ICWA Weekly News 10-2-24
Dr. Reni Moon and Silent Majority file suit against WSU; How did your congressman vote on requiring Senate approval of any WHO Pandemic treaty; WA State BOH to meet in Yakima; Profiting from bird flu
In this issue:
Dr. Renata Moon Demands a Jury Trial
How Washington Congressional Members Voted on the “No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty” Act
Washington Board of Health Comes to Yakima Without Senate Approval Act
🐓 Guano 💩 Report 🥚 – Bird Flu Profiteering
September 27 episode of Informed Life Radio - - notes and links
Health Hour: Are you getting enough Iodine?
Guest: David Brownstein, M.D., explains how iodine is the most misunderstood nutrient and yet is necessary for the production of all hormones in the body and for proper immune function. How much is needed? What depletes it? Are you getting enough?
Book: Iodine: Why You Need It. Why You Can't Live Without It. 5th Edition — Dr Brownstein’s Holistic Medicine
Dr. Brownstein’s other obsession – Go Blue! (Michigan football)
Liberty Hour: The Disappearance of the American Farmer
Guest: Brian Reisinger, author of Land Rich, Cash Poor, discusses the history of his four-generation family farm in Wisconsin, and how so many family farms across the nation are facing similar challenges that threaten the very heart of America.
Amazon.com: Land Rich, Cash Poor: My Family's Hope and the Untold History of the Disappearing American Farmer: 9781510779983: Reisinger, Brian: Books
Dr. Renata Moon Demands a Jury Trial
On September 23, the Silent Majority Foundation (SMF) filed a demand for a jury trial in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.
The complaint, filed on behalf of Dr. Renata Moon against Washington State University (WSU) and many school chancellors and deans, begins with the following:
Academic Freedom – the freedom to speak freely in teaching and scholarship -- is a vital and essential component of democracy and “is of transcendent value to all of us and not merely to the teachers concerned.”
Such was not the case when, during Senator Johnson’s roundtable discussion in December of 2022, Dr. Moon held up the package insert that comes with the COVID-19 shots to express her dismay:
“It says ‘left intentionally blank’ on it. So how am I to get informed consent to parents when I have … This is what I have: a government that is telling me that I have to say ‘safe and effective,’ and if I don’t, my license is at threat. And so how am I going to give informed consent to patients? We’re seeing an uptick in myocarditis. We’re seeing an uptick in adverse reactions. We have trusted these regulatory agencies. I have for my entire career until now. Something is extremely wrong.”
Following the roundtable discussion, WSU notified Dr. Moon that her continued employment there was under review. WSU wrote:
There were components with the roundtable that were inconsistent with expectations of the evidence-based medical education expected in developing a future generation of physicians. The expressed views will require us to review your teaching assignments in the frame of the education of our students.
Confirming the connection between the WSU memo and Dr. Moon’s employment status, WSU refused to renew her annual contract. She explained this in a pleading filed by SMF in another case during the summer of 2023:
On June 29, 2023, I received notice from Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine that my employment contract as a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine would not be renewed for the 2023-2024 academic year. My employment was terminated by Washington State University.
Dr. Moon was terminated via an Expiration of Faculty Appointment letter from the Interim Dean, James Record and the Education Department Chair, Jeff Haney because “the needs of the college are moving in a different direction.”
The Silent Majority Foundation filed this new legal complaint on behalf of Dr. Moon against Washington State University, the chancellors, and deans for violation of her First Amendment rights. Dr. Moon has been an Associate Professor for Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine (“ESFCOM”) at WSU since its inaugural class in 2017. The medical school’s actions led to an investigation of Dr. Moon by the Washington Medical Commission for spreading “misinformation” and “disinformation.”
Both of these investigations have made it more difficult for Dr. Moon to find work, even after practicing as a pediatrician for twenty-five years with a completely clean record. It also caused her to lose her pension, which would have vested in another year, and to lose her health insurance.
The legal complaint filed by SMF in 2023 illustrated Dr. Moon’s views on the current state of institutions of higher learning in the United States:
This censorship has compromised my ability to effectively teach the next generation of physicians. Professors teaching in the world of medical education have a duty to teach medical students about ethical principles and this includes helping patients weigh the risks and benefits of potential medical interventions. Censorship and threats have forced many physicians and medical students into a rigid box of “authorized thinking.”
In last week’s press release, SMF revealed that WSU has a history of limiting Dr. Moon’s free speech:
In 2021, the school removed her from her normal teaching schedule because a few students took umbrage with her paraphrasing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech during a discussion of racism. These same few students also objected to her asking important questions about the COVID vaccines as they were being granted Emergency Use Authorization (“EUA”) status. During this episode, only the few students who complained were interviewed. The students who rated Dr. Moon highly were not interviewed despite the fact that they were direct witnesses to the events. This, too, was a violation of Dr. Moon’s free speech, a violation that escalated in 2023 with the refusal to renew her contract.
