Tracker

Circus freak shows have always been popular.

There is nowhere in any of the reports that this was a coercive relationship. No question that it was highly inappropriate, given the difference in the ranks, but it was an essentially mutually consenting relationship between two adults. It ought to have led to a dismissal if verified, but these things are very difficult to prove.

I have absolutely no doubt that Trump would have sold out his fellow-USFL owners in a New York minute if it would have benefitted him. Should his lawyers be unable to dissuade him from taking the stand, that would be PVR highlight material to be enjoyed again and again.

There is no "old farts" thread.

The key word is "former". This will go nowhere no matter how the PC's beat that drum.

Trump owned a team in the USFL which sued the NFL for pressuring the TV networks to not give the USFL coverage. The USFL lawyers had the case in the bag (according to the jurors) until Trump took the stand at his insistence and against the pleas of the lawyers. He came across as so stupid and arrogant that the entire jury found the NFL guilty but awarded the USFL the princely sum of ONE DOLLAR. The other USFL owners were so angry that none of them chose to appeal the verdict and none ever spoke to Trump or did business with him again. I would think that Trump would not pass up an opportunity to be the center of attention in the belief that he would be so clever and convincing that he would single-handedly convince the whole nation of his righteousness.

No, but you can discredit them and put them in jail. That would change the minds of those open to that. Many will simply harden their positions.

Agreed. The best thing that could happen to the US would be that the totality of Trump/GOP involvement in the January insurrection is revealed in the impeachment hearings followed by aggressive prosecution of the GOPers and Trump with a steady parade to jail- especially Trump and his inner circle.

At first glance, Romney would appear to be the leading (only sane) contender for the next leader of the GOP. However, there are indications that the party will split down the middle along pro and anti-Trump lines. Should this happen, neither of these will garner enough votes to challenge the Democrats. This will force the two sides into an uneasy alliance much as happened here in Canada. The resulting alliance will dance to the tune of the more aggressive members, again, as has happened in Canada.

It would be highly appropriate to change the title of this thread to "The Raaslin' Thread".

With the real possibility of a shortened CFL season, any team that gets off to a good start will have the inside track to a Cup appearance. That said, this means that any team that manages to hold onto their core will have an advantage. So, good on the Bombers.

McKinsey To Pay $573 Million For Role In Opioid Crisis: Reports The global business consulting firm McKinsey & Company has agreed to a $573 million settlement over its role in advising companies on how to “supercharge” opioid sales amid an overdose crisis, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the deal ahead of Thursday’s planned announcement and filings in courts in 47 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. McKinsey did not immediately respond to a call or email from the AP Wednesday night. Without naming McKinsey, the attorneys general in at least North Carolina and West Virginia have scheduled announcements for Thursday morning regarding the opioid crisis. And Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement that the state would file a consent decree Thursday involving McKinsey “that will result in corporate reforms and more than $13 million to Washington state for opioid treatment, prevention and recovery efforts.” Ferguson said that was separate from the multistate deal. Most of the money in the national settlement, which was first reported by The New York Times, would be sent to the states in less than a year, and would be used to abate the national overdose crisis. Prescription opioids and illegal ones such as heroin and illicit fentanyl combined have been linked to the deaths of more than 470,000 Americans since 2000. And the epidemic has deepened amid the coronavirus pandemic. McKinsey To Pay $573 Million For Role In Opioid Crisis: Reports | HuffPost

Marjorie Taylor Greene gets a standing ovation in closed-door House GOP meeting: reports Members of the House Republican caucus gave Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) a standing ovation Wednesday evening after the QAnon Congresswoman gave a short speech defending herself. About an hour earlier Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced his support of Greene and refused to strip her of her committee assignments. Marjorie Taylor Greene gets a standing ovation in closed-door House GOP meeting: reports - Alternet.org

Waaay back when I took management studies, we were told that the worst, the most incompetent managers invariably chose and/or promoted subordinates who were so fearful and useless that they would do pretty much anything to stay in favour. Kinda describes the Trump regime.

Trump's ego and self-image are so fragile that he cannot admit having made any mistakes whatsoever, nor can he conceive that anyone else could have a better or even alternative viewpoint. He sees himself as so brilliant that if there is any resistance to what he wills, it is egregiously illegal and unconscionable. His father has done a helluva job in creating a Hitler clone.

