hotair--2020-12-16--Black Friday bust: Did Congress add stimulus checks to relief deal over November retail-sales plunge

Black Friday bust: Did Congress add stimulus checks to relief deal over November retail-sales plunge?

What happens when state and local governments shut down commerce ?
Er … commerce shuts down , that ’ s what .
November ’ s retail-sales figures from the Census Bureau show a steeper loss than expected , and October ’ s report got revised downward into the red as well : Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for November 2020 , adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences , but not for price changes , were $ 546.5 billion , a decrease of 1.1 percent ( ±0.5 percent ) from the previous month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above November 2019 .
Total sales for the September 2020 through November 2020 period were up 5.2 percent ( ±0.5 percent ) from the same period a year ago .
The September 2020 to October 2020 percent change was revised from up 0.3 percent ( ±0.5 percent ) * to down 0.1 percent ( ±0.2 percent ) * .
Retail trade sales were down 0.8 percent ( ±0.5 percent ) from October 2020 , but 7.1 percent ( ±0.7 percent ) above last year .
Nonstore retailers were up 29.2 percent ( ±1.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food services and drinking places were down 17.2 percent ( ±3.7 percent ) from last year .
Everyone expected a turndown , but not that much of a turndown .
Even without the shutdowns , personal income and disposable income had been falling for the last few months , after the stimulus impacts of the CARES Act had dissipated by the end of the summer .
This steep of a drop signals a very grinchy Christmas season , and all the economic ills that go along with it : The decline marked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread restrictions were in place early in the coronavirus pandemic , the Commerce Department said Wednesday .
… Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had forecast that retail sales decreased a seasonally adjusted 0.3 % in November from a month earlier .
The weakness spanned a number of key categories , with vehicle sales dropping 1.7 % on the month , electronics sales falling 3.5 % and clothing sales declining 6.8 % from October .
Restaurants and bars were hard hit as many cities and states introduced new pandemic-related restrictions , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And guess what didn ’ t help this year , in person or on line either ?
Why ?
Because when personal and disposable income goes down , so does consumer spending activity .
When consumer spending activity goes down in the US , the economy rolls downhill into recession — and fast , even without new COVID-19 restrictions .
The warning signals for this have been apparent for months ; the otherwise record-shattering Q3 GDP report had that data in it all along .
Call me cynical , but perhaps Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this morning before it got released .
As I joked in the earlier post in an update , suddenly meat ’ s back on the menu* , boys : Congressional leaders are near an agreement to add a new round of stimulus checks to a roughly $ 900 billion relief package as they rush to complete a deal before the end of the week , according to three people familiar with the talks granted anonymity to share internal deliberations .
A bipartisan proposal released earlier this week by a group of moderate lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checks .
But as congressional leaders tried to resolve differences in recent days , they decided to try and include a round of direct payments in the emerging legislation .
The payments under discussion on Wednesday morning could be less than the $ 1,200 approved in the Cares Act in March , however .
The inclusion of these payments comes as congressional leaders opted to cut new aid for states and cities out of the bill , giving lawmakers more money to work with while keeping the total cost of the package under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mnuchin had proposed including $ 600 stimulus checks in the package last week , but Democrats opposed the measure then because the White House wanted to slash unemployment aid as well .
It might be too little , too late at this point .
Had Congress passed this deal in October when the signals first started blaring , it might have prevented some small retailers from going out of business , especially restaurants and bars , allowing people to remain employed .
The relief is still needed , but it won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existence over the last couple of months , which means we won ’ t get the same rebound and stimulus impacts from it .
Let ’ s hope they don ’ t screw the pooch this time , either .
I wouldn ’ t get your hopes up on that score .
* – Lord of the Rings reference .
Yes , I ’ m a nerd .

What happens when state and local governments shut down commerce? Er … commerce shuts down, that’s what. November’s retail-sales figures from the Census Bureau show a steeper loss than expected, and October’s report got revised downward into the red as well:
Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for November 2020, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $546.5 billion, a decrease of 1.1 percent (±0.5 percent) from the previous month, but 4.1 percent (±0.7 percent) above November 2019. Total sales for the September 2020 through November 2020 period were up 5.2 percent (±0.5 percent) from the same period a year ago. The September 2020 to October 2020 percent change was revised from up 0.3 percent (±0.5 percent)* to down 0.1 percent (±0.2 percent)*. Retail trade sales were down 0.8 percent (±0.5 percent) from October 2020, but 7.1 percent (±0.7 percent) above last year. Nonstore retailers were up 29.2 percent (±1.6 percent) from November 2019, while food services and drinking places were down 17.2 percent (±3.7 percent) from last year.
Everyone expected a turndown, but not that much of a turndown. Even without the shutdowns, personal income and disposable income had been falling for the last few months, after the stimulus impacts of the CARES Act had dissipated by the end of the summer. This steep of a drop signals a very grinchy Christmas season, and all the economic ills that go along with it:
The decline marked the first month-over-month drop since April, when widespread restrictions were in place early in the coronavirus pandemic, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. … Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had forecast that retail sales decreased a seasonally adjusted 0.3% in November from a month earlier. The weakness spanned a number of key categories, with vehicle sales dropping 1.7% on the month, electronics sales falling 3.5% and clothing sales declining 6.8% from October. Restaurants and bars were hard hit as many cities and states introduced new pandemic-related restrictions, with receipts dropping 4% on the month.
And guess what didn’t help this year, in person or on line either?
U.S. shoppers spent less than last year over a five-day stretch including Black Friday and Cyber Monday as increased online shopping was offset by fewer people visiting physical stores during the pandemic. People spent an average of just under $312 on holiday-related purchases from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, down 14% from 2019 though on par with 2018, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
Why? Because when personal and disposable income goes down, so does consumer spending activity. When consumer spending activity goes down in the US, the economy rolls downhill into recession — and fast, even without new COVID-19 restrictions. The warning signals for this have been apparent for months; the otherwise record-shattering Q3 GDP report had that data in it all along.
Call me cynical, but perhaps Congress got a whiff of what was coming this morning before it got released. As I joked in the earlier post in an update, suddenly meat’s back on the menu*, boys:
Congressional leaders are near an agreement to add a new round of stimulus checks to a roughly $900 billion relief package as they rush to complete a deal before the end of the week, according to three people familiar with the talks granted anonymity to share internal deliberations. A bipartisan proposal released earlier this week by a group of moderate lawmakers excluded another round of $1,200 stimulus checks. But as congressional leaders tried to resolve differences in recent days, they decided to try and include a round of direct payments in the emerging legislation. The payments under discussion on Wednesday morning could be less than the $1,200 approved in the Cares Act in March, however. The inclusion of these payments comes as congressional leaders opted to cut new aid for states and cities out of the bill, giving lawmakers more money to work with while keeping the total cost of the package under $1 trillion. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had proposed including $600 stimulus checks in the package last week, but Democrats opposed the measure then because the White House wanted to slash unemployment aid as well.
It might be too little, too late at this point. Had Congress passed this deal in October when the signals first started blaring, it might have prevented some small retailers from going out of business, especially restaurants and bars, allowing people to remain employed. The relief is still needed, but it won’t save those businesses that blinkered out of existence over the last couple of months, which means we won’t get the same rebound and stimulus impacts from it.
Let’s hope they don’t screw the pooch this time, either. I wouldn’t get your hopes up on that score.
* – Lord of the Rings reference. Yes, I’m a nerd.


hotair--2020-12-17--"Unconscious bias" training being scrapped in England

In England , the government is moving to scrap “ unconscious bias ” training for government employees that had previously been mandated in response to social justice initiatives .
For those not familiar with the term , unconscious bias is loosely defined as “ prejudiced ways of thinking that could unfairly influence decisions – such as who might get a job or a promotion.
” So why are the Brits doing away with it ?
Because after monitoring the results for a while they have concluded that not only doesn ’ t it tend to work , but it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response.
” Needless to say , social justice activists are not pleased .
( BBC ) “ Unconscious bias training ” is being scrapped for civil servants in England , with ministers saying it does not work .
The training , intended to tackle patterns of discrimination and prejudice , is used in many workplaces .
The government says there is no evidence it changes attitudes – and is urging other public sector employers to end this type of training .
But race equality campaigner Halima Begum said the government “ mustn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This program wasn ’ t much different than ones we ’ ve seen in both educational institutions and government offices around the United States over the past couple of years .
Except in America , you more frequently see descriptions including phrases such as “ combatting whiteness.
” What ’ s more remarkable is the way that some places have gone so far as to attempt to institute training programs that are only mandatory for white people .
( Those had to be canceled , by the way . )
So what do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we haven ’ t ?
How do you suppose people are going to react when they are informed by either their supervisors or the government that they must present themselves for some sort of mandatory training based solely on the color of their skin ?
Isn ’ t that precisely what social justice advocates are always complaining about , only with the roles being reversed ?
There ’ s an inherent assumption in these programs that simply by virtue of being white , there is something inherently “ wrong ” with you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that accusation , you are further told that you simply don ’ t realize what ’ s wrong with you because of your inherent bias and “ whiteness ” or “ privilege.
” The British government is noticing that such an approach can produce a negative response .
Ya think ?
There ’ s also an inherent problem in any program that relies on race as a determinative factor because racial identity has been increasingly fluid in western society for a very long time now .
How “ white ” do you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
How “ non-white ” would you need to be to receive an exemption ?
What if you look fairly European , but one of your grandparents was Black or Hispanic or Asian ?
Are you off the hook ?
How about if you “ identify ” as a race other than White ?
Would Rachel Dolezal get a pass ?
We haven ’ t wiped out racism entirely in the United States yet and I ’ ll readily admit it .
But things are a whole lot better than they were just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we find instances of actual racism we should shun them and call them out .
But if you try to set up a system where every supposedly white person is convicted of racism until they can somehow prove otherwise to your satisfaction , you ’ re no better than someone who makes assumptions about their non-white neighbors .
If you want people to be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin , that has to apply to everyone equally .
And as the British government is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ negative response .
”

