Post by mhbruin on Dec 31, 2021 9:13:42 GMT -8
US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 508 Million Shots (Population 333 Million)
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The Prince is Sweating This One Out --- Or Is He?
Lawyers for a US woman who has accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault are seeking proof of the British royal's alleged inability to sweat.
Virginia Giuffre's legal team made the request as part of a civil case against the prince in a New York court.
Ms Giuffre, 38, alleges that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager at the homes of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Prince Andrew has consistently denied the allegations.
In a 2019 interview with BBC Newsnight, he said a "problem" with her account was that a medical condition at the time meant he could not have been sweating, as she claims he was.
A civil case filed in the US alleges that the prince sexually abused Ms Giuffre - then known as Virginia Roberts - at Maxwell's London home, and at Epstein's homes in Manhattan and Little St James in the Virgin Islands.
Has Anyone Seen a Disney Princess Sweat? A Disney Prince? Case Closed!
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A Teacher Gives the Best Lesson of Her Career
A US schoolteacher says she spent five hours in voluntary self-isolation in a plane's toilet after testing positive for Covid-19 mid-flight.
Marisa Fotieo says she felt her throat hurt while travelling from Chicago to Reykjavik, in Iceland, on 20 December.
Ms Fotieo says she performed a rapid test with a kit she had brought with her, which confirmed she was infected.
She remained in the toilet for the rest of the trip, and a flight attendant provided food and drinks to her.
It was not immediately clear whether she had had to present a Covid-19 test before boarding the flight.
"It was a crazy experience," Ms Fotieo, who is from Michigan, told NBC News. "[There were] 150 people on the flight, and my biggest fear was giving it to them".
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Feed a Fever, Starve a Virus
Some residents under lockdown in the Chinese city of Xi'an say they do not have enough food, even as officials insist there are adequate supplies.
More than 13 million were ordered to stay at home last week as authorities sought to battle a Covid outbreak.
But compared to other lockdowns globally, locals cannot go out even for essential reasons like buying food.
The government is delivering supplies but many on social media say they are yet to receive them and are struggling.
The lockdown on the northern city of Xi'an is in its ninth day. The city's outbreak is the worst China has seen in months amid its zero-Covid strategy.
Initially, the restrictions had allowed one person per household to venture out once every two days to buy food and other basic supplies.
But the rules were tightened on Monday - banning residents from leaving at all except to get tested for Covid-19.
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As Long As There Is Plenty of Beach For Everyone, Is This Really a Problem?
Authorities in Bangladesh have reversed their decision to open a women-only beach after facing accusations they were pandering to hardline Islamists.
On Thursday officials had opened a 150m (492ft) section of Cox's Bazar for women and children, but hours later announced they were scrapping the idea.
The decision to segregate the beach was made following requests from some women, officials had said.
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country and remains largely conservative.
"(The women) requested a dedicated beach section for themselves, because they felt shy and insecure in a crowded place," Abu Sufian, a senior official in Cox's Bazar, told AFP.
The move to section off the beach also came after news of a gang rape of a woman in Cox's Bazar last week shocked the country, sparking an outcry over women's safety in the area.
But the decision triggered an uproar on social media. Critics accused the government of acquiescing to hardline Islamists, who have recently held massive rallies demanding gender segregation in workplaces and factories.
One commentator described the beach segregation as "Talibistan," referring to the Taliban Islamist group which has in recent months curbed women's rights in Afghanistan.
Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh is the world's longest natural sea beach, and a popular tourist destination in the country.
They Could Have Sections For Female Dogs: "Beaches for Bitches".
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So All Those Drunk People Are Freemasons? WTF is a Freemason, Anyway?
Why do people link hands to sing Auld Lang Syne?
On New Year's Eve millions of people around the world link hands when they sing Auld Lang Syne.
Now research from the University of Edinburgh has revealed the origins of the Hogmanay tradition are connected to freemasonry.
Singing with arms crossed and hands joined was a parting ritual at many Masonic lodges.
Musicologist Dr Morag Grant discovered the connection in the archives at Glasgow's Mitchell Library.
A newspaper report of an Ayrshire lodge's Burns Supper in 1879 describes Auld Lang Syne being sung as members formed "the circle of unity" - a Masonic ritual also called the "chain of union".
Dr Grant said the tradition of singing the song at times of parting, with crossed hands, emerged in the mid-19th century among Freemasons and other fraternal organisations.
And Why Can't They Spell "Old"?
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"He's Great, Unless He Isn't"
Alaska GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday accepted former President Donald Trump's endorsement, which Trump had vowed to rescind if Dunleavy endorses Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
"Please tell the President thank you for the endorsement. With regard to the other issue, please tell the President he has nothing to worry about," Dunleavy said in a statement referring to Murkowski and put out by Trump. Trump made Murkowski a top target in next year's midterm elections after the senator voted to convict him in his impeachment trial earlier this year.
"This is why Mike Dunleavy of Alaska has been, and will be, a great Governor," Trump said in his Thursday evening statement.
The move from Dunleavy comes after Trump had said in a statement Tuesday, "Alaska needs Mike Dunleavy as Governor now more than ever. He has my Complete and Total Endorsement but, this endorsement is subject to his non-endorsement of Senator Lisa Murkowski who has been very bad for Alaska."
"In other words, if Mike endorses her, which is his prerogative, my endorsement of him is null and void, and of no further force or effect!" Trump added.
Previous Guy Loves People With No Spine.
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I'll Have a Half-Caff Latte With A Secure Connection
VPNs, or virtual private networks, continue to be used by millions of people as a way of masking their internet activity by encrypting their location and web traffic.
