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>> A HEARING IN LANSING GETS A
HOT MIC AND THE PUBLIC RECORD TO
A WILD ARRAY OF VACCINE
CONSPIRACY TALK.
BUT IF YOU CAN SET THAT ASIDE,
IS IT ETHICAL FOR AMERICAN
BUSINESSES TO ENACT COVID-19
MANDATES?
IS IT NOT TO.
AND THE AFGHANISTAN PULLOUT OF
AMERICAN TROOPS HAS MANY IN
ANOTHER MIDEAST COUNTRY HAS
PEOPLE WORRIED, LEBANON IN
FREEFALL.
TODAY IS SUNDAY, AUGUST 22ND,
2021.
THIS IS FLASH POINT.
>> Devin: WE REMAIN ON A CRISIS
FOOTING ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS AS
WE JOIN YOU TODAY.
IT’S HARD TO REMEMBER WHEN THAT
WASN’T CASE AND THAT’S THANKS IN
LARGE PART TO THE NOVEL
CORONAVIRUS.
CAN WE FOCUS FOR JUST A MOMENT
ON THE WORD NOVEL?
IN THE DICTIONARY, NOVEL MEANS
OF A NEW AND UNUSUAL KIND,
DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING SEEN OR
KNOWN BEFORE.
YES, WE’RE ALL FRUSTRATED THAT
THE ADVICE AND GUIDANCE FOR
DEALING WITH COVID-19 SHIFTS AND
WIGGLES SO OFTEN, BUT THAT’S
BECAUSE IT IS OF A NEW AND
UNUSUAL KIND.
AND, AND THIS CLEVER AND NASTY
VIRUS HAS THE CAPACITY TO MORPH
AND EVOLVE AND MEANS IT KEEPS
GETTING NOVEL.
WE HAVE TO STAY ON OUR FEET.
THE VACCINE IS THE BEST WAY TO
COMBAT THE DEADLY PANDEMIC
THAT’S TAKEN 620,000 AMERICAN
LIVES YET WHEN BRAD WILLIAMS.
DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER POINTED
OUT THAT FACT IN A HEARING IN
LANSING ON THURSDAY, HE WAS
ACTUALLY BOOED.
WE HEARD HISS, LIKE PEOPLE
REACTING TO THE ARRIVAL OF A
VILLAIN IN AN OLD MOVIE.
AND IT’S NOT THAT SURPRISING.
THIS HEARING WAS FILLED WITH A
LOT OF CONSPIRATORIAL CLAP TRAP,
MOST OF IT UNCHALLENGED, BUT AT
THE HEART OF THE HEARING WHETHER
THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE
THEIR EMPLOYEES MANDATING
VACCINATIONS.
AND LATER ON AFGHANISTAN HAS
BEEN THE FOCUS OF WORLD
ATTENTION THIS WEEK.
FOR THE MASSIVE LEBANESE
POPULATION IN METRO DETROIT,
THERE IS A DIFFERENT DISASTER
BEGGING FOR ATTENTION, FUEL,
MEDICINE AND NOW EVEN BREAD HARD
TO FIND AS THE LEBANESE ECONOMY
IS EVAPORATING BEFORE OUR EYES. IT’S ALL TODAY ON FLASH POINT.
IT’S ALL TODAY ON FLASH POINT.
♪
>> WORKPLACES AND VENUES ALL
OVER THE COUNTRY FACES DECISION
THEY’D RATHER NOT MAKE, WHETHER
OR NOT TO REQUIRE VACCINES FOR
EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS.
THIS IS FOREIGN TERRITORY FOR
BUSINESSES AND CEO’S AND THIS
WEEK, A LEGISLATIVE HEARING WAS
HELD TO TRY TO TAKE THAT
DECISION AWAY FROM BUSINESSES.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE WAY FORWARD
WITH PORTIA ROBERSON CEO OF
FOCUS HOPE.
CHAD LIVENGOOD WITH DETROIT
CRANE’S BUSINESS.
AND I STARTED TO START WITH BRAD
WHO WAS A PART OF THE HEARING ON
THURSDAY.
BRAD, THAT TO ME FOR WATCHING
SEEMED TO BE A SURREAL
EXPERIENCE FOR YOU TO SAY YOU
WEREN’T THERE TO FORCE OR DENY
VACCINE MANDATES, BUT THERE TO
TOUT THE BENEFITS OF VACCINE AND
YOU GOT BOOED.
>> WELL, THAT WAS A FIRST FOR
ME, DENVER, AND GOOD MORNING.
