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Aug. 16, 2021 - Epoch Times

21:18

16 Lawmakers Send Letter to Military, Explain How Vaccine Mandate is Illegal | Facts Matter

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	Good evening.
	Just yesterday, over in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo officially resigned.
	However, while everyone is focused on these sexual harassment allegations, the FBI, they quietly dropped their investigation into the way that he handled nursing homes.
	Meanwhile, protests against vaccine mandates have been springing up across the country.
	And two days ago, we had teams on the ground in both New York as well as California, and we got a chance to ask people what they think about vaccine passports.
	And lastly, some companies are getting creative with the way that they are pushing vaccines.
	In fact, a new report shows that some companies are starting to consider deducting $50 from the paychecks of unvaccinated employees.
	Let's go through it all together.
	This is your daily Facts Matter update, and I'm your host, Roman from the Epoch Times.
	Now let's begin today's discussion by talking about Andrew Cuomo.
	But actually, just before we do, as a super quick aside, right there at the very top of the description box is a link to Epic TV, which is our brand new no-censorship video platform where you can find all of the awesome Epoch Times video programs, like The Larry Elder Show, American Thought Leaders, China in Focus, Life in Times, Counterpunch with Trevor Loudon, As well as our show, Facts Matter, and on there we publish exclusive episodes as well as full-length interviews that, frankly, because of the censorship here on YouTube, I don't feel comfortable publishing on this platform.
	The link to Epic TV will be right there at the very top of the description box.
	I hope you check it out, and now let's really talk about Andrew Cuomo.
	As you've likely already heard, just yesterday, Andrew Cuomo, who is of course the governor of New York, he announced his resignation.
	Now, we already discussed in a previous episode all of the findings of the sexual harassment report which was compiled against him, but in short, the Attorney General of New York found that Mr.
	Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women and retaliated against a former employee, violating both federal and state laws in the process.
	Here's what the Attorney General said in presenting her findings to the public.
	The investigation found that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed current and former New York State employees by engaging in unwelcome and non-consensual touching and making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women.
	Now, to this day, Andrew Cuomo has maintained his innocence, and he said that he did not intentionally show disrespect toward any woman, and that the claims made against him were politically motivated.
	Furthermore, it's also worth noting that the Attorney General did not actually charge Mr.
	Cuomo with any crimes, although there are currently several sheriffs as well as prosecutors here in New York that are looking into that possibility.
	Regardless, with mounting pressure against him from all sides, including from within his own party, within the Democratic Party, Andrew Cuomo made the decision to quit, saying this in a speech yesterday.
	It is a matter of life and death.
	Government operations and wasting energy and distraction is the last thing government should be.
	I cannot be the cause.
	The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to government.
	Now, his resignation will be effective two weeks from now, at which point Ms.
	Kathy Hochul, who is currently the lieutenant governor, she will officially replace Mr.
	Cuomo as the governor of New York, and she will actually be the first female governor in the state's history.
	She will also serve as governor until at least the next gubernatorial election, which is in November of 2022 of next year.
	Now there's something worth noting here, though.
	And that is, as the corporate media outlets in this country are focusing on these sexual harassment allegations, it seems like everyone has forgotten the nursing home scandal.
	Specifically, how the Cuomo administration forced recovering COVID patients to go into nursing homes and then subsequently concealed thousands of COVID deaths among the nursing home population.
	However, as we mentioned in our previous episode, the FBI decided to quietly kill that investigation into these nursing homes, not only in New York, but also in the other states that had these problems as well, meaning that accountability will likely not come.
	If you'd like to read more about what's happening with Mr.
	Andrew Cuomo, I'll throw those links into the description box below this video for you to check out, which is by the way, that description box right next to the like button, which I hope you take a quick moment to smash.
	Because honestly, it goes without saying that videos that are like this, talking honestly about what is happening in this world, are routinely censored by big tech giants like YouTube.
	However, when you smash that like button below this video, you are forcing the YouTube algorithm to share this video out to potentially thousands of more people, letting the truth be known far and wide.
	And now, while we're talking about what's happening here in New York, let's discuss the protests which have been springing up against vaccine passports.
	Two days ago, a crowd of New Yorkers gathered outside of City Hall in order to protest against the vaccine mandate which was recently announced by Bill de Blasio, who is the mayor of New York.
	For your reference, by the way, in case you haven't heard, Last week, New York became the first city in America which will set up a vaccine passport.
	According to Bill de Blasio, starting next month, specifically starting on September 13th, New Yorkers will have to show proof of vaccination in order to go to a restaurant, a gym, or a performance.
	Let me just repeat that.
	Starting next month, in order for you to go to a restaurant, a gym, or a performance here in New York, you will have to show proof that you're vaccinated.
	Here's specifically what Bill de Blasio said when he announced this new rule.
