Monthly Archives: September 2021

Texas May Still Be the Wild West, But It’s Social Media Shouldn’t Be – Competitive Enterprise Institute

Posted: September 16, 2021 at 6:02 am

The Texas legislature passed and Governor Greg Abbott recently signed into law H.B. 20, which he described as safeguarding the freedom of speech by protecting social-media and email users from being censored based on the users expressed viewpoints.

No one will really understand politics, economist Thomas Sowell once said, until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problemsof which getting elected and reelected are No. 1 and No. 2. Texas latest attempt to regulate content moderation on online platforms, like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, is a great example.

The regulations in the bill are unworkable and the premise is unconstitutional, but voter outrage about online censorship is real enough for politicians to mine it for contributions, attention, and votes. The law gives the state attorney general and Texas residents banned from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube the ability to sue.

Texas bill assumes the platforms are common carriers, despite any official classification of them as such. Traditionally, common carriers are private companies or public utilities, like phone or cable companies, that transport goods with no differentiation and are not allowed to refuse service to anyone willing to pay. But online platforms work very differently from the dumb pipes industries conventionally subjected to common carrier status.

Online platforms curate the user experience as a competitive advantage. Facebook and Alphabet, YouTubes parent company, spend billions of dollars on research and development to improve their products and innovate new services, many of which involve moderating content on their sites. None of these companies could be confused for edge provider equivalents of dumb pipes. If they were all the same passive conduits that merely displayed users posts chronologically, why would any user have a preference among Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Parler or others?

All the prioritizing, hiding, and removing of content these platforms do is to improve the online experience. Its also part of why Texas no viewpoint discrimination provision makes so little sense. The bill seeks to prevent big platforms from blocking, banning, removing, de-platforming, demonetizing, de-boosting, restricting, denying equal access or visibility to, or otherwise discriminating third-party content based on its authors viewpoint. But the curation of user content is intrinsic to what comprises the companies product; Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others largely distinguish themselves from the other by content moderation in an effort to show users what they most want to see.

The real-world implications of this bill are evident in the amendments offered to it on the legislative floor. Amendments sought to allow platforms to remove holocaust denial, terrorism, and medical misinformation. Those failed, but they foretell the kind of content most users would rather not see and most social media platforms remove, flag, hide, or refuse to promote. An Internet with no content moderation would quickly become filled with spam, pornography, and violence.

Beyond the practical problems, this bill faces serious legal hurdles. The Internet surely qualifies as interstate commerce and states are not allowed to regulate that in a way that creates an undue burden. Asking global companies to act differently toward their users in Texas may very well cross that line. The federal government has already preempted this sort of state regulation of content moderation with the 1996 Telecommunications Decency Act and its now controversial liability shield, Section 230.

The Texas law is being touted by its supporters as a free speech protection for social media users, but just as someone has no right to throw a political fundraiser in a neighbors backyard without the neighbors permission, social media users have no right to speak on the private property of social media platforms. The bill actually violates the First Amendment rights of social media platforms that, no matter how big or public-facing, remain private property, with their right to refuse to carry speech intact. Texas cannot wave away constitutional prohibitions on compelled speech. The recent thwarting of a similar Florida law in court, likely predicts the fate of Texas bill.

The frustration of conservative voters feeling discriminated against online is real, but this law is a cure worse than the disease. Better to let the market innovate new alternatives and leave both platforms and usersFrist amendment rights intact. Even in Texas.

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Texas May Still Be the Wild West, But It's Social Media Shouldn't Be - Competitive Enterprise Institute

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Tension in Texas: What is, and isnt, allowed at ISD board meetings under state law – KXAN.com

Posted: at 6:02 am

AUSTIN (KXAN) This week in Central Texas, at least two school board meetings dissolved into chaos as districts work to navigate COVID-19 safety protocols, specifically whether they will enforce mask mandates, regardless of Governor Greg Abbotts executive order.

On Monday night, several people were escorted out of a Leander ISD board meeting, according to people at the meeting and videos obtained by KXAN, despite a warning from leaders in their previously posted agenda, which announced people who were disruptive would be removed.

