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FakeNoose
FakeNoose's Journal
FakeNoose's Journal
April 18, 2023
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/health/planned-parenthood-race-discrimination-nj-ny-20230418.html
- more at link -
“If we can’t count on Planned Parenthood to respect Black employees, how can we count on them to care for people of color as patients?” said Valerie Shore, Fisher’s attorney in New Jersey.
Link to lawsuit filing (14-page filing): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IvFevj3kqJEZ3s9igmUiVo8dh3hHxAbM/view
Suing Planned Parenthood for racial discrimination
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/health/planned-parenthood-race-discrimination-nj-ny-20230418.html
A patient’s urine test landed on Michelle Fisher’s desk with a warm, wet splash. Fisher, a Black nurse practitioner, remembers looking up from her lunch to see the white manager of Planned Parenthood’s Bellmawr clinic in South Jersey.
The clinic manager often berated Fisher for asking questions the nurse practitioner felt were necessary to do her job — including this time, when she’d asked to see a urine test before authorizing birth control, she says in a federal discrimination lawsuit. Fisher claims that the supervisor frequently ended their terse exchanges by flicking a fisted hand at her, making a whip-cracking sound and ordering, “Now get back to work.”
Such interactions were emotionally draining, Fisher said in an interview, but she continued to show up, day after day, for almost three years because she wanted to provide for Black women and girls what she’d rarely had — a medical provider who looked like her. When she was laid off in spring 2021 in what she believes was retaliation for filing multiple discrimination complaints to human resources, Fisher decided to do more.
In May 2022, Fisher sued Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey for race discrimination and wrongful termination and was deposed in March of this year. The case is ongoing.
The clinic manager often berated Fisher for asking questions the nurse practitioner felt were necessary to do her job — including this time, when she’d asked to see a urine test before authorizing birth control, she says in a federal discrimination lawsuit. Fisher claims that the supervisor frequently ended their terse exchanges by flicking a fisted hand at her, making a whip-cracking sound and ordering, “Now get back to work.”
Such interactions were emotionally draining, Fisher said in an interview, but she continued to show up, day after day, for almost three years because she wanted to provide for Black women and girls what she’d rarely had — a medical provider who looked like her. When she was laid off in spring 2021 in what she believes was retaliation for filing multiple discrimination complaints to human resources, Fisher decided to do more.
In May 2022, Fisher sued Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey for race discrimination and wrongful termination and was deposed in March of this year. The case is ongoing.
- more at link -
“If we can’t count on Planned Parenthood to respect Black employees, how can we count on them to care for people of color as patients?” said Valerie Shore, Fisher’s attorney in New Jersey.
Link to lawsuit filing (14-page filing): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IvFevj3kqJEZ3s9igmUiVo8dh3hHxAbM/view
April 16, 2023
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2023/04/15/g-7-allies-us-documents-leak-blinken-teixeira-pentagon-biden-hanoi/stories/202304150079
- more at link -
When you're the Secretary of State, you have to deal with the bad news, while your boss the President gets to do all the "fun stuff."
G-7 talks may measure allies' reaction to U.S. documents leak
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2023/04/15/g-7-allies-us-documents-leak-blinken-teixeira-pentagon-biden-hanoi/stories/202304150079
HANOI — While the Biden administration sees minimal damage from the disclosure of highly classified documents related to the war in Ukraine and U.S. views of its allies and partners, that assessment will get its first real test when Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets in Japan with counterparts from six of America’s closest foreign friends.
The three days of talks between the Group of Seven foreign ministers, which begin Sunday, may shed light on whether the disclosure has harmed trust between the allies or is only the latest embarrassment for the U.S., which has been grappling with the fallout from leaks of highly sensitive secrets over the past decade.
Mr. Blinken said Saturday he had heard no concerns from allies, but the revelations, and the arrest of a relatively low-level suspect in the leaks, will loom over the G-7 meeting, the first major international diplomatic conference since the documents were discovered online and made public.
“We have engaged with our allies and partners since these leaks came out, and we have done so at high levels, and we have made clear our commitment to safeguarding intelligence and our commitment to our security partnerships,” Mr. Blinken told reporters in Hanoi before leaving for Japan.
The three days of talks between the Group of Seven foreign ministers, which begin Sunday, may shed light on whether the disclosure has harmed trust between the allies or is only the latest embarrassment for the U.S., which has been grappling with the fallout from leaks of highly sensitive secrets over the past decade.
