Post by mhbruin on Feb 23, 2022 10:57:48 GMT -8
US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 551 Million Shots (Population 333 Million)
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California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday Feb 22)
January had NO rain or snow. February looks the same.
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
Please Excuse My Child From Recess. My Boyfriend is Holding Me Hostage, and My Son May Be Dead
A Las Vegas mother sent her daughter to school with a note, begging to be rescued from an abusive boyfriend, which led police to find that girl's little brother dead in a freezer, authorities said Tuesday.
The gruesome discovery in northeast Las Vegas was triggered by the mom's desperate plea for help, which was read by her daughter's elementary school teacher and then passed on to police, officials said.
"That note indicated that the mom was being held against her will," Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Ray Spencer told reporters. "She also stated that she did not know the whereabouts of her preschool-aged child."
When investigators got to the home on Saddle Brook Park Drive, the mother told them she feared her son, who is 3 or 4, might be dead, officials said.
"During the course of that interview, she described that she had undergone abuse by her boyfriend, who she lived with, and had been inquiring about the whereabouts of her child and believed that the child may possibly be deceased," Spencer said.
The boyfriend, described as a man in his late 30s, had been preventing the mother from leaving the house or entering the garage — and that's where police found her son's body inside a freezer, officials said.
The mother told police she had not son seen her son since Dec. 11. The boyfriend, who is not the children's father, was arrested and booked on a suspected kidnapping charge, officials said. His name has not been released.
The QOP Don't Think the Poor are Poor Enough
Rick Scott wants to levy a tax hike on individuals who currently don't make enough money to owe taxes because, "All Americans should pay some income tax to have skin in the game, even if a small amount." No word, though, on the corporations making a killing but not paying a dime in taxes.
"If Only He Had Dated a White Woman"
Republican District Attorney Todd Spitzer lost endorsements from his counterparts in Riverside, San Diego and Alameda counties in recent days after a December memo surfaced in which a now-former top aide accused Spitzer of making racist comments. The incumbent is seeking re-election this year in populous Orange County, which moved sharply to the left during the Trump era but is still a place Republicans often do well further down the ballot.
In that memo, publicized last week by Voice of OC, then-prosecutor Ebrahim Baytieh wrote that two months earlier, Spitzer had discussed whether he should seek the death penalty for Jamon Buggs, a Black man who allegedly killed two people because he was motivated by jealously over a white ex-girlfriend, with an internal group called the Special Circumstances Committee.
Baytieh recounted, "I stated that the race of the victims is completely irrelevant and it will be inappropriate for the OCDA to consider or give any weight to the race of the victims." He continued, "DA Spitzer stated that he disagreed and he knows many black people who get themselves out of their bad circumstances and bad situations by only dating 'white women.'"
This is Actually on the Ballot in Texas
If you don't believe this is real, you can check it here.
He Would Do Anything For Love, But He Won't Do That
Aaron Rodgers would rather lie to everybody than get a tiny needle stick and a lifesaving vaccine. But he’s perfectly willing to spend 12 days blowing it out both ends, dry heaving and crapping himself constantly. It’s called Panchkarma, an Indian cleansing ritual that you won’t find many doctors in this country getting anywhere near. It involves ingesting Ghee, which is clarified butter, and then the following happens:
Induced vomiting helps clear the upper gastro till the duodenum (end of stomach) and part of the respiratory tract.
Induced purgation clears the lower gastro from the duodenum (end of stomach) till the exit.
Oil enema helps lubricate the rectal area and take out all the lipid soluble waste out through the anus.
Nasal instillation of medicated substances helps clear the respiratory tract and paranasal sinuses.
Decoction enema cleanses the area from the transverse colon till the anus.
This Sounds a Lot Like Previous Guy
The Grant Tower power plant is as coal burning plant that sits atop a coal mine in north central West Virginia, so naturally, Senator Joe Manchin has to be involved with Grant Tower. Grant Tower is a major customer of Manchin’s dirty coal company. Unfortunately, the owners of Grant Tower have refused to pay rent to a local company that owns the property site. In fact, they have not paid rent for going on ten years now. Meanwhile, Grant Tower got a customer rate hike through because they were so financially strapped. But they continued to pay JoeManchin all that time.
The plant has faced financial struggles over the years and repeatedly has sought increases in the amount of money it receives for the electricity it sells to a subsidiary of utility giant FirstEnergy Corp. If the plant closed, it would be a major financial hit to Manchin as well as his son, Joseph Manchin IV, who runs the company.
Manchin has spent decades pushing policies that benefit the plant and the waste coal industry that helped make his family fortune (Climatewire, Feb. 2).
Enersystems now provides the bulk of the waste coal that Grant Town burns for electricity. Manchin earned about $500,000 from Enersystems last year, according to Senate ethics disclosures.
TucKKer Loves Those Dictators
Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the most influential voice on the network, suggested Tuesday that maybe Putin isn’t actually as bad a guy as the West makes him out to be. Carlson claimed President Joe Biden is actually the aggressor, and that he’s secretly setting up a conflict with Russia to “make a play against fossil fuels.”
Does It Take a Stable Genius To Recognize One?
Former President Donald Trump gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a bizarre rave review on Tuesday after Russian military forces began moving into Ukraine and threatening its civilians ― while simultaneously claiming nothing like that would have ever happened under his administration.
Trump appeared in awe of Putin during an interview on a right-wing talk radio program broadcast from Tennessee. He described watching the Monday evening news after Putin declared two sections of Ukraine to be independent and ordered Russian troops to storm the regions for alleged “peacekeeping” purposes.
“I said, ‘This is genius,’” Trump recalled. “Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine, of Ukraine ― Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful.”
