Tracker

Ghislaine Maxwell found guilty on 5 of 6 counts in sex trafficking trial: report On the 18th day of Ghislaine Maxwell's trial for enticement of minors and sex trafficking of underage girls, the jury reached a verdict after nearly 40 hours of deliberations. Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, was found on five of six counts, CNN and MSNBC reported Wednesday. “Preserving the innocence of children is among the most important responsibilities we carry as adults. Like Epstein, Ms. Maxwell chose to blatantly disregard the law and her responsibility as an adult, using whatever means she had at her disposal to lure vulnerable youth into behavior they should never have been exposed to, creating the potential for lasting harm," FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said when announcing the charges.

'Madness': Oklahoma bill would empower parents to remove books from school libraries A bill proposed by a Republican state senator in Oklahoma would empower parents to have books that discuss gender identity removed from public school libraries—a measure that rights advocates warned could have life-threatening consequences for LGBTQ+ children across the state. Under Senate Bill 1142, introduced earlier this month by state Sen. Rob Standridge, just one parent would have to object to a book that includes discussion of "sexual perversion, sex-based classifications, sexual identity, or gender identity" and other related themes in order to begin the process of removal. Upon receiving a written request to remove a book, a school district would have 30 days to eliminate all copies of the material from circulation. In a provision that appeared inspired by S.B. 8 in Texas—the law that deputizes any citizen and entitles them to a financial reward if they successfully sue someone for aiding a pregnant person in obtaining abortion care—parents will be able to collect $10,000 per day for as long as the book in question remains in library. 'Madness': Oklahoma bill would empower parents to remove books from school libraries - Alternet.org

Mourtada was so bad that I cannot see any reason to ask him to return. I would be far more comfortable in sending Legghio to the the US of A and have our previous kicker coach the snot out of him.

Blue Bombers sign eight players, including Canadian running back Kyle Borsa December 28, 2021 By 3Down Staff The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed eight players, including Canadian running back Kyle Borsa. Borsa was selected in the fifth round, 39th overall by the Bombers during the 2021 CFL Draft. He attended training camp with Winnipeg during the summer, but returned to the University of Regina for his final year of eligibility during the fall. The six-foot, 200-pound back spent his entire U Sports career with his hometown Rams. Borsa carried the ball 195 times for 1,037 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and seven majors along with 43 receptions for 436 yards and three touchdowns during 22 games with Regina. During his time with the program, he posted 2,773 all-purpose yards, including 1,300 yards as a returner, and 10 total touchdowns. The Bombers re-signed American defensive tackle Ricky Walker. The six-foot-two, 287-pound Walker played seven games for Winnipeg last season, recording eight tackles and one sack. The 25-year-old spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns prior to coming north of the border. Winnipeg also signed six players who ended the 2021 CFL season on the practice roster: American offensive lineman Jalen Burks, American kicker Ali Mourtada, American receiver Kelvin McKnight, American defensive back Demerio Houston, national linebacker Robbie Lowes and Global linebacker Les Maruo.

I cannot find the source of this information, but it appeared credible: even vaccinated patients receiving treatment for cancers have a 300% grater chance of morbidity or mortality than the general population if they contract any of the COVID viruses. Another good reason for these people to rigorously isolate and for others to both wear masks and keep their distances.

CDC Recommends Cutting 10-Day COVID Isolation Period In Half U.S. officials say the guidance is due to growing evidence that those with COVID-19 are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms . U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance is in keeping with growing evidence that people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop. The decision also was driven by a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, propelled by the omicron variant. Early research suggests omicron may cause milder illnesses than earlier versions of the coronavirus. But the sheer number of people becoming infected — and therefore having to isolate or quarantine — threatens to crush the ability of hospitals, airlines and other businesses to stay open, experts say. CDC Recommends Cutting 10-Day COVID Isolation Period In Half | HuffPost Latest News

