hotair--2020-12-20--Busted: American college student jailed in Cayman Islands over COVID-19 quarantine violation

An 18-year-old American college student is learning the hard way about following the laws of a foreign country .
Skylar Mack pleaded guilty to violating Cayman Island ’ s COVID-19 quarantine law .
She was put in jail on Tuesday .
Mack , a pre-med student at Mercer University in Macon , Georgia , arrived in the Cayman Islands on November 27 .
She , like any other visitor , was supposed to undergo a two-week quarantine as mandated by the government .
The government electronically tracks anyone who arrives in the British Caribbean territory .
Just two days after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 , she broke quarantine .
On that day her boyfriend picked her up to attend a jet-ski race .
Her boyfriend , 24-year-old Vanjae Ramgeet , was to compete in the race .
He is a resident of the Cayman Islands .
Ms. Mack removed her geo-fencing bracelet and left her residence to attend the water competition .
She clearly made the decision to violate her quarantine order .
Mack and Ramgeet were at the event for more than seven hours without social distancing or wearing masks .
Both were detained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged with aiding and abetting his girlfriend .
Both were placed in a government quarantine facility for a 14-day quarantine , which ended on December 15 .
They both pleaded guilty .
“ Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis in early 2020 , the Cayman Islands Government has prioritized the safety of its residents and their protection from the global COVID-19 pandemic .
To accomplish this goal the Government employed stringent isolation and social distancing policies , ” the Cayman Islands Government told PEOPLE in a statement .
“ Anyone wishing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an approved facility , or at residence using monitoring technology .
.
.
Breaches of quarantine may result in prosecution and penalties of up to $ 10,000 KYD [ approximately $ 12,195 USD ] and two years ’ imprisonment , ” the statement says .
The original ruling from a judge was for the couple to perform 40 hours of community service and pay a $ 4,400 fine .
Also , Ramgeet was ordered to a two-month curfew that starts at 7:00 p.m .
The island ’ s prosecution appealed this punishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lenient on them , it wouldn ’ t deter others thinking of violating quarantine orders .
A higher court ruled in favor of the prosecutors .
When their quarantine concluded on December 15 , they were imprisoned .
“ These offenses should have been met with far more stringent measures , ” Moran said while appearing before the Grand Court on December 14 .
“ When it comes to a matter of deterrence , the sentences imposed are likely to have little to no effect on other like-minded individuals.
” “ There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have warranted the sentence imposed by the lower court , ” Moran said .
The attorney for both Mack and Ramgeet , Jonathan Hughes , argues their sentences are too harsh , especially since both are first time offenders with no history of unlawful behavior .
The repercussions of Mack ’ s bad behavior extend to her family .
Her father is a professional jet-ski rider who has now lost sponsorships over the matter .
“ There is no way that it can be right that a custodial sentence is imposed for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who entered an early guilty plea , ” said Hughes , noting that he believes his clients ’ mistakes were due to “ youthful ignorance and selfishness.
” “ Ms .
Mack has paid her fine in full from her savings , which resulted in a significant portion of her funds being depleted , ” he continued .
“ She has received hate mail , so far as to say even death threats .
This has even impacted her father , who is also a professional jet-ski rider and has now lost sponsorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his victory at the jet ski event , and was made to return his prize money and trophy .
He was also required to write a formal apology to the Cayman Islands Watercraft Association , and will not be allowed to compete in the first few races of 2021 .
Their punishment does seem harsh to Americans .
Americans who violate local coronavirus guidelines usually receive fines , though some business owners have been arrested .
Those stories are the exception , not widespread .
The Cayman Islands is an autonomous British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abide by its laws .
The Cayman Islands ’ legal system is based on English common law , locally enacted statutes , and Orders-in-Council .
How was an 18-year-old college student allowed into the island country in the first place ?
Cayman Islands puts a premium on minimizing the impact of the COVID-19 virus .
All airports in the Cayman Islands have been closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic .
They are closed to international leisure and non-essential travel until October 1 , 2020 .
I doubt that attending her boyfriend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as essential travel by most people .
There is a strong whiff of arrogance and entitlement to this whole story .
The two are the first to be sentenced under an amended law targeting COVID-19 violators .
The original law called for a $ 2,400 fine and up to six months in prison .
The new law calls for a $ 12,000 fine and up to two years in prison .
I feel for the young woman ’ s situation – in jail in a foreign country .
She ’ s a pre-med @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctor , a dream she ’ s had since she was a young child according to her family .
She should have known better than to make the decision she made to violate the law during a pandemic .
Making bad decisions and learning from them is part of growing up and we ’ ve all been there .
She ’ ll learn the hard way about visiting a foreign country and abiding by its laws .
The Cayman Islands has a population of nearly 62,000 people .
There have been more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @

An 18-year-old American college student is learning the hard way about following the laws of a foreign country. Skylar Mack pleaded guilty to violating Cayman Island’s COVID-19 quarantine law. She was put in jail on Tuesday.
Mack, a pre-med student at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, arrived in the Cayman Islands on November 27. She, like any other visitor, was supposed to undergo a two-week quarantine as mandated by the government. The government electronically tracks anyone who arrives in the British Caribbean territory. Just two days after her arrival, though, on Nov. 29, she broke quarantine. On that day her boyfriend picked her up to attend a jet-ski race. Her boyfriend, 24-year-old Vanjae Ramgeet, was to compete in the race. He is a resident of the Cayman Islands.
Ms. Mack removed her geo-fencing bracelet and left her residence to attend the water competition. She clearly made the decision to violate her quarantine order. Mack and Ramgeet were at the event for more than seven hours without social distancing or wearing masks. Both were detained by police at the scene. Ramgeet was charged with aiding and abetting his girlfriend. Both were placed in a government quarantine facility for a 14-day quarantine, which ended on December 15. They both pleaded guilty.
“Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis in early 2020, the Cayman Islands Government has prioritized the safety of its residents and their protection from the global COVID-19 pandemic. To accomplish this goal the Government employed stringent isolation and social distancing policies,” the Cayman Islands Government told PEOPLE in a statement. “Anyone wishing to enter the islands is required to quarantine in an approved facility, or at residence using monitoring technology . . . Breaches of quarantine may result in prosecution and penalties of up to $10,000 KYD [approximately $12,195 USD] and two years’ imprisonment,” the statement says.
The original ruling from a judge was for the couple to perform 40 hours of community service and pay a $4,400 fine. Also, Ramgeet was ordered to a two-month curfew that starts at 7:00 p.m. The island’s prosecution appealed this punishment, though, arguing it was too lenient on them, it wouldn’t deter others thinking of violating quarantine orders. A higher court ruled in favor of the prosecutors. When their quarantine concluded on December 15, they were imprisoned.
“These offenses should have been met with far more stringent measures,” Moran said while appearing before the Grand Court on December 14. “When it comes to a matter of deterrence, the sentences imposed are likely to have little to no effect on other like-minded individuals.” “There is nothing exceptional about either defendant that should have warranted the sentence imposed by the lower court,” Moran said.
The attorney for both Mack and Ramgeet, Jonathan Hughes, argues their sentences are too harsh, especially since both are first time offenders with no history of unlawful behavior. The repercussions of Mack’s bad behavior extend to her family. Her father is a professional jet-ski rider who has now lost sponsorships over the matter.
“There is no way that it can be right that a custodial sentence is imposed for a first-time offense on an 18-year-old defendant, who entered an early guilty plea,” said Hughes, noting that he believes his clients’ mistakes were due to “youthful ignorance and selfishness.” “Ms. Mack has paid her fine in full from her savings, which resulted in a significant portion of her funds being depleted,” he continued. “She has received hate mail, so far as to say even death threats. This has even impacted her father, who is also a professional jet-ski rider and has now lost sponsorship because of it.” Ramgeet was stripped of his victory at the jet ski event, and was made to return his prize money and trophy. He was also required to write a formal apology to the Cayman Islands Watercraft Association, and will not be allowed to compete in the first few races of 2021.
Their punishment does seem harsh to Americans. Americans who violate local coronavirus guidelines usually receive fines, though some business owners have been arrested. Those stories are the exception, not widespread. The Cayman Islands is an autonomous British Overseas Territory. Visitors are expected to abide by its laws. The Cayman Islands’ legal system is based on English common law, locally enacted statutes, and Orders-in-Council.
How was an 18-year-old college student allowed into the island country in the first place? Cayman Islands puts a premium on minimizing the impact of the COVID-19 virus. All airports in the Cayman Islands have been closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic. They are closed to international leisure and non-essential travel until October 1, 2020. I doubt that attending her boyfriend’s jet-ski competition would be viewed as essential travel by most people. There is a strong whiff of arrogance and entitlement to this whole story. The two are the first to be sentenced under an amended law targeting COVID-19 violators. The original law called for a $2,400 fine and up to six months in prison. The new law calls for a $12,000 fine and up to two years in prison.
I feel for the young woman’s situation – in jail in a foreign country. She’s a pre-med student with a goal of being a doctor, a dream she’s had since she was a young child according to her family. She should have known better than to make the decision she made to violate the law during a pandemic. Making bad decisions and learning from them is part of growing up and we’ve all been there. She’ll learn the hard way about visiting a foreign country and abiding by its laws. The Cayman Islands has a population of nearly 62,000 people. There have been more than 300 coronavirus cases and two deaths.