“So, Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent.’ A large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s the strongest peace force,” Trump said.
2007
Meanwhile The Guy on the Left Smirks. Does He Practice that Face?
Does He Really Get Fan Mail?
The 15-year-old accused in the deadly mass shooting at his suburban Detroit high school in November should be kept in adult jail as he awaits trial, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Collins said during a hearing about the teenager's confinement that he's demonstrated he can be calculating, has a desire to be remembered for his alleged crimes, and enjoys the notoriety the case has brought him, including email from women.
"How to do I get my fan mail, how do I get my hate mail"? he has said, according to Collins.
He has "a deeper and more calculated mind than any other 15-year-old," she argued in court.
The teenager's defense team formally asked the court that he be transferred from Oakland County jail to Children's Village in Pontiac.
Collins said the teen already killed four classmates at Oxford High School on Nov. 30 and that teenagers at the juvenile facility would be put in danger that is "contrary to the rehabilitation of those at Children's Village."
"He enjoyed his dark side," Collins said. "He's fascinated with violence."
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We Have Reached Pre-Omicron Levels of New Infections.
We have not yet reached last summer's lows, but as weather warms up I expect we will.
Meanwhile vaccination have slowed to a relative crawl or half a million a day. The biggest disappointment to me are all the people who got one shot, but not the second.
Here's An Example
A handwritten log kept by nurses tells the story of the losing battle to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 in this corner of Alabama: Just 14 people showed up at the Marion County Health Department for their initial shot during the first six weeks of the year.
That was true even as hospitals in and around the county of roughly 30,000 people filled with virus patients and the death toll climbed. On many days, no one got a first shot at all, while a Mexican restaurant up the street, Los Amigos, was full of unmasked diners at lunchtime.
The vaccination drive in the U.S. is grinding to a halt, and demand has all but collapsed in places like this deeply conservative manufacturing town where many weren't interested in the shots to begin with.
The average number of Americans getting their first shot is down to about 90,000 a day, the lowest point since the first few days of the U.S. vaccination campaign, in December 2020. And hopes of any substantial improvement in the immediate future have largely evaporated.
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Why Should the Metaverse Be Any Different Than the Regular World?
Metaverse app allows kids into virtual strip clubs
Some apps in the virtual-reality metaverse are "dangerous by design", the NSPCC has warned in response to a BBC News investigation.
A researcher posing as a 13-year-old girl witnessed grooming, sexual material, racist insults and a rape threat in the virtual-reality world.
The children's charity said it was "shocked and angry" at the findings.
Head of online child safety policy Andy Burrows added the investigation had found "a toxic combination of risks".
The BBC News researcher - using an app with a minimum age rating of 13 - visited virtual-reality rooms where avatars were simulating sex. She was shown sex toys and condoms, and approached by numerous adult men.
The metaverse is the name given to games and experiences accessed by people wearing virtual reality headsets. The technology, previously confined to gaming, could be adapted for use in many other areas - from work to play, concerts to cinema trips.
Plus, the Facebook Is There
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Police Are Looking for Hank the Tank, Whose Behavior Has Been Unbearable
A massive black bear named Hank the Tank is wanted by California police for breaking into dozens of homes in a Lake Tahoe neighbourhood since last summer.
The bear burglar weighs 500lbs (227kg), much more than the average bear, and appears to have skipped hibernation in winter due to a constant food supply.
Authorities say euthanisation may be necessary because the wild animal has grown so comfortable around humans.
Wildlife groups are calling for him to be relocated to a sanctuary.
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Imagine What Would Happen If Previous Guy Tweeted in India
An Indian actor has been arrested for tweeting against one of the judges hearing pleas against a ban on Muslim girls wearing hijabs in schools.
Chetan Kumar was arrested in the southern state of Karnataka after he criticised Justice Krishna Dixit.
The actor wondered why a judge, who has made "disturbing comments" in the past, was hearing the contentious matter.
He was referring to a 2020 order in which the judge had questioned the behaviour of a woman who alleged rape.
Justice Dixit's comments were later deleted from the order after they resulted in outrage and were described as regressive.
Mr Kumar's arrest has sparked anger, with many questioning the police's motive.
A US citizen and a Fulbright scholar, Chetan Kumar is a firebrand Dalit (formerly known as untouchable) rights activist who has been involved in several anti-right wing protests in Karnataka.
Critics say he's often targeted for his social work - the actor is already facing two police complaints for his remarks against the Brahmin community, who are at the top of India's Hindu caste hierarchy.
On 16 February, Mr Kumar's tweet referred to a rape case in which Justice Dixit had granted anticipatory bail to the accused after observing that the woman's statement was "a bit difficult to believe".
"The explanation offered by her that after the perpetration of the act she was tired and fell asleep is unbecoming of an Indian woman," the judge had said in 2020, adding that it was "not the way our women react when they are ravished".
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WTF Are a Bunch of Unarmed Soldiers Going to Accomplish?
The US is to deploy hundreds of unarmed National Guard troops to Washington ahead of the arrival of trucker convoys protesting against pandemic restrictions.
The roughly 700 troops will be deployed on various roads in Washington.
The US trucker convoys aim to replicate recent trucker protests in Canada, which paralysed the capital Ottawa.
The National Guard troops will "provide support at designated traffic posts, provide command and control, and cover sustainment requirements" from Saturday until 7 March, a statement said.
Some 50 "large tactical vehicles" will be stationed at traffic posts 24 hours a day, the statement said. The troops will not carry firearms or take part in law enforcement.
One of the protest organisers, Bob Bolus, told a local Fox News TV station that his group aimed to shut down the Beltway, a highway that surrounds Washington.
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Have You Been Dreaming About Nitrogen in a Can? Your Wait Is Almost Over
Pepsi is putting a whole new meaning into the soft drink.
