West Virginia governor defends his resort's New Year's party
January 4, 2021, 5:52 p.m. ·4 min read
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice brushed off criticism that the posh resort he owns did not follow coronavirus pandemic guidelines after video surfaced of a New Year's Eve gala showing a tightly packed ballroom, with many people not wearing masks.
The Republican governor, who did not attend the event, has advocated strict mask-wearing — and now advocates vaccinations — as imperative to controlling the coronavirus across the rural state. But video posted online of the billionaire businessman's resort, The Greenbrier, called into question whether Justice is enforcing pandemic restrictions that have curtailed other businesses.
The governor on Monday called the criticism a "political hit" at him and referred to a Democratic state senator who posted video of the party.
Justice defended protocols put in place by Greenbrier staff, although he said the situation could have been handled better. He rejected the notion that he isn't pulling his weight while residents make sacrifices such as forgoing seeing family and not being able to play school sports.
"If you don't think I'm pulling the rope, then you really got a screw loose," Justice said, referring to his handling of the pandemic. "I don't want any favours ," he added about his businesses.
State Sen. Bill Ihlenfeld, an Ohio County Democrat, said on Twitter that the "Greenbrier gala was problematic for a number of reasons, primarily due to the danger it posed to public health, but also because it sent a message that the rules don't apply to everyone. I'm hopeful that we will do better in 2021."
West Virginia reported a record 7,413 confirmed positive cases of the virus last week. At least 1,396 people have died since the pandemic began, up 75% in the past month. Compared to other states, West Virginia has the 13th lowest death count per capita. So far, 52,221 coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered, with the state now offering shots to any resident 80 years old and older.
It was unclear who organized the Greenbrier event. Justice said he did not have details and would ask his daughter, Jill Justice, who manages the resort. A spokesman for the resort did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.
Justice said he spent New Year's Eve at home, watching Jennifer Lopez perform and the ball drop before sleeping.
"I'm not going to apologize to you for employing 1,500 people there," Justice said. "If there was something that was missed, it was missed."
The Greenbrier's COVID-19 guidelines require all guests to wear a face covering inside. Justice also issued a statewide indoor mask requirement in November.
Stephen Baldwin, a Democratic member of the state Senate from Greenbrier County whose wife, Kerry, is director of event services at The Greenbrier, said in a Facebook post that the private resort has "made continued efforts to keep (COVID-19) guidelines while keeping the county's largest employer open. No small task, & for 10 months they've done it well. Let's all continue to work together for the good of our community."
Baldwin later deleted the post, replacing it with a longer statement that said the video was upsetting, showed a violation of guidelines and put the community at risk. Baldwin said his initial comments were made quickly during family time and were "my mistake."
Others criticized the gathering at a time when Justice has postponed the start of the state high school winter sports season until March 1.
"This is the definition of abuse of power where those making the rules do not have to live by them," Dr. James Lohan of Charleston said on Twitter.
Lohan pointed out that high school basketball games are currently being played in Ohio, while practice has started in the surrounding states of Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
"To bring kids, a game atmosphere with grandparents or whatever it may be inside a gymnasium, is that the thing to do today?" Justice said in response. "It doesn't matter if they did something bad at Snowshoe (Mountain Ski Resort) or Greenbrier or wherever it may be. ... We shouldn't do that."
