Page 34 - Florida Sentinel 8-14-20

National
Florida No Longer Requires
Michigan Designates Racism A Public Health Crisis
Negative COVID Tests
For Restaurant Workers
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an order on Wednesday declaring racism a public health crisis. The exec- utive directive introduced by the Democrat leader also in- cludes the creation of a Black Leadership Advisory Council to “elevate Black voices,” ac- cording to The Detroit News.
“We must confront systemic racism head on so we can cre- ate a more equitable and just Michigan,” Whitmer said in a statement. “This is not about one party or person. I hope we can continue to work towards building a more inclusive and unbiased state that works for
the governor wants to address the negative impacts of racism and begin to close the gaps of inequity it has created throughout the state. To assist in doing so, Whitmer has joined with the American Pub- lic Health Association, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pe- diatrics, and the American College of Emergency Physi- cians in declaring institutional racism an urgent public health issue. Her directive requires that state departments exam- ine data and develop a plan and policies to help advocate for communities of color.
Florida's Republican Gov- ernor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Wednesday relaxing requirements for restaurant employees return- ing to work after testing posi- tive for COVID-19.
Under a March 17, 2020 ex- ecutive order, the state of Florida required two negative tests for a worker to return to the job after testing positive for COVID-19. The new execu- tive order, however, modifies the original order, putting the responsibility on restaurants to "implement employee screening protocols pursuant to guidance developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
The order follows a July up- date to the CDC's guidelines. Under the new guidelines, pa- tients recovering from COVID- 19 can stop self-isolating 10 days after the first appearance of symptoms, down from the previous recommendation of 14 days, providing that pa- tients don't have a fever or show any new symptoms. The guidelines do say that business
GOV. RON DESANTIS
owners and managers should, however, "actively encourage employees who are sick or have recently had a close con- tact with a person with COVID-19 to stay home."
Though the CDC guidelines are more wide-ranging and apply to employees from vari- ous fields, the Florida execu- tive order only applies to restaurant workers. In Florida, restaurants are allowed to re- main open at 50 percent ca- pacity providing they adhere to social distancing guidelines.
everyone.”
Whitmer has several objec-
tives with creating the council and the directive, but overall,
New York Attorney General Sues To Dissolve The NRA After Corruption Investigation
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she has filed a civil lawsuit to dissolve the National Rifle Association (NRA) after an 18- month fraud investigation. The lawsuit accuses the group’s leadership of misusing charitable funds for their own personal gain.
“The NRA’s influence has been so powerful that the or- ganization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets,” said James in a statement. “The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law.”
In a tweet before her live tel- evised announcement, James called the 149-year-old organ- ization “fraught with fraud and
NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES
abuse.”
The NRA, a long controver-
sial, not-for-profit organiza- tion, is registered in New York State, under James’ jurisdic- tion but has represented the interests of gun enthusiasts
and sportsmen for genera- tions. It has also been the foundation of the powerful na- tional gun lobby, which has been blamed by anti-gun vio- lence advocates as the fuel be- hind the nationwide mass shooting epidemic.
But James' focus is prima- rily NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre and other members or former members of the board. They included former treasurer and CFO Wilson “Woody” Phillips, former chief of staff Joshua Powell, and corporate secre- tary and general counsel John Frazer -- all named as defen- dants. She accuses them of “failing to follow numerous state and federal laws,” which she says caused the loss of $64 million in three years for the organization.
High School Student Claims He Was Forced To Remove Black Lives Matter Mask In Order To Graduate
What should have been a day of celebration and glory turned out to be one of confusion and disappointment for high school graduate Dean Holmes. He says he was forced to take off his Black Lives Matter face mask in order to graduate.
Holmes is a student at York Catholic High School in York, Pennsylvania and put on the
DEAN HOLMES
BLM mask under his face shield during his July 28 grad- uation ceremony. He told CNN that as students lined up prior to the beginning of the cere- mony, the school’s principal pulled him away in-front of other students and told him to remove his mask.
He complied only in fear of not being able to receive his diploma.
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