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Thursday, January 21, 2021
East Oregonian
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Biden: Ending Muslim travel ban among planned executive orders
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democracy is fragile. At this
hour, my friends, democracy
has prevailed,” Biden said.
“This is America’s day. This
is democracy’s day. A day in
history and hope, of renewal
and resolve.”
Biden never mentioned his
predecessor, who defied tradi-
tion and left town ahead of the
ceremony, but his speech was
an implicit rebuke of Donald
Trump. The new president
denounced “lies told for
power and for profit” and was
blunt about the challenges
ahead.
Central among them:
the surging virus that has
claimed more than 400,000
lives in the United States, as
well as economic strains and a
national reckoning over race.
“We have much to do in
this winter of peril, and signif-
icant possibilities. Much to
repair, much to restore, much
to heal, much to build and
much to gain,” Biden said.
“Few people in our nation’s
history have been more chal-
lenged, or found a time more
challenging or difficult than
the time we’re in now.”
Biden was eager to go big
early, with an ambitious first
100 days including a push
to speed up the distribution
of COVID-19 vaccinations
to anxious Americans and
pass a $1.9 trillion economic
relief package. On Day One,
he planned a series of exec-
utive actions to roll back
Trump administration initia-
tives and also planned to send
an immigration proposal to
Capitol Hill that would create
an eight-year path to citizen-
ship for immigrants living in
the country illegally.
The absence of Biden’s
predecessor from the inaugu-
ral ceremony underscored the
national rift to be healed.
But a bipartisan trio of
former presidents — Bill
Clinton, George W. Bush
and Barack Obama — were
there to witness the ceremo-
nial transfer of power. Trump,
awaiting his second impeach-
ment trial, was at his Florida
resort by the time the swear-
ing-in took place.
Biden, in his third run
for the presidency, staked
his candidacy less on any
distinctive political ideology
than on galvanizing a broad
coalition of voters around the
notion that Trump posed an
existential threat to American
democracy. Four years after
Trump’s “American Carnage”
speech painted a dark portrait
of national decay, Biden
warned that the fabric of the
nation’s democracy was tear-
ing but expressed faith that it
could be repaired.
Kratom:
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Kemp proceeded to
engage law enforcement in
a “physical confrontation,”
and it took four officers to
restrain him and secure him
to a medical gurney to treat
his injuries. Officers also
tased Kemp, but he was not
affected.
Officers were exposed to
bloodborne pathogens but
were not injured, the press
release said.
Upon further investiga-
tion, police said they believe
that Kemp’s psychosis was
most likely caused by the
herbal drug kratom.
Kratom, which is part of
the coffee family, is derived
from the leaves of a tree
native to Southeast Asia. It is
legal and, for the most part,
unregulated and untracked in
Oregon and nationally.
When kratom is intro-
duced into the body in large
amounts, it can have a seda-
tive effect, similar to that of
an opiate. The Food and Drug
Administration warns that
people who use kratom run
the risk of dependency and,
in some cases, addiction.
Some people, however,
use the drug in small amounts
as a remedy for chronic pain,
depression, anxiety and as a
curb for opioid addiction —
though it is not medically
prescribed. Some veterans
have also said it helps control
symptoms of post-traumatic
stress, according to the
Patrick Semansky/Associated Press
President Joe Biden speaks during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021.
“I know the forces that
divide us are deep and they
are real. But I also know
they are not new. Our history
has been a constant struggle
between the American ideal
that we are all created equal
and the harsh, ugly reality
that racism, nativism, fear,
demonization have long torn
us apart,” Biden said. “This is
our historic moment of crisis
and challenge, and unity
is the path forward and we
must meet this moment as the
United States of America.”
Swearing the oath with
his hand on a five-inch-thick
Bible that has been in his
family for 128 years, Biden
came to office with a well of
empathy and resolve born by
personal tragedy as well as a
depth of experience forged
from more than four decades
in Washington. At age 78, he
is the oldest president inaugu-
rated.
More history was made
at his side, as Kamala Harris
became the first woman to be
vice president. The former
U.S. senator from California
is also the first Black person
and the first person of South
Asian descent elected to the
vice presidency and the high-
est-ranking woman ever to
serve in government.
The two were sworn
in during an inauguration
ceremony with few paral-
lels. Biden, like all those
in attendance, wore a face
mask except when speak-
ing. And tens of thousands
of National Guard troops
were on the streets to provide
New York Times.
