The painful truth hurts. Once again -- this may be a good time for you to take some personal introspective about your beliefs.
Biden announces more than 500 new sanctions on Russia after Navalny’s death Biden followed through on a promise to further punish Putin one week after opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in prison. President Joe Biden announced more than 500 new sanctions against Russia. By Jonathan Lemire and Matt Berg 02/23/2024 08:18 AM EST Updated: 02/23/2024 10:43 AM EST President Joe Biden on Friday announced more than 500 new sanctions on Russia and its war machine in the largest tranche of penalties since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago. Biden followed through on a promise to further punish Russian President Vladimir Putin one week after opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in a Siberian prison. The sanctions — as well as those added Friday by the European Union — come one day before the second anniversary of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine... https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/23/biden-new-russia-sanctions-navalny-death-00142894 wrbtrader
This just begs the question of why they did not put these "severe sanctions" in place two years ago after Russia invaded Ukraine.
I heard a rumor, an orange man was rounding up support to fight such types of "severe sanctions". To get the aid passed...Biden had to agree at that time "not" to do "severe sanctions". Today, what changed ??? It's hard to believe that Nav's death (or murder) was the straw that broke the camel's back. wrbtrader
CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who was not a part of the team that examined Biden, said it was likely a medically correct decision not to do a cognitive exam but he may have recommended Biden take one anyway. “If I were the president’s physician, I probably would have pushed to do it because it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb when people like me read this report, with all of the concern about the patient’s age and some of the other issues related to his cognitive capacity going forward,” Reiner said. “From a political standpoint, I probably would have urged them to report that, but that’s certainly a determination made by the patient and political advisors.”
A tough call... I remember when Trump was President and he was infected with Covid...they initially tried to hide the reasons for his visit to Walter Reed Hospital and then it took them a while to disclose if there was a transfer of power to Vice President Pence when Trump was hospitalized. In contrast, when Biden was infected with COVID-19 (I think twice)...it hit the news wire immediately...no hiding. My point, Biden's tests may have been physical and blood work but I doubt "cognitive tests" are given to Presidents while they served as President. Simply, do White House doctors give "cognitive tests" too ??? If they did, Trump would have surely failed his too and then they would have lied about his results. wrbtrader
I remember when Trump signed an executive order giving new Veterans "one year" of free mental healthcare for at least one year following their separation from service. https://news.va.gov/press-room/pres...nsitioning-from-active-duty-to-civilian-life/ Currently, Biden is trying to expand mental healthcare beyond the one year following separation from service if the dysfunctional Congress can get their act together. Until then, Biden is doing a much better job for Veterans than Trump. What about Haley...she has stated she would make no changes to the benefits for veterans that Biden has done. August 10th, 2023 Today, the Biden-Harris administration will also release new national and state-by-state data on PACT Act claims, which have been processed at record rates by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In the past year, the Administration has helped veterans in every state and territory receive the services and care they deserve by: Screening veterans for toxic exposures: More than 4.1 million veterans have received free screenings for toxic exposures from the VA under the PACT Act – a critical step to catching and treating potentially life-threatening health conditions as early as possible. Delivering benefits to veterans and their survivors: Over the past year, VA has delivered more than $1.85 billion in earned PACT Act-related benefits to veterans and their survivors. VA is delivering these benefits to veterans at the fastest rate in history, processing 1.65 million total claims thus far in this fiscal year – 16% more year-to-date than the previous all-time record. In total, VA has processed 458,659 PACT Act claims since August 10, 2022. Prioritizing veterans with cancer: As a part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, VA has prioritized claims processing for veterans with cancer – delivering nearly $215 million in PACT Act benefits to veterans with cancer. VA also prioritizes claims for veterans with terminal illnesses and veterans experiencing homelessness. Spreading the word to veterans and their survivors: Thanks to the PACT Act outreach campaign, veterans and survivors are applying for their earned benefits at record rates. In this fiscal year, veterans and survivors have submitted 1.95 million total claims – the most in VA history and a 37% increase over last year. This includes 843,448 PACT Act-specific claims applications. Increasing VA’s capacity to serve veterans: Thanks to new PACT Act authorities, VA has been able to expand its workforce in order to serve veterans as quickly and effectively as possible. In total, both the Veterans Health Administration and the Veterans Benefits administration have achieved their highest growth rates in 20 years — and the Veterans Benefits Administration is now above 29,000 employees for the first time in history. Eliminating benefits delays for veterans: Instead of phasing in conditions over several years (as outlined in the legislation), the Biden-Harris Administration decided to make all conditions in the PACT Act presumptive for benefits as of August 10, 2022, the day the bill was signed into law. This decision expedited the timeline for veterans to receive their earned care and benefits by several years. These historic efforts to address military toxic exposures build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s recent work to support our nation’s veterans Ending veteran homelessness. No one should be homeless in this country, especially