Jenifer’s Journal: Anatomy of an epiphany, Part II – Shelter Island Reporter – Shelter Island Reporter

There are risks and costs to action, but they are far less than the long-range risks of comfortable inaction. John F. Kennedy

My last column (Jan. 6) was about the theoretical side of my little epiphany. This week Im trying to explain to myself and to you what the applied part of its anatomy might look like one that involves connecting two far-flung points on a U.S. map at a local, community level via their trusted local newspapers.

For instance, pairing the Sag Harbor Express with, say, the Branson Tri-Lakes News in Missouri, and maybe the East Hampton Star with the White Water Register in Wisconsin. Ive just been reading online The Clearwater Progress out of Kamiah, Idaho (one of the reddest states in the union), which covers the same ordinary but often heart-warming community-centered news as anything our Reporter offers.

But thats the thing, it gives me the same feeling I get when traveling through a town Ive never been to, watching people cross the streets, come out of the post office, turn into the shopping center, what I would be doing if I lived there. But as a stranger, the fact that its all so familiar anyway, even though Ive never been there, is kind of eerie.

Strangers-yet-not-strangers. Our Town. That feeling of recognition has been lost to many of us over the past several years. Ive become as incapable as anyone else of speaking directly to someone on the other side.

The idea of contemplating a calm, reasonable discussion with someone who supports The Big Lie, voter suppression, anti-vaccination and/or one of the many bizarre conspiracy theories abroad in this land seems as impossible to me as having a civil conversation with a flagrant liberal who supports gun safety, criminal justice, immigration reform, and expansion of rights across the board would seem to one of them.

Apparently theres a term for this complete breakdown of communication.

According to an article by Nate Cohn published in The New York Times in April 2021 and updated in September 2021: American democracy faces many challenges: New limits on voting rights. The corrosive effect of misinformation. The rise of domestic terrorism. Foreign interference in elections. Efforts to subvert the peaceful transition of power. And making matters worse on all of these issues is a fundamental truth: The two political parties see the other as an enemy. Its an outlook that makes compromise impossible and encourages elected officials to violate norms in pursuit of an agenda or an electoral victory. It turns debates over changing voting laws into existential showdowns. And it undermines the willingness of the loser to accept defeat an essential requirement of a democracy. This threat to democracy has a name: sectarianism. Its not a term usually used in discussions about American politics. Its better known in the context of religious sectarianism like the hostility between Sunnis and Shia in Iraq. Yet a growing number of eminent political scientists contend that political sectarianism is on the rise.

So maybe one-on-one connection seems impossible right now, but if, across the nation, local papers began partnering-up, sharing ideas, information, and observations about one another and eventually creating a cross-hatch of connection throughout our country, then wed have begun to weave a kind of fabric of truth, trust and connection, which might bridge some of the divisions we have now.

It wouldnt hurt any of us to have our community highlighted, and even headlined occasionally in another community hundreds or thousands of miles away, and vice versa.

To begin to pay close attention to them with the same interest and enjoyment we apply to our own community? No, that wouldnt hurt.

Is this like some kind of Mickey and Judy brainstorm? A sophomoric experiment more suited to third period Social Studies class than a possibly viable idea worth doing something about?

Maybe, except we have the papers (while they survive), and we have the people, and the screaming need to take some kind of action now.

Because, the thing is, if our shared citizenship doesnt automatically give us some point of tangency that can be expanded on, then what does that citizenship mean? If the fact of it actually divides rather than unifies us, then, as Lincoln feared, we become two warring nations.

Were not a Humpty Dumpty nation. Whether or not this paper pals idea catches on, we shouldnt stop trying to put our country back together. Ideas like this one may seem crazy, but not trying something seems magnitudes crazier.

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Jenifer's Journal: Anatomy of an epiphany, Part II - Shelter Island Reporter - Shelter Island Reporter

22 "Grey’s Anatomy" Details That Probably Went Way Over Your Head – BuzzFeed

How many did you already spot?

