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

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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

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FDA will work with China to import cancer drugs due to U.S. shortages

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Earlier this week the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it will be working to import chemotherapy drugs from, of all places, China. The drug, called Cisplatin, is to help “ramp up supply amidst rampant drug shortages in the U.S.” reports Foreign Desk News.

Foreign Desk News writes:

Cisplatin comes from drugmaker Qilu Pharmaceutical, which is marketed and produced in China but has not been approved by the FDA. According to a May 24 letter, Qilu will work with the Canadian-based drug company Apotex to import and distribute the medication, which will come in 50-milligram vials with Chinese labels.

“The FDA is responding to yet another generic drug shortage,” said Edmund F. Haislmaier, an expert in healthcare policy and markets at The Heritage Foundation. “The underlying cause of those shortages is that generic drugs have become low-margin commodity products,” he added.

Last week on Twitter, FDA commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said the partnership with Qilu Pharmaceutical is temporary but will provide patients with a potentially life-extending drug.

“The public should rest assured that we will continue all efforts within our authority to help the industry that manufactures and distributes these drugs meet all patient needs for the oncology drugs impacted by shortages,” Califf said.

Foreign Desk News adds:

The latest move by the FDA is sure to spark concern and debate in Congress, as lawmakers in the House and Senate have called on the Biden administration to de-couple the U.S. economy from the Chinese markets, given Beijing’s aggressive push to expand in the South-China Sea and eventually take over the island state of Taiwan. China has also spread illegal and dangerous synthetic opioids and fentanyl drugs across the U.S. southern border, resulting in the devastating deaths of many Americans.

 

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