Tracker

Not quite if this belongs here, but.....

Eight Killed in String of Shootings at Asian Spas in Atlanta, Suspect in Custody. At least four of the victims were Asian women./ Reuters At least eight people were killed in a string of shootings Tuesday that police said appeared to target Asian women at spas in the Atlanta area. Violence first erupted at Young’s Asian Massage in Acworth, where two people were killed, one other person succumbed to their injuries en route to a nearby hospital, and one died while in treatment, according to the Cherokee County sheriff’s office. One other person was injured in the shooting, a spokesman for the sheriff said. None of the victims were immediately identified. A suspect, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, was taken into custody following a police chase. A 2018 video on the Crabapple First Baptist Church Facebook page features Long discussing his Christian journey toward baptism. “As many of you may remember, when I was 8 years old I thought I was becoming a Christian, and got baptized during that time and I remember a lot of the reason for that is a lot of my friends in my Sunday school class were dong that,” Long says in the clip. A student who graduated from Sequoyah High with Long in 2017 who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Daily Beast, “He was very innocent seeming and wouldn’t even cuss. He was sorta nerdy and didn’t seem violent from what I remember. He was a hunter and his father was a youth minister or pastor. He as big into religion.” Eight Killed in String of Shootings at Atlanta Asian Spas, Suspect in Custody (thedailybeast.com)

The part that makes uneasy is not just the arrival of the variant in larger and larger numbers, but the uncertainty as to where the hell some of them have come from.

Each contaminated generation inflect the succeeding one with the same diseases.

There Have Been Nearly 4,000 Incidents Of Anti-Asian Racism In The Last Year For more than a year, Asian Americans across the country have faced an alarming deluge of racist attacks, and it shows no signs of abating. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic transformed every facet of American life a year ago, Asian American communities were already seeing the effects of the virus, which was first detected in China and began to spread in January 2020. By then, Asian Americans and Pacific Islander individuals had started to experience racist harassment and attacks, such as being shunned, spit upon and denied services. Asian-owned businesses saw a precipitous drop in revenue and patronage. Last March, several AAPI advocacy organizations and scholars formed a group called Stop AAPI Hate to create a database of reports of these incidents. As of Feb. 28, the group had received a staggering 3,795 reports of racist incidents against AAPIs, according to data released Tuesday. That includes 503 incidents in 2021. The last few weeks have brought a wave of high-profile incidents, including several violent assaults of Asian American elders that resulted in deaths. The incident reports come from respondents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The data is likely an undercount because the incidents are self-reported. There Have Been Nearly 4,000 Incidents Of Anti-Asian Racism In The Last Year | HuffPost Canada Asian Voices (huffingtonpost.ca)

Four Tennessee Republicans voted against removing slavery exception from the state’s constitution Although Tennessee abolished slavery after the Civil War, an article in the state's constitution says that "slavery and involuntary servitude" are allowed for someone who has been convicted of a crime. Understandably, there's a strong push to strip that language out — but four Republicans in the Tennessee Senate have voted against removing it. The bill to remove that article from the Tennessee Constitution was sponsored by Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Memphis Democrat who serves in the Tennessee Senate. When the bill came up for a vote, Sen. Brian Kelsey and three other Republicans voted against it. Four Tennessee Republicans voted against removing slavery exception from the state’s constitution - Alternet.org

Bombshell claim alleges FBI produced 'fake' background check on Brett Kavanaugh The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is facing stark criticism for its handling of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's background check. According to The Guardian, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-N.Y.) alleges that the bureau's investigation into Justice Kavanaugh may have been "fake." On Monday, March 15, Whitehouse penned a letter to newly-confirmed U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland as he called on him to "help facilitate 'proper oversight' by the Senate into questions about how thoroughly the FBI investigated Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing." The background check came came after Christine Blasey Ford and several other women accused the eventual Supreme Court justice of sexual misconduct. Although Kavanaugh denied the accusers' claims, the bureau was called on to conduct a background investigation during the Senate confirmation proceedings but, at the time, some Democratic senators accused the bureau of having an incomplete background assessment. For example, two key witnesses within the case were not interviewed. Whitehouse also noted that there were a number of witnesses who wanted to have their account included "could not find anyone at the bureau who would accept their testimony and that it had not assigned any individual to accept or gather evidence." Whitehouse said, "This was unique behavior in my experience, as the Bureau is usually amenable to information and evidence; but in this matter, the shutters were closed, the drawbridge drawn up, and there was no point of entry by which members of the public or Congress could provide information to the FBI." Bombshell claim alleges FBI produced 'fake' background check on Brett Kavanaugh - Alternet.org

To All And Sundry: 25mps internet is available for $50 per month from Primus.ca. Always good to have an option.

It was not severe, but apparently he has such mega-immunity that his blood, even when diluted by a factor of 10,000, is able to fight off not only the original COVID virus but all the mutations. Amazing.

It is already in place in California and several European countries so far as I know, and none have suffered an economic collapse. It is the future.

