ANONYMOUS - OUR VOICE

US Doesn't Have "Precise Number" Of Americans In Afghanistan: White House

<div class="ins_instory_dv">
<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="US Doesn't Have 'Precise Number' Of Americans In Afghanistan: White House" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-08/mu5o1a1g_us-soldiers-afghanistan_625x300_20_August_21.jpg" title="US Doesn't Have 'Precise Number' Of Americans In Afghanistan: White House" /></div>
"We don't have a precise number and there's a reason for that," Kate Bedingfield said
</div>
Washington:
The US government does not know exactly how many Americans are currently in Afghanistan, the White House communications director said on Friday, even as it races to evacuate thousands of people from the chaotic Kabul airport.
"We don't have a precise number and there's a reason for that," Communications Director Kate Bedingfield told CNN, adding that is partly because the current count "includes people who may have left the country, who may have left over the course of the last six months."
"What we're doing is working to identify how many Americans are there," Bedingfield said.
President Joe Biden has said he would extend the Aug. 31 deadline for troops to leave Afghanistan, which the United States invaded two decades ago, to ensure all Americans get out, making it crucial to know how many remain in the country.
Estimates of remaining Americans range widely. According to the Washington Post, national security officials told a bipartisan group of Senate staffers on Tuesday that about 10,000 to 15,000 US citizens are in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday that between 5,000 and 10,000 US citizens were believed to be in the Kabul area.
The count will fluctuate daily as thousands of people are airlifted from Kabul. The US goal is to remove 5,000 to 9,000 people per day.
The United States has evacuated approximately 14,000 people since the end of July. More than half of those, 9,000, have been removed since Aug. 14, according to a White House official.
The official said that out of the 3,000 people evacuated by the United States on Thursday, 350 were Americans.
On Tuesday the US military evacuated about 1,100 Americans, permanent residents of the United States, and their families.
"As of a few weeks ago we had already begun reaching out to all American citizens who were in Afghanistan, via email, via text, via messaging app to hear from them, and to understand their plans and work with them to get them out if they want to get out," Bedingfield said. "And so that is a massive logistical operation."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-doesnt-have-precise-number-of-americans-in-afghanistan-white-house-2515181">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-doesnt-have-precise-number-of-americans-in-afghanistan-white-house-2515181</a>

news world US Doesn't Have "Precise Number" Of Americans In Afghanistan: White House

"We don't have a precise number and there's a reason for that," Kate Bedingfield said Washington: The US government d...

Video: Oliver North Warns Taliban Have Names, Addresses, Phone Numbers Of Everyone Who Worked With US In Afghanistan

Reports have surfaced that British and American forces are unhappy with each other at Kabul airport, as UK Military commanders are overseeing rescue missions into the city itself, while US commanders are sitting tight, leaving US nationals to fend for themselves.
Thousands of Americans trapped in the city were again advised by the US embassy that it cannot protect them if they attempt to get to the airport, and even if they make it, they might not be able to get on a plane out of there:
<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper" readability="8.2810650887574">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="10.121301775148">
"THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT CANNOT ENSURE SAFE PASSAGE TO THE HAMID KARZAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,” the US Embassy in Kabul told American citizens in a security alert today, per <a href="https://twitter.com/kylieatwood?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kylieatwood</a>, adding space on evac flights will now be available on “first come, first serve basis.”
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1428059430982230020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
</div>
</figure>
The British government, however has <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1477109/Afghanistan-withdrawal-Paras-ready-Kabul-rescue-mission">sent in 900 elite para troopers</a> to rescue some 4000 nationals in Kabul, and told the soldiers to expect face to face combat with the Taliban.
Sources have indicated that the U.S. command is unhappy with the British forces going into the heart of Kabul, claiming that it is putting the withdrawal agreement at risk (isn’t a bit late for that?).
The British troops are also said to be livid at the way America is treating Afghans who are desperate to flee the Taliban.
Yet American troops are also said to be pissed off with their higher ups not letting them run rescue missions alongside the Brits.
Former Congressional staffer turned reporter Matthew Russell detailed what is unfolding according to sources in Kabul:
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-102922" src="https://api-assets.infowars.com/2021/08/british-troops-patrols-kabul.jpg" /></figure>
Others noted that some British troops have been tasked with observing US forces in case they suddenly decide to leave, because without the 6000 US troops in place, the British forces could easily be overwhelmed:
<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"></figure>
Fresh video has also emerged showing the scene outside the airport, which looks like hell on earth:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="8.6">
This is what it looks like outside the north gate at the airport in Kabul. I won't mention why this location is important. I will say that the <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CENTCOM</a> commander, who agreed to allow this airport to be the primary/only evacuation point, should be dismissed/replaced immediately. <a href="https://t.co/yfvWRJaJ7n">pic.twitter.com/yfvWRJaJ7n</a>
— Bill Roggio (@billroggio) <a href="https://twitter.com/billroggio/status/1427810858256769031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
How are American nationals supposed to get to the airport through this?
Laughably, the State Department has accused the Taliban of reneging on the deal to allow Americans to get to the airport.
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Shermansaid “We have seen reports that the Taliban, contrary to their public statements and their commitments to our government, are blocking Afghans who wish to leave the country from reaching the airport.”
Ya think Wendy?
<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"></figure>
“Our military partners are engaging directly with the Taliban to make clear that we expect them to allow all American citizens, all 3rd country nationals and all Afghans who wish to leave to do so safely and without harassment,” she added.
Right, so while they are killing anyone they find who may have worked with the British or American governments, you’re asking the Taliban nicely to not block the way are you?
<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9906315/Rescue-mission-thousands-UK-citizens-Afghanistan-strain.html">The Daily Mail reports</a> on the scenes at the airport, describing “stampeding crowds and Islamist fanatics using rifle butts and sticks to beat protesters.”
<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/afghanistan-desperate-women-throw-babies-over-razor-wire-at-compound-asking-british-soldiers-to-take-them-12384646">Further horrific reports have emerged</a> of women tossing their own babies into razor wire fences toward British soldiers in an attempt to get them out of the country.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="3.8744394618834">
People are so desperate to escape the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Taliban?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Taliban</a> that they’re passing babies and kids forward to the gate at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a> airport. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kabulairport?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kabulairport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AfghanEvac?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AfghanEvac</a> <a href="https://t.co/6NSlIffrD1">pic.twitter.com/6NSlIffrD1</a>
— Matt Zeller (@mattczeller) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattczeller/status/1427996919423541263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
This chaos could have been avoided, but the Biden administration scrapped existing withdrawal plans and then seemingly failed to come up with any replacement contingencies but still went ahead with the withdrawal anyway:
<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper" readability="6.1740331491713">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="6.585635359116">
Interesting. Embarrassing timing to say the least. "The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Biden?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Biden</a> State Department moved in June to cancel a program overseeing the protection and evacuation of American citizens stationed overseas in the case of an emergency, just as the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Taliban?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Taliban</a> was taking over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a>." <a href="https://t.co/FvV9TrPgVT">https://t.co/FvV9TrPgVT</a>
— Alberto Miguel Fernandez (@AlbertoMiguelF5) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlbertoMiguelF5/status/1428104905403817997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
</div>
</figure>
<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/biden-state-dept-moved-to-abolish-crisis-response-bureau-months-before-taliban-takeover-of-afghanistan/" target="_blank">The Washington Free Beacon</a> reports “The Biden State Department moved to dissolve the Trump-era crisis response program, according to an internal State Department memo and sources familiar with the matter.”
The report adds “That memo, which was marked sensitive but unclassified and was signed by Deputy Secretary Brian McKeon, approved the “discontinuation of the establishment, and termination of, the Contingency and Crisis Response Bureau (CCR),” a new State Department entity created during the Trump administration to coordinate emergency response services overseas.”
SUBSCRIBE on YouTube:
Follow on Twitter:
——————————————————————————————————————— 
Brand new merch now available! Get it at <a href="https://www.pjwshop.com/">https://www.pjwshop.com/</a> <a href="https://www.pjwshop.com/"><img alt="PJW Shop" border="0" height="600" src="https://cdn.summit.news/2021/07/merch.jpg" width="348" /></a>
ALERT! In the age of mass Silicon Valley censorship It is crucial that we stay in touch.
We need you to sign up for our free newsletter <a href="https://summit.news/newsletter">here</a>.
Support our sponsor – <a href="https://bit.ly/TURBOFORCE">Turbo Force</a> – a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown.
Also, we urgently need your financial support <a href="https://www.subscribestar.com/paul-joseph-watson">here</a>. ———————————————————————————————————————
 
