards in Memphis, Tennessee, which were en route to New Orleans, Louisiana. Those cards were also manufactured in China.
“Recently, CBP has been seizing a high volume of counterfeit vaccination cards throughout the country,” the agency said this week, without elaborating.
In Illinois, the Department of Justice announced it arrested a Chicago pharmacist, Tangtang Zhao, for selling authentic vaccine cards over the internet. Zhao faces as many as 120 years in prison.
With the latest seizure, it appears likely that fake vaccine cards are increasingly in demand as various municipalities like New York City and San Francisco start to mandate vaccine passports for certain public activities.
Vaccine passport systems have been criticized by civil liberties groups for potentially creating a segregated society of those who received the vaccine and those who have not. Other critics have said that these systems could potentially imperil individuals’ right to privacy, and GOP governors and state legislatures, including in Texas and Florida, have moved to bar their use in recent months.
Nonetheless, top officials, including White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zeints, as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in recent days have warned that buying and selling fake vaccine cards with the CDC seal is a crime.
Over the past weekend, Schumer called for a federal crackdown on fabricated CDC cards, claiming that “too many people are looking to buy them.”
“They are paying money for a fake card and risking prosecution,” the New York Democrat said during a press conference. “Who could be that dumb? Who could be that dumb? The vaccine is free, the vaccine is safe: Get the vaccine.” Jack PhillipsSenior Reporter Jack Phillips is a reporter at The Epoch Times based in New York.
People cross the U.S.-Canadian border after Canada opened the border to vaccinated Americans in Blaine, Wash., on Aug. 9, 2021. (David Ryder/Reuters) US News
By Zachary Stieber August 20, 2021 Updated: August 20, 2021 biggersmallerPrint
The United States on Friday extended limits on travel deemed non-essential at its northern and southern land borders, even after Canada started accepting American tourists.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the 30-day extension, saying it was aimed at minimizing the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.
“In coordination with public health and medical experts, DHS continues working closely with its partners across the United States and internationally to determine how to safely and sustainably resume normal travel,” the agency said in a statement.
The Delta variant of the virus in particular drove the extension, officials said.
The U.S. has kept land borders with Canada and Mexico closed since March 2020, repeatedly extending the closures during the COVID-19 pandemic even when COVID-19 metrics decreased significantly.
In recent weeks, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States have risen sharply as vaccine effectiveness wanes.
Canada announced last month that U.S. tourists could begin visiting the country on Aug. 9, but only if they were fully vaccinated against the CCP virus.
Fully vaccinated means a person has received the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna series, or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
So far, it does not include booster shots that were recently recommended for even healthy adults.
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can still return to the United States from Canada or Mexico, or any of the other countries from which America has restricted visitors.
The closures also don’t affect illegal immigration, which has skyrocketed under President Joe Biden, or the tens of thousands of Afghans being flown into the United States, not all of whom are being tested for COVID-19. Republicans have repeatedly hit the Biden administration over the border crisis, which shows no signs of slowing down.
Even some Democrats have expressed disappointment at the continued land border closures.
“The safety of NH’s families amid the Delta surge is my #1 priority, but this is disappointing news for border communities,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said Friday on Twitter.
“NH businesses can’t fully conduct trade & tourism, and families across the border are still separated. We must reopen the border to those who are vaccinated,” she added.
A Spanish-language pamphlet published by the Red Cross titled “Messages of Self-Help for Migrants” was being carried by an illegal immigrant in Uvalde, Texas. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Immigration & Border Security
A Spanish-language flyer by the Red Cross provides detailed routes to the US southern border, shelter locations, and instructions on how to jump off a moving train safely By Charlotte Cuthbertson August 17, 2021 Updated: August 18, 2021 biggersmallerPrint
UVALDE, Texas—Rancher John Sewell recently picked up a pamphlet that had fallen from the backpack of an illegal immigrant who was trespassing on his property near Uvalde, Texas—about 50 miles from the U.S.–Mexico border.
On one side is a map that details transport routes from Panama to the United States. It pinpoints in great detail where migrants can find shelter or get medical help along the way. The other side is full of useful information, in Spanish, including how to more safely travel through forests and jungles, find shelter, get medical help, and deal with immigration authorities.
