Hospitals Confront the Fallout From Supreme Court Ruling on Vaccine Mandate
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Exactly how many hospital workers are unvaccinated is unclear, and even under the new rules, health care workers are often able to get medical or religious exemptions.
But the concern remains, particularly among nursing homes and smaller rural hospitals, that the mandate will exacerbate the existing staffing shortages that have crippled much of the country during this latest surge. And many health care executives fear being caught in the cross hairs between states like Florida or Arkansas, which are adamantly opposed to the requirement, and federal officials who say “all states are expected to comply.”
“Hospitals don’t want to be caught between the federal government and the state government,” said Mary Mayhew, president and chief executive of the Florida Hospital Association. “The Supreme Court ruling makes clear the authority that CMS has to implement and enforce its vaccine mandate.”
Dr. Calvin Blount, who has practiced family medicine for more than 20 years in Destin, Fla., said there are still too many unanswered questions about the long-term impact of the vaccine. Now, he is facing a new federal policy that could undermine his practice. More than half of his approximate 420 patients use Medicare.
“For myself and the majority of my patients, the vaccine is a hell no,” said Dr. Blount, 53. “Quite honestly, I don’t know what is going to happen. We have a federal law that contradicts the state law, and we don’t know which side will prevail. If the federal ruling prevails, my options are to get the vaccination, which I am not going to do, or I will be forced to give up my patients who are on Medicare.”
Despite the court ruling, many nursing homes urged the administration to rethink the requirement and instead allow them the option of testing workers. “When we are in the midst of another Covid surge, caregivers in vaccine hesitant communities may walk off the job because of this policy, further threatening access to care for thousands of our nation’s seniors,” said Mark Parkinson, the chief executive of the American Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes, in a statement.
Official Trailer
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The Fallout - Official Trailer
Check out the trailer for the upcoming film, The Fallout. This directorial debut from Megan Park is a coming-of-age story that stars Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler. Bolstered by new friendships forged under sudden and tragic circumstances, high schooler Vada (Jenna Ortega) begins to reinvent herself, while re-evaluating her relationships with her family, friends, and her view of the world. Moving away from her comfortable family routine, she starts taking chances with a series of quicksilver decisions that test her own boundaries and push her in new directions. As she spends more time with Mia (Maddie Ziegler), they grow closer, and Vada slowly redefines herself through their shared experiences, leading her further away from that day and closer to living her life in the now. The film also stars Niles Fitch, Will Ropp, John Ortiz, Julie Bowen, and Shailene Woodley. The Fallout is streaming on HBO Max on January 27, 2022.
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Official Trailer (2022) Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, Julie Bowen
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Watchdog Report Tears Into Lightfoot Office’s Attempt to ‘Mislead,’ Provide ‘False Narratives’ In Anjanette Young Raid Fallout
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CHICAGO — Officials across multiple city departments mishandled the aftermath of the Chicago Police Department’s wrongful 2019 raid of Anjanette Young’s home and misled journalists covering the fallout, an investigation from the city’s Inspector General published Friday found.
In February 2019, Young was handcuffed while naked as police officers rummaged through her home after mistakenly targeting her in the execution of a search warrant.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot blamed the Chicago Department of Law last year after CBS Chicago, which first made video of the raid public, reported that city attorneys had fought Young’s request for body camera footage of the incident. Lightfoot’s administration also faced heat for asking a judge to punish Young and her attorney for sharing the video after they acquired it.
The fallout ran so deep that Lightfoot asked for the resignation of then-Corporation Counsel Mark Flessner in December 2020.
Related: City’s top lawyer resigns amid growing pile-on over city’s handling of Anjanette Young raid
The raid and its backlash also heaped pressure on the Chicago Police Department to overhaul its warrant execution policies. Police leaders rolled out a series of reforms in March, including by restricting the circle of police leaders who are allowed to approve a raid.
