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VOL.057 FEB 4 - FEB 10 , 2022
NY-DC EDITION
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NY Gov. Hochul Extends COVID-19 Mask-or-Vax Mandate (Image:AdobeStock)
By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
On Jan. 28, Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, announced that she is extending a state policy that mandates citizens to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination at public indoor settings or wear face masks. Continued on A10
Freedom Convoys
Intel Could Spend $100 Billion Over the Next Decade on New Ohio Chip Plants
By Todd Crawford Vision Times Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinge.
I
n the shadow of the main protest in Ottawa while citing a desire to protect “social cohesion,” on Feb. 1, Quebec Premier, Francois Legault, dropped his government’s plan to tax unvaccinated citizens. “I have to make sure that I protect the health of Quebecers, but I have also to protect the peace in our society,” Legualt said, adding that “In the last week or so there’s an increase in the reaction of people. They are angry more than ever. I don’t like to see Quebecers divided like we’re seeing.” In January, the Quebec government announced a “health contribution” tax on the unvaccinated that the provincial government said at the time would be “significant” arguing that the unvaccinated population of Quebec placed an undue “financial burden [on] all Quebecois.” Continued on A9
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(Image: Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
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VISION TIMES
By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
O
n Jan. 22, Intel announced that it will be investing $20 billion in the United States to build two chip plants in Ohio. Covering almost 1,000 acres, the new factories will be located around 30 miles away from Columbus, the state capital. Intel could invest up to $100 billion at the site, potentially making it one of the biggest semiconductor manufacturing centers in the world. Construction activities will begin in late 2022 and production is expected to start sometime in 2025. Intel’s investment in Ohio follows the company’s $20 billion investment in Arizona last year where it is already building two chip plants. Continued on A9
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Protesters Appear to Gain Ground, Violence Reported at Coutts Border Crossing
NATION Federal Judge Defers Release of Secretive Report on Georgia’s Dominion Voting Machines
A2 | FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022
VISION TIMES
ment for 12 weeks. Halderman, in During a Jan. 27 teleconference, Totenturn, delivered a 25,000-word report berg announced that she would decide in sealed court documents in July. whether to release a Halderman, who redacted version of also outlined risks the study on Jan. 31. for upcoming elecHowever, on tions this year, pinpointed that GeorMonday Totenberg stated before gia’s voting system prints out paper deciding whether ballots that generto make portions ate QR-codes illegiof the report public that she wanted ble for confirmation to consult several by human beings, making them much parties involved more sensitive to and asked for suggestions from both cheating than traAccording to Alex Halderman, computer science Georgia election ditional paper balprofessor at the University of Michigan lots, which are officials and plaintiffs, to submit their filled out by hand. proposals by Feb. 2. The study, executed by Alex HalderA flip-flop man, a computer science professor at Raffensperger, a Republican, said in the University of Michigan, provides a statement on Jan. 26 that the report should be declassified because of sensitive information on the ability to rumors as to their contents “generatcheat ballot marking devices. “I want people to understand the ing misleading media articles about general concerns…without giving anythe Dominion voting equipment used one a road map to hacking or intrudin Georgia.” ing on the system or manipulating it,” Though the Georgia secretary of U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg. Totenberg said during the court hearstate’s office is a defendant in the (Image: Andrew Burton/ ing. case, it hadn’t seen or asked to see any Getty Images) The vulnerability was first noted details of Halderman’s report, not even the redacted version. Only attorneys by Halderman, who in his role as and expert witnesses had insight into an expert for plaintiffs in the election security lawsuit, was granted the files. full access to Georgia’s voting equip“The public deserves to know the
The Halderman Report
By Victor Westerkamp Vision Times
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n Jan. 31, a federal judge tarried on releasing a confidential report analyzing the integrity of Georgia’s voting machines amidst a lawsuit against a flip-flopping state official. Both Georgia election officials and plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office that seeks to replace Georgia’s voting systems asked U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg to release a classified report analyzing the integrity of the state’s Dominion Voting Systems election equipment. The report possibly outlines how hackers could attempt to revise the outcome of an election. It focused particularly on the type of electronic ballot marking devices used in several key battleground states, including Georgia, during the 2020 Presidential Election, of which many claim voting irregularities transpired. The lawsuit was filed by elections transparency watchdog True the Vote, which said in a Jan. 5 statement that following “a year’s worth of research and analysis,” it “submitted three official complaints to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office regarding occurrences in the 2020 General and 2021 Run-off Elections.”
Georgia’s voting system prints out paper ballots that generate QRcodes illegible for confirmation by human beings, making them much more sensitive to cheating than traditional paper ballots, which are filled out by hand.
context of J. Alex Halderman’s claims and his testimony regarding the 2020 election,” Raffensperger said, in an apparent 180 on his office’s prior position. “We are taking on these claims in court, and we will win,” he said bravely, declaring the state’s election systems “are safe and secure.” Raffensperger’s U-turn was likely inspired by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who also weighed in on the discussion. Kemp, a Republican who seeks reelection in November this year, said by means of his spokeswoman Katie Byrd earlier that day that Raffensperger, “Should immediately gather all relevant information regarding this report, thoroughly vet its findings, and assure Georgians he is doing everything possible to ensure the system, procedures and equipment are completely secure.” “Now that Gov. Kemp publicly called him out for failing to comply with his duties to address those vulnerabilities and ignoring the report since last summer, he’s desperate to point the finger at others,” David Cross, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But he made the decision many months ago not to address the report, and he’s accountable to voters for that deliberate dereliction,” Cross added.
(Image: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
CNN President Jeff Zucker Resigns in Disgrace By Todd Crawford Vision Times
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n Feb. 2, the president of CNN, Jeff Zucker announced his resignation, effective immediately after it was discovered that he failed to disclose what he says was a “consensual relationship” with a CNN staffer. “As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today,” Zucker wrote in a memo to staffers shared by Brian Stetler. Zucker continued, “I came to CNN www.visiontimes.com
on January 28, 2013. Together, we had nine great years. I certainly wish my tenure here had ended differently. But it was an amazing run. And I loved every minute. I am grateful to the thousands of incredibly talented CNN and Turner Sports employees who helped make this such a joy for me, and such a success for all of us. I wish each of you nothing but the best in the years ahead.” The relationship Zucker had was with CNN marketing chief Allison Gollust. Gollust will be remaining at CNN, Brian Stelter disclosed in a tweet. Industry insiders are saying that Zucker’s relationship with Gollust was an open secret. In a statement following Zucker’s resignation Gollust said, “Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years. Recently, our relationship changed during
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COVID. I regret that we didn’t disclose it at the right time.” Gollust was appointed as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s communications director in 2012 before joining Zucker at CNN the same year. She met Zucker during her 15-year tenure at NBC. Jeff Zucker announced his resignation on Feb. 2 after it came to light that he was engaged in a relationship with one of his staffers. (Image: J. Countess/
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Series of shocking headlines
Zucker’s resignation follows a series of scandals that have plagued the embattled news outlet. In December, a senior CNN producer, John Griffin, was arrested by the FBI after being charged with shocking sex crimes with girls as young as seven years old. The CNN veteran was charged by a grand jury in Vermont, “with three counts of using a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to entice minors
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to engage in unlawful sexual activity.” Griffin’s alleged crimes include coercing parents to allow their minor daughters to engage in sexual activity at his home. Griffin faces life in prison. Also in December, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo was suddenly terminated by the news outlet after it was discovered the anchor aided his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, when the then-governor was accused of sexual harassment. At the time, texts were uncovered that revealed that Chris Cuomo sought to use his connections in the media landscape to help prepare Andrew Cuomo’s team for the story to be made public. “I’m not an adviser. I’m a brother. I wasn’t in control of anything. I was there to listen and offer my take,” Chris Cuomo said at that time.
