Post by mhbruin on Dec 2, 2021 8:53:23 GMT -8
US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 464 Million Shots (Population 333 Million)
CDC doesn't do a good job of reporting around hoidays.
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Texas, Where It's Easy to Get a Gun, But Hard to Get Medicine
A Corpus Christi woman was arrested on Tuesday, November 30, after screenshots of a video surfaced online of her brandishing a gun in a H-E-B parking lot.
Rossie Dennis, 60, was arrested for on a warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the Corpus Christi Police Department reported on Facebook.
Dennis was arrested for an incident that occurred around noon on November 24, according to the CCPD post. Screenshots of a video were posted on Reddit saying the incident occurred at an H-E-B in the Annaville neighborhood in Corpus Christi.
CCPD says when they arrived at the parking lot they were told that Dennis pointed the gun at the victims and threatened to shoot them over a parking space. It's not clear how many people were in the vehicle, but the Reddit post claims it was a woman and a six-month-old child.
Investigators used the video taken by a woman in the vehicle to identify Dennis and issue a warrant for her arrest. She was transferred to the City Detention Center for processing and bond set for $60,000.
Will Her Jail Cell Come With Free Parking?
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This is Probably Illegal For Several Reasons, But It's Texas
Less than a month after Texas’ six-week abortion ban went into effect in September, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) quietly signed another anti-choice bill that restricts access to medication abortion. On Thursday, that restriction became law, largely cutting off what little access Texans had left to abortion care.
The new law restricts abortion medication by prohibiting doctors from prescribing the abortion pill after seven weeks of pregnancy, three weeks less than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s limit of 10 weeks. The law also makes it a felony for physicians to send abortion pills to a patient by courier, delivery or mail, specifically requiring physicians to do an “in person” examination before providing medication abortion in person. Punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine of $10,000, the law only applies to doctors, not pregnant people.
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Premeditated? You Betcha!
Authorities investigating a shooting that left four high school students dead in Michigan found videos on the suspect’s phone that showed him talking about killing students, a sheriff’s official said Wednesday.
The disclosure was made before the arraignment of the suspect, Ethan Crumbley, 15, who was charged in Oakland County district court with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of terrorism causing death and other crimes.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Lt. Tim Willis said the videos were recorded the night before the shooting Tuesday at Oxford High School, about an hour north of Detroit.
Authorities found a journal with entries that mentioned shooting and killing students.
They Say "If You See Something, Say Something". These Teachers Said Something.
Two teachers separately reported concerning behavior from sophomore Ethan Crumbley starting the day before the deadly Michigan high school shooting he's accused of -- prompting two meetings with him, including one with his parents just hours before the killings, a sheriff said Thursday.
Crumbley, 15, was charged as an adult Wednesday with terrorism, murder and other counts in connection with Tuesday's shooting that killed four students and injured seven other people at Oxford High School north of Detroit.
The first behavioral report came Monday, when "a teacher in the classroom where he was a student saw and heard something that she felt was disturbing," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told Brianna Keilar on CNN's "New Day."
"And they had a counseling session about it with school officials, and a phone call was left with the parents," he said.
Here's why the suspected Michigan school shooter has been charged with terrorism
Here's why the suspected Michigan school shooter has been charged with terrorism
Then on Tuesday -- hours before the shooting -- "a different teacher in a different classroom saw some behavior that they felt was concerning, and they brought the child down to an office, had a meeting with school officials, called in the parents, and ultimately it was determined that he could go back into class."
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Psaki Pwns Doocy
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Mark Meadows Calls Mark Meadows a Liar. Who Should We Believe?
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The Denver Post Has Tried To Ignore Boebert. We All Try To
The Denver Post editorial board has mostly tried to ignore U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s antics because they add so little to the public discourse. Since the Western Slope representative was elected in November 2020, we’ve published two editorials about her. The first urged an investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and whether her words and actions helped former President Donald Trump spark the insurrection; the other editorial defended Boebert from sexist and elitist attacks targeting her on social media for her physical appearance and her lack of a college education.
But last week, Boebert crossed a line and now we must stand up for common decency. Boebert is intentionally using her platform to peddle a gross and false narrative about Muslim Americans. We cannot fathom what evil intent drives this behavior, but after first apologizing, Boebert now has made matters worse.
