hotair--2020-12-22--The most isolated continent on the planet now reports cases of COVID-19

Base General Bernardo O ’ Higgins Riquelme is a permanently staffed Chilean research station in Antarctica .
It is one of four permanent bases that Chile has in the Antarctic .
It is operated by the Chilean army .
Antarctica is the last of the seven continents to report cases of the coronavirus .
Authorities confirmed 36 positive cases of COVID-19 on Monday .
Scientific research being conducted on the continent has been scaled back due to the pandemic and travel restrictions .
Scheduled maintenance was being performed in this area .
The positive cases come from 26 Army personnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The news came just days after Chile ’ s navy confirmed three cases on a ship that had taken supplies and personnel to the research station .
The virus was brought into the research station .
The Seremi de Salud de Magallanes , Eduardo Castillo , reported that the traceability processes and the respective isolations of the affected people are already being carried out in the region .
Both the Army and the maintenance company personnel were transferred to the sanitary residences located in Punta Arenas .
“ The Chilean Army , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Punta Arenas from people from O ’ Higgins Base who arrived in the regional capital during the weekend , 36 people , including civilians and military personnel , have tested positive for coronavirus , who are carrying out isolation in sanitary residences in Punta Arenas ” , said Castillo .
The first instinct is to question if proper mitigation measures were taken to protect whoever is maintaining the research center .
Chile ’ s navy claims that those men on the ship were tested and their results were negative .
Chile is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Sargento Aldea arrived at the research station on 27 November and sailed back to Chile on 10 December .
Three of its crew tested positive upon their return to the Chilean naval base in Talcahuano .
Chile ’ s navy said all of those who had embarked on the trip to the Antarctic had been given PCR tests and all the results had been negative .
The British Antarctic Survey announced last August that it was scaling back its research efforts due to the coronavirus pandemic .
At that time , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to Antarctica as it emerged from winter , and all research in the deep field had been postponed for a year .
It simply didn ’ t have the capacity to treat the virus should scientists become ill. International partners agreed upon strict procedures to be put in place to keep the coronavirus out .
Most people going to Antarctica travel by plane .
UK scientists and technicians decided to travel directly from Britain to Antarctica by research ship .
The restrictions put in place resulted in the suspension of the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Antarctica has been canceled because of the pandemic .
Staff and activities have been scaled back and facilities have been locked down .
The safety measures have been in place for months .
Antarctica is the most isolated of the seven continents but an estimated 5,000 scientists and researchers live in Antarctica in the summer and about 1,000 in winter .
There are 70 permanent research stations scattered across the continent .
The Bernardo O ’ Higgins base is near the tip of a peninsula in northernmost Antarctica .
It overlooks a @ @ @ @ @ @

Base General Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme is a permanently staffed Chilean research station in Antarctica. It is one of four permanent bases that Chile has in the Antarctic. It is operated by the Chilean army. Antarctica is the last of the seven continents to report cases of the coronavirus. Authorities confirmed 36 positive cases of COVID-19 on Monday.
Scientific research being conducted on the continent has been scaled back due to the pandemic and travel restrictions. Scheduled maintenance was being performed in this area. The positive cases come from 26 Army personnel and 10 civilians from a contractor company. The news came just days after Chile’s navy confirmed three cases on a ship that had taken supplies and personnel to the research station. The virus was brought into the research station.
The Seremi de Salud de Magallanes, Eduardo Castillo, reported that the traceability processes and the respective isolations of the affected people are already being carried out in the region. Both the Army and the maintenance company personnel were transferred to the sanitary residences located in Punta Arenas. “The Chilean Army, on the 60 PCR samples analyzed in Punta Arenas from people from O’Higgins Base who arrived in the regional capital during the weekend, 36 people, including civilians and military personnel, have tested positive for coronavirus, who are carrying out isolation in sanitary residences in Punta Arenas ”, said Castillo.
Sadly #Antarctica is no longer free of COVID-19! The Chilean army today reported 36 personnel at O’Higgins Base have tested positive (26 military and 10 civilians); the station has been undergoing the annual exchange of personnel over the last few weeks; pic @Base_OHiggins pic.twitter.com/OKtjqQQ4Om — The Antarctic Report (@AntarcticReport) December 22, 2020
The first instinct is to question if proper mitigation measures were taken to protect whoever is maintaining the research center. Chile’s navy claims that those men on the ship were tested and their results were negative. Chile is the sixth worst-affected country in Latin America.
The Sargento Aldea arrived at the research station on 27 November and sailed back to Chile on 10 December. Three of its crew tested positive upon their return to the Chilean naval base in Talcahuano. Chile’s navy said all of those who had embarked on the trip to the Antarctic had been given PCR tests and all the results had been negative.
The British Antarctic Survey announced last August that it was scaling back its research efforts due to the coronavirus pandemic. At that time, it announced that only essential teams would go back to Antarctica as it emerged from winter, and all research in the deep field had been postponed for a year. It simply didn’t have the capacity to treat the virus should scientists become ill. International partners agreed upon strict procedures to be put in place to keep the coronavirus out. Most people going to Antarctica travel by plane. UK scientists and technicians decided to travel directly from Britain to Antarctica by research ship. The restrictions put in place resulted in the suspension of the vast majority of its deep-field projects.
Tourism in Antarctica has been canceled because of the pandemic. Staff and activities have been scaled back and facilities have been locked down. The safety measures have been in place for months.
Researchers with the British Antarctic Survey estimate about 1,000 people at 38 stations across the frozen continent had safely navigated the southern hemisphere winter without incident. But an uptick in travel to and from the region this spring and early summer have heightened infection risk.
Antarctica is the most isolated of the seven continents but an estimated 5,000 scientists and researchers live in Antarctica in the summer and about 1,000 in winter. There are 70 permanent research stations scattered across the continent. The Bernardo O’Higgins base is near the tip of a peninsula in northernmost Antarctica. It overlooks a bay often dotted with icebergs.


