THE WATCHDOG IS A GRIMM
Deaths at U.S. nursing homes surged by 170,000 in 2020, watchdog report says


A patient is moved out of a skilled nursing facility in Hayward, Calif., on April 9, 2020. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

June 22 (UPI) -- Deaths among Medicare patients in U.S. nursing homes last year surged by more than 30% -- with two pronounced spikes at different times of the year, according to a comprehensive report Tuesday by the inspector general of the Health and Human Services Department.

The analysis is one of the most thorough to date about the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. care facilities, which often saw peculiar increases in cases and deaths at various times in 2020.

Tuesday's report, issued by the office of Acting HHS Inspector General Christi Grimm, said nursing home deaths rose by 32% last year -- which amounted to 170,000 more deaths among such patients than in 2019.

Elderly patients, many of whom have underlying health conditions and live in close quarters at the facilities, have been heavily impacted by the coronavirus disease. The report said Medicare patients were particularly vulnerable, with two in five contracting or likely contracting COVID-19 in 2020.

The assessment also noted that the overall mortality rate in nursing homes rose to 22% last year, an increase of 5% from 2019.

There were two significant spikes in nursing home deaths eight months apart last year, in April and December, the report said. April was one of the most devastating months of the year and saw more than 80,000 deaths among Medicare patients in care facilities. In December, that figure was about 74,000.

"The pandemic had far-reaching implications for all nursing home beneficiaries, beyond those who had or likely had COVID-19," the 12-page report states.

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"Understanding how many beneficiaries in nursing homes were affected, who they were, and what characteristics may have put some at greater risk can help prevent future tragedies."

"The toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes demonstrates the need for increased action to mitigate the effects of the ongoing pandemic and to avert such tragedies from occurring in the future," the inspector general's office said in a statement.

The report went on to say that each month of 2020 saw a higher mortality rate than the year prior, and some states were hit harder than others. In some -- like Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana and New Jersey -- more than half of Medicare patients in nursing homes had COVID-19

The report also found that half of all Black, Hispanic and Asian Medicare patients in care facilities picked up the virus. Age and gender within the nursing homes didn't seem to be a varying factor, it said.

Grimm's office said Tuesday's assessment is the first in a three-part series that will examine the impact of the pandemic in nursing homes. The next two will address which facilities saw the greatest impact and what strategies were used to mitigate infections and deaths.

China denies forced labor allegations in Xinjiang solar material manufacturing

China said allegations regarding Xinjiang are false after U.S. politicians suggested solar panel materials were being produced in the region using forced labor.

 File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

June 22 (UPI) -- China dismissed allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang after a report suggested the United States was considering a ban on Chinese solar imports.

Beijing's foreign ministry said Tuesday at a regular press briefing that China is strongly opposed to a potential U.S. ban on solar panel materials manufactured in Xinjiang

"The so-called 'genocide' and 'forced labor' in Xinjiang are nothing but rumors with ulterior motives and downright lies," ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

"Its real purpose is to restrict and contain the development of relevant sectors and enterprises in China. It is imposing on China 'forced unemployment,' 'forced poverty' and unfair competition."

Zhao's statement comes after Politico reported the Biden administration is reviewing a ban on solar panel material from Xinjiang.

Polysilicon, the material critical to the proper functioning of most solar panels, is manufactured in Xinjiang. About half the world's supply of polysilicon comes from the region, the report said.

U.S. Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee have claimed there is "overwhelming evidence" of the use of forced labor in polysilicon production. The import of material produced through forced labor is banned under Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the report said

U.S. Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., told Politico that determining whether imports involved the use of forced labor is not always easy.

"Supply chain issues can be incredibly complicated, and in some instances it's hard to get reliable information, particularly if you're talking about Xinjiang, [where] their information is tightly controlled," Wyden said. "But aggressive, unrelenting enforcement is, to me, the prescription for this."

China on Tuesday accused the United States of spreading "false information."