In England, the government is moving to scrap “unconscious bias” training for government employees that had previously been mandated in response to social justice initiatives. For those not familiar with the term, unconscious bias is loosely defined as “prejudiced ways of thinking that could unfairly influence decisions – such as who might get a job or a promotion.” So why are the Brits doing away with it? Because after monitoring the results for a while they have concluded that not only doesn’t it tend to work, but it can even backfire and foster a “negative response.” Needless to say, social justice activists are not pleased. (BBC)
“Unconscious bias training” is being scrapped for civil servants in England, with ministers saying it does not work. The training, intended to tackle patterns of discrimination and prejudice, is used in many workplaces. The government says there is no evidence it changes attitudes – and is urging other public sector employers to end this type of training. But race equality campaigner Halima Begum said the government “mustn’t backtrack on anti-racism training”.
This program wasn’t much different than ones we’ve seen in both educational institutions and government offices around the United States over the past couple of years. Except in America, you more frequently see descriptions including phrases such as “combatting whiteness.”
What’s more remarkable is the way that some places have gone so far as to attempt to institute training programs that are only mandatory for white people. (Those had to be canceled, by the way.) So what do you suppose the Brits have figured out that we haven’t?
How do you suppose people are going to react when they are informed by either their supervisors or the government that they must present themselves for some sort of mandatory training based solely on the color of their skin? Isn’t that precisely what social justice advocates are always complaining about, only with the roles being reversed? There’s an inherent assumption in these programs that simply by virtue of being white, there is something inherently “wrong” with you. And if you try to deny that accusation, you are further told that you simply don’t realize what’s wrong with you because of your inherent bias and “whiteness” or “privilege.” The British government is noticing that such an approach can produce a negative response. Ya think?
There’s also an inherent problem in any program that relies on race as a determinative factor because racial identity has been increasingly fluid in western society for a very long time now. How “white” do you have to be to qualify for mandatory training? How “non-white” would you need to be to receive an exemption? What if you look fairly European, but one of your grandparents was Black or Hispanic or Asian? Are you off the hook? How about if you “identify” as a race other than White? Would Rachel Dolezal get a pass?
We haven’t wiped out racism entirely in the United States yet and I’ll readily admit it. But things are a whole lot better than they were just thirty years or so ago. When we find instances of actual racism we should shun them and call them out. But if you try to set up a system where every supposedly white person is convicted of racism until they can somehow prove otherwise to your satisfaction, you’re no better than someone who makes assumptions about their non-white neighbors. If you want people to be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin, that has to apply to everyone equally. And as the British government is clearly learning, doing otherwise will produce a “negative response.”


hotair--2020-12-16--Leaving California: 135,000 more people left the state than moved here in the past year

Annual growth numbers for the state of California were reported today and they show the state had the lowest level of growth in more than a century : The California Department of Finance , which monitors the state ’ s population data , found that between July 1 , 2019 , and July 1 , 2020 , California saw a net gain of only 21,200 new residents — a 0.05 % growth rate not seen since 1900 .
As of July , the state ’ s total population was 39.78 million .
Over that period , Los Angeles County reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than any other county in the state .
State officials suggested the lower numbers this year were largely due to the pandemic which kept people who might otherwise have moved here , either from other states or from overseas , from doing so .
There were also 14,000 fewer babies born this year compared to last year .
Finally , the devastating wildfires which wiped out thousands of homes and businesses forced a lot of people out of the state who may not want to return .
But there ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So far this month a significant portion of Hewlett Packard announced it was moving to Houston , Oracle moved its headquarters to Austin and Elon Musk announced he had also moved to Austin , though Tesla and Space X are still based in California .
But it ’ s not just major companies leaving the state .
As Jazz pointed out last year , about a third of California ’ s who responded to a poll said they ’ d thought about leaving the state , with Republicans much more likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press reported today on one such Republican who is leaving San Francisco behind : Matt Frinzi carried out his exit strategy on Tuesday , when he finished packing up his BMW X3 and left his home in San Francisco for Reno , Nevada — a state that does not have an income tax .
Frinzi has lived in California for 25 years , saying when he moved to San Francisco in the 1990s he thought it as “ the premiere city in the United States.
” “ I wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Frinzi said he came from a working class immigrant family in New Jersey , building a nice life in the medical business .
Now , with some in the state Legislature pushing for a new “ wealth tax ” on the state ’ s highest earners , Frinzi said it was time to leave .
The coronavirus pandemic furthered his resolve to move , he said , because of “ government overreach , ” including the state ordering businesses like restaurants and hair salons to close .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m a right-wing kook .
I ’ m really not .
I ’ m a reasonable Republican , ” he said .
“ I believe in the Constitution of the United States , and it ’ s unrecognizable in the state of California , particularly in San Francisco.
” So many people are leaving that long distance moving companies have set up special websites designed to appeal to Californians looking for greener pastures in other states .
I wrote about it back in September .
Here ’ s a report on the @ @ @ @ @ @

Annual growth numbers for the state of California were reported today and they show the state had the lowest level of growth in more than a century:
The California Department of Finance, which monitors the state’s population data, found that between July 1, 2019, and July 1, 2020, California saw a net gain of only 21,200 new residents — a 0.05% growth rate not seen since 1900. As of July, the state’s total population was 39.78 million. Over that period, Los Angeles County reported a net loss of 40,036 people, more than any other county in the state.
State officials suggested the lower numbers this year were largely due to the pandemic which kept people who might otherwise have moved here, either from other states or from overseas, from doing so. There were also 14,000 fewer babies born this year compared to last year. Finally, the devastating wildfires which wiped out thousands of homes and businesses forced a lot of people out of the state who may not want to return.
But there’s also a cultural aspect to some of this. So far this month a significant portion of Hewlett Packard announced it was moving to Houston, Oracle moved its headquarters to Austin and Elon Musk announced he had also moved to Austin, though Tesla and Space X are still based in California.
But it’s not just major companies leaving the state. As Jazz pointed out last year, about a third of Californian’s who responded to a poll said they’d thought about leaving the state, with Republicans much more likely to have seriously considered it than Democrats. The Associated Press reported today on one such Republican who is leaving San Francisco behind:
Matt Frinzi carried out his exit strategy on Tuesday, when he finished packing up his BMW X3 and left his home in San Francisco for Reno, Nevada — a state that does not have an income tax. Frinzi has lived in California for 25 years, saying when he moved to San Francisco in the 1990s he thought it as “the premiere city in the United States.” “I wouldn’t give you a nickel for it now,” he said. Frinzi said he came from a working class immigrant family in New Jersey, building a nice life in the medical business. Now, with some in the state Legislature pushing for a new “wealth tax” on the state’s highest earners, Frinzi said it was time to leave. The coronavirus pandemic furthered his resolve to move, he said, because of “government overreach,” including the state ordering businesses like restaurants and hair salons to close. “You’re going to think I’m a right-wing kook. I’m really not. I’m a reasonable Republican,” he said. “I believe in the Constitution of the United States, and it’s unrecognizable in the state of California, particularly in San Francisco.”
So many people are leaving that long distance moving companies have set up special websites designed to appeal to Californians looking for greener pastures in other states. I wrote about it back in September. Here’s a report on the trend from CBS Los Angeles.


hotair--2020-12-17--Kansas mayor resigns over death threats after COVID-19 mandate - “I do not feel safe in this positio

Kansas mayor resigns over death threats after COVID-19 mandate - “I do not feel safe in this position anymore"