hotair--2020-12-20--Humanity's humility infirmity: Sunday reflection

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth , to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph , of the house of David , and the virgin ’ s name was Mary .
And coming to her , he said , “ Hail , full of grace !
The Lord is with you.
” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be .
Then the angel said to her , “ Do not be afraid , Mary , for you have found favor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will conceive in your womb and bear a son , and you shall name him Jesus .
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High , and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father , and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever , and of his kingdom there will be no end.
” But Mary said to the angel , “ How can this be , since I have no relations with a man ?
” And the angel said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holy Spirit will come upon you , and the power of the Most High will overshadow you .
Therefore the child to be born will be called holy , the Son of God .
And behold , Elizabeth , your relative , has also conceived a son in her old age , and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren ; for nothing will be impossible for God.
” Mary said , “ Behold , I am the handmaid of the Lord .
May it be done to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ angel departed from her .
Few would ever doubt that we presently live in an age of abundance .
There ’ s nothing wrong with abundance in and of itself , but it depends on what ’ s in abundance and what it does to us in our spiritual lives .
Logically speaking , abundance should free us from cares and allow us to focus more outwardly than inwardly .
Unfortunately , in this age , it seems to have led to an abundance of arrogance and a global shortage of humility .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we seem fixated on getting more , and on transforming ourselves into entirely material beings .
The arrogance of consumption , and even the arrogance of the expectation of consumption , could be the least of our issues as a culture .
The increased inward focus produces an entirely new scale of a very , very ancient sin : self-idolatry .
We live in the age of the End Zone Celebration , of reality-TV feuds over disrespect , and in a culture where everything requires an award and where people use social connections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our culture because we ’ d otherwise chase it down and kill it .
What is the function of humility ?
Humility reaches to the core of Christian life , and we see its value in today ’ s Gospel reading — and to a certain extent the dangers involved in its lack in our first reading as well .
In the Magnificat , the Virgin Mary extols the Lord and her humble service to him in the Annunciation , and Mary ’ s fiat serves as our example of humility before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to receive the grace necessary for our salvation , by recognition of our true relationship with the Lord .
Contrast Mary ’ s humble submission before the Lord in the Annunciation with David ’ s desire to build a house for God in our first reading .
It seems David ’ s heart is in the right place , lamenting his comfort “ while the ark of God dwells in a tent !
” The prophet Nathan assumes so too , but the Lord speaks to Nathan and reminds the prophet and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so to speak .
I took you from the pasture , the Lord says to David through Nathan , and I will establish a house for you — not the other way around .
David ’ s son Solomon would later build the temple with the Lord ’ s blessing , having eschewed the arrogance of power and riches , and chosen wisdom for service instead .
This contrast becomes all the more powerful when considering Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant .
She became the House of God by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and allowing the conception of Christ to take place , without care over what that might mean for her .
The pregnancy of an unwed girl in those times , especially one already betrothed , would have been a humiliation for her and her family — not to mention potentially provoking a death sentence .
Mary recognized and demonstrated the proper humility of her relationship with the Lord , and in her perfect humility provided for us a perfect demonstration of cooperation with the Lord regardless of what it meant for her reputation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first service is in cultivating a healing between ourselves and God .
But humility has more purposes than that — or at least , it has more impact culture than we recognize .
Humility does not just relate to our recognition of the relationship between ourselves and the Lord .
It also serves to inform us about our relationships with each other .
Jesus taught this lesson in many ways , the most famous of which was the stoning of the adulterous woman — the very fate that His own mother courted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s will .
What does Jesus say to the crowd ?
“ Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
” The crowd , which had arrogantly sat in judgment of the woman despite their own infirmities , melted away at this reminder of their own sinfulness .
Jesus taught in that instant that we have much more in common in our infirmities than we assume we do in our gifts and triumphs .
It is that recognition that creates the kind of solidarity that promotes healthy human relationships — by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughters of the Lord , and all subject to the same shortcomings and peccadilloes .
In the fullness of humility , we can cooperate with each other and with the Lord .
In the absence of humility , what do we get ?
Senseless and petty competitions , feuds , envy , all from an arrogance that arises from our most basic sin — the desire to turn ourselves into our own gods .
We celebrate the trivial and the vain while demeaning and discarding the humble and meek qualities that would otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiat , we see the better way — the path of humble submission and cooperation in salvation .
As we prepare for the coming of Christ , we all have to choose who our true God is , and just how we are all called to cooperate with Him .
We are all “ handmaids of the Lord.
” Will we choose to recognize it , or remain beguiled by the idols we make of ourselves ?
The front-page image is from the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth .
Photo from my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a regular feature , looking at the specific readings used in today ’ s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world .
The reflection represents only my own point of view , intended to help prepare myself for the Lord ’ s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion .
Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here .

This morning’s Gospel reading is Luke 1:26–38:
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Few would ever doubt that we presently live in an age of abundance. There’s nothing wrong with abundance in and of itself, but it depends on what’s in abundance and what it does to us in our spiritual lives. Logically speaking, abundance should free us from cares and allow us to focus more outwardly than inwardly. Unfortunately, in this age, it seems to have led to an abundance of arrogance and a global shortage of humility. The more we have, the more we seem fixated on getting more, and on transforming ourselves into entirely material beings.
The arrogance of consumption, and even the arrogance of the expectation of consumption, could be the least of our issues as a culture. The increased inward focus produces an entirely new scale of a very, very ancient sin: self-idolatry. We live in the age of the End Zone Celebration, of reality-TV feuds over disrespect, and in a culture where everything requires an award and where people use social connections for ersatz celebrity. Humility only runs in our culture because we’d otherwise chase it down and kill it.
What is the function of humility? Humility reaches to the core of Christian life, and we see its value in today’s Gospel reading — and to a certain extent the dangers involved in its lack in our first reading as well. In the Magnificat, the Virgin Mary extols the Lord and her humble service to him in the Annunciation, and Mary’s fiat serves as our example of humility before God. That put us in position to receive the grace necessary for our salvation, by recognition of our true relationship with the Lord.
Contrast Mary’s humble submission before the Lord in the Annunciation with David’s desire to build a house for God in our first reading. It seems David’s heart is in the right place, lamenting his comfort “while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” The prophet Nathan assumes so too, but the Lord speaks to Nathan and reminds the prophet and the new king who builds houses around here, so to speak. I took you from the pasture, the Lord says to David through Nathan, and I will establish a house for you — not the other way around. David’s son Solomon would later build the temple with the Lord’s blessing, having eschewed the arrogance of power and riches, and chosen wisdom for service instead.
This contrast becomes all the more powerful when considering Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant. She became the House of God by submitting to the Lord’s will and allowing the conception of Christ to take place, without care over what that might mean for her. The pregnancy of an unwed girl in those times, especially one already betrothed, would have been a humiliation for her and her family — not to mention potentially provoking a death sentence. Mary recognized and demonstrated the proper humility of her relationship with the Lord, and in her perfect humility provided for us a perfect demonstration of cooperation with the Lord regardless of what it meant for her reputation or life.
Thus, humility’s first service is in cultivating a healing between ourselves and God. But humility has more purposes than that — or at least, it has more impact culture than we recognize. Humility does not just relate to our recognition of the relationship between ourselves and the Lord. It also serves to inform us about our relationships with each other. Jesus taught this lesson in many ways, the most famous of which was the stoning of the adulterous woman — the very fate that His own mother courted by submitting so completely to God’s will.
What does Jesus say to the crowd? “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” The crowd, which had arrogantly sat in judgment of the woman despite their own infirmities, melted away at this reminder of their own sinfulness. Jesus taught in that instant that we have much more in common in our infirmities than we assume we do in our gifts and triumphs. It is that recognition that creates the kind of solidarity that promotes healthy human relationships — by recognizing that we are all sons and daughters of the Lord, and all subject to the same shortcomings and peccadilloes.
In the fullness of humility, we can cooperate with each other and with the Lord. In the absence of humility, what do we get? Senseless and petty competitions, feuds, envy, all from an arrogance that arises from our most basic sin — the desire to turn ourselves into our own gods. We celebrate the trivial and the vain while demeaning and discarding the humble and meek qualities that would otherwise unite us.
In Mary’s fiat, we see the better way — the path of humble submission and cooperation in salvation. As we prepare for the coming of Christ, we all have to choose who our true God is, and just how we are all called to cooperate with Him. We are all “handmaids of the Lord.” Will we choose to recognize it, or remain beguiled by the idols we make of ourselves?
The front-page image is from the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Photo from my own collection.
“Sunday Reflection” is a regular feature, looking at the specific readings used in today’s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world. The reflection represents only my own point of view, intended to help prepare myself for the Lord’s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion. Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here.