The episode was about Jo Wilson's abusive ex.

In Season 1, when they first started dating in secret, Derek told Meredith that if he was ever on his last legs, he wanted nothing more than for his sisters to be around him as he died.

Of course, after the Season 11 car crash when Meredith had to take him off life support, she didn't call any of his family before making the decision.

"Absolutely no Bush supporters need apply," it read. Also it's kind of a mindfuck that Grey's has been on TV since the Bush era.

This happened in Season 14, which aired in 2017.

When Mer told Cristina that they were planning to get hitched at City Hall, she gave Meredith an old shopping list on a new sticky note, and let her borrow her favorite pen (which was blue). That sticky note ended up being where Meredith and Derek wrote their vows.

In Season 2, Izzie tried to get rid of Doc the dog by hanging fliers in the hospital. Even though she left the show in Season 6, the poster could still be seen hanging on the wall in Season 12.

She approaches a group of doctors with the line:"You must be the group that's been screwing up the program."

When Meredith gets to rule 3, George, who was repeating his intern year, had to fill in and remind her that the rule is "Dont wake me unless the patient is dying."

Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith, confirmed it on Jimmy Kimmel."It was my idea to pay homage to many things and many different seasons and give the audience things to watch out for and to plant Easter eggs," she said.

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22 "Grey's Anatomy" Details That Probably Went Way Over Your Head - BuzzFeed

Anatomy of an upset: The biggest plays from Houston’s win at Utah – Rockets Wire

Young and rebuilding teams like the 2021-22 Rockets arent supposed to beat perceived Western Conference contenders, and especially not on the road. But thats exactly what Houston (14-32) somehow managed to do at Utah (29-16) on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

For the Rockets, who had five players score in double figures as part of a balanced effort, it was a third win in their last four games all away from home. Sharpshooter Garrison Mathews led the way in the 116-111 win (box score) with a team-high 23 points off the bench, including 5-of-9 on 3-pointers (55.6%). But he had plenty of help, as well.

Veterans Bojan Bogdanovic (29 points, 5 rebounds), Rudy Gobert (23 points, 9 rebounds), and Jordan Clarkson (19 points, 4 assists) led the Jazz, but it wasnt enough to keep pace. After putting up 5 points in the first five-plus minutes of the second half, Houston exploded to score 54 in under 19 minutes to finish it out, leading to a shocking road win.

Heres a look back at some of the key plays and sequences from Wednesday in Salt Lake City. Were largely focusing on offense, since the Rockets have risen from an offensive rating of 104.6 in their first six January games good for No. 24 in the NBA over that span to 115.5 over the current 3-1 road trip, which ranks No. 6 in the league in that run.

In a span of under two minutes late in the third quarter, reserve guard Armoni Brooks hit three 3-pointers, sending Houston from a 75-71 deficit to an 80-76 lead. The Rockets had trailed by 13 just a few minutes earlier.

It was ideal timing for Brooks to break out of a personal slump, since the second-year guard had shot just 28.6% from the field and 22.2% on 3-pointers over his previous six outings and on high volume at 7.5 attempts per game from 3-point range. Stephen Silas gave him another opportunity, and Brooks made the most of it for the Rockets.

Houstons big man somehow drilled a contested shot from just inside the halfcourt line as the third quarter expired, with it leaving his fingertip at only 0.1 left on the clock. That shot gave the Rockets an 83-81 edge, and they did not relinguish the lead for the remainder of the game.

While Wood only made 4-of-11 shots outside of that heave, he found other ways to still make a big impact. His 15 rebounds set a personal high for 2022 and easily topped Utahs Rudy Gobert, who had nine.

The Jazz closed the gap to between two and four points on several occasions in the fourth quarter, but the Rockets always seemed to have an answer at the most opportune times. Two of those came on 3-pointers from Mathews, who put Houston up 88-83 with a trey at the 9:55 mark and by 106-99 after another deep 3-pointer with 4:46 remaining.