Zhao also confirmed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet's upcoming visit to Xinjiang.

"We have repeatedly stated that the visit should be a friendly visit with the purpose of promoting exchanges and cooperation, rather than carrying out a so-called 'investigation'," Zhao said.

AMERIKA'S RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
Interior Department to investigate Indigenous boarding schools, burial grounds


Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Tuesday announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which aims to investigate federal boarding schools used to assimilate Indigenous children. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

June 22 (UPI) -- Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced Tuesday an initiative to review the history of federal boarding schools that forced cultural assimilation of Indigenous children.

Haaland announced the launch of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to investigate the schools along with a memo directing the department to place an emphasis on identifying cemeteries and burial sites related to the schools.

"The Interior Department will address the inter-generational impact of Indian boarding schools to shed light on the unspoken traumas of the past, no matter how hard it will be," said Haaland.

The schools were established under the 1819 Civilization Fund Act as part of a campaign by the federal government to assimilate Native American Children into White American society by separating them from their families.

The announcement comes after the remains of 215 children buried at a similar boarding school in Canada were uncovered last month.

The Interior Department said the goal of the Federal Boarding School Initiative will be to identify boarding school facilities and sites, the location of known and possible student burial sites and the identities and Tribal affiliations of students buried at those sites.

"I know that this process will be long and difficult. I know that this process will be painful. It won't undo the heartbreak and loss we feel," said Haaland. "But only by acknowledging the past can we work toward a future that we're all proud to embrace."

Bryan Newland, principal deputy assistant secretary for Indian affairs, said the initiative is expected to be a multi-year effort and that the Interior Department will consult with tribal leaders on how to best utilize the information gathered.

"We must shed light on what happened at federal Boarding Schools," Newland said.

Socialist India Walton upsets longtime Democratic incumbent in Buffalo mayor's race

Image of India Walton, who won the Democratic Party primary Tuesday for mayor of Buffalo as a socialist. Photo courtesy of India Walton campaign

June 23 (UPI) -- Buffalo, N.Y., socialist mayoral candidate India B. Walton beat four-term incumbent Byron Brown in a stunning upset in the Democratic Party primary there Tuesday, winning 52% of the vote.

Walton, 39, still has to win the general election in November, but Buffalo last elected a Republican mayor in 1965. She defeated one of the state's Democratic heavyweights in Brown, a former New York Democratic Party chairman and state legislator.

"This victory is ours," Brown told supporters, according to NBC News. "It is the first of many. If you are in an elected office right now, you are being put on notice. We are coming."

Walton said there is no need to fear her socialist title, saying she is part of a progressive movement that seeks to eradicate poverty and bring power and resources to the grassroots level.

"I'm just excited to be a part of this movement that is ushering progressive politics into Buffalo," Walton told the Buffalo News. "Being the third-poorest midsize city in this country, we should be considering how we begin to eradicate concentrated poverty and disadvantage, and democratic socialist leanings are a big step in getting us there."

Brown, who has close ties to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, refused to concede early Wednesday, saying the race was still too close.

"We're going to make sure every single vote is counted," Brown told The New York Times.

Brown refused to debate Walton during the campaign, appearing often with Cuomo during the governor's news conferences in Western New York to promote the elimination of coronavirus restrictions.

Walton, though, campaigned vigorously in neighborhoods and with grassroots organizations, lining herself up with Cuomo's most vocal critics in the Democratic Party, which gave her a political foundation.

Study: Black, Hispanic people in U.S. at high risk for earlier cognitive decline

Black and Hispanic people in the United States are at higher risk for cognitive decline, and at a younger age, a new study suggests. Photo by Joshua Woroniecki/Pixabay

June 23 (UPI) -- Racial and ethnic minorities in the United States are more vulnerable to memory loss earlier in life than White people, a study published Wednesday by the journal BMC Public Health found.



Just over 12% of Black people age 45 years and older reported experiencing cognitive decline compared to 11% of White people and 10% of Hispanic people, the data showed.