hotair--2020-12-20--Operation Warp Speed General: Sorry about that vaccine snafu

United States Army General Gustave Perna is the man who was put in charge of Operation Warp Speed and coordinating the shipments of COVID vaccines around the nation this month .
The process in the early going has not been entirely smooth , however .
Some states are winding up receiving considerably fewer doses than anticipated for a variety of reasons and complaints have been coming from the governors of some of those states .
In Michigan , for example , they ’ re going to be getting nearly 25,000 fewer doses in the first shipment than had been anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly politicize the situation and accuse the President of “ slow-walking ” the distribution .
For his part , General Perna did something you rarely see when dealing with politicians , as opposed to military professionals .
He went on camera , stepped up to the microphone , and took full and complete responsibility for the shortfalls .
And he did this despite the fact that he probably bears almost no personal responsibility for the inaccurate projections .
( Associated Press ) The Army general in charge of getting COVID-19 vaccines across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miscommunication ” with states over the number of doses to be delivered in the early stages of distribution .
“ I failed .
I ’ m adjusting .
I am fixing and we will move forward from there , ” Gen. Gustave Perna told reporters in a telephone briefing… “ I want to take personal responsibility for the miscommunication , ” he said .
“ I know that ’ s not done much these days .
But I am responsible .
… This is a Herculean effort and we are not perfect.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy uniform I would stand and offer the General a salute for this sort of accountability .
It ’ s certainly refreshing .
But as I mentioned above , it ’ s highly unlikely that Perna is actually at fault in this situation .
He made the estimates that were initially released based on data he received from Pfizer and Moderna .
They were the ones who were calculating how many doses could be manufactured in a given period of time .
But for a variety of reasons , when the time came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there weren ’ t as many as expected .
We probably shouldn ’ t be coming down too hard on the manufacturers , either .
We should bear in mind that these are brand new vaccines and they were only given initial approval to move into mass production in the last couple of weeks .
The fact that Pfizer is putting 20 million doses out the door this fast is something of a miracle in itself .
Moderna is anticipated to deliver similar numbers in the coming days .
More confusion arose over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some shipments of vaccine vials , though that ’ s been tending to produce errors in the other ( better ) direction .
The vials are listed as containing five doses each , but in reality , there ’ s enough vaccine in them for six or even seven vaccinations .
But there are complications involved in using those extra doses .
The FDA says that the pharmaceutical companies put in the extra vaccine “ by design ” to account for differences in various types of syringes .
For the time being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the extra doses as long as there ’ s enough fluid for a full dose .
Returning to the original topic , this question of “ bonus doses ” is also not General Perna ’ s fault .
He is neither a doctor nor a pharmaceutical expert .
He comes from the Army Material Command .
How was he supposed to know about this ?
The bottom line is that the vaccines are rolling out the door .
As I was writing this article on Sunday morning , the cable news shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being loaded and getting ready to hit the road .
The General is splitting up the shipments in accordance with the original schedule as best he can .
Let ’ s all just hang in there and wait a while longer .
The finish line is in sight , no matter what the nanny state naysayers are trying to tell you .

United States Army General Gustave Perna is the man who was put in charge of Operation Warp Speed and coordinating the shipments of COVID vaccines around the nation this month. The process in the early going has not been entirely smooth, however. Some states are winding up receiving considerably fewer doses than anticipated for a variety of reasons and complaints have been coming from the governors of some of those states. In Michigan, for example, they’re going to be getting nearly 25,000 fewer doses in the first shipment than had been anticipated. This led Governor Gretchen Whitmer to quickly politicize the situation and accuse the President of “slow-walking” the distribution.
For his part, General Perna did something you rarely see when dealing with politicians, as opposed to military professionals. He went on camera, stepped up to the microphone, and took full and complete responsibility for the shortfalls. And he did this despite the fact that he probably bears almost no personal responsibility for the inaccurate projections. (Associated Press)
The Army general in charge of getting COVID-19 vaccines across the United States apologized on Saturday for “miscommunication” with states over the number of doses to be delivered in the early stages of distribution. “I failed. I’m adjusting. I am fixing and we will move forward from there,” Gen. Gustave Perna told reporters in a telephone briefing… Perna acknowledged the criticism and accepted blame. “I want to take personal responsibility for the miscommunication,” he said. “I know that’s not done much these days. But I am responsible. … This is a Herculean effort and we are not perfect.”
If I still fit in my old Navy uniform I would stand and offer the General a salute for this sort of accountability. It’s certainly refreshing. But as I mentioned above, it’s highly unlikely that Perna is actually at fault in this situation. He made the estimates that were initially released based on data he received from Pfizer and Moderna. They were the ones who were calculating how many doses could be manufactured in a given period of time. But for a variety of reasons, when the time came for the trucks to begin rolling, there weren’t as many as expected.
We probably shouldn’t be coming down too hard on the manufacturers, either. We should bear in mind that these are brand new vaccines and they were only given initial approval to move into mass production in the last couple of weeks. The fact that Pfizer is putting 20 million doses out the door this fast is something of a miracle in itself. Moderna is anticipated to deliver similar numbers in the coming days.
More confusion arose over the issue of “bonus doses” in some shipments of vaccine vials, though that’s been tending to produce errors in the other (better) direction. The vials are listed as containing five doses each, but in reality, there’s enough vaccine in them for six or even seven vaccinations. But there are complications involved in using those extra doses. The FDA says that the pharmaceutical companies put in the extra vaccine “by design” to account for differences in various types of syringes. For the time being, the FDA has authorized the use of the extra doses as long as there’s enough fluid for a full dose.
Returning to the original topic, this question of “bonus doses” is also not General Perna’s fault. He is neither a doctor nor a pharmaceutical expert. He comes from the Army Material Command. How was he supposed to know about this? The bottom line is that the vaccines are rolling out the door. As I was writing this article on Sunday morning, the cable news shows were broadcasting coverage of the Moderna trucks being loaded and getting ready to hit the road. The General is splitting up the shipments in accordance with the original schedule as best he can. Let’s all just hang in there and wait a while longer. The finish line is in sight, no matter what the nanny state naysayers are trying to tell you.


hotair--2020-12-20--Is this Relief Bill Sunday?

Is this Relief Bill Sunday?

The Senate was burning the midnight oil last night and we are allegedly near the finish line for a second relief bill .
The final logjam in the process was reportedly based on some Republicans ’ refusal to allow the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department to set up a new round of loan programs for corporations and municipal governments similar to the ones that were put in place with the original relief bill .
The “ breakthrough ” ( if you want to call it that ) came when Senators Pat Toomey and Chuck Schumer reached a compromise on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t come off of any other parts of the package this morning , Schumer sounded optimistic about voting on the deal today .
How good of an idea this may turn out to be remains an open question .
( NY Post ) Congress is on the brink of an agreement on a long-awaited $ 900 billion COVID-19 relief package , thanks to a last-minute compromise over a key loan provision that has been struck by Sen. Pat Toomey , R-Pa. , and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-NY .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now “ very close , ” Schumer said as he emerged from negotiations close to midnight , Fox News reported .
“ If things continue on this path and nothing gets in the way , we ’ ll be able to vote tomorrow , ” he said , meaning Sunday .
The stumbling block lifted as negotiations stretched into Saturday night , when Toomey and Schumer struck an agreement on whether the Federal Reserve could restart emergency lending programs to help corporate , municipal and medium-size businesses .
I ’ m not sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ compromise ” in any meaningful sense of the word .
Toomey had been adamant that no new loan programs were going to be approved .
The Democrats wanted another round of loan programs .
In the end , what they agreed on was a new round of loan programs provided they weren ’ t “ identical or nearly identical ” to the original package from the spring .
In other words , a few cosmetic changes from the original bill will allow the new loan programs to pass muster .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find myself agreeing with Paul Krugman , but his description on Twitter this morning seemed pretty accurate to me .
The package will allegedly include a $ 600 direct payment to all taxpayers , so that ’ s one compromise that the Democrats had to agree on to get things moving .
( They had wanted a larger payment . )
While half of a loaf is generally better than none , people may not be doing backflips over that sort of help .
For someone with zero dollars in their pockets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcome shot in the arm .
But for most Americans , the reality is that $ 600 is not a lot of money .
If you live in a suburban or rural area , it might cover your rent or mortgage for one month .
In New York City you can ’ t rent a dumpster for that much .
But if you ’ ve been without a paycheck for most of the summer and fall , even if you have some level of unemployment benefits coming in , you ’ re probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Six hundred dollars isn ’ t going to get people in a situation like that out of the hole .
I suppose I ’ m going to wind up sounding like the Scrooge here , but we shouldn ’ t lose sight of the bigger picture .
Congress is about to once again take just short of a trillion imaginary dollars and essentially set it on fire .
And that ’ s on top of the normal operating expenses of the government that still have to be paid .
I suppose once the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some people just stopped paying attention , figuring that a trillion here and a trillion there really doesn ’ t add up to all the much , right ?
But what we ’ re really doing is binding more chunks of lead to the anchor that we ’ re preparing to hang around the neck of the next generation .
Yes , it ’ s the government ’ s responsibility to help people , particularly in a time of crisis , and this bill will make some progress in that direction .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything else ( and helps our nation ’ s economy as well ) is getting back to work .
The vaccines are currently rolling out .
Despite the surges in coronavirus cases we ’ re seeing in Texas and California ( along with a few other states ) , the finish line should really be in sight .
If you want to “ aid ” the country , we need to open back up and get back to business .