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NATION Tennessee School District Bans Pulitzer-winning ‘Maus’
VISION TIMES
MARO SIRANOSIAN/AFP via Getty Images
By Leo Timm Vision Times
‘There is nothing pretty about the Holocaust’
A
Jan. 10 vote by the McMinn County School Board in Tennessee to ban Maus, an acclaimed graphic novel depicting the Nazi genocide in World War II has stirred up controversy and accusations of racism. Set in occupied Poland, the comic by Art Spiegelman depicts the real-life struggle of the author’s father as he and his wife do whatever they can to survive Hitler’s Holocaust of European Jewery. Maus, which is German for “mouse,” depicts the Jews as mice and Germans as cats. The Board cited the use of profanity and depictions of nudity in the work as the reason for banning the book in school libraries, rather than its subject matter. In some scenes of Maus, characters use curse words, and Spiegelman depicts Jewish prisoners stripped naked as they are searched and showered in the Nazi camps. The graphic novel’s “unnecessary use of profanity and nudity and its depiction of violence and suicide” mean that “taken as a whole the board felt this work was sim-
Maus was serialized between 1980 and 1991, and the following year won a Pulitzer Prize — the Special Award in Letters. It is the only graphic novel to date to win a Pulitzer. After the ban, copies of Maus sold rapidly on Amazon and other retailers, reaching the top 10 ranks in graphic novels on Amazon. Due to the sudden demand hike, Amazon announced delays through February.
ply too adult-oriented for use in our schools.” Spiegelman’s father, Vladek, was a Polish Jew who, together with his first wife Anja, experienced the Nazi German invasion of their country, the sequestering of Jews into ghettos, pogroms organized by the occupiers, and finally the mass murder that took place in the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Maus follows Art as he interviews his aging father, alternating between the present (1970s New York) and wartime Poland. Anja committed suicide in 1968 after emigrating to the U.S. with her husband, a subject of much grief for Vladek and a recurring issue throughout the two-part book.
I think the author is portraying that because it is a true story about his father that lived through that.” — Melasawn Knights, federal programs supervisor
Mainstream outlets were quick to paint the McMinn school board’s decision as veiled anti-semitism and fascist sentiment — CNBC felt it relevant to note that the county leans heavily Republican. Comments by the McMinn board members and teachers in the schools themselves show differing interpretations of Spiegelman’s work and the importance of its stark depiction of the Holocaust — rather than a left-right feud. While the school board members objected to the nudity, profanity, and dark themes in Maus, teachers and many netizens stressed the need to confront the Holocaust and its horrors directly. “I was a history teacher and there is nothing pretty about the Holocaust and for me this was a great way to depict a horrific time in history,” said Julie Goodin, an Instructional Supervisor in McMinn, according to the full notes of the school board meeting. School board member Tony Allman opined that Maus would be the same without its graphic depictions, asking “Why does the edu-
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ages y Im ett
Sales of acclaimed graphic novel depicting Holocaust horrors spike following controversial censorship
FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022 |
US comic book artist Art Spiegelman.
cational system promote this kind of stuff, it is not wise or healthy.” “I am not denying it [the Holocaust] was horrible, brutal, and cruel. It’s like when you’re watching tv and a cuss word or nude scene comes on it would be the same movie without it. Well, this would be the same book without it…” Allman said. Melasawn Knights, a federal programs supervisor said that “I think any time you are teaching something from history, people did hang from trees, people did commit suicide and people were killed, over six million were murdered. I think the author is portraying that because it is a true story about his father that lived through that.” Knights added that while staff were working on how to redact some objectionable language from the book, she and others felt that Maus’s depiction was valuable in helping “people who haven’t been in that aspect in time to actually relate to the horrors of it.” Spigelman himself told CNBC that he was “baffled” by the school board’s decision to ban Maus, calling it an “Orwellian” act of censorship. “I’ve met so many young people who … have learned things from my book,” Spiegelman said.
South Dakota Passes Legislation to Protect Fairness in Women’s Sports By Leo Timm Vision Times
S
outh Dakota is set to keep biological girls playing against biological girls and biological males playing against biological males at all levels of school sporting events after a new bill passed the state’s House of Representatives in a decisive vote. Senate Bill 46, titled An Act to Protect Fairness in Women’s Sports, was first introduced in the state Senate on Jan. 11 before passing by a vote of 26 to 7 on Jan. 19. The bill, which came to a final vote in the House on Feb. 1, where it passed by 50 to 17 margin, now heads for Governor Kristi Noem’s desk for
signature. SB46 specifically requires all levels of school sports to bracket competitions based on the biological sex denoted on an individual’s birth certificate, and especially requires that, “Only female students, based on their biological sex, may participate in any team, sport, or athletic event designated as being for females, women, or girls.” Noem is likely to sign the bill considering Jan. 23 comments on the legislation given to Fox News prior to debate and voting in the House where she stated, “This is about fairness…This is about making sure that our girls have a chance to be successful and to compete, to win scholarships, potentially go on to play profes-
sional sports beyond that. We want them to have the opportunity to do that.”
HB1217 and SB46
According to Feb. 1 reporting by Breitbart, Gov. Noem vetoed HB1217, an ostensibly similar bill on the same topic, last year over concerns about the reach of the government in the bill and some of its provisions. The most notable differences between the two bills, according to Breitbart, are that HB1217 “relied on a written statement from a child’s parents confirming their biological sex and that they had not taken any performance enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids.” SB46, by comparison, relies com-
This is about fairness…This is about making sure that our girls have a chance to be successful and to compete, to win scholarships, potentially go on to play professional sports beyond that.” Kristi Noem, South Dakota Governor
pletely on the sex denoted at the time of issuance of the birth certificate. While HB1217 also did not define what “performance enhancing drugs” were, the consideration was entirely removed from SB46. Moreover, SB46 removed provisions from the vetoed bill that allowed students who were blocked from competing in the opposite gender’s brackets to sue for pain and suffering. Instead, they can only request injunctive relief from courts. Additionally, while HB1217 would have required schools to foot the costs and efforts of defending themselves from lawsuits over the act, SB46 will have the State handle litigation.
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CHINA
A4 | FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022
VISION TIMES
A volunteer mans an access point at the National Aquatic Centre on January 30, 2022 in Beijing, China.(Image: Carl Court/Getty Images)
China Isolates Foreign Olympic Athletes for COVID, Jeopardizing Their Participation in Games Carl Court/Getty Images
By Leo Timm Vision Times
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ore than 200 of some 8,000 foreign arrivals for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Feb. 1, prompting the Chinese authorities to isolate them in accordance with the regime’s “Zero-COVID” policies. Those who have been isolated are likely to miss out on the Games, which are starting on Feb. 4. Athletes under quarantine can only take part if they receive two consecutive negative tests within 24 hours. According to the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee, between Jan. 23 and Jan. 31, 8,107 athletes, officials, and other personnel had entered China. Of those, about 200 or 2.5 percent tested positive upon entry. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has taken extremely stringent measures in an effort to eradicate COVID-19 from China, often resulting in food shortages, medical emergencies, and manufacturing disruptions across the country. Authorities recently lifted a weeks-long lockdown in the northwestern metropolis of Xi’an, where residents complained of multiple tragedies and other abuses during that period.
More than
200
foreign
arrivals for the 2022 Olympics have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the Chinese authorities to isolate them in accordance with the regime’s “Zero-COVID” policies.
Currently 2,000 Open Investigations on Beijing's 'stealing of our information': FBI Director Wray By Leo Timm Vision Times
T
he harm wrought by Communist China’s hacking, espionage, and other “unrestricted warfare” activities affecting the U.S. are “felt across the country in a whole range of industries,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told an audience in California in the evening of Monday, Jan. 31.
Chinese government hackers have stolen more of our personal and corporate data than every other nation combined." Christopher Wray, FBI Director
Officials decked in personal protective equipment wait to validate Olympic accreditation for people arriving at Beijing Capital International Airport on January 24, 2022 in Beijing, China.
In Beijing, the authorities have set up a “closedloop bubble” to separate foreigners arriving for the Olympics from the general population. Emma Terho, chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission and a double bronze medallist in ice hockey from Finland, was put into isolation after she tested positive for COVID-19 at the Beijing airport. Notably, Terho was scheduled to meet with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who last November accused retired CCP leader Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. Her whereabouts and safety have become a matter of concern in the international sporting community, despite Beijing’s assurances that she is free and well.
In a speech given on the eve of the lunar new year at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Wray described how incidents of espionage by the communist regime have been happening “literally every day” and with the help of “every tool in their arsenal” to steal U.S. technology in areas where China is deficient. In particular, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims at replacing the United States as the world’s chief innovator and producer of cutting-edge electronics — a plan embodied by its “Made in China 2025” program. Every 12 hours, the FBI opens a new case involving Chinese spying and other intelligence operations. Wray highlighted the long-term threat that rampant Chinese espionage poses to the U.S, and stressed that the CCP’s activity had become even “more brazen” than before.