I’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG
TIME AND I’VE NEVER BEEN BOOED
AS I WAS DOING MY JOB, BUT WE
WENT IN THERE AND THERE WAS A
LOT OF TESTIMONY FROM, YOU KNOW,
DISCREDITED DOCTORS AND NURSES,
LONG BEEN DISCREDITED AND WE
THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT
THE LEGISLATURE HEAR FROM ACTUAL
BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND KNOW
THAT, WE’RE NOT GOING TO SIT
HERE AND LET THEM IMPOSE THIS
SORT OF REGULATION ON THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY WITHOUT A
FIGHT.
SO WE WENT IN THERE TO TALK
ABOUT THAT AND THEN, YOU KNOW,
HAD A LONG CONVERSATION ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT
VACCINES WERE ACTUALLY HELPFUL.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE KNOW AS THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS THE ONLY
WAY OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC IS BY
GETTING VACCINATED AND YOU KNOW,
EVEN THOUGH NOBODY IN THAT ROOM
BESIDES ME WANTED TO HEAR IT I
THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO SAY.
>> Devin: WELL, I SUPPOSE SOME
WOULD ARGUE THAT YOU NEED TO
HAVE THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT
DEBATE THAT YOU FACED ON THIS
PROGRAM WITH ME, BUT I’M NOT
ABOUT TO LET--
YOU HAD PEOPLE ARGUING THAT
MASKS CAUSE CANCER.
I MEAN, IT WAS A BUFFET OF ALL
OF THE MISINFORMATION THAT WE’VE
SEEN ABOUT THE VACCINE AND I’LL
GO BACK TO THE POINT, YOU WERE
NOT THERE NECESSARILY TO SAY
THAT THERE SHOULD OR SHOULDN’T
BE A RULE EITHER WAY FOR
BUSINESSES, RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
ALL I WAS SAYING IS THAT IT’S
NOT UP TO THE LEGISLATURE TO
DECIDE HOW BUSINESSES KEEP THEIR
CUSTOMERS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES
HEALTHY.
>> Devin: YEAH.
>> IF THE BUSINESS DECIDES THAT
IT IS THROUGH A MANDATE, THEN
THEY SHOULD HAVE THAT RIGHT.
IF THEY DECIDE THAT IT’S
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, THEN
THAT’S A RIGHT, TOO, BUT IT’S
NOT THE LEGISLATURE’S PLACE TO
STEP IN AND TELL THE BUSINESS
HOW TO KEEP THEIR EMPLOYEES AND
THEIR CUSTOMERS SAFE.
>> Devin: WE’VE SEEN THIS WITH
THE MASKS.
WITH THE DEBATE OVER WHETHER OR
NOT YOU CAN IMPOSE A RESTRICTION
AGAINST RESTRICTIONS.
IT’S KIND OF A--
IT’S AN ODD PLACE TO BE.
PORTIA, YOU’RE THE CEO OF FOCUS
HOPE.
YOUR BUSINESS IS SITUATED IN A
CITY THAT RIGHT NOW HAS A VERY
BADLY LACKING VACCINE RATE.
SO, TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOU’VE
GONE ABOUT MAKING THE DECISION
AND WHAT YOU THINK THE
CALCULATIONS ARE THAT BUSINESS
LEADERS SHOULD BE MAKING.
>> WELL, I’M SURE YOU CAN SEE ME
TAKE A DEEP BREATH AS YOU WERE
LEADING INTO THIS QUESTION.
IT’S REALLY THE THING THAT KEEPS
ME UP AT NIGHT.
WE ARE GOING TO WELCOME BACK
SMALL CHILDREN IN OUR EARLY HEAD
START AND HEAD START PROGRAM AS
SOON AS THE NEXT THREE WEEKS,
AND HOW DO WE KEEP THEM SAFE
UNLESS WE EITHER MANDATE THAT
OUR EMPLOYEES GET VACCINATED,
WHICH I’VE HELD OFF ON DOING
BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO SEE
WHAT PERCENTAGES WE HAD WHEN WE
GOT TO THIS POINT AND HOW DO I
KEEP FOUR-YEAR-OLDS WITH A MASK
ON?
THERE’S BEEN SOME KIND OF IDEA
HOW WE CAN DO THAT, BUT WE KNOW
IT’S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE.
WE CAN NOT SOCIAL DISTANCE WITH
LITTLE KIDS, RIGHT?