5 hilarious details from "the craziest meeting of the Trump presidency" Axios has published a massive 3,000-word-plus report detailing what it describes as "the craziest meeting of the Trump presidency." The meeting revolves around conspiracy-spewing attorney Sidney Powell, along with former national security adviser Mike Flynn and former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, storming into the Oval Office and trying to convince former President Donald Trump to command federal law enforcement officials to seize Dominion voting machines. The report is filled with moments of slapstick comedy that highlight the ineptitude of the former president's allies. Here are the five funniest parts. 1. Sidney Powell got called out for claiming Dominion flipped a county that Trump won. During the meeting, Powell told Trump that she could prove that Dominion voting machines flipped votes to President Joe Biden in a Georgia county. White House senior adviser Eric Herschmann, however, immediately spotted a flaw in Powell's claims: Namely, Trump had actually won the county in question. "So your theory is that Dominion intentionally flipped the votes so we could win that county?" he asked her incredulously. 2. Former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne gets utterly humiliated after trash talking Trump's staff members. Byrne, who had never before met the president in person, nonetheless didn't hesitate to throw his weight around and accuse his staff members of being disloyal for not doing enough to help him overturn the results of the 2020 election. "You're a quitter," Byrne told Herschmann. "Do you even know who the f*ck I am, you idiot?" Herschmann asked him. "Yeah, you're Patrick Cipollone," Byrne said. "Wrong!" Herschmann shouted. "Wrong, you idiot!" 3. Sidney Powell gets lambasted for making embarrassing spelling mistakes in her legal filings. White House staff secretary Derek Lyons quickly ran out of patience with Powell, whose "kraken" lawsuits infamously crashed and burned when brought before courts. "You've brought 60 cases," Lyons told Powell. "And you've lost every case you've had!" Lyons not only ripped into Powell's legal arguments, but her sloppy spelling and grammar. "You somehow managed to misspell the word 'District' three different ways in your suits," he told her. 4. Patrick Byrne claims that he gave Hillary Clinton an $18 million bribe as part of an FBI sting. In one of the more nonsensical portions of the meeting, Byrne repeatedly claimed that he knew the FBI to be corrupt because they used him to catch Hillary Clinton taking bribes but somehow never arrested her. "I know how this works," he said. "I bribed Hillary Clinton $18 million on behalf of the FBI for a sting operation." Herschmann was incredulous and demanded to know what Byrne was talking about. The former Overstock CEO never elaborated, and yet still stood by his claim that he had successfully bribed the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee. 5. Mark Meadows and other staffers scrambled to stop Trump from appointing Powell as special counsel to investigate voter fraud. Powell tried to convince Trump that he needed to appoint her as special counsel to probe voter fraud allegations, which is something Trump did not have the authority to do. Former chief of staff Mark Meadows could not believe that such a proposal was being contemplated and quickly tried to throw cold water on it to dissuade the president from trying to make it happen. "Meadows indicated that he was trying to wrap his mind around what exactly Powell's role would entail," reports Axios. "He told Powell she would have to fill out the SF-86 questionnaire before starting as special counsel. This was seen as a delaying tactic. The sense in the room was that Trump might actually greenlight this extraordinary proposal.

And if life gives you melons....you are probably dyslexic. There is a Procrastinators Anonymous but they haven't gotten around to setting a meeting yet. There is also a Paranoids Anonymous but they are not telling anyone where the meetings are.