Related:
The City Council in December approved a $2.9 million settlement to end the lawsuit Young brought against the city.
Related: Anjanette Young lawsuit set for $2.9M settlement; $2.1M in other settlements set for approval
‘Inefficient and wasteful management’
The inspector’s report implicated officials from the mayor’s office, the Department of Law (DOL), the Chicago Police Department and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) in mismanagement of the public and legal backlash of the wrongful raid.
The report found that city officials “failed to appropriately respond to a victim of a CPD wrong raid, failed to act with transparency in City operations, and performed a series of governmental actions in a manner that prioritized communications and public relations concerns over the higher mission of City government.”
Further, the watchdog’s report found “the inefficient and wasteful management of the City’s response to a wrong raid” in the form of “false or unfounded statements; disregard for COPA’s role and independence; and unbecoming conduct by DOL personnel.”
“The investigation found that actions taken by current and former City employees implicated numerous rules of conduct and took place within a larger failure of the City’s administrative systems to respond to Young’s wrong raid and subsequent requests for information,” according to the report.
Additionally, Lightfoot’s hiring of outside law firm Jones Day to review the wrong raid and actions taken afterward raised “transparency concerns” and prevented the watchdog from “assessing” the scope of the Jones Day investigation.
“Faced with the legally insurmountable obstacle of attorney-client privilege, [the Office of the Inspector General] could not examine the parallel evidence and interview reports of the same witnesses who spoke with OIG, could not determine whether undisclosed interviews corroborated or contradicted one another, and could not investigate whether Jones Day adduced additional mitigating or aggravating information separate from the evidence collected by OIG,” according to the report.
Neither a spokesperson for Lightfoot nor a spokesperson for the police department have returned requests for comment.
The Jones Day investigation found Lightfoot did not purposely hide details of wrong raid but that the city failed to consider Young’s dignity.
False statements, ‘unbecoming behavior’
The watchdog found several instances of “false or unfounded statements” made by city officials, including November 2019 emails showing “inconsistent and unfounded statements by the assistant press secretary about whether, and when, the City had opened an investigation into the wrong raid.”
The emails showed COPA had not been notified of the wrong raid after it occurred and was only set to open an investigation of the raid nine months after it occurred. But the former assistant press secretary, who was not named in the report, told a CBS 2 reporter COPA’s investigation had been opened in 2019, according to the watchdog’s report.
“While the assistant press secretary was not legally required to tell the truth to or avoid misleading reporters, their conduct demonstrated a willingness to allow and encourage false narratives to enter the public sphere and an apparent intent to mislead a reporter inquiring about a story of significant public interest.”
Subsequently, a Dec. 15, 2020 news release stated that Lightfoot was unaware of the wrong raid or video showing the incident. However, Lightfoot later acknowledged she had been made aware of the raid in November 2019.
A Dec. 30, 2020 news release attempted to demonstrate Lightfoot had “limited discussions regarding Young,” but the inspector’s report found Lightfoot “took part in a conference call with senior staff on November 11, 2019, during which staff compiled a list of the Mayor’s detailed questions about the facts and circumstances of the Young wrong raid and any litigation or administrative investigation into the raid.”
Whether or not Lightfoot recalled the discussions, the watchdog concluded that the news releases denying the mayor had prior knowledge of the wrong raid “by the Mayor’s press office lacked the appropriate due diligence and fact-checking, and created an incomplete and inaccurate depiction to the public and the media of the City’s prior discussions of the wrong raid.”
Separately, the watchdog’s report found that city and former senior police officials failed to report the wrong raid to COPA until nine months after the incident occurred.
“The raid occurred on February 21, 2019; yet no complaint was opened until November 12, 2019, nearly nine months later,” according to the report.
CPD senior officials’ failure “to report or ensure the reporting of the wrong raid for investigation implicated the CPD rules and regulations requiring members to ‘report promptly’ to COPA such actions,” the investigation found. And the failure to report the wrong raid “likewise implicates a ‘failure to promote the Department’s efforts to … accomplish its Goals.’”