It was published by the Red Cross and is titled “Messages of Self-Help for Migrants.”
The pamphlet crosses a line beyond providing life-saving information to facilitating illegal immigration, according to Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies.
“It’s practically a road map or a TripTech for an illegal migrant,” she told The Epoch Times. “It’s one thing to give out water to migrants. It’s quite another thing to help them migrate illegally—and breach the sovereignty of a border.”
A Spanish-language pamphlet published by the Red Cross titled “Messages of Self-Help for Migrants” was being carried by an illegal immigrant in Uvalde, Texas. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
The pamphlet includes advice such as that “it’s always safer to travel in a group, especially for women,” and to stay in contact with relatives and friends, “especially before crossing the border.”
It warns against getting on or off a train when it’s moving or wet, but then advises: “If you do get off a train when it’s moving, keep running so that others don’t fall on top of you,” and “Try not to get on a train if you haven’t eaten or rested. You may fall off if you are sleepy.”
It goes on to say: “Don’t hide in vehicles or in small places where you might suffocate, drown, or get sick. Be sure you have enough space to breathe.”
In Uvalde, where Sewell obtained the pamphlet, Border Patrol has seen a 911 percent increase this year in stowaway illegal aliens on freight trains traveling from the border to San Antonio.
On Aug. 13, on one train inspected by Border Patrol, agents found 20 illegal aliens hiding in the beds of new pickup trucks being hauled in two different train cars. Several of the aliens had been apprehended the previous day by the same agent at the same location. All were single males from Mexico and Honduras.
Border Patrol agents apprehend 21 illegal aliens from Mexico who had hidden in a grain hopper on a freight train heading to San Antonio, near Uvalde, Texas, on June 21, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
The map also highlights Red Cross shelters in Mexico and other places that are run by religious organizations, such as the Good Samaritan House in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Catholic Charities in Tucson, Arizona.
Vaughan said that, rather than being a “benign underground railroad-type of exercise,” the pamphlet is “enticing criminal behavior that is also very, very dangerous and illegal.”
She said the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations should be telling migrants not to come. She said most illegal immigrants entering the United States don’t meet the criteria for asylum and won’t be granted asylum status by an immigration judge. Many Central Americans, the largest population of illegal immigrants, don’t end up claiming asylum once they’re in the United States, and of those who do, less than 15 percent are granted relief.
A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the organization doesn’t prevent or encourage migration.
“As an impartial, neutral and independent organization, our actions are focused on addressing the humanitarian needs of migrants to ensure they are treated with dignity, both in their countries of origin, transit and destination, and regardless of their immigration status,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email.
A Spanish-language pamphlet published by the Red Cross titled “Messages of Self-Help for Migrants” was being carried by an illegal immigrant in Uvalde, Texas. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
The ICRC didn’t respond to a question asking where it makes the pamphlets available, but the Red Cross logos from seven countries are printed on the flyer, including the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama.
The spokesperson said the organization provides humanitarian assistance at key points along the route.
“We also inform them of risks they’re undertaking while using the migration route,” the spokesperson said.
“It is essential to prevent the loss of lives and to promote a humanitarian approach. Addressing the needs of this vulnerable population is a shared responsibility, of the authorities in the countries of origin, transit and destination, and of the international community.”
The Geneva-based ICRC operated in 100 countries in 2019 and spent more than $2 billion, according to its latest annual report. It is funded mainly by voluntary donations from governments, and national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, according to its website.
Vaughan said the United States should investigate how the flyer came to be published and with whose funding.
“They should be helping people in the countries where the migrants live, not aid and abet this illegal migration that is so dangerous and has created so many problems for all of the countries where it occurs,” she said. Charlotte CuthbertsonSenior Reporter Charlotte Cuthbertson is a senior reporter with The Epoch Times who primarily covers border security and the opioid crisis.
