Washington

Delta apologizes for post disparaging attendants’ Palestinian flag pins

Published

1 week ago

July 12, 2024

Delta apologizes for post disparaging attendants’ Palestinian flag pins

Delta Air Lines apologized Thursday for a now-deleted post on its X account that appeared to sympathize with a social media user who complained about flight attendants wearing Palestinian flag pins on their uniforms.

An X user posted two pictures Tuesday of Delta flight attendants donning the pins and called the accessories “Hamas badges.” The next day, Delta replied to the post.

“I hear you as I’d be terrified as well, personally,” the airline wrote, according to screenshots on social media of the deleted response. “Our employees reflect our culture and we do not take it lightly when our policy is not being followed.”

A Delta spokesperson said in a statement to The Washington Post on Thursday that the airline’s social media post “was not in line with our values and our mission.” The spokesperson said the team member who wrote the post “has been counseled and no longer supports Delta’s social channels,” but did not specify whether the team member still worked for Delta.

The flight attendants, who were photographed on separate flights, are still working for the airline and have received support from the company, Delta said in a statement. Although it previously permitted pins representing countries outside the United States to be worn on uniforms, Delta said that starting Monday, only U.S. flag pins will be allowed — a move the airline said it made in response to this week’s incident.

Palestinian activists condemned Delta’s response, and several social media users said they planned to boycott the airline.

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the national deputy executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, told The Post that he initially hoped Delta’s tweet had not been written by someone who worked at the airline. He said the post could make people think the Palestinian flag is “an icon of a hate group.”

“What happened with Delta is just the latest example of anti-Palestinian racism,” Mitchell said, adding that CAIR welcomed Delta’s apology. “And my hope is that this incident will begin to slowly, slowly move the needle in a different direction.”

CAIR said in April that it had received more than 8,000 civil rights complaints in 2023, the highest in its 30-year history. Palestinian Americans have faced fear and violence amid the war in Gaza, The Post reported, with their support for civilians in the Gaza Strip misconstrued as support for Hamas, the militant group that has governed Gaza since 2006.

Hamas’s flag has Islamic text on a green background, while the Palestinian flag is a black, white and green tricolor with a red triangle on the left.

Federal officials said last year that they had identified a spike in threats against Arab, Jewish and Muslim communities after the war began.

Israel launched a military assault in Gaza after Hamas militants crossed the border into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage. More than 38,000 Palestinians have died in the enclave in the past nine months.

Israel’s war in Gaza and the rising death toll have triggered protests across the United States, including in corporate America. In April, Google fired 28 employees for publicly protesting a contract Google had with the Israeli government.

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Washington

A first look at Jakob Chychrun in Washington Capitals gear

Published

6 hours ago

July 19, 2024

Press Room

A first look at Jakob Chychrun in Washington Capitals gear

It didn’t take long for Jakob Chychrun to sport Washington Capitals colors.

Fifteen days after his July 1 trade from the Ottawa Senators to the Caps, the defenseman was seen skating at Progressive Auto Sales Arena — the home of the OHL’s Sarnia Sting — wearing red, white, and blue.

“A familiar face joined open skate on Tuesday afternoon!” the Sting wrote on social media. “Check out Jakob’s new sweater 👀”

Chychrun spent two seasons with the junior team (2014-15 and 2015-16), posting two 10-plus goal campaigns and serving as an alternate captain before leaving for the Arizona Coyotes.

In the photos, Chychrun sported an old Capitals practice jersey produced by Adidas. He also rocked his new number six helmet, featuring the Caps’ sponsor Capital One, and navy blue hockey pants. The only part of his equipment that still features Senators’ colors is his CCM gloves.

A familiar face joined open skate on Tuesday afternoon! Check out Jakob’s new sweater 👀#Stingfootprint | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/ymvAlMm82Q
— Sarnia Sting (@StingHockey) July 18, 2024

Chychrun will be the first player to wear number six with the Capitals since Joel Edmundson did so last season. Famously, Michal Kempny and Calle Johansson wore the digit in the past.