Here’s a basic breakdown on each of the leading COVID-19 immunization options: Pfizer/BioNTech How it works: The Pfizer shot is a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, which essentially sends instructions to our cells that teach our immune system how to fight the coronavirus. Efficacy: 95% against symptomatic disease Dosage: Two shots, 21 or so days apart How well it works on COVID-19 mutations: It holds up. A lab study looking at the blood of vaccinated people found the vaccine may be slightly less effective against new variants like the one discovered in South Africa, but it still protects people well. Of course, more evidence of the shot being put to the test in the real world is necessary to validate those findings. How easily it can be tweaked to target new variants: Piece of cake. The vaccine can be changed in a couple of days, Ogbuagu said. Pfizer is already working on a booster shot against the mutations. The bigger question is what sort of testing and approval process health officials would require — that’s where there’d be delays. Side effects: Most people will feel pain and soreness in the arm where they get the shot. Up to half of people are expected to experience flu-like symptoms such as chills, fatigue and headaches, more so after the second dose. But that’s just the immune system doing its thing. How it’s stored: These mRNA vaccines are finicky, and must be stored at subzero temperatures (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit) in freezers. Availability: The phase three trial was completed in winter 2020, and the vaccine is now being distributed to the public through emergency use authorization. Takeaway: This was the first vaccine that was approved and rolled out in United States, and the Biden administration has already purchased 100 million more doses. “At least a third of the U.S. population, roughly, will receive the dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and so definitely it will be a major contributor to curbing the epidemic here,” Ogbuagu said. Moderna How it works: Like Pfizer, Moderna’s vaccine uses mRNA technology. Efficacy: 94.5% against symptomatic disease Dosage: Two shots, 28 or so days apart How well it works on COVID-19 mutations: The vaccine is thought to be less effective against the variant dominating in South Africa, but a lab study shows the shot can still effectively neutralize the virus and provide protection. We’ll need more data to better understand that, though. How easily it can be tweaked to target new variants: Same quick process as Pfizer. Moderna has already kicked off development and testing of a booster shot specifically targeting the variant discovered in South Africa. Side effects: Again, similar to Pfizer. Most people will feel pain and soreness in the arm where they get the shot. Up to half of people are expected to experience flu-like symptoms such as chills, fatigue and headaches, more so after the second dose. How it’s stored: These must be carefully stored at subzero temperatures (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) in freezers. Availability: The phase three trial was completed in winter 2020, and the vaccine is now being distributed to the public through emergency use authorization. Takeaway: The Biden administration also secured an additional 100 million doses from Moderna, so this shot will likely protect another third of the U.S. population. This puts it “on par” with the Pfizer vaccine, Ogbuagu said. Novavax How it works: Novavax’s shot is a protein subunit vaccine. It contains a small, harmless, synthetically produced piece of the coronavirus that trains the immune system how to recognize and dismantle the virus. It does not contain the actual live virus. Efficacy: 89.3% against symptomatic disease Dosage: Two shots, 21 days or so apart How well it works on COVID-19 mutations: Pretty good. Its efficacy is around 85.6% against the variant identified in the U.K. and 60% against the variant found in South Africa. How easily it can be tweaked to target new variants: Easily, according to experts. The Novavax team is already developing a booster dose targeting the variant found in South Africa and hopes to test it out in a few months. Side effects: Mild pain and tenderness where the shot is given. Some people may experience fatigue, headaches or muscle aches. How it’s stored: Basic refrigeration, which is plus. This makes it easier to distribute from a logistical standpoint. Availability: The phase three trial concludes in a few weeks, but it may take a couple months before the data is finalized and submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for approval. Novavax expects to be vaccinating people by May or June. Takeaway: “It will be a welcome addition to the arsenal of vaccines,” Ogbuagu said. It’s a little less efficacious compared to the mRNA vaccines, but then again, this shot was up against new variants, Ogbuagu said. Others were tested in trials before those became more dominant strains. Johnson & Johnson How it works: This type of shot, called a viral vector shot, uses an adenovirus (the type of virus that causes the common cold) to teach our bodies how to identify and fight the coronavirus. It does not cause you to get COVID-19. Efficacy: 66% at preventing symptomatic disease, 85% at preventing severe disease, 100% against hospitalization and death Dosage: One dose How well it works on COVID-19 mutations: Well, but overall efficacy does seem to drop with variants. The vaccine was 72% effective in U.S. trials, 66% in Latin American trials involving the variant that’s dominating Brazil and 57% in South Africa, where the B.1.351 variant has taken hold. Even so, it still provides protection against hospitalization and death. How easily it can be tweaked to target new variants: Changing viral vector vaccines isn’t *quite* as simple as modifying mRNA vaccines, but it’s still a fairly easy process without a super long timeline, according to experts. Side effects: A small percentage of people (9%) reported having a fever. Others experienced the typical symptoms: fatigue, headaches, muscle pain and injection site pain. How it’s stored: Basic refrigeration Availability: J&J plans to submit the rest of its safety and efficacy data to the FDA early this month. From there, the FDA will review the data, and if it grants emergency use authorization, people may begin receiving it later this month. Takeaway: This one-shot dose could be a game changer for vaccine access and distribution. “That’s one of the wonderful things about it, that it can get to remote and rural areas. Also, this means it can be given in doctors’ offices without having to worry about all the storage [requirements],” said Daniel Fagbuyi, an emergency physician who served as a biodefense expert in the Obama administration. Oxford/AstraZeneca How it works: Also adenovirus-based, the AstraZeneca vaccine works like the Johnson & Johnson shot. Efficacy: 70% against symptomatic disease Dosage: Two doses. In studies, the doses were given between four to 12 weeks apart. How well it works on COVID-19 mutations: It appears to work just as well on the variant detected in the U.K., but data is still being collected on how effectively it protects against the variant identified in South Africa. How easily it can be tweaked to target new variants: Similar to Johnson & Johnson — slower than an mRNA, but still speedy. Side effects: Pain and tenderness at the injection site. Fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, chills and fever have also been reported. How it’s stored: Basic refrigeration Availability: The phase three trial was completed in fall 2020, and the vaccine is now being distributed in the European Union through emergency authorization use. It’s still being trialed in the U.S. and may not be approved for authorization from the FDA until the spring. Takeaway: The inexpensive cost of this vaccine along with its basic storage needs give AstraZeneca a big advantage. It’ll be easier for more health care providers to have the necessary supplies and get the vaccine out into the population, Fagbuyi said.