‘They push our companies and workers behind’
“Chinese government hackers have stolen more of our personal and corporate data than every other nation combined. The harm from the Chinese government’s economic espionage isn’t
just that its companies pull ahead based on illegally gotten technology. While they pull ahead, they push our companies and workers behind.” According to Wray, the CCP’s intelligence operations far exceed those of any other foreign entity. He noted that there are currently 2,000 open investigations into Beijing’s efforts to “steal our information or technology.” “There’s just no country that presents a broader threat to our ideas, innovation, and economic security than China,” Wray said.” The U.S. has stepped up its efforts to counter Chinese spying in recent years, particularly since late 2017 when the Trump administration designated China a “strategic competitor.” Those efforts were beefed up over the following years, with administration officials levying tariffs on the People’s Republic of China (PRC), sanctioning Chinese state- and military-linked companies, and deporting or trying suspected Chinese spies. In 2018, the U.S. Justice Department launched its China Initiative, a program that has scrutinized academics whose financial ties to the PRC are obscured or problematic.
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CHINA
VISION TIMES
FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022 |
A5
Shenzhen Civil Servants’ Pay Slashed as Chinese Government Sees Fiscal Shortages Where did the government’s revenue go?
By Lucy Crawford Vision Times
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hina has seen pay cuts for civil servants in recent years. Since the second half of 2021, the more affluent provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Fujian, and the city of Shanghai have started to announce cuts as well. Lin Ying, who works in Shenzhen, told overseas media on Jan. 27 that the government had directly informed employees that two months of their salaries had been deducted in the form of tax deductions. “We haven’t been paid for almost three months. Officially, they said that they were deducting taxes from previous annual bonuses of 100,000 yuan or so. Withholding for one month is 16,000 yuan, and for two months it’s 30,000 yuan. It’s a pay cut in the name of tax deduction. Now it’s the end of the third month and there has been no update on our payroll situation,” Lin said.
The inside story of Shenzhen’s pay slash in lieu of taxes for civil servants confirms that the Chinese Communist Party as a whole is so short on money that it has reached the point of desperation.”
“Most of the national treasury goes to the Belt and Road, social stability maintenance costs, military spending, and the rest is administrative costs that Chinese people use such as pensions, medical care, education, which accounts for a small portion in the overall national treasury. The structure of the entire national spending has been very clear. They don’t spend on things they should but waste on things they shouldn’t,” Lin said. He also added that Shenzhen is the first-tier city in the country with better conditions than inland regions. If Shenzhen finds it difficult to pay its government employees, it means China’s economic situation is getting serious. In December last year, a real estate blogger posted an article saying that Shenzhen was expecting to see an average pay cut of 80,000 yuan per capita. The salary level in Shenzhen is about 300,000 yuan a year which means that a reduction of 80,000 yuan would equal to about a 20 to 30 percent pay cut per year. Furthermore, in some areas outside of the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province, the government has said it will only guarantee the basic salary of civil servants. All subsidies were suspended, and previous subsidies given to undergraduates and graduate programs have also been scrapped.
Slashing public salaries
Posts from China’s social media site Weibo showed that salaries of civil servants in many jurisdictions
Tang Ao, financial commentator
dropped significantly. Another post said that police officers and staff from Shanghai’s tech sectors would have their annual salaries reduced by 100,000 yuan as well. According to the post, after the pay cut, some people could no longer afford their mortgages. This Weibo account was later suspended. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also proposed in his May 2020 Government Work Report that governments at all levels must “live a tight life with the central government leading the way.” Data also showed that the government debt ratio in 2020 increased by 7.5 percentage points compared to the previous year. A real estate lawyer who wished to remain anonymous told overseas media, “because of the lack of land for sale in the urban areas, the financial deficit is looming, and some jurisdictions can’t even pay the salaries of court staff. Local governments are racking their brains to find money.”
Analysis: Beijing is running out of money
Financial commentator Tang Ao told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that the inside story of Shenzhen’s pay slash in lieu of taxes for civil servants confirms that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a whole is so short on money that it has reached the point of desperation. “Even Shenzhen, one of China’s richest local governments, has to use taxation tactics on its own employees like civil servants – indicating that the CCP is really running out of money to sustain itself.”China’s official media, Xinhua, reported on Jun. 21, 2016, that according to statistics released by authorities on May 30, 2016, as of 2015, a total of 7.167 million civil servants nationwide along with those in the institutional workforce totalled to about 50 million employees on government payroll.
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White House Distributing Made-in-China COVID-19 Testing Kits in the US By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
The White House has begun distributing free COVID-19 rapid tests to its citizens, with millions of American households standing to benefit from the program. However, some have raised concerns over the “Made in China” labels on the testing kits. President Joe Biden’s program aims to distribute one billion self-test kits to Americans at no charge. iHealth Labs, a unit of the Chinese company Andon Health Co. Ltd., has signed a $1.28 billion deal to supply COVID-19 testing kits as part of the program. “Andon Health’s unit iHealth Labs Inc has agreed to provide at-home coronavirus antigen test kits that can serve 250 million people … The U.S. Army Contracting Command signed the contract on behalf of the country’s Department of Health and Human Services,” according to Reuters.
“ If we should have learned anything from this pandemic—it is that it’s imperative to break U.S. dependence on Chinese medical and PPE [personal protective equipment] supply chains.” Rob Wittman, Republican Representative
iHealth has also received a $120 million contract from the New York State Department of Health for supplying self-test kits. In December, the company received $65.3 million dollars worth of orders from the government department. Between Dec. 3 and Jan. 5, iHealth also inked deals worth $148.3 million from the Executive Office of Health and Human Affairs and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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Since last December, the company has won $2.1 billion worth of contracts for self-test kits from the federal government, $1.8 billion of which is accounted for by the defense department.
pixabay
Two contracts were signed by the defense department with IHealth on Jan. 13 and 26 for 354 million self-test kits. This would make it roughly a third of the one billion kits Biden has promised to deliver for free. As of Jan. 28, around 60 million American homes have ordered the free kits. The reliance on a Chinesebacked firm for meeting America’s COVID-19 testing needs has sparked controversy. In Arizona’s Pinal County, Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland found it “astounding” and “unbelievable” that the U.S. government is sending China-made test kits to its citizens. In an email, McFarland called for an investigation into the origin of the kits and to determine why they weren’t manufactured in the United States. Brian Kellar, the CEO of Banner Casa Grande Medical Center, admitted that he too was surprised by the Chinese origin of the COVID-19 test kits. However, Kellar pointed out that China has become a leader in the manufacturing of such kits. Speaking with The Epoch Times, Republican Representative Rob Wittman called on Congress and the Biden administration to push for domestic manufacturing of medical equipment. “If we should have learned anything from this pandemic—it is that it’s imperative to break U.S. dependence on Chinese medical and PPE [personal protective equipment] supply chains… We should be supporting hardworking Americans and businesses, not relying on unfriendly regimes,” Witman said. Republican Representative Brad Wenstrup from Ohio called the China reliance a “national security issue as well as a national health security issue.”
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WORLD
A6 | FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022
VISION TIMES
A New Leadership Emerges In Burkina Faso After Military Coup By Darren Maung Vision Times
On Jan. 31, the military government of Burkina Faso said it restored the constitution via a “fundamental act” a week after the coup. Damiba was appointed as the head of state for a transitional period.
T
he military government of Burkina Faso staged a coup d’etat on Jan. 24 amidst decreasing stability and continuous violence. The coup removed President Roch Marc Kabore and has been criticized by several neighboring African countries after coups had previously erupted in other parts of the continent.
Burkina Faso's military junta said on January 31, 2022, it had restored the constitution a week after taking power and appointed the coup's leader as head of state for a transitional period. (Image: JOHN WESSELS/Getty Images)
European nation’s influence in the region. On Jan. 31, the military government said it restored the constitution via a “fundamental act” a week after the coup. Damiba was appointed as the head of state for a transitional period.
