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US

Texas GOP Official Who Mocked Vaccines Died From COVID-19

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  • A Texas GOP official who mocked vaccines died from COVID-19.
  • H. Scott Apley, a State Republican Executive Committee member, died on Wednesday, his family said.
  • Apley had previously shared memes questioning the usefulness of COVID-19 vaccines.

A Texas GOP official died with COVID-19 days after sharing a meme questioning the usefulness of coronavirus vaccines.

H. Scott Apley, a member of the State Republican Executive Committee in Texas, died in hospital on Wednesday morning.

He tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a fundraising page set up to cover his medical bills and, later, his funeral expenses. As of early Thursday it had raised $28,000.

Apley, who was also a member of the Dickinson County Council, was a new father, according to the page. His wife had also tested positive for the virus.

The Texas Republican Party confirmed his death on Wednesday.

“I am very saddened to report that H Scott Apley passed away last night at about 3 am,” the page said.

“He leaves behind his wife, Melissa, who is COVID positive, as well as their infant son Reid.”

Five days before his death, Apley shared a meme on Facebook which questioned the usefulness of COVID-19 vaccines, the Daily Beast first reported.

The post was a screenshot of a tweet which read: “In 6 months, we’ve gone from the vax ending the pandemic — to you can still get covid even if vaxxed — to you can pass covid onto others even if vaxxed — to you can still die of covid even if vaxxed — to the unvaxxed are killing the vaxxed.”

In May, he shared a link to an article that described how tickets and giveaways were being used to incentivize people to get vaccinated, and said: “Disgusting.”

Also in May he shared an invitation to a “mask burning” event at a pub in Cincinnati with a caption that read: “I wish I lived in the area!”

Dickinson Mayor Sean Skipworth told the Galveston County Daily News that he did not know whether Apley had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Texas Republican Party said in a statement: “The Texas Republican Party is incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) Member Scott Apley from Senate District 11.

“Please join us in praying for the Apley family.”

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US

Buttigieg, husband Chasten mocked for complaining about $4,500 rent in DC

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is getting roasted on social media after his husband complained about rent prices in Washington, D.C., claiming they couldn’t afford anything bigger than a one-bedroom apartment.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten Buttigieg, said their new Eastern Market digs are a far cry from the price of living in their old city of South Bend, Indiana, where Pete served as mayor from 2012 to 2020. 

PETE BUTTIGIEG SAYS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD ‘ENCOURAGE’ VACCINE PASSPORTS

“We couldn’t afford the one-bedroom-plus-den,” Chasten said.

Instead, they’re renting an 800-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment, sans den, in a high-security building, where the rent for one-bedrooms now starts at $4,500 per month, The Post reported, adding that the rent is higher since the Buttigieges signed a lease last winter.

“We’re doing fine for ourselves, and [yet] the city is almost unaffordable,” Chasten told the paper. “Which tells you how extremely unaffordable it is for many people.” 

The transportation secretary’s salary is $221,400, while Chasten, a former middle school drama teacher, is currently unemployed. In addition to their D.C. apartment, the couple owns a home on Lake Michigan in Traverse City, which they purchased this year after selling their home in South Bend, The Post reported. 

The couple’s favorite pastime, according to The Post, is now “playing Zillow Price Is Right, where they try to guess the out-of-reach appraisal values of homes they admire and then look up the actual estimate online.”

Commentators on both sides of the political aisle mocked the Buttigieges for the comments, adding that most Americans don’t have the luxury of having two residences.

“Imagine being so far removed from the real world that you complain about your $4,500/mo apartment not having a den,” tweeted Abigail Marone, press secretary for Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities thanks to #bidenflation but poor Pete & Chasten don’t get a den in their high-end building. Boo hoo.”

“You can get a nice 1BR (or a 2BR in some cases) for significantly less than $4,500 a month in DC…” wrote Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey.

“My roommate and I have a 2 bed/2 bath + den in the middle of the city and our rent costs nowhere near $4500 a month,” wrote CBS News reporter Kathryn Watson.

