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Rand Paul explains why he believes scientists won't study Ivermectin as COVID treatment Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is not sold on the idea of using Ivermectin as a form of treatment for COVID-19 but he believes disapproval of former President Donald Trump has kept researchers from testing the drug as a possible treatment for the novel virus. As reports began circulating about individuals using the drug to treat COVID, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released guidance this week warning against Ivermectin for human consumption. The drug, which is typically used to treat parasitic infections in livestock, has been a major topic of discussion but both government agencies have urged individuals to steer clear of it. In fact, the FDA took to Twitter with a blatant reminder for individuals tweeting, "You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it." But even with all of the warnings that have been released, Paul believes more research should be conducted. According to Cinncinati.com, Paul spoke to a group of 60 individuals in the Cold Spring City Council chambers where he weighed in with his take on Ivermectin. According to the Republican lawmaker, "hatred for Trump" is the sole reason why scientists are not willing to further explore the possibilities of the drug being used for COVID. He also insisted that is the reason why no one is conducting additional research on the Trump-touted, anti-malarial drug, "The hatred for Trump deranged these people so much, that they're unwilling to objectively study it," Paul said. "So someone like me that's in the middle on it, I can't tell you because they will not study ivermectin. They will not study hydroxychloroquine without the taint of their hatred for Donald Trump." Despite his claims, Paul admitted that "he didn't know if it works because there isn't enough research," the publication reports. Paul's remarks come after months of him railing against science while taking direct aim at Dr. Anthony Fauci. Over the last several months, the two have clashed repeatedly amid discussions about face coverings and other forms of COVID mitigation. Rand Paul explains why he believes scientists won't study Ivermectin as COVID treatment - Alternet.org

Glad that is over.

Wieneke plays like Wolitarsky ought to.

The game has devolved into a snoozefest.

Texas Anti-Masker Who Organized Pandemic Protests Fights for Life With COVID A father of three in Texas, who was once involved in organizing rallies against pandemic-related restrictions, is now desperately battling for his life while hospitalized for almost a month with COVID-19. Caleb Wallace, 30, has been unconscious, on a ventilator and heavily sedated in an intensive care unit after his lungs were ravaged by the virus. Jessica Wallace, who is pregnant with their fourth child and set up a GoFundMe page for medical bills, told the San Angelo Standard-Times that her husband had initially refused to get tested or seek medical care, instead opting for doses of Vitamin C, zinc, aspirin, and ivermectin. Last July, Wallace helped organize “The Freedom Rally,” an event where protesters slammed masks and undermined the seriousness of COVID-19. He also founded “The San Angelo Freedom Defenders,” which hosted a rally last year to “end COVID tyranny.” In April, he issued a letter to a local school district railing against masking and pandemic-related policies. Texas Anti-Masker Who Organized Pandemic Protests Fights for Life With COVID (thedailybeast.com) (And stoopidity reigns supreme once more)

Georgia cop who pushed people to take horse dewormer instead of vaccine dies from COVID-19 A captain at the Wayne County Sheriff's Office who promoted anti-vaccination propaganda on his Facebook page has died from COVID-19. Local news station WSAV reports that Capt. Joe Manning died this week at the age of 57 after what Sheriff Chuck Moseley described as a brief battle with COVID-19. "Captain Manning was an integral part of our family and our hearts are broken," Moseley said. "Our love and prayers go forward to his family." Manning, who is survived by his wife, three children, and eight grandchildren, frequently posted anti-vaccine messages on his Facebook page, as documented by The Intercept's Ken Klippenstein. On August 14th, for instance, Manning posted a meme that stated, "If we lose on vaccines we will completely lose our right to sovereignty over our own bodies." That very same day, Manning informed his friends that "Wayne Feed and Seed has some liquid and past Ivermectin get it while supplies last." Some conservatives recently have promoted taking horse deworming medicine that contains ivermectin, even though it was not designed to treat the deadly virus. When someone asked Manning in the comments if he needed to be dewormed, Manning replied, "don't care as long as it works." In fact, the Center for Disease Control has advised people to not take horse deworming medicine that happens to contain ivermectin, as such medicines are designed for animals that weigh several times what the typical human weights. Additionally, there is not nearly enough data yet to conclude whether ivermectin is an effective treatment for COVID-19. Another individual, the head of a "Freedom Defenders" group in Texas, who opposed masks and vaccines before going into the hospital with a COVID-19 infection now has fibrosis, or stiffened lungs. The 30-year-old father of three, whose wife is expecting their fourth child next month, organized "The San Angelo Freedom Defenders" group last year to push back against pandemic protection measures, and he organized anti-mask rallies and gave multiple interviews questioning public health measures before experiencing shortness of breath, high fever and a dry cough on July 26. Georgia cop who pushed people to take horse dewormer instead of vaccine dies from COVID-19 - Alternet.org

