The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday Jul7, 2020
That was quick. At the end of the 20th century, the U.S. had won World War II and the Cold War, liberated half the planet from history’s most dehumanizing ideologies, advanced a free-market capitalism that had led more humans out of poverty than any economic system ever devised, and given the world the richest bounty of intellectual, cultural and scientific capital since the Enlightenment. Americans could—and did—look at themselves and the nation they had built with immense pride.
Twenty years later much of the country’s political leadership, almost its entire academic establishment, most of the people who control its news and cultural output, and a good deal of its corporate elite view America as an irredeemably malignant force for enslavement and oppression, a uniquely evil power founded on an ideology of racial supremacy. These Jacobins demand that Americans repudiate most of the nation’s history, tear down the icons of its creation, and engage in a cultural expurgation of its sins.
Only four years ago Sen. Bernie Sanders, a man not noted for a surfeit of patriotic fervor, visited Mount Rushmore and pronounced: “It really does make one very proud to be an American.” On Friday, when President Trump made the pilgrimage, we were told that he was appearing, in the words of a CNN reporter, “in front of a monument of two slave owners and on land wrestled away from Native Americans.”
If the self-image of Americans a generation ago was that of a smiling GI receiving flowers from liberated peoples, today we’re told it’s a police boot stamping on a human face forever. What happened?
We can hope that the present mania is in part one of the baleful consequences of the lockdown lunacy. If you’ve been stuck at home mainlining the distortions of the media for four months, your tolerance threshold for fiction has doubtless been raised.
But the roots of the current insanity are more profound than the inch-deep scholarship of the sophomores now in control of America’s newsrooms.
With hindsight, it’s clear that America in 2020 was ripe for the kind of mindless Maoism that demands fealty to its gospel of ideological cleansing. The nation has reached a combustive moment. The rot in America’s cultural institutions was spread for more than half a century by a self-loathing cultural establishment. Now it has matured amid a public malaise induced by 20 years of elite-driven political and economic failure that has undermined faith in the system that made America great.
The country hasn’t passed from great to evil in 20 years. But elites have failed and betrayed us.
The cultural corrosion has been evident for decades. Perhaps what we should have seen better were its consequences: Generations of students fed a steady diet of critical race theory and postcolonial gender studies—all delivered in safe spaces protected by an intolerance of dissent— poured out of college campuses into the world, waving their white-fragility texts like little red books.
But they graduated into an America that has been convulsed by two decades of unaccustomed failure and loss. In 20 years, wars and foreign- policy failures in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere; financial breakdown; and now the pandemic have exposed a hollow political leadership.
All the while the capitalism that had produced so much opportunity for so many has become increasingly a vehicle of power for a few. Mega- companies in finance and technology have grown unchecked. The modern woke corporation publicly disdains and derides the values on which the nation—and its profits—were built, even as it pursues global opportunities at the expense of American communities.
It won’t be enough to reassert America’s great historic virtues. It will require weakening the power of the totalitarians on campus, ensuring fair access for all voices on tech platforms, holding to account the lawless mobs defacing and defaming the nation’s legacy. But it will also require addressing the rot in American capitalism, reining in the power of bloated monopolies, and ensuring that corporations prioritize Americans over their globalist, progressive agendas.
This is personal for me. I came to this country as that great American century was closing. Like millions of immigrants I was drawn by the irresistible allure of a nation forged in pursuit of a universal ideal it had actually succeeded in achieving. Of course, we knew there was a sharp tear in America’s vibrant fabric, a legacy of racial prejudice that mocked the ideals of the founding. But the nation’s demonstrated ability to advance beyond that, to mend and improve itself, makes America even more admirable.
This country hasn’t passed from great to evil in two decades. America hasn’t failed. But Americans have been failed—misled by inept and deceitful political leaders, deserted by predatory and mercenary corporate chiefs, and, above all, betrayed by a parasitic cultural elite that exploited American freedom to trash the country. It isn’t America’s history that needs to be repudiated. It’s its present.
Mr. Baker is the Journal’s editor at large and a former editor in chief. His weekly column will appear here Tuesdays.