In what the company describes its "most ambitious feat yet," PepsiCo (PEP) announced Wednesday a first-of-its-kind nitrogen-infused cola that has a creamier and smoother taste compared to traditional carbonated sodas. The beverage, called Nitro Pepsi, is being released in the United States on March 28 and comes in regular and vanilla flavors.
Nitrogen is more commonly used in beer and coffee drinks, like Starbucks' wildly successful cold brews, as nitrogen gas creates a silky, foamy texture. But since those come out of taps, Pepsi had to come up with a way to maintain the nitrogen in a can.
To solve that problem, Pepsi took a page from Guinness' playbook and added a so-called widget at the bottom that creates a "frothy, foamy, smooth texture unique to Nitro Pepsi." Guinness patented the widget about 50 years ago, and the nitrogen-filled capsule releases the gas when opened to create the stout's signature foamy head.
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RIP Nord Stream 2. Unless You Come Back from the Dead in a Zombie Pipeline Apocalypse
There are few energy projects in the world as controversial as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and on Tuesday, it all but died in the water as Germany's leader halted its approval process over the Ukraine crisis.
The 1,230-kilometer pipeline was supposed to ferry huge amounts of natural gas directly from Russia to Europe via Germany, and although it has been sitting there, built for more than five months, not a single delivery has passed through it.
The project has divided politicians, analysts and Europeans for years, and has been beset by delays, previous US sanctions and opposition over its impact on the climate crisis.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's announcement was the strongest concrete response yet from the West to Russia's military action in eastern Ukraine.
But it puts Europe in an uncomfortable position — Russia could simply turn off its other gas taps that power most of the continent and leave millions of people in the dark and cold. Natural gas is the fuel that can power water heaters, furnaces, stoves and ovens.
Germany already receives Russian gas through Nord Stream 1, a similar pipeline that also runs under the Baltic Sea. But as Russia stepped up its military action in Ukraine overnight, the pressure on Germany to stop the project in its tracks dialed up.
Whether or not Germany officially scraps Nord Stream 2 in the long term, Russia's actions in Ukraine make the project politically dead.
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I Could Have Told Them This Two Years Ago
A key investment case for bitcoin is deteriorating as geopolitical uncertainty and rising inflation hammer cryptocurrency prices.
The price of bitcoin fell to a two-week low Tuesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Donetsk and Luhansk, two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, shortly after declaring them as independent.
Bitcoin is often referred to as “digital gold” by its backers. The term refers to the idea that bitcoin can provide a store of value similar to gold — one that’s uncorrelated with other financial markets, like stocks.
Bitcoin bulls also see the cryptocurrency as a “safe haven” asset that can serve as a hedge against global economic uncertainty and increasing prices, which reduce the purchasing power of sovereign currencies like the U.S. dollar.
With inflation at historic highs, you’d expect this would be bitcoin’s time to shine — U.S. consumer prices last month rose the most since February 1982, according to Labor Department figures.
Instead, the cryptocurrency has lost almost half of its value since reaching an all-time high of nearly $69,000 in November. That’s led analysts to question whether its status as a form of “digital gold” still rings true.
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Headline of the Day
"Former college cheerleader found guilty in deaths of three Florida prostitutes"
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Breaking News: Most Americans are NOT Fascists
People in the United States do not like book-banning, a new poll shows, as Republicans around the country seek to ban huge numbers of books from schools. And people don’t like the basic foundations of Republican attacks on teaching about race and racism, either, according to the CBS News poll, which focused on race as part of Black History Month coverage.
It’s not the only recent poll to highlight that the Republican education culture wars, as big a megaphone as they’re getting from Fox News and prominent politicians, are not what most people want. Can someone tell Republicans this? Better yet, can someone tell Democrats?
The CBS News poll found that more than 80% of people disagreed with banning books for criticizing U.S. history, for political ideas they disagreed with, for depicting slavery, and for discussing race. More than two out of three people said that teaching about race in America makes students understand what others went through. Less than one in four said it makes students feel guilty about past generations. And majorities understood that racism is a problem, with 58% saying it’s a major problem now, and 71% saying it was a major problem in the past. Those numbers are lower than they should be, for sure, but they are strong majorities nonetheless.
This is not the only poll to suggest that Republicans are all in on a subject that is not an automatic winner for them. In a CNN poll earlier in the month, more Democrats than Republicans said education was an extremely important issue in their thinking about the midterm elections. Of the people attributing that importance to education, 31% said they were thinking about the broad social benefits of education, not focusing on a particular political controversy. Just 7% mentioned critical race theory, 2% mentioned in-person school, and 1% mentioned masking in schools.
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Florida Bill is a Little Less Evil
On Friday, Feb. 18, Florida state Rep. Joe Harding filed an amendment to the already notorious “Don't Say Gay” bill (House Bill 1557) that would require schools to tell parents or guardians about their minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity within six weeks of becoming aware of it. This could include, for example, a student going to a teacher for advice or support.
For obvious reasons, this would be incredibly dangerous, unethical, and frankly, cruel. No one should be outed against their will; especially not minors who rely on their parents for literal safety and housing. While the entire bill is still a mess (and a national embarrassment), a glimmer of good news comes to us as of Tuesday, Feb. 22, has Harding has now withdrawn the “outing” amendment, as reported by local outlet WESH.
The bill would prevent educators from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in primary schools. If schools were found doing so anyway, parents would be able to take legal action against the school district
And The Public Still Doesn't Like It. But They Don't Plan on Letting Them All Vote
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Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting For This
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So Far, Sort Of So Good
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This is So Slow It Seems to Be Coming By Snail Mail With Actual Snails.
