Tennessee House GOP Requests Vanderbilt Medical Stop Performing Gender Surgeries On Children, Refer to it as ‘Abuse’

Tennessee House Republicans formally requested that Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) stop performing gender surgeries on minors in a letter on Wednesday.

The medical center has been the subject of massive debate after the Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh published a video of a Vanderbilt doctor calling transgender surgeries “huge money makers.”

“It’s a lot of money. These surgeries make a lot of money,” VUMC Clinic for Transgender Health’s Dr. Shayne Sebold Taylor said during the video.

In another speech, Dr. Ellen Clayton warned that “conscientious objections” are “problematic.” Staff members who decide not to be involved in transition surgeries due to “religious beliefs” were informed that they would face “consequences”

“I just want you to take home that saying that you’re not going to do something because of your religious beliefs is not without consequences and it should not be without consequences,” said Clayton.

Walsh also uncovered the fact that Vanderbilt is using a program called “Trans Buddies.” The “buddies” are trans activists from the community who attend appointments with trans patients, monitoring the doctors to guard against “unsafe” behavior such as misgendering.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/09/tennessee-house-gop-requests-vanderbilt-medical-stop-performing-gender-surgeries-children-refer-abuse/

China reacts to Ukraine-Taiwan comparison

These are completely different issues, Beijing says

Taiwan is an internal Chinese matter and attempting to link it to events in Ukraine is inappropriate, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Friday. He also criticized US Vice President Kamala Harris for her comments about Washington wanting to further develop its ties with the island.

“Anyone who seeks to insinuate [the] relevance of the Ukraine issue to the Taiwan question is invariably driven by political calculations,” Wang said at a regular press briefing, after AFP asked why Beijing hadn’t “explicitly” condemned Russia over Ukraine and whether that would encourage separatism.

“Such insinuation would constitute a violation of the principle of respecting a country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and serious interference in China’s internal affairs. Anyone hoping to exploit the Ukraine issue and find pretext for ‘Taiwan independence’ will only end up nowhere,” Wang added.

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair,” he insisted. “The Taiwan question and the Ukraine issue are different in nature and are not comparable at all.”

AFP’s question came after Wang condemned remarks by US Vice President Kamala Harris, who visited Japan this week and said her government intended to “support Taiwan’s self-defense” and “deepen our unofficial ties” with the island. She also accused China of seeking to undermine the rules-based international order.

The US already violated China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with the visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei in early August, Wang pointed out. While not specifically commenting on what Harris said, he noted that this brought into question the US commitment to the ‘One China’ policy, repeatedly confirmed in writing over recent years.

“Speaking of rules, keeping one’s commitment is the most basic rule,” Wang told reporters. “If the US cannot even keep its own word, in what position is it to talk about rules and order? A country like that could only become a disruptor of international rules.”

Taiwan has been run by Chinese nationalists who left the mainland in 1949, after losing the civil war against the Communists. Beijing considers it an inalienable part of China, to be reintegrated at some point.

https://www.rt.com/news/563678-china-taiwan-ukraine-comparison/

Brussels ‘imposes’ anti-Russia sanctions on EU members – Orban

Europeans have had no say in the application of these sanctions but are paying the price, the Hungarian prime minister has said

The EU has forced anti-Russia sanctions upon the people of the bloc’s member states, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Wednesday, as he announced the launch at home of national consultations on the matter.

Brussels did not ask Europeans about their opinion on the sanctions policy but made them pay the price as restrictions it imposed on Russia backfired, Orban said, in a series of posts on Facebook. The EU sanctions introduced over Russia’s military operation in Ukraine “will cause huge damage to Europe,” he warned, adding that the restrictions had already made “Europeans poorer” because of skyrocketing energy prices.

“It is time to get honest about it with our American friends. Until it is too late,” the prime minister said, pointing to the role the US played in the global sanctions campaign against Russia. The sanctions have failed to end the conflict in Ukraine, Orban argued, adding that they also appear to hurt Europe more than Russia.

Hungary is heavily dependent on Russian energy supply. It has also been one of the staunchest opponents of Brussels’ energy sanctions against Moscow and in particular opposed banning imports of Russian oil until it was granted a waiver by Brussels. Budapest still declared a state of emergency over tightening energy supplies this summer.