Chychrun has had an eventful summer beyond his trade to the Capitals. He also proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Olivia Ibrahim.

After missing the playoffs with the Senators, Chychrun is really excited to start his time with Washington. He was one of seven major acquisitions general manager Brian MacLellan made over the offseason to remake the team.

“I’m thrilled honestly,” Chychrun said. “I think it’s a great fit for me personally and I’m just so excited to be able to help contribute to this team and try to take this team into the playoffs.”

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Washington

Washington Post branded ‘thoughtless’ over tweet on hostage’s parents

Published

13 hours ago

July 19, 2024

Press Room

Washington Post branded ‘thoughtless’ over tweet on hostage’s parents

Jewish organizations and figures slammed the Washington Post on Friday for an X post, and accompanying article, on the parents of hostage Omer Neutra.

In a social media post sharing an article on Neutra’s parents, the Washington Post wrote “Omer Neutra has been missing since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. When his parents speak publicly, they don’t talk about Israel’s assault on Gaza that has killed over 38,000 Palestinians according to local officials. Experts have warned of looming famine.”

The Washington Post later deleted the post, sharing “A previous post referencing the below story was unacceptable and did not meet our editorial standards, and The Post has deleted it. The reporter of the story was not involved in crafting the tweet. We have taken the appropriate action regarding this incident. https://wapo.st/3zZ6Lwz”

A previous post referencing the below story was unacceptable and did not meet our editorial standards, and The Post has deleted it. The reporter of the story was not involved in crafting the tweet. We have taken the appropriate action regarding this incident.…
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 19, 2024

The site posted about the article again, this time writing “Omer Neutra, an American hostage in the Israel-Hamas war, has been missing since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. His parents have mounted a relentless effort to get him released, speaking to anyone who might be able to support their cause.”

Parents of New York born hostage Omer Neutra fear threat of Iranian attack will draw focus away from hostages (13/4/2024) (credit: families hillary clinton, families white house, Orna Daniel Neutra DC rally, RONEN AND ORNA NEUTRA, WHITE HOUSE/POLLY IRUNGU)

They added, “We’ve deleted a previous tweet for this story that mischaracterized the efforts of Neutra’s parents.”

Omer Neutra, an American hostage in the Israel-Hamas war, has been missing since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. His parents have mounted a relentless effort to get him released, speaking to anyone who might be able to support their cause. https://t.co/QC1y8OmogZ
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 19, 2024

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, sharing a screenshot of the post, wrote “Are you kidding me, @washingtonpost? You may have deleted the post, but the thoughtless characterization of Omer Neutra’s parents – who have spent the last 287 days not knowing the fate of their son after he was kidnapped by terrorists on Oct 7 – remains in your article.

“In what world did anyone find it acceptable to publish in the first place?

“And to add insult to injury, the article cites “local officials,” aka the Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas – the terror organization that launched the barbaric 10/7 massacre that led to the ongoing war.”

Are you kidding me, @washingtonpost? You may have deleted the post, but the thoughtless characterization of Omer Neutra’s parents – who have spent the last 287 days not knowing the fate of their son after he was kidnapped by terrorists on Oct 7 – remains in your article.In what… pic.twitter.com/hHY4FrHrVI
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) July 19, 2024
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The American Jewish Committee also commented on the X post, stating “The parents of Israeli-American hostage Omer Neutra have one goal: TRYING TO FREE THEIR SON from Hamas captivity. That’s all they need to say. How could this tweet have been posted? Shame on @WashingtonPost for calling the Neutra’s morality into question.”

The parents of Israeli-American hostage Omer Neutra have one goal: TRYING TO FREE THEIR SON from Hamas captivity.That’s all they need to say.How could this tweet have been posted? Shame on @WashingtonPost for calling the Neutra’s morality into question. pic.twitter.com/ogx95SfV0C
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) July 19, 2024

Israel’s embassy to the United States also took issue with the post, sharing on X “Even after updating their offensively misleading tweet, @washingtonpost still insisted on saying that 22-year-old American hostage, Omer Neutra, has been “MISSING” since October 7th. This isn’t a game of hide and seek. Omer was KIDNAPPED to GAZA by HAMAS TERRORISTS and has been held captive in unimaginable conditions for over 9 months.”