Clogged U.S. ports are being given access to nearly $450 million in federal money from President Joe Biden's infrastructure law as part of the administration's recent stepped-up efforts aiming to ease supply chain congestion and lower prices for American consumers.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday announced the availability of a first batch of competitive grants for ports that will be double last year's amount annually for five years. The grants are aimed specifically at reducing bottlenecks that have slowed the flow of goods to store shelves and pushed up costs.
The grants are among several pots of money under the $1 trillion law that the department intends to steer toward providing mid-term and long-term relief to the nation's supply chain, which administration officials described as somewhat outdated and broken. Still, acknowledging that the upgrades will take time, Biden officials have largely shied away from any assurances that Americans could see clear and demonstrable changes to their lives before the 2022 midterm elections.
U.S. ports will have until May to apply for the grants, which will be awarded by fall.
Unfortunately, It Has to Be Slow
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Blow, Ye Winds of the Morning. Blow Ye Winds Hi-Ho!
The United States will hold its biggest ever sale of offshore wind development rights on Wednesday, in an area covering nearly half a million acres off the coasts of New York and New Jersey.
It will be the first offshore wind lease sale under the administration of President Joe Biden, who has made the expansion of offshore wind a cornerstone of his strategy to address global warming and decarbonize the U.S. electricity grid by 2035.
The auction's scale marks a major step forward for offshore wind power in the United States, which has lagged European nations in developing the technology. Currently, the United States has just two small offshore wind facilities, off the coasts of Rhode Island and Virginia, along with two additional commercial-scale projects recently approved for development.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which has not held an auction for wind leases since 2018, will offer 488,201 acres (197,568 hectares) in shallow waters between New York's Long Island and New Jersey, an area known as the New York Bight.
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Should We Care About Ukraine?
Although many Americans may prefer that the U.S. stay out of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the brewing violence and political fallout are already hurting their wallets. Gasoline prices, which have hit eight-year highs — could surge even further if the hostilities escalate or if U.S. lawmakers pass another round of sanctions.
The economic impact could also move beyond the gas pump, Wall Street analysts warn. Sanctions or export controls against Russia could make current semiconductor shortages even worse, while restrictions on wheat or metals could drive the fiercest bout of inflation in decades to climb even higher.
The Pain of Ukraine In Ukraine Will Not Remain
The threat of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine is raising the risks of an energy supply shock, which some observers say could send the annual U.S. inflation rate up to 10% at some point from 7.5% as of January.
That’s the view of RSM chief economist Joseph Brusuelas and BNY Mellon’s Daniel Tenengauzer. In a phone interview Tuesday, Brusuelas says such an energy shock would shave 1% from U.S. gross domestic product over the next year, and boost inflation by 2.8 percentage points over the next three to six months before price gains can ease once the Russia-Ukraine crisis stabilizes.
A 10% year-over-year gain in the consumer-price index would be the highest since October 1981. It would also come as a surprise to even some of the most sophisticated traders — who are bracing for annual CPI to peak at around 8% in March before drifting down to 4% next January, according to market-implied levels derived from fixings.
The warnings come as the world’s largest money manager reiterated its view that central banks may be forced “to live with” inflation. That’s because aggressive rate increases to combat supply-driven inflation “would only torpedo economic activity that has not yet fully recovered,” BlackRock Investment Institute’s Jean Boivin and others wrote in a note Tuesday.
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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 | |
| Feb 23 | 425,810 | 253,179,401 | 215,129,430 | ||
| Feb 22 | 425,178 | 253,055,679 | 215,006,201 | 79,539 | 1,602 |
| Feb 21 | No Data | 78,306 | 1,872 | ||
| Feb 20 | No Data | 98,012 | 1,872 | ||
| Feb 19 | 473,537 | 252,791,817 | 214,745,073 | 100,129 | 1,890 |
| Feb 18 | 491,120 | 252,650,507 | 214,602,856 | 103,462 | 1,920 |
| Feb 17 | 493,892 | 252,539,755 | 214,474,721 | 112,653 | 1,998 |
| Feb 16 | 516,988 | 252,400,057 | 214,218,580 | 121,664 | 2,020 |
| Feb 15 | 544,184 | 252,277,758 | 214,104,148 | 134,468 | 2,100 |
| Feb 14 | 546,667 | 252,144,326 | 213,962,983 | 146,921 | 2,208 |
| Feb 13 | 555,669 | 252,054,215 | 213,869,678 | 161,197 | 2,196 |
| Feb 12 | 486,374 | 251,926,344 | 213,734,419 | 168,881 | 2,197 |
| Feb 11 | 568,820 | 251,755,851 | 213,563,173 | 175,395 | 2,241 |
| Feb 10 | 580,896 | 251,655,172 | 213,430,434 | 190,401 | 2,305 |
| Feb 9 | 591,786 | 251,467,303 | 213,246,140 | 215,418 | 2,313 |
| Feb 8 | 602,606 | 251,312,470 | 213,061,117 | 230,602 | 2,303 |
| Feb 7 | 611,742 | 251,176,199 | 212,920,278 | 247,319 | 2,404 |
| Feb 6 | 627,161 | 251,070,439 | 212,806,521 | 291,471 | 2,294 |
| Feb 5 | 655,591 | 250,915,858 | 212,657,682 | 298,890 | 2,331 |
| Feb 4 | 680,135 | 250,731,754 | 212,481,465 | 313,117 | 2,404 |