Dodge City Mayor Joyce Warshaw has turned in her resignation .
She fears for her safety after receiving threats via phone and email .
A newspaper interview opened her up to criticism about her yes vote to a face mask mandate .
Warshaw , a former Republican , now an Independent , was named to the city commission in 2012 .
In 2015 , she was elected mayor , becoming the third female mayor in Dodge City history .
Dodge City is one of the largest cities in Western Kansas .
The commission voted in favor of a mask mandate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a response to a spike in coronavirus cases in the county .
More than 1 in 10 county residents has contracted the virus .
The county opted-out of the governor ’ s mask mandate earlier in the pandemic .
During the interview with a Dodge City Daily Globe reporter , Warshaw said she didn ’ t have any regrets for her vote .
The article was published on December 11 .
Dodge City Daily Globe is a part of the USA TODAY Network .
“ We just felt like we had to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important it was for everybody to be responsible for each other ’ s health and well-being , ” Warshaw was quoted in the USA TODAY story .
Then , the threats to her personal safety began .
Since the Dec. 11 publication of the USA TODAY story , Warshaw said she has been met with aggression , including threats via phone and email from Dodge City citizens .
Some threatening emails have been turned over to police , she said .
Warshaw said she feels her life has been threatened and reasoned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be unpredictable at this point .
Regarding investigations into the threatening emails , Warshaw said that some of them have been turned in to the police .
“ This is harder for me than people realize , ” Warshaw said as she began to cry .
“ I really love this city with all my heart .
“ I still believe in this city and I believe in their ability to not harm one another.
” It seems odd that a newspaper interview published on December 11 was what brought out threats to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taken by the Commission on November 16 .
That ’ s a lag time for almost a month .
Dodge City Police Chief Drew Francis said , “ We are looking into the substance of the communication to determine an appropriate course of action.
” It ’ s understandable for a public official to be concerned about personal threats but her choice to resign in response to them seems to play into the hands of those who take such unhinged action .
Why humor them ?
If she really thought she made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask mandate in order to force the city ’ s residents to wear them in public , she should be able to argue her point instead of just walking away .
Was it solely the newspaper article or are the other members of the commission receiving threats , too ?
None of them have offered up their resignations .
The stress of the coronavirus has brought out the worst in some people and unfortunately , threats are now a part of public life .
The topic of face mask usage and mandates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue .
The authoritarian streak in local officials quickly comes out as frustration over the spread of the virus plagues a city or county .
The early mixed messages we heard at the beginning of the pandemic didn ’ t help .
The CDC , the White House , and medical professionals have flipped from telling people not to purchase and wear masks to everyone will die if we don ’ t all wear face masks .
Some of us decided to mask up when we leave our homes but no one really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child .
It seems cowardly for the mayor to resign .
Other politicians report receiving threats of violence and death threats yet they haven ’ t resigned .
The governor of Michigan , for example , was threatened and law enforcement authorities arrested several men who were threatening her with kidnapping and death .
Warshaw didn ’ t say she ’ s moving away , out of town , and away from any threats .
She said it is best for the city if she “ removes ” herself from the commission and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under a lot of pressure from various things that are happening around society like the pandemic , the politics , the economy , so on and so forth , but I also believe that during these times people are acting not as they normally would , ” Warshaw said regarding her reasons for her abrupt resignation .
“ I think it ’ s best for me and the city that I love to remove myself from the commission at this time and from the mayorship so that the city can move forward and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I believe in the city .
“ I believe it is a wonderful place to live , work , play and raise your children .
I will always love Dodge City and it will always be my home.
” I assume the mask mandate remains in effect .
The commission voted in favor of it , it wasn ’ t just an order from the mayor ’ s office .
She entered politics after a 27-year career in education , the last 18 years as a principal of an elementary school .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lots of experience in resolving conflicts and providing leadership .
Too bad she didn ’ t decide to lead by example and stand up to the bullies .

Dodge City Mayor Joyce Warshaw has turned in her resignation. She fears for her safety after receiving threats via phone and email. A newspaper interview opened her up to criticism about her yes vote to a face mask mandate.
Warshaw, a former Republican, now an Independent, was named to the city commission in 2012. In 2015, she was elected mayor, becoming the third female mayor in Dodge City history. Dodge City is one of the largest cities in Western Kansas. The commission voted in favor of a mask mandate on November 16. This action was a response to a spike in coronavirus cases in the county. More than 1 in 10 county residents has contracted the virus. The county opted-out of the governor’s mask mandate earlier in the pandemic.
During the interview with a Dodge City Daily Globe reporter, Warshaw said she didn’t have any regrets for her vote. The article was published on December 11. Dodge City Daily Globe is a part of the USA TODAY Network. “We just felt like we had to do something so everybody was aware of how important it was for everybody to be responsible for each other’s health and well-being,” Warshaw was quoted in the USA TODAY story.
Then, the threats to her personal safety began.
Since the Dec. 11 publication of the USA TODAY story, Warshaw said she has been met with aggression, including threats via phone and email from Dodge City citizens. Some threatening emails have been turned over to police, she said. Warshaw said she feels her life has been threatened and reasoned that it is because she finds society to be unpredictable at this point. Regarding investigations into the threatening emails, Warshaw said that some of them have been turned in to the police. “This is harder for me than people realize,” Warshaw said as she began to cry. “I really love this city with all my heart. “I still believe in this city and I believe in their ability to not harm one another.”
It seems odd that a newspaper interview published on December 11 was what brought out threats to the mayor and not the vote that was taken by the Commission on November 16. That’s a lag time for almost a month.
Dodge City Police Chief Drew Francis said, “We are looking into the substance of the communication to determine an appropriate course of action.”
It’s understandable for a public official to be concerned about personal threats but her choice to resign in response to them seems to play into the hands of those who take such unhinged action. Why humor them? If she really thought she made the right choice to vote yes on a mask mandate in order to force the city’s residents to wear them in public, she should be able to argue her point instead of just walking away. Was it solely the newspaper article or are the other members of the commission receiving threats, too? None of them have offered up their resignations.
The stress of the coronavirus has brought out the worst in some people and unfortunately, threats are now a part of public life. The topic of face mask usage and mandates from local officials is a particularly hot-button issue. The authoritarian streak in local officials quickly comes out as frustration over the spread of the virus plagues a city or county. The early mixed messages we heard at the beginning of the pandemic didn’t help. The CDC, the White House, and medical professionals have flipped from telling people not to purchase and wear masks to everyone will die if we don’t all wear face masks. Some of us decided to mask up when we leave our homes but no one really wants to be spoken to like a child.
It seems cowardly for the mayor to resign. Other politicians report receiving threats of violence and death threats yet they haven’t resigned. The governor of Michigan, for example, was threatened and law enforcement authorities arrested several men who were threatening her with kidnapping and death. Warshaw didn’t say she’s moving away, out of town, and away from any threats. She said it is best for the city if she “removes” herself from the commission and mayorship.
“I understand people are under a lot of pressure from various things that are happening around society like the pandemic, the politics, the economy, so on and so forth, but I also believe that during these times people are acting not as they normally would,” Warshaw said regarding her reasons for her abrupt resignation. “I think it’s best for me and the city that I love to remove myself from the commission at this time and from the mayorship so that the city can move forward and be the best that it can be because I believe in the city. “I believe it is a wonderful place to live, work, play and raise your children. I will always love Dodge City and it will always be my home.”
I assume the mask mandate remains in effect. The commission voted in favor of it, it wasn’t just an order from the mayor’s office. She entered politics after a 27-year career in education, the last 18 years as a principal of an elementary school. As a principal, she likely acquired lots of experience in resolving conflicts and providing leadership. Too bad she didn’t decide to lead by example and stand up to the bullies.


hotair--2020-12-17--No, John Roberts didn't demand that Texas's lawsuit be dismissed for fear of "riots"