However, Black and Hispanic people who reported cognitive decline were more likely to be younger, age 45 to 54, compared with White people, most of whom were 65 or over, the researchers said.

In addition, Black and Hispanic people with cognitive decline were likely to report functioning difficulties, such as struggling to complete household chores, according to the researchers.

"It is concerning that we found Black and Hispanic groups self-report cognitive symptoms at an earlier age," study author Sangeeta Gupta said in a press release.

The concern is amplified "considering the projected rise in minority populations in the United States by 2060," said Gupta, a professor of public and allied health sciences at Delaware State University in Dover.

By that year, the Black population in the United States is expected to increase by 172%, while the Hispanic population is expected to nearly quadruple, she said.

One in nine adults in the United States suffers some form of cognitive decline, including memory loss, with Alzheimer's disease being the most severe form, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the new analysis of nearly 180,000 U.S. adults age 45 and older, more than 19,000, or 11%, self-reported symptoms of cognitive decline such as memory loss, the data showed.

Fewer than half of Black or Hispanic people with cognitive decline in the study population, about 45% in each group, had discussed their issues with a healthcare provider.

Nearly 80% of participants who identified as Black and reported cognitive decline symptoms had at least one chronic condition, including diabetes and high blood pressure, according to the researchers.

For White and Hispanic groups, this figure was 64%.

"As we see more younger Black and Hispanic individuals developing cognitive decline symptoms, this may mean we have higher numbers in those groups not only struggling to be independent but also possibly progressing towards Alzheimer's disease and related dementia," Gupta said.

FOREVER CHEMICALS ARE FOREVER

GAO: Cost of toxic chemical cleanup at military bases to rise above estimates

An Air Force contractor prepares equipment at the former Reese Air Force Base, Texas, to remediate an area of toxic chemicals. Photo by Sriram Madabhushi/U.S. Air Force

NOT WEARING PROPER HAZMAT PPE

June 23 (UPI) -- The Defense Department's effort to rid installations of hazardous chemicals will cost more than budgeted for, a Government Accountability Office report says.

The 45-page report notes that although the Defense Department is investigating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and responding to contamination, it should better report cost information to Congress.

Future cleanup costs will total at least $2.1 billion, and by some estimates significantly more, but the estimates have not yet been reported to Congress.

PFAS are among toxic "forever chemicals" found in firefighting foam and other products.

The Defense Department has begun addressing PFAS-contaminated drinking water at 698 military installations, in use or abandoned, and has assessed about 129.

Sixty-six of those assessed "are proceeding to the remedial investigation and feasibility study," Richard Kidd, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for environment and energy resilience, told the House Appropriations subcommittee on June 3.

The GAO report said the effort will "likely increase significantly" beyond the amount already estimated.

In testimony, Kidd estimated the total cost for cleanup at over $29 billion.

"The GAO report confirms two key points: that the DoD has made little progress cleaning up legacy PFAS pollution and that the cost of cleanup is going to grow," commented Scott Faber of the non-government organization Environmental Working Group.

"Congress should move quickly to set deadlines for cleanup and to provide the DoD the resources needed to get the job done," Faber said.

Biden administration ousts Rodney Scott as Border Patrol chief



Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott will step down from his role in 60 days. File Photo by Art Foxall/UPI | License Photo

June 23 (UPI) -- The Biden administration ousted Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott on Wednesday amid an increase of border crossings since the beginning of the year.

Unnamed sources told NBC News that the administration sent Scott what's known as a "3 R" letter, which allows a senior government employee to either retire, resign or relocate to another position.

Scott said the letter didn't give him a reasoning for his ouster, saying he believed it was "so the new administration can place the person they want in the position."

Former President Donald Trump's administration tapped Scott to lead Customs and Border Patrol in January 2020, replacing outgoing Chief Carla Provost. Prior to the promotion, Scott was chief of Border Patrol's San Diego Sector, which includes 60 miles of the United States' shared border with Mexico.