Even after updating their offensively misleading tweet, @washingtonpost still insisted on saying that 22-year-old American hostage, Omer Neutra, has been “MISSING” since October 7th. This isn’t a game of hide and seek.Omer was KIDNAPPED to GAZA by HAMAS TERRORISTS and has… pic.twitter.com/I3D4WoOUmN
— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) July 19, 2024

About the Washington Post article

While the social media post claimed that Neutra is “missing,” the article did acknowledge that he was taken hostage but did not mention that it was Hamas terrorists who abducted him.

The article explicitly mentioned Neutra’s parents, Orna and Ronen, “The couple declined to discuss their own political affiliations, saying it’s irrelevant.”

The author also charged that both Orna and Ronen “don’t talk about the ferocity of Israel’s counterattack, which has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians and left nearly 90,000 injured” when they speak publicly. The author attributed this figure to the Gaza health ministry, failing to mention its affiliation with Hamas.

What’s happening in Gaza is “horrible,” Orna told the Washington Post, while asserting that Hamas could end it by releasing the hostages. Ronen shared Orna’s belief, telling the Post Hamas is “not only holding hostage our son, they’re also holding hostage the people of Gaza.”

Omer Neutra

Neutra, 22, is an American-Israeli who deferred his college admission to Binghamton University to join the IDF.

Neutra was working as a tank commander on October 7, and his family had not heard from him since the day before the attack.

Born in New York only a month after September 11, Orna told Republican National Conference attendees how, during her pregnancy, she was “just trying to get him out of harm’s way. And it’s just insane that 23 years later, he was caught in this vile terrorist attack.”

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Washington

Analysis | What Families USA’s new boss brings to the table

Published

20 hours ago

July 19, 2024

Press Room

Analysis | What Families USA’s new boss brings to the table

Good morning, and TGIF. Mississippi ranks last in women’s health and reproductive care outcomes across the United States, according to a new Commonwealth Fund scorecard, which places Massachusetts at the top. Find out how your state ranks here. Got tips? Send them to mckenzie.beard@washpost.com.

Today’s edition: Two top senators want to haul the leader of embattled Steward Health Care to Capitol Hill. Federal regulators approved a best selling e-cigarette — but only in tobacco flavor. But first …

Q&A: Where Anthony Wright wants to lead Families USA

Anthony Wright, the new executive director of Families USA, is hitting the ground running.

Last week, Wright started his new role in Washington after 22 years as executive director of Health Access California. I caught up with him to discuss his vision for one of the nation’s leading health-care advocacy organizations. Our conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Health brief: Are there lessons you learned at Health Access California that you think will be helpful in Washington?

Wright: One lesson is to make sure that there’s a strong consumer voice in the crafting of health-care policy. Patients and the public are sometimes left out of these discussions, but they are the point of the health-care system and should be at the center of the conversation.

Health brief: What health policy issues do you intend to prioritize early in your tenure?

Wright: Right now, we have a government guarantee that nobody has to spend more than 8.5 percent of their income on health coverage, but that’s set to expire in the next year.

If those tax credits are allowed to expire, that would mean a spike in premiums of hundreds of dollars per month on average and potentially around 5 million Americans losing coverage. That’s a crucial policy that we need to get lawmakers on the record about as we go into this fall.

Health brief: How are you preparing for 2025 and the election aftermath?

Wright: We need to be very clear that our health care is on the ballot. There are stark differences on health care that we need to hear from our policymakers on, whether it’s reproductive health, the ACA and its future, the [expanded tax credits] or prescription drug prices.

On prescription drug prices, we could see [the federal government] either expanding both the number of drugs that we negotiate over and having those discounted prices be extended to a much broader set of payers and patients. Or we could see that power be repealed.

In terms of the ACA, it’s not just the 5 million people who could lose coverage under the expiration of those subsidies. It’s the 20 million-plus folks that might lose coverage under a total repeal … [which would bring on] spiking premiums leading the market into a death spiral.