Military unrest
Military leader Lt. Col. PaulHenri Sandaogo Damiba seized power as the new president of Burkina Faso. He announced the takeover of the country as the head of the previously unknown group, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR). “MPSR, which includes all sections of the army, has decided to end President Kabore’s post today,” a statement signed by Damiba stated. On Jan. 23, several military barracks around the country were under “heavy fire” with “mutinous soldiers” seizing control of the Sangoule Lamizana camp. The camp is the residence of the army staff and the location of a prison that housed the soldiers of a failed attempt at a coup in 2015. The gunfire soon approached Kabore’s residence. On Jan. 24, a convoy of armored vehicles from the presidential fleet was present, only to be battered and even smeared with blood. A post from Kabore’s Twitter account demanded “those who had taken up arms” to cease any uprising. It is unconfirmed if Kabore authored the post himself. “Our nation is going through difficult moments. We must at this precise moment safeguard
Violence in Burkina Faso
our democratic norms,” the post read, under the signature ‘RK’. “I invite those who have taken up arms to lay them down in the higher interest of the nation.” Despite earlier attempts to stop a coup, several Reuters sources said that Kabore was being held at a military camp. “We just passed the military base where Kabore is alleged to be confined at the moment,” journalist Henry Wilkins reported on Monday. That day soldiers announced that the military had assumed control of the nation, presenting Kabore with a resignation letter that he himself supposedly signed. The let-
Ordinary North Koreans Steal Feces for Fertilizer While Officials Import Chinese New Year Luxuries By Leo Timm Vision Times
I
n both North and South Korea, the lunar new year, known as Seollal, is supposed to be a time of celebration and feasting. As with their Chinese neighbors, Koreans welcomed the Year of the Tiger on Feb. 1 with family gatherings and community festivities. But in totalitarian North Korea, the holiday spirit is offset by the bleak reality of constant shortages and crushing inequality. For the vast majority of the population, food, goods, and even human feces are things to be fought over, while www.visiontimes.com
well-to-do officials in the Stalinist regime use what few links the country has to the outside world — mostly China — to make sure they can feast properly. In the days leading up to Seollal, “small and medium-sized vessels have been frequently going to and from both ports across the Yalu River” in China and North Korea, RFA reported. The ships are laden with “fruits, cooking oil and sugar,” the U.S. state-sponsored outlet cited a North Korean source as saying. The ships belong to the General Bureau of Border Security, which is run by the Ministry of State Security (MSS) — North Korea’s secret police and spy agency.
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Demonstrators gathering in Ouagadougou to show support on January 25, 2022 to the military hold a picture of Colonel Aissimi Goita (L), the Malian military officer who has served as interim President of Mali since May 24, 2021, and of Liutenent Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba the leader of the mutiny and of the Patriotic Movement for the Protection and the Restauration (MPSR). (Image: OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/ Getty Images)
ter was shared with Reuters and was verified as authentic. Over 1,000 people gathered in the capital of Ouagadougou on Jan. 25 to chant their cheers for the military coup. Live music and dance sprung up throughout the city. A French flag—a symbol of Burkina Faso’s former colonial master—was also seen being burned as a sign of dissent towards the
The coup is said to have been the result of the previous government’s inability to suppress the violence caused by Islamist groups since 2015. According to United Nations estimates, more than 2,000 lives have been lost and 1.5 million people have been made homeless during those years. The public’s discontent and anger intensified after the militants attacked the northern village of Solhan in June 2021 and the northern Inata military base in Nov. 2021. The latter saw more than 50 members of the security forces killed. Calls for food rations and supplies had also gone unfulfilled. Kabore dismissed his government and found a new prime minister and defense minister in an attempt to appease the opposition. After the coup and takeover by the military, the West African regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the African Union both condemned the coup. The former claimed that Kabore “stepped down under duress.”
According to the source, the border security bureau’s trading firms were allowed special permission to import Chinese goods in spite of Pyongyang’s pandemic restrictions. The allowance was made so that MSS officials can celebrate the lunar new year properly.
‘Battle for Manure Production’
Meanwhile, the authorities require ordinary citizens to reach a large quota of human manure, which is usually due around the lunar new year. The campaign, like many other mass actions, is described in propaganda as a “battle” for production. According to RFA, North Korean officials purposely set the quotas impossibly high, so as to extract fines, bribes, and other favors from citizens looking to avoid punishment when they inevitably cannot meet the requirements. This year, each able-bodied North Korean is supposed to produce 300 kilograms of manure (feces mixed with soil) by March
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A North Korean ship heads to Ryongychon, North Korea, full of imported food from China. (Image: Provided to RFA/ North Korean source in Donggang, China)
and deliver it to a state-owned collective farm, locals told RFA. To avoid fines and bribes, people often resort to stealing feces from neighbors’ toilets and outhouses, but sometimes the struggle escalates. In the city of Chongjin, an industrial center near Russia, the race to find manure has resulted in gangs of residents engaging in fistfights over access to the communal toilets, a source whose identity is withheld told RFA’s Korean service. One such fistfight took place on Jan. 25.
‘It’s so pathetic’
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this every year at about this time of year. Each family in the neighborhood has been organized into shifts to guard the communal toilet to keep the supply of human waste secure. Residents lament that they have to stand guard at a public toilet at night, then go to work the next day,” he said. North Korea has a population of about 25 million on a territory the size of Mississpi state (population 2.9 million). The country is heavily mountainous, which, combined with North Korea’s isolation from the international community and centrally planned economy, contribute significantly to crushing hunger.
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WORLD
VISION TIMES
FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022 |
A7
(Image: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Mexican Cartels Gaining Operational Control of US Border: Texas Legislator By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
(Image: John Moore/Getty Images)
M
exican cartels have gained operational control over U.S. borders, Republican Representative Chip Roy from Texas recently warned. These cartels are gaining billions of dollars from illegal activities like human smuggling and drug trafficking. Over the past year, the cartels have seen an increase in profits. Illegal immigrants often have to pay large sums to the cartels to get themselves inside the U.S. Those who cannot afford to pay such vast sums have no choice but to put themselves into slave labor or sex trade to benefit the cartels. Roy pointed to a recent case of eight illegal immigrants found in a vehicle in Texas. “The driver of the car was an American citizen employee of one of those cartels, moving those eight people—two of whom were bound in the trunk—heading to a stash house in Houston… How is the most powerful nation in the history of the world allowing our borders to be operationally controlled by cartels, while Democrats pat themselves on the back for compassion, using asylum as an excuse for wide-open borders that do nothing good for the American people?” Roy said in an interview with NTD’s Capitol Report. The Republican lawmaker also highlighted the drug menace of the Mexican cartels. Border seizures of synthetic opioids like fentanyl have increased in recent years, as have the number of overdose deaths.
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Roy notes that almost 100,000 Americans die from opioid poisoning. China supplies the opioids to cartels in Mexico which then sells them in the U.S. In this way, China gets “empowered” while America ends up “getting hammered,” Roy stated.
Lax border security
Roy blamed the crisis on what he called the Biden administration’s disinterest in securing America’s borders. In April last year, Roy visited the
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“There is a correlation between unchecked migrant admissions and a rise in crime rates in several American cities.” Doug Ducey, Arizona Governor
Texas border in a fact-finding mission amidst the border crisis. The visit made him realize that most Americans do not fully understand the influence Mexican cartels have in border areas. Even the Mexican government forces are useless in the region, he stated. “The word has gotten out that Border Patrol is now distracted… What does that mean? You don’t have patrols going out and stopping the flow between the ports of entry. So now we have fentanyl up, pounds of marijuana up, human (Image: John Moore/Getty Images)
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smuggling between ports of entry up, and that is kind of where your bad guys are generally coming. This is the state of our border,” Roy said in an interview with Breitbart. The issue regarding the safety of borders is something that other lawmakers have also raised several times. In a recent interview with Fox News, Arizona Governor Republican Doug Ducey stated that there is a correlation between unchecked migrant admissions and a rise in crime rates in several American cities. In addition, drugs and children are being trafficked via the borders. He called the Biden administration the “marketing arm” of the Mexican cartels. “We don’t know who we’re not catching. These people are coming from 120-plus countries, including countries that harbor terrorists… So, of course we could have something terrible happen to our nation by this lack of attention to the federal border. But we could also just have this crime, violence, vandalism, and murder that we see. So, there’s no doubt about it that there’s a link to it,” Ducey said. In a Jan. 27 border security briefing, Texas Governor Republican Greg Abbott revealed that Mexican cartels are using TikTok to advertise and recruit smugglers in Texas, Houston, San Antonio, and other cities in Texas and possibly other states. The cartels use TikTok to smuggle people and to make payments. “TikTok should be ashamed, condemned, and have a legal action brought against it for promoting human trafficking in Texas and the United States of America,” Abbott said.