For Those Who Like Very Hot Food:

What it's like being one of the few people with 'super antibodies' against COVID-19 John Hollis, a communications manager at George Mason University in Virginia, has developed rare 'super antibodies' that make him practically immune to COVID-19. What it's like being one of the few people with 'super antibodies' against COVID-19 John Hollis's blood may hold the key for a better COVID-19 vaccine. That's because the Virginia man is one of the rare COVID-19 survivors who has what are called "super antibodies" that are extremely effective at neutralizing the virus. That means Hollis is practically immune to COVID-19. What's more, his super antibodies may even provide immunity to the new coronavirus variants that existing vaccines are less effective against. (Well worth the read-or listen to in the podcast)

Dog Rescue Charity Linked To Lara Trump Funneling Money Into Donald Trump’s Pocket A dog rescue charity with links to Lara Trump has spent as much as $1.9 million at former President Donald Trump’s properties over the last seven years and will drop an additional quarter-million at his Mar-a-Lago country club this weekend. According to a permit filed with the town of Palm Beach, Florida, Big Dog Ranch Rescue estimates it will spend $225,000 at the club where Donald Trump has taken up full-time residence since leaving the White House. All the profit from that spending winds up in his pocket. Internal Revenue Service filings show that the group has spent as much as $1,883,160 on fundraising costs at Mar-a-Lago and Trump’s golf course 18 miles north in Jupiter starting in 2014. Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, started being listed as a chairwoman for charity events in 2018, and the group’s president, Lauren Simmons, visited the White House in 2019 for the signing of a bill addressing animal cruelty. Late Friday night, Simmons issued a statement defending her association with Lara Trump, whom she described as a great advocate of dogs, and her use of Donald Trump’s properties. “The quality of service, beauty of the venue and excellent rate provided us as a nonprofit as well as the generosity of supporters who sell-out our event there every year allows us to rescue and home thousands of dogs. Our investment there and at the other venues mentioned in the article has netted more than $12 million over an eight-year period which allows us to continue our mission,” Simmons said. Dog Rescue Charity Linked To Lara Trump Funneling Money Into Donald Trump’s Pocket | HuffPost Canada Politics (huffingtonpost.ca)

Many here are getting sweaty about something that may or may not happen or have any impact on our beloved CFL. I think the CFL is in a much better bargaining position that it was at the time of the US expansion, and there are enough smart people involved in running the teams and CFL that concerns will be dealt with or the CFL will back off. If nothing else, it got people talking about the CFL.

Republican-led states had highest COVID cases and death rates: study A new study found that while states with Democratic governors suffered from higher COVID-19 incidences and fatality rates at the outset of the global pandemic, states with Republican governors suffered more severely as the COVID-19 crisis continued throughout the second half of 2020. The analysis published on Tuesday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Medical University of South Carolina reviewed 19 COVID metrics across 50 U.S. states between Mar. 15 and Dec. 15. "From March to early June, Republican-led states had lower COVID-19 incidence rates compared with Democratic-led states," stated the study. "On June 3, the association reversed, and Republican-led states had higher incidence." The researchers noted that Republican states reached up to 1.8 times the amount of deaths in Democratic states by Aug. 5. The test positivity discrepancy peaked on June 23, when it was 1.7 times higher in Republican states than that of Democratic states. The study also theorized that the reason for these discrepancies is because Democratic-run states, namely New York, New Jersey, and California, were "home to initial ports of entry for the virus in early 2020," welcoming more people abroad who had already contracted the disease. Republican-led states had highest COVID cases and death rates: study - Alternet.org Greg Abbott bizarrely suggests Democratic election reform allows 'using cocaine to buy votes' Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) suggested over the weekend that a Democratic effort to improve access to elections would lead to "using cocaine to buy votes." During her Sunday morning program, Fox News host Maria Bartiromo asked Abbott about legislation known as H.R. 1 that aims to improve election integrity. "Before I was governor, I was the attorney general of Texas," Abbott explained. "And when the Obama administration tried doing things like this, I filed 31 lawsuits against the Obama administration. The strongest tool that we have is the litigation tool." "And when you look at some of the things that they are talking about with regard to H.R. 1, they are trying to institutionalize voter fraud in the United States of America," he continued. "They want to make mail-in ballots permanent. Everyone knows -- including Democrats in Texas -- have said that one of the easiest ways to cheat in elections is through these mail-in ballots." According to Abbott, Democrats want to "protect ballot harvesting." He then recounted an "amazing story" about people "using cocaine to buy votes" during his time as attorney general. "It was Barack Obama himself who knew about the dangers of ballot harvesting in the state of Texas," Abbott said, "because under his administration, he sent his U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas as well as the FBI to south Texas to arrest and to prosecute people who were involved in ballot harvesting that were using cocaine to buy votes through the ballot harvesting process in the state of Texas." Greg Abbott bizarrely suggests Democratic election reform allows 'using cocaine to buy votes' - Alternet.org "It is a way to commit voter fraud and it cnnnot be al

Death is just a transition. Not that big a deal.

