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Far-right website claims that Christians should see dying from COVID as ‘a good thing’ Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the MAGA movement and far-right Christian fundamentalists have downplayed its severity — inspiring critics to slam MAGA as a suicidal "death cult." Christian fundamentalist Joy Pullmann, in a shocking op-ed published by the far-right website The Federalist on the day of Gen. Colin Powell's death, argues that Christians should welcome death from COVID-19, like any other cause of death, as "a good thing." And she attacks the "pagan assumptions" of those who argue in favor of widespread vaccination. "For Christians, death is good," Pullmann writes. "Yes, death is also an evil — its existence is a result of sin. But thanks be to God, Jesus Christ has redeemed even death. In his resurrection, Christ has transformed death into a portal to eternal life for Christians…. The Christian faith makes it very clear that death, while sad to those left behind and a tragic consequence of human sin, is now good for all who believe in Christ." Of course, not all Christians share Pullmann's view that the deaths of the COVID-19 pandemic — which has killed more than 4.9 million people worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore — are "a good thing." Countless Catholic and Mainline Protestant churches have tried to keep their members alive by encouraging vaccination, protective face masks and social distancing. And pastors in the African Methodist Episcopal Church have gone out of their way to help people in the Black community find COVID-19 vaccines. But as Pullmann sees it, churches that have encouraged social distancing and tried to prevent their members from dying from COVID-19 have behaved sinfully. Pullmann writes, "To forsake assembling for worship also breaks the Third Commandment, 'Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy'…. It is time for Christians individually and corporately to repent for the way we and our institutions responded to the COVID-19 outbreak. Our refusal to preach and obey the clear teachings of the Bible amid the world's panic have betrayed Our Lord. Thanks be to God, there's a way out for us." Pullmann argues, "Our Christian heritage also rejects the avoidance of death at any cost by venerating the millions of martyrs we honor precisely for choosing to confess Christ despite the indescribable costs to them of comfort, health and life itself." Far-right website claims that Christians should see dying from COVID as ‘a good thing’ - Alternet.org

But who would be the holder?

Surprised that Ford managed to go this long without saying something stupid.

Good. He ought to be sentenced to community service on the COVID CCU ward. And the church ought to be chained shut until the pandemic is over.

Colin Powell Is Dead—and Donald Trump Is Insanely Jealous It’s official: Donald Trump is jealous of a dead man. In, of all things, a fundraising email sent out to supporters Tuesday, the former president trashed Colin Powell, the first Black American to be secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the four-star general who led U.S. forces in the Gulf War, as a “classic RINO” who was “always… the first to attack other Republicans.” Trump’s sick eulogy went on to assail Powell because he “made big mistakes on Iraq.” Powell, 84, died Monday of COVID-19 complications as he battled Parkinson’s disease and a blood cancer that suppresses immune response. His legacy, many outlets have noted, was “stained” by his 2003 justification of invading Iraq to the UN Security Council, which he based on faulty claims of weapons of mass destruction. Trump’s email, sent out to the “Save America” mailing list assembled by his political action committee, railed at the “Fake News Media” who covered Powell’s death “so beautifully.” Either bitterly or wistfully, Trump then added, “Hope that happens to me someday.” The former president and Powell were intense critics of one another, with Powell publicly lambasting Trump as a liar and “dangerous to our democracy.” Above a button to donate to the “Save America” campaign, Trump concluded his email with the best wishes he could apparently muster: “But anyway, may he rest in peace!” Colin Powell Is Dead—and Donald Trump Is Insanely Jealous (thedailybeast.com)

Powell was also suffering from cancer for the past couple of years- a karmic consequence to the suffering he inflicted on the Iraqis and his own soldiers.

Sounds like a knee injury of one sort or another. He still ought to have time to R&R and get back for the end of the season.

Powell readily promoted the Big Lie about weapons of mass destruction as the face of the Bush 11 war promotion, and was thus responsible for more than a half-million deaths. He had a repentance later, disowned the GOP and voted for Obama, but the damage was done.

And if Liegghio could get out of his head, he ought to be a whole lot better.

True, but it would have made a great feel-good story.

I know, but when he left the team, there was speculation that he had a lingering injury but would return when healthy. He had a pretty good good NFL resume and size, so I was hoping he might be an option for the team.

This film ought to set the franchise back a couple of decades.

That would make so much sense for all concerned that it will never happen.

Reilly must be reassessing his life choices right about now.

It was a fairy-tale season for the Blue, but everything we get this season we are going to have to earn.

