<ul class="summary-list"><li>A <keyword id="9096" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="High-School">high school</keyword> <keyword id="36237" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="basketball">basketball</keyword> tournament in <keyword id="26517" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Indiana">Indiana</keyword> has been connected to at least five COVID-19 deaths, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/highschool/2020/04/18/coronavirus-deaths-followed-indiana-high-school-basketball-sectional/5158644002/">USA Today reported</a>. </li><li>Roscoe Taylor, Jim DeSalle, Charles Johnson, Paul Loggan, and Larry Rush, all attended Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis for the sectional semifinals along with 2,800 fans on March 6. </li><li>Several of their loved ones told USA Today that they believed the tournament, which concurrently took place with 63 other games at different venues across the state, could have been where the COVID-19 victims contracted the virus. </li><li>While there is no way of telling how they were infected, an infectious disease expert said a packed high school basketball game would be "pretty fertile territory for spreading infection."</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>On March 6, 2,800 Indiana high school basketball fans packed into the Lawrence Central High School gym in Indianapolis for the sectional semifinals between Warren Central and North Central— the " <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2020/04/18/coronavirus-indiana-lawrence-central-basketball-sectional-10/5145870002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hottest ticket in the state of Indiana for high school basketball,"</a> according to USA Today. It would later be discovered that the March 6 high school game was also the event in which five Indiana residents are believed to have contracted the novel coronavirus and later died due to complications with COVID-19.Warren Central fan Roscoe Taylor, Lawrence North High School basketball assistant coach Jim DeSalle, Warren Central fan Charles Johnson, North Central High School Athletic Director Paul Loggan, and Lawrence North fan Larry Rush, all attended the sectional semifinals.Several of their loved ones told USA Today that they believed the game could have been where they contracted the virus. "I feel like that's probably where we got it," Kay Johnson, the widow of one of the five victims, told USA Today. "Too many have gotten sick who were there. The sad thing is we just didn't know. We didn't have the information to go on."The morning of the game the <a href="https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/">Indiana State Health Department reported its first coronavirus related case</a>. At the time, Indiana's state department of health commissioner Dr. Kris Box said there was "no ongoing risk to the public" and advised Indiana residents to take precautionary measures in line with the CDC recommendations at the time.However, he noted: "The situation with COVID-19 is changing rapidly and we can expect to see other cases in Indiana in the future."Shortly after, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) received a surge of concerned calls related to the coronavirus and what it meant for the Indiana high school basketball tournament, USA Today reported.In spite of the <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">news</keyword>, IHSAA and four athletic directors involved in the high school tournament, including one of the COVID-19 victims, Paul Loggan, decided that the games would go on as scheduled. "We will continue to monitor the developments and listen to medical experts and if it becomes necessary to make adjustments to high school sporting events, we will work with our member schools to take every precaution to ensure a healthy and safe environment for everyone involved," IHSAA said in a statement on March 6. The faceoff between Warren Central and North Central took place that night along with 63 other games in different venues across the state, according to USA Today. However, many <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> fans were still packing into stadiums, fields, and gyms, across the country at the time.Only a week later it became clear that the novel virus was sweeping the country, and had infected athletes including <a href="https://www.insider.com/rudy-gobert-coronavirus-jazz-thunder-cancelled-2020-3">Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz</a>. On March 10, The Ivy League became the first conference to cancel its basketball tournament followed by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/ncaa-suspends-march-madness-coronavirus-2020-3">the NCAA, who canceled March Madness on March 13;</a> IHSAA postponed the high school tournament on the same day, reversing an earlier decision to allow the games to continue with only 75 attendees per school. States didn't begin implementing statewide coronavirus lockdown measures until a week later — Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a stay-at-home on March 23, which would go into effect on March 24, according to <a href="https://www.in.gov/gov/3232.htm">the Indiana government website.