In his first game, Adams looked like he had shed his poor decision-making but he looks like a raw rookie tonight.

Adams does not look so good right now- poor choice of targets.

Nice drive so far by Hammy.

Neither team looks dominant.

Anything from the Sun rags is garbage by default. The only thing they get (mostly) right is the weather forecast.

Today is international Dog Day!

Not enough funerals for the Alberta government to do anything besides wringing their hands about how unforeseeable this all was, and how nothing can be done.

According to today's Washington Post, the most recent accounting of the 20 year war in Afghanistan reveals a cost to date of 2.3 Trillion dollars- that's 2.300 BILLION dollars. folks. And in other US News, it appears that the FBI has been under-reporting the degree of conspiracy of the January 6th insurrection out of sympathy for Trump. Is the FBI telling us the truth about the Jan. 6 coup attempt? Because it doesn't feel that way. Reports from FBI and DHS suggest a dangerous rift in law enforcement over the Jan. 6 coup plot. We need the truth The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by Donald Trump's followers is the most documented crime scene in history. On that day, Trump and his agents attempted to overthrow American democracy. We now know his conspiracy to nullify the results of the 2020 election was well underway. The world watched as Trump's attack force, possessed by white rage and Christian nationalist fervor, and fueled by a willingness to kill and die for Trump in the name of "patriotism," viciously attacked police who were protecting the Capitol and the people inside. A core group of Trump's attack force acted with military precision as they breached the Capitol building's defenses. Once inside, Trump's attack force continued to battle with police while running amok and chanting "Hang Mike Pence!" Some of Trump's followers hunted for Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democrats and Republicans deemed to be "traitors," with the apparent goal of capturing and then executing them. A potentially functional gallows was assembled in a park across the street from the Capitol. Homemade bombs and a cache of firearms were also found in a vehicle parked nearby outside. Trump's attack force was armed with an assortment of lethal weapons. During the battle, a Capitol police officer was forced to shoot and kill one of Trump's political cultists. An internal investigation has exonerated the officer for his actions, noting that he potentially saved Members [of Congress] and staff from serious injury and possible death from a large crowd of rioters who forced their way into the U.S. Capitol and to the House Chamber where Members and staff were steps away. USCP Officers had barricaded the Speaker's Lobby with furniture before a rioter shattered the glass door. If the doors were breached, the rioters would have immediate access to the House Chambers. The officer's actions were consistent with the officer's training and USCP policies and procedures. A total disaster and mass casualty event was averted largely thanks to luck and the quick thinking and courage of the Capitol Police and other law enforcement agents. Otherwise, it's entirely possible that members of Congress would have been killed or seriously injured by Trump's attackers, potentially making a quorum impossible for the vote to certify Joe Biden's electoral victory. Trump could then have declared a national emergency, imposed martial law and remained in power for an indefinite period. Hundreds of people who were part of Trump's attack force have been arrested by the FBI. Most will not face serious charges such as criminal conspiracy or sedition. Most important, Trump and his high-level confederates have not been arrested or charged with any crime. The Trump-controlled Republican Party and larger neofascist movement are instigating even more political violence and acts of right-wing terrorism. The coup attempt continues. Yet, despite all of the public and other evidence about the events of Jan. 6, the FBI is now suggesting it was all something "spontaneous," not coordinated as part of a larger plot to overthrow American democracy. It almost seems the FBI is now following Donald Trump's Orwellian command not to believe your lying eyes. As Reuters reports: The FBI has found scant evidence that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the result of an organized plot to overturn the presidential election result, according to four current and former law enforcement officials. Though federal officials have arrested more than 570 alleged participants, the FBI at this point believes the violence was not centrally coordinated by far-right groups or prominent supporters of then-President Donald Trump, according to the sources, who have been either directly involved in or briefed regularly on the wide-ranging investigations. "Ninety to ninety-five percent of these are one-off cases," said a former senior law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation. "Then you have five percent, maybe, of these militia groups that were more closely organized. But there was no grand scheme with Roger Stone and Alex Jones and all of these people to storm the Capitol and take hostages." FBI investigators have reportedly found that "cells of protesters, including followers of the far-right Oath Keepers and Proud Boys groups, had aimed to break into the Capitol," the report continues, but have found no evidence "that the groups had serious plans about what to do if they made it inside." These findings strain credulity and must be viewed with suspicion. Who are these four "unnamed sources?" Are they Trump loyalists? Who was involved in completing this new FBI report? Is the FBI telling us the truth about the Jan. 6 coup attempt? Because it doesn't feel that way | Salon.com