I don’t specifically recall in my life ever trying to gain body weight. Lose weight? Sure, may times, but not gain. Perhaps there was a time in high school for a sports requirement for a particular weight class for fair practice and/or competition – but again, I can’t say for sure. Just wanted to qualify my statement due to that possibility in high school many years ago. I did however once witness what can happen when mismatched weight classes clash on the mat. Yup, right at the mat”s edge, less than two feet away, I not only visually witnessed the twig like snapping of a forearm but heard that unforgettable, cringe-producing “SNAP” accompanied by the instantaneous reconfiguration of an adolescent human limb into something science fiction worthy regarding radiated mutants. A smooth fleshy exaggerated bump in the wrong place (not the elbow!) and a misdirected hand.
Actually I had experienced the same sort of injury while roller skating years before as a preteen. It was a beautiful fall day in the Central San Joaquin Valley, a bit chilly so I had a jacket, cap and gloves on and was racing down the sidewalk in front of our house as fast as I could but this time while making a fast turn caught that clean edged sidewalk-lawn boundary, and as my feet stopped my body was launched forward. So what’s the instinctive thing to do ….(without other training of course – some Judo lessons later saved many such accidental injuries by teaching how to “fall properly”) … outstretch your arms with hands prepared to absorb the shock of the fall. Yup, a muffled snap under the jacket. I sat on the sidewalk for a bit doing a short inventory of any damage – another hole in my jeans – no biggie, they were “play clothes” not “school clothing”. My left arm was tingling numb and there was some pain but not enough to prevent my getting up and resuming the sidewalk skating, but within only a minute or two the tingling and pain was more noticeable. I stopped, started to pull off the glove but observed my hand was pointing slightly in the wrong direction! What? How could this be? I pulled the glove completely off and pushed the jacket sleeve up a little to reveal more of my arm and PRESTO!
Think I went into shock or something and starting yelling for help – and fell on my ass. (Lucky I didn’t break my tailbone with that unnecessary move. Lol) Rather funny actually. Others were attempting to calm me down until they saw the “reconfigured limb” and even their speech and activity took on a more serious nature. Something a child will pick up on immediately. Oh yeah, here’s a little something a young kid who is already freaked out with a new crooked arm doesn’t want to overhear while adults are assessing the situation – “Is there any blood? Is the bone sticking out? lol (Nope – not a compound fracture just a clean break.) Blah, blah, blah….. but I digress.
So I don’t recall ever trying to lose weight, yet here I am with a surprising 30lb plus weight drop without trying. Sure, I might have dropped a few pounds working on a physically demanding project for a couple of months but it was gradual and not alarming in anyway, but on my first 5 day camping trip on the high desert I came back an additional 10 – 12 lbs lighter! Then on the next 10 day excursion another 10-12lbs despite taking regular breaks and consuming much water and Gatorade. (Adding more salt next time. Completely forgot about the customary salt tablet dispensers when living overseas where dehydration was a common ailment.) I even started loading up on particular vitamins a week or so earlier in preparation for what I knew was going to be another rather strenuous and physically demanding outing. (By the way remember my blah blah blahs about muscle cramps and how annoying they were at night after a good days work? (My GSD Liz was at first freaked out by my late night-early morning Frankenstein hip-hop dance and cursing around the bedroom but later (after several such performances) would only raise her heard in bored acknowledgment of the performance and just go back to sleep as I hobbled downstairs to slam some orange juice. I started taking a Potassium vitamin supplement a couple of months back – and have not had a cramp since – almost, but not a full blown, hopping around the bedroom and cursing in the dark cramp! lol
Apparently I’ve been dealing with some heat exhaustion (not heat stroke) and although “thought” I was taking in enough fluids to offset the perspiration loss, was not. Sure, I’d get a little lightheaded when physically working in approximate 100 degree heat (with an elevation increase of 3,500’ or so) so I made a point of stopping and taking breaks. Cool off and go back to work later. Guess there is an accumulative aspect to heat exhaustion too. So I reluctantly acknowledged the danger in trying to push on and complete the project (often in the comfort of a reclining chair while watching television I can plan some wonderful projects without the realistic evaluation of what I could actually accomplish (especially under very different circumstances), in other words, I sometimes “bite off more than I can chew”despite the will to do so. Raw and slightly lacerated finger tips also assisted with this decision because EVERYTHING IS MORE DIFFICULT WHEN HANDS AND FINGERS ARE CAUSING ENOUGH PAIN to make simple chores like tying bootlaces difficult. So I packed things up and headed back. No fooling, it’s taken about two weeks to feel semi-normal again – with most of the difficulty orbiting around just having an appetite again. Hard to explain because mixed in all of this soreness and fading pain is an excitement and interest I have not experienced in years.
