Plus, the VA illegally denied thousands of vulnerable veterans access to healthcare, according to a new report.
Anti-Semetic protestor flies Nazi flag at Sanders rally
Attendees at a Phoenix-area rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders were stunned Thursday night, when moments into Sanders’ speech, a protester brandished a Nazi flag. Members of the crowd quickly ripped the flag from the protester’s hands and the unidentified man was ejected from the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, with Sanders joking “I think they’re a little outnumbered tonight.” Supporters of President Donald Trump also caused a brief disruption at the event. The incidents fueled calls for Secret Service protection of Sanders and his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden.
VA illegally denied thousands of vulnerable veterans access to healthcare, report finds
The Department of Veterans Affairs has for decades illegally denied care to thousands of vulnerable veterans, according to a study released Thursday. The VA has consistently and repeatedly misinterpreted the law guiding which veterans it should care for and which it should turn away, the study found. The errors applied to veterans who received “other-than-honorable” discharges, which are given for infractions such as drug use or insubordination that were never proven in court. The study also found that an estimated 400,000 more veterans are currently at risk of being denied services they may be entitled to.
Warren tight-lipped on endorsement
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Thursday said she will take her time in deciding whether to endorse Joe Biden or Sen. Bernie Sanders in her party’s presidential primary. Warren, who dropped out of the race earlier in the day, has not tipped her hand toward either remaining candidate. Her backing would carry weight, however, and Warren said she has been in contact with both candidates.
DeVos plots a major shift in how schools investigate sexual assault
The Education Department’s final guidelines for handling sexual assault and harassment cases in K-12 schools and universities are set to be released this month, over the objections of victims’ advocacy groups. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos previously scrapped the Obama-era Title IX rule, which informs how institutions respond to misconduct, saying they were unfair to everyone involved. DeVos’ new Title IX revisions provide narrower definitions of misconduct, new standards for investigations, and change the process for filing complaints. Under DeVos’ new rule, alleged perpetrators may also have the chance to confront their accusers, through lawyers or advisers.
Emiene Wright Emiene Wright is associate editor at Cardinal & PIne. Before that she was on the 24-hour news desk of the Miami Herald and the Detroit Free Press, and her writing has been featured in Crisis, the Charlotte Observer, and Our State magazine.