| Feb 3 | 719,986 | 250,593,665 | 212,336,183 | 343,563 | 2,371 |
| Feb 2 | 494,092 | 250,378,993 | 212,130,684 | 378,015 | 2,403 |
| Feb 1 | 510,477 | 250,184,240 | 211,954,555 | 415,552 | 2,369 |
| Jan 31 | 575,732 | 250,029,773 | 211,818,885 | 446,355 | 2,287 |
| Jan 30 | 603,030 | 249,892,470 | 211,695,131 | 497,296 | 2,234 |
| Jan 29 | 595,871 | 249,695,301 | 211,533,229 | 522,626 | 2,261 |
| Jan 28 | 626,946 | 249,473,925 | 211,343,818 | 543,016 | 2,265 |
| Jan 27 | 643,725 | 249,267,851 (I don't know why) | 211,162,083 | 577,748 | 2,300 |
| Jan 26 | 962,958 | 251,518,114 | 210,850,212 | 596,859 | 2,288 |
| Jan 25 | 1,011,603 | 251,289,667 | 210,682,471 | 627,294 | 2,246 |
| Jan 24 | 1,201,186 | 250,964,433 | 210,459,963 | 692,359 | 2,166 |
| Jan 23 | 1,101,405 | 250,763,600 | 210,358,008 | 663,908 | 1,936 |
| Jan 22 | 1,002,322 | 250,568,431 | 210,229,586 | 686,715 | 1,939 |
| Feb 16, 2021 | 1,716,311 | 39,670,551 | 15,015,434 | 78,292 |
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | % of Vaccinated W/ Boosters | |
| % of Total Population | 76.3% | 64.8% | 43.4% |
| % of Population 5+ | 81.1% | 68.9% | |
| % of Population 12+ | 86.0% | 73.3% | 44.9% |
| % of Population 18+ | 87.8% | 74.9% | 46.8% |
| % of Population 65+ | 95.0% | 88.7% | 66.0% |
California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday Feb 22)
January had NO rain or snow. February looks the same.
| Percent of Average for this Date | Last Week | 2 Weeks ago | 3 Weeks ago | 7 Weeks ago | |
| Northern Sierra Precipitation | 93% (60%) | 99% (59%) | 105% (59% of average for full season) | 113% | 170% |
| San Joaquin Precipitation | 80% (51%) | 86% (51%) | 92% (51%) | 99% | 170% |
| Tulare Basin Precipitation | 75% (47%) | 79% (46%) | 84% (46%) | 91% | 151% |
| Snow Water Content - North | 61% (52%) | 68% (53%) | 80% (58%) | 89% | 134% |
| Snow Water Content - Central | 71% (59%) | 75% (57%) | 80% (57%) | 89% | 148% |
| Snow Water Content - South | 67% (54%) | 74% (54%) | 81% (57%) | 92% | 158% |
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
Please Excuse My Child From Recess. My Boyfriend is Holding Me Hostage, and My Son May Be Dead
A Las Vegas mother sent her daughter to school with a note, begging to be rescued from an abusive boyfriend, which led police to find that girl's little brother dead in a freezer, authorities said Tuesday.
The gruesome discovery in northeast Las Vegas was triggered by the mom's desperate plea for help, which was read by her daughter's elementary school teacher and then passed on to police, officials said.
"That note indicated that the mom was being held against her will," Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Ray Spencer told reporters. "She also stated that she did not know the whereabouts of her preschool-aged child."
When investigators got to the home on Saddle Brook Park Drive, the mother told them she feared her son, who is 3 or 4, might be dead, officials said.
"During the course of that interview, she described that she had undergone abuse by her boyfriend, who she lived with, and had been inquiring about the whereabouts of her child and believed that the child may possibly be deceased," Spencer said.
The boyfriend, described as a man in his late 30s, had been preventing the mother from leaving the house or entering the garage — and that's where police found her son's body inside a freezer, officials said.
The mother told police she had not son seen her son since Dec. 11. The boyfriend, who is not the children's father, was arrested and booked on a suspected kidnapping charge, officials said. His name has not been released.
The QOP Don't Think the Poor are Poor Enough
Rick Scott wants to levy a tax hike on individuals who currently don't make enough money to owe taxes because, "All Americans should pay some income tax to have skin in the game, even if a small amount." No word, though, on the corporations making a killing but not paying a dime in taxes.
"If Only He Had Dated a White Woman"
Republican District Attorney Todd Spitzer lost endorsements from his counterparts in Riverside, San Diego and Alameda counties in recent days after a December memo surfaced in which a now-former top aide accused Spitzer of making racist comments. The incumbent is seeking re-election this year in populous Orange County, which moved sharply to the left during the Trump era but is still a place Republicans often do well further down the ballot.
In that memo, publicized last week by Voice of OC, then-prosecutor Ebrahim Baytieh wrote that two months earlier, Spitzer had discussed whether he should seek the death penalty for Jamon Buggs, a Black man who allegedly killed two people because he was motivated by jealously over a white ex-girlfriend, with an internal group called the Special Circumstances Committee.
Baytieh recounted, "I stated that the race of the victims is completely irrelevant and it will be inappropriate for the OCDA to consider or give any weight to the race of the victims." He continued, "DA Spitzer stated that he disagreed and he knows many black people who get themselves out of their bad circumstances and bad situations by only dating 'white women.'"
This is Actually on the Ballot in Texas
If you don't believe this is real, you can check it here.
He Would Do Anything For Love, But He Won't Do That
Aaron Rodgers would rather lie to everybody than get a tiny needle stick and a lifesaving vaccine. But he’s perfectly willing to spend 12 days blowing it out both ends, dry heaving and crapping himself constantly. It’s called Panchkarma, an Indian cleansing ritual that you won’t find many doctors in this country getting anywhere near. It involves ingesting Ghee, which is clarified butter, and then the following happens:
Induced vomiting helps clear the upper gastro till the duodenum (end of stomach) and part of the respiratory tract.