In a video that was circulated widely last week after being tweeted out by Patriot Takes — a group that describes its mission as “to research, monitor and expose the extremism and radicalization of the far-right across the darkest parts of the Internet” — Boebert told supporters a story about getting on an elevator and seeing a security guard rush toward her as the doors were closing:
“I look to my left and there she is: Ilhan Omar. And I said, ‘Well, she doesn’t have a backpack. We should be fine,’” Boebert said in the video to cheers from the audience. “I looked over and I said, ‘Oh look, the jihad squad decided to show up for work today.’ ”
Making a joke about suicide bombers and suggesting that a congresswoman is a threat to safety and security because she is a Muslim is both racist and a form of religious bigotry. Boebert did apologize to “anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar,” and she pledged to call Omar directly, however, Boebert reported in a strange video on Monday that that phone call went poorly, and it’s no wonder given that she prefaces the conversation by once again raising the specter of concern about Omar and threats to American security.
“Make no mistake. I will continue to fearlessly put America first. Never sympathizing with terrorists. Unfortunately, Ilhan can’t say the same thing, and our country is worse off for it,” she said.
Rep. Ilhan Omar deserved nothing short of a full apology. Instead, Boebert used the phone call as a publicity stunt and further insulted Omar. Boebert is clearly incapable of remorse or reflection, so as her fellow Coloradans — a beautiful place of tolerance and respect, diversity and freedom — we will help her.
We apologize to the Congresswoman and to the Muslim community for Boebert’s insensitive remarks. Such remarks, no matter how innocently intended, have no place in American discourse. Boebert should not have fabricated an encounter with the Congresswoman and she most certainly should not have suggested she or any Muslim should be suspected of terrorism based on their religion. It is incumbent on Colorado’s representatives to treat all Americans with respect and dignity regardless of differences of opinion. We know we cannot bridge the deep rifts causing Americans to distrust one another through hateful language. We are embarrassed a Colorado representative is engaged in widening this divide, and we are sorry we didn’t call her out the first time she used a derogatory reference toward you and other members of Congress who are women and minorities.
May Lauren Boebert never face this kind of anger, discrimination or bigotry. We stood up for her once when others crossed the line and now we stand up to her and ask her to stop spewing her hatred across this great nation.
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There Should Be a Special Place in Hell For Those Who Steal in the Name of Jesus
To his listeners, William Neil "Doc" Gallagher was known as the "Money Doctor" - a charming financial guru who advertised his services on Christian radio, broadcast all over the American conservative 'Bible Belt' that stretches across North Texas.
His adverts often concluded with a familiar slogan: "See you in church Sunday."
"Doctor Neil Gallagher is a premier true American, with integrity in all his pursuits," a narrator says in a corporate video posted to YouTube. "His life's passion is to help people retire safe, early and happy."
The three-minute video goes on to extol the benefits of the octogenarian's "visionary style", claiming he had guided more than 1,000 people to financial independence through his firm, Gallagher Financial Group, while also publishing a book, "Jesus Christ, Money Master".
In reality, Gallagher was anything but. Instead, he was a fraudster who amassed $32m (£24m) in a Ponzi scheme that mostly targeted retired victims between the ages of 62 and 91.
There Should Also Be a Special Place in Hell For Mitch McConnell
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"Because I Told You" Is What You Say to Your Five-Year-Old.
Families who lost loved ones during the pandemic have said they are "sickened" by a No 10 Christmas party held during last year's Covid restrictions.
The party took place on 18 December, with a source telling the BBC "several dozen" people attended. But the Covid restrictions operating at the time banned such events.
Boris Johnson - who was not at the party - said no Covid rules were broken, but No 10 has refused to explain how party-goers complied.
Asked by reporters on Thursday why he would not tell the public what happened at the party, the PM replied: "Because I have told you."
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Germany is Getting Crushed With New Cases and Taking It Seriously
Germany on Thursday announced a nationwide lockdown for the unvaccinated, as its leaders backed plans for mandatory vaccinations in the coming months.
Unvaccinated people will be banned from accessing all but the most essential businesses, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, to curb the spread of coronavirus, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor, Olaf Scholz, announced Thursday, following crisis talks with regional leaders. Those who have recently recovered from Covid-19 are not covered by the ban.
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Meanwhile Americans Are Complacent
The effort to provide a Covid-19 vaccine booster to every American adult is underway. While millions of Americans have received their booster, 84% of adults have not.