THE WHOLE NATURE OF OUR
EDUCATION PROCESS IS TO EMBRACE
THOSE CHILDREN AND TO HAVE THEM
ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND SO,
THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL
FIGHTING USING MASKS, IF THEY
WILL NOT GET VACCINATED, IS
MIND-BOGGLING TO ME BECAUSE WE
KNOW THAT THAT’S ONE OF THE WAYS
TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND I WONDER
HOW SOME OF THESE FOLKS WHO ARE
ADAMANTLY
ADAMANTLY AGAINST VACCINATION
AND MASKS WOULD FEEL IF THEY
WERE STANDING IN A HOSPITAL ROOM
WITH SOMEONE’S CHILD WHO
UNFORTUNATELY MAY BE VERY SICK
OR EVEN DYING BECAUSE THEY SENT
THEIR UNVACCINATED CHILD OR THEY
CAME INTO A SCHOOL SYSTEM WHERE
THE CHILDREN WERE UNVACCINATED.
IT’S JUST--
I CAN’T IMAGINE THAT THIS HAS
BECOME THE WAY IT HAS.
>> Devin: PORTIA, I SAID ON THIS
PROGRAM ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO THAT
TO ARE ALL OF THE THOUGHT THAT
THERE’S THIS PUSH FROM THE RIGHT
AGAINST THE VACCINE, WE CANNOT
BLAME TUCKER CARLSON FOR THE LOW
VACCINE RATE IN DETROIT.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ABOUT -- DO
YOU THINK IS THERE ANY PROGRESS
MADE NOW THAT WE’RE WATCHING
CASE COUNTS GO UP AGAIN?
IT HASN’T ADD MUCH IN MICHIGAN,
BUT OTHER PLACES FORCED THE
ISSUE IN SOME OTHER STATES.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING IS KEEPING
THIS RATE SO LOW?
>> I THINK THERE’S SOME
LEGITIMATE FEARS OR THERE WERE
WHEN THE VACCINE WAS FIRST
OFFERED TO FOLKS, BUT WE’VE HAD
ENOUGH TIME NOW FOR PEOPLE TO
SPEAK TO THEIR PHYSICIANS, TO
SPEAK TO PEOPLE THEY TRUST, TO
DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE.
I KNOW, THAT’S-- WE’VE OFFERED AT FOCUS HOPE,
WE’VE OFFERED AT FOCUS HOPE,
WE’VE BROUGHT IN PHYSICIANS
EARLY ON TO TALK TO OUR
EMPLOYEES TO ASK THE QUESTIONS
YOU NEED TO ASK.
AT THIS POINT I THINK IT’S IN
SOME WAYS POLITICAL FOR THEM,
TOO, IT’S ALMOST A BADGE OF
PRIDE.
I’M NOT GETTING THE VACCINE, I
DON’T KNOW WHAT’S IN IT.
YOU KNOW, THERE’S PROBABLY A LOT
OF THINGS YOU’VE PROBABLY
INDULGED IN THROUGH THE COURSE
OF YOUR LIFE, YOU DON’T KNOW
WHAT’S IN IT.
AND I BETTER NOT SEE THEM IN A
FAST FOOD DRIVE-THRU AND WITH
THE HAMBURGER, AND YOU’VE
INDULGED IN THAT AND NO REASON
YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE THE VACCINE.
AND YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S IN
ASPIRIN.
THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE SAY I DON’T
KNOW WHAT’S IN IT AND IT’S JUST
GOTTEN APPROVED.
AND SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN WORKING
FOR SOME TIME.
THERE’S A LEVEL OF DISTRUST, A
LEVEL OF DISTRUST IN GOVERNMENT.
I’M HAPPY TO SEE MORE ADS AND
PARTICULARLY BLACK MEN AND WOMEN
WHO ARE SAYING I GOT THE VACCINE
AND SAFE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT’S
KIND OF THE ONLY WAY WE ARE
GOING TO GET PARTICULARLY
MINORITY POPULATIONS TO BELIEVE
THE VACCINE IS HELPFUL.
>> Devin: CHAD, THERE’S A HUGE
PILE OF BOOKS BEHIND PORTIA, I
KNOW THERE’S NOT ONE THAT SAYS
HOW TO LEAD YOUR BUSINESS
THROUGH PANDEMIC.
WITH YOUR BUSINESS LEADERS, THEY
BOTH HAVE, AS BAD AS IT MIGHT
SOUND FORCING A VACCINE MANDATE
ON SOME, SOME ARE WORRIED NOT
DOING THAT, RIGHT?
>> YEAH, THEY’RE WORRIED ABOUT
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH
THEIR WORK FORCES IF THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE SHORTAGES AND WE
GOING TO HAVE SHORTAGES AND WE
DID A SURVEY JUST THIS WEEK
ASKING BUSINESS EXECUTIVES TAKE
THEIR TEMPERATURE BASICALLY ON
THIS ISSUE RIGHT NOW.