The Senate was burning the midnight oil last night and we are allegedly near the finish line for a second relief bill. The final logjam in the process was reportedly based on some Republicans’ refusal to allow the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department to set up a new round of loan programs for corporations and municipal governments similar to the ones that were put in place with the original relief bill. The “breakthrough” (if you want to call it that) came when Senators Pat Toomey and Chuck Schumer reached a compromise on that question. Assuming the wheels don’t come off of any other parts of the package this morning, Schumer sounded optimistic about voting on the deal today. How good of an idea this may turn out to be remains an open question. (NY Post)
Congress is on the brink of an agreement on a long-awaited $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, thanks to a last-minute compromise over a key loan provision that has been struck by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY. The bipartisan compromise means a final deal was now “very close,” Schumer said as he emerged from negotiations close to midnight, Fox News reported. “If things continue on this path and nothing gets in the way, we’ll be able to vote tomorrow,” he said, meaning Sunday. The stumbling block lifted as negotiations stretched into Saturday night, when Toomey and Schumer struck an agreement on whether the Federal Reserve could restart emergency lending programs to help corporate, municipal and medium-size businesses.
I’m not sure how this works out to be a “compromise” in any meaningful sense of the word. Toomey had been adamant that no new loan programs were going to be approved. The Democrats wanted another round of loan programs. In the end, what they agreed on was a new round of loan programs provided they weren’t “identical or nearly identical” to the original package from the spring. In other words, a few cosmetic changes from the original bill will allow the new loan programs to pass muster.
It’s a rare day indeed when I find myself agreeing with Paul Krugman, but his description on Twitter this morning seemed pretty accurate to me.
OK, this sounds as if Rs surrendered here, but in a way that lets them pretend they didn't https://t.co/OIpQdaoOPF pic.twitter.com/M0bNPAD5x4 — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) December 20, 2020
The package will allegedly include a $600 direct payment to all taxpayers, so that’s one compromise that the Democrats had to agree on to get things moving. (They had wanted a larger payment.) While half of a loaf is generally better than none, people may not be doing backflips over that sort of help. For someone with zero dollars in their pockets, six hundred bucks will still be a welcome shot in the arm. But for most Americans, the reality is that $600 is not a lot of money. If you live in a suburban or rural area, it might cover your rent or mortgage for one month. In New York City you can’t rent a dumpster for that much.
But if you’ve been without a paycheck for most of the summer and fall, even if you have some level of unemployment benefits coming in, you’re probably pretty far behind at this point. Six hundred dollars isn’t going to get people in a situation like that out of the hole.
I suppose I’m going to wind up sounding like the Scrooge here, but we shouldn’t lose sight of the bigger picture. Congress is about to once again take just short of a trillion imaginary dollars and essentially set it on fire. And that’s on top of the normal operating expenses of the government that still have to be paid. I suppose once the national debt crossed the $20T mark, some people just stopped paying attention, figuring that a trillion here and a trillion there really doesn’t add up to all the much, right? But what we’re really doing is binding more chunks of lead to the anchor that we’re preparing to hang around the neck of the next generation.
Yes, it’s the government’s responsibility to help people, particularly in a time of crisis, and this bill will make some progress in that direction. But what really helps people more than anything else (and helps our nation’s economy as well) is getting back to work. The vaccines are currently rolling out. Despite the surges in coronavirus cases we’re seeing in Texas and California (along with a few other states), the finish line should really be in sight. If you want to “aid” the country, we need to open back up and get back to business.


hotair--2020-12-21--Trump files last-gasp appeal to SCOTUS over Pennsylvania mail-in ballot deadline

Fourth verse , same as the first ?
Donald Trump and his allies have petitioned the Supreme Court once again to reverse the election , this time in Pennsylvania over the use of mail-in ballots .
The complaint has not yet been docketed , but various news outlets describe this latest effort as a comprehensive complaint over several state supreme court decisions — including one that the Supreme Court punted just before the election .
Team Trump wants what it has always wanted — to vacate the slate of electors and force the state legislature to appoint new electors directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judges , President Donald Trump ’ s campaign continued with its unprecedented efforts to overturn the results of the Nov 3. election Sunday , saying it had filed a new petition with the Supreme Court .
The petition seeks to reverse a trio of Pennsylvania Supreme Court cases having to do with mail-in ballots and asks the court to reject voters ’ will and allow the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pick its own slate of electors .
… “ The petition seeks all appropriate remedies , including vacating the appointment of electors committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Assembly to select their replacements , ” Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said in a statement .
He is asking the court to move swiftly so it can rule before Congress meets on Jan. 6 to tally the vote of the Electoral College , which decisively confirmed Biden ’ s win with 306 electoral votes to Trump ’ s 232 .
But the justices are not scheduled to meet again , even privately , until Jan 8 , two days after Congress counts votes .
That ’ s neither here nor there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the physical sense at all these days ; they , like many of us , are working from home .
Supreme Court justices work on emergencies all the time , too .
It would not take much to get them to “ meet , ” and a complaint of this import might be one of those times .
One catastrophic problem in this case isn ’ t the lack of schedule at SCOTUS but the lack of one at the Pennsylvania state legislature .
They adjourned at the end of last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until January 5 , the day before Congress receives the Electoral College results .
The General Assembly isn ’ t going to be around to provide the remedy , and Democratic Gov .
Tom Wolf won ’ t call a special session to make that a possibility .
The two Republican leaders of the state legislature rejected the idea of extending the session to provide Trump with even the possibility of such a remedy .
And even if they did suddenly decide to select a new slate of electors when they reconvene on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late .
Pennsylvania certified its election and its electors , who have already met and cast their ballots at the Electoral College .
At best , Congress might have to choose which slate of electors it will allow from Pennsylvania , and even if it chose the legislature ’ s electors , Joe Biden would still have 286 electors — more than enough to win the election .
It ’ s a lawsuit seeking a fantasy ending in more ways than one .
On top of all that , the Supreme Court made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to entertain the idea of throwing out elections in Texas v PA et al last week .
They might be tempted to return to the issue of deadline shifting on mail-in ballots at some point in order to clean up the issue they punted in late October .
That only involved around 10,000 ballots in Pennsylvania ( which remain uncounted at the moment anyway ) , while Biden won by over 80,000 .
The court hinted pointedly in its dismissal of Texas v PA et al that the justices were unanimously opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irregularities in Pennsylvania and the other three states ; Justices Alito and Thomas explicitly rejected those remedies while saying they would have allowed arguments to be heard on the case .
If that ’ s the case , whose vote does Trump and his attorneys hope to get ?
Sonia Sotomayor ’ s ?
Trump might have a better case for standing ( he does ) , but the Supreme Court isn ’ t going to throw out 2.6 million votes without some showing of specific fraud in each and every case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of case is in the state courts — where Giuliani and Trump ’ s legal team continually avoided the issue of fraud .
This is nothing more than a desperate Hail Mary , perhaps the fourth one now , this one coming after the game is already over .

Fourth verse, same as the first? Donald Trump and his allies have petitioned the Supreme Court once again to reverse the election, this time in Pennsylvania over the use of mail-in ballots. The complaint has not yet been docketed, but various news outlets describe this latest effort as a comprehensive complaint over several state supreme court decisions — including one that the Supreme Court punted just before the election.
Team Trump wants what it has always wanted — to vacate the slate of electors and force the state legislature to appoint new electors directly:
Undeterred by dismissals and admonitions from judges, President Donald Trump’s campaign continued with its unprecedented efforts to overturn the results of the Nov 3. election Sunday, saying it had filed a new petition with the Supreme Court. The petition seeks to reverse a trio of Pennsylvania Supreme Court cases having to do with mail-in ballots and asks the court to reject voters’ will and allow the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pick its own slate of electors. … “The petition seeks all appropriate remedies, including vacating the appointment of electors committed to Joseph Biden and allowing the Pennsylvania General Assembly to select their replacements,” Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said in a statement. He is asking the court to move swiftly so it can rule before Congress meets on Jan. 6 to tally the vote of the Electoral College, which decisively confirmed Biden’s win with 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232. But the justices are not scheduled to meet again, even privately, until Jan 8, two days after Congress counts votes.
That’s neither here nor there. The justices aren’t meeting privately in the physical sense at all these days; they, like many of us, are working from home. Supreme Court justices work on emergencies all the time, too. It would not take much to get them to “meet,” and a complaint of this import might be one of those times.
One catastrophic problem in this case isn’t the lack of schedule at SCOTUS but the lack of one at the Pennsylvania state legislature. They adjourned at the end of last month and aren’t due to return until January 5, the day before Congress receives the Electoral College results. The General Assembly isn’t going to be around to provide the remedy, and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf won’t call a special session to make that a possibility. The two Republican leaders of the state legislature rejected the idea of extending the session to provide Trump with even the possibility of such a remedy.
And even if they did suddenly decide to select a new slate of electors when they reconvene on January 5, it’s too late. Pennsylvania certified its election and its electors, who have already met and cast their ballots at the Electoral College. At best, Congress might have to choose which slate of electors it will allow from Pennsylvania, and even if it chose the legislature’s electors, Joe Biden would still have 286 electors — more than enough to win the election. It’s a lawsuit seeking a fantasy ending in more ways than one.
On top of all that, the Supreme Court made it clear that they aren’t going to entertain the idea of throwing out elections in Texas v PA et al last week. They might be tempted to return to the issue of deadline shifting on mail-in ballots at some point in order to clean up the issue they punted in late October. That only involved around 10,000 ballots in Pennsylvania (which remain uncounted at the moment anyway), while Biden won by over 80,000. The court hinted pointedly in its dismissal of Texas v PA et al that the justices were unanimously opposed on the exact same remedies sought over irregularities in Pennsylvania and the other three states; Justices Alito and Thomas explicitly rejected those remedies while saying they would have allowed arguments to be heard on the case. If that’s the case, whose vote does Trump and his attorneys hope to get? Sonia Sotomayor’s?
Trump might have a better case for standing (he does), but the Supreme Court isn’t going to throw out 2.6 million votes without some showing of specific fraud in each and every case. Moreover, the venue for that kind of case is in the state courts — where Giuliani and Trump’s legal team continually avoided the issue of fraud. This is nothing more than a desperate Hail Mary, perhaps the fourth one now, this one coming after the game is already over.


hotair--2020-12-21--So we almost have a new COVID relief bill. Now what?