Additionally, employees in the city’s law department, which “played a prominent role in the City’s dealings” with Young, “engaged in conduct unbecoming City employees, especially those tasked with representing the people of Chicago in a case where the plaintiff suffered a humiliating invasion of privacy following an undisputedly wrong raid on her home,” the report read.
The “unbecoming behavior” included an email a law department deputy supervisor sent to their litigation team after CBS 2 published the video footage of the wrong raid, writing “we’ll never get CBS to stop airing this garbage… but maybe this will send a message to Plaintiff’s attorneys to stop giving them videos.”
According to the inspector’s report, 20 of the employees who were interviewed for the investigation no longer work for the city, meaning the watchdog could take the “symbolic” action of placing those former employees on a Human Resources list of ineligible re-hires.
“OIG’s investigation revealed a failure of City government that, taken as a whole, adds up to more than a sequence of individual actions by City employees,” the report concluded. “Many of the Mayor’s Office, COPA, CPD, and DOL employees OIG interviewed played roles in a series of events that violated proper government practices, if not formal policies, and which were exceedingly harmful to Young.”
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Sevilla, forget Copa del Rey! LaLiga title is your focus, not Real Betis fallout
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Sevilla’s Copa del Rey exit came a day after the game started, as Joan Jordan was hit by an object thrown from the crowd and prompted a suspension of play. Yet there’s no room for anger as they take on Valencia in LaLiga this midweek. CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images
The two leading contenders to win LaLiga had wildly contrasting weekends. Real Madrid elegantly won the Supercopa de Espana, lifting the trophy while Athletic’s captain, Iker Muniain, swallowed the bitter pill of defeat and, equally elegantly, stood by and applauded the victors. (Side note: when Inaki Williams saw his little brother, Nico, wrenching off his runners-up medal as soon as it was around his neck, he chastised his talented sibling, seemingly ordering him to show a little more dignity.)
Barcelona, beaten in the semifinal, sent a tweet of congratulations to Madrid on Sunday night; so did Athletic, the entire event full of grace notes. Meanwhile Sevilla, initially through no fault of their own, became involved in an ugly, debilitating, boorish and exhausting tit-for-tat, two-day confrontation with their cross-town neighbours, Betis, while being knocked out of the Copa Del Rey by los Verdiblancos.
There was aggression, accusations of cheating, mean-spiritedness, boiling tempers and taunting: it was high entertainment for those who like to rubber-neck, but debilitating to be part of. And frankly, if Julen Lopetegui’s players (and the manager himself) mismanage the fallout from Saturday and Sunday, when the city of Seville’s good football reputation was badly besmirched, it could seriously damage their real and vibrant shot at winning a first Liga title since 1946.
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Copa chaos: Betis-Sevilla suspended as Jordan hit by pole
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Replay: Real Betis vs. Sevilla, Copa del Rey
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Stream LIVE: Valencia vs. Sevilla, Jan. 19, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (U.S.)
The hard facts are simple. Betis were significantly outplaying Sevilla on Saturday afternoon (though the score was 1-1) when an idiotic fan threw a section of a hand-held flagpole towards the pitch and struck Sevilla midfielder Joan Jordan on the top of his head. The Catalan player stumbled and then fell.
At that stage, the mindless fan was the only villain, something (just about the only thing) upon which all of those at both clubs still agree. There has been an arrest following Saturday’s incident, but sadly, that fact – and the way in which the offender is treated and punished – have been totally obscured. Such has been the self-indulgent and mean-spirited fight between the two clubs from that minute onwards. (Monchi, Sevilla’s sporting director, being a notable exception from this war of words.)