This embarrassing crankish spectacle from Monday ’ s electoral college session in Texas is making the rounds on social media today , with more than 6,000 retweets and 650,000 views as I write this .
Naturally there ’ s no evidence to support it , just innuendo , which is par for the course since the election .
This smear helped convince Texas ’ s electors to pass a resolution condemning the Supreme Court for refusing to hear Texas ’ s lawsuit .
The same resolution called on the state legislatures of Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , and Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s behalf by invalidating their election results and awarding their electors to Trump .
It ’ s worth repeating : For a state that doesn ’ t like to be “ messed with , ” Texas has done a lot of messing with other states over the past few weeks .
Or tried to , anyway .
This guy , en route to humiliating himself and his state , wanted the resolution to accuse the Court of “ moral cowardice.
” That language ultimately wasn ’ t included , presumably because … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he ’ s saying .
Watch , then read on .
As a million lawyers have pointed out today , the story is an obvious lie for the simple reason that the justices haven ’ t met in person in months .
To believe that some conveniently unnamed staffer heard John Roberts chewing out Alito and Thomas through the walls of the Court building , you have to believe that someone in an adjoining room was dialed into a conference call or Zoom chat among the justices ( and why would they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their device turned waaaaaaaaay up .
But it ’ s stupid for other reasons .
Laying aside the fact that John Roberts , temperamentally , seems highly unlikely to go aggro alpha male on his colleagues by demanding they rule a certain way , he simply has no leverage to make them do so .
The entire point of adding Amy Coney Barrett to the Court was to create a conservative bloc unbeholden to Roberts .
He became the sixth Republican vote , not the fifth , when she was sworn in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cater to him .
So if Barrett and Gorsuch and Kavanaugh and Alito and Thomas wanted to hand the election to Trump on a silver platter , they could have done so and extended a collective middle finger to the chief .
The reason the clip above has gained traction is because Trumpists are grasping for ways to avoid blaming his defeat on his three SCOTUS appointees and the Court ’ s two other rock-ribbed conservatives .
The entire Trump post-election legal effort has been a search for scapegoats for his election loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was obviously destined to be Roberts .
He ’ s the disappointing squish who ’ s voted with the liberals on huge issues like ObamaCare .
He ’ s the one who politely scolded Trump a few years ago for denigrating some judges as “ Obama judges.
” He ’ s a walking , talking symbol of Bush-era Republicanism , the sort of polite “ respectable ” establishmentarian whom populists loathe .
( Again , this makes it doubly funny to imagine Roberts getting in Thomas ’ s or Alito ’ s face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be demagogued for the Texas ruling even though there ’ s nothing he could have done to stop the five conservatives from handing the election to Trump .
Contain your surprise upon learning that the video above is circulating on the same day that Lin Wood made some wild new accusations about an anti-Trump election conspiracy , this time featuring — ta da — John Roberts .
It ’ s all there .
Far-fetched conversations involving the chief calling people MFers , tantalizing proof of chicanery that the public can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Epstein connection .
Oh , speaking of which : What are the odds that two different guys might be named “ John Roberts ” ?
Needless to say at this point , I hope , the reason SCOTUS shot down the Texas lawsuit isn ’ t because Roberts was afraid of riots or thinks Trump is a dirtbag .
It ’ s because the suit was legal toilet paper , as every respectable lawyer in the country , right and left , tried to warn people before the Court ruled .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a presidential election and disenfranchise 20 million people because Texas had a problem with how Pennsylvania ran its election .
Texas should have minded its own business , which is what the Court effectively told the state when it concluded that it had no standing .
It ’ ll be amazing to me if Wood faces no disciplinary action for his tweets about the chief justice of the United States , although it ’ s already amazing to me that the president hasn ’ t accepted his invitation to join the demagoguery of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what happens when you land in Trump ’ s and Wood ’ s crosshairs : Gov .
Brian Kemp is fed up with the unrelenting attacks from conspiracy theorists calling on him to overturn President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory in Georgia .
But he ’ s even more enraged that some of those peddlers of false claims are targeting his wife and three daughters .
“ It has gotten ridiculous — from death threats , bribes from China , the social media posts that my children are getting , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no crying in politics rule ’ in the Kemp house .
But this is stuff that , if I said it , I would be taken to the woodshed and would never see the light of day.
” The Republican singled out the invective targeting his daughter Lucy , who has received hate-filled messages about inane false conspiracies about the death of her long-time boyfriend , Harrison Deal , who was killed in a traffic accident this month in Savannah .
I assume all nine justices have been threatened with death since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undo the election is fundamentally a mob action and that ’ s how mobs behave .
But I ’ d bet Roberts is getting it worst of all , partly because he ’ s the chief and partly because of his status as the Court ’ s most treacherous RINO .
Now that Wood ’ s come after him , it ’ s destined to get worse .
Roberts and the Georgia bar have disciplinary tools at their disposal .
Presumably they ’ ll use them .

This embarrassing crankish spectacle from Monday’s electoral college session in Texas is making the rounds on social media today, with more than 6,000 retweets and 650,000 views as I write this. Naturally there’s no evidence to support it, just innuendo, which is par for the course since the election.
This smear helped convince Texas’s electors to pass a resolution condemning the Supreme Court for refusing to hear Texas’s lawsuit. The same resolution called on the state legislatures of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia to execute a coup on the president’s behalf by invalidating their election results and awarding their electors to Trump. It’s worth repeating: For a state that doesn’t like to be “messed with,” Texas has done a lot of messing with other states over the past few weeks.
Or tried to, anyway.
This guy, en route to humiliating himself and his state, wanted the resolution to accuse the Court of “moral cowardice.” That language ultimately wasn’t included, presumably because … there’s no evidence to support what he’s saying. Watch, then read on.
TEXAS ELECTORAL COLLEGE: "The Justices went into a closed room…When Texas case was brought up he said he heard screaming through the walls as Justice Roberts and the other liberal Justices were insisting…afraid of what would happen if they did right thing…Moral cowardice" pic.twitter.com/JhnPN59wkP — Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) December 14, 2020
As a million lawyers have pointed out today, the story is an obvious lie for the simple reason that the justices haven’t met in person in months. To believe that some conveniently unnamed staffer heard John Roberts chewing out Alito and Thomas through the walls of the Court building, you have to believe that someone in an adjoining room was dialed into a conference call or Zoom chat among the justices (and why would they be?) and had the audio on their device turned waaaaaaaaay up.
But it’s stupid for other reasons. Laying aside the fact that John Roberts, temperamentally, seems highly unlikely to go aggro alpha male on his colleagues by demanding they rule a certain way, he simply has no leverage to make them do so. The entire point of adding Amy Coney Barrett to the Court was to create a conservative bloc unbeholden to Roberts. He became the sixth Republican vote, not the fifth, when she was sworn in. The conservatives no longer had to cater to him.
So if Barrett and Gorsuch and Kavanaugh and Alito and Thomas wanted to hand the election to Trump on a silver platter, they could have done so and extended a collective middle finger to the chief.
The reason the clip above has gained traction is because Trumpists are grasping for ways to avoid blaming his defeat on his three SCOTUS appointees and the Court’s two other rock-ribbed conservatives. The entire Trump post-election legal effort has been a search for scapegoats for his election loss and the scapegoat in the Texas case was obviously destined to be Roberts. He’s the disappointing squish who’s voted with the liberals on huge issues like ObamaCare. He’s the one who politely scolded Trump a few years ago for denigrating some judges as “Obama judges.” He’s a walking, talking symbol of Bush-era Republicanism, the sort of polite “respectable” establishmentarian whom populists loathe. (Again, this makes it doubly funny to imagine Roberts getting in Thomas’s or Alito’s face.) Of course he was going to be demagogued for the Texas ruling even though there’s nothing he could have done to stop the five conservatives from handing the election to Trump.
Contain your surprise upon learning that the video above is circulating on the same day that Lin Wood made some wild new accusations about an anti-Trump election conspiracy, this time featuring — ta da — John Roberts.
https://twitter.com/LLinWood/status/1339637980927991808
https://twitter.com/LLinWood/status/1339640105800089600
https://twitter.com/LLinWood/status/1339659337208250369
https://twitter.com/LLinWood/status/1339695674070282242
It’s all there. Far-fetched conversations involving the chief calling people MFers, tantalizing proof of chicanery that the public can’t see yet for some reason, even an Epstein connection. Oh, speaking of which:
This is entirely false, and easily researched. "John Roberts, a common name, appears in the Epstein flight logs on 3/22/10 and 2/10/11. SCOTUS was in session on both dates: Arguments heard on 3/22/10, published decisions on 2/10/11. Real lawyers research before tweeting! https://t.co/V9JwrFsj6B — An Open Secret (@AnOpenSecret) December 17, 2020
What are the odds that two different guys might be named “John Roberts”?
Needless to say at this point, I hope, the reason SCOTUS shot down the Texas lawsuit isn’t because Roberts was afraid of riots or thinks Trump is a dirtbag. It’s because the suit was legal toilet paper, as every respectable lawyer in the country, right and left, tried to warn people before the Court ruled. The justices weren’t about to overturn a presidential election and disenfranchise 20 million people because Texas had a problem with how Pennsylvania ran its election. Texas should have minded its own business, which is what the Court effectively told the state when it concluded that it had no standing.
It’ll be amazing to me if Wood faces no disciplinary action for his tweets about the chief justice of the United States, although it’s already amazing to me that the president hasn’t accepted his invitation to join the demagoguery of Roberts by retweeting him. Here’s what happens when you land in Trump’s and Wood’s crosshairs:
Gov. Brian Kemp is fed up with the unrelenting attacks from conspiracy theorists calling on him to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia. But he’s even more enraged that some of those peddlers of false claims are targeting his wife and three daughters. “It has gotten ridiculous — from death threats, bribes from China, the social media posts that my children are getting,” he said. “We have the ‘no crying in politics rule’ in the Kemp house. But this is stuff that, if I said it, I would be taken to the woodshed and would never see the light of day.” The Republican singled out the invective targeting his daughter Lucy, who has received hate-filled messages about inane false conspiracies about the death of her long-time boyfriend, Harrison Deal, who was killed in a traffic accident this month in Savannah.
I assume all nine justices have been threatened with death since the Texas ruling, as the effort to undo the election is fundamentally a mob action and that’s how mobs behave. But I’d bet Roberts is getting it worst of all, partly because he’s the chief and partly because of his status as the Court’s most treacherous RINO. Now that Wood’s come after him, it’s destined to get worse. Roberts and the Georgia bar have disciplinary tools at their disposal. Presumably they’ll use them.