During the last week of July 2023, ICWA interviewed student Kevan Lim to obtain his reflections on Dr. Moon and the medical school.
Dr. Moon taught a practical clinical medicine course to a small group of students, one of whom was Mr. Lim. In the course, each group is assigned to an experienced practitioner. Typically, groups stay with the same practitioner for two years.
Mr. Lim had positive things to say about both the school and Dr. Moon. He praised the school’s curriculum, the support it provides its students, and the professors. Regarding Dr. Moon, Mr. Lim expressed appreciation for the impact she had on his medical studies. “The constructive criticism she gives, the professionalism that she displayed in instructing, the respect with which she handles complicated subjects such as sexism in medicine, and the guidance she provides in handling medical cases, patient examinations, and recording medical encounters will make me a stronger physician.”
Mr. Lim specifically cited Dr. Moon’s approach to challenging issues like sexism in medicine as something he will remember and learn from. “She is very good at pointing out concrete issues and concrete biases that exist in medicine, particularly toward groups that have not been historically represented in medicine, such as women. And she’s very realistic with acknowledging the struggles that these marginalized groups have faced, yet she’s also very practical with her advice on how to still take care of a patient’s needs while addressing things that are wrong in an institution and taking care of yourself.”
In the “Key Facts Related to the Case,” SMF’s complaint makes the following points.
WSU itself has a policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment where speech is explicitly protected across the university system.
WSU recognizes and is committed to the principles of free inquiry and free expression and understands that discussion and debate are fundamental to the University. WSU further recognizes that some hateful or discriminatory speech may be used to communicate ideas, beliefs, or opinions, and therefore may have first amendment protections. With limited exceptions, WSU does not limit or prohibit speech in an employee’s private capacity, unless that private speech impacts WSU’s operations. . . .
This policy does not restrict the academic freedom of faculty within their instructional content and method, or in the communication of ideas relating to their subject matter.
Dr. Moon was integral to the founding of the medical school at WSU.
In October of 2015, only one month after the appointment of the inaugural dean of ESFCOM, Dr. Moon began meeting with Radha Nandagopal, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor. From 2016 – 2019, Dr. Moon served on the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Admissions Committee, as well as other committees during the formative years of the medical school.Dr. Moon was disciplined for speaking about racism from the vantage point of Dr. Martin Luther King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech":
“‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.’ I still have that dream too . . . should the color of our skin matter when people judge us?”
In a 2021 email commemorating MLK Jr. Day, WSU President Kirk Schultz asserted a contrasting viewpoint on racism, making cherry-picked and biased use of Dr. King’s “A Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The University cannot, either based on the First Amendment or its own policies, punish Dr. Moon for disagreeing with the administration, even the president, in this fashion.
Defendants’ basis for disciplining Dr. Moon was a vague policy that allowed ad hoc and subjective determinations by Defendant Haney [Chair of Department of Medical Education and Clinical Sciences].
Mr. Haney issued consistently vague statements regarding what wrong (other than speech, allegedly) was committed by Dr. Moon. These subjective statements include: “I am unsure if I would describe the occurrences as ‘mistreatment’ but it is clear that the learning environment that Dr. Moon’s actions created is not consistent with our expectations.” There is no explanation of what “expectations” had been breached. Despite this fact, Dr. Moon was investigated without the option to address the allegations prior to being required to remediate.
In fact, student evaluations of Dr. Moon show that five of eight students agreed or strongly agreed that she was an effective teacher. The evaluations from students expressing discontent with her teaching were based on a difference of opinion, not on whether there was discrimination or “microaggression” taking place. The investigation that ensued included only the students who ranked Dr. Moon in the two lowest categories. The investigation did not entail talking to the majority of her students who attended the same small groups and were, therefore, witnesses to the events at issue in the complaints. For example:
“Dr. Moon is always encouraging us to think outside the box and dig deeper into conversations. I’ve never left an APM session without feeling like I learned something or understood a concept better by the end.”
“She is very thoughtful and always cares for our learning experience.”
“Dr. Moon is great! I love her stories and she helps to create a comfortable zoom class environment.”
Despite a finding that Dr. Moon’s actions did not rise to the level of student mistreatment, Defendant Haney proceeded to discipline Dr. Moon.
Dr. Moon was never allowed to respond to actual complaints before being asked to remediate and being pulled from teaching.
Dr. Moon appealed to Defendant Chermak [Associate Dean of Faculty and Affairs] seeking assistance to resolve Defendant Haney’s actions against her.
Despite Chermak’s admission that she herself self-censored for fear of student complaints and disciplinary action, and agreeing that the process used was inadequate, no help was provided to Dr. Moon.