Timely thoughts and relevant information for fire-athletes...©, 2023
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Sunday, July 19, 2020
$90,000 worth of firefighting gear was almost thrown away in Iowa. Now it's saving lives in Mexico | Nation | stltoday.com
$90,000 worth of firefighting gear was almost thrown away in Iowa. Now it's saving lives in Mexico
Subscribe for $3 for 3 months
When the Lopez family's crowded SUV pulled into the fire station in the small Mexican town of Degollado this month, the firefighters inside were thrilled.
They had been expecting the family, who traveled almost 2,000 miles from Newton, Iowa, to help save their lives.
Inside the Lopezes' vehicle were boxes and boxes of donated coats, helmets, gloves and boots from fire stations across Iowa -- almost $90,000 worth of protective gear. Due to regulations, US firefighters couldn't use the gear because it was at least 10 years old, even though it was all in good condition.
Until that day, Degollado firefighters had been risking their lives battling blazes without the proper fire gear.
If Kim Lopez and Newton Fire Chief Jarrod Wellik hadn't heard about the situation, the helmets, fire-retardant pants, coats, and boots probably would have ended up in the trash.
How it came together
Earlier this year, Kim Lopez was visiting Degollado, in the state of Jalisco -- known for its mariachi music and tequila -- when she ran into a friend who is a local firefighter.
"I was on vacation in Mexico where my parents are originally from and I was talking to a friend who said they were looking for donations," the 21-year-old said.
After returning home to Newton, she struck up a conversation with the town's state representative, who regularly visits her parents' Mexican restaurant, La Cabaña. She asked if he knew what happens to old fire gear after it's replaced, and he put her in touch with Newton's fire chief.
When Jarrod Wellik told her the equipment would be thrown out, she couldn't believe it.
"This stuff could go to use," she said.
Like Lopez, Wellik had seen firsthand the lack of equipment at fire stations in Mexico. He couldn't imagine going in to fight a fire without protective clothing.
So the two devised a plan.
The fire chief immediately reached out to the Iowa Organization for Professional Fire Chiefs for help.
"Soon as I asked, people responded," Wellik told CNN. "They wanted to give. They said this is a great project."
Within weeks, the fire chief's office was cluttered with stacks of suitable fire equipment from stations across Iowa. He was in shock at the sheer amount of donations.
"That's when you when you think about the love for being a firefighter," Wellik shared.
Lifesaving equipment saved from the landfill
In the United States, the National Fire Protection Association limits equipment use to 10 years for most fire departments. But Wellik said fire gear is seasoned at that mark and, in his opinion, more protective than when it's out of the box.
A complete set of new "fire turnout" gear -- which includes a heavy-duty fire-retardant coat, boots, and helmet -- can cost upwards of $2,500.
After taking inventory of the donations, the estimated worth of all the gear was close to $90,000.
Lopez and Wellik faced one more hurdle: getting all of the heavy equipment from Iowa to Mexico.
Just one set of gear weighed approximately 75 pounds, so the cost of shipping would have been astronomical.
That's when the Lopez family stepped in. They packed their SUV with the donations and drove more than 27 hours to Degollado, arriving to cheers and celebrations on the 4th of July.
With the lifesaving gear saved from the landfill and protecting more lives, Wellik says he hopes the accomplishments of Iowa firefighters and the Lopezes inspires others.
"We're a land of abundance, the US has so much to give, and we're so blessed with what we have," Wellik said. "It's amazing how other countries can use the things we can't use anymore."
Subscribe for $3 for 3 months
When the Lopez family's crowded SUV pulled into the fire station in the small Mexican town of Degollado this month, the firefighters inside were thrilled.
They had been expecting the family, who traveled almost 2,000 miles from Newton, Iowa, to help save their lives.
Inside the Lopezes' vehicle were boxes and boxes of donated coats, helmets, gloves and boots from fire stations across Iowa -- almost $90,000 worth of protective gear. Due to regulations, US firefighters couldn't use the gear because it was at least 10 years old, even though it was all in good condition.
Until that day, Degollado firefighters had been risking their lives battling blazes without the proper fire gear.
If Kim Lopez and Newton Fire Chief Jarrod Wellik hadn't heard about the situation, the helmets, fire-retardant pants, coats, and boots probably would have ended up in the trash.
How it came together
Earlier this year, Kim Lopez was visiting Degollado, in the state of Jalisco -- known for its mariachi music and tequila -- when she ran into a friend who is a local firefighter.
"I was on vacation in Mexico where my parents are originally from and I was talking to a friend who said they were looking for donations," the 21-year-old said.