The deterioration of Nichols was unexpected only in the degree. He was getting worse for the previous couple of seasons but trying to survive behind that porous O-line probably accelerated things.

Black flag: Understanding the Trumpists' latest threatening symbol. Trump zealots have begun flying black U.S. flags, which signal no quarter for enemies. It's a threat of violence It's an old truism that the "real bad men" (and bad women) "move in silence and violence." That's certainly true for the most dangerous and most effective of Donald Trump's allies, henchmen, henchwomen, and other followers. But for Donald Trump himself, and most of his political cult, that rule does not apply. Trump and his followers were loud, exuberant and enthusiastic on Jan. 6. The lethal attack on the Capitol had been publicly announced weeks in advance, and should have come as no surprise. Trump's rallies and gatherings continue to celebrate violence and the prospect of revenge — and specifically of "getting even" with Trump's "enemies." Steve Bannon, Trump's former campaign chairman and White House strategist, has now threatened to recruit Republican-fascist "shock troops" with the apparent goal of undermining the U.S. government, and by implication multiracial democracy, if and when Trump and the Republicans regain control of both Congress and the White House. On a daily basis Fox News and other elements of the right-wing disinformation propaganda machine use stochastic terrorism and other techniques to radicalize their audience into committing acts of political violence. To this point, the Democratic Party and the political and news media class in general have remained in denial, and largely passive in response. In one troubling new development, Trump supporters have begun flying all-black American flags, in an implicit threat to harm or kill their opponents — meaning nonwhite people, "socialist liberals," Muslims, vaccinated people and others deemed to be "enemies" of "real America." As media critic Eric Boehlert recently noted, the liberal opinion site Living Blue in Texas is sounding the alarm about the specific meaning of the black flag and the Republican-fascists support for terrorism and other political violence. That post, "Are Your Republican Neighbors Planning on Killing You?", merits lengthy quotation: It didn't take long to find hundreds of videos where these Trumpers and so-called patriots were hanging black American flags. Black American flags are the flags that mean "no quarter shall be given." They are the opposite of the white flag of surrender. According to the people on TikTok and the Sun (British tabloid), the black American flag originated in the civil war and was flown by the Confederates. It means that they will not surrender, will not take prisoners, and are willing to die for their cause. It means they will execute their enemies. Who are their enemies? Pretty much any non-Conservative. You know, Democrats, Liberals, LGBTQ, BIPOC, and the vaccinated. So, we're the enemy, and they're openly professing to want to execute us. … So, why are they doing this? Covid vaccinations, mostly. They believe that Joe Biden has declared a civil war on them by mandating that employers with over 100 employees and the military have vaccinations. Yes, they say civil war, and they say it's already started. But, unfortunately, many of them also live in states where masks and vaccines are required by state governments, healthcare, and law enforcement. An alarming number of military members have been making Tik Toks talking about how they are being discharged because they refuse the vaccine. It's alarming because there is probably an equal number of guys on there talking about the civil war plans and actively using Tik Tok to recruit these military and ex-military members. The biggest message they have been sending out is, "it's time" or "the time is now." ... Although showing guns on Tik Tok is supposed to be against community guidelines, they show lots of videos of their guns, shooting them, wearing them, or sitting on their bed. They primarily use Tik Tok as a recruiting tool and let others know their willingness to commit violence. Then they tell people to message them or where to find them on Telegram. However you interpret these videos posted by Trump followers and other neofascists — which could be mainly performative — it is clearly true that the American right is increasingly willing to accept or condone violence as a means of expanding and protecting their social and political power. (Salon did not find licensed news photographs of these flags, and has made the editorial decision not to reproduce the images mentioned above, which are easy to find on social media.) Public opinion polls and other research have repeatedly shown that millions of Republican voters and Trump followers would support the use of violence to remove Joe Biden from office because of the "Big Lie" and their belief that that he is not a legitimate president. Similarly, a large proportion of Republicans believe that the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 were "patriots" whose use of violence was justified. Black flag: Understanding the Trumpists' latest threatening symbol | Salon.com

This falls on whoever made the decision to go with Nichols.

Someone's head is going to be on a plate for this dreadful RedBlack season.

It appears that we have no viable options at the moment.

We're seeing what that sort of attitude and division is doing in southern Manitoba communities, so it would probably a lot worse among teammates who are supposed to have each other's backs.