Mr. Blinken said Saturday he had heard no concerns from allies, but the revelations, and the arrest of a relatively low-level suspect in the leaks, will loom over the G-7 meeting, the first major international diplomatic conference since the documents were discovered online and made public.
“We have engaged with our allies and partners since these leaks came out, and we have done so at high levels, and we have made clear our commitment to safeguarding intelligence and our commitment to our security partnerships,” Mr. Blinken told reporters in Hanoi before leaving for Japan.
- more at link -
When you're the Secretary of State, you have to deal with the bad news, while your boss the President gets to do all the "fun stuff."
April 15, 2023
- more at link -
The Pennsylvania website is here: www.pa.gov/freedomtochoose/#Provider
The Repukes are TRIGGERED!
Pennsylvania's newly launched abortion access website comes under fire
HARRISBURG — Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration came under fire Friday for its decision to launch a website offering information on abortion-related services in Pennsylvania in the wake of court decisions restricting access to medication abortions.
“Accessing Abortion Care in Pennsylvania,” provides information about how to access abortion care in the state and how to pay for it. Other features include an interactive map that identifies the location of providers.
That doesn’t sit well with Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York County, who questioned its legality and appropriateness during a budget hearing with representatives of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration.
The website went live on Monday just days after a federal judge in Texas reversed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion medication mifepristone. In announcing the website, Mr. Shapiro made it clear that federal ruling had no bearing on abortion rights and freedoms in Pennsylvania. “As your governor, I believe decisions on reproductive care are to be made between women and their doctors, not extremist politicians or radical court rulings,” he said in a statement.
“Accessing Abortion Care in Pennsylvania,” provides information about how to access abortion care in the state and how to pay for it. Other features include an interactive map that identifies the location of providers.
That doesn’t sit well with Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York County, who questioned its legality and appropriateness during a budget hearing with representatives of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration.
The website went live on Monday just days after a federal judge in Texas reversed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion medication mifepristone. In announcing the website, Mr. Shapiro made it clear that federal ruling had no bearing on abortion rights and freedoms in Pennsylvania. “As your governor, I believe decisions on reproductive care are to be made between women and their doctors, not extremist politicians or radical court rulings,” he said in a statement.
- more at link -
The Pennsylvania website is here: www.pa.gov/freedomtochoose/#Provider
The Repukes are TRIGGERED!
April 14, 2023
Spotlight PA guide
(link) https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/04/pa-medicaid-reenrollment-guide-appeal-help/
- more at link -
Important info here, if you or someone you know is on the Medicaid program. Things are changing quickly so don't delay in re-enrolling.
Pa. Medicaid reenrollment: What you need to know to keep your health insurance or find other options
Spotlight PA guide
(link) https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/04/pa-medicaid-reenrollment-guide-appeal-help/
HARRISBURG — If you’re one of the nearly 3.7 million Pennsylvanians who use Medicaid for health insurance, you’ll need to requalify for coverage over the next year.
The process can be complicated, and it could be trickier this time around because reenrollment has been paused since the pandemic began. That’s why Spotlight PA has put together a list of tips and tools that can help.
First, some context. For the past three years, a pandemic-era federal moratorium prevented states from kicking people off Medicaid even if they no longer met income or other eligibility requirements. That policy ended on April 1, but nobody will lose their coverage right away.
The state conducts eligibility assessments on a rolling basis. If a recipient is found to no longer be eligible, they have the right to appeal. And if someone has trouble with the appeal process or feels they’re being wrongly deprived of benefits, many health care access groups around the commonwealth offer their services for free.
The process can be complicated, and it could be trickier this time around because reenrollment has been paused since the pandemic began. That’s why Spotlight PA has put together a list of tips and tools that can help.
First, some context. For the past three years, a pandemic-era federal moratorium prevented states from kicking people off Medicaid even if they no longer met income or other eligibility requirements. That policy ended on April 1, but nobody will lose their coverage right away.
The state conducts eligibility assessments on a rolling basis. If a recipient is found to no longer be eligible, they have the right to appeal. And if someone has trouble with the appeal process or feels they’re being wrongly deprived of benefits, many health care access groups around the commonwealth offer their services for free.
- more at link -
Important info here, if you or someone you know is on the Medicaid program. Things are changing quickly so don't delay in re-enrolling.