hotair--2020-12-17--Hunter Biden's former business partners: 'get Joe involved' but 'don't mention Joe being involved'

Fox News published a story today highlighting some text messages between Hunter Biden ’ s former business associates James Gilliar and Tony Bobulinski .
The messages from 2017 involve a plan to set up a business deal with a Chinese energy company .
The pair were eager to get Joe Biden involved but also warned about mentioning that he would be involved except in face to face communications .
In April Bobulinski asked Gilliar why Jim Biden was part of the discussion when they already had Hunter on board .
“ With H demons , could be good to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USP to Chinese as it looks like a truly family business , and I like the dude , ” Gilliar explained .
Fox News reports that “ USP ” could stand for “ unique selling point ” or possibly for “ U.S .
persons.
” Whatever the case , the point is clearly that having two Bidens involved adds to the suggestion that the entire family is involved .
In early May , the same two were discussing a meeting with the chairman of the Chinese company and the need for an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting .
Gilliar then texted Bobulinski with the hope that “ Joe may come Sunday.
” He added , “ I ’ m hoping.
” Bobulinski called that a “ no brainer.
” But Joe Biden apparently did not attend the meeting .
On May 11 , Bobulinski texted Gilliar saying , “ Man U are right let ’ s get the company set up , then tell H and family the high stakes and get Joe involved.
” There ’ s no clear indication from any of the texts presented in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to anything in relation to this deal , but it seems clear the group is hoping to trade on his status and also hoping that they will be able to get him to participate in some way to make the deal happen .
Later in May , Gilliar texted Bobulinski a reminder : “ Don ’ t mention Joe being involved , it ’ s only when u are face to face , I know u know that but they are paranoid.
” The suggestion seems to be that anything that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message , text or email ) could potentially create a problem .
Bobulinski could only mention the involvement of Joe Biden “ face to face.
” And obviously , Gilliar was right about that as this Fox News story demonstrates .
In fact , the bit about not mentioning Joe was reported back in October .
All of this seems to contradict what Gilliar told the Wall Street Journal in October .
Again , it may actually be true that Joe Biden was never really involved , but clearly it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s associates .
They seem to have had a pretty clearly understanding that this deal was about trading on the Biden name .
Earlier this month , Hunter Biden announced that he ’ d learned he was under federal investigation .
The exact nature of that investigation isn ’ t clear but may have something to do with business dealings with China .
Today ’ s Fox News report has a tiny bit to add to that story : So was he initially a subject and now he ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it sounds like this has to do with Suspicious Activity Reports ( SARs ) about foreign financial transactions .
I guess we won ’ t know more unless the grand jury issues an indictment .

Fox News published a story today highlighting some text messages between Hunter Biden’s former business associates James Gilliar and Tony Bobulinski. The messages from 2017 involve a plan to set up a business deal with a Chinese energy company. The pair were eager to get Joe Biden involved but also warned about mentioning that he would be involved except in face to face communications.
In April Bobulinski asked Gilliar why Jim Biden was part of the discussion when they already had Hunter on board. “With H demons, could be good to have a back up, he strengthens our USP to Chinese as it looks like a truly family business, and I like the dude,” Gilliar explained. Fox News reports that “USP” could stand for “unique selling point” or possibly for “U.S. persons.” Whatever the case, the point is clearly that having two Bidens involved adds to the suggestion that the entire family is involved.
In early May, the same two were discussing a meeting with the chairman of the Chinese company and the need for an “A lister” to be at the meeting. Gilliar then texted Bobulinski with the hope that “Joe may come Sunday.” He added, “I’m hoping.” Bobulinski called that a “no brainer.” But Joe Biden apparently did not attend the meeting.
On May 11, Bobulinski texted Gilliar saying, “Man U are right let’s get the company set up, then tell H and family the high stakes and get Joe involved.”
There’s no clear indication from any of the texts presented in the Fox story that Joe Biden himself had agreed to anything in relation to this deal, but it seems clear the group is hoping to trade on his status and also hoping that they will be able to get him to participate in some way to make the deal happen.
Later in May, Gilliar texted Bobulinski a reminder: “Don’t mention Joe being involved, it’s only when u are face to face, I know u know that but they are paranoid.” The suggestion seems to be that anything that is recorded or written down (a phone message, text or email) could potentially create a problem. Bobulinski could only mention the involvement of Joe Biden “face to face.” And obviously, Gilliar was right about that as this Fox News story demonstrates. In fact, the bit about not mentioning Joe was reported back in October.
All of this seems to contradict what Gilliar told the Wall Street Journal in October.
“I am unaware of any involvement at any time of the former Vice President,” Gilliar told the Journal in October. Gilliar did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment on the text messages appearing to reference Joe Biden.
Again, it may actually be true that Joe Biden was never really involved, but clearly it’s not for a lack of trying by Hunter Biden’s associates. They seem to have had a pretty clearly understanding that this deal was about trading on the Biden name.
Earlier this month, Hunter Biden announced that he’d learned he was under federal investigation. The exact nature of that investigation isn’t clear but may have something to do with business dealings with China. Today’s Fox News report has a tiny bit to add to that story:
A well-placed government source told Fox News that Hunter Biden has been a subject/target of the grand jury investigation. According to the source, a “target” means that there is a “high probability that person committed a crime,” while a “subject” is someone you “don’t know for sure” has committed a crime.
So was he initially a subject and now he’s a target? It’s not clear but it sounds like this has to do with Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) about foreign financial transactions. I guess we won’t know more unless the grand jury issues an indictment.


hotair--2020-12-17--Advisory panel to FDA, unanimously: Let's light this Moderna candle, too

No one expected the FDA ’ s advisory panel to reject the Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 .
However , the unanimous embrace of an emergency-use authorization for Moderna ( with one abstention ) gives it a better score than last week ’ s 17-4 recommendation for Pfizer ’ s vaccine .
The CNBC panel calls this “ momentous , ” especially since this is Moderna ’ s first successful vaccine ever .
That ’ s quite a coup for the young start-up : An influential Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday overwhelmingly backed Moderna ’ s coronavirus vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to distribute the second Covid-19 vaccine in the United States next week .
The nonbinding decision , which was adopted 20 to 0 with one abstention , from the FDA ’ s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee came exactly a week after the outside group of vaccine and infectious disease experts voted to recommend Pfizer and BioNTech ’ s vaccine for an emergency use authorization , or EUA .
The agency granted Pfizer ’ s EUA the next day and the first inoculations in the U.S. were given Monday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in approving flu and other vaccines in the U.S. , verifying the shots are safe for public use .
While the FDA doesn ’ t have to follow the advisory committee ’ s recommendation , it often does .
The U.S. plans to ship just under 6 million doses next week , pending the agency ’ s OK , Gen. Gustave Perna , who oversees logistics for the Operation Warp Speed vaccine project , told reporters Monday .
There ’ s more good news to go along with this recommendation .
Thanks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moderna vaccine can fill some gaps in distribution of the Pfizer vaccine : As the nation buckled from uncontrolled spread of the disease , with 3,611 deaths on Wednesday setting yet another horrific record , a panel of independent experts recommended by a vote of 20 in favor and one abstention , that the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Moderna vaccine for emergency use .
The formal decision , expected on Friday , would clear the way for some 5.9 million doses to be shipped around the country starting this weekend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely because it can be stored at normal freezer temperatures and , unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine , does not require ultracold storage .
It also comes in much smaller batches , making it easier for hospitals in less populated areas to use quickly .
“ Moderna can go to more places , ” Dr. Mandy Cohen , North Carolina ’ s secretary of health and human services , said this week .
“ We hope to be in all 100 counties with some amount of vaccine — small allocations at first — by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moderna gets approved this week and we get our allocations delivered over the course of next week.
” Politico reflects on what this means for the upstart .
They basically made it to the major leagues on their first big success .
That itself has some implications for production , however : But while the maker of the first authorized shot , Pfizer , is a global pharmaceutical giant that has pumped out dozens of blockbusters including Viagra and even ChapStick , Moderna had never had a vaccine reach late-stage trials before it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine hopefuls to hit that milestone this summer .
Now the 10-year-old Massachusetts biotech is the cornerstone of the United States ’ strategy to defeat a virus that has killed more than 308,000 Americans so far .
The Trump administration last week doubled its vaccine order from Moderna to 200 million doses after Pfizer said it wouldn ’ t be able to deliver more vaccine until the third quarter of 2021 .
The success of the country ’ s immunization campaign could depend on Moderna ’ s ability to deliver those shots without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a firm without extensive manufacturing facilities of its own , with a vaccine based on cutting-edge technology .
“ They ’ re untested , that ’ s the main thing .
This is their first rodeo , ” said Ira Loss , senior health analyst with Washington Analysis .
Thanks to money from Operation Warp Speed , however , Moderna insists that it ’ s ready to join the big boys of Big Pharma .
They do have a large-scale manufacturing facility in Norwood , Massachusetts , but they also added a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swiss giant Lonza AG .
That should help buffer the massive production and logistical pressures that the expected FDA emergency-use authorization will trigger , but again , this is their first rodeo .
It might take a few weeks to work the kinks out entirely .
Tomorrow , the FDA will meet to consider the recommendation .
When that happened last week , FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn suggested that the decision on the EUA might take until Saturday — which prompted some tense conversations with the White House .
They announced the grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which triggered the shipments over the weekend .
We can probably expect a similar time frame tomorrow , perhaps even by the end of business tomorrow .