On Wednesday, Orban confirmed the plans to hold the national consultations on the EU sanctions imposed against Russia, saying that he’d asked “everyone to have their say, because we can only put an end to rising energy prices by acting together.” Hungary is the first EU nation to do so.

The developments come amid an ongoing energy crunch in the EU. Since the start of Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine in late February, gas prices have climbed to record highs in Europe. In late July, EU member states agreed on a plan to reduce their gas consumption by 15% over the coming months, to increase the bloc’s energy security at a time when it seeks to rid itself of its dependence on Russian energy.

Russia also reduced its gas exports to Europe, citing technical issues related to sanctions the West imposed over Russia’s military action. Massive gas leaks on the Russian Nord Stream pipelines, which have allegedly been a result of a targeted attack, has sent gas prices in Europe further up.

The prices have been climbing up for quite some time, leaving some EU nations, including Germany –the EU’s economic powerhouse– in a bind. In early September, Germany’s largest gas importer, Uniper, requested additional financial aid from the government as it was struggling to replace missing Russian gas supplies despite already receiving billions of euro to cover gas purchases.

The operators of the Large Hadron Collider – the European nuclear research center (CERN) – also admitted in September that the ongoing energy crisis threatens the operation of the world’s largest particle accelerator. It could be shut down to decrease the energy consumption burden at peak demand periods, CERN said at that time.

https://www.rt.com/news/563682-orban-brussels-russia-sanctions-eu/

Former President Of International Aircraft Parts Distributor Convicted Of Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-president-international-aircraft-parts-distributor-convicted-multi-million

Corey Lewandowski cuts deal to drop misdemeanor battery charge, avoid admission of guilt

The charge stemmed from an accusation by Trashelle Odom that Lewandowski repeatedly touched her and used suggestive language during a 2021 charity event.

Corey Lewandowski, a former top adviser to President Donald Trump, has avoided a misdemeanor battery charge in connection with alleged unwanted sexual advances.

In exchange for a $1,000 fine, 50 hours of community service, and spending 8 hours on impulse control counseling, Nevada prosecutors would not require an admission of guilt and, upon completion of the terms, would drop the charge, Politico reported.

"A misdemeanor case was filed, but we are pleased to say that the matter has been resolved," Lewandowski lawyers David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld said in a statement. "The resolution did not require any admissions by Mr. Lewandowski. The Court set conditions that Mr. Lewandowski will fulfill and the case will ultimately be dismissed."

The charge stemmed from an accusation by Trashelle Odom that Lewandowski repeatedly touched her and used suggestive language during a 2021 charity event in Las Vegas. She also said he subsequently "stalked" her through the outlet, per the outlet.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/corey-lewandowski-cuts-deal-drop-misdemeanor-battery-charge-avoid-admission-guilt

American Academy Of Pediatrics Recommends Against Sending Kids Home With Lice After Backing School Shutdowns

The leading professional association for pediatricians in America is advising against sending kids with lice home from school due to “stigma” and “psychological stress.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued new guidance on head lice Sept. 26, the first time since 2015, arguing head lice screening programs in schools are not cost-effective and do not have a significant effect on lice levels. The organization also argued lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene.

“There is significant stigma resulting from head lice infestations in high-income countries, resulting in children and adolescents being ostracized from their schools, friends, and other social events,” the new guidance says. “Head lice can be psychologically stressful to the affected individual.”

Head lice do not jump or hop from person to person, the AAP said, and typically only spread via direct head-to-head contact with an infected person’s hair. Lice are also prevalent throughout the entire world and are not more likely to afflict any particular racial or socioeconomic group, according to the report.

In addition to sending a child home from school, informing the wider community that a child is infected can lead to stigma, according to the AAP. As a result, infections should be kept confidential, head lice screenings at school should not be performed, and preventing kids from returning to school before they are lice-free may violate their civil rights, the guidance says.