Mathews also hit a pair of clutch free throws with only 55.6 seconds left, doubling Houstons lead from two to four.

The veteran guard connected on a 27-foot trey with 7:11 left, giving Houston a 98-89 edge, and he hit an even deeper 29-footer on the next trip at 6:30, restoring the nine-point lead. While the Jazz kept pushing, the buffer from those two Gordon makes helped the Rockets survive a scoreless stretch of nearly three game minutes, starting with 4:45 left.

Vivent Arena rose to its feet after Bogdanovic drained a 3-pointer with exactly 2:00 left, bringing the home team back within two points. But when the Jazz swarmed Eric Gordon with both his original defender and the defender on Christian Wood, Gordon made the correct decision to hit his big man on the short roll. Gobert then came out to contest Wood, and the man he was defending JaeSean Tate cut from the wing to the rim for an open layup. The timing of the two passes by Gordon and Wood was perfect, with each hitting the open man in stride.

Bogdanovic tried to recover, but he was far too late, and he ended up fouling Tate on the shot ultimately giving Houston a 3-point play that seemed to take much of the energy out of Utahs comeback bid.

The Rockets are currently 4-6 in January (.400), which would be their best winning percentage of any calendar month in the 2021-22 season to date. In each of those four wins, third-year guard Kevin Porter Jr. has made at least one clutch 3-pointer in the closing minutes, including his buzzer-beater in Washington to stop a long losing streak.

On Wednesday, even a tough perimeter defender in Utahs Royce ONeale wasnt enough to slow the 21-year-old when he got to his preferred spot on the left wing. Porter drained the triple with 22.4 seconds left, putting the Rockets up by a 114-109 margin and sending fans to the exits.

Overall, it was yet another encouraging showing by Porter, who finished with 15 points on 50% overall shooting and 50% on 3-pointers (3-of-6), and he dished out 8 assists while turning the ball over only once. Houston had a season-low eight turnovers as a team, and taking care of the basketball on the road played a huge role in their surprising success.

The competition remains stiff for KPJ and the Rockets for the time being, given Fridays scheduled game at Golden State to conclude the five-game road trip. Tipoff from San Francisco is at 9:00 p.m. CST.

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Anatomy of an upset: The biggest plays from Houston's win at Utah - Rockets Wire

Ribault High anatomy teacher Charles Darwin Magdaluyo named 2022 Teacher of the Year – The Florida Times-Union

Ribault HigheducatorCharles Darwin Magdaluyo, who teacheshuman anatomy and physiology, is this year's Teacher of the Year for Duval County Public Schools.

Magdaluyo, in accepting the award, said he understands what it is like to be a struggling student because he was one. Now, he wants to be the teacher who helps those students.

"I want to be part of every child's success story, where I was with them in their challenging times," he said.

These great moments dont just inspire me they drive me to be a better version of myself, to be of greater service to these young minds," he said. "I know how it feels to be someone who struggles a lot and almost gives up. I want to be felt as an educator who focuses more on students' hard work to succeed even when difficulties arise. I want to be a teacher I wish I could have.

Magdaluyo and four additional finalists were recognized for their accomplishments Saturday eveningat The EDDY Awards a private galahosted by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund.

The EDDYs give us an opportunity to recognize excellence in education and the professionals who do so much for our students every single day, said Jacksonville Public Education Fund PresidentRachael Tutwiler Fortune. We know the key to closing the opportunity gap for low-income students and students of color lies in supporting our teachers and empowering them in their work.

The EDDY Awards now in its 31styear returned to its gala format after pivoting to a live-streamed luncheon at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The event was broadcast again this year on WJXT-TV/Channel 4 and hosted by local anchor Melanie Lawson.

Known by his students as Mr. M,Magdaluyo has been teaching for seven years. He teaches Human Anatomy and Physiology tohigh school freshmen and seniors.