 
source <a href="https://summit.news/2021/08/20/video-oliver-north-warns-taliban-have-names-addresses-phone-numbers-of-everyone-who-worked-with-us-in-afghanistan/">https://summit.news/2021/08/20/video-oliver-north-warns-taliban-have-names-addresses-phone-numbers-of-everyone-who-worked-with-us-in-afghanistan/</a>

revolution summit Video: Oliver North Warns Taliban Have Names, Addresses, Phone Numbers Of Everyone Who Worked With US In Afghanistan

Reports have surfaced that British and American forces are unhappy with each other at Kabul airport, as UK Military commanders are overseein...

WTH? Canadian PM Spoke With HILLARY CLINTON About Afghanistan Because Biden And Harris Were AWOL

Reports have surfaced that British and American forces are unhappy with each other at Kabul airport, as UK Military commanders are overseeing rescue missions into the city itself, while US commanders are sitting tight, leaving US nationals to fend for themselves.
Thousands of Americans trapped in the city were again advised by the US embassy that it cannot protect them if they attempt to get to the airport, and even if they make it, they might not be able to get on a plane out of there:
<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper" readability="8.2810650887574">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="10.121301775148">
"THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT CANNOT ENSURE SAFE PASSAGE TO THE HAMID KARZAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,” the US Embassy in Kabul told American citizens in a security alert today, per <a href="https://twitter.com/kylieatwood?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kylieatwood</a>, adding space on evac flights will now be available on “first come, first serve basis.”
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1428059430982230020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
</div>
</figure>
The British government, however has <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1477109/Afghanistan-withdrawal-Paras-ready-Kabul-rescue-mission">sent in 900 elite para troopers</a> to rescue some 4000 nationals in Kabul, and told the soldiers to expect face to face combat with the Taliban.
Sources have indicated that the U.S. command is unhappy with the British forces going into the heart of Kabul, claiming that it is putting the withdrawal agreement at risk (isn’t a bit late for that?).
The British troops are also said to be livid at the way America is treating Afghans who are desperate to flee the Taliban.
Yet American troops are also said to be pissed off with their higher ups not letting them run rescue missions alongside the Brits.
Former Congressional staffer turned reporter Matthew Russell detailed what is unfolding according to sources in Kabul:
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-102922" src="https://api-assets.infowars.com/2021/08/british-troops-patrols-kabul.jpg" /></figure>
Others noted that some British troops have been tasked with observing US forces in case they suddenly decide to leave, because without the 6000 US troops in place, the British forces could easily be overwhelmed:
<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"></figure>
Fresh video has also emerged showing the scene outside the airport, which looks like hell on earth:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="8.6">
This is what it looks like outside the north gate at the airport in Kabul. I won't mention why this location is important. I will say that the <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CENTCOM</a> commander, who agreed to allow this airport to be the primary/only evacuation point, should be dismissed/replaced immediately. <a href="https://t.co/yfvWRJaJ7n">pic.twitter.com/yfvWRJaJ7n</a>
— Bill Roggio (@billroggio) <a href="https://twitter.com/billroggio/status/1427810858256769031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
How are American nationals supposed to get to the airport through this?
Laughably, the State Department has accused the Taliban of reneging on the deal to allow Americans to get to the airport.
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Shermansaid “We have seen reports that the Taliban, contrary to their public statements and their commitments to our government, are blocking Afghans who wish to leave the country from reaching the airport.”
Ya think Wendy?
<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"></figure>
“Our military partners are engaging directly with the Taliban to make clear that we expect them to allow all American citizens, all 3rd country nationals and all Afghans who wish to leave to do so safely and without harassment,” she added.
Right, so while they are killing anyone they find who may have worked with the British or American governments, you’re asking the Taliban nicely to not block the way are you?
<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9906315/Rescue-mission-thousands-UK-citizens-Afghanistan-strain.html">The Daily Mail reports</a> on the scenes at the airport, describing “stampeding crowds and Islamist fanatics using rifle butts and sticks to beat protesters.”
<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/afghanistan-desperate-women-throw-babies-over-razor-wire-at-compound-asking-british-soldiers-to-take-them-12384646">Further horrific reports have emerged</a> of women tossing their own babies into razor wire fences toward British soldiers in an attempt to get them out of the country.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="3.8744394618834">
People are so desperate to escape the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Taliban?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Taliban</a> that they’re passing babies and kids forward to the gate at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a> airport. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kabulairport?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kabulairport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AfghanEvac?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AfghanEvac</a> <a href="https://t.co/6NSlIffrD1">pic.twitter.com/6NSlIffrD1</a>
— Matt Zeller (@mattczeller) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattczeller/status/1427996919423541263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
This chaos could have been avoided, but the Biden administration scrapped existing withdrawal plans and then seemingly failed to come up with any replacement contingencies but still went ahead with the withdrawal anyway:
<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper" readability="6.1740331491713">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="6.585635359116">
Interesting. Embarrassing timing to say the least. "The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Biden?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Biden</a> State Department moved in June to cancel a program overseeing the protection and evacuation of American citizens stationed overseas in the case of an emergency, just as the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Taliban?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Taliban</a> was taking over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a>." <a href="https://t.co/FvV9TrPgVT">https://t.co/FvV9TrPgVT</a>
— Alberto Miguel Fernandez (@AlbertoMiguelF5) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlbertoMiguelF5/status/1428104905403817997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
</div>
</figure>
<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/biden-state-dept-moved-to-abolish-crisis-response-bureau-months-before-taliban-takeover-of-afghanistan/" target="_blank">The Washington Free Beacon</a> reports “The Biden State Department moved to dissolve the Trump-era crisis response program, according to an internal State Department memo and sources familiar with the matter.”
The report adds “That memo, which was marked sensitive but unclassified and was signed by Deputy Secretary Brian McKeon, approved the “discontinuation of the establishment, and termination of, the Contingency and Crisis Response Bureau (CCR),” a new State Department entity created during the Trump administration to coordinate emergency response services overseas.”
SUBSCRIBE on YouTube:
Follow on Twitter:
——————————————————————————————————————— 
Brand new merch now available! Get it at <a href="https://www.pjwshop.com/">https://www.pjwshop.com/</a> <a href="https://www.pjwshop.com/"><img alt="PJW Shop" border="0" height="600" src="https://cdn.summit.news/2021/07/merch.jpg" width="348" /></a>
ALERT! In the age of mass Silicon Valley censorship It is crucial that we stay in touch.
We need you to sign up for our free newsletter <a href="https://summit.news/newsletter">here</a>.
Support our sponsor – <a href="https://bit.ly/TURBOFORCE">Turbo Force</a> – a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown.
Also, we urgently need your financial support <a href="https://www.subscribestar.com/paul-joseph-watson">here</a>. ———————————————————————————————————————
 
 
source <a href="https://summit.news/2021/08/20/wth-canadian-pm-spoke-with-hillary-clinton-about-afghanistan-because-biden-and-harris-were-awol/">https://summit.news/2021/08/20/wth-canadian-pm-spoke-with-hillary-clinton-about-afghanistan-because-biden-and-harris-were-awol/</a>

revolution summit WTH? Canadian PM Spoke With HILLARY CLINTON About Afghanistan Because Biden And Harris Were AWOL

Reports have surfaced that British and American forces are unhappy with each other at Kabul airport, as UK Military commanders are overseein...

Restaurant Owners and Employees Reject Enforcing Covid Vaccine Mandates and Acting as Jab Police