Well, at least that’s what I believe and hope is going on…..sure it could be something else (can be rather disturbing when you research things sudden weight loss might signify or be linked too) but I am well acquainted with my body due to several decades of semi-unrestrained interest and enthusiasm for physically demanding activities and how they can negatively affect my health if not monitored carefully and moderated. The age variable is something I must pay more attention to obviously. (True with all of us yeah? I can’t imagine all the classic injuries parents and grandparents likely suffer when over-doing it when interacting with the young ones…. play now-pay later yeah?)
Sure, anything is possible (never say never) and there’s always the possibility an individual could inadvertently slip into one of life’s “slow checkout lines” and be just too darn distracted and captivated with other activities at the moment to appreciate the seriousness and direction actually headed, (again, I certainly do not believe this the case) but even if so, I’m still going back for more because unquestionably, there is a “Desert Tug” in more ways than one.
Same Old Solution – but greatly appreciated never-the-less. Yup, registration and tags are on their way but it is going to happen again next year. But again, this is also unfair to the DMV employees doing their job and I sure was lucky to get hold of two of them (original representative contact plus a supervisor) who could at least drop the Stanislaus District fee for this year.
That still leaves the rest of you – but then again, maybe the money or the principle doesn’t bother you like it does me. I didn’t owe that $22,m never have. Oh well, guess I’ll do tomorrow what I had planned on doing today. later
Who guessed the CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES?
BINGO! Yes, you’ve heard this story before and that’s beeeeecaaaaauuuse,…..IT HAPPENS MOST EVERY FUCKING YEAR WITHOUT CORRECTION OR ACCOUNTABILITY! How much money is the DMV wrongfully taking from this area?
My yearly frustration and anger with the DMV that obviously can not efficiently, much less correctly, process vehicle registrations for folks in the Lake Don Pedro area on the Mariposa side with the 95329 zip code. (Unless there is yet another DemoRat unethically inspired harassment program at work here? But what could be a possible reason?
REM THIS? LOL
Wonder if I’m on some sort of Gruesom Newsom counterattack/hate list where his army of worshiping little minions throughout government departments and divisions toil away in their cubicles dutifully (and gleefully) obstructing and sabotaging the traditional business of that government organization? HOW DARE HE SUPPORT THE RECALL OF CHAIRMAN KNEW SOME? You know, the ‘ol DEMO RAT GOTTCHA. Purpose? Perhaps to punish, frustrate and indeed anger, those conservative customers who don’t vote as the DMV suggests when the DMV was actively changing other political affiliations to Democrat. Some recruitment process for change yeah? lol
So here I go again……I LIVE IN MARIPOSA COUNTY AND AM NOT REQUIRED TO PAY THE STANISLAUS COUNTY DISTRICT SMOG FEE CHARGE OF $22! A DMV employee (after consultation with his “lead team”) advised me to fill out the Statement of Fact Form (once again), explain the situation in writing, deduct the $22 from the bill and send a check for the correct amount with the paperwork. OK, so I did: below.
Yes indeed, rather unloaded on them with a host of complaints regarding the same issue: individuals not performing their respective jobs according to established regulations and policies. Accompanying this was a check for the amount I owed for the registration fees: $226.00 DMV clearly received the check because (as you will see below) it was listed as “amount paid”.
Received the DMV letter yesterday (August 17 – approximately 37 days since it was mailed – but expired registration was on July 31. (GOSH! think they were also trying to push me over the July 31 expiration date? lol) Anyway, here was the response to my required FACTUAL STATEMENT FORM that I did not owe a Stanislaus County District Fee. (I was looking forward to how it would be explained since OBVIOUSLY WRONG for 8 years!) This was DMV’s understanding response:
A copy of my two page narrative but the Two pages of DMV STATEMENT OF FACT FORM (signed under penalty of perjury) HAD BEEN SEPARATED FROM my two page NARRATIVE. WHy? Is my narrative now conveniently filed away as just an unfounded complaint because there was no DMV Statement of Fact Form accompanying the narrative? (That would be a new twist.)