But on the modern internet, most people can safely ditch them, thanks to the widespread use of encryption that has made public internet connections far less of a security threat, cybersecurity experts say.
“Most commercial VPNs are snake oil from a security standpoint,” said Nicholas Weaver, a cybersecurity lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley. “They don’t improve your security at all.”
It’s a development that highlights how the cybersecurity landscape has changed: Hackers are less likely to target people’s individual devices and instead focus on the login information to their most important accounts.
For years, experts warned it was dangerous for average people to use the Wi-Fi at a public place like a coffee shop without taking steps to obscure their internet traffic. Someone sharing a Wi-Fi network with strangers was essentially sharing all their traffic with others who were using it. If someone decided to check their bank balance, for example, they ran the risk of a nearby hacker being able to steal sensitive information.
VPNs offered a way to counter that problem. VPNs reroute a user’s internet traffic through their own servers. That can slow browsing speed, but provides the benefit of hiding a user’s Internet Protocol address — which includes their general location — from the websites they visit.
But that’s no longer the problem it once was. Most browsers have quietly implemented an added layer of security in recent years that automatically encrypts internet traffic at most sites with a technology called HTTPS. Indicated by a tiny padlock by the URL, the presence of HTTPS means that worrisome scenario, in which a scammer or a hacker squats on a public Wi-Fi connection in order to watch people’s internet habits, isn’t feasible.
It’s not clear that the threat of a hacker at your coffee shop was ever that real to begin with, but it is certainly not a major danger now, Weaver said.
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Gov Death Sentence Is Missing In Action. Is That a Bad Thing?
Gov. Ron DeSantis has been missing in action as Covid cases in the state have spiked to new heights, Florida Democratic officials charge.
"Counties are overwhelmed w/ lines that stretch for miles," state Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat, tweeted Thursday. "It's every man/woman for themselves, because leadership is MIA," he added.
DeSantis, a Republican and outspoken opponent of vaccine and mask mandates, last held a Covid press briefing on Dec. 17. Covid cases have reached new highs in Florida since then, including a record level of more than 58,000 new cases on Wednesday.
DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. His press secretary, Christina Pushaw, tweeted Thursday that the governor has "a wife and 3 kids ages 1-5, and it’s not surprising if he wants to take a few days off at Christmas to spend time with his family, especially as his wife is battling cancer.
At Least He Isn't Hiking the Appalachian Trail With His Brazilian Mistress
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Why Is It Hard to Fill Some Jobs? Do You Want to Work For $15,000 Per Year?
The big minimum wage news in 2021 is that another year passed with a federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, the same as it has been since 2009. That means the minimum wage is now worth 21% less than it was at the time it went to its current level.
The second biggest minimum wage story for 2021 is that President Joe Biden’s administration finalized a rule putting into place a $15 minimum wage for federal contract workers, which goes into effect on Jan. 30, 2022. That move will give around 390,000 people a raise, and could indirectly affect more. Additionally, the cities of Tucson, Arizona, and West Hollywood, California, raised their minimum wages. Tucson voters approved a measure to increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2025, while the West Hollywood City Council approved a $17.64 minimum wage, the highest in the country.
But there’s not a whole lot of other news, because after a string of years with big minimum wage wins at the state level, maybe not just the low-hanging fruit but the medium-hanging fruit has been picked. After all, since the last time the Congress raised the federal minimum wage, states like Arkansas and West Virginia and Nebraska and Florida have raised their minimum wages, whether by ballot measures or through the state legislatures.
At this point, 30 states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages above the federal level, with 18 states and Washington, D.C., having indexed their minimum wages to inflation so that they’ll continue rising without further legislation. Workers in that latter group of states should therefore be seeing the minimum wage rise at the beginning of 2022, along with workers in states where previously passed step increases will be going into effect (there’s some overlap between those groups of states). That means that, while 2021 was not a good year for new increases, 2022 will see the results of past years’ work playing out.
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I Don't Think Amazon Germany Will Deliver to My House, But...
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This Article Has Some Interesting, If Predictable Graphics.
Why Covid Death Rates Are Rising for Some Groups
Younger White Adults Are Dying.
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When the Best Surprise is No Surprise
As of Jan. 1, surprise medical billing will be (mostly) a thing of the past. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the rules for the No Surprises Act, enacted on Dec. 27, 2020, are finalized and take effect on Monday.
“Starting Jan. 1, 2022, consumers will have new billing protections when getting emergency care, non-emergency care from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and air ambulance services from out-of-network providers,” CMS announced. “Through new rules aimed to protect consumers, excessive out-of-pocket costs will be restricted, and emergency services must continue to be covered without any prior authorization, and regardless of whether or not a provider or facility is in-network.”
That means if you have a medical emergency, you won’t end up with a hefty bill from a provider you didn’t choose to provide care. The rule covers all emergency care and most other care. It means you don’t have to undertake a complicated process before receiving care to find out if every service you are getting from every provider will be approved by your insurer.
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Arizona Voters Are Taking the Initiative on Voting Rights
Thousands of enthusiastic Arizona grassroots activists will soon be on the streets gathering signatures to put a sweeping Voting Rights Initiative on the 2022 ballot which will push back on phony audits, prevent theft of electoral votes and protect the rights of Native Americans to participate in Democracy.
While voting rights remains stuck in Congress, the Arizona Constitution allows citizens to use Direct Democracy to create the election laws they want. The Republican-controlled Legislature cannot reverse laws created directly by the people.
The Initiative, which has been filed with the Secretary of State, established automatic voter registration for people seeking drivers’ licenses, or government IDs, and also for high school students who are turning 18. It provides for election-day registration and a host of long-sought improvements in voting procedures.