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter"><img alt="Vaccine passports are spreading across the world. Here's ..." src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fny%2Fapi%2Fres%2F1.2%2FdfxD71k3YVC1CTZPzD7.aQ--%2FYXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTM1Mi41%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fuu%2Fapi%2Fres%2F1.2%2FSs96MqweufvUK_b0JIKitA--~B%2FaD0xMjQwO3c9MjQ4MDthcHBpZD15dGFjaHlvbg--%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fbusiness_insider_articles_888%2F24a0c1b23a1822cf19a56e8d8a5f5df2&f=1&nofb=1" />
<figcaption>Vaccine passports appear to be becoming the norm around the world and are forcing businesses to police their customers.</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
Covid-19 vaccine mandates have come into effect for people who want to dine in restaurants all over the United States. As a result, this has unfortunately forced restaurant staff to turn into vaccination enforcers who have now raised their objections to cities using them as <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/restaurants-become-the-new-covid-19-vaccine-enforcersfor-better-or-worse-11629019802" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.wsj.com/articles/restaurants-become-the-new-covid-19-vaccine-enforcersfor-better-or-worse-11629019802" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vaccine police.</a>
Many US cities have recently begun introducing vaccine passports, meaning that proof of vaccination must be shown before an individual can gain access to certain public spaces. These include restaurants, bars, cinemas, theaters, gyms, and other business venues. Some of the largest cities to make these mandates include New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
These cities have tasked restaurant owners and their employees with the responsibility of ensuring that their customers are fully vaccinated through checking vaccine passports.
However, many restaurant owners have strongly criticised the vaccine mandates, saying that they are only hurting business. Due to the new rules, many customers have canceled reservations and raised objections to passports. Other customers have gone online to leave negative reviews, rightfully angry about their civil liberties being violated.
Other restaurant owners have said that customers have accused them and their staff of infringing on personal rights and discriminating against the unvaccinated.
As a result, restaurant owners have been forced into a tricky situation as they do not want to lose customers over legitimate concerns about their health privacy and personal liberties.
Despite this, many restaurant owners believe they must follow the law and check the vaccination status of their customers. Those who are complying with the rules believe that they must do this to keep their businesses running and avoid being fined thousands of dollars after the lockdowns have already taken so much potential revenue from them.
Laurie Thomas, an owner of two restaurants in San Francisco, said: “Tell me the last time you were carded at a restaurant?” It’s a different level of training.” Thomas said that she is worried about her staff having to enforce the vaccine mandate.
Another restaurant owner, Rob DeLuca, said: “What’s going to happen when you ask somebody for their papers and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58204471" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58204471" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">they don’t want to show them to you?</a>
“What are we supposed to do? We’re privately owned businesses, I don’t know why this is our job.”
Countless other restaurant owners have raised concerns about the impact the vaccine mandate will have on their businesses.
Massimo Felici, the owner of three restaurants in Staten Island, said: “For 15 to 16 months business was not happening at all. In one, I had to get rid of 80 percent of my staff. We barely survived. I thought I was definitely going to lose my restaurants.” Speaking about the vaccine mandate, he believes that it could destroy his business.
Andrew Robbins, the CEO of a customer service company said that many restaurant owners and managers are very anxious about <a href="https://www.pymnts.com/coronavirus/2021/vaccine-mandates-are-a-lose-lose-for-frontline-restaurant-workers-says-paytronix-ceo/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.pymnts.com/coronavirus/2021/vaccine-mandates-are-a-lose-lose-for-frontline-restaurant-workers-says-paytronix-ceo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">putting their staff at risk</a> by turning them into vaccine enforcers: “It’s not like carding someone at the bar for a beer… [where] you’re just enforcing the law. You’re making up the law and that is a really difficult situation for people to be in.”
Robbins, along with many other, is fearful that the vaccine mandate will result in many people leaving the restaurant industry as they become turned off by the idea of becoming vaccine enforcers. If this happens, it will only make the labour shortage even worse.
<div class="wp-block-group" readability="4.4390138408305">
<div class="wp-block-group__inner-container" readability="6.8602941176471">
<hr class="wp-block-separator" />
 