</a>Dr. Beeler said the state should have "done stuff differently back then," but claimed they had "almost no information back then." "It was just starting to hit us. The consequences of shutting everything back down back then weren't fully understood," Beeler told USA Today. Now, a month and a half after Indiana's first confirmed coronavirus case, the novel virus has infected 10,641 and killed 545, according to data <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">collected by John Hopkins. </a>Gerad Good, an assistant coach at Lawrence North High School, recalls the games in the Indiana high school tournament still remembers the sectional semifinals as "the most fun games I've been part of in a long, long time.""That was great basketball for three or four days — a packed gym with nothing but good teams competing and working their butts off. It was great," Good told USA Today. "But then you start putting the pieces together... all we know is that this virus has changed a lot of people's lives," he added. Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/five-died-of-covid-19-after-attending-indiana-basketball-tournament-2020-4">Insider</a>

Five people died of COVID-19 after attending an Indiana high school basketball game: 'Too many have gotten sick who were there'

Good morning! Welcome back to <keyword id="10669910" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</keyword>. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox each day.</a> Send your tips and suggestions to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a> or tweet me <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentGriffiths">@BrentGriffiths</a>. Here's what you need to know:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-president-senate-schumer-2021-3">AOC says fans worried about her future need to quit pining for the "one" and get working themselves</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/people-question-narrative-ga-shooting-spree-wasnt-racially-motivated-2021-3">Atlanta officer says "everything is on the table" after backlash to other departments discounting hate crime charges.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-diversity-racial-problems-bias-asian-american-hate-crimes-2021-3">Black ex-FBI agents say the bureau can't properly investigate hate crimes without handling its own racial problems.</a></li></ul>1. AOC IS NOT THE LEFT'S SAVIOR: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hears the chatter about her becoming Speaker of the House. The swag touting a 2024 White House run is hard to miss. And she's constantly bugged about whether she'll primary Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer next year. But she has a message for everyone focused on what's next instead of what's unfolding now: Quit pining for the "one" and help build a legion of changemakers. <ul><li>Key quote: "Right now we need millions of people in the streets. We need mass labor organizing. We need pressure on the Senate," Ocasio-Cortez told Insider. "We have to make these windows happen."</li></ul>In her own words: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-president-senate-schumer-2021-3">Ocasio-Cortez spoke to Insider for our in-depth profile</a> of where she stands and what fellow Democrats see in her future. "Don't think you can just elect people and go back to brunch," she said, imploring more people to get involved in the political process.<ul><li><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-154953116/business-insider-interview-with-rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez">Listen to my colleague's interview with her:</a></li></ul><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-154953116/business-insider-interview-with-rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez"><div type="image" title="Screen Shot 2021 03 19 at 3.16.59 AM" height="280" width="1034" msid="81587832" hostid="261"></div></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-president-senate-schumer-2021-3">Read the rest of our exclusive report.</a>2. Atlanta investigators say "everything is on the table": Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Charles Hampton told reporters that the officers are <a href="https://www.insider.com/atlanta-investigators-are-working-with-korea-to-find-victims-families-2021-3">still trying to locate the next of kin for four of the women</a> killed. Hampton also said officers haven't ruled out any charges, comments that come after a different department sparked swift criticism for suggesting the attacks that left six Asian women dead <a href="https://www.insider.com/people-question-narrative-ga-shooting-spree-wasnt-racially-motivated-2021-3">were not racially motivated.</a>What we know about the victims: Xiaojie Tan, 49; Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; Paul Andre Michels, 54; and Daoyou Feng, 44 were all killed at the first shooting location. <a href="https://www.insider.com/victims-of-the-atlanta-spa-shootings-that-left-8-dead-2021-3">A fifth person was injured and is in stable condition</a>.<ul><li>Tan was a day shy of her 50th birthday: "She did everything for me and for the family. She provided everything. She worked every day, 12 hours a day, so that me and our family would have a better life," <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/18/stop-asian-hate-atlanta-shooting-victim-mother-business-owner/4754151001/">Jami Webb told USA Today of her mother.