#2 REPORT OF DEPOSIT OF FEES –
#3 (BELOW) A DIFFERENT FEE FORM WHICH DOES NOT SHOW ALL FIVE FEES TOGETHER AND DISPLAYED AS THEY ARE ON THE REGISTRATION CARD AS COUNTY/DISTRICT FEES $22 (Perhaps this responding DMV employee thought I could not add the 5 figures together and successfully reach the total of $22? lol)
That’s it. No apology for the inconvenience and frustration for 8 years. No explanation, discussion, or questioning of my FACT STATEMENT. No suggestion I should move to Stanislaus County so as to make their DMV paperwork correct? lol Though moving sure is an option, it would never be within this Califusion!) This employee didn’t even have the confidence to identify themselves. Perhaps one of those weak little leftist loser obstructionists who wrongfully use their government position to (in their minds) fight the evil conservatives that don’t recognize the intelligence and greatness of Governor …..what’s his name?……No, not Larry Elders….at least not yet…… and what about these Califusion elections? Same as the stolen presidential election?
I can almost hear the pleasure this little piss ant obstructionist would spew…..
“FUCK YOU AND YOUR DMV STATEMENT OF FACT FORM AND YOUR CRY BABY 8 YEARS OF FRUSTRATION AND INCONVENIENCE ….Many others have it worse. PISS OFF YOU WORTHLESS CONSERVATIVE! SEND US THE $22 YOU DON’T OWE OR WE WILL KEEP THE TAGS YOU ALREADY LEGITIMATELY PAID FOR AND IN THE MEAN TIME WE SINCERELY HOPE YOU GET A BIG FAT TICKET FOR EXPIRED REGISTRATION AND IT MAKES YOU MAD ENOUGH TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK FOR HAVING THE GALL OF EVEN QUESTIONING THE GREAT AND POWERFUL AND NEVER EVER WRONG
CALIFUSION
MDV !”
My best to you and yours, Lew
PS: Almost forgot the 2017 admission by DMV that the charges are indeed incorrect:
There’s more to this, but I’m still recovering from the last desert excursion (lost 30lbs during and between the two trips.) Actually had another post almost ready until yesterday’s DMV response. Folks we are losing OUR COUNTRY to an orchestrated organization Anti-USA cheats and liars who do not believe in the RULE OF LAW and they are everywhere – local, state and federal. later.
that appointed president Biden made that prior posted speech. Hell, I’d bet you money, marbles or chalk he could not even correctly (or coherently) read such a transcript – much less comprehend what we are now told he composed and spoke. (See the video clip of him walking right past his security detail and off the sidewalk onto the lawn despite verbal clues and hand signals by the secret service who were attempting to keep him on the right path to the White House doorway? Looked like some kind of a zombie moving aimlessly forward unaware of the frustrated herders who were unable to guide this shell of a man to his destination. <below>)
I still honestly believe this is a horrific example of ELDER ABUSE BY ANTI-AMERICAN MANIPULATORS ON THE FAR LEFT who don’t give a flying rat’s ass about America (much less their conveniently exploited Biden puppet) or the principles for which “SHE”, OUR BELOVED COUNTRY, has always proudly stood and struggled for centuries to achieve. We have been told many things since the 2020 cyber-stolen election regarding how hard this appointed fraud of an administration is working for the American people while supposedly “Building Back Better”. (Ever notice how so many of these Biden plans are merely reconfigured (and perverted) extensions of what OUR TRUE PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, HAD ALREADY instituted or planned to initiate? The Biden brethren are simply “copy cats” concerning anything that remotely sounds reasonable or makes common sense and are desperately hoping their nefarious deceptions are not noticed – which of course they certainly are.)
“Build Back Better?” Oh really? Take a quick look at our country’s current open southern border and the serious and highly dangerous consequences that have, and will continue to erode our sovereignty due to the foolish betrayal of ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS. That alone is an excellent example of what these disingenuous traitors believe to be “better”.