<a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">The Exposé is now censored on 
Google, Facebook & Twitter.</a><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/"> </a><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">So we need your help to ensure 
we can continue to bring you the </a> <a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">facts the mainstream refuse to…</a>
<a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">We’re not funded by the Government </a> <a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">to publish lies and propaganda on their</a> 
<a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">behalf like the mainstream media.</a> 
<a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">Instead we rely solely on your support, so</a> <a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/"> </a><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">please support us in our efforts to bring</a> 
<a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">you honest, re</a><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">liable, investigative journalism.</a> 
<a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/august-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/">It’s quick and easy…</a> 
Please choose your preferred 
method to show your support
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=864RBRS7GH9LA"><img alt="" class="wp-image-9610" data-attachment-id="9610" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="image-159" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-159.png?fit=332%2C89&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-159.png?fit=300%2C80&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-159.png?fit=332%2C89&ssl=1" data-orig-size="332,89" data-permalink="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/07/01/july-fundraising-campaign/image-159-3/" height="49" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px" src="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-159.png?resize=219%2C59&ssl=1" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-159.png?w=332&ssl=1 332w, https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-159.png?resize=300%2C80&ssl=1 300w" width="180" /></a></figure>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/donate-today/"><img alt="" class="wp-image-9614" data-attachment-id="9614" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="image-163" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-163.png?fit=332%2C89&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-163.png?fit=300%2C80&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-163.png?fit=332%2C89&ssl=1" data-orig-size="332,89" data-permalink="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/07/01/july-fundraising-campaign/image-163-3/" height="49" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-163.png?resize=217%2C59&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-163.png?w=332&ssl=1 332w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-163.png?resize=300%2C80&ssl=1 300w" width="180" /></a></figure>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/support-daily-expose-with-a-monthly-subscription/"><img alt="" class="wp-image-11682" data-attachment-id="11682" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="image-250" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/image-250.png?fit=332%2C89&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/image-250.png?fit=300%2C80&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/image-250.png?fit=332%2C89&ssl=1" data-orig-size="332,89" data-permalink="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/07/13/july-fundraising-campaign-we-rely-solely-on-your-support/image-250/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="51" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px" src="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/image-250.png?resize=190%2C51&ssl=1" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/image-250.png?w=332&ssl=1 332w, https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/image-250.png?resize=300%2C80&ssl=1 300w" width="190" /></a></figure>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><a href="https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/0e00a4d8-4c4a-43b1-8746-6e477dac325d"><img alt="" class="wp-image-9617" data-attachment-id="9617" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="image-166" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-166.png?fit=332%2C89&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-166.png?fit=300%2C80&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-166.png?fit=332%2C89&ssl=1" data-orig-size="332,89" data-permalink="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/07/01/july-fundraising-campaign/image-166-3/" height="50" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 187px) 100vw, 187px" src="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-166.png?resize=216%2C58&ssl=1" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-166.png?w=332&ssl=1 332w, https://i1.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image-166.png?resize=300%2C80&ssl=1 300w" width="187" /></a></figure>
</div>
<hr class="wp-block-separator" />
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel">
<div class="coblocks-slick pb-8" data-slick='{"slidesToScroll":1,"arrow":true,"slidesToShow":3,"infinite":true,"adaptiveHeight":false,"draggable":true,"rtl":false,"responsive":[{"breakpoint":1024,"settings":{"slidesToShow":3}},{"breakpoint":600,"settings":{"slidesToShow":2}},{"breakpoint":480,"settings":{"slidesToShow":1}}]}'>
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__item" readability="13.305936073059">
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__content" readability="13.735159817352"><time datetime="2021-08-20T07:17:48+01:00" class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__date">August 20, 2021</time><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/20/democrats-want-to-put-all-unvaccinated-people-on-the-terrorist-no-fly-list-and-permanently-ban-them-from-all-air-travel/" alt="Democrats Want to Put All Unvaccinated People on the Terrorist “No-Fly” List and Permanently Ban Them from All Air Travel">Democrats Want to Put All Unvaccinated People on the Terrorist “No-Fly” List and Permanently Ban Them from All Air Travel</a>
Democrats in Congress have introduced a piece of legislation which seeks to …
</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__item" readability="16.79802955665">
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__content" readability="17.339901477833"><time datetime="2021-08-19T16:22:34+01:00" class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__date">August 19, 2021</time><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/19/shocking-uk-government-release-29th-report-on-adverse-reactions-to-the-covid-19-vaccines/" alt="SHOCKING! – UK Government release 29th report on adverse reactions to the Covid-19 Vaccines">SHOCKING! – UK Government release 29th report on adverse reactions to the Covid-19 Vaccines</a>
The UK Government have released their twenty-ninth report highlighting adverse reactions to …