</a></li></ul><div type="image" title="Atl Flowers" height="2000" width="2666" msid="81587835" hostid="261"></div>Other reactions:Experts questioned the shooter blaming his "sex addiction": Psychiatrists don't generally believe that sex addiction (<a href="https://www.insider.com/is-sex-addiction-real">which is not considered a mental health disorder</a>) <a href="https://www.insider.com/georgia-shooting-sex-addiction-criminal-case-2021-3">drives violence</a>. Others point out how Robert Aaron Long's attacks on Asian spas fit a <a href="https://www.insider.com/experts-say-atlanta-spa-shootings-linked-to-asian-race-gender-2021-3">long history of sexualization of Asian American women.</a>President Biden and Vice President Harris will meet with Georgia Asian-American leaders later today: Local leaders told Insider that their message about the attacks is that racism and misogyny impacting Asian women must not be ignored. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-asian-advocates-say-about-race-gender-and-the-atlanta-attack-2021-3">More on what they're saying</a>.<ul><li>Biden ordered flags at federal buildings to be <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/03/18/978730477/biden-orders-u-s-flags-at-half-staff-in-wake-of-atlanta-spa-shootings">flown at half-staff to mark the massacre.</a></li></ul>3. A hearing on crimes against Asian Americans devolved into chaos: Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas called out violence by invoking "an old sayin[g]" of his state <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chip-roy-complains-about-china-at-anti-asian-violence-hearing-2021-3">that glorifies lynching</a>. He then launched into a blistering attack on the Chinese Communist Party. Rep. Grace Meng of New York criticized Roy for going off-topic. "This hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community … <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/grace-meng-chip-roy-trump-hearing-anti-asian-violence-2021-3">We will not let you take our voice away from us</a>." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/key-moments-congress-hearing-anti-asian-violence-atlanta-shootings-2021-3">Other key moments from the hearing.</a>4. US-China talks get heated: Beijing told America to focus on its own human rights issues like Black Lives Matter after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration intended to defend a "rules-based order," pointing out that China's steamrolling of Hong Kong's independence and oppression of Uighurs in Xinjiang. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-us-should-handle-own-human-rights-problems-2021-3">More on the war of words in Alaska.</a> Meetings resume today.<ul><li>Much of this played out before the press: While most of the talks happen in private, the two sides' early bickering was in full view of the cameras. An unnamed senior administration official said <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/1372691919860592652?s=20">the Chinese delegation was "grandstanding.</a>" Beijing accused the US of being <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/18/politics/blinken-sullivan-china-alaska-meetings/index.html">"condescending."</a></li></ul>5. Black ex-FBI agents say the bureau can't properly investigate hate crimes without handling racial problems in its ranks: The ex-agents working through a group called the "Mirror Project" have met twice with FBI Director Chris Wray on the topic. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-diversity-racial-problems-bias-asian-american-hate-crimes-2021-3">More on how the FBI's lack of diversity has been a longstanding issue.</a>6. Washington moves of the week: The Pete Buttigieg diaspora continues to find new gigs. Here are some of the biggest moves this week.Ben Halle, a former Iowa communications director for Buttigieg, is joining the Transportation secretary as deputy director of public affairs; Rodericka Applewhaite, another Buttigieg 2020 veteran, has been named senior communications advisor for the Michigan Democratic Party. Elsewhere, Adm. Brett Giroir, who served as a coronavirus testing czar for the Trump administration, will join Gauss Surgical Inc, the makers of a rapid at-home COVID-19 test.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-who-got-hired-in-washington-this-week-2021-3">Read the rest of our exclusive list of DC hirings.</a>7. The top things for your calendar, all times Eastern:<ul><li>10:45 a.m.: Speaker Pelosi holds her weekly press conference.</li><li>2:15 p.m.: Biden and Vice President Harris visit the CDC during their trip to Atlanta. They will also privately meet with local Asian American leaders.</li></ul>8. House passes pathway to citizenship for Dreamers: The House easily advanced part of Biden's immigration plan on Thursday by passing protections for undocumented immigrants without legal status who arrived in the U.S. as children. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-passes-the-american-dream-and-promise-act-2021-3">Nine Republicans joined Democrats in passing the bill in a 228-197 vote</a>. <ul><li>The outlook in the Senate remains murky: With the filibuster, Democrats would need at least 10 Republican votes to pass any immigration legislation. GOP senators told The Washington Post that they want to add <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-immigration-dreamers-daca/2021/03/18/ebe53a16-87f0-11eb-8a8b-5cf82c3dffe4_story.html">stronger border enforcement and changes to asylum laws as part of any deal</a>. </li></ul>9. A Republican senator clashed with Fauci over masks: Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky accused the nation's top infectious-disease expert of wearing two masks "for show" since Dr. Anthony Fauci has been fully vaccinated. Fauci pointed out that masks can still be necessary after being fully vaccinated due to coronavirus variants, which current vaccines may not fully protect against. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rand-paul-accuses-fauci-of-theater-wearing-masks-for-show-2021-3">More on their exchange here.</a>10. They're playing basketball: Washington can't agree on the filibuster. But maybe, just maybe, they can court common ground on bracket busters (Sorry).<ul><li>Former President Barack Obama <a href="https://www.insider.com/obama-march-madness-bracket-final-four-picks-2021-3">picked straight chalk (all #1 seeds) for his final four.</a></li><li>Harris chided her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, over his picks:</li></ul><a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1372658963527925760?s=20"><div type="image" title="Screen Shot 2021 03 19 at 2.56.35 AM" height="802" width="940" msid="81587838" hostid="261"></div></a><ul><li>Across the aisle, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, whose state is hosting the entire tournament, took a little more risk. He has #3 seed Kansas and #2 Ohio State <a href="https://twitter.com/GovHolcomb/status/1372654716136656903?s=20">in his final four.</a></li></ul>Did I miss a good bracket? Email me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.One last thing.Today's trivia question: Sticking with the March Madness theme. Who was the first sitting president to attend a Final Four game? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>Yesterday's answer: James Buchanan is the only other Pennsylvanian to make it to the White House. The Census Bureau has a great map of <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/02/presidential-birth-states-and-places-with-names-of-presidents.html">the 21 states to produce a future president.</a></li></ul>Have a great weekend! Good luck with your brackets.

10 Things in Politics: AOC's road ahead

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Vice President Mike Pence used his personal AOL account to email top advisers for official business while serving as the governor of Indiana, according to a <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/02/pence-used-personal-email-state-business----and-hacked/98604904/" target="_blank">report by the Indianapolis Star</a> newspaper on Thursday.The emails, which were part of a public-records request, discussed matters related to security both local and abroad - from security gates at the governor's residence, to the state's response to global terror attacks.Representatives for Pence released a statement on Thursday:Over 30 pages from Pence's emails were released by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb's office, however, details on the files are scant - including whether any pages were omitted due to potentially sensitive material."It's one thing to have an AOL account and use it to send birthday cards to grandkids," New York University computer security professor Justin Cappos told the newspaper. "It's another thing to use it to send and receive messages that are sensitive and could negatively impact people if that information is public."Public officials are allowed to use personal email accounts under Indiana law, however, it is generally viewed to mean that official business, when conducted with private emails, must be retained for public record purposes, according to IndyStar.Pence's email was hacked in 2016, after a scammer sent an email to his contacts claiming that both Pence and his wife were stranded in the Philippines. His office hired outside counsel to review his AOL emails.During the 2016 election, President Donald Trump and Pence, along with many campaign associates routinely criticized Democrat Hillary Clinton, whose campaign was embroiled in an FBI investigation over her use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-trump-family-costs-taxpayers-travel-expenses-mar-a-lago-2017-2">The Trump family's lavish lifestyle is costing taxpayers a fortune</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="RqNmx4OTE6RBhoUlXXu_BTxhzDBIYqe1" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Vice President Pence used an AOL email for official business

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersMike Pence</div></div></div>In a letter to <a href="http://www.in.gov/activecalendar/EventList.aspx?fromdate=9/9/2016&amp;todate=9/22/2016&amp;display=&amp;type=public&amp;eventidn=252070&amp;view=EventDetails&amp;information_id=251023&amp;print=print">US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald</a>, Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence urged the federal government to repay veterans who used military benefits to attend ITT Tech, the for-profit college that abruptly closed in early September, <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/mike-pence-itt-tech-veterans-227984">Politico reported</a>.Pence called for a full refund of all GI Bill money used at the institution. "On behalf of all Hoosier veterans, Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb, Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs Director Jim Brown, and I are calling on the VA to fully reimburse student veterans who used the GI Bill to enroll at ITT Technical Institute during 2016 so they may have the opportunity to pursue their <keyword