This Day in History | 1917

America formally enters World War I whe the U.S. House of Representatives endorses a declaration of war on Germany by a vote of 373 to 50, two days after the U.S. Senate voted 82 to 6 to declare war. 

Good morning Middle Americans, 

We now have a much better understanding of what leadership looks like. Navy Captain Brett Crozier, who went around the chain of command in the name of keeping his sailors safe, has tested positive for COVID-19. This after the Department of Defense removed him from command of the U.S.S. Roosevelt. Captain Crozier is now called a hero by many, including the sailors aboard the Roosevelt, who cheered their departing leader with chats of his name. 

Are you following the guidance from federal, state and local officials? Do you find it confusing? Since there is not one blanket national order from the Feds, local governments are using all kinds of methods to make sure people are wearing masks, staying home and keeping the correct social distance.  The city of Laredo, Texas, has decided that, if you don’t wear a mask they could fine you $1000. 

Also, a lot more people are counting on community food banks to help them get through these tough times. There is nothing to be ashamed of, if you are one of these people. But if you are, please be careful. We have a story today out of Utah about two kids who had to go to the hospital for THC poisoning, due to candy their parents picked up at a food bank.  Who donates edibles to a food bank? I bet there’s a stoner out there in Utah, saying “oh… so that’s what happened to my edibles.”

Read all about it!

-Fraser Dixon 

Captain Removed From Carrier Tests Positive for Covid-19

(New York Times) – Capt. Brett E. Crozier, the Navy captain who was removed from command of the coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, has tested positive for Covid-19, according to two Naval Academy classmates of Crozier’s who are close to him and his family.

A Navy spokesman declined to comment on Crozier’s Covid status.

the commander began exhibiting symptoms before he was removed from the warship on Thursday, two of his classmates said. Crozier was fired following a leak to The San Francisco Chronicle of a letter he had emailed to Navy leaders that detailed the failures on the service’s part to provide the necessary resources to swiftly move sailors off the carrier and disinfect areas on board as the virus spread through the ship.

Thomas B. Modly, the acting secretary of the Navy, said he had lost confidence in Crozier’s ability to command the ship effectively as it dealt with the evolving crisis after Crozier sent the letter on an unclassified email system to 20 to 30 people. Sending such a letter, Modly said, caused unnecessary alarm about the operational readiness of the ship and undermined the chain of command. “In sending it out pretty broadly, he did not take care to ensure that it couldn’t be leaked,” Modly said. “And that’s part of his responsibility.”

Read more here

A Texas City Mandates People Wear Masks in Public or Face $1,000 Fines

(Time) – Should you wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic? The city of Laredo, Texas, has decided that yes, you do. And if you don’t wear one, they could fine you.

The city’s emergency mandate, which went into effect on April 2, states that every person over the age of five must wear “some form of covering over their nose and mouth” when using public transportation, taxis, ride shares, pumping gas or when inside a building open to the public. That face covering can include a homemade mask, scarf, bandana or handkerchief. The penalty for violating the order is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $1,000.

The rule does not apply to people who are riding in “a personal vehicle,” who are alone in “a separate single space,” who are engaging in “permissible outside physical activity,” who are alone with their household members or who are eating food. It also doesn’t apply if when wearing a face covering poses a health, safety or security risk to the individual. Laredo’s mandate is reportedly the first in the U.S. to enforce the wearing of face coverings.

The Washington Post reports the announcement shocked many throughout the city, which sits on the U.S.’s border with Mexico. About a third of the population lives at or below the poverty line, per the Post, and masks had sold out of stores weeks earlier. Some on social media said the city should work to provide masks to people before fining them. The Laredo Morning Times reports that as of Saturday morning Eastern Time, Laredo had at least 85 confirmed cases of the virus and at least five people have died.

Find out more here

Two Kids Hospitalized After Eating THC Candy from a Food Bank

(NBC News) – At least two children are hospitalized after eating THC candy from a food bank in Utah.

An 11-year-old and a 5-year-old were taken to a hospital Friday night after consuming “Medicated Nerds Rope” candy given to their families as part of a food distribution effort from a church working with the Utah Food Bank.

Roy City Police said volunteers at the food bank distributed more than 60 bags that contained three to four servings of the candy rope. Labels in the candy indicate that each one contains 400 milligrams of THC. Adults are normally prescribed between 15 to 45 milligrams of the psychoactive marijuana component.

Learn more here