</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__item" readability="10.894927536232">
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__content" readability="11.246376811594"><time datetime="2021-08-19T12:39:27+01:00" class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__date">August 19, 2021</time><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/19/1-in-1-7-million-children-died-with-covid-1-in-9-suffered-serious-adverse-reaction-covid-vaccine/" alt="Just 1 in every 1.7 million children have died with Covid-19 in 18 months, whilst 1 in 9 children suffered a serious adverse reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine in the Clinical Trial">Just 1 in every 1.7 million children have died with Covid-19 in 18 months, whilst 1 in 9 children suffered a serious adverse reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine in the Clinical Trial</a>
The Pfizer Covid-19 injection has been given emergency use authorisation to be …
</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__item" readability="12.51376146789">
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__content" readability="12.917431192661"><time datetime="2021-08-19T10:46:02+01:00" class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__date">August 19, 2021</time><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/19/australia-father-removed-from-home-due-to-being-a-danger-to-public-health-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19/" alt="Australia has fallen – Father removed from home due to being “a danger to public health” after testing positive for Covid-19">Australia has fallen – Father removed from home due to being “a danger to public health” after testing positive for Covid-19</a>
The actions of the state in Australia are making the United Kingdom's …
</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__item" readability="15.409356725146">
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__content" readability="15.906432748538"><time datetime="2021-08-19T09:14:00+01:00" class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__date">August 19, 2021</time><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/19/new-york-city-restaurants-sue-mayor-bill-de-blasio-over-unfair-vaccine-passports/" alt="New York City Restaurants SUE Mayor Bill de Blasio Over ‘Unfair’ Vaccine Passports">New York City Restaurants SUE Mayor Bill de Blasio Over ‘Unfair’ Vaccine Passports</a>
Several restaurants have teamed up to sue Mayor Bill de Blasio and …
</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__item" readability="15.960396039604">
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__content" readability="16.475247524752"><time datetime="2021-08-19T08:40:22+01:00" class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__date">August 19, 2021</time><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/19/supreme-court-blocks-covid-vaccine-passport-to-enter-nightclubs-bars-and-restaurants-in-andalucia/" alt="Supreme Court Blocks Covid Vaccine Passport to Enter Nightclubs, Bars and Restaurants in Andalucia">Supreme Court Blocks Covid Vaccine Passport to Enter Nightclubs, Bars and Restaurants in Andalucia</a>
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Andalucian government cannot justify introducing …
</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__item" readability="12">
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__content" readability="12.387096774194"><time datetime="2021-08-18T17:15:54+01:00" class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__date">August 18, 2021</time><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/18/fully-vaccinated-account-for-73-of-recent-covid-19-deaths-and-data-shows-fully-vaccinated-are-over-5-times-more-likely-to-die-if-infected-with-covid-19/" alt="Fully vaccinated account for 73% of recent Covid-19 deaths and data shows fully vaccinated are over 5 times more likely to die if infected with Covid-19">Fully vaccinated account for 73% of recent Covid-19 deaths and data shows fully vaccinated are over 5 times more likely to die if infected with Covid-19</a>
We're told the Covid-19 vaccines reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death …
</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__item" readability="17.342657342657">
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__content" readability="17.902097902098"><time datetime="2021-08-18T13:57:28+01:00" class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__date">August 18, 2021</time><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/18/pfizer-will-not-mandate-covid-19-vaccines-for-its-own-employees/" alt="Pfizer Will NOT Mandate Covid-19 Vaccines For its Own Employees">Pfizer Will NOT Mandate Covid-19 Vaccines For its Own Employees</a>
The big pharma company is defying Joe Biden's push to get all …
</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__item" readability="22.922535211268">
<div class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__content" readability="23.661971830986"><time datetime="2021-08-18T13:26:12+01:00" class="wp-block-coblocks-post-carousel__date">August 18, 2021</time><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/18/fully-vaccinated-man-dies-of-covid-19/" alt="Fully Vaccinated Man Dies Of Covid-19">Fully Vaccinated Man Dies Of Covid-19</a>
Patricio Elizondo died from Covid-19 despite being fully vaccinated and cautious about …
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://gab.com/dailyexpose"><img alt="" class="wp-image-12593" data-attachment-id="12593" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="image-83" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/image-83.png?fit=300%2C100&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/image-83.png?fit=300%2C100&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/image-83.png?fit=300%2C100&ssl=1" data-orig-size="300,100" data-permalink="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/11/indiana-doctor-destroys-cdc-covid-narrative-at-school-board-meeting/image-83-7/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="67" loading="lazy" src="https://i2.wp.com/dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/image-83.png?resize=199%2C67&ssl=1" width="199" /></a></figure>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<a title="Share this page to Telegram"><img alt="Share this page to Telegram" class="wpts-teleg-icon" src="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/wp-telegram-sharing/img/t-logo.svg" width="64" /></a>
<h3 class="jp-relatedposts-headline">Related</h3>
 
 
source <a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/20/restaurant-owners-and-employees-reject-enforcing-covid-vaccine-mandates-and-acting-as-jab-police/">https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/20/restaurant-owners-and-employees-reject-enforcing-covid-vaccine-mandates-and-acting-as-jab-police/</a>

revolution Restaurant Owners and Employees Reject Enforcing Covid Vaccine Mandates and Acting as Jab Police

Vaccine passports appear to be becoming the norm around the world and are forcing businesses to police their customers. Covid-19 vaccin...