After returning home to Newton, she struck up a conversation with the town's state representative, who regularly visits her parents' Mexican restaurant, La Cabaña. She asked if he knew what happens to old fire gear after it's replaced, and he put her in touch with Newton's fire chief.
When Jarrod Wellik told her the equipment would be thrown out, she couldn't believe it.
"This stuff could go to use," she said.
Like Lopez, Wellik had seen firsthand the lack of equipment at fire stations in Mexico. He couldn't imagine going in to fight a fire without protective clothing.
So the two devised a plan.
The fire chief immediately reached out to the Iowa Organization for Professional Fire Chiefs for help.
"Soon as I asked, people responded," Wellik told CNN. "They wanted to give. They said this is a great project."
Within weeks, the fire chief's office was cluttered with stacks of suitable fire equipment from stations across Iowa. He was in shock at the sheer amount of donations.
"That's when you when you think about the love for being a firefighter," Wellik shared.
Lifesaving equipment saved from the landfill
In the United States, the National Fire Protection Association limits equipment use to 10 years for most fire departments. But Wellik said fire gear is seasoned at that mark and, in his opinion, more protective than when it's out of the box.
A complete set of new "fire turnout" gear -- which includes a heavy-duty fire-retardant coat, boots, and helmet -- can cost upwards of $2,500.
After taking inventory of the donations, the estimated worth of all the gear was close to $90,000.
Lopez and Wellik faced one more hurdle: getting all of the heavy equipment from Iowa to Mexico.
Just one set of gear weighed approximately 75 pounds, so the cost of shipping would have been astronomical.
That's when the Lopez family stepped in. They packed their SUV with the donations and drove more than 27 hours to Degollado, arriving to cheers and celebrations on the 4th of July.
With the lifesaving gear saved from the landfill and protecting more lives, Wellik says he hopes the accomplishments of Iowa firefighters and the Lopezes inspires others.
"We're a land of abundance, the US has so much to give, and we're so blessed with what we have," Wellik said. "It's amazing how other countries can use the things we can't use anymore."
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Why Florida isn’t going to work for World Challenge XXIX
Florida invited the nation to its reopening — then it became a new coronavirus epicenter
Lori Rozsa Washington Post
July 7, 2020 at 10:01 p.m. EDT
Weeks later, the Sunshine State has emerged as a coronavirus epicenter. Nearly 1 out of every 100 residents is infected with the virus, hospital intensive care units are full or filling up, and big-name visitors who chose Florida for their first post-isolation events are now mired in questions and controversies about safety.
Amid escalating infections, Florida, once held up by President Trump as a model for how to manage the novel coronavirus, is faring poorly. Residents worry the situation will get much worse. Florida is now one of a handful of states whose spiking numbers are driving a major resurgence of the virus in the United States, which is approaching 3 million cases.
Lori Rozsa Washington Post
July 7, 2020 at 10:01 p.m. EDT
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As the coronavirus savaged other parts of the country, Florida, buoyed by low infection rates, seemed an ideal location for a nation looking to emerge from isolation. The Republican National Convention moved from Charlotte to Jacksonville, the NBA eyed a season finale at a Disney sports complex near Orlando and millions packed onto once-empty beaches.
Weeks later, the Sunshine State has emerged as a coronavirus epicenter. Nearly 1 out of every 100 residents is infected with the virus, hospital intensive care units are full or filling up, and big-name visitors who chose Florida for their first post-isolation events are now mired in questions and controversies about safety.
Amid escalating infections, Florida, once held up by President Trump as a model for how to manage the novel coronavirus, is faring poorly. Residents worry the situation will get much worse. Florida is now one of a handful of states whose spiking numbers are driving a major resurgence of the virus in the United States, which is approaching 3 million cases.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has downplayed the growing outbreak in Florida, saying expanded testing is responsible for more positive results and emphasizing that many new infections are among younger people less likely to experience the worst effects of the virus.
On Tuesday there were 213,794 cases of the coronavirus in Florida, according to Washington Post data. The state has tallied a record number of cases over the past week, averaging 8,766 a day, according to Post data.
In a sign of intensifying trouble, 52 intensive care units across more than a third of the state’s counties had reached capacity by Tuesday, according to data released by the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration. Another 17 hospitals had also run out of regular beds. The state has “abundant capacity,” DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday.