No one expected the FDA’s advisory panel to reject the Moderna vaccine against COVID-19. However, the unanimous embrace of an emergency-use authorization for Moderna (with one abstention) gives it a better score than last week’s 17-4 recommendation for Pfizer’s vaccine. The CNBC panel calls this “momentous,” especially since this is Moderna’s first successful vaccine ever.
That’s quite a coup for the young start-up:
An influential Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday overwhelmingly backed Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, a key step paving the way to distribute the second Covid-19 vaccine in the United States next week. The nonbinding decision, which was adopted 20 to 0 with one abstention, from the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee came exactly a week after the outside group of vaccine and infectious disease experts voted to recommend Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine for an emergency use authorization, or EUA. The agency granted Pfizer’s EUA the next day and the first inoculations in the U.S. were given Monday. The FDA advisory committee plays a key role in approving flu and other vaccines in the U.S., verifying the shots are safe for public use. While the FDA doesn’t have to follow the advisory committee’s recommendation, it often does. The U.S. plans to ship just under 6 million doses next week, pending the agency’s OK, Gen. Gustave Perna, who oversees logistics for the Operation Warp Speed vaccine project, told reporters Monday.
There’s more good news to go along with this recommendation. Thanks to the more flexible storage requirements, the Moderna vaccine can fill some gaps in distribution of the Pfizer vaccine:
As the nation buckled from uncontrolled spread of the disease, with 3,611 deaths on Wednesday setting yet another horrific record, a panel of independent experts recommended by a vote of 20 in favor and one abstention, that the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Moderna vaccine for emergency use. The formal decision, expected on Friday, would clear the way for some 5.9 million doses to be shipped around the country starting this weekend. The Moderna vaccine can be distributed more widely because it can be stored at normal freezer temperatures and, unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, does not require ultracold storage. It also comes in much smaller batches, making it easier for hospitals in less populated areas to use quickly. “Moderna can go to more places,” Dr. Mandy Cohen, North Carolina’s secretary of health and human services, said this week. “We hope to be in all 100 counties with some amount of vaccine — small allocations at first — by the end of next week, assuming Moderna gets approved this week and we get our allocations delivered over the course of next week.”
Politico reflects on what this means for the upstart. They basically made it to the major leagues on their first big success. That itself has some implications for production, however:
But while the maker of the first authorized shot, Pfizer, is a global pharmaceutical giant that has pumped out dozens of blockbusters including Viagra and even ChapStick, Moderna had never had a vaccine reach late-stage trials before it became the first of dozens of coronavirus vaccine hopefuls to hit that milestone this summer. Now the 10-year-old Massachusetts biotech is the cornerstone of the United States’ strategy to defeat a virus that has killed more than 308,000 Americans so far. The Trump administration last week doubled its vaccine order from Moderna to 200 million doses after Pfizer said it wouldn’t be able to deliver more vaccine until the third quarter of 2021. The success of the country’s immunization campaign could depend on Moderna’s ability to deliver those shots without delay — a potentially tricky task for a firm without extensive manufacturing facilities of its own, with a vaccine based on cutting-edge technology. “They’re untested, that’s the main thing. This is their first rodeo,” said Ira Loss, senior health analyst with Washington Analysis.
Thanks to money from Operation Warp Speed, however, Moderna insists that it’s ready to join the big boys of Big Pharma. They do have a large-scale manufacturing facility in Norwood, Massachusetts, but they also added a huge boost to production capacity by partnering with Swiss giant Lonza AG. That should help buffer the massive production and logistical pressures that the expected FDA emergency-use authorization will trigger, but again, this is their first rodeo. It might take a few weeks to work the kinks out entirely.
Tomorrow, the FDA will meet to consider the recommendation. When that happened last week, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn suggested that the decision on the EUA might take until Saturday — which prompted some tense conversations with the White House. They announced the grant of the EUA late on Friday, which triggered the shipments over the weekend. We can probably expect a similar time frame tomorrow, perhaps even by the end of business tomorrow.


hotair--2020-12-17--What the hell is happening with this Russian mega-hack? <span class='red'>Update: A second breach?</

What the hell is happening with this Russian mega-hack? Update: A second breach?

“ Suspected Russian mega-hack , ” I should say .
As far as I ’ m aware , the feds haven ’ t proved yet that it was Russia ’ s foreign intelligence service , the SVR .
But it has the proverbial “ hallmarks ” of their work , according to people who understand this stuff .
I ’ ve stayed away from this story because I lack the technical knowledge to add anything to it and , alas , our government getting hacked by foreign malefactors barely qualifies as “ news.
” But if you ’ re avoiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tune in is now .
The more I read , the more it sounds like the worst security breach in American history .
Bar none .
And it ’ s still going on — maybe .
The Russians have done such a masterful job of infiltrating so many systems that American natsec officials aren ’ t sure yet if they ’ ve sniffed them out everywhere .
Here ’ s the story that made me sit up and pay attention : The Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration , which maintains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence that hackers accessed their networks as part of an extensive espionage operation that has affected at least half a dozen federal agencies , officials directly familiar with the matter said… They found suspicious activity in networks belonging to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ( FERC ) , Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories in New Mexico and Washington , the Office of Secure Transportation and the Richland Field Office of the DOE .
The hackers have been able to do more damage at FERC than the other agencies , the officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on DOE is the clearest sign yet that the hackers were able to access the networks belonging to a core part of the U.S. national security enterprise .
The hackers are believed to have gained access to the federal agencies ’ networks by compromising the software company SolarWinds , which sells IT management products to hundreds of government and private-sector clients .
That last part is the key .
Rather than hack different government agencies individually , Russia ’ s spies targeted the company that provides network-monitoring IT infrastructure to those agencies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ software as a trojan horse to access the feds ’ networks — and many others .
It ’ s not just the federal government that uses SolarWinds , you see .
Some state governments do too ; at least three have reportedly been breached .
Many major companies also use the software .
SolarWinds was essentially a skeleton key to unlock secrets both public and private of incalculable security and financial value .
Russia stole the key .
And they didn ’ t do it recently .
Apparently the hack happened much earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included in the company ’ s software updates this spring .
By simply downloading the update , SolarWinds ’ s customers unknowingly introduced the code into their systems that gave the hackers access .
The piece to read today on this topic is this op-ed by former Trump advisor Tom Bossert , but have a drink beforehand .
You ’ ll wish you had by the end .
The magnitude of this ongoing attack is hard to overstate .
The Russians have had access to a considerable number of important and sensitive networks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian S.V.R .
will surely have used its access to further exploit and gain administrative control over the networks it considered priority targets .
For those targets , the hackers will have long ago moved past their entry point , covered their tracks and gained what experts call “ persistent access , ” meaning the ability to infiltrate and control networks in a way that is hard to detect or remove… The actual and perceived control of so many important networks could easily be used to undermine public and consumer trust in data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the networks that the Russians control , they have the power to destroy or alter data , and impersonate legitimate people .
Domestic and geopolitical tensions could escalate quite easily if they use their access for malign influence and misinformation — both hallmarks of Russian behavior .
The Treasury , Homeland Security , State , and Commerce Departments have all been hit ; the Pentagon is still checking its systems but it seems safe to assume they ’ ve been nicked too .
As many as 18,000 organizations and 425 Fortune 500 companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bossert .
The impression one gets reading his piece is of finding a spot of toxic mold on your ceiling , opening up the wall , and finding the infrastructure so thoroughly infested that you have little choice but to knock down the house and rebuild rather than try to “ clean ” it .
Seriously : Despite the best efforts of Microsoft to seek and destroy the malicious code , cleansing it from infected systems , Bossert seems to think that nothing short of ripping out the infected hardware and replacing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the infiltration .
And that ’ s even harder than it sounds since some of these government networks are sensitive and will need to remain online until the replacement systems are ready to go .
Presumably the Russians , undetected , will go on spying for months .
Or years , as that ’ s how long Bossert thinks it ’ ll take to fully ascertain which networks were penetrated .
A burning question right now is whether SolarWinds ’ s software updates were the Russians ’ only entry point or whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as yet undetected ones into these systems during their many months of unfettered access .
Today CISA , the arm of DHS charged with policing for foreign cyberespionage , called the threat from the hack “ grave ” and acknowledged that other tunnels into the networks may have since been built : “ This adversary has demonstrated an ability to exploit software supply chains and shown significant knowledge of Windows networks .
It is likely that the adversary has additional initial access vectors and tactics , techniques , and procedures ( TTPs ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We may oust the Russians from our systems and close the gate only to find them back inside six months from now via some exploit we didn ’ t even know of .
“ Doesn ’ t the government have cyberdefense systems that are supposed to catch this stuff ?
” you ask .
It does , a fancy program called “ Einstein.
” But Einstein had a flaw : It was designed to detect “ new uses of known malware and also … connections to parts of the Internet used in previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Internet connections .
That ’ s what the Russians used , it seems .
“ They used American internet addresses , allowing them to conduct attacks from computers in the very city — or appearing so — in which their victims were based , ” the NYT reports .
“ They created special bits of code intended to avoid detection by American warning systems and timed their intrusions not to raise suspicions — working hours , for example — and used other careful tradecraft to avoid discovery.
” A report published two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redesigned to hunt for novel malware too .
Didn ’ t happen .
Oops .
The government claims that it hasn ’ t detected any breach of classified systems , but given how stealthy the Russians were , would they even know ?
Considering how utterly humiliating this is for the U.S. , would the feds even admit that classified databases have been raided ?
The ominous possibility lurking is that Russia didn ’ t just make off with mountains of financial and security data .
It may have taken proactive measures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own advantage .
The greatest cyberspy caper of all time ( that we know about ) is Stuxnet , the U.S.-Israeli operation to install malicious code in Iranian enrichment facilities so that centrifuges wouldn ’ t operate properly when enriching uranium .
Is there any good reason right now to believe Russia hasn ’ t done something in that vein to us ?
How long might they set back some U.S. defense project by covertly changing the specs in a few key places ?
Could they wreck a civil engineering project to catastrophic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Again , would we even know if they had ?
They barely left any digital fingerprints .
“ Where is the president of the United States ?
” asks Jonathan Last today , wondering why the commander-in-chief has had nothing whatsoever to say publicly about this .
Not even a generic “ we ’ ll find out who did it and they ’ ll be punished ” threat .
A senator who once famously warned about Russian malevolence to hoots of derision from the other party agrees : When asked why they love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ He fights !
” He fights with the media and the Democrats , yeah .
There ’ s no evidence that he ’ s fighting with Putin or the Kremlin .
No one ’ s asking him to launch an air raid with a month left in his term , just a forthright statement acknowledging the magnitude of the offense and suggesting what sort of repercussions might be in store for the culprits .
But then , this is a guy who once seemed open to forming a joint cybersecurity unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time that that would give the Kremlin incredible access to U.S. systems but it turns out we needn ’ t have bothered .
They got that access anyway , easily enough .
I ’ ll leave you with Biden ’ s statement about this , newly issued this afternoon .
Update : It wasn ’ t just SolarWinds .
They found more than one doorway into U.S. systems .