Thats exactly what ended up happening.

I dont think a general reminder at this point is going to help us altogether, I dont think a plea for respectful interactions is really helping before I end up giving a warning and asking for removal if you are disrupting the meeting, one of the members of the board said as parents continued to yell.

The agenda shows that action items included accepting a board members resignation and options for filling that vacancy.

A day later, the Round Rock Independent School District had to cut a meeting short after it was disrupted several times by angry community members. A number of people were upset at not being allowed in the main chamber for the meeting, which was at one point blocked off by police.

A spokesperson for Round Rock ISD says they let the room fill up as much as possible while abiding by social distancing guidelines. Once the room was full, people were put in an overflow room, where they could watch the meeting on television and come into the main room to talk if they signed up to speak.

Community members were unhappy with that, citing theOpen Meetings Act.

Politics and opinion aside, there appears to be some confusion on what can and cant be done by a school board, and by police, under the Open Meetings Act and within the bounds of freedom of speech. We took community members concerns to University of Texas law professor Steven Collis to break down what the Open Meetings Act means for you.

Collis: Generally speaking, people cant disrupt the meeting. There are reasonable times allotted for when people can make comments, and if theyre preventing the operation of a meeting by say, screaming or yelling or violence or anything like that, then at that point they can be escorted out.

Collis: I dont know the exact specifics of how the overflow room was set up (at Round Rock ISD), but certainly sometimes government officials have to set up overflow rooms. Its the only way possible, not just in the COVID era, but even other times if theres a really hot button issue, and theres just way too many people that cant fit in the main chamber.

Generally the goal is to, and I think this is consistent with the Open Meetings Act requirements, is to ensure that those in the other rooms can see whats happening and can listen in, and then still have the opportunity to come in and present their public comments. As long as theyre given that opportunity, then certainly you can do it in a compliant way.

Collis: Government can place reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on speech. And in particular for the functioning of government, you do have to be able to limit comment time and when people can make comments and try to keep them on topic.

Usually, in these types of meetings, two or three minutes has been considered to be a reasonable time, place or manner restriction. I certainly could see a scenario where government limits time so much that it becomes unreasonable, and a judge would rule against them. They also cant allow every person to go for 15 minutes or some of these meetings would go for 24-48 hours.

This is not going to sound incredibly profound, but a simple Google search takes you to some really good resources, Collis said.

One of those resources is the Office of the Attorney Generals handbook on the Open Meetings Act from 2020. You can find that handbook here to read more about the Open Meetings Act.

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Tension in Texas: What is, and isnt, allowed at ISD board meetings under state law - KXAN.com

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Greenfield Ascension Healthcare Center Cuts The Ribbon – Patch.com

Posted: at 6:02 am

The new clinic will provide primary and specialty care, as well as hospital and emergency services, a news release from Ascension said when the facility was announced. The clinic replaces a former Barnes & Noble book store.

The new clinic was expected to create about 50-70 jobs, Patch reported.

It's a small-scale hospital with emergency services and eight in-patient beds. Altogether it takes up 32,000 square feet, the news release said. The clinic plans to operate 24/7 every day of the year, and will be staffed with the expected nurses, specialists and doctors.

"We know that having convenient access to care is a priority for our patients and their families. This new health center provides an innovative way to integrate inpatient and outpatient services while keeping care close to home," said Bernie Sherry, senior vice president of Ascension.

Services at the center will include cardiology and electrophysiology. An outpatient imaging facility with MRI, CT, ultrasound, mammography and X-rays is planned. The facility was announced in January last year.

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Ascension St. John Hosts ‘Light Up the Sky’ To Honor Frontline Workers – News On 6

Posted: at 6:01 am

Retired military fighter pilots flew over several Green Country hospitals to honor healthcare workers and first responders Tuesday night.

Ascension St. John hosted the Light Up the Sky event to show frontline workers they aren't alone.

Hospitals are also putting on a light display in support of the workers.

The planes flew over Ascension St. John Owasso, then continued south over Hillcrest Medical Center, followed by Ascension St. John Tulsa at 21st and Utica, Saint Francis Health System at 61st and Yale and and ended at Ascension St. John in Broken Arrow.