The rumors we heard yesterday appear to be panning out .
Congress has put in some long hours over the weekend and the House appears ready to vote on the second COVID stimulus package .
The Senate is expected to follow in short order after an announcement to that effect from Midnight Mitch last night .
The nearly one trillion dollars they are preparing to set on fire will be distributed in a scattershot fashion across all manner of targets .
The Democrats were forced to compromise on some of the key figures , particularly in terms of the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a new round of federal enhancements to unemployment benefits .
The Republicans had to agree to allow the Federal Reserve to move forward with loans for larger businesses and municipalities .
So is this the “ Great Coming Together ” that everyone ’ s been talking about ?
( Daily Caller ) Congress agreed on a $ 900 billion coronavirus relief package Sunday , overcoming several last-minute stalemates over the Federal Reserve ’ s lending powers and direct cash payments , Senate leaders announced .
“ At long last , we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Senate Majority Leader McConnell said Sunday on the Senate floor .
“ I hope we can do this as promptly as possible.
” A compromise was reached late Saturday between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey , who had sought to end the Fed ’ s emergency lending programs that were created via the CARES Act ’ s passage in March .
Though congressional leaders touted the agreement , it came to be after months of partisan gridlock stemming from disagreements over the bill ’ s size @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the direct payments were slashed in half from $ 1,200 to $ 600 .
Similarly , the weekly enhancements to unemployment benefits are being cut from $ 600 to $ 300 .
That ’ s still a fairly impressive boost for all of the people who are now finding themselves out of work during the latest round of lockdowns .
Considering that the maximum unemployment benefit in states like Illinois is $ 471 per week , that ’ s a 64 % increase .
( Assuming you can convince them to actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia , the maximum is $ 365 , so that nearly doubles it .
They still haven ’ t released the full text of the bill yet , so we don ’ t know about some of the other details that were being debated .
Is there any sort of protection for businesses against frivolous lawsuits over COVID infections ?
Will there be a federal extension of the ban on evictions on top of what the CDC has already ordered ?
Hopefully , we ’ ll have those answers and more by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trick will be convincing both sides to agree to the proposed omnibus spending bill that ’ s also currently in limbo .
There ’ s a proposal on the table to approve an additional $ 1.4 trillion to keep the government running until next September .
We ’ ve already had a couple of stopgap spending bills passed in just the last few days and another one is expected today .
If they manage both of these feats , your elected representatives will have agreed to write a check for 2.3 trillion dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time when government revenues are completely tanking thanks to the lockdowns .
At this point , it almost feels useless to complain about the national debt .
Nobody we send to Washington seems to care , despite the fact that their own children and grandchildren are already living on borrowed time in terms of a massive collapse of the federal economy .
But hey… carpe diem , right ?
Either way , they ’ d better move quickly because our congress critters are preparing to blow out of town for the holidays .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was supposed to be traveling for Christmas ?
Or does that only apply to the little people ?

The rumors we heard yesterday appear to be panning out. Congress has put in some long hours over the weekend and the House appears ready to vote on the second COVID stimulus package. The Senate is expected to follow in short order after an announcement to that effect from Midnight Mitch last night. The nearly one trillion dollars they are preparing to set on fire will be distributed in a scattershot fashion across all manner of targets. The Democrats were forced to compromise on some of the key figures, particularly in terms of the second round of direct cash payments to taxpayers and a new round of federal enhancements to unemployment benefits. The Republicans had to agree to allow the Federal Reserve to move forward with loans for larger businesses and municipalities. So is this the “Great Coming Together” that everyone’s been talking about? (Daily Caller)
Congress agreed on a $900 billion coronavirus relief package Sunday, overcoming several last-minute stalemates over the Federal Reserve’s lending powers and direct cash payments, Senate leaders announced. “At long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed,” Senate Majority Leader McConnell said Sunday on the Senate floor. “I hope we can do this as promptly as possible.” A compromise was reached late Saturday between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who had sought to end the Fed’s emergency lending programs that were created via the CARES Act’s passage in March. Though congressional leaders touted the agreement, it came to be after months of partisan gridlock stemming from disagreements over the bill’s size and scope.
As we discussed yesterday, the direct payments were slashed in half from $1,200 to $600. Similarly, the weekly enhancements to unemployment benefits are being cut from $600 to $300. That’s still a fairly impressive boost for all of the people who are now finding themselves out of work during the latest round of lockdowns. Considering that the maximum unemployment benefit in states like Illinois is $471 per week, that’s a 64% increase. (Assuming you can convince them to actually send you the money.) In Georgia, the maximum is $365, so that nearly doubles it.
They still haven’t released the full text of the bill yet, so we don’t know about some of the other details that were being debated. Is there any sort of protection for businesses against frivolous lawsuits over COVID infections? Will there be a federal extension of the ban on evictions on top of what the CDC has already ordered? Hopefully, we’ll have those answers and more by the end of the day.
The real trick will be convincing both sides to agree to the proposed omnibus spending bill that’s also currently in limbo. There’s a proposal on the table to approve an additional $1.4 trillion to keep the government running until next September. We’ve already had a couple of stopgap spending bills passed in just the last few days and another one is expected today. If they manage both of these feats, your elected representatives will have agreed to write a check for 2.3 trillion dollars in a matter of hours at a time when government revenues are completely tanking thanks to the lockdowns.
At this point, it almost feels useless to complain about the national debt. Nobody we send to Washington seems to care, despite the fact that their own children and grandchildren are already living on borrowed time in terms of a massive collapse of the federal economy. But hey… carpe diem, right? Either way, they’d better move quickly because our congress critters are preparing to blow out of town for the holidays. But wait a second… I thought nobody was supposed to be traveling for Christmas? Or does that only apply to the little people?


hotair--2020-12-21--Adios, California: Rose Bowl college football play-off game moves to Texas

For only the second time since 1902 , the traditional Rose Bowl football contest will not be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena .
The only exception was in 1942 after the attacks on Pearl Harbor .
The game was played in Durham , North Carolina because the West Coast was deemed unsafe .
The game that year was between Oregon State and Duke .
Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and the strict statewide shutdown orders from the Governor of California , the College Football Playoff ( CFP ) game will not be played in Pasadena .
It will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AT & T Stadium , home of the Dallas Cowboys .
Welcome to Texas , y ’ all .
The State of California may not want your money but Texas will be happy to take it .
The decision reached Saturday by the Tournament of Roses and the CFP management committee was all about playing the game in a venue that will allow family and friends into the stadium to watch the game .
Two appeals were made to state health officials to allow 400-500 spectators into the 95,000-seat stadium .
The stadium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state bureaucrats were unwilling to bend .
The response to the last appeal came from the state on Thursday night .
A two-page letter denied the appeal .
The top priority is the needs of the college players .
CFP executive director Bill Hancock thanked Rose Bowl officials and the City of Pasadena for listening to their concerns .
The game will be played on January 1 , 2021 .
The teams are No .
1 Alabama ( 11-0 ) against No .
4 Notre Dame ( 10-1 ) .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner of the Sugar Bowl on January 11 for the national title .
The acting state health officer says it ’ s about science , you know .
“ We understand the honor and tradition that takes place in Pasadena in participating in the Rose Bowl on New Year ’ s Day , ” wrote Erica Pan , acting state health officer at the California Department of Health .
“ However , there are no boundaries to this virus.
” Pan called it a “ dynamic virus and situation , ” and wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chosen a slow and stringent science-based approach to determining when activities should open.
” The deliberation process took about 13 1/2 hours .
Coaches and school officials spoke up for their teams saying the players wanted their family and loved ones sitting in the stadium .
Notre Dame even suggested it would boycott the game if accommodations couldn ’ t be made .
Everyone is trying to keep the conversation amiable now .
“ We know that the decision was not an easy one to make , ” said David Eads , Tournament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ While we remain confident that a game could have been played at the Rose Bowl Stadium , as evident in the other collegiate and professional games taking place in the region , the projection of COVID-19 cases in the region has continued on an upward trend.
” The Sugar Bowl will be played in New Orleans , as is tradition , after the Rose Bowl game on January 1 .
Current plans are to allow 3,000 fans at the Superdome .
The championship game is scheduled for Jan. 11 at Hard Rock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A decision hasn ’ t been formally made as to if the game will keep the Rose Bowl name .
There ’ s a licensing agreement and it is co-owned by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the City of Pasadena .
I imagine the game will have to be re-named .
The coronavirus already claimed the Tournament of Roses parade as a victim .
It is being ” reimagined ” as a two-hour entertainment special .
AT & T Stadium has hosted nearly 170,000 fans for six Cowboys home games this season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day .
The Cotton Bowl Classic will be played at the stadium on Dec. 30 , so it ’ s a tight turnaround for the Rose Bowl game .