	It's time for people to see vaccination as necessary to living a good and full and healthy life.
	It will require vaccination for workers and customers in indoor dining, in indoor fitness facilities, indoor entertainment facilities.
	The only way to patronize these businesses indoors is if you're vaccinated.
	If you want to participate in society fully, you've got to get vaccinated.
	However, not everyone here in New York is on board this vaccine mandate train, given the fact that there was a protest at City Hall on Monday.
	Now, we here at the Epoch Times, we had our reporters there on the ground, and we got a chance to speak with some of the people who were there.
	For instance, Ms.
	Josephine Rose, who is one of the organizers of this protest, she said that as a city worker, she feels that the vaccine mandate is a form of government overreach.
	Here's specifically what she told us.
	I was just told that by the 13th, I either get vaccinated or I have to get weekly tested.
	But it is my body and my choice.
	I feel like it's government overreach.
	We should all have a choice.
	I'm not an anti-vaxxer, but I believe in the choice of the people.
	I was vaccinated as a child, but as an adult, I decide over my body.
	My parents no longer have any rights over me, and it should be the same with the government.
	Another one of the organizers told us that his main concern with the vaccine pass is that the whole system has a technocratic side to it, which could allow the government to monitor people's lives.
	Here's what he said.
	My concern is that the vaccine pass is opening the door to a completely tyrannical new system of surveillance and control.
	I think more and more people are finally understanding this.
	This is not about so-called vaccines.
	This is about surveillance and digitizing our economy, digitizing our everyday life.
	And it's already been happening over the past 10, 20 years with our phones.
	But they're taking it to the next level now where everything is tracked remotely through your phone.
	And now they're advancing the technology.
	Now, New York was not the only place that held these types of protests over the last few days.
	In fact, just two days ago, hundreds of healthcare workers over in California came out to protest against, likewise, vaccine mandates.
	Specifically, Now, likewise, we had one of our reporters on the ground there as well, and she got a chance to speak with the people as they showed up.
	She spoke with a nurse named Heather, who is one of the founders of America's Healthcare Workers for Medical Freedom.
	That's the organization which organizes protests in California.
	And Heather told us that many of the participants were actually frontline health workers during the pandemic.
	Here's what she said.
	We're not anti-vaccine, we're anti-mandate.
	We have worked the whole entire year and a half, and now they want to fire us if we don't get the vaccine.
	So we truly believe that's wrong, and we should have the choice.
	The same nurse further stressed that if these compulsory measures are in fact enforced, and the hospital decides to fire their staff members, that will have a negative effect on the level of patient care.
	Here's what she said.
	"I believe that it's the wrong decision because it puts patients at risk.
	The quality of care will go down if they fire tons of staff in the hospital.
	So we're all doing this together because we don't agree with it." Another nurse that we interviewed over at this protest, she expressed a similar viewpoint.
	Here's what she said.
	Now, I'm feeling like our freedom is getting stripped away from us, not just because I'm a nurse, but also I'm an American citizen and I believe in freedom, and most of all, freedom of choice.
	Now, we also spoke with a woman named Jay, who works in the emergency room inside of a medical center over in California, and she told us that in her opinion, the government policies regarding vaccination have been politicized in the name of safety.
	But she says it's not all for safety.
	Here's specifically what she said.
	It is a forced policy.
	We are American.
	This is a free country.
	We don't live in a socialist country, a communist country.
	It is just slowly taking freedoms away.
	And if this was mandated, what's next?
	She further stressed that healthcare workers are educated professionals, and therefore they should be allowed to make their own choices.
	Now, furthermore, one of the organizers told us that so far they have held seven rallies across California.
	And given the fact that the vaccine mandate is coming up soon, by September 30th, it goes into full effect, we can likely expect to see more such rallies popping up all over the entire state over the course of the next few weeks.
	And as they do, we here at the Epoch Times, we will be there on site, on the ground, covering them.
	And now, before we move on over and talk about some creative approaches that some companies are taking to get their employees vaccinated, I'd like to take a quick moment and introduce our sponsor for today's episode, and I will do so from the sound booth.
	I wanted to take a quick moment and introduce our sponsor for today's episode, which is an awesome company called AMAC, or A-M-A-C, and it stands for the Association of Mature American Citizens.
	Now, I do consider myself a mature American citizen, but I'm about 19 years too young to join AMAC. However, if you or someone in your family is 50 years old or over, I would consider joining because they are essentially the conservative alternative to the AARP and they offer three main benefits to their members.
	The first is the money-saving benefit because they partner with a ton of retailers across the country and offer you discounts on things like vitamins, insurance policies and so on.
	The list is pretty long.
	I'll throw a link to it in the description box below.
	The second is that members get a subscription to their magazine.
	And even though I'm not a member, I have read their magazine and it's filled with thought-provoking articles.
	Very good.
