Yeshivas are asking teachers not to test for COVID-19, even as cases rise

 https://forward.com/news/455103/schools-are-not-reporting-covid-cases-among-students-asking-teachers-not/

 Some Haredi yeshiva day schools in Brooklyn are asking teachers not to get tested for COVID-19, and also not sharing information about students who test positive, to try to avoid school closures, said three sources with direct knowledge of specific schools said in interviews.

The news comes amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases in six Queens and Brooklyn neighborhoods which include the “Ocean Parkway Cluster” of Borough Park, Midwood and Bensonhurst — named after the avenue that links them, according to a Department of Health statement issued Tuesday.

Did Trump Say Protesters Threw Cans of Soup at Police?

 https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-protesters-cans-of-soup/

 Given that Trump did make the statements about protesters using cans of soup as weapons against law enforcement and there is footage confirming he made the statement, we rate this claim as a “Correct Attribution.”

Yom Kippur synagogue closure will be ineffective among haredim - Analysis

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/yom-kippur-synagogue-closure-will-be-ineffective-among-haredi-analysis-643312

 Moshe Weisberg, editor of the B’hadrei Haredim ultra-Orthodox news website, says likewise that a closure order of synagogues on Yom Kippur will be widely violated.

He estimated that at least 80% of the ultra-Orthodox community, including the hassidim and various extremist factions, have not been obeying social distancing in synagogues in recent months, and that that figure would climb even higher on Yom Kippur.

In B’hadrei Haredim’s editorial on Wednesday, the site described a closure of synagogues on Yom Kippur as “a declaration of war on God and his Torah,” and that “thousands of worshipers and synagogue administrators will not comply with such a decision.”

Israel is winning on the world stage, but losing the plot at home

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/23/middleeast/israel-netanyahu-world-stage-at-home-intl/index.html

At home it's a different story, however. The second wave of coronavirus infections in Israel long ago eclipsed the first, forcing the country into a second general lockdown that has shuttered schools, restaurants, entertainment venues and more. And while the coronavirus may be the most pressing challenge facing Netanyahu right now, it's far from the only one. The 70-year-old leader is being attacked from both left and the right, not only for his handling of the public health crisis, but also for mismanagement of the economy, his response to his criminal trials, and more.

 

 

 

The Pentagon Reportedly Blew Its $1 Billion Coronavirus Budget on Body Armor and Planes

 https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/pentagon-reportedly-blew-its-dollar1-billion-coronavirus-budget-on-body-armor-and-planes

Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars Congress intended for pandemic relief were instead diverted for military spending, with bailout cash used to produce products like jet engine parts, body armor, and dress uniforms. For a period of time, the Washington Post reported, the $1 billion fund that Congress gave the Pentagon via the Cares Act to “prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus” was on track to be used for its original purpose, with $750 million for medical resources and $250 million for defense contractors. That was what Ellen Lord, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, told reporters in April. But at a congressional hearing two months later, she backtracked, telling lawmakers that defense contractors had “critical needs as well.” The ultimate spending plan that the Pentagon put forth to Congress in June, the Post notes, prioritized $688 million for the defense industry.

 

Are elderly people now disposable? Look in mirror, Trump

COVID-19 Has Killed Nearly 200,000 Americans. How Many More Lives Will Be Lost Before the U.S. Gets It Right?

 https://time.com/5887432/coronavirus-united-states-failure/

 If, early in the spring, the U.S. had mobilized its ample resources and expertise in a coherent national effort to prepare for the virus, things might have turned out differently. If, in midsummer, the country had doubled down on the measures (masks, social-distancing rules, restricted indoor activities and public gatherings) that seemed to be working, instead of prematurely declaring victory, things might have turned out differently. The tragedy is that if science and common sense solutions were united in a national, coordinated response, the U.S. could have avoided many thousands of more deaths this summer.

 

Erin Burnett: Here is what keeps President Trump up at night

Trump views 200,000 Covid-19 deaths as a PR problem. We should view them as someone's loved one

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/22/opinions/trump-views-200000-covid-19-deaths-as-a-pr-problem-obeidallah/index.html

 On Monday, with the US on the verge of reaching the solemn number of 200,000 dead from Covid-19, Donald Trump appeared on Fox News where the topic of the virus was raised. Did Trump express sympathy for the heartbreaking losses caused to families across the nation from this deadly pandemic? Nope, instead he patted himself on the back for doing what he called "a phenomenal job" in handling Covid-19, giving himself an "A+." The only criticism Trump would offer was regarding the public relations for the virus, saying in that area, "I give myself a D." He blamed the low grade on "fake news."

 

A bubble of self-delusion in Washington

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/22/world/meanwhile-in-america-september-22-intl/index.html

 "Just remember, what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening," Donald Trump told supporters in 2018. On Monday, as the terrible milestone of 200,000 Covid-19 deaths loomed, the US President put his motto into action.

"We've done a phenomenal job. Not just a good job, a phenomenal job," Trump said on Fox News, referring to his leadership in the pandemic. "On the job itself, we take an A+," the President said.

The entire Trump mythology rests on a bubble of self-delusion. The US has around 4% of the world's population -- but more than 20% of its coronavirus deaths. And while few governments have fought this pernicious disease perfectly, any fair assessment would put Trump's performance closer to a D than an A.

US death toll passes 200,000

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54244515

 The US coronavirus death toll has passed 200,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

More than 6.8 million people are known to have been infected in the US, more than in any other country.

The milestone comes amid an increase in cases in a number of states, including North Dakota and Utah.