The facts continue: Jordan appeared to recover sufficiently so he could deploy a very Mediterranean gesture, tapping his face just below the cheekbone with the tips of his fingers and an open palm, which means “you’ve got some nerve!” or even “you’re a disgrace!” Minutes later, with the thrown object recovered by the referee and handed to the Spanish FA officials, who were governing the game’s procedures, Jordan was in close conversation with his manager, Lopetegui, and then, seated on the pitch being examined, apparently for concussion, by club medics.
As Jordan was escorted down the tunnel stairs, apparently groggy, there was mayhem at the side of the pitch.
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ESPN+ viewers’ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more
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Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
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Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
Poor old Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea had what all referees dread: a situation where everyone was yelling, posturing and demanding clarity while tens of thousands of ultra-excitable fans didn’t know what was happening, except he was required to wait for the Spanish FA disciplinary committee to decide what must happen next. Meanwhile Jordan was sent to hospital for proper examination, the only correct course of action.
Jordan was notably dizzy and slow-moving after the incident, though Betis players would accuse him of purposefully overacting in a bid to get the game suspended. Joaquin Corchero/Europa Press via Getty Images
Sevilla struck the first note of common sense, releasing a statement that included the phrases “Sevilla FC would like to convey all its affection to Joan Jordán, who fortunately, and this is undoubtedly the only important thing, is at home after being hit by an object thrown from the home stand during the derby.” Joan left the Benito Villamarín in a daze and was taken to hospital, where he was examined (as) required by the protocol due to the concussion. “The final diagnosis is cranio-encephalic trauma and the player will be kept under home observation until a minimum period of 24 hours has passed without any alarming symptoms.”
We live in an age where football is trying to treat such head-knocks suffered by its players with the same seriousness as other, more advanced, contact sports already do. This was exemplary behaviour from Jordan’s club. The match, meanwhile, was postponed until the remainder could be played the following day – without fans. Sevilla protested, as they didn’t want to play the remaining minutes immediately. The Spanish FA rejected their petition.
STREAM ESPN FC DAILY ON ESPN+ Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).
More facts: Several Betis player immediately ran to social media to suggest that Jordan – allegedly capable of gesturing to the Betis fans one minute, but dizzy and dazed the next – might have been under instructions from Lopetegui to “make the most” of the incident and “act” as if he were unable to continue.
Three of them – defender Juan Miranda, midfielder Victor Camarasa and forward Cristian Tello – directly stated that Sevilla, mainly in the shape of Lopetegui, wanted to manipulate the developing situation to postpone the match, presumably in the hope that some of their absent players would, by then, be available. They claim to have heard Sevilla’s coach encouraging Jordan to “feel more dizzy” and to “sit down on the grass” – words that, if said, could equally have been a coach’s rightful concern with the threat of concussion to his player.
play 1:15 Why ‘Tecatito’ can be ’the new Jesus Navas’ for Sevilla The Futbol Americas team discuss Jesus Manuel ‘Tecatito’ Corona’s move from FC Porto to Sevilla.
Another fact here is that Sevilla were without some serious players. Bono, Youssef En-Nesyri and Munir are on duty at the African Cup of Nations, while Jesus Navas, Erik Lamela, Suso, Thomas Delaney, Fernando and Marko Dmitrovic are absent with injury and/or illness. (It meant that the 21-year-old third-choice keeper, Alfonso Pastor, was in goal on Saturday, having previously played just one first-team match.) Kounde was only fit to perform in Sunday’s part of the match while, by then, Jordan was of course absent.
This list might add to Betis’ suspicions, but it in no way proves that Sevilla were “up to no good.” Nor should it, under any circumstances, obscure the fact that a mindless fan in the Betis section behind Pastor’s goal caused all of this – absolutely all of it. In the end Betis won, deservedly, but for both Verdiblanco goals – Fekir direct from a corner just before the flagpole was launched at Jordan, and Sergio Canales late in the fan-free restarted match – young Pastor in the Sevilla goal was at fault. The absences of Bono and Dmitrovic ended up being definitive.