Induced purgation clears the lower gastro from the duodenum (end of stomach) till the exit.
Oil enema helps lubricate the rectal area and take out all the lipid soluble waste out through the anus.
Nasal instillation of medicated substances helps clear the respiratory tract and paranasal sinuses.
Decoction enema cleanses the area from the transverse colon till the anus.
This Sounds a Lot Like Previous Guy
The Grant Tower power plant is as coal burning plant that sits atop a coal mine in north central West Virginia, so naturally, Senator Joe Manchin has to be involved with Grant Tower. Grant Tower is a major customer of Manchin’s dirty coal company. Unfortunately, the owners of Grant Tower have refused to pay rent to a local company that owns the property site. In fact, they have not paid rent for going on ten years now. Meanwhile, Grant Tower got a customer rate hike through because they were so financially strapped. But they continued to pay JoeManchin all that time.
The plant has faced financial struggles over the years and repeatedly has sought increases in the amount of money it receives for the electricity it sells to a subsidiary of utility giant FirstEnergy Corp. If the plant closed, it would be a major financial hit to Manchin as well as his son, Joseph Manchin IV, who runs the company.
Manchin has spent decades pushing policies that benefit the plant and the waste coal industry that helped make his family fortune (Climatewire, Feb. 2).
Enersystems now provides the bulk of the waste coal that Grant Town burns for electricity. Manchin earned about $500,000 from Enersystems last year, according to Senate ethics disclosures.
TucKKer Loves Those Dictators
Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the most influential voice on the network, suggested Tuesday that maybe Putin isn’t actually as bad a guy as the West makes him out to be. Carlson claimed President Joe Biden is actually the aggressor, and that he’s secretly setting up a conflict with Russia to “make a play against fossil fuels.”
Does It Take a Stable Genius To Recognize One?
Former President Donald Trump gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a bizarre rave review on Tuesday after Russian military forces began moving into Ukraine and threatening its civilians ― while simultaneously claiming nothing like that would have ever happened under his administration.
Trump appeared in awe of Putin during an interview on a right-wing talk radio program broadcast from Tennessee. He described watching the Monday evening news after Putin declared two sections of Ukraine to be independent and ordered Russian troops to storm the regions for alleged “peacekeeping” purposes.
“I said, ‘This is genius,’” Trump recalled. “Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine, of Ukraine ― Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful.”
“So, Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent.’ A large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s the strongest peace force,” Trump said.
2007
Meanwhile The Guy on the Left Smirks. Does He Practice that Face?
Does He Really Get Fan Mail?
The 15-year-old accused in the deadly mass shooting at his suburban Detroit high school in November should be kept in adult jail as he awaits trial, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Collins said during a hearing about the teenager's confinement that he's demonstrated he can be calculating, has a desire to be remembered for his alleged crimes, and enjoys the notoriety the case has brought him, including email from women.
"How to do I get my fan mail, how do I get my hate mail"? he has said, according to Collins.
He has "a deeper and more calculated mind than any other 15-year-old," she argued in court.
The teenager's defense team formally asked the court that he be transferred from Oakland County jail to Children's Village in Pontiac.
Collins said the teen already killed four classmates at Oxford High School on Nov. 30 and that teenagers at the juvenile facility would be put in danger that is "contrary to the rehabilitation of those at Children's Village."
"He enjoyed his dark side," Collins said. "He's fascinated with violence."
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We Have Reached Pre-Omicron Levels of New Infections.
We have not yet reached last summer's lows, but as weather warms up I expect we will.
Meanwhile vaccination have slowed to a relative crawl or half a million a day. The biggest disappointment to me are all the people who got one shot, but not the second.
Here's An Example
A handwritten log kept by nurses tells the story of the losing battle to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 in this corner of Alabama: Just 14 people showed up at the Marion County Health Department for their initial shot during the first six weeks of the year.
That was true even as hospitals in and around the county of roughly 30,000 people filled with virus patients and the death toll climbed. On many days, no one got a first shot at all, while a Mexican restaurant up the street, Los Amigos, was full of unmasked diners at lunchtime.
The vaccination drive in the U.S. is grinding to a halt, and demand has all but collapsed in places like this deeply conservative manufacturing town where many weren't interested in the shots to begin with.
The average number of Americans getting their first shot is down to about 90,000 a day, the lowest point since the first few days of the U.S. vaccination campaign, in December 2020. And hopes of any substantial improvement in the immediate future have largely evaporated.
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Why Should the Metaverse Be Any Different Than the Regular World?
Metaverse app allows kids into virtual strip clubs
Some apps in the virtual-reality metaverse are "dangerous by design", the NSPCC has warned in response to a BBC News investigation.
A researcher posing as a 13-year-old girl witnessed grooming, sexual material, racist insults and a rape threat in the virtual-reality world.
The children's charity said it was "shocked and angry" at the findings.
Head of online child safety policy Andy Burrows added the investigation had found "a toxic combination of risks".
The BBC News researcher - using an app with a minimum age rating of 13 - visited virtual-reality rooms where avatars were simulating sex. She was shown sex toys and condoms, and approached by numerous adult men.
The metaverse is the name given to games and experiences accessed by people wearing virtual reality headsets. The technology, previously confined to gaming, could be adapted for use in many other areas - from work to play, concerts to cinema trips.
Plus, the Facebook Is There
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Police Are Looking for Hank the Tank, Whose Behavior Has Been Unbearable
A massive black bear named Hank the Tank is wanted by California police for breaking into dozens of homes in a Lake Tahoe neighbourhood since last summer.
The bear burglar weighs 500lbs (227kg), much more than the average bear, and appears to have skipped hibernation in winter due to a constant food supply.