The initial polling indicates that convincing a good portion of this 84% to get a booster could prove difficult. This divide may end up being even more partisan than the already wide gap we're used to on Covid-19 vaccines.
Take a look at a Kaiser Family Foundation poll taken in the middle of November. The poll asked fully vaccinated Americans whether they definitely would, probably would, probably would not or would definitely not get the booster. Other Americans are not eligible.
Just 40% of all adults said they definitely would or already had received a booster. An additional 12% indicated that they would probably get it. Combined and unrounded, 53% of all adults said they would likely or had already received a booster shot.
Put another way, 79% of fully vaccinated (i.e. eligible for the booster) Americans said they would get the booster in the poll. A look at other polling indicates that about 75% to 80% of vaccinated adults said they would get the booster. In other words, this poll isn't an outlier.
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Planned Parenthood Didn't Plan To Protect Their Systems
Ransomware hackers stole the personal information of around 400,000 Planned Parenthood patients in Los Angeles, a spokesperson for the reproductive health nonprofit group said.
Planned Parenthood is alerting patients that some of their data was stolen between Oct. 9 and Oct. 17, John Erickson, director of public affairs for the Los Angeles branch, said in an email. Its investigation is still ongoing, he said.
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More Investigations. Yawn!
Federal prosecutors are clearly curious about whether fundraising groups like Defending the Republic, founded by former Trump attorney Sidney Powell, were really dedicated to defending the republic in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
In September, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia issued a grand jury subpoena seeking communications and financial records related to the fundraising groups Powell founded after the 2020 election, according to The Washington Post. Prosecutors have sought documents dating back to Nov. 1, 2020 from those groups, including the Texas-based organization Defending the Republic.
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Lock Them Up!
The parents of the 15-year-old accused of carrying out a deadly shooting at a Michigan high school on Tuesday could also face charges for their son’s alleged crimes.
On Wednesday, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald charged Ethan Crumbley with murder and terrorism for a shooting that killed four other students and injured more at Oxford High School in Oxford Township.
Bouchard said the alleged shooter used a 9 mm Sig Sauer gun that his father had purchased the week before.
That could lead to the suspect’s parents being charged as well.
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Michigan Finds a Solution to It's Lead in Water Problem. Don't Test Any Water That Runs Through Lead Pipes.
New lead rules Michigan instated in 2018 following the Flint water crisis were heralded as the nation’s strictest, but lax enforcement and flaws in testing protocols are making the state’s drinking water appear safer than it likely is, a Planet Detroit and HuffPost analysis of state records finds.
Public health advocates say some of the most at-risk water systems are not following a key provision that requires systems that exceed lead limits to check water from lead pipes in follow-up testing.
The systems are instead checking water from pipes made of a different or unknown material. That makes their lead levels look lower than they may actually be, and allows officials to legally claim that the water is safe to drink.
And If They Don't Test Anyone, They Won't Find Any Cases of COVID.
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The Real Traitors Are The People Underming Our Democracy and the Guy Who Broke Up With Olivia Rodrigo.
Two Georgia election workers targeted by former U.S. President Donald Trump in a vote-rigging conspiracy theory have sued a far-right website that trumpeted the false story, alleging it incited months of death threats and harassment against them.
The defamation suit against The Gateway Pundit was filed Thursday by Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, a voter registration officer in the Fulton County elections office, and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who was a temp worker for the 2020 election. The women were featured in a Reuters report
The lawsuit names the Pundit, its founder and editor Jim Hoft, and his brother, writer Joe Hoft. It alleges they repeatedly published demonstrably false claims that portrayed the women as “traitors” who conspired to “steal the presidential election in Georgia.”
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The People You Killed Have Been Dehumanized
In his first jailhouse interview since being taken into custody, Darrell Brooks Jr. said he believes he is being "demonized" and treated like a "monster" after police say he mowed down at least 60 people, killing six, during the Waukesha Christmas parade last month.
Brooks spoke to Fox News briefly Wednesday. The media outlet refers to Brooks as "soft-spoken." Brooks did not provide any more details about a motive.
"I just feel like I'm being monster — demonized," Brooks told Fox News, adding that he feels he's been "dehumanized."
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It Must Be All The People Being Fired For Not Getting Vaccinated.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week even though the U.S. job market has been rebounding from last year's coronavirus recession.
Jobless claims climbed by 28,000 to 222,000 from the previous week's 52-year low 194,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, fell below 239,000, a pandemic low.