'Yelling and cursing' broke out in the Oval Office in a last gasp of the Trump presidency: report President Donald Trump, weeks after losing the November 2020 election by more than 7 million votes and more than 70 electoral votes, discussed declaring national security emergency powers his White House attorneys told him he did not have. That's according to a stunning report that details a December 18 meeting in the Oval Office and the White House Residence from Axios, "Inside the craziest meeting of the Trump presidency." The meeting included White House senior adviser Eric Herschmann, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, and White House staff secretary Derek Lyons, on the one side, and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, former Trump administration official Emily Newman, and attorney Sidney Powell, who is now being sued for $1.3 billion by Dominion voting machines. Powell "proposed declaring a national security emergency, granting her and her cabal top-secret security clearances and using the U.S. government to seize Dominion's voting machines." At one point Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani joined by phone, and was forced to tell everyone in the "heated" meeting to calm down. Axios reports at one point the "meeting had come entirely off the rails," and says "people were yelling and cursing" inside the Oval Office. 'Yelling and cursing' broke out in the Oval Office in a last gasp of the Trump presidency: report - Alternet.org

Matt Gaetz staffer cheered on rioters from Capitol rooftop: report Joel Valdez captured a five-second video with his phone and posted it to Parler, Gizmodo reports More information continues to come out about the fatal January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol — one week before the start of Donald Trump's second impeachment trial. "As police struggled futilely to fend off a wave of rioters outside the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, Joel Valdez, an aide to Congressman Matt Gaetz, made his way to the rooftop of his boss's office building across the street on Independence Ave. Surveying the mob as it surrounded the complex, he captured a five-second video with his phone and posted it to Parler—the now-defunct social network where some supporters of President Trump are reported to have openly planned an insurrection for weeks," Gizmodo reportedMonday. In his post, Valdez used the hashtag #StopTheSteal to refer to the conspiracy theory that Trump actually won the election. Trump was impeached for inciting insurrection by pushing the same lie. "From the top of the Capitol office buildings, WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR!" Valdez posted on Parler. Gizmodo reported on where the video fit in the timeline of events. "Metadata from Valdez's video, which Pro Publica published last week but did not connect to Gaetz's press assistant, reveals it was taken at roughly 1:14 p.m. ET that day," Gizmodo reported. "The rioters had by that time already breached at least three police barricades and forced officers back onto the Capitol steps where they violently engaged, according to a timeline of events reported by the New York Times." Matt Gaetz staffer cheered on rioters from Capitol rooftop: report | Salon.com

Trump’s lawyers quit after he refused to pay $3M in legal fees despite raising $170M: report Former President Donald Trump's legal team for his upcoming impeachment trial quit following a dispute about the cost of his defense, according to Axios. Five of Trump's impeachment attorneys abruptly quit just over a week before his Senate trial is set to kick off on Feb. 8. CNN and other outlets have reported that lead attorney Butch Bowers and four other lawyers he assembled for the team walked out over a disagreement about the ex-president's defense strategy but Axios reports that the team split following a blow-up with the "notoriously stingy" onetime reality TV host over legal fees. Trump, who is charged with inciting the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, was "livid" after Bowers told him that the legal effort would cost $3 million, according to the report, even though Trump has raised over $170 million from supporters, ostensibly to fund his post-election legal efforts.

Now, where's that pinch of salt....

Trump in an interview said that outright- he said that if gerrymandering and voter suppression ended, they (the GOP) would never get back into power again. This terrifies the GOP, so they are now focusing on state governments. The thinking is that if they control the state governments, they can then use those to disqualify correctly appointed electors and nominate pliable electors in defiance of the voters' will. With enough GOP judges in place, this is a real possibility.

Lindsey Graham Warns Democrats Against Calling Witnesses In Trump Impeachment Trial Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) cautioned Democrats against calling witnesses to testify in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump for incitement of his supporters’ deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Graham told Fox News’ Trey Gowdy on Monday that a “Pandora’s box” and “a can of worms” would be opened if just one witness was brought forward in the Senate trial of Trump, set to begin next week. The House last month impeached Trump over the violence that left five people dead. Graham, a former fierce critic of Trump who after the 2016 election became one of his most loyal defenders, warned that calling witnesses could mean a months long trial “and that would be bad for the country.” Graham and other Republicans have argued it is time to “move on” from the insurrection for the good of the U.S. “If you open up that can of worms (by calling witnesses), we’ll want the FBI to come in and tell us about how people actually pre-planned these attacks and what happened with the security footprint at the Capitol,” the South Carolina Republican continued, parroting a right-wing talking point that the attack was planned well before Trump urged his supporters at a pre-riot rally to march to the Capitol. Lindsey Graham Warns Democrats Against Calling Witnesses In Trump Impeachment Trial | HuffPost Canada (huffingtonpost.ca)

Shock in Awe.