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ANALYSIS
A8 | FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022
VISION TIMES
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HIT BY ‘ZERO-COVID’ POLICIES, Chinese Manufacturing Crawls to Slowest Since Start of Pandemic
By Alina Wang Vision Times
C
hina’s manufacturing sector slowed to its weakest in almost two years as the country’s stringent “ZeroCOVID” measures forced many factories into shutdowns and entire cities into full lockdowns. In its drive to completely eradicate the virus from China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has implemented strict lockdown policies wherever cases of the virus are detected, in many cases leading to violence and tragedy. A monthly snapshot of China’s industrial output for the first quarter showed production struggling to keep up with demand. The Caixin/Markit purchasing managers’ index dropped from 50.9 in December to 49.1 in January – turning up the pressure on China’s policymakers to step up support for the world’s second largest economy. A reading below 50 suggests output is shrinking rather than expanding, with the first quarter figure’s reflecting the weakest numbers since February 2020, when blanket restrictions were enforced during the first wave of the pandemic. Wang Zhe, a senior economist at Caixin Insight Group, told the Guardian that “Over the past month, there were Covid19 flare-ups in several regions in China, underscoring the downward pressure on the economy.” Wang said the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant overseas hit China’s external demand, with the gauge for new export orders in January expected to be the lowest in 20 months. “Both supply and demand in the manufacturing sector weakened. Several regions tightened epidemic control measures following the resurgence, which impacted production and sales of manufactured goods,” Wang said. In comparison, growth figures for the European Union showed output in the single currency zone has returned to pre-pandemic levels. According to the EU’s statistical agency, Eurostat, gross domestic product in the eurozone rose by 0.3 percent in the final three months and by 5.2 percent in 2021 as a whole. The quarterly growth rate eased from the 2.3 percent recorded in the third quarter, following the reintroduction of restrictions to slow the spread of the virus. www.visiontimes.com
Migrant workers in China struggling to make ends meet
The lockdowns have also affected millions of migrant workers who travel to China’s cities in order to find work in factories or other low paying jobs such as delivery couriers. About 300 million of these workers depend on these labor-intensive roles for their livelihoods and to support their families back home. The Chinese government announced on Dec. 26 that rural migrant workers across the surrounding Shaanxi Province would not be allowed to leave Xi’an during the Lunar New Year celebrations taking place today. For many, the break was the only chance in the year to return home and reunite with their families. These workers usually work six to seven days a week and only have a break once a month or for special holidays such as Chinese New Year. Wilson You from Xiamen runs a tile manufacturing plant and said his business has been essentially halted since the second wave of the pandemic started. “We have not been able to run production lines because the government ordered us to shut down again in December.” You told Vision Times, adding that although they have many purchase orders coming in from overseas companies such as the U.S. and Europe, they cannot fulfill these orders until production is allowed to resume. You also said the migrant workers he hires have begun panicking as many depend on the factory to send money to their families back home.
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Production ‘stagnant of fully shut down’
Jiang Guang, a worker in Wilson’s factory, traveled to Xiamen from Dalian in 2018 to find work and said his family of seven all count on his salary to make ends meet. “I have not been able to send money back home for several months now because production has remained stagnant or fully shut down since the second wave of [COVID19] started up here.” Xiamen is a port city in Fujian Province and home to nearly 5 million people. The city has been a driving force for the country’s exporting sector but has seen significant struggles since the Chinese regime’s anti-COVID measures have taken place. Although the pandemic has claimed millions of lives worldwide and caused catastrophic economic losses for some countries, Chinese authorities claim slightly over 101,000 infections and less than 5,000 deaths nationwide — hailing its “zero COVID” policies as instrumental. Despite this claim, there has been doubt cast over the veracity of these figures as well as the effectiveness of Beijing’s heavyhanded lockdown policies. These policies have included disinfection theatrics, draconian lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions to sustain China’s illusion of curbing the pandemic’s spread. Xiamen has been under a partial lockdown since October 2021.
Chinese authorities claim slightly over 101,000 infections and less than 5,000 deaths nationwide — hailing its “zero COVID” policies as instrumental.
“The subindexes for output and total new orders in January fell to their lowest since August of last year. Overseas demand shrank at an even faster pace.” Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group
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FINANCE
VISION TIMES
FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022 |
A9
(Image: ROMEO GACAD/Getty Images)
Freedom Convoy: Protesters Appear to Gain Ground, Violence Reported at Coutts Border Crossing Continued from FRONT
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n the Canadian province of Alberta, where a blockade of hundreds of trucks have brought cross-border travel to a standstill at the Coutts border crossing, Provincial Premier Jason Kenney has indicated that his government will move forward the date it intends to relax some COVID-19 health measures. On Jan. 25, Alberta health minister, Jason Copping, when asked when Alberta intended to start lifting COVID-19 health measures in the province responded saying, “I can’t give a date.” On Jan. 27, two days prior to the main protest in Ottawa, Jason Kenney said that now is not the right time to begin lifting restrictions. “We are continuing to see upward movement in our in-patient hospital beds, hospitalisation pressure from COVID-19. We’re at in fact the highest point in two years, in terms of people in hospital with COVID.” “I did say when we brought the proof of vaccination program in, back in September, that I did not foresee it going past the first quarter of 2022, that would be the end of March,” Kenney said at the time. However, on Feb. 1, at a press conference on COVID-19 Kenney said that he hopes to lift pandemic restrictions sometime “this month”, so long as COVID-19 hospitalizations continue dropping in Alberta. “With the overall trends, I am very optimistic that we will be able to move forward with meaningful relaxation of public health measures this month, including the elimination of the restriction exemption or proof of vaccination program,” Kenney said.
Reports of violence, more protests emerge
Reports of violence at the Coutts Border-crossing, where hundreds of truckers have blocked cross-border traffic, have emerged with provincial Premier Jason Kenney calling for “calm” as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) coordinate and try to come up with a plan to deal with the protesters. “I’ve received reports in the last hour of people aligned with the protesters assaulting RCMP officers, including one instance of trying to ram members of the RCMP, later lead-
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In Quebec, over 85 percent of residents have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to government data.
(Image: LARS HAGBERG/Getty Images)
Widespread civil unrest in Canada — led by thousands of truckers opposed to COVID-19 public health measures they say are government “overreach” — may be having an impact on government policy.
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ing to a collision with a civilian vehicle,” Kenney said adding that, “This kind of conduct is totally unacceptable … Without hesitation, I condemn those actions and I call for calm.” However, the RCMP are unable to confirm that the violence was by the hands of the protesters. On Tuesday, following the breakdown of negotiations between RCMP and protesters, some vehicles left the protest but other protesters immediately joined the blockade including two large tractors sporting Canadian flags. “We [began] to remove some vehicles from the protest area. A few left. I didn’t get an exact count of how many went out. And then we received notification that additional protesters were arriving on the scene and came around our secured area,” RCMP Cpl. Curtis Peters told The Canadian Press. Some progress has been made as truckers involved with the blockade have opened up two lanes, allowing access to the U.S. border, the Calgary Herald reported. The RCMP face a monumental task and are struggling to obtain civilian cooperation to dismantle the blockade of hundreds of truckers. The Western Standard, a local media outlet, reported on Feb. 1 that RCMP, seeking the help of local towing companies, are being told “no” as towing companies want to stay out of the drama and preserve the relationships they have with local trucking companies. “We have created relationships in our community and contracts that would be in jeopardy if we participate in any way,” one tow truck company worker, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Western Standard. “A lot of these smaller companies don’t want to ruin their reputation in the communities they serve so they don’t want to get involved,” he said. Meanwhile, on Feb. 2, calls to block roads in Canada’s energy capital, Calgary, have emerged online. The protests have reportedly been dubbed “Operation Bearhug” and intend to snarl traffic in the city “We are aware of the potential for some convoys along several roadways in Calgary today and will respond accordingly,” a spokesperson with Calgary Police Services (CPS) wrote in an email to local media outlet The Calgary Herald.
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Intel Could Spend $100 Billion Over the Next Decade on New Ohio Chip Plants Continued from FRONT
“O
ur new megasite can accommodate a total of eight chip factories over its life… Today we’re starting with the first two, with a clear intention to build more… We’re getting started. But we need Congress to quickly and affirmatively act to finish CHIPS Act and get it funded, because I want the project to be bigger and faster as a result of the support of the CHIPS Act,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said in an online event on Jan. 21. Back in June, the Senate had passed the Innovation and Competition Act that set aside $52 billion for the CHIPS Act to support domestic semiconductor industries. The CHIPS Act is seen as critical to America as it could make local chipmakers competitive. According to executives from semiconductor companies, it costs around 30 percent more to manufacture chips in the U.S. than in Asian nations. As such, the financial incentives granted under the CHIPS Act could make investments in the sector more attractive to semiconductor companies. President Joe Biden has urged lawmakers to pass the CHIPS Act. In a statement on Jan. 21, Biden highlighted the poor state of American semiconductor manufacturing. Decades ago, America used to invest two percent of its GDP in research and development. At present, it is less than one percent, the president stated.