Since topping 900,000 in early January, the weekly applications — a proxy for layoffs — have been falling more or less steadily.
Overall, 2 million Americans were receiving traditional jobless benefits the week that ended Nov. 20, down by 107,000 from the week before.
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CDC doesn't do a good job of reporting around hoidays.
Doses Administered 7-Day Average | Number of People Receiving 1 or More Doses | Number of People Fully Vaccinated | New Cases 7-Day Average | Deaths 7-Day Average | |
| Dec 2 | 1,428,263 | 234,269,053 | 197,838,728 | ||
| Dec 1 | 1,116,587 | 233,590,555 | 197,363,116 | 86,412 | 859 |
| Nov 30 | 1,152,647 | 233,207,582 | 197,058,988 | 82,846 | 816 |
| Nov 29 | 937,113 | 232,792,508 | 196,806,194 | 80,178 | 804 |
| Nov 28 | No Data | 72,008 | 719 | ||
| Nov 27 | No Data | 72,139 | 721 | ||
| Nov 26 | No Data | 73,962 | 742 | ||
| Nov 25 | No Data | 82,440 | 887 | ||
| Nov 24 | 898,833 | 231,367,686 | 196,168,756 | 93,931 | 989 |
| Nov 23 | 1,126,545 | 230,669,289 | 195,973,992 | 94,266 | 982 |
| Nov 22 | 1,521,815 | 230,732,565 | 196,398,948 | 93,668 | 1,009 |
| Nov 21 | 1,774,196 | 230,298,744 | 196,284,442 | 91,021 | 985 |
| Nov 20 | 2,136,513 | 229,837,421 | 196,128,496 | 90,823 | 996 |
| Nov 19 | 1,952,717 | 229,291,004 | 195,920,566 | 92,852 | 1,047 |
| Nov 18 | 1,870,564 | 228,570,531 | 195,713,107 | 94,260 | 1,069 |
| Nov 17 | 1,811,047 | 228,175,638 | 195,612,365 | 88,482 | 1,032 |
| Nov 16 | 1,608,906 | 227,691,941 | 195,435,688 | 85,944 | 1,028 |
| Nov 15 | 1,582,519 | 227,133,617 | 195,275,904 | 83,671 | 1,029 |
| Nov 14 | 1,375,998 | 226,607,653 | 195,120,470 | 80,823 | 1,043 |
| Nov 13 | 1,370,279 | 226,157,226 | 194,951,106 | 80,590 | 1,049 |
| Nov 12 | 1,335,066 | 225,606,197 | 194,747,839 | 78,552 | 1,038 |
| Nov 11 | No Data | 73,218 | 999 | ||
| Nov 10 | 1,316,294 | 224,660,453 | 194,382,921 | 76,458 | 1,051 |
| Nov 9 | 1,316,228 | 224,257,467 | 194,168,611 | 74,584 | 1,078 |
| Nov 8 | 1,300,925 | 223,944,369 | 194,001,108 | 73,312 | 1,078 |
| Nov 7 | 1,265,361 | 223,629,671 | 193,832,584 | 71,867 | 1,068 |
| Nov 6 | 1,254,975 | 223,245,121 | 193,627,929 | 71,327 | 1,079 |
| Nov 5 | 1,283,684 | 222,902,939 | 193,425,862 | 71,517 | 1,071 |
| Nov 4 | 1,188,564 | 222,591,394 | 193,227,813 | 71,241 | 1,102 |
| Nov 3 | 1,068,184 | 222,268,786 | 192,931,486 | 70,431 | 1,109 |
| Nov 2 | 1,112,624 | 221,961,370 | 192,726,406 | 71,029 | 1,130 |
| Nov 1 | 1,243,313 | 221,760,691 | 192,586,927 | 74,798 | 1,190 |
| Oct 31 | 1,203,517 | 221,520,153 | 192,453,500 | 71,207 | 1,151 |
| Oct 30 | 1,114,502 | 221,221,467 | 192,244,927 | 71,690 | 1,156 |
| Feb 16 | 1,716,311 | 39,670,551 | 15,015,434 | 78,292 |
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | |
| % of Total Population | 70.6% | 59.6% |
| % of Population 12+ | 81.0% | 69.5% |
| % of Population 18+ | 83.0% | 71.3% |
| % of Population 65+ | 99.9% | 86.4% |
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Texas, Where It's Easy to Get a Gun, But Hard to Get Medicine
A Corpus Christi woman was arrested on Tuesday, November 30, after screenshots of a video surfaced online of her brandishing a gun in a H-E-B parking lot.