For only the second time since 1902, the traditional Rose Bowl football contest will not be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The only exception was in 1942 after the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The game was played in Durham, North Carolina because the West Coast was deemed unsafe. The game that year was between Oregon State and Duke.
Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and the strict statewide shutdown orders from the Governor of California, the College Football Playoff (CFP) game will not be played in Pasadena. It will be played in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Welcome to Texas, y’all. The State of California may not want your money but Texas will be happy to take it.
The decision reached Saturday by the Tournament of Roses and the CFP management committee was all about playing the game in a venue that will allow family and friends into the stadium to watch the game. Two appeals were made to state health officials to allow 400-500 spectators into the 95,000-seat stadium. The stadium includes more than 50 suites. Nope. The state bureaucrats were unwilling to bend. The response to the last appeal came from the state on Thursday night. A two-page letter denied the appeal.
The CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Stadium will be relocated to AT&T Stadium in Dallas on January 1, 2021. Full release: https://t.co/NPyjLk7tHl pic.twitter.com/ljjc0MdHNq — Rose Bowl Game (@rosebowlgame) December 20, 2020
The top priority is the needs of the college players. CFP executive director Bill Hancock thanked Rose Bowl officials and the City of Pasadena for listening to their concerns. The game will be played on January 1, 2021. The teams are No. 1 Alabama (11-0) against No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1). The winner of that game will play the winner of the Sugar Bowl on January 11 for the national title. The acting state health officer says it’s about science, you know.
“We understand the honor and tradition that takes place in Pasadena in participating in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day,” wrote Erica Pan, acting state health officer at the California Department of Health. “However, there are no boundaries to this virus.” Pan called it a “dynamic virus and situation,” and wrote, “This is why we have chosen a slow and stringent science-based approach to determining when activities should open.”
The deliberation process took about 13 1/2 hours. Coaches and school officials spoke up for their teams saying the players wanted their family and loved ones sitting in the stadium. Notre Dame even suggested it would boycott the game if accommodations couldn’t be made. Everyone is trying to keep the conversation amiable now.
“We know that the decision was not an easy one to make,” said David Eads, Tournament of Roses CEO and Executive Director. “While we remain confident that a game could have been played at the Rose Bowl Stadium, as evident in the other collegiate and professional games taking place in the region, the projection of COVID-19 cases in the region has continued on an upward trend.”
The Sugar Bowl will be played in New Orleans, as is tradition, after the Rose Bowl game on January 1. Current plans are to allow 3,000 fans at the Superdome. The championship game is scheduled for Jan. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. A decision hasn’t been formally made as to if the game will keep the Rose Bowl name. There’s a licensing agreement and it is co-owned by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the City of Pasadena. I imagine the game will have to be re-named. The coronavirus already claimed the Tournament of Roses parade as a victim. It is being ” reimagined ” as a two-hour entertainment special.
AT&T Stadium has hosted nearly 170,000 fans for six Cowboys home games this season. There were 30,000 fans on Thanksgiving Day. The Cotton Bowl Classic will be played at the stadium on Dec. 30, so it’s a tight turnaround for the Rose Bowl game.


hotair--2020-12-21--Trump lives in an "alternate reality" and he needs to move on, says ... Pat Robertson?

Yeah , I don ’ t know .
As surprising and interesting as this is , I don ’ t know that Pat ’ s the guy to lecture anyone about alternate realities .
My guess is that Robertson has noticed that some evangelicals ’ emotional investment in Trump has taken a turn post-election towards the idolatrous and sinister and he ’ s trying to turn it the other way .
I ’ m skeptical that he or anyone else has the juice to do it , but good luck to him .
Watch , then read on .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move on.
” In fact , his stubbornness in refusing to move on and his preference for quadrupling down on claims of voter fraud with the biggest cranks he can find has begun to freak out even his own aides , as I noted yesterday .
Some reporters like Byron York who are normally well disposed to Trump had their hair standing on end today upon hearing that Mike Flynn and Sidney Powell were in the Oval Office on Friday chatting about seizing voting machines and using the military somehow .
Powell was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reportedly trying to pitch people there on an illegal executive order to seize state voting machines.
” No one is sure where this is heading .
He ’ s still the President for another month , ” said one White House official to CNN today .
“ There ’ s high levels of concern with anything involving Sidney Powell , ” said another source close to Trump .
“ The lawyers are very worried.
” These are his own aides , not careerist RINO bureaucrats , trying to warn the country that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that they don ’ t know what he ’ s capable of right now .
The only reason the stock market isn ’ t crashing and Congress is calling emergency meetings about how to hold him in check is that everyone assumes he , Powell , and the few remaining true believers working with them are idiots who couldn ’ t plot to successfully hold up a convenience store let alone pull off a coup .
Even Giuliani seems eager to create distance between Trump and Powell , although whether that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence over him or is *jealous* of Powell ’ s influence over him is a separate matter .
Rudy ’ s probably just worried about being collateral damage in the nuclear bomb blast that ’ s about to hit Powell for allegedly defaming Dominion and Smartmatic .
He doesn ’ t want Trump or the campaign — or himself — implicated in that .
As for the president , I think his term ends in one of three ways — badly , very badly , or “ all bets are off.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeps trying to pressure Congress into rejecting the electoral votes of certain swing states when they meet on January 6 .
I won ’ t rehash why that can ’ t possibly work .
It ’ s enough to say that Republicans don ’ t have the votes in either chamber to do it .
But this is the best outcome realistically before January 20 because it ’ s ultimately pure performance .
Matt Gaetz or Jim Jordan or whoever gets to make an angry speech about fraud in the House , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electoral college results , and that ’ s that .
The last procedural opportunity to disrupt the election will be gone .
Trump may be working on something like this now : I read that and had to wonder if it ’ s not a case of Meadows trying to cover his tracks .
It was reported this weekend that he and Pat Cipollone pushed back vehemently on Trump and Powell at Friday ’ s meeting about the various weird , illegal things they wanted to do to try to stop the electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever .
Meadows may be one of the sources who ’ s been whispering to the media that he ’ s nervous about what Trump might resort to now .
Tweeting some dopey nonsense about House Republicans fighting back against fraud may just be his way of evading Trump ’ s suspicions .
Another possibility suggested by a Twitter pal is that Meadows is trying to steer Trump back towards more mainstream and accountable actors like Republicans in the House , hoping/believing that that ’ ll lead him to lose interest in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be .
Either way , I think Meadows is trying to land this plane safely as the wings loosen and threaten to come off .
Anyway , Trump is trying to recruit some Senate Republican to object to the electoral results on the 6th , as he can ’ t force a floor vote in Congress unless that happens .
David Perdue has been telling people that he ’ ll do it — but Perdue ’ s term expires on January 3 and the Georgia runoffs aren ’ t until January 5 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably won ’ t be certified in time for the vote the next day .
Tommy Tuberville has also been talking about objecting but hasn ’ t made any promises despite a direct appeal from Trump himself .
McConnell will be twisting his arm in the other direction behind the scenes .
Either way , if the worst that happens before January 20 is that Republicans make a stink in Congress on the 6th before certifying the electoral college results , with Trump declaring war on the party afterward for its “ disloyalty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad outcome we can realistically expect .
The “ very bad ” outcome is that Trump listens to Powell and really does try some nutty legal maneuver like seizing voting machines or , God forbid , trying to get the military involved .
Neither move will work : Courts have spent the past month and a half slapping him down and will go on doing so , and Mark Milley ’ s not about to turn the United States into a dictatorship because Trump can ’ t cope psychologically with the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at doing something outlandish via executive power will create a crisis .
House Democrats haven ’ t said anything about impeachment , partly because we ’ re only 30 days out from the inauguration and partly because there ’ s lots of important legislative business to attend do , but a clearly illegal power grab by Trump would force an unpredictable response .
Would Pelosi move to impeach ?
Would rank-and-file Democrats , who ’ ve ignored Trump ’ s attempts to cling to power so far , hold mass demonstrations to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ react to that , with some of the most fascist-curious members of his base already urging him to invoke the Insurrection Act ?
Would there be a street presence from MAGA fans too ?
The “ all bets are off ” outcome is simply where Trump abandons all legal or quasi-legal means of stopping Biden from taking power and starts calling on his fans to do it by any means necessary .
I don ’ t think that ’ s a high probability outcome but I don ’ t think it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely still believes there ’ s an official way of overturning the election , Congress ’ s session on the 6th , and is focused on that .
By that evening , though , he ’ ll have been disabused of that notion and then he ’ ll have nothing to do for two weeks before the inauguration except to stew about how he was supposedly robbed and all of the people who ’ ve failed him .
The proverbial plane may end up landing — certainly , Biden will be sworn in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s going to be a crash landing of greater or lesser magnitude .
Hope that it ’ s lesser .