Information and data
on the positive and nega-
tive effects of kratom are
limited, and because of this,
health officials have voiced
concerns that it is largely
unregulated.
Other reported side effects
caused by kratom have
included seizures and hallu-
cinations. Past government
reviews have linked kratom
to more than 100 overdose
deaths.
In 2017, the Centers for
Disease Control and Preven-
tion reported that kratom
was the cause of 91 of 27,000
overdose deaths examined
by the agency during an
18-month period.
The substance is banned
in six states, Alabama,
Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode
Island, Vermont and Wiscon-
sin, and also in the District of
Columbia.
“Individuals under the
influence of kratom can be
unpredictable and danger-
ous, as witnessed by this
incident,” the press release
said. “Several businesses in
the Pendleton area currently
sell kratom.”
Kratom is found most
commonly in smoke shops,
dispensaries and even in
some gas stations.
Kemp was taken to St.
Anthony Hospital in Pend-
leton, and after evaluation
was lodged in the Umatilla
County Jail on second-de-
gree disorderly conduct.
More charges are currently
pending, the press release
said.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Vice President Kamala Harris bumps fists with President-elect
Joe Biden after she was sworn in during the inauguration,
Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
security precisely two
weeks after a violent mob of
Trump supporters, incited
by the Republican president,
stormed the Capitol in an
attempt to prevent the certifi-
cation of Biden’s victory.
“Here we stand, just days
after a riotous mob thought
they could use violence to
silence the will of the people,”
Biden said. “To stop the work
of our democracy. To drive
us from this sacred ground. It
did not happen. It will never
happen. Not today, not tomor-
row. Not ever. Not ever.”
The tense atmosphere
evoked the 1861 inauguration
of Abraham Lincoln, who
was secretly transported to
Washington to avoid assas-
sins on the eve of the Civil
War, or Franklin Roosevelt’s
inaugural in 1945, when he
opted for a small, secure cere-
mony at the White House in
the waning months of World
War II.
But Washington, all but
deserted downtown and in its
federal areas, was quiet. And
calm also prevailed outside
heavily fortified state Capitol
buildings across nation after
the FBI had warned of the
possibility for armed demon-
strations leading up to the
inauguration.
The day began with a reach
across the political aisle after
four years of bitter parti-
san battles under Trump. At
Biden’s invitation, congressio-
nal leaders from both parties
bowed their heads in prayer in
the socially distanced service
ja few blocks from the White
House.
Biden was sworn in by
Chief Justice John Roberts;
Harris by Justice Sonia
Sotomayor, the first Latina
member of the Supreme
Court. Vice President Mike
Pence, standing in for Trump,
sat nearby as Lady Gaga,
holding a golden microphone,
sang the National Anthem
accompanied by the U.S.
Marine Corps band.
When Pence, in a last act of
the outgoing administration,
left the Capitol, he walked
through a door with badly
cracked glass from the riot
two weeks ago. Later, Biden,
Harris and their spouses were
joined by the former presi-
dents to solemnly lay a wreath
at the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier at Arlington National
Ceremony.
Biden was also to join the
end of a slimmed-down inau-
gural parade as he moves into
the White House. Because
of the pandemic, much of
this year’s parade was to
be a virtual affair featuring
performances from around
the nation.
In the evening, in lieu
of the traditional balls that
welcome a new president
to Washington, Biden was
to take part in a televised
concert that also marked the
return of A-list celebrities to
the White House orbit after
they largely eschewed Trump.
Among those in the lineup:
Bruce Springsteen, Justin
Timberlake and Lin-Manuel
Miranda.
This was not an inaugu-
ration for the crowds. But
Americans in the capital city
nonetheless brought their
hopes to the moment.
“I feel so hopeful, so thank-
ful,” said Karen Jennings
Crooms, a D.C. resident who
hoped to catch a glimpse of
the presidential motorcade on
Pennsylvania Avenue with her
husband. “It makes us sad that
this is where we are but hope-
ful that democracy will win
out in the end. That’s what I’m
focusing on.”
Trump was the first pres-
ident in more than a century
to skip the inauguration of his
successor. After a brief fare-
well celebration at nearby
Joint Base Andrews, he
boarded Air Force One for the
final time as president.
“I will always fight for you.