The double-vaccinated are barely protected from omicron — but those with boosters are in good shape= A UK study into omicron has alarming findings for the double-vaxxed — and good news for the triple-vaxxed Since the omicron variant was first discovered in the United States last month, many scientists have been fearful that the variants' many unique mutations compared to its peer variants (including delta) might make omicron more adept at evading existing vaccines. A new study validates those worries, but also provides a splash of hope for those who have received their booster shots. In the article in question, researchers from the Imperial College London COVID-19 response team found that vaccine effectiveness against omicron is between zero and 20 percent for those who have been fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. That effectiveness range, zero to 20 percent, may sound dismal. But for those who also received a booster shot, the findings for vaccine effectiveness against omicron were much, much rosier. Specifically, those who had received three shots — meaning the two-dose vaccination plus a booster shot — saw a vaccine effectiveness of between 55 percent and 80 percent against the omicron variant. The vast gulf between the two ranges suggests that a booster shot is crucial to protection against the omicron variant. The findings also reinforce the public statements of some public health experts, including former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who have stated that they believe the COVID-19 vaccine should be a three-dose, not a two-dose shot. Certainly, three-dose vaccines are not unusual; Cuba's COVID-19 vaccine, which has 92.4% efficacy, and the HPV vaccine, are both three-dose vaccines. The double-vaccinated are barely protected from omicron — but those with boosters are in good shape | Salon.com

You cannot challenge an emotional decision with logic. Its like using architecture to explain dance.

They could always go after Todd Krennbrink

Yup. An island, moments of sanity and familiarity in an otherwise often chaotic and threatening world.

Sounds like a child moving away to college.

You HAD to ruin it, didn't you?

A helpful tip I learned as a first responder in rural areas: If you are about to hit a deer, or other wildlife while you are driving, do NOT EVER try to miss it. The natural reflexive movement is to crank the steering wheel over and then you are heading into the ditch at high speed with your front wheels turned sharply to the right. As your front wheels dig into the ditch, your momentum will cause the vehicle to barrel-roll or, worse yet do an endo. Your survival chances are much, much better if you hit the unfortunate creature dead center. If you have no option but to go into the ditch, point your front wheels straight ahead. And remember, ANYTHING, ANYTHING is preferable to a head-on collision. Saved my bacon a couple of times.

That's why moats were created. We already have Duff's ditch, so we are halfway there aleady.

'A major milestone': Pfizer's COVID pill is a huge step forward — but it will be 'scarce' at first The United States on Wednesday authorized Pfizer Inc’s antiviral COVID-19 pill for at-risk people aged 12 and above, making it the first oral treatment and which can be taken at home, providing a potentially important tool in the fight against the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Pfizer’s antiviral regimen, Paxlovid, was nearly 90 percent effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in patients at high risk of severe illness, according to data from the company’s clinical trial. Recent lab data suggests the drug retains its effectiveness against Omicron, Pfizer said. “We’re talking about a staggering number of lives saved and hospitalizations prevented. And of course, if you deploy this quickly after infection, we are likely to reduce transmission dramatically,” Pfizer Chief Scientific Officer Mikael Dolsten said, calling it “a stunning outcome.” Pfizer raised its 2022 production projections to 120 million courses of treatment from 80 million and said it was ready to start immediate delivery in the United States. The treatment’s two-drug regimen includes a new medicine and a second older antiviral called ritonavir. READ: Trump is rapidly moving toward a confession about his high crimes against America “Paxlovid’s approval is a major milestone that marks another step towards making COVID-19 a much more manageable infection,” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Health Security. “There are two key issues, however, that remain: It will be scarce in the coming weeks and its optimal use requires prompt diagnosis, which can be difficult with the continual testing problems that plague us,” Adalja added.

Now our premier doesn't need to answer any embarrassing questions.

Staying close to home with a very limited gathering of family and friends. This sucks, but if this is the price for both staying safe (wife is immuno-compromised) and keeping others safe, so be it.

Everyone always makes generalizations. All the time.

Poop.

Apparently a free box of N95 masks with each purchase

If you stop by an MLCC store, you can get another.

Trivia: the misnamed "Spanish Flu" was traced back to a US army base mess cook in Kansas who passed it along to all of the soldiers who then deployed to Europe, the first ones arriving in Spain.