In March, President Donald Trump said if deaths were between 100,000 and 200,000, the country would have done a "very good job".

Chris Hayes: The GOP Made A Devil’s Bargain With Trump—And It Was Worth It | All In | MSNBC

Deny kavod to someone in order to give kavod to another person?

      Sanhedrin (5b)      What was the reason that Rab was not authorised to permit the slaughter of firstborn animals? Was it that he was not learned2 enough? But have we not just said that he was very learned? Was it because he was not an expert in judging defects? But did not Rab himself say: I spent eighteen months with a shepherd in order to learn which was a permanent and which a passing blemish ? — Rabbi withheld that authorisation from Rab, as a special mark of respect to Rabbah b. Hana.3

(3) So as to establish him firmly in the respect of Babylonians, whilst Rab's standing was in any case high.

William Barr takes aim at prosecutors inside his own Justice Department

 https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-09-17/barr-takes-aim-at-prosecutors-inside-his-own-justice-dept

 The comments at a speech at Hillsdale College in Michigan amounted to a striking, and unusual, rebuke of the thousands of prosecutors who do the daily work of assembling criminal cases across the country. Barr has faced scrutiny for overruling the decisions of Justice Department prosecutors who work for him, including in criminal cases involving associates of President Trump.

Bill Barr Must Resign

 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/donald-ayer-bill-barr-must-resign/606670/

 The attorney general is working to destroy the integrity and independence of the Justice Department, in order to make Donald Trump a president who can operate above the law.

2,000 Former FBI And DOJ Officials Call On Barr To Resign

 https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandrasternlicht/2020/05/11/2000-former-fbi-and-doj-officials-call-on-barr-to-resign/#6dce5211171e

 TOPLINE

Almost 2,000 former FBI agents and Department of Justice officials wrote an open letter Monday calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign over his handling of the Michael Flynn case, after the Justice Department abruptly dropped criminal charges against President Trump’s former national security advisor last week, despite Flynn’s earlier guilty pleas.

 

Keeping Our Word (Matot 5776)

 https://rabbisacks.org/keeping-word-matot-5776/

 Social institutions in a free society depend on trust, and trust means that we keep our word. We do what we say we are going to do. If we make a vow, an oath, a promise, a verbal undertaking, then we hold ourselves bound by it. This means that we will actually fulfil our commitment unless we can establish that, due to circumstances unforeseeable at the time, we are simply unable to do so.

 If trust breaks down, social relationships break down, and then society depends on law enforcement agencies or some other use of force. When force is widely used, society is no longer free. The only way free human beings can form collaborative and cooperative relationships without recourse to force is by the use of verbal undertakings honoured by those who make them.

Malka Leifer saga far from over - analysis

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/malka-leifer-saga-far-from-over-analysis-643078

 At most, Monday’s decision by the Jerusalem District Court to extradite alleged sex offender Malka Leifer to Australia can be viewed as the beginning of the end of the saga, but not the end itself.

Leifer will not be extradited for at least several months, and if the case is not expedited, her extradition could take more than a year.

 

 

Keilar to Trump official: Where is Trump's health care plan?

Integrity in Public Life

 https://outorah.org/p/23873/

 It is precisely the fact that Moses did not need to do what he did, that gives the passage its force. There must be transparency and accountability when it comes to public funds even if the people involved have impeccable reputations. People in positions of trust must be, and be seen to be, individuals of moral integrity. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law had already said this when he told Moses to appoint subordinates to help him in the task of leading the people. They should be, he said, “Men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain” (Ex. 18: 21).

 

 

Justin Haskins: Fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat now. I don't care what GOP senators promised in the past -(Power is more important than integrity)

 https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/ruth-bader-ginsburg-seat-republicans-justin-haskins

 I sympathize with those senators who have made promises in the past and wish to honor them. Honesty is, of course, important, and honoring promises under difficult political circumstances is a rare trait in Washington, to say the least.

 However, the Republican senators who made promises not to fulfill Supreme Court seats close to an election have a more important duty than upholding political promises made in days, months or years past: ensuring that the rights of all Americans are protected. They can do that by filling Justice Ginsburg’s vacant seat with a constitutionalist who will promise to faithfully interpret the Constitution in line with the intentions of those who passed it into law.

 The senators who pledged not to fill a vacant Supreme Court seat under the present circumstances should never have made those promises and if they are forced to pay the price in November for making foolish, irresponsible commitments, then so be it.

Chris Wallace calls out Republican for allowing Trump’s Supreme Court pick but not Obama’s

Cooper rolls tape on what GOP senators said about replacing a justice in 2016

'A Very Strange Speech': What AG Barr's Words Mean | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Sen. Graham Flip-Flops On Filling SCOTUS Vacancy | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Leifer accusers express relief at long-awaited extradition ruling

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/leifer-accusers-express-relief-at-long-awaited-extradition-ruling/#gs.g75j8j

 

‘We can’t believe we finally got here,’ says one of three Australian sisters who accuse ex-principal of sexual assault; others also praise decision, after 71 hearings

 

 

Court rules accused sex abuser Leifer to be extradited to Australia

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/court-rules-accused-sex-abuser-leifer-to-be-extradited-back-to-australia/#gs.g74zdi

 

In possibly final ruling after 6 years of hearings, judge says ex-principal must face child sex abuse charges in Melbourne, pending expected appeal

 

 

Slowing the Republican's Sprint to Name a New Supreme Court Justice Nominee to Fill RGB's Seat