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The Latest Supply Chain Shortage. What Will Santa Do If the Reindeer Die Off?
There is a wildlife regime change intensifying in the Arctic, and it is scary and unfortunate. Familiar species such as walrus, polar bear, snow crab, cod, beluga, and narwhal are increasingly becoming replaced by southern species. Predation and mass die-offs of marine species are ticking up as climate change warms the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas.
Terrestrial species are also undergoing species replacement as the permafrost thaws from global heating. Sea ice is critical for the tundra's permafrost to stay frozen. The loss of the arctic's reflective sea ice minimizes the ability to reflect solar heat to space which protects the planet's air conditioner.
Feedback has caused a regime change with the vegetation that sustains iconic caribou and reindeer herds. These species eat lichen. Woody plants are replacing lichen and other tundra species. The strength of these plants' root systems cracks the frozen soil allowing additional warmth from the lack of sea ice to warm the ground with even more colonization of greenery to flourish as a result. The warming Arctic has increased rainfall, which freezes and makes it impossible for hooved species to locate their lichen, causing caribou and reindeer mass die-offs.
It's All Part of the Climate Change Feedback Loop
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Fox Only Likes Dumb Women
Fox News is apparently ending the year with a full court press against the women hosting programs on MSNBC. It wasn't enough for them to have spent the year fluffing Donald Trump, by lying about the violent January 6th insurrection, and spreading deadly disinformation about the COVID pandemic.
On this last week of 2021 Fox News has already produced a hit piece on Joy Reid that was seething with hostility because she accurately reported that Fox is killing off their own audience. Then a few days later Fox posted a story attacking Rachel Maddow for being right about COVID vaccines. Both of these stories were glaringly biased and packed with ultra-conservative perspectives and flagrant lies.
At first glance it didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary for Fox News. Their bitter animosity toward Democratic principles and progressive politics isn't exactly breaking news. And Fox often takes petty swipes at their cable news competitors. But it is now apparent that there has been some openly misogynistic coordination to these stories. Fox just added MSNBC's popular daytime host, Nicolle Wallace, to their enemies list.
A new article published on the Fox News website blasted a headline that proclaimed that an MSNBC anchor was mocked as "shamelessly neurotic" and "embarrassing." The article began saying that "MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace was roasted this week after referring to herself as a 'Fauci groupie,' in reference to her adoration of White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci."
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That Science Thingy That Anti-Vaxers Hate My Yet Save Their Lives
The rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has proven something of a mystery. In the lab, the Omicron virus replicates no faster then other COVID variants, and yet this new variant spreads much faster.
Now a team of scientists, led by researchers at UC San Francisco and University College London, have solved the puzzle... and it could lead to breakthrough treatments in the fight against Omicron.
The scientists extensively studied the earlier, very contagious, Alpha variant, and discovered that it shares some common mutations with Omicron that allow both variants to spread faster then other types.
In particular, the Alpha variant contains mutations that suppress the body's immune response, allowing Alpha to spread further and faster than earlier variants:
The researchers have discovered that the variant has ramped up production of a protein that it uses to stifle infected cells’ immune-stimulating signals. The mutations responsible for this change likely help the Alpha variant evade immune detection and accelerates its transmission, and importantly similar mutations exist in Omicron.
In addition, the team discovered that the Alpha-infected cells contained large amounts of three viral proteins known to help the virus evade the body’s immune response. Further experiments showed that one of them, called Orf9b, accomplishes that task by latching on to a protein that switches on immune-stimulating genes.
The Omicron variant appears to suppress the body's immune responses even more strongly than Alpha, allowing it to spread faster than other variants.
The GOOD NEWS: Now that we know why Omicron spreads so quickly, scientists hope to develop drugs that stop Omicron from suppressing the immune system, allowing the immune system to fight Omicron much more effectively.
It May Even Be Better Than Ivermectin. Of Course, Magic Dirt May Be Better Than Ivermectin
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There Was a Rare Sighting Of Sanity In Colorado
A truck driver who was sentenced to 110 years in prison for a fatal accident in Colorado has been resentenced to 10 years after an outcry from family and advocates.
Gov. Jared Polis announced the commutation of Rogel Aguilera-Mederos' sentence Thursday.
"I am writing to inform you that I am granting your application for a commutation," Polis wrote. "After learning about the highly atypical and unjust sentence in your case, I am commuting your sentence to 10 years and granting you parole eligibility on December 30, 2026."
Attorney James Colgan, who represented Mederos during the trial, said in a statement to ABC News: "Justice was served!!! This commutation is far more reflective of the crime than 110 years. This type of justice is exactly why I went to law school and why I continue to practice law! Mr. Mederos will be forever grateful for the millions of people that supported him."
Mederos was sentenced on Dec. 13 to 110 years in prison for a 2019 fatal crash on Interstate 70, outside Denver, that killed four people and injured several others -- a sentence the judge said he wouldn't have chosen if he had the discretion. Mederos testified that his brakes failed, but he was driving 85 mph when the speed limit was 45 mph and he drove past a runaway truck ramp before plowing into stopped traffic, police said.
And Mederos Wasn't Even a Big Campaign Donor
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How Often Have You Wished We Were More Like South Africa?
The South African government said a wave of Covid-19 caused by the Omicron variant is in retreat, a promising sign for other countries facing their own bursts of infections caused by the highly transmissible strain.
“All indicators suggest the country may have passed the peak of the fourth wave at a national level,” minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele said Thursday, citing declining Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions. The government lifted a curfew and restrictions on alcohol sales ahead of New Year’s Eve, though mask-wearing orders and limits on gatherings remain in place.