Cuneyt Dil And John Raby, The Associated Press
Cannabis shop reopens on Osoyoos Indian Band land
The TPD Boutique has reopened on Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) land making it the third cannabis shop within one square kilometre near the Canco Gas Station on Highway 97 just outside of Oliver. Owner of TPD, Christopher Dawe, said his shop was closed last year to get in line with requirements from the OIB. "(The OIB) had some prerequisites and safety concerns that they wanted me to satiate before I opened. So, what essentially happened was, I built the place last year, and then I was under the impression that we were allowed to open and then I realized that we had just a couple of hoops to jump through. And then with the COVID and everything, it was just a more lengthy process," Dawe said. Those hoops included getting in line with federal legislation on lab testing and packaging, Dawe said. Dawe reopened his shop recently with OIB elders in attendance for the ribbon cutting. The OIB adopted the Osoyoos Indian Band Cannabis Bylaw, with two Indigenous Bloom stores opening on OIB land last year. TPD Boutique is the first shop to open under the OIB's regulatory framework since. The OIB was very particular about safety of the product as well as the packaging and being in line with federal legislation, Dawe said. "Through the OIB program, we just have a little more leniency as to where we can acquire our products from. So, through the government program, you can only acquire your products from a government LP, which is a legal provider. Through the Indigenous cannabis bylaw act, I'm able to acquire my products through any of the previously legislated cannabis enrolment programs." This means Dawe is able to work with local growers who he says have been producing cannabis in the Okanagan and Similkameen for some time for medicinal use before recreational cannabis was legalized in 2018. One of three cannabis shops in the small area, with an Indigenous Bloom location close by, and Nimbus Cannabis across the highway, Dawe does not feel there are too many cannabis shops concentrated in one area. "I feel as though we should have as many shops as the market allows for and ultimately the market will determine the right amount of shops. I think that's how the free market works for the most part," Dawe said. Mike Lane, senior vice president of regulatory compliance for Indigenous Bloom, previously told the Times-Chronicle the Indigenous Bloom stores are not federally regulated, but their product mimics and/or exceeds federal and provincial standards. "Every single product, whether it's a strain of dried flower, an edible, a concentrate, a rub, etc., is tested by an independent third-party laboratory licensed by Health Canada for analytical testing under the Federal Cannabis Regulations," Lane said in early 2020. As of yet, there has not been a negotiation between the Government of Canada and First Nations for tax collection or sharing. "Until that's done, we can't charge taxes," Lane previously told the Times-Chronicle. Dale Boyd, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Times-Chronicle
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump might argue the calendar is his friend when it comes to a second impeachment trial. Trump's impeachment last week by the House of Representatives for his role in inciting the riot at the U.S. Capitol set up his trial in the Senate. But there's one potential wrinkle. In 2019, the last time Trump found himself impeached by the House, he had nearly a year left in his presidency. But on Wednesday, with the inauguration of Joe Biden, Trump will be out of office by the time any Senate trial gets started. Some Republican lawmakers argue it's not constitutional to hold an impeachment trial for a former president, but that view is far from unanimous. Democrats for their part appear ready to move forward with a trial. On Tuesday, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said she doesn't think a post-presidency impeachment trial is constitutional. But Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, wasn't so sure. "I think there's serious questions about it," he said. Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal, meanwhile, said it was "bogus" that a trial after Trump leaves office wouldn't be constitutional, noting that the Senate has held impeachment trials of federal judges after they've resigned. "So whether somebody resigns, or runs out the clock it makes no difference. They can still be held accountable and there's nothing in the spirit, or the letter of the impeachment provisions in the Constitution that argues against it," he said. Some questions and answers about whether a former president can be impeached. WHY IS THIS OPEN TO DEBATE? The Constitution says: "The President ... shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." But the Constitution says nothing about the impeachment of a former president. The question has also never come up. The only other two presidents to be impeached, Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson, were tried while still in office. WHAT DO SCHOLARS AND HISTORY HAVE TO SAY ON THE TOPIC? A recent Congressional Research Service report for federal lawmakers and their staffs concluded that while the Constitution's text is "open to debate," it appears most scholars agree that a president can be impeached after leaving office. One argument is that state constitutions that predate the U.S. Constitution allowed impeachment after officials left office. The Constitution's drafters also did not specifically bar the practice. Still, the text of the Constitution could be read to suggest impeachment only applies to current office holders. In the early 19th century, one influential Supreme Court justice, Joseph Story came to that conclusion. One powerful suggestion that post-office trial is acceptable, however, comes