People then joined together for an outdoor prayer service for healthcare workers and first responders.

They also asked community members and business owners to light up their homes and businesses in blue to honor frontline workers.

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Ascension St. John Hosts 'Light Up the Sky' To Honor Frontline Workers - News On 6

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Vanderbilt to propose 42-bed hospital near 8-bed Ascension facility – Becker’s Hospital Review

Posted: at 6:01 am

Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center plans to file an amended plan for a 42-bed bed hospital in Murfreesboro, Tenn., according to the Daily News Journal.

If approved by state regulators, the medical center's $144.3 million facility would be near an eight-bed hospital planned by Nashville-based Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford.

The move comes about a year after Vanderbilt's proposal for a 48-bed hospital was rejected by state officials in favor of the eight-bed Ascension microhospital.

If the amended plan is approved, the facility would be called Vanderbilt Rutherford Hospital and would house an emergency room, intensive care unit, obstetrics, surgeries and cardiac catheterization services.

"We did not undertake the decision to submit a new application for Vanderbilt Rutherford Hospital lightly," said C. Wright Pinson, MD, deputy CEO and chief health system officer for the medical center.

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Its absolutely hard to watch: A look inside the COVID ICU Unit at Ascension Saint Thomas West – WKRN News 2

Posted: at 6:01 am

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Hospitals across Tennessee are at a breaking point as doctors work non-stop to try to keep up with the influx of patients.

A year ago, the COVID ICU Unit at Ascension Saint Thomas West was pushed to the brink. This week, doctors said it feels like deja vu.

The severity, and the rate that they get worse, its absolutely hard to watch, said Brett Campbell, an ICU Physician at Ascension Saint Thomas West.

The hospital granted News 2 access inside the ICU Unit, however, we were only to show certain video due to the privacy of the patients.

Six weeks ago the hospital reported there was one patient on ECMO and on Tuesday there were ten. Doctors say the vast majority of patients are unvaccinated. For some, the goal is to be placed on an ECMO machine and not a ventilator.

ECMO machines works by inserting a plastic tube into a large vein, often through the neck or chest. The tube allows for the patients blood to flow out and be filled with oxygen, before going back into the body.

Its one thing to see people in their 80s with multiple comorbidities succumb to the illness, its another thing to talk to the wife of somebody whos younger than me, and tell her shes going to be a widow, said Dr. Campbell.

Healthcare workers are exhausted and straining to keep up with the surge of COVID patients. Many of the units have been transformed to house patients.

Were very short-staffed and its because of the pool of the COVID patients. I mean some of the halls are never opened except for COVID, said Angela Gicewicz, an RN in the Critical Care Unit.

Joe Gammon started out like many other COVID-19 patients, believing the virus wouldnt hit him that hard. On Tuesday, he admitted he was wrong.

I was incoherent and not even able to function, to the point where she gave me an ultimatum. Youre either going to go by ambulance or Im going to drive you to the hospital, Im concerned for your health, Gammon said, remembering the last conversation he had with his wife before going to the hospital.

Gammon says after that, most things are a blur. The father of six children is a semi-truck driver from Lascassas. He says he was preparing for foot surgery when his oldest daughter started to feel sick. She tested positive for COVID-19. Gammons wife then became sick. Taking care of his entire family, then things got blurry, I apparently got really ill.

Like many others, thats where Gammons journey began. His wife took him to a Murfreesboro hospital back in July, and his condition worsened. Gammon was transferred to Ascension St. Thomas West, where they saved my life, they really did.

Gammon considers himself lucky to be alive. After a month of being in a coma, and continued hospital care, on Tuesday he was taken off the ECMO machine.

When the going got tough, I tried to fight through it as much as I could, because I know that somewhere out there, there is somebody else that needs this bed desperately, said Gammon.

Gammon says he had the chance to get the vaccine early but decided against it. He explained that he was a conservative talk show listener, and while he believed the vaccine was helpful, he thought there was a shortage of doses. Now, he is urging others to speak with their own physicians to hear information straight from those on the front lines.