	I'd highly recommend it.
	And then the third benefit, which a lot of people say is their favorite, is that AMAC fights on Capitol Hill against what they're calling the socialist storm that's brewing in America.
	So again, I would highly recommend you check them out.
	It's not too expensive.
	It's only $16 per year, but it looks like the benefits outweigh the cost by a wide margin.
	Again, you can go over to amac.us forward slash facts matter or just click in the link in the description box below. And AMAC, thank you so much for sponsoring our episode. Now, Roman in the studio, back to you. However, while it's worth noting that certain places like California and New York City are enforcing vaccine requirements by issuing mandates, other businesses have gotten more creative.
	For instance, according to a statement made by a consultancy firm, some companies are starting to consider deducting $50 from the paychecks of unvaccinated employees.
	Here's specifically what a partner over at Mercer, which is a health benefits consultancy group, here's what he said in an interview with Forbes magazine.
	Employers have tried encouraging employees to get vaccinated through offering incentives like paid time off and cash, but with the Delta variant driving up infections and hospitalizations throughout the country, Now let me just reiterate what he said.
	According to that statement...
	There are employers in this country which are starting to consider deducting money from the paychecks of their unvaccinated employees.
	To give you some background on this, up until now, different companies in this country have offered gift cards, days off from work, cash, as well as other financial incentives in order to convince their employees to get the shot.
	That was the, you can call it the carrot approach.
	However, now some companies are turning to the stick.
	According to that interview, these companies are considering tacking on a $50 per month charge to their unvaccinated employees, which is actually similar to what some companies already charge their employees who smoke cigarettes.
	Their reasoning, according to that article at least, is that...
	Now, while some companies are planning to tax the unvaccinated, others are just not going to be letting them in the building.
	These are companies like Google, Facebook, and Walmart, and it was just recently announced that America's largest employer will also take this approach as well.
	Now, I'm of course talking about the U.S. military.
	That's right, two days ago, the Secretary of Defense came out and he said that he will require all active duty members of the military to get the vaccine.
	In a memo that he sent to all Pentagon employees, Lloyd Austin, who is the Defense Secretary, he said that the requirement will be coming up in the next few days, and here's specifically what he said in that memo.
	I want you to know that I will seek the President's approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the FDA's licensure, whichever comes first.
	Now what he's referring to there, in case you're not aware, is the fact that the COVID vaccines, whether you're talking about the Moderna, the Pfizer, or the Johnson& Johnson vaccine, they are all currently under what's known as emergency use authorization by the FDA. Meaning that, even though they have been tested, they are currently not fully authorized.
	And that is, by the way, the exact reason why, up until now, military personnel were able to decline the shot.
	Because at the moment, since the vaccine is labeled under emergency use authorization, that means that it's voluntary.
	Soldiers cannot be mandated to take it like other vaccines.
	However, that is exactly what Lloyd Austin is trying to change.
	He is seeking to get a waiver from the president in order to make these vaccines mandatory.
	Here's what he said.
	And based on public statements, it looks like Joe Biden is in fact on board.
	In fact, here's what he said in this regard.
	To better protect their families and to ensure that our force is ready to operate anywhere in the world.
	Now the big question, the one that you might be asking yourself, is whether this is actually legal.
	And according to a letter which was sent to Lloyd Austin from 60 members of the House, they say it's not.
	Here's what part of that letter said.
	Free reference, by the by the way.
	In that letter, they then went on to cite the National Research Act of 1974, as well as a court decision in Doe v. Roe.
	Rumsfeld, which is a case back in 2004.
	However, all this debate might actually be unnecessary, as some government officials have suggested that the Pfizer vaccine might become FDA-approved sometime later this month, in August.
	And so, we'll just have to wait and see how all this ultimately plays out.
	If you'd like to read the statements from either the Defense Secretary, or if you would like to read the relevant laws regarding these forced vaccinations in the military, I'll throw all that into the description box below this video for you to check out.
	And now, let's move on over and really talk about Bill Gates.
	Specifically, about the fact that a company which is backed by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, as well as Michael Bloomberg, will be carrying out mineral research explorations over in Greenland.
	So the exploration company is called Kobold, and what they do is that they use artificial intelligence as well as machine learning to hunt for raw materials.
	And for your reference, by the way, the principal backers of this company, they include Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which was founded by Bill Gates and whose investors include Jeff Bezos, And according to a statement released just two days ago,
	Cobalt has signed an agreement with another company called Blue Jay, which is a mining company, and together they will explore the west coast of Greenland.
	Now why?
	Well, according to that statement, studies have found that the area in the western part of Greenland is similar in geology to the Norilsk region of Russia, which has an abundance of nickel and palladium.
	According to the CEO of Kobold, the west coast of Greenland has seen the rare convergence of events in Earth's history that could have resulted in forming a world-class battery metal deposit.