“Suspected Russian mega-hack,” I should say. As far as I’m aware, the feds haven’t proved yet that it was Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR. But it has the proverbial “hallmarks” of their work, according to people who understand this stuff.
I’ve stayed away from this story because I lack the technical knowledge to add anything to it and, alas, our government getting hacked by foreign malefactors barely qualifies as “news.” But if you’re avoiding it for similar reasons, the time to tune in is now. The more I read, the more it sounds like the worst security breach in American history. Bar none.
And it’s still going on — maybe. The Russians have done such a masterful job of infiltrating so many systems that American natsec officials aren’t sure yet if they’ve sniffed them out everywhere.
Here’s the story that made me sit up and pay attention:
The Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration, which maintains the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, have evidence that hackers accessed their networks as part of an extensive espionage operation that has affected at least half a dozen federal agencies, officials directly familiar with the matter said… They found suspicious activity in networks belonging to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories in New Mexico and Washington, the Office of Secure Transportation and the Richland Field Office of the DOE. The hackers have been able to do more damage at FERC than the other agencies, the officials said, but did not elaborate… The attack on DOE is the clearest sign yet that the hackers were able to access the networks belonging to a core part of the U.S. national security enterprise. The hackers are believed to have gained access to the federal agencies’ networks by compromising the software company SolarWinds, which sells IT management products to hundreds of government and private-sector clients.
That last part is the key. Rather than hack different government agencies individually, Russia’s spies targeted the company that provides network-monitoring IT infrastructure to those agencies. Hack SolarWinds and you can use their software as a trojan horse to access the feds’ networks — and many others. It’s not just the federal government that uses SolarWinds, you see. Some state governments do too; at least three have reportedly been breached. Many major companies also use the software. SolarWinds was essentially a skeleton key to unlock secrets both public and private of incalculable security and financial value. Russia stole the key.
And they didn’t do it recently. Apparently the hack happened much earlier this year, with the malware furtively included in the company’s software updates this spring. By simply downloading the update, SolarWinds’s customers unknowingly introduced the code into their systems that gave the hackers access. The piece to read today on this topic is this op-ed by former Trump advisor Tom Bossert, but have a drink beforehand. You’ll wish you had by the end.
The magnitude of this ongoing attack is hard to overstate. The Russians have had access to a considerable number of important and sensitive networks for six to nine months. The Russian S.V.R. will surely have used its access to further exploit and gain administrative control over the networks it considered priority targets. For those targets, the hackers will have long ago moved past their entry point, covered their tracks and gained what experts call “persistent access,” meaning the ability to infiltrate and control networks in a way that is hard to detect or remove… The actual and perceived control of so many important networks could easily be used to undermine public and consumer trust in data, written communications and services. In the networks that the Russians control, they have the power to destroy or alter data, and impersonate legitimate people. Domestic and geopolitical tensions could escalate quite easily if they use their access for malign influence and misinformation — both hallmarks of Russian behavior.
The Treasury, Homeland Security, State, and Commerce Departments have all been hit; the Pentagon is still checking its systems but it seems safe to assume they’ve been nicked too. As many as 18,000 organizations and 425 Fortune 500 companies may have been infiltrated, according to Bossert. The impression one gets reading his piece is of finding a spot of toxic mold on your ceiling, opening up the wall, and finding the infrastructure so thoroughly infested that you have little choice but to knock down the house and rebuild rather than try to “clean” it. Seriously: Despite the best efforts of Microsoft to seek and destroy the malicious code, cleansing it from infected systems, Bossert seems to think that nothing short of ripping out the infected hardware and replacing it in its entirety will guarantee an end to the infiltration. And that’s even harder than it sounds since some of these government networks are sensitive and will need to remain online until the replacement systems are ready to go. Presumably the Russians, undetected, will go on spying for months. Or years, as that’s how long Bossert thinks it’ll take to fully ascertain which networks were penetrated.
A burning question right now is whether SolarWinds’s software updates were the Russians’ only entry point or whether they’ve since created new, as yet undetected ones into these systems during their many months of unfettered access. Today CISA, the arm of DHS charged with policing for foreign cyberespionage, called the threat from the hack “grave” and acknowledged that other tunnels into the networks may have since been built: “This adversary has demonstrated an ability to exploit software supply chains and shown significant knowledge of Windows networks. It is likely that the adversary has additional initial access vectors and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that have not yet been discovered.” We may oust the Russians from our systems and close the gate only to find them back inside six months from now via some exploit we didn’t even know of.
“Doesn’t the government have cyberdefense systems that are supposed to catch this stuff?” you ask. It does, a fancy program called “Einstein.” But Einstein had a flaw: It was designed to detect “new uses of known malware and also … connections to parts of the Internet used in previous hacks,” not novel malware or Internet connections. That’s what the Russians used, it seems. “They used American internet addresses, allowing them to conduct attacks from computers in the very city — or appearing so — in which their victims were based,” the NYT reports. “They created special bits of code intended to avoid detection by American warning systems and timed their intrusions not to raise suspicions — working hours, for example — and used other careful tradecraft to avoid discovery.” A report published two years ago by GAO recommended that Einstein be redesigned to hunt for novel malware too. Didn’t happen. Oops.
The government claims that it hasn’t detected any breach of classified systems, but given how stealthy the Russians were, would they even know? Considering how utterly humiliating this is for the U.S., would the feds even admit that classified databases have been raided? The ominous possibility lurking is that Russia didn’t just make off with mountains of financial and security data. It may have taken proactive measures to alter data in U.S. systems to its own advantage. The greatest cyberspy caper of all time (that we know about) is Stuxnet, the U.S.-Israeli operation to install malicious code in Iranian enrichment facilities so that centrifuges wouldn’t operate properly when enriching uranium. Is there any good reason right now to believe Russia hasn’t done something in that vein to us? How long might they set back some U.S. defense project by covertly changing the specs in a few key places? Could they wreck a civil engineering project to catastrophic effect by doing the same thing?
Again, would we even know if they had? They barely left any digital fingerprints.
“Where is the president of the United States?” asks Jonathan Last today, wondering why the commander-in-chief has had nothing whatsoever to say publicly about this. Not even a generic “we’ll find out who did it and they’ll be punished” threat.
In 45 tweets this week (so far) the president has not said a single word about the record deaths from COVID. Or economic stimulus. Or the Russian hack. Not. One. Word. Instead, it is an endless litany of complaints, self-aggrandizement, and conspiracy theorizing. We have never seen a dereliction of duty at this scale from an American president. With citizens dying by the thousands every single day and the federal government being raided by the intelligence services belonging to his good friend, he pouts and rages and tweets and tries to overturn a free and fair election in order to break our democratic republic. There is no precedent for this.
A senator who once famously warned about Russian malevolence to hoots of derision from the other party agrees:
When asked why they love Trump, MAGA voters tend to respond, “He fights!” He fights with the media and the Democrats, yeah. There’s no evidence that he’s fighting with Putin or the Kremlin. No one’s asking him to launch an air raid with a month left in his term, just a forthright statement acknowledging the magnitude of the offense and suggesting what sort of repercussions might be in store for the culprits. But then, this is a guy who once seemed open to forming a joint cybersecurity unit with Russia. Everyone worried at the time that that would give the Kremlin incredible access to U.S. systems but it turns out we needn’t have bothered. They got that access anyway, easily enough.
I’ll leave you with Biden’s statement about this, newly issued this afternoon.
New Biden statement on cybersecurity: “I want to be clear: my administration will make cybersecurity a top priority at every level of government — and we will make dealing with this breach a top priority from the moment we take office.” pic.twitter.com/1GLmhJsYc9 — Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) December 17, 2020
Update: It wasn’t just SolarWinds. They found more than one doorway into U.S. systems.