Omicron’s rapid decline in South Africa offers hope to other countries that they, too, can weather surges in cases. The variant, first detected by South African scientists in November, has driven recorded infections to new highs in countries including the U.K. and France and prompted many governments to tighten public-health measures to limit hospitalizations.
Though the South African data is encouraging, scientists caution that the country’s experience might not be repeated in Europe, the U.S. and other countries grappling with Omicron. South Africa’s population is young and likely has some degree of immunity to severe disease with the variant because of high levels of prior infection. It is also summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and the virus tends to spread more easily in winter, when people are huddled indoors.
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Apparently The Main Qualification For Running For Office is Being An Ass
An Oregon man who invoked a coded vulgar insult of President Biden during a Christmas Eve call-in event with the president and first lady is considering running for office and says he would welcome former president Donald Trump’s blessing.
“I want to pray about it, see what God has for me,” Jared Schmeck said of his political ambitions during an interview this week with conservative Christian broadcaster Todd Starnes that focused on his use of the phrase “Let’s go Brandon.”
“At the end of the day, I want [God’s] will for my life and the direction that it goes,” Schmeck added. “And I strongly believe that standing up is the right thing to do here as long as that message that I’m portraying is glorifying his name. And yeah, I’ll see where it goes.”
“Something tells me if you do run, you’ll be invited to a certain place in Florida,” Starnes said, referring to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, where the former president now lives.
“I would be honored,” Schmeck replied.
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A Not-So-Brief Sighting of Insanity In Iowa. He Is a Recently Fired Grocery Clerk.
DES MOINES, Iowa — An armed California man was arrested recently in Iowa while allegedly on his way to the White House.
Police say the man, identified as 25-year-old Kuachua Brillion Xiong, had an assault rifle and ammunition in his possession, as well as a "hit list" that named President Joe Biden; Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president's chief medical advisor; Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, formerly known as Facebook; and former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Xiong was pulled over on Dec. 21 after police observed him driving aggressively, according to a criminal complaint. Police suspected he could be planning criminal activity due to the man’s behavior. During the traffic stop he “began talking about his disapproval for government due to the sex abuse of children, some of which that has occurred by President Biden," he said.
In the lead-up to the 2020 election, all eyes are on Iowa. Get updates of all things Iowa politics delivered to your inbox.
Xiong was taken to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office for further questioning.
During an interview, Xiong allegedly told authorities he'd worked at a grocery store in Merced, California, until two months ago – and that his employment was a “cover until called upon by God to combat evil demons in the White House,” according to the criminal complaint.
Police say Xiong said he allegedly began gathering equipment to carry out the deed, including an assault rifle with magazines, ammunition, body armor, medical supplies, dark clothing, a grappling hook, food and cash, according to the complaint.
Xiong allegedly told to police that he left his home in Sacramento on Dec. 18 to drive straight to the White House to kill people in power, and added that he would not have stopped if he had not been pulled over by the authorities, the complaint details.
Police say he allegedly compiled his “hit list” of “evil” people to kill via videos on TikTok. Xiong allegedly stated he would kill Biden unless the president promised to comply with his demands, the complaint added.
“When concluding the interview, (Xiong) stated that nothing would stop him from carrying out his plan of gaining access to the White House and killing the persons on his ‘hit list.’
Xiong allegedly said that if released from custody, he would immediately resume traveling to the White House in Washington, D.C. and ‘do whatever it takes’ to complete his plan,” Secret Service Special Agent Justin Larson wrote in the complaint. “(The man) stated that he has no intention of returning to California to see his family because he plans on dying while fighting evil demons at the White House.”
The defendant's attorneys filed a notice Thursday that he intends to rely on an insanity defense at trial.
Maybe He'll Run For Office Once He Gets Out. An Insanity Plea Shouldn't Disqualify Him For the QOP.
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CDC doesn't do a good job of reporting around holidays.
Doses Administered 7-Day Average | Number of People Receiving 1 or More Doses | Number of People 2 or More Doses | New Cases 7-Day Average | Deaths 7-Day Average | |
| Dec 31 | |||||
| Dec 30 | 1,234,917 | 243,527,564 | 205,811,394 | ||
| Dec 29 | 1,042,911 | 243,182,423 | 205,638,307 | 316,277 | 1,100 |
| Dec 28 | 1,091,279 | 242,813,374 | 205,420,745 | 277,241 | 1,085 |
| Dec 27 | 1,034,442 | 242,433,620 | 205,196,973 | 240,408 | 1,096 |
| Dec 26 | No Data | 206,577 | 1,041 | ||
| Dec 25 | No Data | 196,511 | 1,053 | ||
| Dec 24 | No Data | 195,713 | 1,108 | ||
| Dec 23 | 1,189,954 | 241,520,561 | 204,740,321 | 192,453 | 1,199 |
| Dec 22 | 1,283,244 | 241,583,543 | 204,818,717 | 176,097 | 1,213 |
| Dec 21 | 1,542,936 | 241,132,288 | 204,578,725 | 161,261 | 1,223 |
| Dec 20 | 1,554,261 | 241,881,712 | 204,098,982 | 149,331 | 1,188 |
| Dec 19 | 1,558,720 | 241,571,084 | 203,926,479 | 132,659 | 1,169 |
| Dec 18 | 1,562,366 | 241,205,528 | 203,727,446 | 127,445 | 1,182 |
| Dec 17 | 2,065,555 | 240,775,382 | 203,479,206 | 125,775 | 1,182 |