hotair--2020-12-22--Trump grants clemency to 20 including a pardon for George Papadopoulos

President Trump announced a mix of pardons and commutations for 20 people including full pardons for two figures prosecuted as part of the Mueller investigation , George Papadopoulos and Alex Van der Zwaan .
The pardons give forgiveness to two early defendants who pleaded guilty and served prison time in the Mueller investigation : 2016 campaign foreign policy adviser Papadopoulos and Van der Zwaan , who was part of a major investigation by Mueller into illegal foreign lobbying efforts and the Ukrainian and Russian connections of Trump campaign adviser Paul Manafort .
Both Papadopoulos and Van der Zwaan pleaded guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
And neither provided Mueller with any meaningful cooperation , prosecutors said .
The White House press release states , “ Mr .
Papadopoulos was charged with a process-related crime.
” After noting that Mueller ’ s report found no evidence of collusion , this portion of the release concludes , “ Today ’ s pardon helps correct the wrong that Mueller ’ s team inflicted on so many people.
” Trump also issued clemency to three former congressmen : Duncan Hunter , Chris Collins and Steve Stockman .
Hunter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stockman received full pardons .
The announcement Tuesday also included commuting the remaining prison term of former Rep. Steve Stockman , a Texas Republican who was convicted by a jury in Texas of almost two dozen felonies , including fraud and money laundering… Hunter , who was sentenced earlier this year to 11 months in prison and three years of supervised release related to his misuse of more than $ 200,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses , was recommended for a pardon by “ many members of Congress , ” according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House ’ s annual congressional picnic in June 2017 , Collins had shared non-public information with his son Cameron about the failed trial results for a multiple sclerosis drug the Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited , of which he was a board member , was developing .
He later lied to FBI agents to cover it up .
The stock trades allowed Cameron Collins , a co-defendant in the case , to avoid over $ 750,000 in losses , according to federal prosecutors .
Collins himself did not trade on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two former Border Patrol agents , Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean , who were convicted in 2006 of shooting a drug trafficker at the border .
Former President George W. Bush had already commuted their sentences .
Trump issued both men a full pardon .
Probably the most controversial of the pardons announced today are those given to four former U.S. service members who were working as Blackwater contractors in Iraq and were charged with killing 17 civilians .
Nicholas Slatten , who was the first to fire into the crowd , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in 2014 but an Appeals Court later tossed out the conviction and ordered a new trial for him ( and new sentences for the other three men who had been convicted of manslaughter ) .
However , a retrial resulted in Slatten being convicted of first-degree murder and once again sentence to life in prison .
The White House statement about this pardon reads in part : These veterans were working in Iraq in 2007 as security contractors responsible for securing the safety of United States personnel .
When the convoy attempted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green Zone , ” the situation turned violent , which resulted in the unfortunate deaths and injuries of Iraqi civilians .
Initial charges against the men were dismissed , but they were eventually tried and convicted on charges ranging from first degree murder to voluntary manslaughter .
On appeal , the D.C .
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that additional evidence should have been presented at Mr. Slatten ’ s trial .
Further , prosecutors recently disclosed—more than 10 years after the incident—that the lead Iraqi investigator , who prosecutors relied heavily on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims and to collect evidence , may have had ties to insurgent groups himself .
The other people who received clemency today were mostly convicted of drug offenses .
For example , Otis Gordon was granted a full pardon : Today , President Trump granted a full pardon to Otis Gordon .
Mr. Gordon ’ s pardon is supported by Senator Tim Scott .
Mr. Gordon has become a Pastor at Life Changer ’ s International Ministries since his conviction for possession with intent to distribute .
In 2015 , in the wake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Charleston , South Carolina , Mr. Gordon led a prayer session at the United States Capitol .
Mr. Gordon mentors at-risk youths in his community .
Senator Tim Scott describes Mr. Gordon as “ a model citizen ” since his release and “ focused on helping young men avoid the same traps he once fell in.
” Even with these additional pardons , President Trump has still pardoned fewer people than most of his predecessors .
But more pardons are expected over the next month .