id="6355445" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Education">education</keyword> at another institution," Pence wrote.The GI Bill provides educational benefits for US servicemembers to pay for tuition and fees, as well as a monthly stipend for housing and other educational resources like books and classroom supplies. The post-9/11 GI Bill went into effect in 2009 and provided up to <a href="http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/resources/benefits_resources/rates/ch33/ch33rates080115.asp">$21,084.89</a> in educational benefits to veterans for private or foreign school.While current students and those actively enrolled in past 120 days who made the decision to leave are eligible to have 100% of their federal loans discharged, students who spend their GI Bill benefits on attending a school that closes receive no such reimbursement. By forgoing their dischargements, both veterans and regular students can transfer to a participating school, but finding a quality institution that will accept the credits is quite the task.Additionally, veterans who are dependent on GI Bill money to pay for basic monthly fees, like rent, are left in precarious situations. They must find a way to pay these bills or quickly enroll in other programs to continue receiving GI Bill benefits.About 7,000 veterans had been using GI Bill money to attend ITT, according to Politico. Using that figure, Pence's call for repayment of GI Bill money roughly equates to $148 million in reimbursement from the VA to veteran ITT Tech students. Neither ITT Tech nor the VA immediately responded to Business Insider's request for comment.In recent years, it's become clear that ITT Tech, along with other for-profit colleges, derives much of its funding from GI Bill benefits.In 2014, the <a href="http://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/two-years-after-harkin-report-revealed-questionable-business-practices-in-for-profit-college-industry-new-analysis-shows-for-profit-colleges-are-top-recipients-of-post-9/11-gi-bill-dollars">US Senate, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee</a> <a href="http://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/two-years-after-harkin-report-revealed-questionable-business-practices-in-for-profit-college-industry-new-analysis-shows-for-profit-colleges-are-top-recipients-of-post-9/11-gi-bill-dollars">issued a report</a> disparaging the for-profit college sector and outlining just how much GI Bill money it receives.The report showed that of the top 10 institutions receiving GI Bill dollars, eight were for-profit schools. ITT Tech ranked third on the list. The institutions marked in bold are for-profit colleges.<ol><li>Apollo Group - $272 million</li><li>EDMC - $163 million</li><li>ITT - $161 million</li><li>DeVry - $132 million</li><li>Career Education - $79 million</li><li>Corinthian Colleges - $63 million</li><li>Strayer University - $56 million</li><li>University of Maryland System (public university) - $50 million</li><li>UTI - $50 million</li><li>Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (private nonprofit school) - $48 million</li></ol>ITT's closure, affecting about 40,000 students and 8,000 employees, is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/itt-techs-closure-was-one-of-the-largest-in-us-history-2016-9">one of the largest in US history</a>. Pence's push to protect veterans who attended ITT Tech is another signal that the Trump campaign is committed to working for US servicemen and women.In July, Donald Trump <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-fixing-the-department-of-veterans-affairs-2016-7">pledged to fix the VA and said that</a> "fixing this corruption will be one of my many and highest priorities, and believe me, it will happen. I'm very good at things like that." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/footage-brock-turner-released-early-jail-stanford-sexual-assult-2016-9">Here's footage of Brock Turner leaving jail after serving half of his 6-month sentence</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="B2MjZvNTE634J6RmvrOOW_31gyNnQMda" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Mike Pence is calling for the federal government to repay veterans who spent millions to attend ITT Tech

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>US military veterans from the <a href="http://trumanproject.org/">Truman National Security Project</a> have written an open letter to Fox News complaining that offensive comments about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/first-female-uae-pilot-2014-9">a female United Arab Emirates pilot</a> were "unwarranted" and "fundamentally opposed to what the military stands for."
During Wednesday's broadcast of "The Five," co-hosts Eric Bolling and Greg Gutfeld ridiculed Maj. Mariam Al Mansouri, the first female UAE pilot and F-16 squadron commander leading airstrikes against ISIS.
"Problem is, after she bombed it, she couldn't park it," Gutfeld said. "Would that be considered boobs on the ground, or no?" Bolling followed up.
Bolling <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYwRj7-MH-8" target="_blank">apologized on-air</a> on Thursday for his "wholly inappropriate" comment saying: 
"I want to go back to last night, about this time I made a joke. When I got home, I got the look and I realized some people didn't think it was funny at all. I said sorry to my wife and I apologize to all of you as well, I just want to make that very clear." 