In the entertainment business, he would be called an "attention hooker", only in blunter terms.

Charles Darwin would be proud. The whole point of being a right-wing government is that you can absolve yourself of all responsibilities for the public welfare, after all, its everyone for themselves. You can stand by your guiding principle that its all about personal responsibility. If an unvaccinated person infects you, you obviously were not vigilant enough.

'Smoking gun' evidence shows Trump made illegal donation to Florida attorney general's campaign -Getty Newly revealed records show Donald Trump likely broke the law by issuing a campaign donation to the Florida attorney general investigating his fraudulent university. The Trump Foundation issued a $25,000 check in 2013 personally signed by the real estate mogul and reality TV star to a political action committee associated with Pam Bondi's re-election campaign, and The Daily Beast obtained new records that dispute Trump Organization denials made when the donation became an issue during the 2016 campaign. "It kind of blows up their whole story," said Jordan Libowitz, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "The Trump Organization staffers knew they were making this political donation. There are no questions about it. There is no ambiguity." Trump Flips Out at House Committee After It Requests Secret Capitol Riot Documents -Reuters Former president Donald Trump has threatened to use presidential powers, despite no longer being president. On Wednesday, he said he would invoke executive privilege to block the House Select Committee from investigating documents containing communications tied to the Capitol riots. “Executive privilege will be defended, not just on behalf of my Administration and the Patriots who worked beside me, but on behalf of the Office of the President of the United States and the future of our Nation,” the ex-president said in a statement. Trump’s successor Joe Biden will have the final say over whether the information can be shared, and the Biden administration has said it won’t stand in the way of the committee’s investigation. CNN reports that the documents Trump is trying to block include records from the Departments of Justice, Interior and Defense as well as the National Archives, which host Trump’s records while in office. In his angry statement, Trump also called the committee “a partisan sham and a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Saskatchewan Health Minister hopes Riders ‘make a choice’ for fan vaccination requirement Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman wants the Roughriders to make Mosaic Stadium a vaccine-only facility for fans. The Riders are one of just two CFL teams yet to mandate proof of COVID vaccination or a negative test for anyone attending their games in Regina. “We’re in constant contact with the Riders. If the Riders want to make a choice, that’s up to them. I know some other CFL teams have been able to do that or made their choice. We hope that the Riders will make a choice in the near future,” Merriman said. Policies have been announced in B.C., Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, leaving Edmonton and Saskatchewan as the only remaining CFL teams that permit unvaccinated fans to enter their stadiums. (The Rider fans probably won't even hear of this) https://3downnation.com/2021/08/25/saskatchewan-health-minister-hopes-riders-make-a-choice-for-fan-vaccination-requirement/