The AAP states that no kids who are otherwise healthy should be kept home from school with lice, in order to not delay their academic progress. The organization previously stated schools should not be compelled to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic due to risks they argued were associated with in-person learning.

https://dailycaller.com/2022/09/28/american-academy-pediatrics-lice-stigma-guidance-screenings-pediatricians/

Nicaragua Expels EU Ambassador for ‘Interference With National Sovereignty’

For more than 40 years, the US has supported terrorist groups inside Nicaragua attempting to undermine the popular education, medical, and other social programs by the socialist Sandinista movement, even after the US Congress explicitly forbade the practice.

According to Nicaraguan daily paper Confidencial, the Nicaraguan government has declared the European Union (EU) ambassador to Nicaragua, Bettina Muscheidt, persona non grata, ordering her to leave the country. The report came from a tip by “sources linked to the European Parliament.”

The Nicaraguan government expelled her due to "interference and disrespect for national sovereignty" on behalf of the EU, according to the source. However, it has issued no formal public statement as of yet.

The news comes two days after Charles Michel, the EU’s delegate at the United Nations, used the occasion of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to condemn the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and urge him to "return the sovereignty of Nicaragua to the Nicaraguan people" and "restore democracy" in the country.

The de facto expulsion of Ambassador Muscheidt occurs after this Monday, September 26, the delegate of the European Union to the United Nations (UN), Charles Michel, urged the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo to “return the sovereignty of Nicaragua to the Nicaraguan people” and to “restore democracy” in the country, where the human rights of the population are systematically violated.

“The EU urges the Nicaraguan authorities to fulfill their own commitments, the Nicaraguan Constitution and international human rights laws and regulations,” Michel added during his speech at the 77th United Nations General Assembly.

He also warned that, since the November 7, 2021 elections, widely considered illegitimate, the repression has continued and the situation has deteriorated even more.

“The Nicaraguan authorities must end all repression, including repression against political opponents, clergy, independent media, civil society and human rights defenders, and guarantee full respect for human rights, including freedom of assembly, association, expression, and religion or belief,” the delegation said.

Belligerence in demands for a democratic solution

The 27-member European Union, together with the United States, Canada, and several Latin American countries, is stepping up the demand that the Ortega dictatorship restore democracy and civil liberties in Nicaragua.

A week before the EU expressed its position in the United Nations General Assembly, the deputies of European Parliament approved six proposals for a resolution on the situation in Nicaragua, “in particular the arrest of Bishop Rolando Alvarez. They demand the immediate release of the religious leader and all the 200+ political prisoners of the Ortega-Murillo regime.

The European parliamentarians also demanded that in the face of the constant abuses more sanctions be applied to the Nicaraguan regime.

Some even mentioned the activation of the democratic clause of the Association Agreement between the European Union (EU) and Central America, which would provoke the expulsion of Nicaragua from this free trade agreement.

Since 2018, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have approved seven resolutions on the Nicaraguan situation. One in May 2018; another in March 2019 —after the visit of a delegation of MEPs to the country—; a third in December 2019; a fourth in October 2020; the fifth in July 2021; the sixth in December of the same year; and the last one in June 2022.

Particularly in the June resolution, a large majority of the European Parliament demanded that the European Union (EU) sanction fourteen judges and three appeals magistrates. At the same time, they called for an investigation —through the International Criminal Court— of the Government and President Daniel Ortega, for crimes against humanity.

MEPs also condemned the cancellations of some 2,000 non-profits organizations by the National Assembly and Ministry of Interior, on orders from Ortega and the rubber stamp Sandinista Front legislators.

https://havanatimes.org/news/ortega-expels-european-union-ambassador-from-nicaragua/

Most votes ever

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1575249896248119319

Former resident of Retta Dixon home successfully sues federal government, Australian Indigenous Ministries

While other former residents have previously received compensation through a class action, the man launched a civil lawsuit seeking compensation for sexual abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of other boys at the home as a young child.

Documents filed in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory in 2020 alleged he was "helpless and powerless to resist" abuse that was "repeated in a violent and destructive way on numerous occasions".

A former resident of a notorious home for Stolen Generations children has successfully sued the federal government and a religious group for sexual abuse he claims he suffered in their care.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-29/federal-government-aim-successfully-sued-by-retta-dixon-resident/101482324