Taking on the competition
The U.S. used to be ranked number one in the world in research and development. But now, the country (Image:Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinge.
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is at the ninth position. Meanwhile, China, which used to be at the eighth position three decades ago, is now number two, he added. “Today we barely produce 10 percent of the computer chips, despite being the leader in chip design and research. And we don’t have the ability to make the most advanced chips now — right now… Today, 75 percent of production takes place in East Asia. Ninety percent of the most advanced chips are made in Taiwan… China is doing everything it can to take over the global market so they can try to outcompete the rest of us and have a lot of applications — including military applications,” Biden said.
The U.S. used to be ranked number one on semiconductor manufacturing in the world in research and development. But now, the country is at the ninth position. Intel has also committed to spending $100 million over 10 years in Ohio to “develop and attract a pipeline of skilled talent” from the region. The company promises to create 3,000 jobs at Intel and 7,000 construction jobs. 140 local companies are expected to supply to Intel. The tech firm calculates the average salary of its Ohio employees to be $135,000. In November, Samsung had announced an investment of $17 billion to set up a chip manufacturing plant in Texas. The company also has plans to invest in acquisitions and mergers to strengthen its hold in the industry. TSMC, a major semiconductor manufacturer based out of Taiwan, is constructing a $12 billion chip plant in Arizona. It will be investing $44 billion in 2022 and $100 billion in a three-year period ending 2023.
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LOCAL
A10 | FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022
VISION TIMES
NY Gov. Hochul Extends COVID-19 Mask-or-Vax Mandate Continued from FRONT
T
he mandate, which came into effect on Dec. 10, was supposed to end on Jan. 15. It was later extended to Feb. 1 and now to Feb. 10. The governor revealed that the state will reevaluate the mandate every two weeks. “We didn’t know at the time when we put in our mask or vaccine requirement to protect people as this Omicron surge was spiking … what January and February look like… We still don’t know much beyond where we are right now. But again, the trend is much more positive, and that is why I want to talk about the
A woman wearing a face mask walks past posters explaining how to wear a mask at Grand Central Terminal train station on May 12, 2021 in New York City. (ImageANGELA WEISS/ AFP via Getty Images)
fact that we’ll have a temporary extension of our business mask or vaccine policy,” Hochul said at a press conference. She thanked businesses and individuals for following the mandate rules. The mandate is applicable to every citizen above the age of two. Those who do not follow the mandate will face criminal and civil penalties, including a fine of up to $1,000 per violation. The mask requirement is applicable to pre-K to grade 12 schools as well. Compliance has varied across the state, with some quickly outlining their plans to impose the mandate. 31 counties have requested more than $27 million
as reimbursement for implementing the mandate, with the money yet to be paid.
The mandate is applicable to every citizen above the age of two. The mask requirement is applicable to pre-K to grade 12 schools as well.
later on Jan. 26, Justice Robert J. Miller, the state appeals court judge, supported the state mandate and allowed the mask requirement to remain in effect. If Justice Rademaker’s order is not stayed, it will “allow individuals to refuse to wear face coverings in indoor public settings where the risk of COVID19 spread is high, including in schools where many children remain unvaccinated against COVID-19… The irreparable harms to public health that would result demonstrate that the balance of equities and public interest alone warrant a stay,” the state attorney general’s filing had stated.
‘Irreparable harms’
Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Marc Molinaro, executive of the Dutchess County, calls the mandate unenforceable and impractical. Dutchess County is among the few who have not fully implemented the mask requirement. Instead, the county is focusing on encouraging the use of face masks. Republican Bruce Blakeman, executive of Nassau County, has asked local agencies to cease enforcement of the mask mandate by using his executive powers. There has also been a demand to end the mask mandate in schools. The Massapequa School District has decided to soon make mask-wearing optional. The mandate extension comes after two court decisions on the issue took opposite stances. On Jan. 25, Justice Thomas Rademaker of the State Supreme Court in Nassau County deemed the mandate a violation of state constitution. A day
Those who do not follow the mandate will face criminal and civil penalties, including a fine of up to $1,000 per violation. Around 93 percent of New York state residents aged five years and above have received at least one dose of the COVID19 vaccine. 79 percent are fully vaccinated. 43 percent of people above the age of 18 have received booster shots.
Andrew Cuomo Dodges Sex Harassment Charges By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
T
he former Democrat governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, was forced to resign from the post last year after several women accused him of sexual harassment. The District Attorney’s Office in Oswego, New York, had initiated a criminal probe against the disgraced former governor based on allegations made by Virginia Limmiatis.
Investigation dropped
However, the office has now dropped the investigation, insisting that Limmiatis has no legal basis to pursue a case against the former NY governor. “To be clear, this decision is based solely upon an assessment of the law and whether the people can establish a legally sufficient case under controlling precedent… In no way should this decision be interpreted as casting doubt upon the character or credibility of Ms. Limmiatis, or how harmful the acts she experienced were,” Oswego County District Attorney Gregory Oakes said in a statement. Oakes criticized the sex offense statutes in New York, stating that they fail to provide victims of such harassment with adequate protection. The district attorney called for these laws to be revised and reformed to reflect the “lived expewww.visiontimes.com
riences of the victims.” Oakes asked the NY state Senate and Assembly to address the issue, warning that failure to do so will only ensure that victims continue being denied the justice they deserve. In March 2021, Limmiatis had accused Cuomo of inappropriately touching her chest when the two met at an event in 2017. When the incident took place, Limmiatis did not file any complaint as she was afraid of Cuomo who is a powerful political figure. Cuomo was forced to resign in August 2021 during his third term in office after New York Attorney Letitia James alleged in a report that he had sexually harassed 11 women. The report accused Cuomo of creating a toxic culture at the workplace where many women were kissed and groped. Cuomo
also made several suggestive comments to women. Limmiatis’ allegations were included in the report.
‘Political hit job’
After Oakes dropped the investigation against Cuomo, a spokesperson of the former governor called James’ report a “political hit job.” The spokesperson pointed out that five DA’s have checked the sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo and not a single accusation mentioned in the report “have stood up to any level of real scrutiny.” In addition to Oakes, prosecutors in Nassau, Albany, Westchester, and Manhattan have dropped charges against Cuomo. Rita Glavin, an attorney for Cuomo, said that “truth and the rule of law prevailed.” She insisted that Cuomo
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks at Grace Baptist Church, a new pop-up vaccination site, in Mt. Vernon, New York,on March 22, 2021. (Image: SETH WENIG/ POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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did not act in an improper manner with Limmiatis. However, Limmiatis’ lawyer Mariann Wang pointed out that being free from criminal prosecution does not mean Cuomo did not commit the crime. “Not every violation of law results in a criminal prosecution… This decision does not mean Cuomo acted appropriately or lawfully towards Ms. Limmiatis or any of the other women who came forward, or that he didn’t cause them significant harm,” Wang said. Cuomo called Letitia James a “serial liar.” In a Feb. 1 tweet, the former New York governor stated that James has avoided answering substantive questions about the “many flaws, omission, and suppression of evidence” in her report for many months. James “misused her office” in her bid to become governor, he added. James’ office has pushed back at such allegations, accusing Cuomo and his lawyer of making up and misstating information to fit their narrative. “The findings of this independent investigation have been corroborated by a mountain of evidence, the Assembly’s report, and multiple district attorneys, including the Oswego D.A. today… Mr. Cuomo’s relentless attacks on these brave women will not mask the truth — he is a serial sexual harasser,” Delaney Kempner, a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office, said in a statement. 703-868-1509
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WELLNESS
VISION TIMES
FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022 |
A11
To touch is to give life.” Michaelangelo
HandHolding
By Ila Bonczek
P
eople need love and validation. Hand-holding benefits us in that it satisfies this basic need. On top of that, our hands communicate accurate and unambiguous information with others through touch, owing to their extensive sensory capabilities. According to experts, humans are the only species capable of meaningful dialogue via their hands.
Benefits:
6 Reasons to Hold Hands With Someone Today Part 1
1
Hand-holding is natural and essential non-verbal communication
One of the first things a baby learns is to hold hands. An infant will naturally grab hold of their caregiver’s finger when offered. Studies show that this instinctual activity is actually a powerful form of communication. During handholding, nerves in our skin link to our central nervous system, sending all manner of messages that we process subconsciously.