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“Hilarious how Mr. Wine Cave Buttigieg is whining that he ONLY makes $221,400 a year,” tweeted Club for Growth senior analyst Andrew Follett. “The problem isn’t DC’s real estate market (which I’ve personally lived with and in for years)…it’s that Dems elites are incredibly fiscally irresponsible…even in their personal lives.”

“If you can’t afford an apartment in Washington DC while making over $220,000 a year (just from the Transportation Sec salary – who knows what other money he has), you shouldn’t be overseeing any federal agency,” wrote former Nevada GOP chairwoman Amy Tarkanian.



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Health

California man who mocked vaccines dies of COVID-19

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A California man who mocked COVID-19 vaccines has died after becoming infected with the virus.

Stephen Harmon, 34, died on Wednesday at Corona Regional Medical Center, about an hour east of Los Angeles.

Prior to his hospitalization, Harmon shared a series of jokes on social media about vaccines.

“I got 99 problems but a vax ain’t one,” he wrote in June on Twitter.

In another tweet the same month, he made fun of the Biden administration’s outreach efforts to push vaccines.

“Biden’s door to door vaccine ‘surveyors’ really should be called JaCovid Witnesses. #keepmovingdork,” he wrote.

Harmon had been treated for pneumonia and critically low oxygen levels in the hospital, news station KCBS-TV reported.

Three days before his death, Harmon shared that he was being placed on a ventilator and asked his followers to pray for him.

“If you don’t have faith that God can heal me over your stupid ventilator then keep the Hell out of my ICU room, there’s no room in here for fear or lack of faith!” he wrote on Twitter.

Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston paid tribute to Harmon, who had been a member of the Los Angeles congregation.

“He was one of the most generous people I know and he had so much in front of him. He would always turn up to our grandkids soccer games and he will be missed by so many,” Houston wrote on Instagram.

Dr. Oren Friedman, who treats COVID-10 patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, called Harmon’s death “unbelievably demoralizing.”

“Virtually every single person that is getting sick enough to be admitted to the hospital has not been vaccinated,” Friedman told KCBS-TV.

With Post wires



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Health

LA man who mocked Covid-19 vaccines dies of virus

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A California man who mocked Covid-19 vaccines on social media has died after a month-long battle with the virus.

Stephen Harmon, a member of the Hillsong megachurch, had been a vocal opponent of vaccines, making a series of jokes about not having the vaccine.

“Got 99 problems but a vax ain’t one,” the 34-year-old tweeted to his 7,000 followers in June.

He was treated for pneumonia and Covid-19 in a hospital outside Los Angeles, where he died on Wednesday.

In the days leading up to his death, Mr Harmon documented his fight to stay alive, posting pictures of himself in his hospital bed.

“Please pray y’all, they really want to intubate me and put me on a ventilator,” he said.

In his final tweet on Wednesday, Mr Harmon said he had decided to go under intubation.

“Don’t know when I’ll wake up, please pray,” he wrote.

Despite his struggle with the virus, Mr Harmon still said he would reject being jabbed, saying his religious faith would protect him.

Prior to his death, had joked about the pandemic and vaccines, sharing memes saying he trusted the Bible over top US disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci.

Hillsong founder Brian Houston confirmed news of his death in a tweet on Thursday.

“Ben has just passed on to us the devastating news that our beloved friend, Stephen Harmon has passed away from Covid. Heartbreaking,” Mr Houston said.

In an Instagram post, he paid tribute to Mr Harmon.

“He was one of the most generous people I know and he had so much in front of him,” he wrote on Instagram.

“He would always turn up to our grandkids soccer games and he will be missed by so many. RIP.”

He added that the church encourages its members “to follow the guidance of their doctors”.

California has seen a rise in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, with the majority of those being taken to hospital unvaccinated.



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Health

LA man who mocked Covid-19 vaccines dies of virus

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A California man who mocked Covid-19 vaccines on social media has died after a month-long battle with the virus.

Stephen Harmon, a member of the Hillsong megachurch, had been a vocal opponent of vaccines, making a series of jokes about not having the vaccine.

“Got 99 problems but a vax ain’t one,” the 34-year-old tweeted to his 7,000 followers in June.

He was treated for pneumonia and Covid-19 in a hospital outside Los Angeles, where he died on Wednesday.