Rossie Dennis, 60, was arrested for on a warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the Corpus Christi Police Department reported on Facebook.
Dennis was arrested for an incident that occurred around noon on November 24, according to the CCPD post. Screenshots of a video were posted on Reddit saying the incident occurred at an H-E-B in the Annaville neighborhood in Corpus Christi.
CCPD says when they arrived at the parking lot they were told that Dennis pointed the gun at the victims and threatened to shoot them over a parking space. It's not clear how many people were in the vehicle, but the Reddit post claims it was a woman and a six-month-old child.
Investigators used the video taken by a woman in the vehicle to identify Dennis and issue a warrant for her arrest. She was transferred to the City Detention Center for processing and bond set for $60,000.
Will Her Jail Cell Come With Free Parking?
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This is Probably Illegal For Several Reasons, But It's Texas
Less than a month after Texas’ six-week abortion ban went into effect in September, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) quietly signed another anti-choice bill that restricts access to medication abortion. On Thursday, that restriction became law, largely cutting off what little access Texans had left to abortion care.
The new law restricts abortion medication by prohibiting doctors from prescribing the abortion pill after seven weeks of pregnancy, three weeks less than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s limit of 10 weeks. The law also makes it a felony for physicians to send abortion pills to a patient by courier, delivery or mail, specifically requiring physicians to do an “in person” examination before providing medication abortion in person. Punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine of $10,000, the law only applies to doctors, not pregnant people.
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Premeditated? You Betcha!
Authorities investigating a shooting that left four high school students dead in Michigan found videos on the suspect’s phone that showed him talking about killing students, a sheriff’s official said Wednesday.
The disclosure was made before the arraignment of the suspect, Ethan Crumbley, 15, who was charged in Oakland County district court with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of terrorism causing death and other crimes.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Lt. Tim Willis said the videos were recorded the night before the shooting Tuesday at Oxford High School, about an hour north of Detroit.
Authorities found a journal with entries that mentioned shooting and killing students.
They Say "If You See Something, Say Something". These Teachers Said Something.
Two teachers separately reported concerning behavior from sophomore Ethan Crumbley starting the day before the deadly Michigan high school shooting he's accused of -- prompting two meetings with him, including one with his parents just hours before the killings, a sheriff said Thursday.
Crumbley, 15, was charged as an adult Wednesday with terrorism, murder and other counts in connection with Tuesday's shooting that killed four students and injured seven other people at Oxford High School north of Detroit.
The first behavioral report came Monday, when "a teacher in the classroom where he was a student saw and heard something that she felt was disturbing," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told Brianna Keilar on CNN's "New Day."
"And they had a counseling session about it with school officials, and a phone call was left with the parents," he said.
Here's why the suspected Michigan school shooter has been charged with terrorism
Here's why the suspected Michigan school shooter has been charged with terrorism
Then on Tuesday -- hours before the shooting -- "a different teacher in a different classroom saw some behavior that they felt was concerning, and they brought the child down to an office, had a meeting with school officials, called in the parents, and ultimately it was determined that he could go back into class."
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Psaki Pwns Doocy
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Mark Meadows Calls Mark Meadows a Liar. Who Should We Believe?
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The Denver Post Has Tried To Ignore Boebert. We All Try To
The Denver Post editorial board has mostly tried to ignore U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s antics because they add so little to the public discourse. Since the Western Slope representative was elected in November 2020, we’ve published two editorials about her. The first urged an investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and whether her words and actions helped former President Donald Trump spark the insurrection; the other editorial defended Boebert from sexist and elitist attacks targeting her on social media for her physical appearance and her lack of a college education.
But last week, Boebert crossed a line and now we must stand up for common decency. Boebert is intentionally using her platform to peddle a gross and false narrative about Muslim Americans. We cannot fathom what evil intent drives this behavior, but after first apologizing, Boebert now has made matters worse.