President Trump announced a mix of pardons and commutations for 20 people including full pardons for two figures prosecuted as part of the Mueller investigation, George Papadopoulos and Alex Van der Zwaan.
The pardons give forgiveness to two early defendants who pleaded guilty and served prison time in the Mueller investigation: 2016 campaign foreign policy adviser Papadopoulos and Van der Zwaan, who was part of a major investigation by Mueller into illegal foreign lobbying efforts and the Ukrainian and Russian connections of Trump campaign adviser Paul Manafort. Both Papadopoulos and Van der Zwaan pleaded guilty to lying to investigators during the Russia investigation. And neither provided Mueller with any meaningful cooperation, prosecutors said.
The White House press release states, “Mr. Papadopoulos was charged with a process-related crime.” After noting that Mueller’s report found no evidence of collusion, this portion of the release concludes, “Today’s pardon helps correct the wrong that Mueller’s team inflicted on so many people.”
Trump also issued clemency to three former congressmen: Duncan Hunter, Chris Collins and Steve Stockman. Hunter’s remaining sentence was commuted and Collins and Stockman received full pardons.
The announcement Tuesday also included commuting the remaining prison term of former Rep. Steve Stockman, a Texas Republican who was convicted by a jury in Texas of almost two dozen felonies, including fraud and money laundering… Hunter, who was sentenced earlier this year to 11 months in prison and three years of supervised release related to his misuse of more than $200,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses, was recommended for a pardon by “many members of Congress,” according to the White House release… While attending the White House’s annual congressional picnic in June 2017, Collins had shared non-public information with his son Cameron about the failed trial results for a multiple sclerosis drug the Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited, of which he was a board member, was developing. He later lied to FBI agents to cover it up. The stock trades allowed Cameron Collins, a co-defendant in the case, to avoid over $750,000 in losses, according to federal prosecutors. Collins himself did not trade on the information.
Others granted a pardon included two former Border Patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were convicted in 2006 of shooting a drug trafficker at the border. Former President George W. Bush had already commuted their sentences. Trump issued both men a full pardon.
Probably the most controversial of the pardons announced today are those given to four former U.S. service members who were working as Blackwater contractors in Iraq and were charged with killing 17 civilians. Nicholas Slatten, who was the first to fire into the crowd, was convicted of first-degree murder in the case back in 2014 but an Appeals Court later tossed out the conviction and ordered a new trial for him (and new sentences for the other three men who had been convicted of manslaughter). However, a retrial resulted in Slatten being convicted of first-degree murder and once again sentence to life in prison. The White House statement about this pardon reads in part:
These veterans were working in Iraq in 2007 as security contractors responsible for securing the safety of United States personnel. When the convoy attempted to establish a blockade outside the “Green Zone,” the situation turned violent, which resulted in the unfortunate deaths and injuries of Iraqi civilians. Initial charges against the men were dismissed, but they were eventually tried and convicted on charges ranging from first degree murder to voluntary manslaughter. On appeal, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that additional evidence should have been presented at Mr. Slatten’s trial. Further, prosecutors recently disclosed—more than 10 years after the incident—that the lead Iraqi investigator, who prosecutors relied heavily on to verify that there were no insurgent victims and to collect evidence, may have had ties to insurgent groups himself.
The other people who received clemency today were mostly convicted of drug offenses. For example, Otis Gordon was granted a full pardon:
Today, President Trump granted a full pardon to Otis Gordon. Mr. Gordon’s pardon is supported by Senator Tim Scott. Mr. Gordon has become a Pastor at Life Changer’s International Ministries since his conviction for possession with intent to distribute. In 2015, in the wake of the shooting at a Bible study in Charleston, South Carolina, Mr. Gordon led a prayer session at the United States Capitol. Mr. Gordon mentors at-risk youths in his community. Senator Tim Scott describes Mr. Gordon as “a model citizen” since his release and “focused on helping young men avoid the same traps he once fell in.”
Even with these additional pardons, President Trump has still pardoned fewer people than most of his predecessors. But more pardons are expected over the next month.


hotair--2020-12-22--Biden: Yes, I still think the stories about Hunter were Russian disinformation

An outrageous reply that raises an important unanswered question : What exactly is a “ one-horse pony ” ?
It raises another important question too .
Is Sleepy Joe really going to respond this glibly to inquiries about a DOJ investigation of his son which we now know for a fact is happening ?
Watch , then read on .
The obvious follow-up that should be asked at his next presser is which part of the reporting on Hunter is “ Russian disinformation , ” exactly .
It ’ s not the fact that the feds are looking at his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s true .
It ’ s not whether the feds have a laptop belonging to Hunter in their possession .
That also appears to be accurate .
And it ’ s not the possibility that Hunter is involved in money laundering .
That *was* investigated by the feds according to the New York Times and was dropped at some point , although a CNN report published a few weeks ago hinted that the DOJ might be looking at more than just taxes in their current probe of Hunter .
Which part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s obnoxious that Biden continues to be so dismissive of questions about Hunter .
Everyone understands that it ’ s awkward for him ; everyone accepts that he ’ s going to give the occasional bland “ I love my son ” non-response .
He ’ s within his rights to say , “ I can ’ t comment since I don ’ t want to influence the investigation in any way .
The Justice Department has total independence on this matter.
” In fact , that ’ s the ethically appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is him casting aspersions on the potential charges by laughingly agreeing with the premise that this is all still just disinformation .
That ’ s going to end up encouraging Democrats to believe this is a politically motivated probe when in fact Bill Barr took care not to let the matter become public during the campaign despite intense pressure on him from Trump to do so .
Former Bush ethics lawyer and strident Trump critic Richard Painter made the case a few weeks ago that a special counsel should be appointed to investigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagree , especially with the president-elect scoffing publicly at the claims like he did here .
I wonder if Trump might have his eye on Scott Brady , the current U.S. Attorney based in Pittsburgh , for the position .
Brady met with Rudy Giuliani earlier this year at Barr ’ s behest to see what sort of evidence he ’ d gathered about Hunter ’ s business in Ukraine .
He was also sufficiently aggressive in asking the FBI to interview people about it that the Bureau reportedly objected and asked for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ qualms .
Brady is all but guaranteed to step down on January 20 when Trump leaves office , as he reportedly once said as an assistant prosecutor under Bush 43 that he ’ d never serve under a Democrat .
Trump could ask him to resign a few weeks early and then ask Jeffrey Rosen to appoint him special counsel in the Biden matter — or make the appointment himself if Rosen resists .
Stay tuned .