The FTC has refiled its case against Facebook

<div><img class="ff-og-image-inserted" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vO0yQlrEtzq7PKdIUj6PxwsRCq0=/0x434:5520x3324/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22793104/1232438064.jpg" /></div>
One of the US government’s most powerful regulatory agencies, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/08/ftc-alleges-facebook-resorted-illegal-buy-or-bury-scheme-crush">has refiled its historic antitrust lawsuit against Facebook</a>, claiming it’s a monopoly that is hurting competition and harming consumers.
The move comes after a judge dismissed the FTC’s initial lawsuit <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/6/28/22554634/ftc-states-antitrust-cases-against-facebook-federal-court-dismissed-for-now">in June</a> for being too vague, which at the time was a big win for Facebook. In response, the FTC has refiled its lawsuit — and instead of taking a new approach, it’s sticking with its main arguments against Facebook but supporting them with more detail. It’s yet another sign that the <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/10/6/21505027/congress-big-tech-antitrust-report-facebook-google-amazon-apple-mark-zuckerberg-jeff-bezos-tim-cook">regulatory push to rein in</a> the power of Facebook and other major tech companies like Amazon and Apple isn’t slowing down when it encounters hurdles.
The amended suit includes new evidence about how the company allegedly engages in monopolistic behavior to crush its competitors and keep its users hooked on its platform without adequate pressure to improve the quality of its products. The crux of the FTC’s argument is that Facebook has failed to make meaningful innovations on its mobile app on its own in the past several years. Instead, it resorted to what the FTC says is an illegal “buy-or-bury” strategy in which it either shut out outside apps by limiting their access to the Facebook platform or acquired apps like Instagram and WhatsApp that were successful competitors.
The lawsuit alleges that Facebook also “lured” in third-party app developers that were competitive threats, such as Path and Circle, by inviting them to be a part of Facebook’s open platform. Once these developers became dependent on access Facebook had offered them, Facebook would then reverse course, the suit claims. Ultimately, the FTC alleges, all this harms consumers by keeping them trapped in Facebook’s social media ecosystem, with fewer alternative apps.
“Facebook lacked the business acumen and technical talent to survive the transition to mobile. After failing to compete with new innovators, Facebook illegally bought or buried them when their popularity became an existential threat,” said Holly Vedova, FTC Bureau of Competition acting director, in a press release announcing the lawsuit on Thursday.
A few hours after the new suit was filed on Thursday, Facebook <a href="https://twitter.com/fbnewsroom/status/1428436569267056648">tweeted</a> a thread in response.
The company argued that there is no “valid claim” that Facebook is a monopolist, and pointed out that the FTC cleared the company’s WhatsApp and Instagram acquisitions when they originally happened.
“It is unfortunate that despite the court’s dismissal of the complaint and conclusion that it lacked the basis for a claim, the FTC has chosen to continue this meritless lawsuit,” Facebook wrote.
The company also planned a splashy product release of its <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/8/19/22631573/facebook-horizon-workrooms-virtual-reality">new virtual reality work conferencing app</a> — complete with Facebook CEO <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-launches-horizon-workrooms-virtual-reality-app/">Mark Zuckerberg doing a hit on CBS</a> — on the same morning that this new lawsuit was expected to drop. Ironically, Facebook’s new virtual reality conference tool is similar in many ways to existing software from smaller companies, which goes to show how existing antitrust laws don’t stop tech companies from copying each other in real time.
The new lawsuit also responded to Facebook’s petition for Lina Khan, the chair of the FTC, to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-seeks-recusal-of-ftc-chairwoman-in-antitrust-case-11626267605">recuse herself because of what the tech company claims to be a conflict of interest</a> due to her past academic work criticizing the market power of tech companies like Amazon. Some <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Letter%20to%20Amazon%20and%20Facebook%20re%20Petitions%20for%20Khan%20Recusal%20(8.4.21).pdf">lawmakers like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have</a> criticized the push against Khan as an attempt to “bully” the FTC. But it doesn’t seem to be working — the FTC reiterated in the new suit that it doesn’t plan for Khan to recuse herself.
In the past, Facebook has said that the success of companies like TikTok and Snap proves there is healthy competition in the social media industry. This amended lawsuit, however, claims that TikTok is not actually Facebook’s competitor because it’s used primarily to “share video content to an audience that the poster does not personally know, rather than connect and personally engage with friends and family.”
It’s still far too soon to say if this lawsuit will succeed, and how meaningfully it may impact Facebook’s business. Facebook, which has ample resources to fight the case, will come up with the most compelling defense it can as to why it’s not actually a monopoly. But today’s lawsuit shows that the FTC, particularly with Khan at the helm, is not backing down.
Update August 19, 12:27 pm PT: This article was updated to include comment from Facebook, which it posted to Twitter.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/8/19/22632826/facebook-ftc-lawsuit-antitrust-monopoly-lina-khan-instagram-whatsapp-path-circle">https://www.vox.com/2021/8/19/22632826/facebook-ftc-lawsuit-antitrust-monopoly-lina-khan-instagram-whatsapp-path-circle</a>

vox The FTC has refiled its case against Facebook

One of the US government’s most powerful regulatory agencies, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), has refiled its historic antitrust lawsui...