In a video that was circulated widely last week after being tweeted out by Patriot Takes — a group that describes its mission as “to research, monitor and expose the extremism and radicalization of the far-right across the darkest parts of the Internet” — Boebert told supporters a story about getting on an elevator and seeing a security guard rush toward her as the doors were closing:
“I look to my left and there she is: Ilhan Omar. And I said, ‘Well, she doesn’t have a backpack. We should be fine,’” Boebert said in the video to cheers from the audience. “I looked over and I said, ‘Oh look, the jihad squad decided to show up for work today.’ ”
Making a joke about suicide bombers and suggesting that a congresswoman is a threat to safety and security because she is a Muslim is both racist and a form of religious bigotry. Boebert did apologize to “anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar,” and she pledged to call Omar directly, however, Boebert reported in a strange video on Monday that that phone call went poorly, and it’s no wonder given that she prefaces the conversation by once again raising the specter of concern about Omar and threats to American security.
“Make no mistake. I will continue to fearlessly put America first. Never sympathizing with terrorists. Unfortunately, Ilhan can’t say the same thing, and our country is worse off for it,” she said.
Rep. Ilhan Omar deserved nothing short of a full apology. Instead, Boebert used the phone call as a publicity stunt and further insulted Omar. Boebert is clearly incapable of remorse or reflection, so as her fellow Coloradans — a beautiful place of tolerance and respect, diversity and freedom — we will help her.
We apologize to the Congresswoman and to the Muslim community for Boebert’s insensitive remarks. Such remarks, no matter how innocently intended, have no place in American discourse. Boebert should not have fabricated an encounter with the Congresswoman and she most certainly should not have suggested she or any Muslim should be suspected of terrorism based on their religion. It is incumbent on Colorado’s representatives to treat all Americans with respect and dignity regardless of differences of opinion. We know we cannot bridge the deep rifts causing Americans to distrust one another through hateful language. We are embarrassed a Colorado representative is engaged in widening this divide, and we are sorry we didn’t call her out the first time she used a derogatory reference toward you and other members of Congress who are women and minorities.
May Lauren Boebert never face this kind of anger, discrimination or bigotry. We stood up for her once when others crossed the line and now we stand up to her and ask her to stop spewing her hatred across this great nation.
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There Should Be a Special Place in Hell For Those Who Steal in the Name of Jesus
To his listeners, William Neil "Doc" Gallagher was known as the "Money Doctor" - a charming financial guru who advertised his services on Christian radio, broadcast all over the American conservative 'Bible Belt' that stretches across North Texas.
His adverts often concluded with a familiar slogan: "See you in church Sunday."
"Doctor Neil Gallagher is a premier true American, with integrity in all his pursuits," a narrator says in a corporate video posted to YouTube. "His life's passion is to help people retire safe, early and happy."
The three-minute video goes on to extol the benefits of the octogenarian's "visionary style", claiming he had guided more than 1,000 people to financial independence through his firm, Gallagher Financial Group, while also publishing a book, "Jesus Christ, Money Master".
In reality, Gallagher was anything but. Instead, he was a fraudster who amassed $32m (£24m) in a Ponzi scheme that mostly targeted retired victims between the ages of 62 and 91.
There Should Also Be a Special Place in Hell For Mitch McConnell
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"Because I Told You" Is What You Say to Your Five-Year-Old.
Families who lost loved ones during the pandemic have said they are "sickened" by a No 10 Christmas party held during last year's Covid restrictions.
The party took place on 18 December, with a source telling the BBC "several dozen" people attended. But the Covid restrictions operating at the time banned such events.
Boris Johnson - who was not at the party - said no Covid rules were broken, but No 10 has refused to explain how party-goers complied.
Asked by reporters on Thursday why he would not tell the public what happened at the party, the PM replied: "Because I have told you."
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Germany is Getting Crushed With New Cases and Taking It Seriously
Germany on Thursday announced a nationwide lockdown for the unvaccinated, as its leaders backed plans for mandatory vaccinations in the coming months.
Unvaccinated people will be banned from accessing all but the most essential businesses, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, to curb the spread of coronavirus, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor, Olaf Scholz, announced Thursday, following crisis talks with regional leaders. Those who have recently recovered from Covid-19 are not covered by the ban.
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Meanwhile Americans Are Complacent
The effort to provide a Covid-19 vaccine booster to every American adult is underway. While millions of Americans have received their booster, 84% of adults have not.
The initial polling indicates that convincing a good portion of this 84% to get a booster could prove difficult. This divide may end up being even more partisan than the already wide gap we're used to on Covid-19 vaccines.
Take a look at a Kaiser Family Foundation poll taken in the middle of November. The poll asked fully vaccinated Americans whether they definitely would, probably would, probably would not or would definitely not get the booster. Other Americans are not eligible.