April 14, 2023
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/04/13/pittsburgh-robotics-companies-manufacturing-pennsylvania/stories/202304130127
- more at link -
With the partnership of Google and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh has become a hub for high-tech companies in the last 10 to 15 years. Some are even calling Pittsburgh "Silicon Valley East" - but that might be a stretch. After the old steel and coke mills have been removed, the city offers choice riverfront property available and the tech companies are moving in.
Pittsburgh robotics companies should be able to build more in Pa., top official says
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/04/13/pittsburgh-robotics-companies-manufacturing-pennsylvania/stories/202304130127
HARRISBURG — The state’s top economic development official wants robotics companies in the Pittsburgh area to manufacture materials they need in Western Pennsylvania, rather than getting them from places such as Illinois or Europe.
“Can we help them build it here?” Rick Siger, acting secretary of Community and Economic Development, asked lawmakers Thursday, as he described efforts since he took the job in January under Gov. Josh Shapiro. Mr. Siger was previously chief of staff and senior adviser to the president at Carnegie Mellon University.
The goal, Mr. Siger said during a state House Appropriations Committee hearing on his agency’s proposed $191 million budget, is to create ties between robotics developers and local manufacturers. “Like, here is a manufacturer that can help your robotics company build this widget that you need for your process,” Mr. Siger said.
The sentiment was in line with Mr. Shapiro’s inauguration day remarks that he is “competitive as hell” and “sick and tired” of seeing Pennsylvania lose out to other states. Mr. Siger told lawmakers Thursday that the state needs an aggressive, competitive agenda and that he would take “a hard look at the way we do economic development.”
“Can we help them build it here?” Rick Siger, acting secretary of Community and Economic Development, asked lawmakers Thursday, as he described efforts since he took the job in January under Gov. Josh Shapiro. Mr. Siger was previously chief of staff and senior adviser to the president at Carnegie Mellon University.
The goal, Mr. Siger said during a state House Appropriations Committee hearing on his agency’s proposed $191 million budget, is to create ties between robotics developers and local manufacturers. “Like, here is a manufacturer that can help your robotics company build this widget that you need for your process,” Mr. Siger said.
The sentiment was in line with Mr. Shapiro’s inauguration day remarks that he is “competitive as hell” and “sick and tired” of seeing Pennsylvania lose out to other states. Mr. Siger told lawmakers Thursday that the state needs an aggressive, competitive agenda and that he would take “a hard look at the way we do economic development.”
- more at link -
With the partnership of Google and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh has become a hub for high-tech companies in the last 10 to 15 years. Some are even calling Pittsburgh "Silicon Valley East" - but that might be a stretch. After the old steel and coke mills have been removed, the city offers choice riverfront property available and the tech companies are moving in.
April 14, 2023
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2023/04/13/john-fetterman-washington-return-committee-hearing/stories/202304130134
- more at link -
Welcome back to the fray, Senator!
Sen. John Fetterman gets ready to chair a hearing his first week back in Washington
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2023/04/13/john-fetterman-washington-return-committee-hearing/stories/202304130134
WASHINGTON — One of the first things U.S. Sen. John Fetterman will do when he returns to Washington next week is wield the gavel at a Senate Agriculture subcommittee hearing.
Mr. Fetterman, D-Pa., chairs the subcommittee on food and nutrition, which is holding a hearing Wednesday on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.
“I’m very excited to chair my first subcommittee hearing next week,” Mr. Fetterman said on Twitter. “We’ll be talking about protecting SNAP, fighting for PA’s farmers in the Farm Bill, and much more.
The lawmaker, who had survived a stroke last year during his successful Senate campaign, checked himself into a hospital in February to be treated for clinical depression. He was released on March 31 and his office said he would return to work next week when the House and Senate come back from their recess.
Mr. Fetterman, D-Pa., chairs the subcommittee on food and nutrition, which is holding a hearing Wednesday on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.
“I’m very excited to chair my first subcommittee hearing next week,” Mr. Fetterman said on Twitter. “We’ll be talking about protecting SNAP, fighting for PA’s farmers in the Farm Bill, and much more.
The lawmaker, who had survived a stroke last year during his successful Senate campaign, checked himself into a hospital in February to be treated for clinical depression. He was released on March 31 and his office said he would return to work next week when the House and Senate come back from their recess.
- more at link -
Welcome back to the fray, Senator!