Authorities say euthanisation may be necessary because the wild animal has grown so comfortable around humans.
Wildlife groups are calling for him to be relocated to a sanctuary.
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Imagine What Would Happen If Previous Guy Tweeted in India
An Indian actor has been arrested for tweeting against one of the judges hearing pleas against a ban on Muslim girls wearing hijabs in schools.
Chetan Kumar was arrested in the southern state of Karnataka after he criticised Justice Krishna Dixit.
The actor wondered why a judge, who has made "disturbing comments" in the past, was hearing the contentious matter.
He was referring to a 2020 order in which the judge had questioned the behaviour of a woman who alleged rape.
Justice Dixit's comments were later deleted from the order after they resulted in outrage and were described as regressive.
Mr Kumar's arrest has sparked anger, with many questioning the police's motive.
A US citizen and a Fulbright scholar, Chetan Kumar is a firebrand Dalit (formerly known as untouchable) rights activist who has been involved in several anti-right wing protests in Karnataka.
Critics say he's often targeted for his social work - the actor is already facing two police complaints for his remarks against the Brahmin community, who are at the top of India's Hindu caste hierarchy.
On 16 February, Mr Kumar's tweet referred to a rape case in which Justice Dixit had granted anticipatory bail to the accused after observing that the woman's statement was "a bit difficult to believe".
"The explanation offered by her that after the perpetration of the act she was tired and fell asleep is unbecoming of an Indian woman," the judge had said in 2020, adding that it was "not the way our women react when they are ravished".
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WTF Are a Bunch of Unarmed Soldiers Going to Accomplish?
The US is to deploy hundreds of unarmed National Guard troops to Washington ahead of the arrival of trucker convoys protesting against pandemic restrictions.
The roughly 700 troops will be deployed on various roads in Washington.
The US trucker convoys aim to replicate recent trucker protests in Canada, which paralysed the capital Ottawa.
The National Guard troops will "provide support at designated traffic posts, provide command and control, and cover sustainment requirements" from Saturday until 7 March, a statement said.
Some 50 "large tactical vehicles" will be stationed at traffic posts 24 hours a day, the statement said. The troops will not carry firearms or take part in law enforcement.
One of the protest organisers, Bob Bolus, told a local Fox News TV station that his group aimed to shut down the Beltway, a highway that surrounds Washington.
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Have You Been Dreaming About Nitrogen in a Can? Your Wait Is Almost Over
Pepsi is putting a whole new meaning into the soft drink.
In what the company describes its "most ambitious feat yet," PepsiCo (PEP) announced Wednesday a first-of-its-kind nitrogen-infused cola that has a creamier and smoother taste compared to traditional carbonated sodas. The beverage, called Nitro Pepsi, is being released in the United States on March 28 and comes in regular and vanilla flavors.
Nitrogen is more commonly used in beer and coffee drinks, like Starbucks' wildly successful cold brews, as nitrogen gas creates a silky, foamy texture. But since those come out of taps, Pepsi had to come up with a way to maintain the nitrogen in a can.
To solve that problem, Pepsi took a page from Guinness' playbook and added a so-called widget at the bottom that creates a "frothy, foamy, smooth texture unique to Nitro Pepsi." Guinness patented the widget about 50 years ago, and the nitrogen-filled capsule releases the gas when opened to create the stout's signature foamy head.
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RIP Nord Stream 2. Unless You Come Back from the Dead in a Zombie Pipeline Apocalypse
There are few energy projects in the world as controversial as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and on Tuesday, it all but died in the water as Germany's leader halted its approval process over the Ukraine crisis.
The 1,230-kilometer pipeline was supposed to ferry huge amounts of natural gas directly from Russia to Europe via Germany, and although it has been sitting there, built for more than five months, not a single delivery has passed through it.
The project has divided politicians, analysts and Europeans for years, and has been beset by delays, previous US sanctions and opposition over its impact on the climate crisis.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's announcement was the strongest concrete response yet from the West to Russia's military action in eastern Ukraine.
But it puts Europe in an uncomfortable position — Russia could simply turn off its other gas taps that power most of the continent and leave millions of people in the dark and cold. Natural gas is the fuel that can power water heaters, furnaces, stoves and ovens.
Germany already receives Russian gas through Nord Stream 1, a similar pipeline that also runs under the Baltic Sea. But as Russia stepped up its military action in Ukraine overnight, the pressure on Germany to stop the project in its tracks dialed up.
Whether or not Germany officially scraps Nord Stream 2 in the long term, Russia's actions in Ukraine make the project politically dead.
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I Could Have Told Them This Two Years Ago
A key investment case for bitcoin is deteriorating as geopolitical uncertainty and rising inflation hammer cryptocurrency prices.
The price of bitcoin fell to a two-week low Tuesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Donetsk and Luhansk, two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, shortly after declaring them as independent.
Bitcoin is often referred to as “digital gold” by its backers. The term refers to the idea that bitcoin can provide a store of value similar to gold — one that’s uncorrelated with other financial markets, like stocks.
Bitcoin bulls also see the cryptocurrency as a “safe haven” asset that can serve as a hedge against global economic uncertainty and increasing prices, which reduce the purchasing power of sovereign currencies like the U.S. dollar.
With inflation at historic highs, you’d expect this would be bitcoin’s time to shine — U.S. consumer prices last month rose the most since February 1982, according to Labor Department figures.
Instead, the cryptocurrency has lost almost half of its value since reaching an all-time high of nearly $69,000 in November. That’s led analysts to question whether its status as a form of “digital gold” still rings true.