Just 40% of all adults said they definitely would or already had received a booster. An additional 12% indicated that they would probably get it. Combined and unrounded, 53% of all adults said they would likely or had already received a booster shot.
Put another way, 79% of fully vaccinated (i.e. eligible for the booster) Americans said they would get the booster in the poll. A look at other polling indicates that about 75% to 80% of vaccinated adults said they would get the booster. In other words, this poll isn't an outlier.
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Planned Parenthood Didn't Plan To Protect Their Systems
Ransomware hackers stole the personal information of around 400,000 Planned Parenthood patients in Los Angeles, a spokesperson for the reproductive health nonprofit group said.
Planned Parenthood is alerting patients that some of their data was stolen between Oct. 9 and Oct. 17, John Erickson, director of public affairs for the Los Angeles branch, said in an email. Its investigation is still ongoing, he said.
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More Investigations. Yawn!
Federal prosecutors are clearly curious about whether fundraising groups like Defending the Republic, founded by former Trump attorney Sidney Powell, were really dedicated to defending the republic in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
In September, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia issued a grand jury subpoena seeking communications and financial records related to the fundraising groups Powell founded after the 2020 election, according to The Washington Post. Prosecutors have sought documents dating back to Nov. 1, 2020 from those groups, including the Texas-based organization Defending the Republic.
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Lock Them Up!
The parents of the 15-year-old accused of carrying out a deadly shooting at a Michigan high school on Tuesday could also face charges for their son’s alleged crimes.
On Wednesday, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald charged Ethan Crumbley with murder and terrorism for a shooting that killed four other students and injured more at Oxford High School in Oxford Township.
Bouchard said the alleged shooter used a 9 mm Sig Sauer gun that his father had purchased the week before.
That could lead to the suspect’s parents being charged as well.
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Michigan Finds a Solution to It's Lead in Water Problem. Don't Test Any Water That Runs Through Lead Pipes.
New lead rules Michigan instated in 2018 following the Flint water crisis were heralded as the nation’s strictest, but lax enforcement and flaws in testing protocols are making the state’s drinking water appear safer than it likely is, a Planet Detroit and HuffPost analysis of state records finds.
Public health advocates say some of the most at-risk water systems are not following a key provision that requires systems that exceed lead limits to check water from lead pipes in follow-up testing.
The systems are instead checking water from pipes made of a different or unknown material. That makes their lead levels look lower than they may actually be, and allows officials to legally claim that the water is safe to drink.
And If They Don't Test Anyone, They Won't Find Any Cases of COVID.
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The Real Traitors Are The People Underming Our Democracy and the Guy Who Broke Up With Olivia Rodrigo.
Two Georgia election workers targeted by former U.S. President Donald Trump in a vote-rigging conspiracy theory have sued a far-right website that trumpeted the false story, alleging it incited months of death threats and harassment against them.
The defamation suit against The Gateway Pundit was filed Thursday by Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, a voter registration officer in the Fulton County elections office, and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who was a temp worker for the 2020 election. The women were featured in a Reuters report
The lawsuit names the Pundit, its founder and editor Jim Hoft, and his brother, writer Joe Hoft. It alleges they repeatedly published demonstrably false claims that portrayed the women as “traitors” who conspired to “steal the presidential election in Georgia.”
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The People You Killed Have Been Dehumanized
In his first jailhouse interview since being taken into custody, Darrell Brooks Jr. said he believes he is being "demonized" and treated like a "monster" after police say he mowed down at least 60 people, killing six, during the Waukesha Christmas parade last month.
Brooks spoke to Fox News briefly Wednesday. The media outlet refers to Brooks as "soft-spoken." Brooks did not provide any more details about a motive.
"I just feel like I'm being monster — demonized," Brooks told Fox News, adding that he feels he's been "dehumanized."
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It Must Be All The People Being Fired For Not Getting Vaccinated.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week even though the U.S. job market has been rebounding from last year's coronavirus recession.
Jobless claims climbed by 28,000 to 222,000 from the previous week's 52-year low 194,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, fell below 239,000, a pandemic low.
Since topping 900,000 in early January, the weekly applications — a proxy for layoffs — have been falling more or less steadily.
Overall, 2 million Americans were receiving traditional jobless benefits the week that ended Nov. 20, down by 107,000 from the week before.
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