Originally from the Phillippines,Magdaluyo launched professional learning communities within Duval Schools to help other international teachers become familiarized with teaching in Jacksonville. He also serves as a training facilitator and mentor for science teachers throughout the district.

In his application, Magdaluyo said he understands what it feels like to be a struggling student because he also struggled in the classroom.

What inspires me as an educator is my students' success stories," he said."Every ah-ha! moment, every smiling face whenever they understand something they thought was difficult, every time they take a risk to do something in front of the class to show they can also do what other students can do these are things that don't just inspire me but drive me to do better day by day.

ButMagdaluyo almost didn't become a teacher.

His parents wanted him to become a doctor and he went as far as taking medical board exams. He passed, but told his parents he couldn't shake his desire to teach. So they compromised: he could teach human anatomy.

Selecting finalists and winners for the EDDY Awards is no small feat.

Of the school district's 180 Teachers of the Year, 15 semi-finalists are selected. From there, five are named finalists.

This year's finalists were Amanda Hildenbrand,Shakeya Lee,Candice Lilly,Nick Nelson andMagdaluyo.

Semi-finalists, finalists and the ultimate winner are selected by community committees, which are composedof a group of teachers, Duval Teachers United representatives, PTA members and more.

According to the education fund, the committee members review initial applications and eventually observe a group of teachers in the classroom as part of the decision-making process.

Mr. Magdaluyo represents all the outstanding qualities our teachers bring to our classrooms every day, Superintendent Diana Greene said in a news release. The first thing you notice is his energy and his enthusiasm for student success. Then you see the outstanding quality of his teaching craft, particularly the way he individualizes instruction to reach every student."

Greene added, "he inspires and motivates students in a very special and effective way. His drive and impact extend well beyond his classroom."

Magdaluyo's current students seem to agree.

In this class, we are never afraid to ask questions and make mistakes in concepts he teaches. We feel valued. We belong," said Jasmyn, who was featured in the education fund's finalist roundup. "Mr. Magdaluyo creates a safe environment for us in his classroom that allows us to ask for help if we do not understand something ... He tries to connect with all of us students and builds bonds. I truly believe that hes the best teacher in Duval County, and I wouldnt believe you if you said he was anything less than the best in all of Florida.

As the 2022 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year, Magdaluyo will go on to compete for the statewide title.

Last year, Duval Schools Teacher of the Year winner Jim Schmitt a Mandarin High history teacher went on to be named a state finalist for the top honor.

Magdaluyo also receiveda cash prize, a classroom grant and a board seat on the Jacksonville Public Education Fund Board of Directors.

All Teachers of the Year received access to a yearlong professional development program.

State Teacher of the Year finalists will be named in the spring.

Emily Bloch is an education reporter for The Florida Times-Union. Follow her on Twitteror email her. Sign up for her newsletter.

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Ribault High anatomy teacher Charles Darwin Magdaluyo named 2022 Teacher of the Year - The Florida Times-Union

Greys Anatomy, Jimmy Kimmel, Black-ish, Pam & Tommy: Updates from the 2022 winter TV press tour – OregonLive

Though TV critics, stars, and executives are still meeting via Zoom sessions, the Television Critics Association 2022 winter press tour has officially begun. Instead of gathering in a Los Angeles ballroom and swapping germs definitely not a good idea as the omicron variant continues to sweep the country the press tour is again happening virtually.

While that means technical glitches may temporarily cut off participants comments in the middle of a sentence, or random sirens may blare in the background as somebody else is trying to make a point, the tour, as always, features TV creators, actors and producers trying to convince members of the TCA why their shows are worth watching.

The 2022 tour is just getting started. But already weve heard about new series, long-running stalwarts, and how the streaming world, and broadcast networks like ABC, can complement one another.

Amid discussions about the merits of individual shows, theres one fact that critics and TV creators can agree on: the number of original series just keeps growing.