Children Now Make Up 36% Of Tennessee’s Virus Cases NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Children now make up 36% of Tennessee’s reported COVID-19 cases, marking yet another sobering milestone in the state’s battle against the high contagious delta variant, Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey said Wednesday. “We had 14,000 pediatric cases in the last seven days, which is a 57% increase over the week prior,” Piercey told reporters. “Right now, 36% of all of our cases in the state are among children when it’s historically been in the 10 to 15% range.” According to researchers from Johns Hopkins, Tennessee ranks sixth in the country for new cases per capita. The rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by about 2,200, an increase of 75%, over the past two weeks. Piercey said the biggest increase has been among school-age children just as many are kicking off the new school year. This spike has raised calls from some health officials for the state to take more forceful protective measures to prevent the spread the virus among young children, teachers and other staffers. However, Gov. Bill Lee has thus far resisted such suggestions. Instead, he recently signed an executive order letting parents opt their children out of coronavirus-related mask mandates in K-12 schools just as a few school districts issued mask requirements for students and others.

Sturgis was a major 'superspeader' event — just as warnings predicted: report Two years in a row, medical experts warned South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem that the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally could become a superspreader event if COVID-19 precautions and social distancing measures weren't taken. The far-right Republican governor ignored the warnings during both Sturgis 2020 and Sturgis 2021, and the highly infectious COVID-19 Delta variant has been going from bad to worse in South Dakota following this year's event. In an article published by the Daily Beast on August 26, reporters Jasleen Arneja and Maia Majumder note how dire the situation is in Meade County — where the Sturgis Motor Cycle Rally takes place. The journalists explain, "In western South Dakota's Meade County, more than one in three COVID-19 tests are currently returning positive — and over the last three weeks, seven-day average case counts have increased by 3400%. This exponential growth in cases is likely attributable to the 81st Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which drew an estimated half a million visitors to Meade County and its environs from August 6 through 15, potentially acting as a superspreader event." The Delta variant is potentially deadly all over the U.S., but the current COVID-19 surge has been especially bad in red Sun Belt states with low vaccination rates. The crisis in South Dakota, however, has been occurring in a state that is many miles from the Sun Belt. Sturgis was a major 'superspeader' event — just as warnings predicted: report - Alternet.org

The real reason unvaccinated Americans are dying in hospital beds and claiming they love 'freedom' The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new report showing the dominant delta variant of the coronavirus is now making vaccines against catching it less effective. Before delta, they were 91 percent effective. After delta, they are 66 percent effective. The United Kingdom and Israel have reported similar findings. Vaccines are still preventative, the CDC said, and booster shots were already in the works. The Food and Drug Administration is preparing to sign off on a booster campaign set to begin Sept. 20, according to Bloomberg. The people Stockton and King interview, including the white men literally dying in hospital beds, do not fear losing their freedoms. That it is a put-on. They're hiding what they truly fear, which is humiliation. Authoritarian-minded people — which is to say, those who determine politics in southern states — live in daily fear of being humiliated. By what? You name it. Living in a diverse, democratic and capitalist republic offers opportunities aplenty to be humiliated for those who identify strongly with top-down social control. Anything threatening that threatens them. Since the pandemic started as "a hoax," it is a hoax. Buh Gawd, they'll die before being wrong. And they do. Stockton and King don't have the insight necessary for seeing what they truly fear, but they do something I haven't seen from other members of the pundit corps. They take "fearing the loss of their freedoms" and superimpose the claims over images of imminent death, as if to suggest that freedom to die from the covid is no freedom at all. At one point the narrator says: "This is what freedom looks like in America today." I have never seen a simpler and more powerful way of rejecting GOP bad faith. It's something we all of us need to see more. The real reason unvaccinated Americans are dying in hospital beds and claiming they love 'freedom' - Alternet.org

Oooh....talk about damning with faint praise.