AND 54% OF THE BUSINESS LEADERS
SAID THAT THEY SUPPORT VACCINE
MANDATES, BUT JUST 19% OF THOSE
FOLKS SAID THEY’RE ACTUALLY
MANDATING VACCINES IN THEIR
WORKPLACE.
SO, THERE’S THE--
>> A DISCONNECT.
YEAH.
>> A PRETTY BIG DISCONNECT
WHERE, YES, GO AHEAD, YOU FIRST
BASICALLY IS THE MANTRA HERE.
AND SO, I THINK WE’RE GOING TO
START SEEING THE TIDE CHANGE A
LITTLE BIT.
WE’RE SEEING THIS HUGE DEBATE
OVER SCHOOLS BECAUSE THE
GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER AND
HER HEALTH DIRECTOR, LID BET
HERTEL ARE SITTING ON THE
SIDELINES THIS TIME AND NOT
GOING TO ISSUE A STATEWIDE
MANDATE. >> Devin: CLEARLY AT ODDS WITH
>> Devin: CLEARLY AT ODDS WITH
THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, DR.
KHALDUN.
>> YEAH, DR. KHALDUN SAID, I’VE
ADVISED THE GOVERNOR THAT IF WE HAD A MASK MANDATE, IT WOULD
HAD A MASK MANDATE, IT WOULD
LOWER THE RATE OF TRANSMISSION.
THIS IS A COMPLETE, YOU KNOW, REVERSAL FROM THE WHITMER
REVERSAL FROM THE WHITMER
DOCTRINE THAT WAS BELIEVE AND
LISTEN TO THE SCIENTISTS FIRST
AND WE’RE ONLY LEFT TO SORT OF
SPECULATE THAT THERE’S POLITICAL
SCIENCE HERE AT WORK THAT THE
GOVERNOR IS SEEING THE POLLS AND
THEN THAT MANDATES FROM THE
STATE OVER SCHOOLS REALLY,
REALLY ANGER A LOT OF PARENTS
AND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE AND SO
THEY’RE JUST GOING TO SIT THIS
ONE OUT.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, YOU KNOW,
WAYNE COUNTY THIS WEEK SAID, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ADVISING SCHOOLS TO
KNOW, WE ARE ADVISING SCHOOLS TO
DO THIS AND SO HAS THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES.
IN WEST MICHIGAN JUST TODAY, OR JUST ON FRIDAY, THE KENT COUNTY
JUST ON FRIDAY, THE KENT COUNTY
AND OTTAWA COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS ISSUED MANDATES FOR
ALL K THROUGH SIX SCHOOLS TO BE MASKED.
ALLEGAN AS WELL, AS WELL AS
KALAMAZOO COUNTY.
SO ROCK RIDGE MICHIGAN REPUBLICAN LEADING ON MANDATES,
REPUBLICAN LEADING ON MANDATES,
YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP,
DENVER.
>> Devin: YOU SURE CAN’T.
BRAD, I WANT TO GET BACK TO YOU
AS WE CIRCLE AROUND ON THIS.
WHEN THE CHAMBER ISN’T MAN DATING FOR--
DATING FOR--
OR ASKING FOR MANDATES, ISN’T
THERE A LIABILITY WORRY HERE
THAT BUSINESSES HAVE TO FACE,
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT CUSTOMERS, IF YOU HAVE A VENUE KIND OF SITUATION.
VENUE KIND OF SITUATION.
I’VE ONLY GOT 30 SECONDS LEFT.
ISN’T LIABILITY A BIG WORRY
HERE, TOO?
>> I THINK THAT EVERYONE HAS TO
MAKE THE BEST DECISION FOR THEIR
OWN BUSINESS, TO KEEP THEIR
EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS SAFE.
WE’VE OBVIOUSLY SEEN SOME VENUES
THAT ARE REQUIRING VACCINES.
WE’RE REQUIRING VACCINES FOR THE
MACKINAC POLICY CONFERENCE, I
THINK WHERE IT’S TIGHT, THAT
MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE
WORLD.
>> Devin: GREAT CONVERSATION.
I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE A LOT ON
YOUR PLATE.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING WITH
US.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.
THANKS FOR THE TIME. WE COME BACK, WE’LL TALK ABOUT
WE COME BACK, WE’LL TALK ABOUT
THE OTHER CRISIS THAT’S GOING ON
IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
ONE THAT YOU HAVEN’T HEARD AS
MUCH ABOUT.
IT’S IN LEBANON. THIS IS FLASH POINT ON LOCAL 4.