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Headline of the Day
"Former college cheerleader found guilty in deaths of three Florida prostitutes"
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Breaking News: Most Americans are NOT Fascists
People in the United States do not like book-banning, a new poll shows, as Republicans around the country seek to ban huge numbers of books from schools. And people don’t like the basic foundations of Republican attacks on teaching about race and racism, either, according to the CBS News poll, which focused on race as part of Black History Month coverage.
It’s not the only recent poll to highlight that the Republican education culture wars, as big a megaphone as they’re getting from Fox News and prominent politicians, are not what most people want. Can someone tell Republicans this? Better yet, can someone tell Democrats?
The CBS News poll found that more than 80% of people disagreed with banning books for criticizing U.S. history, for political ideas they disagreed with, for depicting slavery, and for discussing race. More than two out of three people said that teaching about race in America makes students understand what others went through. Less than one in four said it makes students feel guilty about past generations. And majorities understood that racism is a problem, with 58% saying it’s a major problem now, and 71% saying it was a major problem in the past. Those numbers are lower than they should be, for sure, but they are strong majorities nonetheless.
This is not the only poll to suggest that Republicans are all in on a subject that is not an automatic winner for them. In a CNN poll earlier in the month, more Democrats than Republicans said education was an extremely important issue in their thinking about the midterm elections. Of the people attributing that importance to education, 31% said they were thinking about the broad social benefits of education, not focusing on a particular political controversy. Just 7% mentioned critical race theory, 2% mentioned in-person school, and 1% mentioned masking in schools.
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Florida Bill is a Little Less Evil
On Friday, Feb. 18, Florida state Rep. Joe Harding filed an amendment to the already notorious “Don't Say Gay” bill (House Bill 1557) that would require schools to tell parents or guardians about their minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity within six weeks of becoming aware of it. This could include, for example, a student going to a teacher for advice or support.
For obvious reasons, this would be incredibly dangerous, unethical, and frankly, cruel. No one should be outed against their will; especially not minors who rely on their parents for literal safety and housing. While the entire bill is still a mess (and a national embarrassment), a glimmer of good news comes to us as of Tuesday, Feb. 22, has Harding has now withdrawn the “outing” amendment, as reported by local outlet WESH.
The bill would prevent educators from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in primary schools. If schools were found doing so anyway, parents would be able to take legal action against the school district
And The Public Still Doesn't Like It. But They Don't Plan on Letting Them All Vote
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Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting For This
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So Far, Sort Of So Good
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This is So Slow It Seems to Be Coming By Snail Mail With Actual Snails.
Clogged U.S. ports are being given access to nearly $450 million in federal money from President Joe Biden's infrastructure law as part of the administration's recent stepped-up efforts aiming to ease supply chain congestion and lower prices for American consumers.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday announced the availability of a first batch of competitive grants for ports that will be double last year's amount annually for five years. The grants are aimed specifically at reducing bottlenecks that have slowed the flow of goods to store shelves and pushed up costs.
The grants are among several pots of money under the $1 trillion law that the department intends to steer toward providing mid-term and long-term relief to the nation's supply chain, which administration officials described as somewhat outdated and broken. Still, acknowledging that the upgrades will take time, Biden officials have largely shied away from any assurances that Americans could see clear and demonstrable changes to their lives before the 2022 midterm elections.
U.S. ports will have until May to apply for the grants, which will be awarded by fall.
Unfortunately, It Has to Be Slow
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Blow, Ye Winds of the Morning. Blow Ye Winds Hi-Ho!
The United States will hold its biggest ever sale of offshore wind development rights on Wednesday, in an area covering nearly half a million acres off the coasts of New York and New Jersey.
It will be the first offshore wind lease sale under the administration of President Joe Biden, who has made the expansion of offshore wind a cornerstone of his strategy to address global warming and decarbonize the U.S. electricity grid by 2035.
The auction's scale marks a major step forward for offshore wind power in the United States, which has lagged European nations in developing the technology. Currently, the United States has just two small offshore wind facilities, off the coasts of Rhode Island and Virginia, along with two additional commercial-scale projects recently approved for development.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which has not held an auction for wind leases since 2018, will offer 488,201 acres (197,568 hectares) in shallow waters between New York's Long Island and New Jersey, an area known as the New York Bight.
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Should We Care About Ukraine?
Although many Americans may prefer that the U.S. stay out of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the brewing violence and political fallout are already hurting their wallets. Gasoline prices, which have hit eight-year highs — could surge even further if the hostilities escalate or if U.S. lawmakers pass another round of sanctions.
The economic impact could also move beyond the gas pump, Wall Street analysts warn. Sanctions or export controls against Russia could make current semiconductor shortages even worse, while restrictions on wheat or metals could drive the fiercest bout of inflation in decades to climb even higher.
The Pain of Ukraine In Ukraine Will Not Remain
The threat of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine is raising the risks of an energy supply shock, which some observers say could send the annual U.S. inflation rate up to 10% at some point from 7.5% as of January.
That’s the view of RSM chief economist Joseph Brusuelas and BNY Mellon’s Daniel Tenengauzer. In a phone interview Tuesday, Brusuelas says such an energy shock would shave 1% from U.S. gross domestic product over the next year, and boost inflation by 2.8 percentage points over the next three to six months before price gains can ease once the Russia-Ukraine crisis stabilizes.
A 10% year-over-year gain in the consumer-price index would be the highest since October 1981. It would also come as a surprise to even some of the most sophisticated traders — who are bracing for annual CPI to peak at around 8% in March before drifting down to 4% next January, according to market-implied levels derived from fixings.
The warnings come as the world’s largest money manager reiterated its view that central banks may be forced “to live with” inflation. That’s because aggressive rate increases to combat supply-driven inflation “would only torpedo economic activity that has not yet fully recovered,” BlackRock Investment Institute’s Jean Boivin and others wrote in a note Tuesday.
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