In the days leading up to his death, Mr Harmon documented his fight to stay alive, posting pictures of himself in his hospital bed.

“Please pray y’all, they really want to intubate me and put me on a ventilator,” he said.

In his final tweet on Wednesday, Mr Harmon said he had decided to go under intubation.

“Don’t know when I’ll wake up, please pray,” he wrote.

Despite his struggle with the virus, Mr Harmon still said he would reject being jabbed, saying his religious faith would protect him.

Prior to his death, had joked about the pandemic and vaccines, sharing memes saying he trusted the Bible over top US disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci.

Hillsong founder Brian Houston confirmed news of his death in a tweet on Thursday.

“Ben has just passed on to us the devastating news that our beloved friend, Stephen Harmon has passed away from Covid. Heartbreaking,” Mr Houston said.

In an Instagram post, he paid tribute to Mr Harmon.

“He was one of the most generous people I know and he had so much in front of him,” he wrote on Instagram.

“He would always turn up to our grandkids soccer games and he will be missed by so many. RIP.”

He added that the church encourages its members “to follow the guidance of their doctors”.

California has seen a rise in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, with the majority of those being taken to hospital unvaccinated.



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Health

SoCal man, 34, who mocked vaccines dies of COVID-19

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LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A Southern California man in his 30s who openly mocked vaccines in social media posts has died after a hospitalization for COVID-19.

Stephen Harmon had joked about the vaccine and declared he would never get one, tweeting modified Jay-Z lyrics “I got 99 problems but a vax ain’t one.”

Even in his hospital bed, he remained defiant, declaring on Instagram “… I will not be getting vaccinated once I am discharged and released.”

Harmon was an active member of the Hillsong church. Church founder Brian Houston tweeted that he just learned “the devastating news that our beloved friend, Stephen Harmon has passed away from Covid. Heartbreaking.”

Houston added on Instagram: “Stephen was just a young man in his early 30’s. He was a graduate from Hillsong College and a vital part of our church in California. He was one of the most generous people I know and he had so much in front of him. He would always turn up to our grandkids soccer games and he will be missed by so many. RIP.”

Harmon, 34, chronicled his hospital stay on social media, tweeting that he was resisting intubation even as his condition continued to decline. In his final tweet, he said he finally agreed to intubation. He died later that day.

Harmon’s story is one that doctors say is becoming too prevalent across Southern California – and the entire country.

RELATED: Doctor says many hospitalized COVID patients express remorse

Case numbers are skyrocketing once again, as the more-contagious Delta variant takes hold – and after the state lifted restrictions last month on business capacity and distancing.

On Friday, Los Angeles County reported more than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases – roughly 15 times the number seen just a month ago. The county has reported more than 10,000 new cases in just the last four days.

Hospitalizations and deaths are increasing as well, though not as sharply as the infection numbers.

As of Friday, there are 655 COVID-19 patients in Los Angeles County hospitals, an increase of 200 from the week before. There were seven additional deaths reported Friday.

Health experts say most of the cases and nearly all of the hospitalizations and deaths are among the unvaccinated.

They are continuing to plead with the public to get vaccinated to avoid a fate like Harmon’s.

“If we didn’t have 5.3 million people fully vaccinated in L.A. County, we would probably be seeing almost double the number of cases today,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of LA County Public Health.

“As cases continue to rise, many of us are trying to figure out what steps to take to minimize exposure to the virus. For those eligible and not yet vaccinated, now would be an important time to get your vaccine because our three vaccines all offer a lot of protection to the vaccinated person and also slow down the spread.”

In Sacramento, a woman is urging others to get vaccinated after losing her husband to COVID.

“There’s a lot of misinformation out there and we just wanted to see how it affected people before we decided to get it,” Mia Ponte Vinnard said. “But we didn’t do it in time–we didn’t think about it until it was too late at that point.”

She and her husband Brad Vinnard hesitated to get vaccinated because the issue had been so politicized.

“One of his last posts on Facebook was ‘please go get vaccinated, this is nothing nice,'” Vinnard said. “And then he asked me, ‘honey, please go tell our friends to go get vaccinated. Show them the picture of me in here and tell them they don’t want to be where I’m at right now.”