Yeah, I don’t know. As surprising and interesting as this is, I don’t know that Pat’s the guy to lecture anyone about alternate realities.
My guess is that Robertson has noticed that some evangelicals’ emotional investment in Trump has taken a turn post-election towards the idolatrous and sinister and he’s trying to turn it the other way. I’m skeptical that he or anyone else has the juice to do it, but good luck to him. Watch, then read on.
Televangelist Pat Robertson declares that Biden will be president and that Trump "lives in an alternate reality," "is very erratic," and should not run again in 2024: "You've had your day and it's time to move on." pic.twitter.com/2WYCZOSNTO — Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) December 21, 2020
The president isn’t going to “move on.” In fact, his stubbornness in refusing to move on and his preference for quadrupling down on claims of voter fraud with the biggest cranks he can find has begun to freak out even his own aides, as I noted yesterday. Some reporters like Byron York who are normally well disposed to Trump had their hair standing on end today upon hearing that Mike Flynn and Sidney Powell were in the Oval Office on Friday chatting about seizing voting machines and using the military somehow. Powell was back at the White House last night, reportedly trying to pitch people there on an illegal executive order to seize state voting machines.”No one is sure where this is heading. He’s still the President for another month,” said one White House official to CNN today. “There’s high levels of concern with anything involving Sidney Powell,” said another source close to Trump. “The lawyers are very worried.”
These are his own aides, not careerist RINO bureaucrats, trying to warn the country that Powell is loosening his grip on reality and that they don’t know what he’s capable of right now. The only reason the stock market isn’t crashing and Congress is calling emergency meetings about how to hold him in check is that everyone assumes he, Powell, and the few remaining true believers working with them are idiots who couldn’t plot to successfully hold up a convenience store let alone pull off a coup. Even Giuliani seems eager to create distance between Trump and Powell, although whether that’s because he fears Powell’s influence over him or is *jealous* of Powell’s influence over him is a separate matter.
“Let me say definitely that Sidney Powell is not part of our legal team, she hasn’t been for 5 weeks, she is not a special counsel for the president, she does not speak for the president, nor does she speak for the administration. She speaks for herself.” — Rudy Giuliani pic.twitter.com/VUjQk1dtVl — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 21, 2020
Rudy’s probably just worried about being collateral damage in the nuclear bomb blast that’s about to hit Powell for allegedly defaming Dominion and Smartmatic. He doesn’t want Trump or the campaign — or himself — implicated in that.
As for the president, I think his term ends in one of three ways — badly, very badly, or “all bets are off.”
The “bad” outcome is that he keeps trying to pressure Congress into rejecting the electoral votes of certain swing states when they meet on January 6. I won’t rehash why that can’t possibly work. It’s enough to say that Republicans don’t have the votes in either chamber to do it. But this is the best outcome realistically before January 20 because it’s ultimately pure performance. Matt Gaetz or Jim Jordan or whoever gets to make an angry speech about fraud in the House, the two chambers then vote to accept the electoral college results, and that’s that. The last procedural opportunity to disrupt the election will be gone. Trump may be working on something like this now:
Several members of Congress just finished a meeting in the Oval Office with President @realDonaldTrump, preparing to fight back against mounting evidence of voter fraud. Stay tuned. — Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) December 21, 2020
I read that and had to wonder if it’s not a case of Meadows trying to cover his tracks. It was reported this weekend that he and Pat Cipollone pushed back vehemently on Trump and Powell at Friday’s meeting about the various weird, illegal things they wanted to do to try to stop the electoral process or “investigate fraud” or whatever. Meadows may be one of the sources who’s been whispering to the media that he’s nervous about what Trump might resort to now. Tweeting some dopey nonsense about House Republicans fighting back against fraud may just be his way of evading Trump’s suspicions. Another possibility suggested by a Twitter pal is that Meadows is trying to steer Trump back towards more mainstream and accountable actors like Republicans in the House, hoping/believing that that’ll lead him to lose interest in the Rasputin figure here, Powell. Could be. Either way, I think Meadows is trying to land this plane safely as the wings loosen and threaten to come off.
Anyway, Trump is trying to recruit some Senate Republican to object to the electoral results on the 6th, as he can’t force a floor vote in Congress unless that happens. David Perdue has been telling people that he’ll do it — but Perdue’s term expires on January 3 and the Georgia runoffs aren’t until January 5. Even if he wins, his win probably won’t be certified in time for the vote the next day. Tommy Tuberville has also been talking about objecting but hasn’t made any promises despite a direct appeal from Trump himself. McConnell will be twisting his arm in the other direction behind the scenes. Either way, if the worst that happens before January 20 is that Republicans make a stink in Congress on the 6th before certifying the electoral college results, with Trump declaring war on the party afterward for its “disloyalty,” that’s the least bad outcome we can realistically expect.
The “very bad” outcome is that Trump listens to Powell and really does try some nutty legal maneuver like seizing voting machines or, God forbid, trying to get the military involved. Neither move will work: Courts have spent the past month and a half slapping him down and will go on doing so, and Mark Milley’s not about to turn the United States into a dictatorship because Trump can’t cope psychologically with the fact that he lost. But even an attempt at doing something outlandish via executive power will create a crisis. House Democrats haven’t said anything about impeachment, partly because we’re only 30 days out from the inauguration and partly because there’s lots of important legislative business to attend do, but a clearly illegal power grab by Trump would force an unpredictable response. Would Pelosi move to impeach? Would rank-and-file Democrats, who’ve ignored Trump’s attempts to cling to power so far, hold mass demonstrations to protest the power grab? How would Trump react to that, with some of the most fascist-curious members of his base already urging him to invoke the Insurrection Act? Would there be a street presence from MAGA fans too?
The “all bets are off” outcome is simply where Trump abandons all legal or quasi-legal means of stopping Biden from taking power and starts calling on his fans to do it by any means necessary. I don’t think that’s a high probability outcome but I don’t think it’s super-low probability either. Right now he likely still believes there’s an official way of overturning the election, Congress’s session on the 6th, and is focused on that. By that evening, though, he’ll have been disabused of that notion and then he’ll have nothing to do for two weeks before the inauguration except to stew about how he was supposedly robbed and all of the people who’ve failed him. The proverbial plane may end up landing — certainly, Biden will be sworn in as scheduled on the 20th — but it’s going to be a crash landing of greater or lesser magnitude. Hope that it’s lesser.


hotair--2020-12-21--<i>Die Hard</i> director: Of course it's a Christmas movie -- an anti-capitalism Christmas movie

Puts a whole different spin on “ Welcome to the party , pal , ” doesn ’ t it ?
Kidding !
I kid , I kid .
Having argued for years that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie , as most Christmas movies don ’ t usually have that much blood on the screen , I owe everyone a chance to see this rebuttal from director John McTiernan .
He didn ’ t set out to make a Christmas movie , McTiernan explains in this lengthy monologue for the American Film Institute .
He set out to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became infused with the Christmas spirit , or something .
McTiernan initially refused to do the job after seeing its “ authoritarian ” response to the leftist terrorists in the source novel , Nothing Lasts Forever .
Only after changes were made — in part by transforming the leftist “ terrorists ” into capitalist thieves — did McTiernan sign onto the project : “ Joel Silver sent me the script three , four times .
And it was about these horrible leftist terrorists that come into the sort of Valhalla of capitalism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns and their evil ways and they shoot up people just celebrating Christmas , terrible people , awful .
And it was really about the stern face of authority stepping into put things right again , you know ?
And I kept saying to Joel , I don ’ t want to make that , ” he said .
McTiernan said he used “ It ’ s A Wonderful Life ” as a source of inspiration for the direction he wanted the movie to go , primarily its critique on unfettered capitalism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I said , ‘ Okay , if you want me to make this terrorist movie , I want to make it where the hero in the first scene when the limo driver apologizes that he ’ s never been in a limo before , ” he said .
“ The hero says it ’ s alright .
I ’ ve never ridden in a limo before .
Okay , working class hero.
” “ And Joel understood what I meant .
And he said okay .
And so we started to work on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And in fact , everybody , as they came to work on the movie began to get , as I said , this idea of this movie as an escapee .
And there was a joy in it .
Because we were , we ’ ve had changed the content .
And that is how ‘ Die Hard ’ became , we hadn ’ t intended it to be a Christmas movie , but the joy that came from it is what turned it into a Christmas movie .
And that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it.
” There ’ s not much doubt about that element in It ’ s a Wonderful Life , although there is at least a balancing element to it in the Baileys ’ savings and loan and the shopkeepers of Bedford Falls .
There ’ s really not much of a balancing element to McTiernan ’ s interpretation of Die Hard .
Even Takagi comes across poorly right up to the point where Hans Gruber ruins his suit .
As for the argument that McTiernan is only against “ unfettered capitalism ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any such thing as “ unfettered capitalism , ” except in Ayn Rand ’ s novels , and then only in Galt Gulch .
Perhaps the closest we get to unfettered capitalism is in Hollywood itself , which looooooooves to lecture about capitalism ’ s evils while its stars pull down $ 20 million a picture , and their executives cooperate with totalitarian communist regimes to make their pictures .
Still , fair is fair .
It ’ s McTiernan ’ s film , and he says Die Hard is indeed a Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Donald Trump , stick around to the 8-minute mark or so , but they ’ re just as surprising as his Hollywood take on “ unfettered capitalism.
” If AFI wants to perform a public service , however , maybe they can get McTiernan to explain what in the hell Basic was about .