An outrageous reply that raises an important unanswered question:
What exactly is a “one-horse pony”?
It raises another important question too. Is Sleepy Joe really going to respond this glibly to inquiries about a DOJ investigation of his son which we now know for a fact is happening? Watch, then read on.
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1341484805582712832
The obvious follow-up that should be asked at his next presser is which part of the reporting on Hunter is “Russian disinformation,” exactly. It’s not the fact that the feds are looking at his taxes. Hunter himself has told us that’s true. It’s not whether the feds have a laptop belonging to Hunter in their possession. That also appears to be accurate.
And it’s not the possibility that Hunter is involved in money laundering. That *was* investigated by the feds according to the New York Times and was dropped at some point, although a CNN report published a few weeks ago hinted that the DOJ might be looking at more than just taxes in their current probe of Hunter.
Which part is Russian disinformation, then?
It’s obnoxious that Biden continues to be so dismissive of questions about Hunter. Everyone understands that it’s awkward for him; everyone accepts that he’s going to give the occasional bland “I love my son” non-response. He’s within his rights to say, “I can’t comment since I don’t want to influence the investigation in any way. The Justice Department has total independence on this matter.” In fact, that’s the ethically appropriate response. What’s not ethical is him casting aspersions on the potential charges by laughingly agreeing with the premise that this is all still just disinformation. That’s going to end up encouraging Democrats to believe this is a politically motivated probe when in fact Bill Barr took care not to let the matter become public during the campaign despite intense pressure on him from Trump to do so.
Former Bush ethics lawyer and strident Trump critic Richard Painter made the case a few weeks ago that a special counsel should be appointed to investigate Hunter. It’s hard to disagree, especially with the president-elect scoffing publicly at the claims like he did here. I wonder if Trump might have his eye on Scott Brady, the current U.S. Attorney based in Pittsburgh, for the position. Brady met with Rudy Giuliani earlier this year at Barr’s behest to see what sort of evidence he’d gathered about Hunter’s business in Ukraine. He was also sufficiently aggressive in asking the FBI to interview people about it that the Bureau reportedly objected and asked for a meeting in Washington to explain its qualms. Brady is all but guaranteed to step down on January 20 when Trump leaves office, as he reportedly once said as an assistant prosecutor under Bush 43 that he’d never serve under a Democrat. Trump could ask him to resign a few weeks early and then ask Jeffrey Rosen to appoint him special counsel in the Biden matter — or make the appointment himself if Rosen resists. Stay tuned.


hotair--2020-12-22--Just in time for Christmas: Porch pirates vs. Glitterbomb 3.0

This is the third year that engineer turned YouTube creator Mark Rober has sought smelly revenge on porch pirates using a custom built glitterbomb which also includes copious amounts of fart spray .
As he did last year , Rober once again did some fine tuning to his creation .
One change was a custom welcome mat which doubles as a charger to keep the batteries at full power until the moment the thief walks off with the package .
This helps to ensure that the batteries are working when the box is opened and the 4 phones inside have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encounter .
Another improvement stems from something he saw a number of thieves do last year .
After opening the box , they would quickly shove the cover back down blocking some of the glitter and fart spray from getting out .
This year , Rober added simple metal posts which pop out once the cover comes off and prevent it from being put back on .
It ’ s a simple solution but , as you ’ ll see , only one person figured out how to defeat it .
Rober said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ petty revenge against people who steal and expect to get away with it .
And this year is more of the same .
He does make an effort to point out that , even in difficult times , 90 percent of people who saw the package sitting exposed beneath an apartment complex mailbox passed by without touching it .
Of the remaining ten percent who did pick it up , 7 percent tried to contact the person it was sent to and get their package to them .
Only 3 percent of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not bad but it ’ s still depressing to hear one of the conversations between a boy and his mom that got picked up by the recording devices .
The pair were discussing how to get away with the theft .
“ I need to cut this up and get rid of it , ” the woman said .
She added that she would flush the label down the toilet .
“ So no one can find it ?
” the boy said .
As the conversation goes on we learn that mom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the young thief keep the stolen merch .
“ This is my Christmas present , ” she told him .
Then after the glitterbomb goes off she clarifies that it was a joke .
Her son sounds relieved that maybe that means they won ’ t get in trouble for stealing .
Mother of the year right there .
No amount of glitter and fart spray is going to fix that .
Finally , in the midst of making his YouTube video Rober wanted to see if he could send a package to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scam calls to his cell phone .
He wound up doing this but in the process helped uncover a large fraud ring which was stealing thousands of dollars from unwitting people .
He was able to get some of that money back for the victims but the whole thing became so involved that he is going to do a separate video on that in the future .
Overall this year ’ s entry sometimes feels like it delved a little too deep and uncovered some genuine darkness just beneath what should have been @ @ @ @