Biden’s immigration policy is hampering Haiti’s recovery from back-to-back crises

<div><img class="ff-og-image-inserted" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7z5zCMHUzyrcUgqgtTVB5-EFzZs=/0x337:10954x6072/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22793147/1234752706.jpg" /></div>
Already grappling with coronavirus, a political crisis stemming from President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination last month and resulting gang violence, Haiti was hit with a two-punch 7.2-magnitude earthquake and tropical depression this week, leaving <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-caribbean-coronavirus-pandemic-haiti-earthquakes-93ff6b258c62b6a3246a1dd1d6307799">almost 2,000 dead</a> and thousands more injured or missing.
Thousands are without shelter because some <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/08.17.2021_USAID-BHA_Haiti_Earthquake_Fact_Sheet_2.pdf">83,000 homes</a> have been destroyed. International aid has been <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-caribbean-coronavirus-pandemic-haiti-earthquakes-93ff6b258c62b6a3246a1dd1d6307799">slow to arrive</a>, delayed by Tropical Storm Grace’s heavy rains, and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/08/18/1028712071/the-haitian-governments-initial-earthquake-response-frustrates-many-in-haiti">some Haitians are frustrated</a> that their own government hasn’t done enough to help.
Also of little help has been the United States, <a href="https://www.vox.com/22629569/haiti-earthquake-tropical-storm-grace-neocolonialism-rebuilding">one of the contributors to Haiti’s political and economic troubles</a>, which has the ability to aid Haitians attempting to flee the country due to its three most recent crises, but has instead prevented them from accessing the protection to which many of them are entitled.
The Biden administration has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-earthquake-98f06a322e12f732f94485238d13558c">sent</a> a search and rescue team to the island and is transporting medical personnel to the most hard-hit areas and carrying out evacuations. It is also distributing <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/08.17.2021_USAID-BHA_Haiti_Earthquake_Fact_Sheet_2.pdf">much-needed supplies</a>, such as food, hygiene kits, and tents.
But the administration is still turning away Haitians who have chosen to flee in light of recent events. Thousands of Haitians are still stuck in Mexico on account of US policies, which currently allow asylum seekers and other migrants to be turned away on the basis of pandemic-related border restrictions, known as the Title 42 policy.
Many more Haitians may seek entry: Though it’s hard to estimate how many, the Darién Gap, a treacherous stretch of jungle and swamp on the border of Panama and Colombia that has functioned as a migrant corridor, has seen more crossings this year — <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2021-08-13/46k-migrants-risked-their-lives-crossing-dari-n-gap-2021-thats-more-last-three">at least 46,000</a> — than it has in the previous three years combined, and most of those attempting to navigate it are Haitians and Cubans.
The Biden administration has allowed more than 100,000 Haitians who arrived in the US before July 29, 2021, to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which is typically offered to citizens of countries suffering from natural disasters or armed conflict. Those people are able to live and work in the US free of fear of deportation.
But that doesn’t help those who might be continuing to leave the country due to the political fallout from Moïse’s July 7 assassination, or now, in the aftermath of Saturday’s earthquake. What’s more, Haitians who have been prohibited from entering the US under Title 42, for which experts say there is no public health justification, appear indefinitely trapped in Mexico. And the US has continued to carry out deportation flights of Haitians despite the turmoil.
At the same time, the Biden administration has discouraged Haitians, as well as Cubans fleeing their communist regime’s recent <a href="https://www.vox.com/22573703/biden-cuba-protests-trump">crackdown on anti-government protesters</a>, from trying to reach the US by boat. Officials have made clear that those who try will be intercepted by the US Coast Guard and will not be permitted to enter the US. Instead, they will either be repatriated back to Haiti or, if they can demonstrate the need for humanitarian protection, resettled in another country.
“The United States has deployed staff and resources to Haiti to help survivors of the earthquake, a vital step,” Wendy Young, the president of the immigrant legal aid group Kids in Need of Defense, said in a statement. “For the administration to then also send Haitians back into harm’s way would not only be senseless and cruel, but it would also deepen the grave humanitarian issues U.S. assistance is trying to address.”
The Biden administration could aid Haiti by rethinking policies that have barred Haitians from seeking refuge in the US. In light of the devastation from the earthquake and other recent crises, advocates are asking the administration to expand TPS for Haitians, indefinitely halt deportations and expulsions to the country, and allow Haitians at the US-Mexico border to temporarily enter the US on humanitarian parole.
These are all policy changes accomplishable through executive action. But the Biden administration has yet to try them, and its reticence may be undermining its Haitian foreign policy goals.
The Biden administration could easily expand TPS eligibility for Haitians who have continued to arrive in the US beyond the July 29 cutoff date. It has already done so in recent months, pushing back the original cutoff date of May 21, 2021.
Beyond offering Haitians affected by the earthquake a pathway to protection in the US, allowing those affected by the earthquake entry into the US would bolster the Biden administration’s efforts to help Haiti recover.
Though the administration has already <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/07/13/fact-sheet-u-s-assistance-to-haiti/">pledged millions</a> in government funds for relief, granting TPS to more Haitians would give them the ability to work in the US and send money to their families back home, hastening the rebuilding process and stimulating a struggling economy. That can be a powerful tool for rebuilding: Haiti received <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.TRF.PWKR.CD.DT?locations=HT">$3.1 billion</a> in remittances in 2020 alone, which represents <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.TRF.PWKR.DT.GD.ZS?locations=HT">almost a quarter</a> of its GDP, and by some estimates, the US accounted for <a href="https://haitiantimes.com/2021/05/14/remittances-to-haiti-surged-in-2020-as-kidnappings-other-crises-rose/">more than 80 percent</a> of those remittances.
“An investment in the Haitian diaspora in the United States is an investment in a stable and strong Haiti and will benefit the United States,” Douglas Rivlin, a spokesperson for the immigrant advocacy group America’s Voice, said in a statement.
Without these remittances, Haiti’s economic development and infrastructure will suffer, which could drive more people to migrate to the US.