Health brief: Is there anything you achieved in California that you’d like to see replicated on a national scale?

Wright: In California, we worked a lot on the issues of cost and value, and Families USA has also been a leader in that. We created an Office of Health Care Affordability that set a goal for health growth, which a number of states are following.

Given my background growing up in the Bronx in the poorest congressional district in the country, being a son of an immigrant from Ecuador and the grandson of immigrants from Ireland and China, and actually even being uninsured for parts of my childhood, issues of access, economic security and equity are a personal passion for me. That’s something I was happy to work on in California and want to continue doing so with this national cap.

On the Hill

Sanders, Cassidy seek subpoena vote for Steward Health CEO

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is launching an investigation into the bankruptcy of Steward Health Care, a Dallas-based company with private equity ties that owns 31 hospitals across eight states.

Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and ranking member Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced that the panel will vote on July 25 to subpoena Steward’s CEO, Ralph de la Torre, to testify at a Sept. 12 hearing on the health system’s financial decisions leading up to its May bankruptcy filing.

Key context: Steward is selling all of its U.S. hospitals to help offload its $9 billion debt, which includes $1.2 billion in loans, $6.6 billion in unpaid rent, nearly $1 billion in unpaid bills from medical vendors and suppliers, and $290 million in unpaid employee wages and benefits.

Steward has blamed rising interest rates, labor costs and insufficient government health insurance reimbursement rates for its bankruptcy. Newly released court documents also show that in the months leading up to the filing, top executives awarded themselves multimillion dollar payouts.

Zooming out: Steward’s bankruptcy is being probed in several states, including Massachusetts and Arizona. The health system is also under scrutiny by the Justice Department, which recently launched a criminal investigation into the company over allegations of fraud and corruption, according to Michael Kaplan of CBS News.

Steward didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The CEO of Steward Health Care is the poster child for the type of outrageous corporate greed that permeates through our health care system. It’s time for this CEO to get off his $40 million yacht and explain how much he’s gained financially while bankrupting Steward Health Care. pic.twitter.com/8tgqiyLaTP
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) July 18, 2024

Agency alert

FDA allows sales of more tobacco-flavored vapes

The Food and Drug Administration is allowing R.J. Reynolds to keep several e-cigarette products on the market, my colleague Rachel Roubein reports.

Federal health officials authorized sales of seven of the company’s Vuse Alto vaping products, but only for tobacco-flavored pods.

The agency stressed the move “does not mean these tobacco products are safe.” In a statement, the FDA said the company showed the products have the potential to provide a benefit to adults who smoke cigarettes, adding that kids are less likely to use tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes compared to other flavors.

The background: Last year, the FDA denied R.J. Reynolds’s application for several menthol-flavored products, a decision the company has challenged in court. But last month, the agency authorized the first menthol-flavored e-cigarette products, manufactured by NJOY, which drew swift criticism from some public health advocates.

A government watchdog found compliance issues with federal Medicaid eligibility redetermination requirements in nearly all states, including with long-standing requirements.

Key context: A pandemic-era policy prevented Americans from being dropped from Medicaid until it expired in April 2023. This prompted states to review their ballooning rolls and remove those no longer eligible for the safety net program.

The Government Accountability Office identified several compliance issues during the so-called “unwinding.” For instance, about 420,000 eligible individuals, including children, lost coverage because states assessed household, not individual, eligibility, according to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

The watchdog recommended that CMS document and implement oversight practices to prevent and detect state compliance issues with redeterminations. The agency agreed with the GAO’s recommendation.

In other health news

On the move: Joel McElvain is now acting deputy general counsel at HHS, overseeing matters related to CMS. McElvain, a longtime Justice Department official, had previously been serving as HHS special counsel, working on drug-price negotiation.

Quote of the week

“I shouldn’t have to go into medical debt just to be able to live.”
— Virginia Beach resident Robyn DeChabert on a pharmacy charging her $1,700 for a Paxlovid prescription.
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