This is the third year that engineer turned YouTube creator Mark Rober has sought smelly revenge on porch pirates using a custom built glitterbomb which also includes copious amounts of fart spray.
As he did last year, Rober once again did some fine tuning to his creation. One change was a custom welcome mat which doubles as a charger to keep the batteries at full power until the moment the thief walks off with the package. This helps to ensure that the batteries are working when the box is opened and the 4 phones inside have enough charge left to capture the entire encounter.
Another improvement stems from something he saw a number of thieves do last year. After opening the box, they would quickly shove the cover back down blocking some of the glitter and fart spray from getting out. This year, Rober added simple metal posts which pop out once the cover comes off and prevent it from being put back on. It’s a simple solution but, as you’ll see, only one person figured out how to defeat it.
Rober said from the start that this was about petty revenge against people who steal and expect to get away with it. And this year is more of the same. He does make an effort to point out that, even in difficult times, 90 percent of people who saw the package sitting exposed beneath an apartment complex mailbox passed by without touching it. Of the remaining ten percent who did pick it up, 7 percent tried to contact the person it was sent to and get their package to them. Only 3 percent of people resorted to stealing.
That’s not bad but it’s still depressing to hear one of the conversations between a boy and his mom that got picked up by the recording devices. The pair were discussing how to get away with the theft. “I need to cut this up and get rid of it,” the woman said. She added that she would flush the label down the toilet.
“So no one can find it?” the boy said.
“Yep,” mom replied.
“It feels good,” the boy said.
“What feels good?” she asked.
“Stealing,” he said.
As the conversation goes on we learn that mom isn’t even going to let the young thief keep the stolen merch. “This is my Christmas present,” she told him. Then after the glitterbomb goes off she clarifies that it was a joke. Her son sounds relieved that maybe that means they won’t get in trouble for stealing.
Mother of the year right there. No amount of glitter and fart spray is going to fix that.
Finally, in the midst of making his YouTube video Rober wanted to see if he could send a package to some of the people who kept making scam calls to his cell phone. He wound up doing this but in the process helped uncover a large fraud ring which was stealing thousands of dollars from unwitting people. He was able to get some of that money back for the victims but the whole thing became so involved that he is going to do a separate video on that in the future.
Overall this year’s entry sometimes feels like it delved a little too deep and uncovered some genuine darkness just beneath what should have been some lighthearted revenge.


hotair--2020-12-22--Georgia runoffs: Where have all the pollsters gone?

Their credibility has been a long time passing , to be sure , but that hasn ’ t stopped pollsters from flooding the electoral zone .
Until now , that is , as Politico ’ s Steven Shepard noticed yesterday in Georgia .
Two Senate runoff races with the balance of power at stake offer a golden opportunity to make polling hay while the national-media sun shines .
So where are all the pollsters ?
They ’ re , um , busy … or something : After a disastrous November election for the polling industry , when the polls again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regardless ) as well as GOP candidates down the ballot , pollsters are mostly sidelined in the run-up to the Jan. 5 Georgia elections , which most observers regard as toss-ups .
The public polls that drove so much of the news coverage ahead of November — and generated tremendous distrust afterward — have all but disappeared in Georgia , and they are set to stay that way : Some of the most prolific , best-regarded media and academic pollsters told POLITICO they have no plans to conduct pre-election surveys in Georgia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be missed , I know , but … it ’ s still a bit weird .
The campaigns are still using their own pollsters , Shepard reports , but even the candidates aren ’ t making their strategic decisions based on their data .
That ’ s in part because the runoffs have turned into a brute-force partisan contest in which both sides have decided that base turnout matters most .
Neither party is making a play for the middle , at least not directly ; they ’ re painting their opponents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On the extremist theme , at least one side has a point .
And it happens to be the same side that ’ s winning the air war : Republicans hold an overall advertising advantage across the state , largely fueled by $ 86 million in outside spending supporting their candidates , compared to just $ 30 million spent by Democratic outside groups on TV advertising so far , according to AdImpact .
Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are hauling in record small-dollar cash , far ahead of GOP Sens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not enough to own the airwaves .
Super PACs pay more per ad than candidates do , so Ossoff and Warnock have been able to blunt the GOP ’ s financial edge , especially in the Atlanta media market , where nearly two-thirds of people in the state reside .
But GOP TV ads are running in much higher rotation in other markets , according to data from AdImpact , and the disparity has sparked concern among Democrats that the two campaigns aren ’ t getting enough help with control of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dozen Democratic strategists and donors outlined several key reasons why Republicans have been able to build an advertising advantage .
There ’ s fatigue among Democrats ’ biggest donors after pouring millions into the 2020 general election , as well as mild skepticism that Ossoff and Warnock can actually win .
… Most crucially , there is growing suspicion among some Democratic donors — grounded in the party ’ s failure to flip control of the Senate in November — that massive TV ad campaigns don ’ t equal success , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with organizations operating on the ground in Georgia instead of on the air .
Gee , who would have ever thought that ?
Too bad no one wrote a book explaining how the ground game is more important than 30,000-foot messaging .
Unfortunately for Democrats , Republicans started figuring that out six years ago , and now have a superior ground game as well .
That accounts for the GOP ’ s surprising wins in 2020 at all levels below the presidency in a high-turnout election .
It ’ s that mix that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around , at least from publishing any results .
We ’ re six weeks into this runoff election with only two to go , and thus far we ’ ve only had Trafalgar , Emerson , Insider Advantage , and Survey USA in the playing field — hardly the A-Team of polling .
The SUSA polls are weird outliers , Trafalgar is a GOP-linked outfit , and only Emerson really has any independent reputation at all .
Speaking of weird outliers , SUSA again shows Democrats up past the margin of error , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trailing by seven .
The polls both weirdly ask the non-voters which candidates they would choose , and again use a sample that has a very strange partisan composition of 40 % GOP , 39 % Democrats , and 15 % independents .
Even with the two SUSA results factored into the aggregates , both Republicans have slight leads in the RealClearPolitics averages .
That ’ s the kind of vacuum in which competitors might feast .
One has to wonder why they ’ re not at least attempting to compete .
Are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Or are they testing their systems and waiting for the runoff results as a way to improve their polling processes ?
It seems almost inconceivable that pollsters wouldn ’ t take advantage of at least one of these opportunities in Georgia .

