Healthcare
‘You’re a bunch of cowards’: Virginia parent unleashes on school board for not reopening schools in viral video

A video of a Virginia parent has gone viral after he addressed the Loudoun County School Board on Tuesday about their school closures due to the coronavirus.
“You should all be fired form your day jobs,” he says to the school board. “You’re a bunch of cowards hiding behind our children as an excuse for keeping schools closed.”
The video was posted Tuesday on Twitter by Aliscia Andrews, a marine veteran and former Republican candidate for congress.
As of Thursday, the video has amassed more than 432,000 views.
“As a parent, this pandemic has brought forth some incredible challenges,” Andrews wrote. “This dad has had enough, we all have. No real metrics to safely open the schools, while the [school board] continues to kick the can further down the road. Many parents feel just as he does.”
As the father continues to speak to the school board, he grows increasingly louder and more angry.
“You think you’re some sort of martyrs because of the decisions you’re making when the statistics do not lie, that the vast majority of the population is not at risk from this virus.”
He grows more frustrated, “The garbage workers who pick up my freaking trash risk their lives every day more than anyone in this school system!”
“Figure it out! Or get off the podium,” he yells to the school board members. “Because you know what? There are people like me and a lot of other people out there who will gladly take your seat and figure it out. It’s not a high bar. Raise the freaking bar!”
While walking out of the board room, he can be heard saying: “I’ll be back next time. And the next time — till you open the freaking schools!”
Loudoun County superintendent Dr. Scott Ziegler addressed the school board and parents later in the meeting.
“I just like to remind folks in all of my discussions surrounding COVID-19, whether it be with teachers or principals or board members or parents, that we really need to come at this from a place where we are operating with patience, with flexibility, with comfort of the not yet known, and with grace,” said Ziegler. “We can have a differing of opinions, but we can express those opinions and express our thoughts on what the plan is moving forward.”
Many schools have transitioned back to virtual learning until a vaccine is available for all staff and students.
Loudoun County Public Schools have been completely virtual since December, amid rising coronavirus case numbers and positivity rates in Loudoun County.
More than 6,000 employees of Loudoun County Public Schools have now received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. By the end of this week, LCPS estimates that number will reach about 8,700.
Loudoun County School Board will vote next Tuesday on a plan to resume in-person school for students whose parents chose hybrid learning.
If approved, prekindergarten through fifth-grade students — whose parents chose hybrid learning — will be back in classrooms no later than Feb. 16.
Middle and high schoolers would return to classrooms for two days per week by March 3.
“Open schools and open them for everyone! Kindergarten thru 12th,” another parent said at the school board meeting.
Follow Annaliese Levy on Twitter @AnnalieseLevy

Nation
Elizabeth Warren Acknowledges Unintended Consequences of Obamacare

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a longtime supporter of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, is now acknowledging the unintended consequences of the healthcare legislation, particularly its impact on industry consolidation and rising healthcare prices.
Warren, who has been a vocal proponent of Obamacare, has recently had what the Wall Street Journal reported as an “epiphany” regarding the consequences of the healthcare law. In a letter addressed to the Health and Human Services Department inspector general, Warren, along with Senator Mike Braun of Indiana, expressed concerns about vertically-integrated healthcare companies potentially increasing prescription drug costs and evading federal regulations.
According to reports from Fox News, the bipartisan letter highlighted issues with the nation’s largest health insurers allegedly bypassing Obamacare’s medical loss ratio (MLR). According to Warren, these insurers, through vertical integration, have manipulated the system, leading to “sky-high prescription drug costs and excessive corporate profits.”
The senators detailed how conglomerates, like UnitedHealth Group, with ownership across various healthcare sectors, could inflate medical payments to pharmacies and, by realizing those payments on the pharmacy side, appear to comply with MLR requirements while retaining more profits.
Moreover, despite the Democrats’ argument that the MLR would benefit patients, it has incentivized insurers to merge with or acquire pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), retail and specialty pharmacies, and healthcare providers. This, in turn, has made healthcare spending less transparent, as insurers can allegedly shift profits to their affiliates by increasing reimbursements.
Warren, who has consistently voted against Obamacare repeal efforts, notably advocated for a “Medicare for All” proposal during her 2020 presidential campaign. Despite her prior support for the healthcare law, Warren’s recent concerns about its unintended consequences have raised questions about the long-term effects of Obamacare and its impact on the healthcare industry.
-
Media6 days ago
Robert De Niro anti-Trump speech mysteriously replaced in teleprompter at Awards Show
-
Nation6 days ago
Political Gambit or Defense Strategy? Hunter Biden’s Aggressive Testimony Plans Stir Democratic Intrigue
-
education4 days ago
Department of Education Office of Civil Rights opens investigation into Harvard University
-
Israel5 days ago
Israeli Military says Hamas violated ceasefire agreement by firing at IDF troops