Dr. Moon was allowed to return to teaching but was reduced to a facilitator rather than teacher and required to parrot only the chosen “experts’” viewpoints to students while leading small groups.
Professors were instructed to use only viewpoints provided by the University in “the session guides prepared by directors of the Health Equity and Ethics curriculum who are invited to share their expertise on these topics.”
WSU violated Dr. Moon’s constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of speech, freedom to petition and freedom of assembly.
WSU refused to renew Dr. Moon’s contract as retaliation for exercising her Free Speech rights, her right of petition, and her right of assembly. On December 7, 2022, Dr. Moon testified before Senator Ron Johnson in Washington, D.C., with other colleagues from around the country at a roundtable event entitled “Covid-19 Vaccines: What They Are, How They Work, and Possible Causes of Injuries.” (Dr. Moon’s testimony begins at 2:22:43 HERE). Dr. Moon spoke at this event unaffiliated with WSU, and this point was expressed in the press release announcing the event. However, outside of her control, and without her knowledge or consent, the chyron displayed by The High Wire included that she was a “Clinical Associate Professor, WSU College of Medicine.” Dr. Moon did everything in her power to show that she was attending and speaking at the event only as an individual citizen, but she was investigated and her contract not renewed without provision of any information to her regarding the investigation. WSU’s complaint then prompted the WMC to open an investigation on Dr. Moon on August 1, 2023.
The Silent Majority Foundation’s press release ended with the following summation of the current state of censorship:
This case is about more than Dr. Moon’s right to speak to students and her government. It is about the right of each of us to speak, to peaceably assemble, and to petition our government when we see issues that concern us.
The desire to censor all of us for anything deemed “misinformation” is rampant across our nation, a nation founded on the principles of freedom and liberty. Without the ability to have robust conversations and debates, especially as it pertains to our health, we are at the mercy of others who cannot know our individualized needs and do not have our best interest at heart. The right of free speech includes the rights to hear dissenting opinions in order to allow true informed consent. Our government is instituted not to be our parent or guardian, but to protect our rights. The freedoms of speech, peaceable assembly and petition are fundamental to our Democratic Republic and cannot be surrendered to experts who have never met us and cannot provide for our individual needs. Such surrender is to submit unreservedly to tyranny.
Washington Board of Health Comes to Yakima
After holding its first meeting of the year at its headquarters in Tumwater, the Washington State Board of Health (BOH) is taking the show on the road for the fifth consecutive time. The upcoming meeting will be in Yakima on Tuesday, October 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.
At 11:50 a.m., the board will receive a Yakima Public Health presentation from Andre Fresco, who is the executive director of the Yakima Health District, as well as Ashley Bell, who is on the board staff.
At 3:00, Dr. Tao Kwan-Gett from the Washington Department of Health—and perhaps Washington’s Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah—will give an update on Be Well WA initiative.
Be Well WA | Washington State Department of Health
The two DOH officials first presented this concept at the August 7 Board of Health meeting in Seattle, as covered in our Weekly News 8-14-24. Shah said, “Both of us have apples with us for our recent Be Well WA launch. Our motto is ‘mind your apple’ every single day. Red and green.”
As soon as Vice Chair Kelly Oshiro asked for any concluding thoughts during the August 7 meeting, Kwan-Gett raised a green apple:
I would like to say a little bit more about Be Well Washington that Secretary Shah mentioned earlier this morning. You are probably wondering why each of us brought an apple. One of the themes of Be Well Washington is to encourage every Washingtonian to find your own apple, meaning to find that combination of activities that will help you find health, happiness, and community. And for everybody, that’s going to look different. And we want everybody to find their apple and find their path to health no matter where they live or how old they are or their level of ability, whether they are an Olympian or just like to watch the Olympics on TV, each of us can find things to do to bolster our health.
We wonder if they’ll reference the same apple gimmick or move on to another analogy in an attempt to regain trust and distract us from their overreach during the pandemic.
Anyone wishing to comment on Washington’s pesticide in our crops issues or anything else can do so during the public comment period from 9:50 a.m. to 10:20 p.m. In-person commenters should sign up by sending an email by noon on Monday, October 7, to wsboh@sboh.wa.gov.
Email written comments to wsboh@sboh.wa.gov by noon on Thursday, October 3.
Registration is required to access the meeting online:
You can also dial in using your phone for listen-only mode: (253) 215-8782 Webinar ID: 841 9960 3546 Passcode: 682856
How Washington Congressional Members Voted on the “No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act”
On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1425, known as the No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act. Authored by Representative Thomas Tiffany from Wisconsin, the bill demands:
To require any convention, agreement, or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response reached by the World Health Assembly to be subject to Senate ratification.