not those who served it. Last year, VA found permanent housing for over 40,000 veterans and set a goal to permanently house at least 38,000 veterans this year. And, President Biden is proposing to triple the number of rental assistance vouchers for extremely low-income veterans. These efforts are leading to results: from 2020 to 2022, there was an 11 percent decline in veteran homelessness. Investing in mental health & suicide prevention efforts. Since releasing a comprehensive public health strategy for reducing military and veteran suicide, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to improve mental health care and suicide prevention efforts for veterans. VA is doing everything it can, including expanding mental health screenings, increasing access to legal and financial support, and hiring more mental health professionals, to help veterans get the help they need. For veterans and family members who may be experiencing a crisis, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7 by dialing 988 and then pressing 1. Securing jobs for our veterans. Roughly 200,000 service members transition from the military each year and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to providing them and their spouses the support they need to find good paying jobs. This includes helping connect veterans to registered apprentice programs, so they can transfer the skills they learned in the military. This year, VA will launch a transition assistance grant program for organizations that help veterans and their spouses find jobs when they leave the military. Supporting veterans and caregivers. This spring, President Biden signed an Executive Order directing the VA to cut red tape and give veterans who need assistance at home more flexibility to pick their own caregivers. The order also directed expansion of caregiver support programs, including launching a new initiative to deliver mental health services for caregivers. And, earlier this summer, President Biden went to North Carolina and signed an Executive Order at Fort Liberty. The Executive Order calls for the most comprehensive set of administrative actions in our nation’s history to support the economic security of military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. If you are a veteran, visit www.va.gov/PACT or go to your local VA hospital to see if you are eligible for PACT Act benefits and services. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing...nd-u-s-territories-and-advances-unity-agenda/ February 26th, 2024 At the direction of President Biden, VA is expanding health care eligibility to millions of Veterans Wilmington , DE — Today, VA announced that all Veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving in the military — at home or abroad — will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care beginning March 5, 2024. This means that all Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Global War on Terror, or any other combat zone after 9/11 will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits. Additionally, Veterans who never deployed but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty in the United States will also be eligible to enroll. As directed by President Biden, this expansion of VA health care eliminates the phased-in approach called for by the PACT Act — meaning that millions of Veterans are becoming eligible for VA health care up to eight years earlier than written into law. This is a critical step forward because Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care are proven to have better health outcomes than non-enrolled Veterans, and VA hospitals have dramatically outperformed non-VA hospitals in overall quality ratings and patient satisfaction ratings. Additionally, VA health care is often more affordable than non-VA health care for Veterans. VA encourages all eligible Veterans to visit VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MYVA411 to learn more and apply for VA health care beginning March 5. Since President Biden signed the PACT Act into law on August 10, 2022, more than 500,000 Veterans have enrolled in VA health care. “If you’re a Veteran who may have been exposed to toxins or hazards while serving our country, at home or abroad, we want you to come to us for the health care you deserve,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “VA is proven to be the best, most affordable health care in America for Veterans – and once you’re in, you have access for life. So don’t wait, enroll starting March 5th.” “Beginning March 5, we’re making millions of Veterans eligible for VA health care years earlier than called for by the PACT Act,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal, M.D. “With this expansion, VA can care for all Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Global War on Terror, or any other combat zone after 9/11. We can also care for Veterans who never deployed but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty here at home – by working with chemicals, pesticides, lead, asbestos, certain paints, nuclear weapons, x-rays, and more. We want to bring all of these Veterans to VA for the care they’ve earned and deserve.” In addition to expanding access to VA care, this decision makes it quicker and easier for millions of Veterans to enroll. Many Veterans believe they must apply to receive VA disability compensation benefits to become eligible for VA health care, but this is not correct. With this expansion and other authorities, millions of eligible Veterans can enroll directly in VA care – without any need to first apply for VA benefits. This expansion of care covers Vietnam Veterans, Gulf War Veterans, Iraq War Veterans, Afghanistan War Veterans, Veterans who deployed in support of contingency operations for the Global War on Terror (Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Inherent Resolve, and Resolute Support Mission), and more. This expansion also covers many Veterans who never deployed as a part of a conflict but were exposed to toxins or hazards while serving in the U.S. Specifically, under this expansion of care, any Veteran who participated in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) — at home or abroad – is eligible for VA health care. VA has determined that Veterans who were exposed to one or more of the following hazards or conditions during active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training participated in a TERA: air pollutants (burn pits, sand, dust, particulates, oil well fires, sulfur