I will be watching. I will be
listening and I will tell you
that the future of this coun-
try has never been better,”
said Trump. He wished the
incoming administration well
but never mentioned Biden’s
name.
The very moment Trump
disappeared into the door-
way of Air Force One, Biden
emerged from Blair House,
the traditional guest lodg-
ing for presidents-in-waiting,
and into his motorcade for the
short ride to church.
Trump did adhere to one
tradition and left a personal
note for Biden in the Oval
Office, according to the White
House, which did not release
its contents. And Trump, in
his farewell remarks, hinted at
a political return, saying “we
will be back in some form.”
Without question, he will
shadow Biden’s first days in
office.
Trump’s second impeach-
ment trial could start as early
as this week. That will test
the ability of the Senate, now
coming under Democratic
control, to balance impeach-
ment proceedings with confir-
mation hearings and votes on
Biden’s Cabinet choices.
The White House, deso-
late in Trump’s waning days,
sprang back to life Wednes-
day afternoon, with Biden
staffers moving in and new
COVID-19 safety measures,
like plastic shields on desks,
installed.
Biden planned a 10-day
blitz of executive orders on
matters that don’t require
congressional approval —
a mix of substantive and
symbolic steps to unwind
the Trump years. Among the
planned steps: rescinding
travel restrictions on people
from several predominantly
Muslim countries; rejoin-
ing the Paris climate accord;
issuing a mask mandate for
those on federal property, and
ordering agencies to figure out
how to reunite children sepa-
rated from their families after
crossing the border.
Vaccine: 2,472 county residents inoculated
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ing vaccines from a reserve
of around 20,000 doses orig-
inally slated to be used as
second doses, according to
Joe Fiumara, the county’s
health director. However,
many of these doses were
paired with first doses that
had yet to reach the arms of
Oregonians, so the state has
decided that certain counties
will receive shipments.
“R at her t ha n (t he
vaccines) sitting on a shelf,
they’ve dished some of them
out to these counties, like us,
that have a significant portion
of the Phase 1a population
that has not been sufficiently”
immunized, he said.
Doses from that reserve
will now be used in Umatilla
County to help immunize a
variety of groups, includ-
ing workers from long-term
care facilities that were not
covered by the Federal Phar-
macy Partnership, a national
effort to send retail pharma-
cists into nursing homes to
ramp up COVID-19 immu-
nization efforts after a slug-
gish initial rollout.
Fiumara said the county
has reached an agreement
with the state to help bring
vaccines to eight differ-
ent long-term care facilities
that did not receive vaccines
despite being part of the
federal partnership.
The new doses come after
the Oregon Health Author-
ity informed the county last
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Cars line up for COVID-19 vaccinations during a Umatilla County Public Health vaccination
clinic at the Pendleton Convention center on Jan 7, 2021.
week that they would not be
receiving doses, forcing the
county to cancel two sched-
uled events. Now that the
new shipment has arrived,
health officials are prepar-
ing to reach out to long-term
care facilities to begin inocu-
lating residents and workers
perhaps as early as Jan. 21.
The county’s agreement
with OHA also said health
officials must administer all
1,000 doses in the next seven
days, Fiumara said.
Fiumara said the health
department is expecting to
learn how many vaccines the
county will receive in its next
shipment on Jan. 21. That next
shipment will partly deter-
mine whether the county can
begin vaccinating educators
next week or not, Fiumara
said.
Gov. K ate Brow n
announced last week that
educators will be eligible to
begin receiving the vaccine
on Monday, Jan. 25, but
seniors over the age of 80
will have to wait until Feb. 8,
followed by people over the
age of 75 on Feb. 15, 70-plus
on Feb. 22 and 65-plus on
March 1.
“It’s going to be really hard
to focus on educators next
week if we still have a lot of
long-term care facilities that
need to get covered,” Fiumara
said, adding the health depart-
ment is still concerned they
may be perhaps 1,000 doses
short in sufficiently covering
the Phase 1a group.
Umatilla County has
immunized 2,472 total resi-
dents since efforts began in
late December 2020, accord-
ing to data from the county
health department.
“Vaccination gives us
hope that the pandemic will
end,” the press release said,
“but in the meantime, we need
to continue safety measures
to keep the virus from spread-
ing: wear a mask, physically
distance from others, wash
your hands, avoid gatherings
and stay home when you are
sick.”