Scott said his resignation will go into effect in 60 days.

"I will continue working hard to support you over the next several weeks to ensure a smooth transition," he wrote in a letter to agents.

The number of migrants U.S. Customs and Border Protection "encountered" at the border in March reached a two-decade high of about 173,000. That was a 70% spike over February's encounters and a five-fold increase over the same month in 2020.

The most recent data for the month of May showed that trend was continuing, with about 180,000 encounters for the month, up from 23,237 in May 2020.

AUTHENTIC BIPARTISANSHIP

Cindy McCain nominated as U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture ambassador


President Joe Biden nominated four ambassadors Wednesday including Cindy McCain to serve as U.S. representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture. Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI | License Photo

June 23 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden on Wednesday nominated Cindy McCain to serve as U.S. representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.

McCain, the wife of late Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain and director of the Hensley Beverage Company Phoenix, was one of 17 nominations by Biden for key roles announced by the White House.

The White House noted that McCain is also involved in multiple organizations dedicated to combating human trafficking and "numerous other civic and philanthropic organizations."

During the 2020 election, McCain endorsed Biden, earning her censure from the Republican party, which said she "has supported globalist policies and candidates" and condemned former President Donald Trump "for his criticism of her husband and erroneously placed behaviors over actual presidential results."

Biden also nominated Claire Cronin as ambassador to Ireland, Michael Carpenter as ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation Europe and Jack Markell as ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

To date, Biden has announced 23 nominees for ambassadorships, with notable vacancies in ambassadors to Germany and Canada.

The White House has said it intends to maintain a 70/30 ratio between career appointees and political appointees.

US IMPERIALISM THUMBS ITS NOSE AT THE WORLD
For 29th straight year, U.N. calls on U.S. to end 1960 Cuba embargo

The United Nations rebuked the United States on Wednesday for maintaining its economic trade embargo on Cuba. Photo courtesy of Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla/Twitter

June 24 (UPI) -- For a 29th year in a row, the United Nations General Assembly demanded the United States end its economic blockade of Cuba.

The assembly on Wednesday at its headquarters in New York City overwhelming approved a resolution it has approved each year since 1992 urging the United States to drop the six-decade-old blockade it enforces around the Caribbean nation. The only year the resolution wasn't voted on was last year due to the pandemic.

The resolution passed with 184 countries in favor with only the United States and Israel voting against. Columbia, Ukraine and Brazil abstained.

THAT MEANS CANADA VOTED AGAINST THE US AND WITH THE UN

¡184 países contra el bloqueo!

Una vez más, desde Naciones Unidas #ElMundoDiceNo a la agresión y a las políticas fracasadas de EEUU contra Cuba .

Es una gran victoria del pueblo cubano, de la justicia y de la verdad. pic.twitter.com/mJ10ESV4B0— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) June 23, 2021

The United States has imposed a trade embargo of economic sanctions on Cuba since 1960 with the intention to isolate the socialist government, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Under the Obama administration, the United States pivoted its foreign policy on the island nation toward engagement, but that changed once President Donald Trump entered the White House as he undid the moves of his predecessor while imposing further sanctions that have been maintained under the current Biden administration.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in mid-April told reporters that the Biden administration policy on Cuba is governed by support for democracy and human rights, though a "Cuban policy shift ... is currently not among the president's top foreign policy priorities."

Before the countries on Wednesday, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla described the blockade as a "massive, flagrant and unacceptable violation of the human rights of the Cuban people."

"Like the virus, the blockade asphyxiates and kills, it must stop," he said.

The embargo, he said, has caused Cuba to lose $9.1 billion during the pandemic-hit 2020 when tje U.S. sanctions also made it difficult for Havana to secure needed medical equipment and food.

Many of those who spoke during the discussion voiced strong opposition to the embargo, calling it a violation of the sovereign right of states with some going so far as to call it illegal and illegitimate.