	Specifically, according to the mining company, this region, which by the way covers an area of about a thousand square miles, is expected to be high in nickel, cobalt, platinum, as well as copper.
	Now why is this project so important you might be asking yourself?
	Well, besides just generally tracking what Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Michael Bloomberg are up to, this project also has very important implications to the possible future of electric vehicles here in America.
	That's because, as you might have heard, last week Joe Biden said that he will be pushing car manufacturers to have half of their new vehicles sold here in America be electric by the year 2030.
	In fact, he described it as...
	Now, while not legally binding, meaning that car manufacturers don't legally have to have 50% of their cars be electric by the year 2030...
	this executive order instead creates the conditions which might push that agenda forward.
	This includes creating 500,000 new charging stations across America, expanding federal tax credits to incentivize people to buy electric, as well as to direct federal tax dollars to both research and develop new battery designs that can be made here in America.
	And that is key, to be made here in America.
	Because right now, the ones who are currently benefiting the most from this electric vehicle push, at least economically, is China.
	In fact, even Joe Biden himself acknowledged that reality.
	Here's what he said.
	"Right now, China is leading the race, and is one of the largest and fastest growing electric vehicle markets in the world.
	And a key part of the electric vehicle, to state the obvious, is the battery.
	And right now, 80% of the manufacturing capacity for these batteries is done in China.
	But the issue actually goes way beyond manufacturing.
	Because China has a near stranglehold on the global mining industry.
	Specifically, mining for the metals and the rare minerals that are needed for batteries.
	Now, if you want to go deeper into this subject, by the way, I would highly recommend a book called China Safari.
	It goes through how China has been expanding into Africa over the last several decades and how they've built pretty much a global monopoly on mining.
	But just to give you a summary of it, here's how Mining.com describes the situation in an article.
	China consumes as much industrial metals and battery minerals as the rest of the world combined.
	Chinese direct investment overseas in mines and projects topped $1 billion in 2017 for the first time and peaked in 2019 at nearly $2.2 billion with cobalt and lithium its favorite targets.
	Now specifically, crucial to electric vehicle batteries are cobalt and lithium.
	And according to that same article from Mining.com, China has a stranglehold on the electric vehicle supply chain with chemical processors and refiners responsible for 82% and 60% of midstream production of cobalt and lithium, respectively.
	China's control of refining is north of 80%, makes cobalt a particular headache for automakers.
	And so, with this push to have more electric vehicles sold here in America, that will likely not only be a bonanza for the Chinese mining industry, but it also puts our national transportation infrastructure in danger, since China is, of course, not a regular country.
	It's a hostile foreign power ruled by a communist party who openly aims to displace and undermine America.
	Which then brings us full circle back to the discussion of Bill Gates and his new mining explorations over in Greenland.
	Because if they are able to indeed find nickel, cobalt, platinum, as well as copper, then not only will they get a hefty profit out of it, but it can also help alleviate our reliance on Chinese metals.
	Now, if you'd like to read more about this electric vehicle push, about this new mining venture, or if you'd like to check out that book I mentioned earlier called China Safari, I'll throw all those links into the description box below this video for you to check out.
	And lastly, as we've already mentioned in several previous episodes, on the very same day that Joe Biden was sworn into office, YouTube made the unilateral decision to demonetize our program.
	We can now no longer run any ads before, during, or after episodes, and the Super Chat feature has just been disabled.
	They're essentially snuffing out our ability to monetize our program.
	However, we here at the Epoch Times, we did not take this lying down, and instead we created something very cool.
	It's called Epic TV.
	It's our brand new no-censorship video platform where you can find all of the awesome Epoch Times video content, like The Larry Elder Show, American Thought Leaders, Crossroads with Joshua Phillip, China in Focus, Counterpunch with Trevor Loudon, Life in Times, as well as our program, Facts Matter, and on there we'll publish exclusive episodes, as well as exclusive interviews, that frankly, and on there we'll publish exclusive episodes, as well as exclusive interviews, that frankly, due to the censorship here on YouTube, I don't feel comfortable So you can check that out.
	The link to it will be right there at the very top of the description box.
	I hope you click on it.
	I hope you check it out.
	I hope you subscribe.
	And I hope that you join us on this journey of exploring this beautiful, beautiful world through honest journalism that's based in truth and tradition.
	Now lastly, if you haven't already, smash that like button for the YouTube algorithm.
	Subscribe to this YouTube channel if you haven't already in order to get this type of honest news content delivered directly into your YouTube feed.
	Also, if you're already subscribed, hit that notification bell so you can be notified of any new video as soon as we publish them.
	Also, if you have an Instagram account, follow me at EpicTimesRoman.
	I publish spicy memes as well as behind-the-scenes research regularly.
	And then, until next time, I'm your host, Roman from the Epic Times.

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