I literally died, and they brought me back several times, said Gammon. Not getting the vaccine could cost you your life. Ive actually lost several family members since Ive been in here from COVID and its a bitter and hard pill to swallow.

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Its absolutely hard to watch: A look inside the COVID ICU Unit at Ascension Saint Thomas West - WKRN News 2

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Around Ascension for Sept 15, 2021 | Ascension | theadvocate.com – The Advocate

Posted: at 6:01 am

Elections delayed

Gov. John Bel Edwards ordered the delay of upcoming elections that featured important constitutional amendments.

The governor approved Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin's recommendation to move the Oct. 9 election to Nov. 13 and the Nov. 13 election to Dec. 11.

This will allow our staff and local partners more time to properly prepare for a statewide election while ensuring the integrity of our election processes and that our voters traditional voting habits are as undisturbed as possible, Ardoin said.

All parishes will vote on constitutional amendments.

Residents in the 3rd Justice Court district will elect a new justice of the peace. Running for office are Lynelle Johnson, a Republican from St. Amant; Kim Landry, a Prairieville Republican; and J. Russell-Roddy, No Party, of Prairieville.

In yet another sign of recovery from devastations of Hurricane Ida, Ascension Parish reopened all of its waterways to recreational boat traffic.

With everything weve been through, I think people need a little recreation, said Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment.

He noted that parish officials have been in regular contact with electrical utility companies, who have confirmed that all electrical lines are removed from the waterways.

But some smaller canals and tributaries may be partially or fully blocked with debris, so he urged caution.

Many waterways still have floating debris, although most appears to be settling on the banks, said Cointment. But with boat traffic that could result in debris breaking loose. Again, please use extreme caution.

He also noted that due to the amount of debris following out of our waterways into Lake Maurepas, there may be many hidden dangers. And because the storm brought on some major fish kills in several areas, the air may be kind of pungent.

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Livingston Parish has done assessments on its waterways and has determined it is not safe to reopen the areas.

As COVID-19 cases rise in our area and hurricane damage many events are being canceled or moved to a virtual program.

We're listing planned events, but be aware that anything could get canceled. Call or visit websites to verify the event will be held.

The staff at the Ascension Parish Health Unit reminds residents they can get the COVID-19 vaccine at the health unit.

The Moderna vaccine is available at the Ascension Parish Health Unit, 1024 S. East Ascension Complex Blvd., in Gonzales. Appointments are available by calling (225) 450-1425.

For information, visithttps://ldh.la.gov/covidvaccine/.

Take off Pounds Sensibly meets starting with weigh-in at 9:15 a.m. and meeting at 10 a.m. every Thursday at the fellowship hall at Carpenter's Chapel Church, 41181 La. 933, in Prairieville. Dues are $5 a month. For information, call Miriam Sanchez at (225) 202-8521.

The Recycling Center is at the Department of Public Works headquarters, 42077 Churchpoint Road, in Gonzales. Operating hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

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Ascension Introduces Brachytherapy – The Cannon Courier – Cannon Courier

Posted: at 6:01 am

When Andy Plank, 57, started having chest pain in early 2002, he knew he couldn't wait. "I went to Ascension Saint Thomas West ER immediately," Andy said. Andy has a family history of heart disease. "My dad died of a heart attack at age 56 and all of his brothers passed away with the same disease, so I instantly knew this was something I needed to take action on."

When Andy went to the ER, they found he had a blockage in his right coronary artery. Shortly after, he had triple bypass surgery. Over the next 19 years, doctors provided Andy with stress and echo tests to monitor his blockage and he received multiple stents in his heart to try and repair his clogged arteries. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like anything was a long-term fix. Earlier this year, Andy knew something was wrong again when he started getting short of breath. "It was a familiar feeling," Andy said. "I've felt this before, and I knew there was another blockage in my arteries." When he went back, his doctor realized they needed to take additional action on Andy's heart health after finding that his right coronary artery was 100% blocked, again.