Epstein Bragged About Gift From Woody Allen Before Raping Russian Model, Lawsuit Says A new lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court paints a disturbing picture of Epstein’s continued pattern of preying on young women even after his sex crimes were exposed. A new accuser has filed a class-action lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, claiming the late sex-trafficker raped and assaulted her numerous times from 2017 through 2019—including at his homes in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the months leading up to his arrest—after interviewing her on Skype and promising to aid her career. The woman, a Russian national referred to as Jane Doe, also claims Epstein gave her a tour of his Palm Beach mansion and showed off a broken guitar, a gift he claimed was from his longtime friend, the disgraced director Woody Allen. Doe’s complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court on Thursday, also names Epstein’s veteran executive assistant Lesley Groff as a defendant. Groff helped to facilitate Epstein’s sex ring, the suit claims, by “purchasing plane tickets, sending money, making appointments, and sending various communications from New York.” According to the complaint, Doe was in her early twenties and living in Moscow when Epstein targeted her in 2017, and she soon learned she wasn’t alone. The multimillionaire sex-offender also “fraudulently lured dozens and dozens of women from Russia and elsewhere in Europe into his orbit using false promises of career,” the suit alleges. “For the next two years—presumably in the middle of his being investigated by federal law enforcement officials and up until his widely-reported arrest in July 2019—Epstein, with Groff’s assistance, repeatedly trafficked Jane for his personal sexual use and abuse, fraudulently promising her assistance with her work and career to further lure her to Paris, Florida, and the Virgin Islands, including through New York,” the filing states. “Epstein continued to use Jane as an object for his sexual gratification.” Lawyers for Groff, who has denied playing any part in Epstein’s trafficking scheme, told The Daily Beast they’re “confident” the suit will be tossed. “This lawsuit should never have been filed,” Michael Bachner and Jon Whitcomb said in a statement. “It does not contain a single factual allegation that Lesley in any way knowingly engaged in any wrongdoing or was aware of any misconduct committed by Jeffrey Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein Bragged About Gift From Woody Allen Before Raping Russian Model, Lawsuit Says (thedailybeast.com)

Texas schools official tells teachers they must offer 'other perspectives' when teaching the Holocaust A Southlake, Texas school official is under fire after telling teachers if they have a book in the classroom about the Holocaust they must also teach "other perspectives." “Just try to remember the concepts of [House Bill] 3979," Gina Peddy, the executive director of curriculum and instruction for the Carroll Independent School District, said in a training session Friday, as the recording (below) from NBC News shows. “And make sure that if you have a book on the Holocaust, that you have one that has an opposing, that has other perspectives," she told teachers in a training session on the new law. “How do you oppose the Holocaust?" one teacher asked. “Believe me," Peddy said. “That's come up." At issue is a new Texas state ordinance drafted and rushed into law after parents complained about books teaching about racism. "The training came four days after the Carroll school board, responding to a parent's complaint, voted to reprimand a fourth grade teacher who had kept an anti-racism book in her classroom," NBC News reports. “Teachers are literally afraid that we're going to be punished for having books in our classes," one elementary school teacher told NBC News. “There are no children's books that show the 'opposing perspective' of the Holocaust or the 'opposing perspective' of slavery. Are we supposed to get rid of all of the books on those subjects?" Conservatives across the nation have been attacking and threatening school boards over the nearly non-existent teaching of Critical Race Theory, and are demanding all teaching about racism end. LISTEN: Texas schools official tells teachers they must offer 'other perspectives' when teaching the Holocaust - Alternet.org 'Just Looking Out!': Capitol Cop Who Warned Rioter To Scrub Facebook Charged By Feds. Officer Michael Riley told a Jan. 6 rioter that he agreed with his "political stance" but suggested he remove photos taken inside the Capitol building. U.S. Capitol Police Officer Michael Riley, seen here in 2011, faces two charges of obstruction. A veteran Capitol Police officer has been charged by federal authorities with two counts of obstruction after he allegedly warned a Capitol rioter to remove Facebook posts that showed him inside the building. Officer Michael Angelo Riley was on K-9 duty on Jan. 6 and even responded to reports of an explosive device near the Capitol complex, according to authorities. The next day, Riley reached out to a Facebook friend ― one he knew because they were both “avid fishermen and members of fishing-related Facebook groups” ― and warned him to take down posts showing him inside the Capitol. “[I’m] a capitol police officer who agrees with your political stance. Take down the part about being in the building they are currently investigating and everyone who was in the building is going to [get] charged,” Riley wrote. “Just looking out!” 'Just Looking Out!': Capitol Cop Who Warned Rioter To Scrub Facebook Charged By Feds | HuffPost Latest News