Some nurses at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach have been working 18 hours instead of the usual 12 because of overnight staffing shortages, according to a nurse who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of jeopardizing her job. Patients are being treated in an open area cordoned off by curtains that is typically used for quick medical consultations, she said.
“We’re overfilled and understaffed,” she said. “It’s really bad.”
Ryan Lieber, a spokesman for the hospital, denied employees were being asked to work 18-hour shifts, adding in a statement, “Patients are being treated in areas of the hospital which are considered appropriate for their care, and respectful of their privacy at all times.”
Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran late Monday ordered that the state’s schools open for in-person instruction next month, igniting fears that a new round of classroom interactions would lead to a new round of infections.
“We want to proceed with caution, but unfortunately the governor continues to deny the science,” said Fedrick Ingram, president of the Florida Education Association. “The trend over the last 30 days has been astronomical. We’re in regression, we’re going backward. In terms of the amount of cases, we are literally going backward as a state.”
Hospital leaders, lawmakers, physicians, epidemiologists, advocates and others familiar with the state’s response said a false sense of security set in when grim predictions about the virus’s spread in Florida did not come to pass in March and April. DeSantis declared victory, attending a laudatory news conference at the White House with President Trump. The editor of National Review wrote an editorial titled “Where does Ron DeSantis go to get his apology?”
But observers maintain the state then failed to prepare for a surge of the virus, which struck as residents were seeking refuge in air-conditioned indoor spaces, where the virus is believed to be most easily transmitted.
Sports leagues that opted to restart their seasons in Florida will now play in a state that is in worse shape than when the pandemic began. Many teams are already in the state, and they face a growing number of critics who believe they should cancel games.
The Republican National Convention, scheduled to take place in Jacksonville next month, faces similar questions about safety. In June, the Republican National Committee announced that it would move its convention from a worried Charlotte to a welcoming Jacksonville. But as cases mount in the city, worries have crept in.
“My concern has grown since a week ago. It has gotten worse,” said Tommy Hazouri, the Democratic president of the city council and a former Jacksonville mayor. Hazouri was initially supportive of his city’s effort to secure the convention.
“It is time to accept reality, and no one can be in denial about what is going on,” he said. “At some point our council and the leaders in this community have to draw a line in the sand on where we need to be going.”
Several hundred doctors have signed a petition that says the convention needs stronger safety measures. Nancy Staats, a retired anesthesiologist who lives in the Jacksonville area, said she hoped a few dozen doctors would sign the petition she helped circulate. Within three days, nearly 500 had added their names.
“We’re really focused on the health and well-being of the citizens of our city and state now. That’s still six or seven weeks off and we’re still climbing scarily, rapidly,” Staats said. “This is about people’s lives, including the attendees of this event.”
NBA and Major League Soccer teams have already landed in Orlando, hoping they play in a coronavirus-free bubble.
A day before resuming summer tournaments, FC Dallas was sent home after a coach and 10 players tested positive for the coronavirus at the same Disney sports complex that will host the NBA later this month. Nashville SC’s first game Wednesday was postponed after five players tested positive for the virus and four tests were inconclusive.
“I am excited to play,” D.C. United midfielder Julian Gressel said. “I’m not excited about the part that obviously puts us at risk.”
At a Fortune magazine virtual forum Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged that Florida’s situation has significantly deteriorated in recent weeks.
“On paper and dealing with our experts, this should work,” he said. “But we shall see. I’m confident — based on the positive cases we’re seeing from our players and the general public around the country — that it will be safer on this campus than off this campus.”
Still, numerous NBA stars have expressed deep concern about the health situation in Florida. More than a dozen players have decided to sit out the restart for various reasons.
Disney World has announced it would begin to allow visitors back into the Magic Kingdom this week. Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., said it would remain closed.
The Actors’ Equity Association, a union that represents more than 700 Disney World stage managers and actors, has locked horns with the amusement park, saying it has failed to provide a coronavirus testing plan that would help prevent performers from passing the coronavirus onto others.
“You certainly can’t wave Mickey’s magic wand and say that Florida isn’t a central hot spot right now,” said Kate Shindle, the union’s president. “Personally, as the president of the organization that is fighting for the safety of these performers, I’m mystified by the fact that Disney is attempting to open the park right now.”