| Dec 16 | 2,043,207 | 240,321,022 | 203,159,327 | 122,296 | 1,179 |
| Dec 15 | 1,795,384 | 239,975,167 | 202,748,005 | 119,546 | 1,187 |
| Dec 14 | 1,904,464 | 239,553,956 | 202,504,037 | 117,950 | 1,143 |
| Dec 13 | 1,951,329 | 239,274,656 | 202,246,698 | 117,890 | 1,147 |
| Dec 12 | 1,984,721 | 239,008,166 | 201,975,235 | 116,742 | 1,131 |
| Dec 11 | 2,020,853 | 238,679,707 | 201,688,550 | 116,893 | 1,131 |
| Dec 10 | 1,721,570 | 238,143,066 | 201,279,582 | 118,575 | 1,146 |
| Dec 9 | 1,583,662 | 237,468,725 | 200,717,387 | 118,052 | 1,089 |
| Dec 8 | 1,611,831 | 237,087,380 | 200,400,533 | 118,515 | 1,092 |
| Dec 7 | 1,781,389 | 236,363,835 | 199,687,439 | 117,488 | 1,097 |
| Dec 6 | 1,780,807 | 236,018,871 | 199,313,022 | 117,179 | 1,117 |
| Dec 5 | 2,264,301 | 235,698,738 | 198,962,520 | 103,823 | 1,154 |
| Dec 4 | 2,009,864 | 235,297,964 | 198,592,167 | 105,554 | 1,150 |
| Dec 3 | 1,700,056 | 234,743,864 | 198,211,641 | 106,132 | 1,110 |
| Dec 2 | 1,428,263 | 234,269,053 | 197,838,728 | 96,425 | 975 |
| 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 |
| Feb 16 | 1,716,311 | 39,670,551 | 15,015,434 | 78,292 |
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | % of Vaccinated W/ Boosters | |
| % of Total Population | 73.3% | 62.0% | 33.4% |
| % of Population 5+ | 78.0% | 65.9% | |
| % of Population 12+ | 83.5% | 71.1% | 36.3% |
| % of Population 18+ | 85.5% | 72.8% | 48.2% |
| % of Population 65+ | 95.0% | 87.6% | 58.2% |
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The Prince is Sweating This One Out --- Or Is He?
Lawyers for a US woman who has accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault are seeking proof of the British royal's alleged inability to sweat.
Virginia Giuffre's legal team made the request as part of a civil case against the prince in a New York court.
Ms Giuffre, 38, alleges that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager at the homes of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Prince Andrew has consistently denied the allegations.
In a 2019 interview with BBC Newsnight, he said a "problem" with her account was that a medical condition at the time meant he could not have been sweating, as she claims he was.
A civil case filed in the US alleges that the prince sexually abused Ms Giuffre - then known as Virginia Roberts - at Maxwell's London home, and at Epstein's homes in Manhattan and Little St James in the Virgin Islands.
Has Anyone Seen a Disney Princess Sweat? A Disney Prince? Case Closed!
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A Teacher Gives the Best Lesson of Her Career
A US schoolteacher says she spent five hours in voluntary self-isolation in a plane's toilet after testing positive for Covid-19 mid-flight.
Marisa Fotieo says she felt her throat hurt while travelling from Chicago to Reykjavik, in Iceland, on 20 December.
Ms Fotieo says she performed a rapid test with a kit she had brought with her, which confirmed she was infected.
She remained in the toilet for the rest of the trip, and a flight attendant provided food and drinks to her.
It was not immediately clear whether she had had to present a Covid-19 test before boarding the flight.
"It was a crazy experience," Ms Fotieo, who is from Michigan, told NBC News. "[There were] 150 people on the flight, and my biggest fear was giving it to them".
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Feed a Fever, Starve a Virus
Some residents under lockdown in the Chinese city of Xi'an say they do not have enough food, even as officials insist there are adequate supplies.
More than 13 million were ordered to stay at home last week as authorities sought to battle a Covid outbreak.
But compared to other lockdowns globally, locals cannot go out even for essential reasons like buying food.
The government is delivering supplies but many on social media say they are yet to receive them and are struggling.
The lockdown on the northern city of Xi'an is in its ninth day. The city's outbreak is the worst China has seen in months amid its zero-Covid strategy.
Initially, the restrictions had allowed one person per household to venture out once every two days to buy food and other basic supplies.
But the rules were tightened on Monday - banning residents from leaving at all except to get tested for Covid-19.
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As Long As There Is Plenty of Beach For Everyone, Is This Really a Problem?
Authorities in Bangladesh have reversed their decision to open a women-only beach after facing accusations they were pandering to hardline Islamists.
On Thursday officials had opened a 150m (492ft) section of Cox's Bazar for women and children, but hours later announced they were scrapping the idea.
The decision to segregate the beach was made following requests from some women, officials had said.
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country and remains largely conservative.
"(The women) requested a dedicated beach section for themselves, because they felt shy and insecure in a crowded place," Abu Sufian, a senior official in Cox's Bazar, told AFP.
The move to section off the beach also came after news of a gang rape of a woman in Cox's Bazar last week shocked the country, sparking an outcry over women's safety in the area.
But the decision triggered an uproar on social media. Critics accused the government of acquiescing to hardline Islamists, who have recently held massive rallies demanding gender segregation in workplaces and factories.
One commentator described the beach segregation as "Talibistan," referring to the Taliban Islamist group which has in recent months curbed women's rights in Afghanistan.
Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh is the world's longest natural sea beach, and a popular tourist destination in the country.
They Could Have Sections For Female Dogs: "Beaches for Bitches".
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So All Those Drunk People Are Freemasons? WTF is a Freemason, Anyway?
Why do people link hands to sing Auld Lang Syne?
On New Year's Eve millions of people around the world link hands when they sing Auld Lang Syne.
