Guest Editorials

EDITORIAL:Trump’s Attacks on Credibility of the Press are Dangerously Effective

EDITORIAL - Of the many ways in which the Trump administration has attacked the press, its most effective and dangerous ploy has been to try to destroy the media’s credibility, undermining truth and consensus even as a pandemic threatens to kill tens of thousands of Americans, the Committee to Protect Journalists finds in a report released today.

The report, “The Trump Administration and the Media,” examines stepped-up prosecutions of news sources, interference in the financial independence of some media owners, and the harassment of journalists, particularly at U.S. borders. It shows how the White House’s approach has emboldened authoritarian leaders to silence the press in their own countries.

EDITORIAL: Are We Being Misled Concerning COVID-19 Deaths?

EDITORIAL - A recent newspaper headline in a rural county in Central California blared the following: “Local virus casualty was a beloved cowboy.” Any reader would immediately draw the conclusion that COVID-19 killed 60-year old Ken Machado of San Benito County. Yet, when one reads the actual news story, this interesting nugget appears:

Diane Machado was careful to emphasize that county health officers who have spoken with the family said that while Ken Machado tested positive for COVID-19 after his death, that does not mean the virus itself took his life. Ken Machado had a number of existing conditions, including Lyme Disease – which he contracted about 20 years ago – and heart disease. His sister and other family members think these underlying conditions were exacerbated by the COVID-19 illness.

EDITORIAL: Hoarding Toilet Paper is Not the New Normal

EDITORIAL - During my last visit to the grocery store, after directing me to the hermetically sealed conveyor belt, the clerk grinning proudly said, “Welcome to the new normal.” No, thank you. These ad hoc restrictions on our liberties are not normal—at least in the United States of America.

In the name of public health, prisoners have been released from jail, physicians are being restricted in what drugs they can use to treat their COVID-19 patients, and cancer patients are having their treatments delayed as “elective.”

EDITORIAL: Can Americans Trust the CDC?

EDITORIAL - When the COVID-19 pandemic eventually passes ( and it will ), we will need to take a serious look at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and its role in the crisis as well as the CDC’s relationship with the World Health Organization ( WHO )

In recent years, the credibility and reputation of the CDC has taken some major hits, most notably its slow response to the much more deadly Ebola panic of 2014. Despite the appallingly-high death rate associated with Ebola ( up to 90% in some cases ), the CDC dragged its feet in responding to the 2014 outbreak in West Africa. The agency’s initial guidelines were considered too lax and were rejected by 21 states which opted for more restrictive policies, like three-week mandatory quarantines on all health workers returning from West Africa.

Message from the Fresno State Athletic Director Terry Tumey

RED WAVE - This weekend, I should be preparing to watch our top 25 ranked softball team face San Diego State at Margie Wright Diamond, or our women's basketball team compete in postseason play. Or planning to follow our five wrestlers and our diver who qualified to compete in the NCAA Championships. I was excited about championship runs from our nationally ranked equestrian and water polo programs, and the defense of Mountain West titles by baseball and men's tennis. So much potential. So much excitement. And it was all over in a day.

I hurt for our student-athletes. As someone who has witnessed the hard work and dedication our student-athletes commit every day in the pursuit of athletic excellence, it was upsetting to see their seasons end so abruptly. But, as a parent and Athletics Director, I appreciate and support the steps that we have taken to ensure the health and safety of our student-athletes, staff, and fans. With the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, I understand the need to ensure that we do not contribute to the spread of the pandemic and protect all of the people involved in our programs.