Schumer calls for Medicare to cover coronavirus vaccine that is still in development

Several vaccines are in development in the U.S. and abroad. But they are still in early stages.

from Health Care https://ift.tt/32E9nLK
via IFTTT

Alex Azar: Need to treat Americans as ‘adults’ on coronavirus

“We’re going to work to protect the American people with every tool that we’ve got.”

from Health Care https://ift.tt/3cjLAoN
via IFTTT

Pence warns that more coronavirus cases are coming

Pence and HHS Secretary Alex Azar made the rounds of the Sunday morning shows, while top government scientists and public health experts have no television appearances scheduled.

from Health Care https://ift.tt/2wVw2at
via IFTTT

Alex Azar: War powers on the table to increase medical supplies

The Trump administration is requiring manufacturers to make their orders top priority.

from Health Care https://ift.tt/38fOjwa
via IFTTT

Pence: 15,000 coronavirus testing kits released over weekend

The vice president acknowledges the U.S. has lagged behind on testing.

from Health Care https://ift.tt/2IaLF0k
via IFTTT

Four times Karnataka Chief Justice Oka has stood with freedom of expression

Law

From upholding a citizen’s right to protest, to condemning a Bar Association for boycotting sedition accused, Chief Justice Abhay Oka has delivered judgements that are crucial in today’s times.

Sanyukta Dharmadhikari

For the past few months, the nation has been witnessing massive country-wide protests against the government — right from August 5, when Article 370 was abrogated, to the protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR). Many citizens of India have been demanding that the CAA and the possibly upcoming exercise of NRC and NPR be scrapped. However, protests have also been accompanied by a clampdown by the authorities to quell any form of dissent. The state of Karnataka has also witnessed a number of cases where individuals have been charged with anti-government activities for voicing their opinion and using their freedom of expression. However, one voice that cut through the noise and confusion over rights vs patriotism was that of the Karnataka High Court — specifically that of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka.  From upholding a citizen’s right to protest, to condemning a Bar Association for boycotting people accused of sedition, Chief Justice Abhay Oka has delivered judgements that are crucial in today’s times. Here are four times that the Karnataka Chief Justice upheld the right of freedom of expression as absolute: ‘Protest a fundamental right, Sec 144 was illegal’ When protests against the CAA reached the city of Bengaluru, around 200 people, including eminent historian Ramachandra Guha, were detained by the police for defying prohibitory orders under Section 144 and staging a protest at Town Hall. Bengaluru police had clamped down prohibitory orders for three days, which was then challenged in the court. A bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Hemant Chandanagoudar stated that the fundamental right to hold peaceful protests is the basic feature of democracy.   “It is the fundamental rights conferred on the citizens to express a voice of dissent. It is irrelevant whether the dissent is right or wrong. When such a valuable fundamental right which an essential part of democracy is said to be taken away by a prohibitory order issued under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973,” the court said.  “Can you ban each and every protest?” Hearing a batch of petitions challenging the imposition of Section 144 in Bengaluru, a bench led by Justice Oka pulled up the state government, asking if the state intends to ban each and every protest and if the state can assume that every protest will become violent. The bench also asked whether authors or artists can stage protests if they disagree with a decision made by the government.  "Can state go under the assumption that every protest will disturb the peace? Are you going to ban each and every protest? How can you cancel permission of a previously granted order?” the court asked. Pulling up Bar Associations for ‘boycott’ resolution In February, Chief Justice Abhay Oka criticised the Hubballi Bar Association’s resolution barring its members from representing three Kashmiri students accused of sedition. The High Court also took a strict view of the heckling faced by advocates from Bengaluru when they approached the registration counter inside the court premises in Dharwad to file the bail applications for the students, who were charged with sedition after a video of them allegedly saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' went viral. Criticising the Hubballi Bar Association, Oka described the actions of lawyers in Dharwad as ‘sheer militancy’, “Barring advocates from appearing for the accused gives a bad name for the judiciary. A lawyer not allowed to approach the filing counter to apply for bail should not happen in this state,“ Oka said in the Karnataka High Court. He was hearing a petition filed by advocate BT Venkatesh challenging the HubballiBar Association's resolution. Following the rap from the High Court, the Hubballi Bar Association changed its resolution. The High Court has further directed the bar association to revoke its earlier resolution.  Recognising citizens’ right In February, Chief Justice Abhay Oka questioned the Karnataka government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) while hearing a case related to the demolition of migrant settlements in Bengaluru over fears that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants stayed there. "By looking at the face of a person, can one be identified as being a Bangladeshi national?” questioned Abhay Oka when the case was heard.  The Chief Justice further directed the Karnataka government to rehabilitate those who were rendered homeless in the demolition drive within a month. The state government was also directed to compensate residents of the settlements who lost their homes. On January 19, migrant settlements in Bellandur were demolished by an excavator in the presence of Bengaluru police officials. However, following the incident, the police, state government and the BBMP attempted to distance themselves from the incident. All three parties made submissions in the Karnataka High Court stating that they had not ordered the demolition which had occurred on private land. But Chief Justice Abhay Oka was relentless in questioning the police and civic officials and asked in court whether “a mysterious force” had demolished huts in the settlements.    A citizen’s judge, before Karnataka HC too Before he was transferred as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, Justice Oka was a part of the Bombay High Court for 16 years. His tenure in Mumbai was marked by landmark judgements similarly upholding the fundamental rights of the citizens — including issues of noise pollution, illegal hoardings, roads, unauthorised constructions, and the like. He was also known for holding the government accountable. In August 2016, the Maharashtra government had accused Justice Oka “harbouring serious bias” against it and filed an application asking Justice Oka to be transferred from hearing a case on the increasing menace of noise pollution in Mumbai. The application triggered a massive row and later the Maharashtra government had to tender an unconditional apology for making such allegations. Justice Abhay Oka was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court on May 10, 2019. With inputs from Prajwal Bhat