Disney did not return a request for comment.
The new, high-profile risks threaten to compound problems Florida has faced from the beginning of the pandemic.
There has been a rise in cases affecting older Floridians as well as those living in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, said Jeff Johnson, Florida director of AARP.
“I don’t see how that doesn’t mushroom at some point,” he said, noting that staff at the facilities live in communities still grappling with the virus, sometimes working second or third jobs that involve interactions with people of diverse age groups.
Testing sites across the state are seeing shortages, and the wait time for results is now as long as 10 days, said U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat representing a swath of the coast stretching from Broward County to Palm Beach County. The problems stem, he said, from the apparent failure to produce a testing plan as required by Congress, or at least to unveil any of its details. He has been asking for details, he said, but has been rebuffed by the state health department, whose deadline was extended from June 15 to Friday. The health department did not respond to requests for comment.
There were also acute shortages of the antiviral drug remdesivir in parts of the state, causing Democratic members of Florida’s congressional delegation to send a letter Tuesday to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar asking him to speed the shipment of emergency supplies.
“Staff capacity is strained; the number of available ICU beds are dwindling; and we are running out of remdesivir . . .” the lawmakers wrote, warning that “people will die without replenished stock.”
Amid the array of old and new concerns, teachers across Florida learned they would have to begin preparing their classrooms for an influx of students.
In Palm Beach County, first-grade teacher Cara Conlogue, who teaches at Coral Reef Elementary School west of Lake Worth Beach, said the messages coming from the state are frightening and confusing.
“The science is going in one direction, and conditions are getting worse, and the politicians are going in the opposite direction,” Conlogue said. “I can’t wrap my head around it. If it wasn’t safe for us when there were 100 cases, how can it be safe for us when we have thousands and thousands of cases? I don’t get that logic.”
“I’ve spoken with a lot of my teacher friends, and a lot of them don’t want to go back,” she continued. “We love our students, we miss them, and we love our jobs. But we don’t feel safe.”
On Tuesday there were 213,794 cases of the coronavirus in Florida, according to Washington Post data. The state has tallied a record number of cases over the past week, averaging 8,766 a day, according to Post data.
In a sign of intensifying trouble, 52 intensive care units across more than a third of the state’s counties had reached capacity by Tuesday, according to data released by the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration. Another 17 hospitals had also run out of regular beds. The state has “abundant capacity,” DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday.
Some nurses at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach have been working 18 hours instead of the usual 12 because of overnight staffing shortages, according to a nurse who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of jeopardizing her job. Patients are being treated in an open area cordoned off by curtains that is typically used for quick medical consultations, she said.
“We’re overfilled and understaffed,” she said. “It’s really bad.”
Ryan Lieber, a spokesman for the hospital, denied employees were being asked to work 18-hour shifts, adding in a statement, “Patients are being treated in areas of the hospital which are considered appropriate for their care, and respectful of their privacy at all times.”
Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran late Monday ordered that the state’s schools open for in-person instruction next month, igniting fears that a new round of classroom interactions would lead to a new round of infections.
“We want to proceed with caution, but unfortunately the governor continues to deny the science,” said Fedrick Ingram, president of the Florida Education Association. “The trend over the last 30 days has been astronomical. We’re in regression, we’re going backward. In terms of the amount of cases, we are literally going backward as a state.”
Hospital leaders, lawmakers, physicians, epidemiologists, advocates and others familiar with the state’s response said a false sense of security set in when grim predictions about the virus’s spread in Florida did not come to pass in March and April. DeSantis declared victory, attending a laudatory news conference at the White House with President Trump. The editor of National Review wrote an editorial titled “Where does Ron DeSantis go to get his apology?”
But observers maintain the state then failed to prepare for a surge of the virus, which struck as residents were seeking refuge in air-conditioned indoor spaces, where the virus is believed to be most easily transmitted.
Sports leagues that opted to restart their seasons in Florida will now play in a state that is in worse shape than when the pandemic began. Many teams are already in the state, and they face a growing number of critics who believe they should cancel games.
The Republican National Convention, scheduled to take place in Jacksonville next month, faces similar questions about safety. In June, the Republican National Committee announced that it would move its convention from a worried Charlotte to a welcoming Jacksonville. But as cases mount in the city, worries have crept in.