As evidence, the annual FX content research report was recently released. As the report says, the estimated number of adult scripted original series across broadcast, cable and streaming services for the 2021 calendar year amounted to a whopping total of 559. Thats the highest number yet in the FX study, which goes back to 2002, when the scripted original series total was a relatively skimpy 182.

Some are good, some arent, but theres no denying that there are a whole lot of shows to try and keep track of, let alone choose from. To help add context, here are some highlights from the first week of the Television Critics Association 2022 virtual winter press tour.

Jimmy Kimmel hosts the long-running ABC late-night show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (Photo: ABC/Randy Holmes)ABC

Broadcast and streaming synergy, Greys Anatomy, Jimmy Kimmel, and more: During the COVID era, the virtual Television Critics Association press conferences have largely been missing sessions from TV executives. In a refreshing break from that, Craig Erwich, president for Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, took questions prior to panels devoted to Hulu, ABC and Freeform shows.

Erwich noted that the 2021 schedule included Hulus most-watched drama, Nine Perfect Strangers; its most-watched comedy, Only Murders in the Building; and its most-watched documentary and unscripted series, Sasquatch and The DAmelio Show.

Hulu, Erwich said, is about curation and consistency. We know our viewers. They want to be entertained. They love popular culture, and they are vast consumers of television.

Though he didnt mention Netflix -- the streaming giant that has been programming everything from kids shows to reality dating series -- Erwich perhaps was explaining why Hulu is different, when he said Hulu isnt about throwing anything at the wall to see what sticks. We are looking to carefully pick the perfect shows that pierce through popular culture with creative excellence.

At Hulu, Erwich said, we talk about one word over and over again -- addictive, shows you cant stop watching. He singled out as an example the upcoming series Pam & Tommy, which stars Lily James as Pamela Anderson and Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee, and revisits the saga of the duos notorious sex tape.

The limited series, which premieres Feb. 2, is one of the wildest, sharpest, and most entertaining shows Hulu has ever launched, Erwich said, noting that the first photos and trailer from the show melted the Internet. The series, he said, will definitely be one of the most talked-about shows of the year.

At ABC, Erwich said, the focus is on community, and bringing people together through storytelling on the biggest unifying platform in the world. When ABC shows appear on Hulu shortly after being broadcast, Erwich said, they sometimes quadruple their reach.

The same shows are being accessed by different audiences on different platforms, Erwich said. And given the median age of Hulu viewers is nearly 25 percent younger than ABCs audience, its a very complementary relationship, with minimal audience duplication.

The synergy also works, Erwich said, because broadcast TV, such as ABC, is still the greatest launchpad for shows to reach the broadest possible audience.

Asked about the 94th Oscars, Erwich confirmed the ceremony will have a host, though he offered no further details about who that might be. Erwich didnt say whether Jimmy Kimmel, who has hosted the Oscars in the past, might return. In addition, Kimmels current contract to host Jimmy Kimmel Live! ends in 2022, and no announcement has yet been made about whether the show may continue beyond Season 20.

Jimmy is the king of late night, Erwich said. Hes the longest running late-night show host on the air. We will have Jimmy for as many seasons as he wants to be on the air.

Regarding Greys Anatomy, which ABC just renewed for Season 19, Erwich said the network is also happy to keep the medical drama for the foreseeable future.

Greys Anatomy is still at the top of its game, creatively, Erwich said. Its our most-watched drama. Its one of the most-watched shows on television. While ABC will have as much Greys as we can have, Erwich said, the producers will make the best decisions for that franchise, as they have for the last 18 years.

Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross star in the ABC comedy, "Black-ish," which is airing its final season. (Photo: ABC/Eric McCandless)ABC

Black-ish prepares to say goodbye: The Emmy-nominated series is airing its eighth and final season, though Tracee Ellis Ross, who plays Rainbow Johnson, sounded like she wasnt quite ready for the end.