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/38eC3Mm
via IFTTT

'Inciting people': Lawyers seek action on BJP minister who said shoot anti-nationals

Law and order

Lawyers suggested that such provocative statements by BC Patil, Minister of Agriculture, set a dangerous precedent and that he should be booked for his statements.

Prajwal Bhat

In another provocative statement, Karnataka Agriculture Minister BC Patil likened those who say 'Pakistan Zindabad' to the coronavirus, which has claimed the lives of close to 3,000 people around the world. The minister's statement comes just days after he called for a law to shoot 'anti-nationals'. "If anyone in Pakistan says 'Jai Bharat Mata', the person will be beheaded in five minutes. The people who are in our country, eat our food and drink our water and say Pakistan Zindabad. Are they not traitors? They are like coronavirus," BC Patil said speaking to reporters. He added that he will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring in a law to shoot 'anti-nationals' who raise slogans against India on sight. Though the minister has not taken any names, a college student named Amulya was arrested in Bengaluru for saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' and has been dominating headlines in Kannada media.  Many lawyers in Bengaluru said that leaders who make such provocative statements are setting a dangerous precedent and that they should also be booked by the police.   "It is a dangerous trend that is developing. A lot of people are saying that 'anti-nationals' should be shot, cut into pieces. Statements like these are an incitement to commit an offence under the penal code. But in some cases, complaints are not registered against those who make these statements," says Maitreyi Krishnan, a Bengaluru-based advocate.  Section 505 in the Indian Penal Code (statements conducing to public mischief) details punishment of fine or imprisonment up to three years for making provocative statements. Section 153A of the IPC  (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) also applies in some cases, Maitreyi adds.  "It is shocking that a minister in the state government is saying this and that the police and the Chief Minister is mum about it. He has said 'Goli Maaro Saalon ki' should become a law. It is a ridiculous statement," says advocate Vinay Sreenivasa with the Alternative Law Forum (ALF).  "There is a pattern of suppressing dissent in Karnataka. The charges against the poet Siraj Bisaralli and the women in Bidar's Shaheen School show that any kind of critical voices will be suppressed by booking cases and issuing threats," Vinay adds.  Apart from BC Patil, Sri Rama Sene leader Sanjeev Maradi from Ballari was booked by police for suggesting that student protesters like Amulya should not be given bail and that if they are given bail, members of the Sri Rama Sene will do an 'encounter' on her.  An FIR was registered at Hospet Town Police Station under sections 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), based on a complaint by Bhaskar Reddy, a CPI(M) leader in Ballari city.   However, police are yet to make an arrest in the case.   

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2uIstnv
via IFTTT