Yup, capital punishment or mandatory revocation of citizenship and expulsion from the USA are reasonable responses for these intentional traitors to our country whereas Biden should probably just finish out his life in a supervised care facility safe from those who would continue to slip their leftist hands up his ass to make his mouth move as if he were saying something important.
My best to you and yours, Lew
Sure hope I am not one of those American Citizens who leave this life while such a pathetic, demented and dishonest “commander and thief” pretends to be the legitimate leader of the FREE WORLD while his “sock puppet handlers” incrementally destroy OUR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA with words and activities this puppet president could not possibly orchestrate or comprehend. Yup, they should all be criminally charged with elder abuse and dealt with quite harshly for their monumental betrayal of OUR AMERICA. later.
President Biden delivered a speech on wanting to lower prescription drug prices.
Biden was Monday’s KVML “Newsmaker of the Day”. Here are his words:
“There aren’t a lot of things that almost every American can agree on. But I think it’s safe to say that all of us — whatever our background, our age, or where we live -– can agree that prescription drug prices are outrageously expensive in America.
Today, I’d like to talk about how we’re going to help millions of Americans save money and ease their burdens by lowering the cost of prescription drugs.
Let me start by acknowledging the groundbreaking and lifesaving work that many pharmaceutical companies are doing.
Look no further than the vaccines they are manufacturing and delivering that are helping us beat this pandemic and save lives.
But we can make a distinction between developing these breakthroughs and jacking up prices on a range of medications for a range of everyday diseases and conditions.
Right now, right here in America, we pay the highest prescription drug costs of any developed nation in the world. Let me say that again: of any developed nation in the world. About two to three times what other countries pay.
Last week, in the Oval Office, I hosted a small-business owner named Gail from Denver. She’s 60 years old. When she was 11, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. For nearly 50 years, she’s had to take insulin to stay alive.
But you know what she told me? She said she doesn’t worry about becoming blind or her blood sugar dropping dangerously low — the natural worries of anyone with Type 1 diabetes. She worries about being able to pay for her prescription drugs.
During our conversation, she pulled out a vial of insulin from her bag. In 2001, she said, that single vial cost $32 a bottle. Today, that exact same bottle, with the same exact formula — no changes — costs $280 per bottle.
Gail and her husband work hard. They spend wisely. But because of the cost of her prescription drugs, her husband may not be able to retire. They drive the same car, she said, she’s had for 17 years, unable to afford repairs or a new one. And Gail is not alone.
It’s estimated that more than 34 million Americans — 10 percent of the population of the United States — have diabetes, including more than 1.5 million of those who have Type 1 diabetes.
And the outrageous cost, affecting everyone across the board, spanning every kind of condition and disease, is similar.
I remember what it was like for my mom as she got older and moved in with us. Her prescription drugs were so expensive that it took me, my two brothers, and my sister — three siblings — chipping in to cover the thousands of dollars in monthly costs that she did — that she had to exhaust, rather than exhaust the little savings she had, for her prescription drugs.
It’s personal to so many of us and so many of you. You know, for more than 1 million Americans living with multiple sclerosis, one common drug for that disease costs $7,100 per month. The price has gone up 1,000 percent over the last 20 years without any change in the drug.
For more than 1 million people with rheumatoid arthritis, a common prescription drug used to cost about $1,350 per month; that was when it was introduced back in 2003. Today, the same drug costs $7,700 per month — over five times more expensive without any change.
For years, the price of many prescription drugs has dramatically outpaced inflation. These prices have put the squeeze on too many families and stripped them of their dignity. They’ve been forced — we force people into terrible choices, between maintaining their health, paying the rent or the mortgage, putting food on the table. I mean, literally. And that’s the case for a lot of working families and seniors, even if you can get the care you need.
But, today, working families and too many seniors are struggling to make it work.
Today, one in four Americans who take prescription drugs struggle to afford them. Nearly 30 percent have skipped doses, cut pills in half, or — because they can’t afford the cost.
We have to change this, and we can.
My administration has already taken significant steps to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Last month, I signed an executive order that has the effect of improving competition in the economy, which will result in lower prescription drug fri- — drug costs.