I think we probably could have gone another 10 years, Ross said, during a press tour discussion of the show. I think thats one of the beautiful things about Black-ish and the DNA of the show that (creator Kenya Barris) established from the start.

The show was character-driven, Ross said, and was about a family that was navigating the world that we all live in, in a timely way. That meant, Ross said, theres a never-ending amount of topics for us to discuss that are a part of the wallpaper of our lives, that were all trying to make sense of, and navigate. And I think that we did that incredibly beautifully, from Juneteenth, to police brutality, to postpartum depression, to just being a familyI feel like we leave with a whole bunch of joy and pride about how we handled everything.

Anthony Anderson, who plays Rainbows husband, Andre Dre Johnson, is ending his time on Black-ish, but hell be returning to his earlier role as Detective Kevin Bernard in the upcoming revival of NBCs Law & Order.

Its an exciting moment in time for me, Anderson said, to be closing the chapter of his life represented by Black-ish, which changed my life and my career dramatically, and then, to come back to Law & Order, sitting in a well-worn saddle that just grips me the right way for the time being.

Black-ish creator and executive producer Kenya Barris said, We were lucky enough to know this was our final season, which made crafting a farewell especially meaningful.

The goal, Barris said, was to create an homage to the show, and a proper goodbye to the audience who stood by us for so long, and to really try to give them, you know, a chance to say goodbye, and take a walk with this family.

Black-ish continues its eighth and final season with new episodes airing Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on ABC.

-- Kristi Turnquist

kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist

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Greys Anatomy, Jimmy Kimmel, Black-ish, Pam & Tommy: Updates from the 2022 winter TV press tour - OregonLive

Impact of Obesity on Children’s Heart Anatomy Revealed for First Time – Medscape

According to the National Child Measuring Programme around one in four 10-11 year olds in England is obese, and at risk of developing obesity-related disease in adulthood. Now, researchers from Kings College London havefor the first time revealed the impact of obesity on the hearts anatomyforyoung children, specifically, how the heart adapts to obesity and the extra demandit generates independently from other factors such as natural growth and development.

The study, published inEuropean Heart Journal Cardiovascular Imaging, is the first study to characterise the paediatric heart in 3D, and lookedattheleft ventricle.

Using a comprehensive set of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) scans of 2631 children aged 10, 51.3% of whom were girls, the researchers reconstructed the left ventricular 3D anatomy of each subject. Data used came from the Generation R study - a population-based prospective cohort study from foetal life onwards in the Netherlands, with extensive data collection used to examine the development of the cardiovascular system and early cardiovascular risk factors.

The researchers found that the left ventricle acquires a circular cross-section. It also becomes tilted away from the normal vertical symmetry, something that has also been shown to be present in patients with aortic stenosis.

A notable finding, the researchers said, was that the cardiac remodelling became significant at a BMI of roughly 19 in children aged 10, which corresponds to the overweight threshold BMI of 25 in adults.

Heart Researcher Professor Pablo Lamata said: "In the future, this pattern of remodelling could inform risk prediction models and raise an earlier awareness of the importance of adopting a healthier lifestyle from childhood."

The researchers emphasised that obesity-related conditions are the leading causes of preventable death, pointing out that the "increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk associated with obesity is not only driven by hypertension, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, and coronary artery disease but also by structural and functional cardiac changes".

They explained how part of the adult CVD risk associated with obesity may already develop in childhood, commenting that the "Bogalusa Heart Study demonstrated that childhood obesity is associated with adult left ventricular dilatation (LV) and hypertrophy", and concluded that childhood BMI was the only independent predictor of LV hypertrophy in adulthood.

They also pointed out that epidemiological studies in children indicate that "LV hypertrophy develops in response to obesity in childhood".

The authors explained how they have identified unique anatomical features related to childhood obesity that could aid in risk stratification, adding that their findings demonstrate how the heart adapts in response to increasing BMI by "increasing both roundness of the shape and septal wall thickness to cope with higher work demand".