Trump accountant will flip to save his sons from prison -- according to Michael Cohen Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen believes another longtime associate will eventually flip against the former president. Prosecutors seem to have their sights set on Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg as the Manhattan district attorney's office plows ahead in its investigation of the twice-impeached one-term president's business dealings, and Cohen believes they'll eventually gain his cooperation in the probe, reported The New Yorker. "He's not going to let his boys go to prison," Cohen told the magazine, "and I don't think he wants to spend his golden years in a correctional institution, either." The 73-year-old Weisselberg has worked closely alongside Trump for decades, and legal experts and others close to the case agree he would make a star witness. "Allen Weisselberg knows where all the bodies are buried," said the president's niece Mary Trump. Trump accountant will flip to save his sons from prison -- according to Michael Cohen - Alternet.org

Don't like the trend of the past few days, though.

A summer-fall league would not be directly competing with the NFL. The CFL game is faster and more entertaining. The NFL is so boring despite all the hype and glitz that I do not watch even the "super bowl". It will take time for a new league to become accepted, particularly if they use CFL rules, but it ought to be doable.

Arizona Republican waging war on voting rights drops the mask: "Everybody shouldn't be voting." Since its devastating loss in 2020, the Republican Party has been committed to overhauling voting rights in the United States to ensure restrictive practices limit voting capabilities. Now, Arizona Republicans' latest actions show they are leading the way. According to CNN, Republican lawmakers in Arizona's state legislature have unveiled more than two dozen proposed voting laws to make it more difficult for residents to vote. The various proposed laws are geared toward targeting certain aspects of the state's voting systems, namely its vote-by-mail system that contributed to Arizona residents' turning the state blue during the last presidential election. The publication reports that: "A handful of the bills -- including two that would impose new restrictions on Arizona's popular vote-by-mail system and one that would limit its narrow voting window -- have gained momentum and could pass." The flurry of proposed pieces of legislation has led to opposition from Democratic lawmakers. Arizona state Rep. Athena Salman (D-Tempe) offered her observation of the bills, what they signify, and who they are targeting, specifically. "They are trying to make it harder for everyone to vote based on the hope and desire that the people who it harms more and who it disenfranchises more are the people less likely to vote Republican," said Salman. On social media, Rep. John Kavanaugh (R-Ariz.), who also chairs Arizona's Government and Elections Committee is also facing backlash for his remarks about voting as he insisted that "everybody" should not be voting. "There's a fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans," Kavanagh said. "Democrats value as many people as possible voting and they're willing to risk fraud. Republicans are more concerned about fraud, so we don't mind putting security measures in that won't let everybody vote -- but everybody shouldn't be voting." Kavanaugh added, "Not everybody wants to vote, and if somebody is uninterested in voting, that probably means that they're totally uninformed on the issues. Quantity is important, but we have to look at the quality of votes, as well." Arizona Republican waging war on voting rights drops the mask: "Everybody shouldn't be voting" | Salon.com

Oklahoma House Passes Bill To Give Immunity To Drivers Who Hit Protesters The Republican-majority Oklahoma state House passed a bill on Wednesday that would grant immunity to drivers who “unintentionally” run over protesters. In an early morning vote along party lines, with 79 votes in favor and 18 against, state lawmakers approved legislation that would remove criminal or civil liability for any driver who “unintentionally” injures or kills someone while “fleeing from a riot,” as long as they have a “reasonable belief” that fleeing would protect themselves from harm. The bill would also allow protesters to be charged with a misdemeanor if they “unlawfully obstruct” traffic, punishable by up to a year in jail and $5,000 in fines. Oklahoma House Passes Bill To Give Immunity To Drivers Who Hit Protesters | HuffPost Canada Politics (huffingtonpost.ca)

Newly revealed audio caught Trump pressuring a Georgia official to help him overturn the 2020 election President Donald Trump infamously called state Attorney General Brad Raffensperger, berating him for his loss of Georgia and demanding he "find" him 11,000 more votes in what some legal experts say was a criminal act. But less known until now is that Trump also called the chief investigator of the Georgia Secretary of State's office in his attempt to overturn the results of the election. In that call he blamed Stacey Abrams and "dishonest" Fulton County, which is home to Atlanta, for the loss – which he also insists was not real, saying that he won the state by "hundreds of thousands" of votes. The Wall Street Journal Wednesday evening reported on the call, and published the audio. "Something bad happened," Trump told the investigator, Frances Watson. "When the right answer comes out, you'll be praised." Watson was not about to be intimidated. "I can assure you that our team and the [Georgia Bureau of Investigation], that we are only interested in the truth and finding the information that is based on the facts." In the recording of the call, which has never been released before, Trump and pressures Watson repeatedly to help him out. "This country is counting on it," Trump tells her, meaning him winning Georgia. "You have the most important job in the country," he also tells her. Trump also falsely claims he won other states, like Texas, by the biggest margin ever: "we won Texas by a record, Texas was won by the biggest, biggest number ever," which is false. Newly revealed audio caught Trump pressuring a Georgia official to help him overturn the 2020 election - Alternet.org

If he had been the USB inventor, the funeral would have consisted of placing the casket in the grave, then removing it, turning it over and re-inserting it.

The Argos have two significant assets: they are owned by Maple Leaf Sports Enterprises and they have a good coach.