Puts a whole different spin on “Welcome to the party, pal,” doesn’t it? Kidding! I kid, I kid. Having argued for years that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie, as most Christmas movies don’t usually have that much blood on the screen, I owe everyone a chance to see this rebuttal from director John McTiernan. He didn’t set out to make a Christmas movie, McTiernan explains in this lengthy monologue for the American Film Institute. He set out to make an anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian movie that just became infused with the Christmas spirit, or something.
I stand corrected (via the Daily Wire):
McTiernan initially refused to do the job after seeing its “authoritarian” response to the leftist terrorists in the source novel, Nothing Lasts Forever. Only after changes were made — in part by transforming the leftist “terrorists” into capitalist thieves — did McTiernan sign onto the project:
“Joel Silver sent me the script three, four times. And it was about these horrible leftist terrorists that come into the sort of Valhalla of capitalism, Los Angeles, and they bring their guns and their evil ways and they shoot up people just celebrating Christmas, terrible people, awful. And it was really about the stern face of authority stepping into put things right again, you know? And I kept saying to Joel, I don’t want to make that,” he said. McTiernan said he used “It’s A Wonderful Life” as a source of inspiration for the direction he wanted the movie to go, primarily its critique on unfettered capitalism. “I went to Joel. And I said, ‘Okay, if you want me to make this terrorist movie, I want to make it where the hero in the first scene when the limo driver apologizes that he’s never been in a limo before,” he said. “The hero says it’s alright. I’ve never ridden in a limo before. Okay, working class hero.” “And Joel understood what I meant. And he said okay. And so we started to work on it,” he continued. “And in fact, everybody, as they came to work on the movie began to get, as I said, this idea of this movie as an escapee. And there was a joy in it. Because we were, we’ve had changed the content. And that is how ‘Die Hard’ became, we hadn’t intended it to be a Christmas movie, but the joy that came from it is what turned it into a Christmas movie. And that’s really the best I can tell you about it.”
There’s not much doubt about that element in It’s a Wonderful Life, although there is at least a balancing element to it in the Baileys’ savings and loan and the shopkeepers of Bedford Falls. There’s really not much of a balancing element to McTiernan’s interpretation of Die Hard. Even Takagi comes across poorly right up to the point where Hans Gruber ruins his suit.
As for the argument that McTiernan is only against “unfettered capitalism” … meh. There isn’t any such thing as “unfettered capitalism,” except in Ayn Rand’s novels, and then only in Galt Gulch. Perhaps the closest we get to unfettered capitalism is in Hollywood itself, which looooooooves to lecture about capitalism’s evils while its stars pull down $20 million a picture, and their executives cooperate with totalitarian communist regimes to make their pictures.
Still, fair is fair. It’s McTiernan’s film, and he says Die Hard is indeed a Christmas movie. If you want his thoughts on Donald Trump, stick around to the 8-minute mark or so, but they’re just as surprising as his Hollywood take on “unfettered capitalism.” If AFI wants to perform a public service, however, maybe they can get McTiernan to explain what in the hell Basic was about.


hotair--2020-12-21--Child rapist to receive taxpayer-funded transgender surgery in prison

I ’ d start with “ Ho , ho , ho , ” but this isn ’ t a joke .
In 2007 , a Wisconsin monster by the name of Mark Allen Campbell was arrested .
I prefer the term “ monster ” to something more generic like “ criminal ” in this case because Campbell was convicted of raping and abusing his own ten-year-old daughter .
He was sentenced to 34 years in prison , which may have been a bit on the light side , but it is what it is .
That should have been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t .
After going to prison , Campbell declared that he was now a transgender woman going by the name of Nicole Rose Campbell .
He requested and was eventually given taxpayer-funded hormone therapy as part of his “ transition.
” Now , after numerous rounds of legal battles , he will apparently be able to undergo “ gender surgery , ” also at the expense of the taxpayers .
( The Postmillennial ) In December 2020 a federal judge declared that Campbell at age 49 , now identifying as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to gender affirmation surgery , paid by the taxpayers .
Racine Correctional Institute , a men ’ s prison , where Campbell has been housed has allowed Campbell to dress in women ’ s clothing and wear make-up .
Campbell has received taxpayer-funded hormone treatments and counseling since being incarcerated .
In 2013 , six years into the prison term , Campbell requested gender confirmation surgery .
At the time , Campbell ’ s request was denied .
In 2016 , Campbell filed a lawsuit claiming that Campbell ’ s Eighth Amendment rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials were “ indifferent ” to Campbell ’ s “ medical needs.
” The story gets even more twisted from there .
US District Judge James Peterson , an Obama appointee , determined that Peterson has the “ most severe form of gender dysphoria.
” ( Peterson is not a doctor , just by the way . )
As a result , it would be needlessly cruel to deny Campbell the surgery he had requested .
The problem is that there ’ s a lengthy waiting list for surgical appointments .
It may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be able to have his genitals surgically removed .
That left Judge Peterson in a bit of a pickle .
( Sorry… ) What could be done with Campbell in the meantime .
No problem !
He ’ s recommended that the inmate be transferred to a woman ’ s prison to await his date with the surgeon .
So , to recap .
This monster raped and abused his own 10-year-old daughter over a considerable period of time .
( Some of the details are in the linked article , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the horror show here . )
Then , after being caught and sent to prison , this male convict who was raping a female victim suddenly claimed to be a woman .
The prison almost immediately bought this story and allowed him to begin wearing women ’ s clothing and makeup in the correctional institute .
Taxpayer-funded hormones were pumped into his system for a number of years .
Now , assuming the judge ’ s directives are followed , they will be moving a still-intact , convicted male rapist into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as a year .
What could possibly go wrong ?
More to the point , why are the taxpayers being saddled with the cost of this misguided science experiment ?
I know things have generally been going to hell in a handbasket in Minnesota since COVID struck and the BLM riots began , but is there just something in the water out there now ?
All I can say is that if this maniac manages to find the opportunity to assault and damage anyone else during this “ transitional ” period , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the shoulders of that judge .
Campbell is safely locked away in an appropriate facility for the monstrous crimes he committed .
Making these sorts of changes to his arrangements will only place more people in danger .

I’d start with “Ho, ho, ho,” but this isn’t a joke. In 2007, a Wisconsin monster by the name of Mark Allen Campbell was arrested. I prefer the term “monster” to something more generic like “criminal” in this case because Campbell was convicted of raping and abusing his own ten-year-old daughter. He was sentenced to 34 years in prison, which may have been a bit on the light side, but it is what it is.
That should have been the end of the story, but it wasn’t. After going to prison, Campbell declared that he was now a transgender woman going by the name of Nicole Rose Campbell. He requested and was eventually given taxpayer-funded hormone therapy as part of his “transition.” Now, after numerous rounds of legal battles, he will apparently be able to undergo “gender surgery,” also at the expense of the taxpayers. (The Postmillennial)
In December 2020 a federal judge declared that Campbell at age 49, now identifying as a transgender woman, has a Constitutional right to gender affirmation surgery, paid by the taxpayers. Racine Correctional Institute, a men’s prison, where Campbell has been housed has allowed Campbell to dress in women’s clothing and wear make-up. Campbell has received taxpayer-funded hormone treatments and counseling since being incarcerated. In 2013, six years into the prison term, Campbell requested gender confirmation surgery. At the time, Campbell’s request was denied. In 2016, Campbell filed a lawsuit claiming that Campbell’s Eighth Amendment rights had been violated as Department of Corrections officials were “indifferent” to Campbell’s “medical needs.”
The story gets even more twisted from there. US District Judge James Peterson, an Obama appointee, determined that Peterson has the “most severe form of gender dysphoria.” (Peterson is not a doctor, just by the way.) As a result, it would be needlessly cruel to deny Campbell the surgery he had requested. The problem is that there’s a lengthy waiting list for surgical appointments. It may take up to a year before Campbell will be able to have his genitals surgically removed.
That left Judge Peterson in a bit of a pickle. (Sorry…) What could be done with Campbell in the meantime. No problem! He’s recommended that the inmate be transferred to a woman’s prison to await his date with the surgeon.
So, to recap. This monster raped and abused his own 10-year-old daughter over a considerable period of time. (Some of the details are in the linked article, but I won’t reprint that part of the horror show here.) Then, after being caught and sent to prison, this male convict who was raping a female victim suddenly claimed to be a woman. The prison almost immediately bought this story and allowed him to begin wearing women’s clothing and makeup in the correctional institute. Taxpayer-funded hormones were pumped into his system for a number of years.
Now, assuming the judge’s directives are followed, they will be moving a still-intact, convicted male rapist into a women’s detention facility for as much as a year. What could possibly go wrong?
More to the point, why are the taxpayers being saddled with the cost of this misguided science experiment? I know things have generally been going to hell in a handbasket in Minnesota since COVID struck and the BLM riots began, but is there just something in the water out there now? All I can say is that if this maniac manages to find the opportunity to assault and damage anyone else during this “transitional” period, the blame is going to rest squarely on the shoulders of that judge. Campbell is safely locked away in an appropriate facility for the monstrous crimes he committed. Making these sorts of changes to his arrangements will only place more people in danger.