Charles Nelson, PhD has published various studies on the effect of adverse conditions on human development, particularly in children. He found that children who had never been hugged, touched or cuddled exhibited severely stunted growth and other physical maladies. A lack of human touch in adults can lead to depression and anxiety.
3
Physical and emotional comfort
Like eye contact, this form of communication can be more powerful than words. One Berkeley study on NBA teamwork showed that teams that exhibited more physical contact got higher scores and more wins, suggesting the subconscious transmission of information through hand-holding. Unsplash
2
A sense of security, support
It’s not just children who feel more secure when someone has their hand. Hand-holding lets us know we are not alone, and builds feelings of confidence and trust. It can help us face emergencies, overcome fear, and support one another through tough times.
Humans have a natural response to tense their muscles when in pain. Consider childbirth: men are often in the delivery room holding their wife’s hand as she goes through labor. It’s always easier to bear pain when you’ve got a hand to squeeze. It is common for nurses Psychologist Becky Spelman says to hold the hands of their patients “In all cultures, we tend to hold hands with someone who is grievto help ease their suffering. ing or in pain as a way of indicating our support to them. In very difficult circumstances, even complete strangers may grasp one another’s hand to comfort and engage with one another. Survivors of crash landings, for example, often describe reaching out for the hand of the person sitting next to them.”
To Be Continued
The sense of security that parents offer their kids by holding their hands has a positive impact on their conduct and mindset, benefitting the family as a whole; while a mother who has hold of her child’s hand feels naturally at ease. Adobe Stock
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FEATURE
A12 | FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022
VISION TIMES
Celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year: Traditions and Thoughts By Tea with Erping
B
eing Chinese, it has been customary that our reflection of the past year comes around as we welcome the Lunar New Year. The Chinese have a different calendar when it comes to the months. And every new year is marked differently according to the 12 Chinese zodiacs. This upcoming year starts on Tuesday, Feb. 1. The year 2022 falls on the year of the Tiger. A water Tiger this year, to be precise. The Chinese years do not only
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Reflections on 2021
go by animal signs. They also go by wu xing, a philosophy used to describe the relationship and interdependence among all matter using five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. If you were born in 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 or 2010, or after the 1st of February 2022, you are of the Tiger zodiac. The elderly believe that the current year’s animal significantly impacts the year as it unfolds. Tiger. King of the jungle, be it in Western or Eastern society, is one dominant animal feared by many. The tiger carries the characteristics of nobility and fearlessness. Respected for their courage and generosity, they are never afraid of taking risks, and most importantly, they will stand against anything wrong in their opinion. Despite their overwhelming strength, tigers are known to be delicate and loving. Having righteous instincts, they are able to discern between right and wrong. I have to admit, of all the tiger stories that I have heard of ever since childhood days, of myths and legends, children's storybooks, or even of Disney’s characters, almost all take on the storyline of a tiger being the wise ruler, admired by all the other animals As for the tigers with the water element, they are known to be more on the gentler and sensitive side, never failing to self-reflect upon their behavior, and they’re very much the introvert in comparison to the other four elements.
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Knowing the characteristics of what the year ahead holds for us all, I can’t help but wonder about these few matters. There has been news reporting that China overtook the U.S. as the world’s leading destination in 2021 for new foreign direct investment projects, as the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the global economy eastward. Direct investments by foreign companies in China rose 4 percent, contributing to China’s GDP while other major economies’ GDP contracted. The world is somehow becoming more dependent on Chinese supplies, especially during the economic slowdown elsewhere. Chinese exports stayed strong through the pandemic; however, domestic consumption has remained weak with the growing uncertainties over pandemic restrictions in China. The Chinese Communist Party’s zerotolerance policy for the pandemic is slowing down the global supply chain and domestic Chinese economy. Companies such as Samsung and Volkswagen are already suffering production hitches. Toyota, whose joint-venture factory is located in industrial hub Tianjin, had to close for two days after two cases of the Omicron variant were detected. Further disruptions are expected as the Omicron variant spreads more widely across Asia, the U.S., and Europe. According to a study by consulting firm Russell Group, a week’s delay of essential trade at Shanghai Ningbo port, the world’s 3rd-largest con-
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tainer port, could affect trade valued at $4 billion. As more countries worldwide have begun opening borders and treating COVID-19 as endemic, China has shown no signs of easing its strict containment regimes with neighborhood lockdowns, location tracking, and domestic travel restrictions, to name just a few. Beijing’s “Zero-COVID” policies will continue to disrupt the global supply chain as they drag down domestic economic growth. However, losing the Chinese market is seen by many as a bigger risk than being over-reliant on China’s supply chain. The world is well aware of the risks of dealing with the People’s Republic. But unlike the strongwilled and righteous tiger who can stand up against the bad, many of us seem to be guilty of turning a blind eye to this ruthless dragon in the room As confessed in a recent podcast, billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya said “nobody cares” about the ongoing human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in China. This is representative of some U.S. corporate elite’s attitudes towards human rights violations, which is what enables huge investment into China and helps sustain the communist rival.
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FEATURE
VISION TIMES
FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022 |
A13
Dumplings Rice Balls
All it takes, is our very own choice, when it comes to purchases. Western governments and multinational corporations should take action and bring manufacturing facilities back to their home countries, thus avoiding being dependent on supplies from China.
Spring rolls
Zh āo
Preserving traditions
As I have mentioned in my last year's Chinese New Year video, the communist regime is trying its best to eliminate China’s ancient traditions. After the CCP took power, it renamed Chinese New Year to “spring festival.” Today, what used to be the biggest festival in Chinese culture, having family and friends reunite, upholding the art of respecting the elders, and savoring delicacies, are replaced with a time to just spend your money and shop. The CCTV New Year's Gala held each Lunar New Year’s Eve hogs up airtime to present low-grade skits full of CCP messaging. Worse yet, ahead of the New Year’s celebration, the management of Weibo, the Chinese version of Facebook, just announced that it has shut down at least 21 accounts and deleted hundreds of posts on the Internet, which it sees as “harmful” to the Chinese New Year atmosphere. Yet, most of these accounts simply made comments that the communist party sees as “offensive.” Big Brother is again reminding everyone: it is not a free society. It is heartwarming to see how the Chinese descents in other regions around the world, apart from mainland China, are still celebrating the Lunar New Year in its most traditional form. The reunion dinner of the Lunar New Year’s Eve is
cá i jì n
bǎ o
Red envelopes
mostly anticipated by adults who make sure that they’re home to reunite with their parents, grandparents, even great grandparents. All night long, as tradition has it, families gather around and stay up late. After dinner, children get to light up firecrackers as a treat. All that sparks against the dark sky is a must watch. Come morning, everyone would make an effort to wear something new. First you go visit the eldest of the family, and pay respect greeting them with a happy new year and well wishes of longevity and prosperity. Here’s the great part, children know very well that it is the most important day of the year for them. Why ? They get to collect red envelopes from adults! Filled with money. And the whole day is spent with greetings and well
wishes, everyone gathers to savor the delicious delicacies. Well, what are the special delicacies? Dumplings, a staple of Chinese cuisine, are associated with wealth: according to tradition, the more dumplings you eat during the New Year celebrations, the greater wealth you can have in the New Year. Before eating a dumpling, all the people at the dinner table have to say the following phrase: Zhāo cái jìn bǎo, which means “Bringing in wealth and treasure.” Spring rolls which symbolize the carrier of prosperity are another dish found during the Chinese New Year mealtime. Nian Gao is a traditional glutinous rice cake made of sticky rice, sugar, chestnuts, dates, and lotus leaves. Eating Nian Gao is accompanied by the phrase “Achieving higher yearafter-year,” implementing a general improvement in life. The rice balls are a staple of Chinese celebrations: their rounded shape is associated with the idea of reunion. If you love mochi, you will love these rice balls. And then, there is the Longevity Noodles which symbolize longevity, they are longer than normal noodles and uncut. Apparently the longer, the better. Lastly, The fish, pronounced as “Yu,” shares the same pronunciation as “extra or surplus” in Chinese. So, it is supposed to be the last dish left on the dinner table with some leftovers: the fish is considered a good omen
to having more or surplus wealth in the upcoming year. For this reason, the fish has to be carefully positioned on the dinner table: The head should be placed toward distinguished guests or elders. Everyone can enjoy the fish, only after the one who faces the fish head eats first; the fish shouldn’t be moved. Eating the fish is accompanied by the popular saying, “May you always have more than you need!” Vegetables also play an important role on a Chinese dinner table, and each of them symbolizes something specific. Bamboo shoots: represent longevity; Poria mushrooms: represent blessings and fortune; Muskmelon and grapefruit: represent family; and Seaweed: represents wealth and fortune. It is fascinating to know that all the delicacies involved are not merely to satisfy your taste but also have a deep meaning to it. All that food talk made me realize that I am yet to fold my dumplings. So off I go to carry on the tradition, meanwhile, I will bid you farewell with my very best wishes. May the Year of the Tiger bring the courage in all of us to stand upright within the righteous path of life. To be able to see and differentiate between right and wrong, be brave and optimistic to go through any hardship that comes our way, knowing that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. As Confucius said, “Virtue never stands alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.” Happy Lunar New Year, as the tradition has it, this is what I am going to say to you Xīnnián kuàilè. May peace and tea be with you.