fires); chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, depleted uranium with embedded shrapnel, contaminated water); occupational hazards (asbestos, industrial solvents, lead, paints including chemical agent resistant coating, firefighting foams); radiation (nuclear weapons handling, maintenance and detonation, radioactive material, calibration and measurement sources, X-rays, radiation from military occupational exposure); warfare agents (nerve agents, chemical and biological weapons); and more. VA will use all available information to determine if Veterans participated in a TERA, including military records and service connections. VA is executing a nationwide campaign to ensure that as many Veterans as possible enroll. To date, VA’s PACT Act outreach campaign has included more than 2,500 events nationwide, $13 million in paid advertising, 88,000 earned media clips, more than 400 million emails and letters to Veterans, VA’s first-ever text messaging campaign, the creation of a one-stop-shop PACT Act website, and more. This is the largest outreach campaign in VA history, which has one goal in mind: ensure that all Veterans —and their survivors — get the health care and benefits they deserve under the PACT Act. For more information about how the PACT Act is helping Veterans and their survivors, visit VA’s PACT Act Dashboard. To apply for care or benefits today, visit VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MYVA411. More information on eligibility can be found at VA.gov/PACT. https://www.va.gov/wilmington-healt...lth-care-eligibility-to-millions-of-veterans/ ---------- As a veteran, I'm one of the ones exposed to toxins and I'm part of an ongoing health study that includes ongoing health studies because I'm fully vaccinated...health studies that will follow me for the rest of my life. Also, because I'm a citizen of three different countries... I've given the Veteran's Administration access to my health records in Canada, and France. The VA also has access to my private doctor in the United States. All the medical programs and benefits I enjoy as a Veteran in the States...have occurred under the Biden/Harris Administration and Obama/Biden Administration. Trump/Pence Administration...I was stuck in Québec, Canada recovering from a pneumonia/coma, and a few years later the Pandemic (borders closed). Living abroad with other veterans living abroad...Biden has done more for veterans than Trump. I expect Haley (wife of a military soldier) would do the same as Biden if Trump becomes a convicted felon. In contrast, the Republicans during the Biden/Harris administration... have threatened to slash funding and end programs for Veterans...at the direction of the former President Trump. What would that mean for the American people just in the first year of their plan if Trump decides to follow through if he becomes President again ? Consider just a few examples: Undermine Medical Care for Veterans: Cutting funding by 22 percent would mean 30 million fewer veteran outpatient visits, and 81,000 jobs lost across the Veterans Health Administration—leaving veterans unable to get appointments for care including wellness visits, cancer screenings, mental health services, and substance use disorder treatment. Slash Funding for Schools with Low-Income Students and Students with Disabilities: A 22 percent cut would impact 25 million students in schools that teach low-income students and 7.5 million students with disabilities, which could force a reduction of up to 108,000 teachers, aides or other key staff. Eliminate Preschool and Child Care for Hundreds of Thousands of Children: A 22 percent cut would mean 200,000 children lose access to Head Start slots and another 180,000 children lose access to child care—undermining our children’s education and making it more difficult for parents to join the workforce and contribute to our economy. Strip Nutrition Assistance from Millions of Women, Infants, and Children: A 22 percent cut would mean 1.7 million women, infants, and children would lose vital nutrition assistance through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), significantly increasing child poverty and hunger. Rob Seniors of Healthy Meals: A 22 percent cut would take away nutrition services, such as Meals on Wheels, from more than 1 million seniors. For many of these seniors, these programs provide the only healthy meal they receive on any given day. Raise Housing Costs for Hundreds of Thousands: A 22 percent cut would eliminate funding for Housing Choice Vouchers for over 630,000 households, including 190,000 households headed by seniors and 50,000 veterans. Scale Back Rail Safety Inspections: A 22 percent cut would result in 7,000 fewer rail safety inspection days next year alone, and 30,000 fewer miles of track inspected annually—enough track to cross the United States nearly 10 times. Yeah, there currently are bigger problems in the World along with a Southern border crisis. Trump will make a mess of the entire picture. We'll most likely be directly involved and at War involving the current crisis with Israel/Hama or Ukraine/Russia...putting more American lives at risk. Biden has kept most of the promises I needed... Get rid of the Trump chaos (weekly protests/riots), get Americans vaccinated, end the Pandemic, more people working than at any point in American History, $442.6 Billion to rebuild our infrastructure, replace the toxic water pipes that were poisoning minorities in urban communities with plans to fix the toxic pipes in rural communities if re-elected... Historic expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans, increase access to VA care beyond 5-year eligibility for combat veterans, $285 billion announced for transportation investments (roads, bridges, public transit, ports, airports, as well as electric school and transit buses, EV charging) and rejoin the paris climate agreement. Reminder, it was Biden that revoked the Trump's Muslim Ban. A important issue if Trump returns back to the oval office...good chance he'll bring back the Muslim Ban under the facade of National Security if there are more attacks on Jewish Americans in America. https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/biden-promise-tracker/?ruling=true wrbtrader
I'll take it but the optics of waiting to announce for a speech are horrible. Why wait unless it's a hail mary that Bibi will block?
In order to make sure the people are getting food, Biden needs to bring in the military to actual feed the people