from history. The Congressional Research Service report cites the 1876 impeachment of Secretary of War William Belknap. Belknap resigned over allegations he received kickbacks. The House impeached him after his resignation, and while Belknap objected to being tried in the Senate because he'd left office, the Senate heard three days of arguments on the topic and then deliberated in secret for over two weeks before concluding Belknap could be tried. He was ultimately acquitted. COULD TRUMP CHALLENGE A CONVICTION? Courts are unlikely to want to wade into any dispute over impeachment. In 1993, in a case involving an impeached former judge, the Supreme Court ruled it had no role to play in impeachment disputes because the Constitution says the "Senate shall have sole Power to try any impeachments." DOES AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF A FORMER PRESIDENT PRESENT OTHER LEGAL ISSUES? One other issue is who would preside at the impeachment trial of an ex-president. The Constitution says it's the chief justice's job to preside at the impeachment trial of a president. But scholars offer differing views about whether that's Chief Justice John Roberts' job if Trump's trial begins after he's out of office. The choices for who would preside appear to be Roberts, Kamala Harris, who by then will be vice-president, or Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who will be the Senate's president pro tem once the Democrats take control of the Senate. WHAT'S THE POINT OF IMPEACHING SOMEONE WHO IS OUT OF OFFICE? The consequence the Constitution sets up for a president who is impeached and convicted is removal from office. That's not really a concern for a former president. Still, conviction would send a message about Trump's conduct. Moreover, if the Senate were to convict, lawmakers would presumably take a separate vote on whether to disqualify Trump from holding future office. Some lawmakers believe that's appropriate. "We need to set a precedent that the severest offence ever committed by a president will be met by the severest remedy provided by the Constitution — impeachment and conviction by this chamber, as well as disbarment from future office," incoming Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said Tuesday. ___ Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. Jessica Gresko, The Associated Press
Teachers aim to trek across province, one town at a time
Lucette Hachey Laskey and Caroline Benoit set themselves an unusual 2021 resolution: by the end of the year, they aim to walk three kilometres in every city, town and village in the province. The Francophone Sud elementary school teachers, who call themselves Les TRIPeuses Trotteuses, began their quest as a way to stay motivated and improve their mental health, said Hachey Laskey. In 2020, they walked every street in the city of Dieppe, colouring in the streets on a map until they were done, she said. They completed over 1,000 km of walking by May after signing up for My Time: A Great Canadian Running Challenge, and continued walking hundreds of kilometres more in the second half of the year. As 2020 drew to a close, the pair began soliciting ideas from their social circles to set themselves a fun challenge for 2021 before settling on this goal, Hachey Laskey said. While the province was in the orange phase of pandemic recovery, all their exploring was done in their home turf of southeastern New Brunswick. The pair document their adventures in both English and French on their Youtube channel, often arranging to meet up with someone who knows the area well who will walk with them and tell them things about a place they wouldn't have discovered on their own. At the age of 40, it's great to be still learning about the many places they visit, some very close to home, Benoit said in French. There have already been chances to put pieces together of things she read in books about Acadian history with specific landmarks, for instance, she said. Benoit said she also likes the fact that they feel immediately fulfilled as they engage in these adventures, and that the stress-free activities don't feel like a chore. In the last couple of weeks they have checked out Port Elgin, Riverview, Sackville and Shediac, said Hachey Laskey. Salisbury and Petitcodiac will be their next videos. Benoit, a grade five teacher at École le Marais, said she has been sharing their adventures with her students, as they talk about accomplishing goals. "I feel like a role model," she said. Hachey Laskey said motivating others to accomplish their goals and get active is a big part of what they hope to accomplish, adding that people have already been sending them messages indicating their videos are doing just that. "We love travelling. We love laughing," said Hachey Laskey, and this quest allows them to do a whole lot of both, even if they are doing it a little closer to home than usual. There are so many places generally known for one thing, but the communities offer much more, said Hachey Laskey. Dorchester, she said, has so much more than a jail, and Salisbury has so much more than the Big Stop. Their adventures are allowing them to see all these communities have to offer and share it with others, she said. "People have been very generous with their time," said Hachey Laskey, adding that sometimes it is local councillors who show off the community, while at other times it is residents who simply love their home town. Hachey Laskey said they will pause their adventures while the region is in the red phase of COVID recovery. Clara Pasieka, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Telegraph-Journal
The surprising reason eating less meat is linked to a longer life: A smelly toxic gas
Hydrogen sulphide is a smelly, poisonous gas, but it plays an important role in aging and longevity. New research shows that eating less meat could be a key to harnessing its healthy effects.