Lead researcher Maciej Marciniak said: "Obesity in children is of course a major concern, as it may impact the healthy development. With more clinical information on this impact, clinicians will be able to better advise patients to follow healthier lifestyles at an earlier age."

With their findings, the researchers say understanding and quantifying the impact of obesity on development is becoming much clearer. They hope that the results of their research will provide the potential to aid the detection of individual future risks during adulthood.

Lead researcher Maciej Marciniak said: "Looking further down the line, such analyses may help to inform about other remodelling patterns, connected with lifestyle choices, environmental factors and other parameters."

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This Woman Makes Life-Like Prosthetics to ‘Restore Missing Anatomy’ for Patients on New TLC Show – PEOPLE

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This Woman Makes Life-Like Prosthetics to 'Restore Missing Anatomy' for Patients on New TLC Show

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Hubris, myopia and inertia: The anatomy of Biden’s failed COVID-19 strategy – Washington Times

OPINION:

One year into office, by nearly any measure, the Biden administrations COVID-19 response strategy has been a failure.

For the team that pledged to shut down the virus in its first 100 days, the numbers are grim: Cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 under this administration in its first year far exceeded those generated during the year in which the Trump administration grappled with it. This, when the Biden folks had the benefit of the Trump vaccines and therapeutics developed under Operation Warp Speed and much greater knowledge about the characteristics of the virus, how it impacted individuals in various demographic and health status categories, how it spread and how Americans would respond to a variety of mandates, economic dislocations and messages.

But the impact of the Biden strategy goes beyond increases in cases and deaths to include other public health externalities closely correlated with an excessive response to COVID-19: record drug overdose deaths, increases in teen suicides, stunted primary and secondary school education and advances in disease severity resulting from deferred care. Then, there is fiscal health. The Biden team issued $1.9 trillion more in debt in March 2021 with the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act to combat COVID-19. Yet, nine months later, we have not even produced enough $5 antigen tests to satisfy the basic demands of the American people.

At the heart of these failures is a toxic combination of hubris, myopia and government inertia.

First, hubris. In November and December of 2020, as part of the formal transition of administrations, the Department of Health and Human Services set up scores of cubicles and conference rooms at our headquarters building to host the incoming members of the new administrations COVID-19 task force. This is the same building in which Operation Warp Speed and most of the COVID-19 response activities of the Trump Administration were housed. No one from the Biden team ever showed up. Its members were satisfied with conducting videoconference meetings yet never once walked the hallways and spoke directly to the majority of the frontline career officials leading the response. Moreover, they never even interviewed then HHS Secretary Alex Azar, the person who at the time knew the most about the state of governments COVID-19 response.

In early January of 2021, they dismissed the chief scientific officer of Operation Warp Speed, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, one of the most successful private-sector pharmaceutical scientists of our generation. They replaced him with a former government official, Dr. David Kessler, possessing little direct knowledge of, or experience within, the pharmaceutical industry. Only a sense of overweening confidence can explain these actions.

Second, myopia. The Biden strategy has been singularly focused on vaccine administration at the expense of further developing therapeutics and diagnostics. During Operation Warp Speed, when we briefed former President Donald Trump every 3-4 weeks, one of his first questions was, How are we doing on therapeutics? He knew intuitively that even at the extraordinary level of 95% effectiveness, the vaccines would not be perfect, and Americans would want to know they could be healed if they got sick. Simultaneously, Dr. Francis Collins and ADM Brett Giroir launched multi-billion-dollar programs to advance innovation and scale the production of leading-edge COVID-19 diagnostics.

The Biden teams narrowly focused strategy also lacks sufficient recognition of the destructive public health impact of bans, mandates and shutdowns leading to isolation, bankruptcies, deferred care, stress, and despair. As early as the summer of 2020, Mr. Trump, Dr. Scott Atlas and Mr. Azar warned of the broader public health outcomes from too draconian a response to COVID-19 and modified our strategy accordingly. These were not expressions of surrender, rather practical and prescient expressions of humility.