Right now, when a drug company seeks permission from the FDA — the Food and Drug Administration — for a certain drug to get a patent, it’s allowed — the patent — it’s allowed to exclusively sell that drug without competition for up to 12 years. When that time period expires, other companies can come along, make the same exact drug, and sell it cheaper. It’s called a “generic drug.”
But unfortunately, it often takes a long time — years and years — for this to happen. That’s why I’ve instructed the federal Drug Administration to get these genetic [generic] drugs to consumers faster. This is going to increase competition, lower drug prices for everyone.
Research shows that prices could be cut by 25 to 33 percent and save $54 billion for consumers over the next 10 years. Makes a gigantic difference for an average family.
Secondly, I’ve ordered the FDA to work with states and Tribes to import prescription drugs safely from Canada. These are drugs that the FDA has determined are safe. And they’re going to make sure the drugs get to the states and Tribes safely.
Colorado estimates that their version of the Drug Importation Program is going to save $35 million to $60 million a year for people in Colorado, cutting the prices down by more than 60 percent for the cost of the same drug.
These things — and, by the way, you know, the company that’s making these drugs and causing — and charging exorbitant prices are selling the same drug in other countries at considerably lower prices. It’s not like there’s another company always making this drug — same outfit.
These thing by themselves will be a great help. But to really solve the problem, we need Congress to act. That’s what my Build Back Better plan will do.
You know, there’s long been talk — I mean, a long time, since the days when I was back in the Senate — about giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices.
Now, Medicare takes care of millions of people. Medicare — my plan — going to — is going to allow that.
Every other type of healthcare service — from the cost of a doctor’s visit, how much a doctor can charge for a visit, hospital visits, crutches, wheelchairs — Medicare is allowed to negotiate and say, “We’ll pay no more, from the Medicare, than the following amount for those things.”
As I’ve said before, the only thing Medicare is not allowed to negotiate are prices for prescription drugs. My plan gets rid of that prohibition.
The proposal I made while I was running for President is that Medicare should negotiate drug prices across the board.
Congress is currently debating a more narrow vision letting Medicare negotiate some of the most expensive drugs, particularly from those companies that don’t face competition for that drug. We’re going to provide that competition through — we’re going to provide that competition through Medicare. Medicare is going to negotiate a fair price.
Right now, drug companies will set a price at whatever the market will bear.
Some of you may remember when I had the Moonshot going as — when I was Vice President. I met with 12 drug companies. And I agreed I would not name them at the time; it was just a private discussion. I said, “If any one of you came up with a drug that cured a particular type of cancer, what do you think you should be able to charge for it?” They said, “Whatever the market would bear. Whatever it will bear.”
But that often means a significant number of people can’t afford it under any circumstance and they’ll die without it. That’s unacceptable.
What we’re proposing is that we’ll negotiate a base — negotiate with the company based on a fair price, one that reflects the costs of the research and development and the need for providing for a significant prof- — a profit, but that’s still affordable for consumers.
And, by the way, if there was a significant amount that’s invested in it and a fair price is very expensive, we’re going to have to figure out society can provide for that drug that will save lives if people who can’t afford it. But that’s what we are trying to get done. And it has to get done.
But not only that my plan caps the amount that seniors have to spend on prescription drugs each year at no more than about $3,000 a year, our plan says that drug companies can only raise prices based on the rate of inflation after it’s determined how much they’ve invested and what a healthy profit constitutes.
Studies have shown that if we do this, we can save seniors thousands of dollars a year.
For example, an expensive drug for a cancer called “multiple myeloma” can cost $20,000 a month. Twenty thousand dollars a month. People who need that drug pay an average of $1,300 a month out of pocket even with Medicare.
What I’m proposing would reduce the total cost by thousands of dollars and seniors would not pay more than $250 a month on average. That’d be a game changer.
And by the way, it isn’t just seniors who will benefit. This would lower prescription drug prices for all Americans. And here’s how: If Medicare prices are available to private insurance companies, then it would reduce the cost of employer-based health insurance coverage.