“My concern has grown since a week ago. It has gotten worse,” said Tommy Hazouri, the Democratic president of the city council and a former Jacksonville mayor. Hazouri was initially supportive of his city’s effort to secure the convention.
“It is time to accept reality, and no one can be in denial about what is going on,” he said. “At some point our council and the leaders in this community have to draw a line in the sand on where we need to be going.”
Several hundred doctors have signed a petition that says the convention needs stronger safety measures. Nancy Staats, a retired anesthesiologist who lives in the Jacksonville area, said she hoped a few dozen doctors would sign the petition she helped circulate. Within three days, nearly 500 had added their names.
“We’re really focused on the health and well-being of the citizens of our city and state now. That’s still six or seven weeks off and we’re still climbing scarily, rapidly,” Staats said. “This is about people’s lives, including the attendees of this event.”
NBA and Major League Soccer teams have already landed in Orlando, hoping they play in a coronavirus-free bubble.
A day before resuming summer tournaments, FC Dallas was sent home after a coach and 10 players tested positive for the coronavirus at the same Disney sports complex that will host the NBA later this month. Nashville SC’s first game Wednesday was postponed after five players tested positive for the virus and four tests were inconclusive.
“I am excited to play,” D.C. United midfielder Julian Gressel said. “I’m not excited about the part that obviously puts us at risk.”
At a Fortune magazine virtual forum Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged that Florida’s situation has significantly deteriorated in recent weeks.
“On paper and dealing with our experts, this should work,” he said. “But we shall see. I’m confident — based on the positive cases we’re seeing from our players and the general public around the country — that it will be safer on this campus than off this campus.”
Still, numerous NBA stars have expressed deep concern about the health situation in Florida. More than a dozen players have decided to sit out the restart for various reasons.
Disney World has announced it would begin to allow visitors back into the Magic Kingdom this week. Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., said it would remain closed.
The Actors’ Equity Association, a union that represents more than 700 Disney World stage managers and actors, has locked horns with the amusement park, saying it has failed to provide a coronavirus testing plan that would help prevent performers from passing the coronavirus onto others.
“You certainly can’t wave Mickey’s magic wand and say that Florida isn’t a central hot spot right now,” said Kate Shindle, the union’s president. “Personally, as the president of the organization that is fighting for the safety of these performers, I’m mystified by the fact that Disney is attempting to open the park right now.”
Disney did not return a request for comment.
The new, high-profile risks threaten to compound problems Florida has faced from the beginning of the pandemic.
There has been a rise in cases affecting older Floridians as well as those living in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, said Jeff Johnson, Florida director of AARP.
“I don’t see how that doesn’t mushroom at some point,” he said, noting that staff at the facilities live in communities still grappling with the virus, sometimes working second or third jobs that involve interactions with people of diverse age groups.
Testing sites across the state are seeing shortages, and the wait time for results is now as long as 10 days, said U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat representing a swath of the coast stretching from Broward County to Palm Beach County. The problems stem, he said, from the apparent failure to produce a testing plan as required by Congress, or at least to unveil any of its details. He has been asking for details, he said, but has been rebuffed by the state health department, whose deadline was extended from June 15 to Friday. The health department did not respond to requests for comment.
There were also acute shortages of the antiviral drug remdesivir in parts of the state, causing Democratic members of Florida’s congressional delegation to send a letter Tuesday to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar asking him to speed the shipment of emergency supplies.
“Staff capacity is strained; the number of available ICU beds are dwindling; and we are running out of remdesivir . . .” the lawmakers wrote, warning that “people will die without replenished stock.”
Amid the array of old and new concerns, teachers across Florida learned they would have to begin preparing their classrooms for an influx of students.
In Palm Beach County, first-grade teacher Cara Conlogue, who teaches at Coral Reef Elementary School west of Lake Worth Beach, said the messages coming from the state are frightening and confusing.
“The science is going in one direction, and conditions are getting worse, and the politicians are going in the opposite direction,” Conlogue said. “I can’t wrap my head around it. If it wasn’t safe for us when there were 100 cases, how can it be safe for us when we have thousands and thousands of cases? I don’t get that logic.”
“I’ve spoken with a lot of my teacher friends, and a lot of them don’t want to go back,” she continued. “We love our students, we miss them, and we love our jobs. But we don’t feel safe.”
Sunday, July 5, 2020
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