The Biden administration could also revive a parole program for Haitians arriving on the southern border and elsewhere in the US. Starting in 2014, the Obama administration allowed some 8,000 Haitians to come to the US under what is known as the <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/humanitarian-parole/the-haitian-family-reunification-parole-hfrp-program">Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program</a>. Certain eligible US citizens and green card holders could apply for parole on behalf of their family members in Haiti who already had pending visa applications, but would have otherwise had to face years-long wait times.
Parole is granted only in situations where the Department of Homeland Security finds there are pressing humanitarian concerns or determines doing so would significantly benefit the public. The program was designed to help Haiti recover from a devastating 2010 earthquake that displaced hundreds of thousands of people, in part by increasing the remittances that Haitian migrants could send to their family back home.
The Trump administration, however, terminated the program in 2019. Over 130 human rights, humanitarian, immigration, and women’s rights organizations have <a href="https://www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Joint-Letter-to-President-Biden-DHS-DPC-NSA-and-DOS-on-Immediate-Protection-of-Haitians-Inside-the-U.S.-and-at-the-Southern-Border-After-Assassination-of-President-Moi%CC%88se.pdf">supported</a> reviving the program, but the groups are also calling for an <a href="https://www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Joint-Letter-to-President-Biden-DHS-DPC-NSA-and-DOS-on-Immediate-Protection-of-Haitians-Inside-the-U.S.-and-at-the-Southern-Border-After-Assassination-of-President-Moi%CC%88se.pdf">even broader parole program</a> that would apply to any Haitian arriving at a US border.
The US continues to turn away the majority of migrants arriving at the southern border — including Haitians — under pandemic-related border restrictions, with exceptions for unaccompanied minors, some families from Central America with young children, and people who were sent back to Mexico to wait for their court hearings in the US.
Last March, at the outset of the pandemic, then-President Donald Trump invoked Title 42, a section of the Public Health Service Act that allows the US government to temporarily block noncitizens from entering the US “when doing so is required in the interest of public health.”
The policy has allowed US immigration officials at the southern border to rapidly expel <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics/title-8-and-title-42-statistics">more than a million</a> migrants since the outset of the pandemic. Though scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opposed the policy initially, arguing there was no legitimate public health rationale behind it, then-Vice President Mike Pence <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-pandemics-public-health-new-york-health-4ef0c6c5263815a26f8aa17f6ea490ae">ordered</a> the agency to follow through with it anyway.
What’s more, public health experts have <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/program-forced-migration-and-health/letter-acting-hhs-secretary-cochran-and-cdc-director-walensky">repeatedly</a> <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/program-forced-migration-and-health/july-2021-letter-hhs-secretary-becerra-and-cdc-director-walensky-title-42-order">said</a> that migrants can be processed and admitted to the US safely. Indeed, this is <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22398712/biden-title-42-migrant-border-expel">already occurring on a small scale</a> as some migrants are being tested for Covid-19 with private funds before they are allowed to cross the border.
Biden has not overturned the policy, despite outcry from immigrant advocates and humanitarian groups who say it prevents migrants from exercising their right under US and international law to seek asylum.
Yet the CDC nevertheless issued an <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s080221-southern-northen-land-borders-order-extended.html">updated order</a> recently saying that the policy would remain in effect until the agency’s director determines that migrants no longer pose a “serious danger to the public health” in terms of spreading Covid-19. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, have continued to insist that they are merely deferring to public health experts at the CDC in opting to continue enforcing the policy.
But keeping the order in place has serious humanitarian consequences for migrants trapped in Mexico.
Haitian Bridge Alliance, an organization that provides services to Black migrants at the border, estimates that <a href="https://www.borderreport.com/hot-topics/immigration/presidents-murder-shores-up-credible-fear-case-for-thousands-of-haitian-asylum-seekers-activists-say/">5,000 to 10,000</a> Haitians are still stuck in Mexico on account of Title 42, and most of them have been waiting between 18 months and five years for a chance to apply for asylum. They have reported facing discrimination in Mexican border towns, where they fear retribution from police or local armed groups.
“The administration should ensure that all Haitians and those seeking protection whose lives and safety are at risk are afforded the opportunity to request protection at our borders and at all ports of entry to the United States,” Young said.
Many Central American families have been sent back to Mexico after being expelled at the US border. But many Haitian families have been <a href="https://time.com/6080579/haitian-migrants-tijuana-us-policy/">sent back to their home country</a> directly because the Mexican government has refused to take them back. The Biden administration <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/05/us-haiti-deportation-flights-suspended-ice-immigration">briefly paused deportation flights</a> to Haiti earlier this year due to escalating political violence. But officials have since chartered dozens of deportation flights to Haiti, despite the fact that many of those being sent back had no communities to return to.
One plane, carrying more than 130 people, including children as young as two, landed two days before the earthquake, said Guerline Jozef, co-founder and executive director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. She said that one recent deportee seeking help from her organization had gone to live with his sister, his only family member left in Haiti, but that sister, along with her husband and two children died in the earthquake.
There are <a href="https://twitter.com/priscialva/status/1427686224991559704?s=20">no US deportation flights scheduled this week</a>, but they could resume anytime thereafter. Jozef said that she wants a more long-term commitment — not one that lasts just a few days or weeks, which is not enough time for the conditions on the ground in Haiti to meaningfully improve. The administration has already acknowledged how dire those conditions are when it announced that it was partially expanding its Haitian TPS program last month.
“The Biden Administration should immediately cease deporting and expelling Haitians so as not to cause additional and needless suffering and harm,” Young said.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22630728/haiti-earthquake-immigration-biden-tps">https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22630728/haiti-earthquake-immigration-biden-tps</a>

vox Biden’s immigration policy is hampering Haiti’s recovery from back-to-back crises

Already grappling with coronavirus, a political crisis stemming from President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination last month and resulting gang ...