Good morning,
Covid Vaccine Passports
Ok, so the British Government has announced it will begin to lift downs slowly as the vaccines are given and the numbers of cases are reduced, but imagine this - in order to enter a pub, or a movie theatre, or music venue a person will be asked to show an electronic app indicating they had a vaccine, or they could be refused entry! How do you feel about that? Is it lawful? The government says it is, because private venues already have lawful discretion in choosing to serve someone.
The app is now actively being developed, and a Government Minister in charge of it, says only “fervent libertarians” will object to the notion of a vaccine check. I’m not sure you have to be “fervent” to have questions about this.
There’s more because now you could lose your job or be refused a job if you didn’t get a vaccine. One major nursing home provider has told its workers get the vaccines or you won’t be offered shifts by the end of April. Obviously there is more concern in the field of nursing elderly people for mandatory vaccines. But the whole issue of forcing vaccine passports, or demanding verification is fraught with legal questions. 5% of nursing home staff by the way refused the vaccine and oddly the British Government has not given teachers vaccines yet, despite schools opening March 8.
I personally think vaccines are a life saver, but people should be given choice not forced out of work if they say no. But then again, I wouldn’t want to have see a nurse or doctor who didn’t choose to have a vaccine. What about plumbers coming to your house? A plumbing firm (Pimlico plumbers) which answers emergency calls has now told its workers get the vaccine or lose work. And now will we be asking people who come to our house to fix something to show us their vaccine pass?
I’m interested for your thoughts on all this, and if you are a paying subscriber to the news letter feel free to leave a comment.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/24/nhs-covid-app-prove-vaccinated-status-access-venues-pubs-in-england
On Back Story with Dana Lewis podcast - this is not the last lock down and predictions of the virus “raging back” if society tries to reopen with little strategy. Vaccines will not eliminate spread, and mutations are occurring more quickly.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016881/7945540
Capitol Riot
A Senate hearing to determine why the Capitol building could be over run Jan. 6 has heard from officials testifying about the intelligence failures, including the former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund. All of them blamed intelligence failure warnings, suggesting what they were warned about was a large demonstration that could become violent and what they got was a military style coordinated assault.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/capitol-riot-senate-police-intelligence/2021/02/23/bd4cba38-75d7-11eb-8115-9ad5e9c02117_story.html
It seems like all will strive to push the responsibility to others for what happened that day but getting to the bottom of the insurrection needs determine who coordinated the attack and if Trump’s inner circle was part of it? Also why didn’t intelligence properly track white supremacist groups which pose an increasing risk to America? Any were there repeated delays to call in the national guard? There are many sinister gaps in the response to the riot, and this hearing is unlikely to uncover most of it.
Trumps Taxes
A U.S. District attorney has won his case in the Supreme Court for access to Trumps years of tax records which may inflate property values to access bank loans, and deflate values for tax write offs. The case is complicated and includes the examination of tax write-offs on millions of dollars in consulting fees, some of which appear to have gone to the president’s elder daughter, Ivanka Trump.
Can we possibly believe a character like Trump played the tax authorities and the banks? Or is it a political “witch hunt” as for former President, scheming to be the President again in 2024, claims it to be?
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/nyregion/trump-taxes-cyrus-vance.html
I note an extraordinary amount of news coverage of Trump, vs Biden who is now The President and deserving of the spotlight on his decision making. The sooner Trump fades from media coverage the better, but he continues to be a political element in The U.S. and won’t fade completely if he is running again in 2024 and still running the Republican party.
Canada and Biden
Prime Minister Trudeau and President Biden held a virtual meeting yesterday and Trudeau said American leadership has been “sorely missed”, an obvious dig at Trumps past leadership.
Canada’s discussions with America include sensitive joint positions on China and human rights, and climate change as well as some trade issues.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trudeau-tells-biden-us-leadership-sorely-missed/story?id=76071821
Tiger Woods
Golfer Tiger Woods will recover after his spectacular car crash in L.A. but has serious leg injuries. His vehicle rolled over and Woods had to be cut out of the crash by fire fighters.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/golf/2021/02/24/tiger-woods-car-crash-happened-injury-latest-reaction-golfing/?li_source=LI&li_medium=amp-pages-2
Have a good day everyone.