Their credibility has been a long time passing, to be sure, but that hasn’t stopped pollsters from flooding the electoral zone. Until now, that is, as Politico’s Steven Shepard noticed yesterday in Georgia. Two Senate runoff races with the balance of power at stake offer a golden opportunity to make polling hay while the national-media sun shines.
So where are all the pollsters? They’re, um, busy … or something:
Something’s missing from Georgia’s high-stakes Senate runoffs: the polls. After a disastrous November election for the polling industry, when the polls again underestimated President Donald Trump (who lost regardless) as well as GOP candidates down the ballot, pollsters are mostly sidelined in the run-up to the Jan. 5 Georgia elections, which most observers regard as toss-ups. The public polls that drove so much of the news coverage ahead of November — and generated tremendous distrust afterward — have all but disappeared in Georgia, and they are set to stay that way: Some of the most prolific, best-regarded media and academic pollsters told POLITICO they have no plans to conduct pre-election surveys in Georgia.
Yeah, yeah, they won’t be missed, I know, but … it’s still a bit weird. The campaigns are still using their own pollsters, Shepard reports, but even the candidates aren’t making their strategic decisions based on their data. That’s in part because the runoffs have turned into a brute-force partisan contest in which both sides have decided that base turnout matters most. Neither party is making a play for the middle, at least not directly; they’re painting their opponents as extremists and the contest as existential.
On the extremist theme, at least one side has a point. And it happens to be the same side that’s winning the air war:
Republicans hold an overall advertising advantage across the state, largely fueled by $86 million in outside spending supporting their candidates, compared to just $30 million spent by Democratic outside groups on TV advertising so far, according to AdImpact. Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are hauling in record small-dollar cash, far ahead of GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler — but not enough to own the airwaves. Super PACs pay more per ad than candidates do, so Ossoff and Warnock have been able to blunt the GOP’s financial edge, especially in the Atlanta media market, where nearly two-thirds of people in the state reside. But GOP TV ads are running in much higher rotation in other markets, according to data from AdImpact, and the disparity has sparked concern among Democrats that the two campaigns aren’t getting enough help with control of the Senate on the line. Interviews with a dozen Democratic strategists and donors outlined several key reasons why Republicans have been able to build an advertising advantage. There’s fatigue among Democrats’ biggest donors after pouring millions into the 2020 general election, as well as mild skepticism that Ossoff and Warnock can actually win. … Most crucially, there is growing suspicion among some Democratic donors — grounded in the party’s failure to flip control of the Senate in November — that massive TV ad campaigns don’t equal success, and money might be put to better use with organizations operating on the ground in Georgia instead of on the air.
Gee, who would have ever thought that? Too bad no one wrote a book explaining how the ground game is more important than 30,000-foot messaging. Unfortunately for Democrats, Republicans started figuring that out six years ago, and now have a superior ground game as well. That accounts for the GOP’s surprising wins in 2020 at all levels below the presidency in a high-turnout election.
It’s that mix that is likely scaring off pollsters this time around, at least from publishing any results. We’re six weeks into this runoff election with only two to go, and thus far we’ve only had Trafalgar, Emerson, Insider Advantage, and Survey USA in the playing field — hardly the A-Team of polling. The SUSA polls are weird outliers, Trafalgar is a GOP-linked outfit, and only Emerson really has any independent reputation at all.
Speaking of weird outliers, SUSA again shows Democrats up past the margin of error, with Perdue trailing by five and Loeffler trailing by seven. The polls both weirdly ask the non-voters which candidates they would choose, and again use a sample that has a very strange partisan composition of 40% GOP, 39% Democrats, and 15% independents. Even with the two SUSA results factored into the aggregates, both Republicans have slight leads in the RealClearPolitics averages.
That’s the kind of vacuum in which competitors might feast. One has to wonder why they’re not at least attempting to compete. Are they truly sitting on the sidelines? Or are they testing their systems and waiting for the runoff results as a way to improve their polling processes? It seems almost inconceivable that pollsters wouldn’t take advantage of at least one of these opportunities in Georgia.


hotair--2020-12-22--Sidney Powell to Fox News: I'm being blocked from seeing Trump