During Friday's broadcast, Bolling stated that his prior apology was "inadequate" and gave another on-air apology to viewers.
Here is the full letter via <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/an-open-letter-to-fox-news" target="_blank">TPM</a>:
<div>
Dear Mr. Bolling and Mr. Gutfeld,
We are veterans of the United States armed forces, and we are writing to inform you that <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/fox-hosts-dub-uae-female-fighter-pilot-boobs-on-the-ground" target="_blank">your remarks</a> about United Arab Emirates Air Force Major Mariam Al Mansouri were unwarranted, offensive, and fundamentally opposed to what the military taught us to stand for.
</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
First, foremost, and most obvious to everyone other than yourselves, your remarks were immensely inappropriate. Your co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle was so right to call attention to an inspiring story of a woman <a href="http://www.f-16.net/f-16-news-article4869.html" target="_blank">shattering glass ceilings</a> in a society where doing so is immeasurably difficult. We never heard an answer to her question: why did you feel so compelled to "ruin her thing?"
As it turns out, women have been flying combat aircraft since before either of you were born.<a href="http://www.npr.org/2010/03/09/123773525/female-wwii-pilots-the-original-fly-girls" target="_blank">Over 1,000</a> Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) flew during World War II. Seeing as U.S. Army Air Forces Commander "Hap" Arnold said "Now in 1944, it is on the record that women can fly as well as men," we can probably guess he thought their parking was adequate. The WASP legacy reaches into the present day; on 9/11, then Lt. Heather "Lucky" Penney <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/f-16-pilot-was-ready-to-give-her-life-on-sept-11/2011/09/06/gIQAMpcODK_story.html" target="_blank">scrambled</a> her F-16. Completely unarmed, she was ready to lay down her own life to prevent further devastating attacks on American soil.
Thus the skill of women as fighter pilots is well established. And before you jump to the standby excuse that you were "just making a joke" or "having a laugh," let the men amongst our number preemptively respond: You are not funny. You are not clever. And you are not excused. Perhaps the phrase "boys will be boys"-inevitably uttered wherever misogyny is present-is relevant. Men would never insult and demean a fellow servicemember; boys think saying the word 'boobs' is funny.
The less obvious implication of your remarks, however, is that by offending an ally and cheapening her contribution, you are actively hurting the mission. We need to send a clear message that anyone, male or female, who will stand up to ISIS and get the job done is worthy of our respect and gratitude.
We issue an apology on your behalf to Major Al Mansouri knowing that anything your producers force you to say will be contrived and insincere. Major, we're sincerely sorry for the rudeness; clearly, these boys don't take your service seriously, but we and the rest of the American public do.
Very Respectfully,
U.S. Army: Michael Breen, Richard Wheeler, Aryanna Hunter, Welton Chang, Michael Smith, Matt Runyon, Jon Gensler, Scott Holcomb, Terron Sims II, Josh Weinberg, Daniel Savage, Matt Pelak, LaRue Robinson, Anthony Woods, Dustin Cathcart, Kayla Williams, Dan Espinal, Jonathan Hopkins, Andy Moore, Kevin Johnson, Brett Hunt, Russell Galeti, Mick Crnkovich, Jonathan Freeman, Dan Hartnett, Dan Futrell, Matt Zeller, Jason Cain, Adam Tiffen, Sharmistha Mohpatra, Justin Graf, Lach Litwer.
U.S. Navy: Shawn VanDiver, Andrea Marr, Kristen Kavanaugh, Leo Cruz, Scott Cheney-Peters, Margot Beausey, Tony Johnson, Gail Harris, Alex Cornell du Houx.
U.S. Marine Corps: Geoff Orazem, Gordon Griffin, Timothy Kudo, Jonathan Murray, Richard Weir, Rob Miller, Sonia Fernandez, John Margolick, Katelyn Geary van Dam, Rob Bracknell, Andrew Borene, William Allen.
U.S. Air Force: Kelsey Campbell, Erik Brine, Chris Finan, Robert Mishev, Karen Courington.
U.S. National Guard: Kristen Rouse.
</div>

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