If you wanted to find motive behind Sevilla looking to postpone the match for longer than 24 hours, you could. (Lopetegui slammed claims of exaggerating the attack for Sevilla’s gain.) But traditionally, that requires proof, not unproven conspiracy accusations.
Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui vehemently defended his team in the wake of Saturday’s conspiracy theories, though he’s right to focus his team towards LaLiga so this remarkable season isn’t in vain. Mateo Villalba/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
When the tie was finally over on Sunday, Andres Guardado added unnecessary spite to the whole affair by celebrating victory with a mock bang on his head with a plastic water bottle, and a dramatic collapse of his own on the pitch, all the while wearing a malicious smile. Mocking the event that had sparked all this nonsense. He claims that wasn’t what he was doing: I don’t believe him.
After the match, neither Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini nor Lopetegui applied sufficient dignity or calm to the heated, angry and accusatory atmosphere that, as Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic pointed out, sent a “bad image around the world.”
Only Monchi stood out. Sevilla’s exemplary sporting director – a man whose blood boils at injustices and who walked away from the club in March 2017 specifically because he said that he cared “too much” to the point that it was beginning to affect his everyday life – is someone capable of entering the fray and defending los Rojiblancos in a bellicose manner. But he chose not to. In fact, not only did he turn the other cheek; he actively encouraged his staff, Sevilla’s fans and media to introduce some “sanity” to the situation.
His exact words: “This is a difficult defeat to digest because it is a derbi in a knockout tournament, but congratulations to Real Betis for going through. These have been 20 complicated hours: too many things have happened. We don’t know what will happen in the Europa League [Editor’s Note: it’s feasible the two sides play each other there, perhaps even in the final that will be in Sevilla’s stadium on May 18] or on Feb. 28, the day of the next derbi: there is time for that. Derbies should be enjoyed and should be an example for the whole world. We now have an historic opportunity to present an image of sanity and normality, and to recover the importance the Sevilla derbi.”
It was dignified and much-needed; it also perhaps it brought temperatures down in the city, too. But there was another, shrewder, side to Monchi’s words.
Sevilla play Valencia at Mestalla on Wednesday. (Stream LIVE, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+) If they can win they’d go to within two points of Real Madrid at the top the table. For their title challenge it’s utterly essential that they do so.
Yes there are many months, 17 more matches and 51 more points in play, but this is a club not used to winning the league. This is a set-up still learning the ropes of a long, tiring, obstacle-strewn championship campaign.
Habitual title winners get used to coping with tough circumstances: they handle whatever is thrown at them. Sevilla are out of the Champions League and out of the cup. They’re badly depleted in terms of their squad, and are coping with intense interest from Newcastle in signing their defensive leader, Diego Carlos, and there’s mystery surrounding the absence of back-up keeper, Dimitrovic. Is it injury? Is it the coronavirus? A row with the coach? Sevilla won’t say.
If they drag the baggage of fury at Betis and that pain at elimination up the road with them to Valencia; if they are distracted, dispirited, wounded and fail to press the very “reset button” that Monchi was encouraging them to find, then this can go from being a vexatious and “sore” week to a semi-disastrous one. Sevilla don’t need that, Spanish football won’t benefit from that, and LaLiga will be less competitive for it; Monchi knew that very well when he spoke with wisdom and restraint.
What a week this is for Lopetegui and his resentful, wounded but still very capable squad. It’s time to write off all the bile and spleen-venting of the weekend and, to use Alex Ferguson’s tactics, privately tell his 11 angry men that “they’re all against us, we’ll show them, circle the wagons… everyone outside the club’s an enemy … our only option is sheer, naked defiance!” It’s time to surf the anger, turn the tide of “injustice” in their favour.
Can he do it? Will his players show they’re made of the right stuff? Valencia vs. Sevilla on Wednesday is a date with destiny. Don’t miss it.