Antonio Rodrigue, the ambassador to the U.N. from Haiti, said while speaking on behalf of Caribbean Community, an organization of 15 Caribbean states, that the embargo was a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.

According to minutes of the meeting published by the U.N., he said CARICOM maintains close relations with Cuba but the scope of the embargo is an obstacle to furthering those ties.

Dang Dinh Quy, Vietnam's ambassador to the intergovernmental organization, called the embargo "the most unjust and prolonged system of unilateral sanctions ever imposed against a country in our modern world history."

Having once been under a U.S. trade embargo Vietnam understands the hardship they cause, he said, adding lifting the blockade will not just benefit Cuba and the United State but regional and global peace, stability and development.

Rodney Hunter, the U.S. representative to the body, defended his country's use of sanctions calling them "a legitimate way to achieve foreign policy, national security and other national and international objectives."

He said the United States understands the challenges that Cubans face, which is why it donates billions of dollars a year to the island nation in humanitarian aid.

"The United States opposes this resolution," he said. "We encourage this body to support the Cuban people in their quest to determine their own future."

"BUILDING WORKER POWER AT AMAZON"

Teamsters mount new effort to help Amazon workers unionize

"Building worker power at Amazon and helping those workers achieve a union contract is a top priority for the Teamsters Union," states a resolution that Teamsters delegates will vote on Thursday. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

June 24 (UPI) -- The Teamsters Union will stage a vote on Thursday on a plan to support unionization efforts for Amazon warehouse workers and drivers in the United States.The Teamsters, one of America's largest labor unions, will gather for its annual convention and delegates will vote on an initiative known as "The Amazon Project," which aims to create a special division to fund and assist workers with organizing, according to a resolution.

In the document, Teamsters call for "shop floor strikes, citywide strikes and actions in the streets" among Amazon workers to call attention to ongoing labor issues.

"Building worker power at Amazon and helping those workers achieve a union contract is a top priority for the Teamsters Union," the document states, according to NPR.

Complaints from drivers and warehouse workers around the world have dogged Amazon for years, including too few breaks, excessive productivity goals and unsafe working conditions.

New York filed suit against Amazon in February, accusing the company of failing to provide adequate coronavirus health and safety protocols at its distribution centers in the state. California is also investigating Amazon practices. And warehouse workers in Germany have gone on strike over the same issues.

Randy Korgan, who was appointed the Teamsters' national director for Amazon, described the Internet retail giant as "enemy No. 1."

"The Teamsters will build the types of worker and community power necessary to take on one of the most powerful corporations in the world and win," Korgan said in a video that will be played at the convention, NPR reported.

Previous efforts to unionize Amazon workers have failed.

In April, workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., rejected a proposal to unionize. In that effort, more than half of workers opposed the proposal to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

Members of the union later lodged a series of 23 objections with the National Labor Relations Board and accused Amazon of interfering in the "free and fair" vote and "gaslighting" its employees.

Thursday's vote comes a couple of weeks before Jeff Bezos is set to step down as Amazon's chief executive. He will be succeeded on July 5 by Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services.

The Teamsters Union, which represents more than 1.4 million U.S. workers, sent a letter to members of Congress this week to urge them to pass a series of bills aimed at reforming federal antitrust laws.

In the letter, Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa noted Amazon's dominance in the digital marketplace.

"In just a short time, Amazon has been able to use profits generated from its dominant position in AWS and retail e-commerce, coupled with anti-competitive practices enabled by market power, to become a dominant firm in the last-mile delivery portion of the logistics industry," Hoffa, the son of legendary Teamsters leader James R. Hoffa, said in a statement.

"Amazon also abuses its market power in e-commerce to restrict third-party sellers' options of last-mile delivery and logistics firms -- and in the process it is destroying middle-class jobs. These companies should not be able to choose winners and losers in the economy. We need a level playing field for the health of our economy and its small businesses, consumers and workers."

The company rolled out a plan in May to reduce worker injuries.