hotair--2020-12-17--San Francisco issues quarantine for travelers as California announces 50,000 new cases in a single d

San Francisco issues quarantine for travelers as California announces 50,000 new cases in a single day

Yesterday the counties that make up the Bay Area region of California went into a state-mandated lockdown as the region ’ s ICU bed capacity dipped below the 15 % threshold .
Today San Francisco took things to a new level by announcing a mandatory 10-day quarantine for all travelers entering the city , including people who live there : The quarantine applies to both visitors and residents , city Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said in a Thursday press briefing .
“ COVID-19 cases are surging in San Francisco and across the country .
Hospitals in the Bay Area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said San Francisco Mayor London Breed .
“ We must do whatever we can to contain the virus and stop its circulation in our community .
Now is not the time to travel and risk being exposed or exposing others .
We need to do the right thing to protect ourselves , our neighbors and our loved ones and make sure that we can celebrate together when this is over.
” The order takes effect tonight , one minute after midnight but does not apply to people who began their travel before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve already left town by today will be exempt when the return .
San Francisco isn ’ t the first county to issue such an order .
At the end of last month , Santa Clara County issued a similar quarantine for anyone entering the county from more than 150 miles away .
While it ’ s tempting to make a quip about finally quarantining San Francisco from the rest of the country , the fact is that things are genuinely bad in California right now with more than 50,000 new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Washington Post points out , if California were a country , it would have one of the highest rates of infection in the world : California has set nationwide records for new cases again and again in the past week — most recently on Thursday , when it posted more than 50,000 infections , nearly 100,000 in 48 hours .
If California were a country , it would be among the world leaders in new coronavirus cases , ahead of India , Germany and Britain .
And the state ’ s test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus is spreading faster .
The rate is now 11.5 percent , more than twice what experts consider high risk .
California is also setting new death records .
On Thursday , the state reported 379 new fatalities , topping the previous mark of 293 , set only the day prior .
The situation is currently worst in southern California which has been under a state-mandate lockdown since last Monday .
That lockdown was triggered by the region ’ s ICU bed capacity dropping below 15 percent .
Today the unused ICU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zero percent : Southern California ’ s intensive-care unit bed capacity fell to 0 % on Thursday , Dec. 17 , an alarming nadir for the region ’ s healthcare system — though one that had seem like an inevitability for more than a week as the worsening coronavirus surge sapped available ICU beds daily .
Thursday ’ s decline from 0.5 % the day before was the 10th consecutive day available ICU bed capacity dropped .
LA County , with a population of 10 million , has been especially hard hit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our hospitals are under siege , and our model shows no end in sight.
” She added , “ The worst is still before us.
” Here ’ s a local news report from CBS Los Angeles yesterday that says some patients are already being left in ambulances because there is no place to put them :

Yesterday the counties that make up the Bay Area region of California went into a state-mandated lockdown as the region’s ICU bed capacity dipped below the 15% threshold. Today San Francisco took things to a new level by announcing a mandatory 10-day quarantine for all travelers entering the city, including people who live there:
The quarantine applies to both visitors and residents, city Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said in a Thursday press briefing. “COVID-19 cases are surging in San Francisco and across the country. Hospitals in the Bay Area are close to being overwhelmed,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “We must do whatever we can to contain the virus and stop its circulation in our community. Now is not the time to travel and risk being exposed or exposing others. We need to do the right thing to protect ourselves, our neighbors and our loved ones and make sure that we can celebrate together when this is over.”
The order takes effect tonight, one minute after midnight but does not apply to people who began their travel before the order took effect. So people who’ve already left town by today will be exempt when the return. San Francisco isn’t the first county to issue such an order. At the end of last month, Santa Clara County issued a similar quarantine for anyone entering the county from more than 150 miles away.
While it’s tempting to make a quip about finally quarantining San Francisco from the rest of the country, the fact is that things are genuinely bad in California right now with more than 50,000 new cases announced both today and yesterday. As the Washington Post points out, if California were a country, it would have one of the highest rates of infection in the world:
California has set nationwide records for new cases again and again in the past week — most recently on Thursday, when it posted more than 50,000 infections, nearly 100,000 in 48 hours. If California were a country, it would be among the world leaders in new coronavirus cases, ahead of India, Germany and Britain. And the state’s test positivity rate continues to climb, meaning the virus is spreading faster. The rate is now 11.5 percent, more than twice what experts consider high risk. California is also setting new death records. On Thursday, the state reported 379 new fatalities, topping the previous mark of 293, set only the day prior.
The situation is currently worst in southern California which has been under a state-mandate lockdown since last Monday. That lockdown was triggered by the region’s ICU bed capacity dropping below 15 percent. Today the unused ICU bed capacity in the region dropped to zero percent:
Southern California’s intensive-care unit bed capacity fell to 0% on Thursday, Dec. 17, an alarming nadir for the region’s healthcare system — though one that had seem like an inevitability for more than a week as the worsening coronavirus surge sapped available ICU beds daily. Thursday’s decline from 0.5% the day before was the 10th consecutive day available ICU bed capacity dropped.
LA County, with a population of 10 million, has been especially hard hit. Health Services Director Christina Ghaly said “Our hospitals are under siege, and our model shows no end in sight.” She added, “The worst is still before us.”
Here’s a local news report from CBS Los Angeles yesterday that says some patients are already being left in ambulances because there is no place to put them:


hotair--2020-12-17--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Pelosi's retreat, the relief beat, Georgia runoff dead heats, Minneapol

Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Pelosi's retreat, the relief beat, Georgia runoff dead heats, Minneapolis deplete, and more!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Duane “ Generalissimo ” Patterson brings us up to date on the week ’ s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow ’ s Hugh Hewitt show .
We ’ ve got lots to discuss , including the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it still valiantly hanging on in its fight to remain dead ?
• Also : Did a House freshman push Pelosi into capitulating to Mitch McConnell ?
• Plus lots more , including updates on the COVID-19 vaccines , the Tiger King ’ s lawsuit against the Trump administration , and much much more !
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be sure to join us , and don ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatives keep winning after 2016 ?
Find out in GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
Duane “Generalissimo” Patterson brings us up to date on the week’s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow’s Hugh Hewitt show. We’ve got lots to discuss, including the latest status update on COVID-19 relief. Is it still valiantly hanging on in its fight to remain dead?
Also: Did a House freshman push Pelosi into capitulating to Mitch McConnell?
Plus lots more, including updates on the COVID-19 vaccines, the Tiger King’s lawsuit against the Trump administration, and much much more!
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!