Third, inertia. The Biden folks articulated a vaccination-centric strategy 12 months ago that has not budged since. Our strategy evolved four times in the first seven months from containment to mitigation, to absorbing surges, to creating more balance among competing public health risks.

In a rapidly evolving environment requiring learning and adaptation, vital knowledge resides not in the centralized institutions of the federal government but in hospital intensive care units, small businesses, the experiences of essential workers and family units. We regularly convened meetings with hospital executives, nursing home operators and others for the purpose of learning and adapting, not to impose mandates and bans. Dr. Birx visited over 40 states in 90 days seeking ground truth. This information permitted us to avoid strategic inertia.

The failed Biden strategy has been a function of hubris, myopia and inertia when the demands of COVID-19 required humility, a balanced perspective on risks and strategic dexterity. The American people understand this and have moved on. As Lee Iacocca once famously commented, Lead, follow, or get out of the way. The Biden administration has already ceded leadership to the American people. It should now at least consider following or, better yet, getting out of the way.

Paul Mango was the deputy chief of staff for Policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2019 to 2021, serving as former Secretary Alex Azars formal liaison to Operation Warp Speed, where he was involved in nearly all strategic, operational and financial aspects of the program, and facilitated its day-to-day activities among the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Defense, and the White House. His forthcoming book is Warp Speed: Inside the Operation That Beat COVID, the Critics, and the Odds (Republic Book Publishers, March 15, 2022).

For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.

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Hubris, myopia and inertia: The anatomy of Biden's failed COVID-19 strategy - Washington Times

Anatomy of an Android Auto Bug That’s Pushing Users to CarPlay – autoevolution

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Anatomy of an Android Auto Bug That's Pushing Users to CarPlay - autoevolution

I named my son after a Greys Anatomy character some people love how unique it is but others are less tha… – The Sun

A MUM who named her son after her favourite character in medical drama Grey's Anatomy has divided opinion with the unique moniker.

Emily Buterakostook to TikTok earlier this week to tease the name, sharing a video of herself cradling her son and writing alongside it: "We named our son after a Greys Anatomy character.

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"Can anyone guess his name? (Heres a hint! Its someones last name)."

She then returned to the social media site for the "name reveal".

And while the majority of people had guessed Avery or Sloan as the tot's name, Emily and her other half actually went for a less obvious choice.

In a video alongside her son, she asked him: "What's your name?"

"DeLuca!" he replied.

She then asked if he likes his name, to which he answered "Yes", and asked him if he knew where his parents had got the idea for his name from.

"From the TV," he said, before she asked if "that was OK with you" - to which he answered "Yes" again.

In the comments section of the video, viewers were divided about the name choice.

"You really named him Deluca? oof," someone wrote.

"I laughed way too hard at this," another person added.

Someone else wrote that they'd considered Deluca as a name for their son, but that their husband wasn't convinced.

"My husband was the same way but now I cant imagine him being named anything else!" Emily wrote in response.

Other people commenting on the video revealed they too had chosen Grey's Anatomy inspired names for their tots.

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"So cute! My sons name is Riggs, also from greys," one person wrote.

"We have twins Avery and Owen and it hit my husband when they were like 2 that they were both from Grey's," another woman added.

"I knew the whole time!"

"My friend named her son Karev," a third person wrote.

As fans of Grey's Anatomy will know, Giacomo Gianniotti's character DeLuca was killed off in season 17 of the show.

In other parenting news, this woman is seven months pregnant, but her bump is so flat that people can't even tell.

Mum shares a simple cuddle hold that gets overtired babies to sleep every time.

And this mum changed her child's name when she was six weeks old, as she didn't want to regret it.

Excerpt from:
I named my son after a Greys Anatomy character some people love how unique it is but others are less tha... - The Sun