Stand for Health Freedom (SHF) made the following observations about the bill:
The bill is riding the momentum of the national conversation surrounding health and chronic disease. All this points to the undeniable influence the health freedom voting bloc has on current events. This is great news! But the bill lacks one critical clarification: The amendments to the WHO's International Health Regulations (IHR) are not included, nor are any other U.N. treaties that will try to cover the same ground.
SHF has issued a call to action to send your U.S. Senators a letter urging them to amend and pass the bill.
You can edit the following wording provided by SHF:
HR1425 lacks one critical clarification: The amendments to the WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR) are not a product of the International Negotiating Body (INB) and are therefore not addressed by the bills. HR1425 is a good start, but must not be exclusive to the pandemic treaty or a product of the INB. The IHR already exists and has already been amended without input from Congress. But the document isn’t what it used to be, and amendments through the years have made it more a treaty and less an executive agreement that is part and parcel with World Health Organization membership. Additionally, looming threats by the United Nations (including the Pact for the Future) are not addressed by HR1425. Before this instrument leaves the Senate, Americans need added clarification.
The fix is simple. Please add this text to HR1425:
"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any convention, agreement, or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response reached by the [United Nations, or] the World Health Assembly, [including but not limited to] the recommendations, report, or work of the International Negotiating Body established by the second special session of the World Health Assembly is deemed a treaty..."
Two Washington Republicans in the House of Representatives voted for the bill. They were Dan Newhouse of the 4th District and Cathy McMorris Rodgers of the 5th District.
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives - Vote Details
All but one Washington Democrat voted against the bill: Suzan Delbene of the 1st District, Derek Kilmer of the 6th District, Rick Larsen of the 2nd District, Kim Schrier of the 8th District, Adam Smith of the 9th District, and Marilyn Strickland of the 10th District.
The one Washington Democrat voting for the bill was Marie Glusenkamp Perez of the 3rd District, who is undoubtedly trying to undermine Joe Kent’s strong health freedom stance in this closely-fought race.
Speaking of Stand for Health Freedom, be sure to check out their Washington Voter Guide for the 2024 general election. Ballots will be mailed October 18. Here’s a preview:
🐓 Guano 💩 Report 🥚 – Bird Flu Profiteering
By NeoBob (Bob Runnells)
Have companies enjoyed higher profits during the three-year bird flu scares? Somewhat surprisingly, CNN reporting says the answer is yes.
Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and the fact that commercial egg-laying bird flocks have been heavily culled to the tune of over 100 million, they make the Econ 101 observation that a constrained supply results in higher prices. But shouldn’t these higher prices reflect higher input costs like feed, raw materials, transportation? It hasn’t worked that way for Cal-Maine, the largest producer of eggs in the U.S. with a 20% market share. Their profits grew by over 700% (7 times) in 2023, as compared to 2022. What’s more, they said their flocks weren’t really affected by the avian flu.
The CNN article quotes Farm Action, a government watchdog and consumer advocate group: “High egg prices in 2022 and 2023 were a product of price-gouging by dominant egg producers, who used the cover of inflation and avian flu to extract profit margins as high as 40% on a dozen loose eggs.”
And how was avian flu responsible for constraining the supply of poultry and eggs? The USDA protocol when infection is detected is to cull herds and compensate farmers (read this excellent article from The Hill) - $715 million through August of this year, and 90% of projected losses for cattle. While that’s admirable to keep farmers afloat, isn’t payment to cull herds and flocks incentivizing a reduction in supply?
Yet, in Washington, we have not had any avian flu outbreaks in 2024.
We thought it was flu season? Maybe we’ll see prices drip a little now as herds and flocks are restored.
Again, we call as loudly as we can to pursue treatments such as diluted hydrogen peroxide spray on these tightly-packed flocks to reduce this not-very-deadly, endemic avian flu. There should be no ethical complaints about running experiments on sick flocks rather than funding expensive experimental shots again.
We also encourage readers to source their eggs as locally as possible. Get your own chickens, buy eggs from neighbors who have chickens, find a local farmer or farm market. And when cold weather reduces the availability of local eggs and you have to buy at the grocery store, pay the extra cost for organic eggs. The nutrition value of the eggs will be higher and you’ll be helping fund businesses doing it right.
The fastest way to stop the poison-pushers (Big Ag, Big Chemical, Big Medicine, Big Pharma) is by each and every one of us to vote with our money. They live on our money, so we must stop giving it to them. All the Bigs are fueled by us eating inferior, contaminated, depleted food. When you buy a dozen eggs from a local farmer, you strike a blow to every Big.
And just in case you need a little nudge to motivate you to change your food-sourcing habits, look at what they’ll be talking about beginning today at the International Bird Flu Summit. THIS is the sort of global guano being excreted by the Great Reset and the “OneHealth” birds, funded by the Bigs for the profit of the Bigs. We will stop the next population-reducing plandemic when our purchasing power stops funding them and instead funds real food and real health.
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