April 13, 2023
(link) https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/04/pa-primary-election-2023-candidates-running-mayor-council-judge-vetting-guide/
- more at link -
A lot of good info on Spotlight PA, often the local candidates are the hardest to learn about.
Pa. primary election 2023: A basic guide to vetting candidates for school board, judge, and more
Spotlight PA(link) https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/04/pa-primary-election-2023-candidates-running-mayor-council-judge-vetting-guide/
HARRISBURG — When voters go to the polls or fill out their mail ballots for Pennsylvania’s May 16 primary election, they’ll see a slew of local candidates with a lot of direct power over their daily lives. While these officials have a direct say in the taxes you pay and how the criminal justice system treats you, it can be difficult to find good information about the people running to represent you. Spotlight PA has some tips to make the vetting process easier.
Along with statewide races for Pennsylvania’s appellate courts, this year’s primary will also feature elections for school boards, mayorships, councils, local judgeships, and more. Exactly which races you see on your ballot will depend on where you live.
Pennsylvania has a closed, partisan primary system. Only Democrats can vote for Democratic candidates vying to move to the November general election. The same rule applies to Republican voters. However, all voters, including those who are unaffiliated or who are registered to a third party, can vote in special elections that coincide with a spring primary — there are two on May 16 — or for local ballot initiatives.
That’s why it’s important to check a sample ballot or contact your county about what’s on your ballot ahead of Election Day. Here are some steps you can take to prepare for May 16:
Along with statewide races for Pennsylvania’s appellate courts, this year’s primary will also feature elections for school boards, mayorships, councils, local judgeships, and more. Exactly which races you see on your ballot will depend on where you live.
Pennsylvania has a closed, partisan primary system. Only Democrats can vote for Democratic candidates vying to move to the November general election. The same rule applies to Republican voters. However, all voters, including those who are unaffiliated or who are registered to a third party, can vote in special elections that coincide with a spring primary — there are two on May 16 — or for local ballot initiatives.
That’s why it’s important to check a sample ballot or contact your county about what’s on your ballot ahead of Election Day. Here are some steps you can take to prepare for May 16:
- more at link -
A lot of good info on Spotlight PA, often the local candidates are the hardest to learn about.
April 12, 2023
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/04/12/josh-shapiro-reproductive-health-care-website-abortion-ruling/stories/202304120073
- more at link -
Thank you Governor Shapiro!
Gov. Josh Shapiro launches reproductive health care website for Pa. after Texas ruling
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/04/12/josh-shapiro-reproductive-health-care-website-abortion-ruling/stories/202304120073
HARRISBURG — Two conflicting federal court rulings concerning abortion medication spurred Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday to unveil a new website detailing reproductive health care resources in Pennsylvania and announce that the commonwealth is considering joining the legal fight to defend access to the medication.
Mr. Shapiro stressed that the court actions in Texas and Washington have no impact on abortion access in Pennsylvania, where abortion including medication abortion remains legal.
"Your rights and freedoms here in Pennsylvania have not changed — you can get a safe, legal medication abortion using mifepristone in our commonwealth," Mr. Shapiro said in a statement. "I believe decisions on reproductive care are to be made between women and their doctors, not extremist politicians or radical court rulings. Let's be clear: This Texas judge's attempt to restrict access to medication abortions is just another attack on a woman's right to choose. This is about protecting our freedoms, and I won't back down from that fight."
The new website can be found at www.pa.gov/freedomtochoose/#Provider and includes information about abortion medication, a provider search and information on planning and paying for abortions.
Mr. Shapiro stressed that the court actions in Texas and Washington have no impact on abortion access in Pennsylvania, where abortion including medication abortion remains legal.
"Your rights and freedoms here in Pennsylvania have not changed — you can get a safe, legal medication abortion using mifepristone in our commonwealth," Mr. Shapiro said in a statement. "I believe decisions on reproductive care are to be made between women and their doctors, not extremist politicians or radical court rulings. Let's be clear: This Texas judge's attempt to restrict access to medication abortions is just another attack on a woman's right to choose. This is about protecting our freedoms, and I won't back down from that fight."
The new website can be found at www.pa.gov/freedomtochoose/#Provider and includes information about abortion medication, a provider search and information on planning and paying for abortions.
- more at link -
Thank you Governor Shapiro!
April 12, 2023
- more at link -
Come on, let's get this done! Too many derailments are happening, and safety needs to be the foremost consideration.