It would be strange if she were barred from seeing Trump considering that she ’ s *not* barred from visiting the White House .
She was there on Sunday night , meeting not with the president but with … someone .
Who ?
And who inside the building would dare try to stop Trump from seeing someone he wants to see ?
If Mark Meadows gave the president a “ her or me ” ultimatum , I fear he might not like the answer .
Take a few minutes to watch this interview with Karl Rove on Fox , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statement from Powell that Roberts reads .
Rove is clearly trying to reach Trump on the assumption that he ’ s watching , stressing how ill-served the president has been by Powell .
That ’ s true , but it conveniently places Trump in the role of victim rather than enabler .
The reason she ’ s gained in influence lately , alarming aides like Meadows and Pat Cipollone , is because the president sounds ready to bust some norms that even MAGA insiders never thought he ’ d mess with .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s warnings about Powell and her team of “ experts ” is part of an effort by establishment and quasi-establishment Republicans to steer Trump away from her .
Even Rudy Giuliani reportedly discouraged the president from naming Powell as special counsel to investigate voter fraud in the meeting on Friday attended by Powell and Mike Flynn .
Why Rudy has turned against her is unclear — maybe having QAnoners influencing the president is a bridge too far even for him — but Rove , Meadows , Cipollone , and the entire Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fear that Powell ’ s going to talk him into doing something nutty that ’ ll damage the country on his way to the exit .
In fact , Rove ’ s segment today ( and Bill Barr ’ s press conference yesterday ) reads to me like a warning that if Trump gives Powell some sort of official position within the government then some Republican figures will give Biden cover to fire Powell once he takes office .
Which may be why , according to the Daily Beast , the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be named special counsel after all : Donald Trump informed the conspiracy-theory-driven MAGA attorney Sidney Powell on Monday that he does not intend to appoint her “ special counsel ” to investigate “ election fraud , ” according to two people with knowledge of the matter and another source close to the White House… Trump has now buckled at the prospect of giving her such a formal portfolio for pursuing her conspiracy theories around voter irregularities and fraud , which include a supposed Venezuelan plot to rig the election .
Asked whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be “ special counsel , ” Trump ’ s attorney Rudy Giuliani—who leads the president ’ s post-election legal team—told The Daily Beast on Tuesday : “ Yes , ” adding , “ she is no longer part of [ our ] team .
She is on her own.
” [ V ] arious officials and advisers close to the president—including Giuliani , who is no stranger to promulgating 2020-related conspiracy theories on Trump ’ s behalf—have been insistent in recent conversations with Trump that Powell is making empty promises and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overturning the election results .
I can imagine the conversations : “ Don ’ t listen to Sidney ’ s fantasies about preventing Biden ’ s inauguration , Mr. President .
Listen to my fantasies instead.
” Everyone involved seems to have a red line beyond which they won ’ t condone acting but the red line differs from person to person .
For Mike Flynn , “ limited ” martial law to re-run the election in swing states is okay but full martial law might not be .
( Hopefully ? )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on martial law but she and Rudy seem okay with an executive order to seize state voting machines for inspection .
For Jenna Ellis , sending troops to seize voting machines would be over the line : The Insurrection Act of 1807 is a federal law that gives the president the authority , under very specific circumstances , to deploy the U.S. armed forces to quell civil disorder , rebellion , or insurrection .
As explained by Ellis , in this case it would involve the president taking “ the military and going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for example the Dominion Voting Systems machines .
“ Certainly , I would not advise that the American people want that ” because of the “ precedent that it would set , ” said Ellis .
“ We have a constitutional process for a reason , and we have the judicial branch that really does need to step in , ” she told “ The Water Cooler ” host David Brody .
“ I think that the Supreme Court absolutely let the American people down by refusing to take up the Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people around Trump right now are kicking around ideas about how far the military could and couldn ’ t reasonably intervene is proof enough that we ’ re in a bad place .
A man to watch will be Jeffrey Rosen , who ’ ll become acting AG on Thursday following Bill Barr ’ s departure .
Barr made it clear at yesterday ’ s press conference that there are certain moves he won ’ t make despite pressure from the president , starting with appointing a special counsel to investigate voter fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similarly resolute ?
I don ’ t know .
Is the “ very ambitious Rosen ” likely to torch his professional reputation by complying with gonzo orders when he has all of 27 days left on the job ?
Kristol also claims to have heard that “ senior military officials in the Pentagon are more , not less , alarmed than they were a few weeks ago when Mark Esper was fired , ” not sure of what the new acting SecDef and his recently installed civilian deputies might be up to .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal , anodyne orders are carried out , like withdrawing some troops from Afghanistan ?
Or are they there to try to minimize resistance to any explosive illegal orders that might come down the pike ?
Kristol *does* have some corroboration about growing alarm within the military about what Trump might resort to during the last few weeks before the inauguration in order to cling to power .
I ’ ll leave you with Barbara Starr ’ s report on CNN for more about that .