Now research from the University of Edinburgh has revealed the origins of the Hogmanay tradition are connected to freemasonry.
Singing with arms crossed and hands joined was a parting ritual at many Masonic lodges.
Musicologist Dr Morag Grant discovered the connection in the archives at Glasgow's Mitchell Library.
A newspaper report of an Ayrshire lodge's Burns Supper in 1879 describes Auld Lang Syne being sung as members formed "the circle of unity" - a Masonic ritual also called the "chain of union".
Dr Grant said the tradition of singing the song at times of parting, with crossed hands, emerged in the mid-19th century among Freemasons and other fraternal organisations.
And Why Can't They Spell "Old"?
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"He's Great, Unless He Isn't"
Alaska GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday accepted former President Donald Trump's endorsement, which Trump had vowed to rescind if Dunleavy endorses Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
"Please tell the President thank you for the endorsement. With regard to the other issue, please tell the President he has nothing to worry about," Dunleavy said in a statement referring to Murkowski and put out by Trump. Trump made Murkowski a top target in next year's midterm elections after the senator voted to convict him in his impeachment trial earlier this year.
"This is why Mike Dunleavy of Alaska has been, and will be, a great Governor," Trump said in his Thursday evening statement.
The move from Dunleavy comes after Trump had said in a statement Tuesday, "Alaska needs Mike Dunleavy as Governor now more than ever. He has my Complete and Total Endorsement but, this endorsement is subject to his non-endorsement of Senator Lisa Murkowski who has been very bad for Alaska."
"In other words, if Mike endorses her, which is his prerogative, my endorsement of him is null and void, and of no further force or effect!" Trump added.
Previous Guy Loves People With No Spine.
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I'll Have a Half-Caff Latte With A Secure Connection
VPNs, or virtual private networks, continue to be used by millions of people as a way of masking their internet activity by encrypting their location and web traffic.
But on the modern internet, most people can safely ditch them, thanks to the widespread use of encryption that has made public internet connections far less of a security threat, cybersecurity experts say.
“Most commercial VPNs are snake oil from a security standpoint,” said Nicholas Weaver, a cybersecurity lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley. “They don’t improve your security at all.”
It’s a development that highlights how the cybersecurity landscape has changed: Hackers are less likely to target people’s individual devices and instead focus on the login information to their most important accounts.
For years, experts warned it was dangerous for average people to use the Wi-Fi at a public place like a coffee shop without taking steps to obscure their internet traffic. Someone sharing a Wi-Fi network with strangers was essentially sharing all their traffic with others who were using it. If someone decided to check their bank balance, for example, they ran the risk of a nearby hacker being able to steal sensitive information.
VPNs offered a way to counter that problem. VPNs reroute a user’s internet traffic through their own servers. That can slow browsing speed, but provides the benefit of hiding a user’s Internet Protocol address — which includes their general location — from the websites they visit.
But that’s no longer the problem it once was. Most browsers have quietly implemented an added layer of security in recent years that automatically encrypts internet traffic at most sites with a technology called HTTPS. Indicated by a tiny padlock by the URL, the presence of HTTPS means that worrisome scenario, in which a scammer or a hacker squats on a public Wi-Fi connection in order to watch people’s internet habits, isn’t feasible.
It’s not clear that the threat of a hacker at your coffee shop was ever that real to begin with, but it is certainly not a major danger now, Weaver said.
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Gov Death Sentence Is Missing In Action. Is That a Bad Thing?
Gov. Ron DeSantis has been missing in action as Covid cases in the state have spiked to new heights, Florida Democratic officials charge.
"Counties are overwhelmed w/ lines that stretch for miles," state Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat, tweeted Thursday. "It's every man/woman for themselves, because leadership is MIA," he added.
DeSantis, a Republican and outspoken opponent of vaccine and mask mandates, last held a Covid press briefing on Dec. 17. Covid cases have reached new highs in Florida since then, including a record level of more than 58,000 new cases on Wednesday.
DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. His press secretary, Christina Pushaw, tweeted Thursday that the governor has "a wife and 3 kids ages 1-5, and it’s not surprising if he wants to take a few days off at Christmas to spend time with his family, especially as his wife is battling cancer.
At Least He Isn't Hiking the Appalachian Trail With His Brazilian Mistress
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Why Is It Hard to Fill Some Jobs? Do You Want to Work For $15,000 Per Year?
The big minimum wage news in 2021 is that another year passed with a federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, the same as it has been since 2009. That means the minimum wage is now worth 21% less than it was at the time it went to its current level.
The second biggest minimum wage story for 2021 is that President Joe Biden’s administration finalized a rule putting into place a $15 minimum wage for federal contract workers, which goes into effect on Jan. 30, 2022. That move will give around 390,000 people a raise, and could indirectly affect more. Additionally, the cities of Tucson, Arizona, and West Hollywood, California, raised their minimum wages. Tucson voters approved a measure to increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2025, while the West Hollywood City Council approved a $17.64 minimum wage, the highest in the country.
But there’s not a whole lot of other news, because after a string of years with big minimum wage wins at the state level, maybe not just the low-hanging fruit but the medium-hanging fruit has been picked. After all, since the last time the Congress raised the federal minimum wage, states like Arkansas and West Virginia and Nebraska and Florida have raised their minimum wages, whether by ballot measures or through the state legislatures.
At this point, 30 states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages above the federal level, with 18 states and Washington, D.C., having indexed their minimum wages to inflation so that they’ll continue rising without further legislation. Workers in that latter group of states should therefore be seeing the minimum wage rise at the beginning of 2022, along with workers in states where previously passed step increases will be going into effect (there’s some overlap between those groups of states). That means that, while 2021 was not a good year for new increases, 2022 will see the results of past years’ work playing out.