Drs. Kemp, Kerrigan, and Haddad with Ascension Saint Thomas Heart offered Andy an innovative approach. They performed a specialized coronary intervention opening a 100 percent blocked artery followed by intracoronary brachytherapy, a procedure that helps improve chest pain in patients with stents that have re-narrowed (sometimes called "collapsed") and reduces the chance of them narrowing again in the future. Dr. Kerrigan and Dr. Haddad are usually able to perform this procedure through the wrist instead of the groin, allowing patients to recover much quicker than with a traditional heart catheterization. Early this year, Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West became the first Ascension hospital in the country and the only medical facility in Tennessee to offer intracoronary brachytherapy.

In May 2021, they performed the first part of Mr. Plank's multi-stage procedure, opening his 100 percent blocked right coronary artery. He then returned to have the opened artery treated with radiation to keep the vessel open. "My last doctor's appointment was at the end of July 2021 and Dr. Kerrigan was pleased with my recovery," Andy said. "I am so happy with the outcome. The doctors and staff educated and encouraged me to ask any questions during the process. I have felt much better since the surgery and I am back to walking about 3 miles a day without any problems. I have high hopes this will be a permanent fix for a lingering problem."

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Ascension St. John to "Light Up the Sky" Tuesday evening in support of healthcare works and first responders – Sapulpa Times

Posted: at 6:01 am

On Tuesday, September 14, Ascension St. John will join other health systems, businesses, and churches throughout the region for Light Up the Sky, a tribute to our healthcare workers and first responders, according to a press release.

All Ascension St. John associates, providers, affiliates, and volunteers are invited to our outdoor prayer services for healthcare workers and first responders, to be held at each Ascension St. John hospital at 8 p.m. September 14.

According to the press release, Ascension St. John in Sapulpa will have luminarias (which include flyers that can be placed in a window of your home, business or vehicle), blue ribbons, and glow sticks for community members to take home. Luminaria bags, with glow sticks inside, will be placed on sidewalks at the ceremonies. Local churches will play music at many locations. During the prayer service, we will have a moment of silence to honor the lives of those lost to COVID-19.

Location: Parking lot in front of the emergency roomScheduled Speakers: Mike Christian, President, Ascension St. John Sapulpa, or Nate Paris, Chief Nursing Officer, Ascension St. John Sapulpa; Fr. Louis Obirieze, Sacred Heart Catholic ChurchMusic: Sacred Heart Catholic Church

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How to Watch the Ascension Charity Classic, First Round: Live Stream, TV Channel, Start Time – Sports Illustrated

Posted: at 6:01 am

The PGA Champions Tour kicks off the Ascension Charity Classic in St. Louis today with a really fun Pro-Am featuring Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Ozzie Smith and Craig Berube. The tournament itself will feature 18 of the top 20 money leaders on tour competing for the Charles Schwab Cup, which is currently led by Bernhard Langer with just over $35,000 coming into this week.

How to Watch:

Date: Sept. 10, 2021

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV Channel: The Golf Channel

Watch the Ascension Charity Classic, First Round online with fuboTV: Start with a 7-day free trial!

The golf legends, football legend, executive, hockey player and coach all get some practice in to prepare for this week's tournament designed to raise money for local charity:

For the Pro-Am, Nicklaus will pair with Smith and Watson will pair with Berube. The format of the tournament requires the teams to play two roundsFriday and Saturday before a nine-hole competition Sunday followed by the trophy presentation.

Langer is the money leader for the Charles Schwab Cup, butJim Furyk andJerry Kelly are right behind him whileErnie Els and Miguelngel Jimnez are also inching closer. The purse is $2 million or this tournament.

The DraftKings betting odds have Furyk at +600 to win, +120 for a top-five finish and -200 for a top 10 finish. Retief Goosen (+900) and Langer (+900) have the next best odds. Kelly (+1200) has solid odds and is close to the top of the Charles Schwab Cup, so he will have all the motivation.

With the Pro-Am and the tournament, this should be a really fun week of golf in St. Louis. There's a lot at stake on the PGA Champions Tour and the opportunity to raise a lot of money for local charities.

Regional restrictions may apply.

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How to Watch the Ascension Charity Classic, First Round: Live Stream, TV Channel, Start Time - Sports Illustrated

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