Nian Gao
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CULTURE
A14 | FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022
VISION TIMES
5 Traditional Dishes to Eat
During the Chinese New Year to Bring You Good Luck and Prosperity By Alina Wang
This Lun ar Ne w Yea r, ta k in g p la ce today, wil l cel eb rate t he Yea r of t he Tiger, so in voke good luc k a n d fort un e wit h t hese t ra d it ion a l a n d del icious Chin ese d ishes:
Dumplings This Chinese staple is a traditional must-eat food as they are believed to symbolize longevity and wealth. The dumplings are often shaped to resemble gold ingots, an early form of Chinese currency. In addition, dumplings signify a united and healthy family and are usually handmade and enjoyed with loved ones during New Year celebrations. Traditionally, a gold coin is also hidden in one of the dumplings and the person that finds it is meant to have good luck and fortune in the new year.
Longevity noodles Just as their name suggests, longevity noodles are believed to symbolize happiness and a long, prosperous life. They can be any type of noodle, although they are typically made from eggs and hand rolled into long strands. The dish should be eaten without being cut or broken up, with the idea that the longer the noodles are, the more luck and good health that awaits in the new year. There are many different ways to cook noodles as they are so versatile and can be used in a soup or stir fried in a wok with meats and vegetables. Traditionally, it is believed that extra luck can be added through ingredients such as mushrooms for prosperity and green vegetables such as watercress for wealth and abundance.
Steamed fish Another emblematic dish of Chinese New Year, steamed fish is often eaten on the day as a sign of auspiciousness. The fish should be the final dish served, with some of it left over at the end of the meal as a way to symbolize abundance. The Chinese character (魚 Yú) means fish but also has a similar sound to the word for surplus, indicating an abundance in both health and money. Steamed fish is also a simple dish to make at home. One of the more traditional ways to cook it is by steaming the fish with ginger, garlic and spring onions and finishing it by pouring hot oil and soy sauce over the dish. Traditionally, the fish’s head should also be pointed towards the family’s (長輩 Zhangbèi) or eldest member as a sign of respect, and this person should be the first to cut into and eat the fish.
Sweet rice balls
Spring rolls Also known as (春捲 Chūn Juan) in Chinese, spring rolls are a staple dish in most Chinese restaurants. During New Year celebrations, they are eaten to welcome the new year as their golden cylindrical shape is representative of gold bars, which symbolize an abundance of wealth. They usually contain a meat or vegetable filling, are deep-fried and are sometimes served with a dipping sauce such as oyster, chili or soy sauce.
These chewy rice balls are a staple dish enjoyed during China’s Lantern Festival. However, in many parts of the country, particularly in the south, people will eat them throughout the Spring Festival as well. The rice balls are made from glutinous rice and are filled with different pastes such as sesame, red bean or peanuts. The pronunciation and round shape of (湯圓 tāngyuán) is associated with family togetherness and reunion. The sound of tangyuan is also similar to tuan tuan yuan yuan, which translates into a harmonious and happy family life.
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WISDOM
VISION TIMES
FEB 4 - FEB 10, 2022 |
THE ANCIENT CHINESE SECRET TO
ASSESSING CHARACTER
A15
Li Ke’s idea is similar to the saying that power is the greatest test of character. However, power is expressed in many different ways, and how a person acts in these various situations are all reflections of his moral strengths and weaknesses
By Lucy Crawford
T
he Records of the Grand Historian (史記) relate the following story: The Lord Wen of Wei (魏文侯, reign 445-424 B.C.) wanted to appoint a prime minister. While he understood the importance of choosing a person with good character and virtue, of the two good candidates, Wei Chengzi and Zhai Juan, he was puzzled about how to judge which man had the better character. He sought the advice of strategist Li Ke. The lord said, “There is a proverb that says, ‘A poor family requires a good wife, a country in turmoil requires a good leader.’ Wei is in a state of turmoil, and I urgently need a competent and vir- Li Ke was a famous tuous prime minis- strategist during the reign of Marter to assist me. Both quess Wen of Wei, Wei Chengzi and helping the ruler Zhai Juan are good, to make imporbut I cannot decide tant decisions, including the whom to pick. Please judgement of cantell me which one is didates’ character. (Image: Fanghong via better.” Wikimedia Commons Li Ke did not CC-By-SA-2.5) answer directly, but said, “Your Majesty, if you examine them properly, the answer will be clear.” The Lord of Wei asked, “How am I to examine them? Is there a standard for judging character?” “Of course there is,” Li Ke replied. “If you examine a person’s behavior under nine circumstances, you will know who you are dealing with.”
The nine circumstances
In principle, Li Ke’s idea is similar to the saying that power is the greatest test of character. However, power is expressed in many different ways, and how a person acts in these various situations are all reflections of his moral strengths and weaknesses:
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Prosperity,
Consistency,
observe his manners
does he do as he says?
When a person has everything going for him, we should see whether he is still modest and prudent, courteous, and obeys the rules.
Upon hearing what a person has to say, you can watch his behavior to see if it matches his words. As the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”
(通，觀其所禮)
Low status,
observe what he does not do
(聽，觀其所行)
(賤，觀其所不為) Status is not important. If a person is of low status, but maintains his dignity and is neither subservient nor arrogant, his nature is exceptional. Hearing the above, the Lord was enlightened. He told Li Ke, “I understand what to do now. You may rest.”
Prestige,
see whom he recommends
Leisure,
observe his hobbies A person’s hobbies can reveal his true goals and values.
Constancy,
Wealth,
watch what he says
watch how he spends money
(習，觀其所言) What a person says when first meeting you may be important for breaking the ice, but is of little actual substance. After you have known him for a long time, think about whether what he says in the present matches what he said in the past. The greater the discrepancy, the worse his character is!
(富，觀其所養) When a person has money, look at how he spends it, whom he spends it on, and where. When a person cannot afford to spend money he is frugal by necessity. But whether a wealthy person is frugal or frivolous with his money reveals the essence of his character.
Poverty,
Friends,
take note of what he refuses to take
assess his companions (居，觀其所親) Who are his friends? If he is close to wise and diligent men, he can be relied upon; but one who passes his time with unsavory individuals likely has some deficiency of his own.
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Li Ke bade farewell to the Lord of Wei and left. He soon ran into Zhai Juan, one of the candidates that the lord had in mind. Zhai asked Li, “I heard that the Lord of Wei asked you to discuss who should be the prime minister. Has it been decided yet?” Li replied, “Yes, Wei Chengzi will be chosen as prime minister.” Zhai was upset and asked, “How am I inferior to Wei Chengzi? When the lord needed a governor for Xihe, I recommended Ximen Bao to him; when the lord wanted to attack Zhongshan, I recommended Leyang; when the lord’s son did not have a tutor, I recommended Qu Houcian. As a result, Xihe was ruled, Zhongshan was conquered, and the son of the Lord grew in virtue. Why shouldn’t I be the prime minister?” Li replied, “How can you compare with Wei Chengzi? Ninety percent of Wei Chengzi’s salary goes to recruiting talents, so three great characters were recruited from outside the country. He recommended these three men to the lord, and the lord treated them as teachers. But the men you recommended were only those already in the service of the lord, so how can your deeds be compared with those of Wei Chengzi? Zhai Juan thought for a long time and felt ashamed. He said, “You are right. I am indeed no match for Wei Chengzi. Sure enough, the Lord of Wei made Wei Chengzi the prime minister.
(止，觀其所好)
(貴，觀其所進) When a person has a high status, look at what kind of people he recommends. By evaluating the people he promotes, we can determine a part of his character.
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Character assessment in action
(窮，觀其所不受) Whether a person is poor or not is not important. A person who is poor but who does not take advantage of others or gain wealth by underhanded means has a good nature.
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