68-year-old Brad Vinnard died on Saturday. He was a salesman and an avid motorcyclist.

Copyright © 2021 KABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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US

Portland mayor mocked over plans for ‘Welcome Back’ fest after year of riots: ‘Let’s all just roller skate’

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After more than a year of the pandemic, protests and riots, rising violence and homelessness, Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler wants to welcome people back to the city’s struggling downtown. 

“Welcome Back to the Heart of Portland!” kicks off this weekend and will include free concerts, pop-up markets, sing-alongs and light displays.

“My hope is that we get back to the most important thing and the most valuable thing about our city, and that’s the people,” David Jackson, the official DJ for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers said, according to FOX 12 in Portland. 

Monique Claiborne, president and CEO of Greater Portland Inc., said it’s not about the city going back to the way it was, “but really we’re one step closer to imagining a future city that’s inclusive and prosperous.”

PORTLAND SHOOTING LEAVES 1 WOMAN DEAD, 6 HURT: POLICE; MAYOR TALKS ‘GUN VIOLENCE PROBLEM’ IN NEWS CONFERENCE 

Wheeler tweeted about the event Wednesday and received more than a little criticism from all sides in the comments.

Portland Police released an image of the crime scene where a man was fatally shot by police on June 25, 2021. (Portland Police Bureau)

“Who is providing armed security?” one person wrote while another said, “Sad to hear that our mayor fell out of love with Portland right when we needed him.”

“Who is providing armed security?”

— Twitter reaction to Portland plan

A third person commented, “My god, imagine being this disconnected from reality. Your city is facing an environmental and humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, but my[sic] all means let’s all just roller skate. PDX’s shared hatred of city leadership gives me a modicum of hope, though.”

Portland’s once vibrant downtown was ravaged during the pandemic, with many stores forced to close as the virus worsened, leaving the streets empty. 

Police and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed almost nightly for several months last year as crime spiked around the city. 

Wheeler acknowledged the uptick in violent crime in the city last Saturday following a deadly shooting in the area. 

“We have clearly a gun violence problem in our community, we have a homicide problem in our community, and the community should expect that we will have adequate resources,” Wheeler said in a news conference with Portland police Chief Chuck Lovell, according to FOX 12. “That’s the tools, the training, and personnel to be able to address the growing problem around gun violence and homicides in our community.”

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Nearly 300 Portlanders participated in an event to clean up the streets on Wednesday, but some still aren’t sure the city is ready for its “reopening,” KATU-TV of Portland reported. 

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World

Ted Cruz mocked for posting photos handing out water after Cancun backlash.

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Sen. Ted Cruz wanted to show he’s devoted to helping Texans struggling due to a deep freeze that has led to power outages and burst pipes across the state. So the senator, who has been trying to swat away criticism after he took a jaunt to Cancun last week while his constituents suffered, posted photos of himself on Twitter carrying water to several cars. One photo even shows him shaking hands with a person. “#TexasStrong,” he wrote in the tweet.

The tweets came after several Democratic leaders made a point of demonstrating how they were helping Texas while Cruz went to Cancun. And many on social media weren’t buying it, characterizing Cruz’s photo-op as too little, too late and an obvious attempt to rehabilitate his image. “I’m glad someone in Ted Cruz’s Senate office finally instructed him on how to fake compassion, humanity, and creating the illusion that he cares about the people he was elected to serve,” Melissa Ryan, who has worked as a Democratic Party digital strategist, said. Some pointed out that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises everyone to self-quarantine for seven days after traveling.

Cruz has acknowledged that the Cancun trip “was obviously a mistake” and said that “in hindsight I wouldn’t have done it.” Cruz said he was trying to be a “good dad” but realized it was a mistake and changed his return flight. At first the senator tried to say that he planned to only drop off his family but later acknowledged he changed his flight to return earlier than planned. United Airlines is looking into who leaked the data that revealed Cruz changed his return flight after all the backlash on social media. “It’s against United’s policies to share personal information about our customers and we are investigating this incident,” United Airlines said in a statement.



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