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I Don't Think Amazon Germany Will Deliver to My House, But...
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This Article Has Some Interesting, If Predictable Graphics.
Why Covid Death Rates Are Rising for Some Groups
Younger White Adults Are Dying.
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When the Best Surprise is No Surprise
As of Jan. 1, surprise medical billing will be (mostly) a thing of the past. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the rules for the No Surprises Act, enacted on Dec. 27, 2020, are finalized and take effect on Monday.
“Starting Jan. 1, 2022, consumers will have new billing protections when getting emergency care, non-emergency care from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and air ambulance services from out-of-network providers,” CMS announced. “Through new rules aimed to protect consumers, excessive out-of-pocket costs will be restricted, and emergency services must continue to be covered without any prior authorization, and regardless of whether or not a provider or facility is in-network.”
That means if you have a medical emergency, you won’t end up with a hefty bill from a provider you didn’t choose to provide care. The rule covers all emergency care and most other care. It means you don’t have to undertake a complicated process before receiving care to find out if every service you are getting from every provider will be approved by your insurer.
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Arizona Voters Are Taking the Initiative on Voting Rights
Thousands of enthusiastic Arizona grassroots activists will soon be on the streets gathering signatures to put a sweeping Voting Rights Initiative on the 2022 ballot which will push back on phony audits, prevent theft of electoral votes and protect the rights of Native Americans to participate in Democracy.
While voting rights remains stuck in Congress, the Arizona Constitution allows citizens to use Direct Democracy to create the election laws they want. The Republican-controlled Legislature cannot reverse laws created directly by the people.
The Initiative, which has been filed with the Secretary of State, established automatic voter registration for people seeking drivers’ licenses, or government IDs, and also for high school students who are turning 18. It provides for election-day registration and a host of long-sought improvements in voting procedures.
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The Latest Supply Chain Shortage. What Will Santa Do If the Reindeer Die Off?
There is a wildlife regime change intensifying in the Arctic, and it is scary and unfortunate. Familiar species such as walrus, polar bear, snow crab, cod, beluga, and narwhal are increasingly becoming replaced by southern species. Predation and mass die-offs of marine species are ticking up as climate change warms the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas.
Terrestrial species are also undergoing species replacement as the permafrost thaws from global heating. Sea ice is critical for the tundra's permafrost to stay frozen. The loss of the arctic's reflective sea ice minimizes the ability to reflect solar heat to space which protects the planet's air conditioner.
Feedback has caused a regime change with the vegetation that sustains iconic caribou and reindeer herds. These species eat lichen. Woody plants are replacing lichen and other tundra species. The strength of these plants' root systems cracks the frozen soil allowing additional warmth from the lack of sea ice to warm the ground with even more colonization of greenery to flourish as a result. The warming Arctic has increased rainfall, which freezes and makes it impossible for hooved species to locate their lichen, causing caribou and reindeer mass die-offs.
It's All Part of the Climate Change Feedback Loop
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Fox Only Likes Dumb Women
Fox News is apparently ending the year with a full court press against the women hosting programs on MSNBC. It wasn't enough for them to have spent the year fluffing Donald Trump, by lying about the violent January 6th insurrection, and spreading deadly disinformation about the COVID pandemic.
On this last week of 2021 Fox News has already produced a hit piece on Joy Reid that was seething with hostility because she accurately reported that Fox is killing off their own audience. Then a few days later Fox posted a story attacking Rachel Maddow for being right about COVID vaccines. Both of these stories were glaringly biased and packed with ultra-conservative perspectives and flagrant lies.
At first glance it didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary for Fox News. Their bitter animosity toward Democratic principles and progressive politics isn't exactly breaking news. And Fox often takes petty swipes at their cable news competitors. But it is now apparent that there has been some openly misogynistic coordination to these stories. Fox just added MSNBC's popular daytime host, Nicolle Wallace, to their enemies list.
A new article published on the Fox News website blasted a headline that proclaimed that an MSNBC anchor was mocked as "shamelessly neurotic" and "embarrassing." The article began saying that "MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace was roasted this week after referring to herself as a 'Fauci groupie,' in reference to her adoration of White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci."
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That Science Thingy That Anti-Vaxers Hate My Yet Save Their Lives
The rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has proven something of a mystery. In the lab, the Omicron virus replicates no faster then other COVID variants, and yet this new variant spreads much faster.
Now a team of scientists, led by researchers at UC San Francisco and University College London, have solved the puzzle... and it could lead to breakthrough treatments in the fight against Omicron.
The scientists extensively studied the earlier, very contagious, Alpha variant, and discovered that it shares some common mutations with Omicron that allow both variants to spread faster then other types.
In particular, the Alpha variant contains mutations that suppress the body's immune response, allowing Alpha to spread further and faster than earlier variants:
The researchers have discovered that the variant has ramped up production of a protein that it uses to stifle infected cells’ immune-stimulating signals. The mutations responsible for this change likely help the Alpha variant evade immune detection and accelerates its transmission, and importantly similar mutations exist in Omicron.
In addition, the team discovered that the Alpha-infected cells contained large amounts of three viral proteins known to help the virus evade the body’s immune response. Further experiments showed that one of them, called Orf9b, accomplishes that task by latching on to a protein that switches on immune-stimulating genes.
The Omicron variant appears to suppress the body's immune responses even more strongly than Alpha, allowing it to spread faster than other variants.
The GOOD NEWS: Now that we know why Omicron spreads so quickly, scientists hope to develop drugs that stop Omicron from suppressing the immune system, allowing the immune system to fight Omicron much more effectively.