What that means is: Once Medicare negotiates a lower drug price for its beneficiaries, an employer-based plan shouldn’t have to keep paying whatever the drug company demands. They should get access to the same drug for the same price as Medicare.
So, if you’re not on Medicare — you get your prescription drugs through your employer-based plan — your plan should pay the same price for that drug as someone on Medicare.
It means drug companies would have to sell their drugs to all distributors at the Medicare price or face up to a 95 percent excise tax. The savings for employers and employees would be billions of dollars a year.
We don’t have to stop there. My plan expands Medicare by adding dental, vision, and hearing, which would make a world of difference for millions of people.
And we can take some of that savings created when Medicare is no longer forced to overpay prescription drugs and use it to pay for these additional benefits and reduce premiums, improve access for people with coverage on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
You know, at the same time, we can invest in medical breakthroughs that will also reduce the costs and save lives.
Right now, when Americans overpay for prescription drugs, too many pharmaceutical companies don’t use the profit nearly enough to innovate or research.
Too many companies use it on buying back their stock, inflate their worth, drive up CEO’s salaries and compensation, and find ways to box out the competition.
In fact, according to one study, from 2016 to 2020, pharmaceutical companies spent $577 billion in stock buybacks and dividends — $56 billion more than what they spent on all research and development over that same period of time.
Look, folks, they should be able to make a significant prog- — prof- — profit, but why should we be paying two or three times what every other country in the world is paying for a similar drug? There’s so much we can do.
For example, at the Defense Department — for those of you who cover the Defense area — there’s something called the DARPA — the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency — set up exclusively within the Defense Department to seek out the cutting-edge research protects that enhance our national security. An outfit that came up with the Internet, GPS, and a lot of stealth technology — a lot of things.
I’m proposing we do a similar thing. I propose we spend $6.5 billion for a similar agency within the National Institute of Health — the NIH –- called “Advanced Research Project Agency” — ARPA-H — like DARPA — to help speed cutting-edge research on how to detect, treat, and cure diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer.
It’s personal to so many people out there, and we can do this. I’m not criticizing companies that aren’t prepared to spend billions of dollars on certain projects to research. I get it. But if they’re not, we should, to make sure the American — Americans are covered.
And here’s one other big thing that will help millions of Americans afford their prescription drugs: getting them affordable health insurance.
If anyone is worried about getting health insurance during the pandemic, there’s help today. For those who get their insurance through the Affordable Care Act, we’re covering more people, with better benefits, and with the premiums 40 percent lower.
That means the average premium has been cut by — from $104 a month to $62 a month. Sixty-two dollars a month for quality health insurance that covers doctors visits, hospital care, and prescription drugs.
In fact, one third of the consumers are buying plans through the Affordable Care Act for less than $10 a month.
Earlier this week, I announced that more than 2.5 million Americans have signed up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act since I called for the Special Enrollment Period during this pandemic.
Folks, if you don’t have insurance, you can still sign up under the Affordable Care Act through Sunday, August the 15th. Just go to Healthcare.gov today, and get covered.
To all those folks expressing concern about rising costs for families, I urge you to support these basic reforms that will allow drug companies to still make billions of dollars, as they have a right to do, but will address one of the largest out-of-pocket expenses that families face: prescription drugs.
We can do this.
Let me close with this: I’ve long said healthcare should be a right, not a privilege in this country. With my Build Back Better Plan, we have an opportunity to come together and get us even closer to that reality.
And the American people support it by overwhelming bipartisan margins. This isn’t a partisan issue. Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer — they don’t care if you’re a Democrat or Republican. This is about whether or not you and your loved ones can afford prescription drugs you need.
I look forward to Congress getting this done. And there’s another area — this is another area where you can come together and make a difference in people’s lives.
Thank you. May God bless you. May God protect our troops. Thank you.”
The “Newsmaker of the Day” is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
Allan Stein Allan Stein is an Epoch Times reporter who covers the state of Arizona.
Jack PhillipsSenior Reporter Jack Phillips is a reporter at The Epoch Times based in New York.
Charlotte CuthbertsonSenior Reporter Charlotte Cuthbertson is a senior reporter with The Epoch Times who primarily covers 