After Pittsburgh derailment, Rep. Lee re-ups calls to pass federal train safety regulations
(link) https://www.wesa.fm/environment-energy/2023-04-12/lee-pittsburgh-train-regulations
Elected officials met with environmental advocates in Pittsburgh on Tuesday to discuss regulatory proposals aimed at rail companies like Norfolk Southern. It comes on the heels of another derailment in the region: Five cars jumped the tracks in Pittsburgh's West End on Saturday. A spokesperson for the company said it is investigating what caused it.
The train cars were empty and no injuries occurred, but with more than 1,100 derailments in the U.S. last year, Congresswoman Summer Lee (D-PA12) said preventing a potential crisis can’t be left to chance.
“It's very clear to us that, when left to their own devices, corporations will not do the right thing and put the safety of not just our workers, [but also] the safety of our communities, over their own profit margins,” the first-term Democrat said. “That's why it's important that Congress takes action right now."
Lee co-sponsored the Decreasing Emergency Railroad Accident Instances Locally — or DERAIL — Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA17) of Western Pennsylvania in late February. The bill would expand the federal classification of “high-hazard flammable trains” to those that include at least one car loaded with Class 3 flammable liquids or a Class 2 flammable gas, as well as other materials as deemed necessary by the Secretary of Transportation.
The train cars were empty and no injuries occurred, but with more than 1,100 derailments in the U.S. last year, Congresswoman Summer Lee (D-PA12) said preventing a potential crisis can’t be left to chance.
“It's very clear to us that, when left to their own devices, corporations will not do the right thing and put the safety of not just our workers, [but also] the safety of our communities, over their own profit margins,” the first-term Democrat said. “That's why it's important that Congress takes action right now."
Lee co-sponsored the Decreasing Emergency Railroad Accident Instances Locally — or DERAIL — Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA17) of Western Pennsylvania in late February. The bill would expand the federal classification of “high-hazard flammable trains” to those that include at least one car loaded with Class 3 flammable liquids or a Class 2 flammable gas, as well as other materials as deemed necessary by the Secretary of Transportation.
- more at link -
Come on, let's get this done! Too many derailments are happening, and safety needs to be the foremost consideration.
April 11, 2023
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/news/rochelle-bilal-philadelphia-sheriff-budget-funding-raise-20230411.html
- more at link -
Philly sheriff used money meant to hire deputies for executive raises, tried to double her salary
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/news/rochelle-bilal-philadelphia-sheriff-budget-funding-raise-20230411.html
Last week, Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal appeared before City Council, seeking nearly $2 million in new support for an office she has described as “consistently underfunded” and “severely short in deputies.”
Bilal’s budget director, Craig Martin, did not mince words: “It’s a money shortage and a body shortage,” adding the office needed the cash to fill 79 vacant deputy jobs.
But city finance records and an internal Sheriff’s Office memo obtained by The Inquirer show Bilal recently diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to hire more uniformed staff — including deputies — to fund hefty raises for her executive staff and other office workers. Bilal also tried to more than double her $136,083 salary, records show, as part of a plan to dole out even larger raises using money meant for new hires.
City charter provisions barred that salary hike, and officials in the city’s finance department also balked at the other extensive raises Bilal wanted to give to her senior staffers. Had Bilal succeeded with the proposed 109% raise, her salary would have soared to $285,000, making her the highest-paid elected official in Philadelphia.
Bilal’s budget director, Craig Martin, did not mince words: “It’s a money shortage and a body shortage,” adding the office needed the cash to fill 79 vacant deputy jobs.
But city finance records and an internal Sheriff’s Office memo obtained by The Inquirer show Bilal recently diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to hire more uniformed staff — including deputies — to fund hefty raises for her executive staff and other office workers. Bilal also tried to more than double her $136,083 salary, records show, as part of a plan to dole out even larger raises using money meant for new hires.
City charter provisions barred that salary hike, and officials in the city’s finance department also balked at the other extensive raises Bilal wanted to give to her senior staffers. Had Bilal succeeded with the proposed 109% raise, her salary would have soared to $285,000, making her the highest-paid elected official in Philadelphia.
- more at link -
Profile Information
Name: Kathy HinsmanGender: Female
Hometown: Pittsburgh PA
Home country: USA
Current location: Pittsburgh
Member since: Sat Feb 18, 2017, 02:16 PM
Number of posts: 32,620