It May Even Be Better Than Ivermectin. Of Course, Magic Dirt May Be Better Than Ivermectin
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There Was a Rare Sighting Of Sanity In Colorado
A truck driver who was sentenced to 110 years in prison for a fatal accident in Colorado has been resentenced to 10 years after an outcry from family and advocates.
Gov. Jared Polis announced the commutation of Rogel Aguilera-Mederos' sentence Thursday.
"I am writing to inform you that I am granting your application for a commutation," Polis wrote. "After learning about the highly atypical and unjust sentence in your case, I am commuting your sentence to 10 years and granting you parole eligibility on December 30, 2026."
Attorney James Colgan, who represented Mederos during the trial, said in a statement to ABC News: "Justice was served!!! This commutation is far more reflective of the crime than 110 years. This type of justice is exactly why I went to law school and why I continue to practice law! Mr. Mederos will be forever grateful for the millions of people that supported him."
Mederos was sentenced on Dec. 13 to 110 years in prison for a 2019 fatal crash on Interstate 70, outside Denver, that killed four people and injured several others -- a sentence the judge said he wouldn't have chosen if he had the discretion. Mederos testified that his brakes failed, but he was driving 85 mph when the speed limit was 45 mph and he drove past a runaway truck ramp before plowing into stopped traffic, police said.
And Mederos Wasn't Even a Big Campaign Donor
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How Often Have You Wished We Were More Like South Africa?
The South African government said a wave of Covid-19 caused by the Omicron variant is in retreat, a promising sign for other countries facing their own bursts of infections caused by the highly transmissible strain.
“All indicators suggest the country may have passed the peak of the fourth wave at a national level,” minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele said Thursday, citing declining Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions. The government lifted a curfew and restrictions on alcohol sales ahead of New Year’s Eve, though mask-wearing orders and limits on gatherings remain in place.
Omicron’s rapid decline in South Africa offers hope to other countries that they, too, can weather surges in cases. The variant, first detected by South African scientists in November, has driven recorded infections to new highs in countries including the U.K. and France and prompted many governments to tighten public-health measures to limit hospitalizations.
Though the South African data is encouraging, scientists caution that the country’s experience might not be repeated in Europe, the U.S. and other countries grappling with Omicron. South Africa’s population is young and likely has some degree of immunity to severe disease with the variant because of high levels of prior infection. It is also summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and the virus tends to spread more easily in winter, when people are huddled indoors.
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Apparently The Main Qualification For Running For Office is Being An Ass
An Oregon man who invoked a coded vulgar insult of President Biden during a Christmas Eve call-in event with the president and first lady is considering running for office and says he would welcome former president Donald Trump’s blessing.
“I want to pray about it, see what God has for me,” Jared Schmeck said of his political ambitions during an interview this week with conservative Christian broadcaster Todd Starnes that focused on his use of the phrase “Let’s go Brandon.”
“At the end of the day, I want [God’s] will for my life and the direction that it goes,” Schmeck added. “And I strongly believe that standing up is the right thing to do here as long as that message that I’m portraying is glorifying his name. And yeah, I’ll see where it goes.”
“Something tells me if you do run, you’ll be invited to a certain place in Florida,” Starnes said, referring to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, where the former president now lives.
“I would be honored,” Schmeck replied.
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A Not-So-Brief Sighting of Insanity In Iowa. He Is a Recently Fired Grocery Clerk.
DES MOINES, Iowa — An armed California man was arrested recently in Iowa while allegedly on his way to the White House.
Police say the man, identified as 25-year-old Kuachua Brillion Xiong, had an assault rifle and ammunition in his possession, as well as a "hit list" that named President Joe Biden; Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president's chief medical advisor; Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, formerly known as Facebook; and former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Xiong was pulled over on Dec. 21 after police observed him driving aggressively, according to a criminal complaint. Police suspected he could be planning criminal activity due to the man’s behavior. During the traffic stop he “began talking about his disapproval for government due to the sex abuse of children, some of which that has occurred by President Biden," he said.
In the lead-up to the 2020 election, all eyes are on Iowa. Get updates of all things Iowa politics delivered to your inbox.
Xiong was taken to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office for further questioning.
During an interview, Xiong allegedly told authorities he'd worked at a grocery store in Merced, California, until two months ago – and that his employment was a “cover until called upon by God to combat evil demons in the White House,” according to the criminal complaint.
Police say Xiong said he allegedly began gathering equipment to carry out the deed, including an assault rifle with magazines, ammunition, body armor, medical supplies, dark clothing, a grappling hook, food and cash, according to the complaint.
Xiong allegedly told to police that he left his home in Sacramento on Dec. 18 to drive straight to the White House to kill people in power, and added that he would not have stopped if he had not been pulled over by the authorities, the complaint details.
Police say he allegedly compiled his “hit list” of “evil” people to kill via videos on TikTok. Xiong allegedly stated he would kill Biden unless the president promised to comply with his demands, the complaint added.
“When concluding the interview, (Xiong) stated that nothing would stop him from carrying out his plan of gaining access to the White House and killing the persons on his ‘hit list.’
Xiong allegedly said that if released from custody, he would immediately resume traveling to the White House in Washington, D.C. and ‘do whatever it takes’ to complete his plan,” Secret Service Special Agent Justin Larson wrote in the complaint. “(The man) stated that he has no intention of returning to California to see his family because he plans on dying while fighting evil demons at the White House.”
The defendant's attorneys filed a notice Thursday that he intends to rely on an insanity defense at trial.
Maybe He'll Run For Office Once He Gets Out. An Insanity Plea Shouldn't Disqualify Him For the QOP.
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