It would be strange if she were barred from seeing Trump considering that she’s *not* barred from visiting the White House. She was there on Sunday night, meeting not with the president but with … someone. Who?
And who inside the building would dare try to stop Trump from seeing someone he wants to see? If Mark Meadows gave the president a “her or me” ultimatum, I fear he might not like the answer.
Take a few minutes to watch this interview with Karl Rove on Fox, which is striking and not just because of the statement from Powell that Roberts reads. Rove is clearly trying to reach Trump on the assumption that he’s watching, stressing how ill-served the president has been by Powell. That’s true, but it conveniently places Trump in the role of victim rather than enabler. The reason she’s gained in influence lately, alarming aides like Meadows and Pat Cipollone, is because the president sounds ready to bust some norms that even MAGA insiders never thought he’d mess with. Watch, then read on.
Rove’s warnings about Powell and her team of “experts” is part of an effort by establishment and quasi-establishment Republicans to steer Trump away from her. Even Rudy Giuliani reportedly discouraged the president from naming Powell as special counsel to investigate voter fraud in the meeting on Friday attended by Powell and Mike Flynn. Why Rudy has turned against her is unclear — maybe having QAnoners influencing the president is a bridge too far even for him — but Rove, Meadows, Cipollone, and the entire Republican Senate caucus, I’m sure, fear that Powell’s going to talk him into doing something nutty that’ll damage the country on his way to the exit. In fact, Rove’s segment today (and Bill Barr’s press conference yesterday) reads to me like a warning that if Trump gives Powell some sort of official position within the government then some Republican figures will give Biden cover to fire Powell once he takes office.
Which may be why, according to the Daily Beast, the president informed her yesterday that she won’t be named special counsel after all:
Donald Trump informed the conspiracy-theory-driven MAGA attorney Sidney Powell on Monday that he does not intend to appoint her “special counsel” to investigate “election fraud,” according to two people with knowledge of the matter and another source close to the White House… Trump has now buckled at the prospect of giving her such a formal portfolio for pursuing her conspiracy theories around voter irregularities and fraud, which include a supposed Venezuelan plot to rig the election. Asked whether Trump told Powell that she wouldn’t be “special counsel,” Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani—who leads the president’s post-election legal team—told The Daily Beast on Tuesday: “Yes,” adding, “she is no longer part of [our] team. She is on her own.” [V]arious officials and advisers close to the president—including Giuliani, who is no stranger to promulgating 2020-related conspiracy theories on Trump’s behalf—have been insistent in recent conversations with Trump that Powell is making empty promises and that he should focus on other paths for overturning the election results.
I can imagine the conversations: “Don’t listen to Sidney’s fantasies about preventing Biden’s inauguration, Mr. President. Listen to my fantasies instead.”
Everyone involved seems to have a red line beyond which they won’t condone acting but the red line differs from person to person. For Mike Flynn, “limited” martial law to re-run the election in swing states is okay but full martial law might not be. (Hopefully?) It’s unclear where Powell stands on martial law but she and Rudy seem okay with an executive order to seize state voting machines for inspection. For Jenna Ellis, sending troops to seize voting machines would be over the line:
The Insurrection Act of 1807 is a federal law that gives the president the authority, under very specific circumstances, to deploy the U.S. armed forces to quell civil disorder, rebellion, or insurrection. As explained by Ellis, in this case it would involve the president taking “the military and going to seize assets in state sovereignties,” for example the Dominion Voting Systems machines. “Certainly, I would not advise that the American people want that” because of the “precedent that it would set,” said Ellis. “We have a constitutional process for a reason, and we have the judicial branch that really does need to step in,” she told “The Water Cooler” host David Brody. “I think that the Supreme Court absolutely let the American people down by refusing to take up the Texas case.”
The mere fact that the people around Trump right now are kicking around ideas about how far the military could and couldn’t reasonably intervene is proof enough that we’re in a bad place. A man to watch will be Jeffrey Rosen, who’ll become acting AG on Thursday following Bill Barr’s departure. Barr made it clear at yesterday’s press conference that there are certain moves he won’t make despite pressure from the president, starting with appointing a special counsel to investigate voter fraud and Hunter Biden. Will Rosen be similarly resolute?
5. …ranging from appointing special counsels for Hunter Biden or election fraud, to giving a legal ok for seizing voting machines or for various types of Insurrection Act-type moves by the president. Can one be confident Barr's successor as AG, Jeffrey Rosen, will also say no? — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) December 22, 2020
7. In the past, Rosen has been allied with some in the White House counsel's office and others elsewhere in the White House who've been for going whole hog for Trump, as a friend put it. They've run up against resistance from Barr but also from WH Counsel Pat Cipollone. — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) December 22, 2020
I don’t know. Is the “very ambitious Rosen” likely to torch his professional reputation by complying with gonzo orders when he has all of 27 days left on the job?
Kristol also claims to have heard that “senior military officials in the Pentagon are more, not less, alarmed than they were a few weeks ago when Mark Esper was fired,” not sure of what the new acting SecDef and his recently installed civilian deputies might be up to. Are they there to make sure that legal, anodyne orders are carried out, like withdrawing some troops from Afghanistan? Or are they there to try to minimize resistance to any explosive illegal orders that might come down the pike? Kristol *does* have some corroboration about growing alarm within the military about what Trump might resort to during the last few weeks before the inauguration in order to cling to power. I’ll leave you with Barbara Starr’s report on CNN for more about that.


hotair--2020-12-22--Foreign and domestic (Antifa) terror threats continue against police in NYC

The Intelligence Bureau of the NYPD is warning all of the officers working in and around New York City about ongoing threats of terrorist attacks against them .
Hopefully , the officers didn ’ t need too much of a warning since they ’ ve already been the targets of repeated violent attacks this year .
In June alone , two NYPD officers were shot and another was stabbed in what was determined to be an Islamic terror attack .
During the recent wave of riots , officers were physically assaulted by Antifa thugs and members of the rioting mobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to all personnel , the situation is continuing to deteriorate .
The threats aren ’ t just coming by way of random attacks in the streets .
Domestic terrorists are bringing the fight to the cops outside of working hours .
( CBS New York ) The NYPD is circulating a memo warning its own about continuing threats against current and former officers from terrorists and extremists… A new Intelligence Bureau memo sent to uniformed members Friday says law enforcement and military personnel remain prime targets for violent extremists .
The memo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ networks as well as anarchists and neo-Nazis .
Most of this is pretty chilling .
The memo warns officers to be very situationally aware , particularly when leaving the station at the end of their shift .
Officers are warned that “ there may be people that are watching you , surveilling you , following you to see where you go , to see where you live.
” But why the sustained increase in attacks on police officers ?
The Intelligence Bureau doesn ’ t see much of a mystery there , either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorists are planning attacks while most of the public remains distracted , both by the pandemic and all of the anti-police rhetoric filling the streets .
They ’ re finding it easier to get away with this mayhem when many police departments are struggling to get the job done with fewer resources after the Defund the Police movement took hold in municipal governments .
Further , the PBA president added to these warnings , noting that it ’ s not just the thugs in the streets causing problems .
When elected officials demonize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , would-be terrorists are emboldened and are more inclined to strike .
Sadly , this isn ’ t a situation that ’ s unique to New York City .
We ’ ve been covering stories here all year long coming out of Chicago , Minneapolis , Los Angeles , Philadelphia , Baltimore , and more .
Wherever you see these riots taking place there is certainly property destruction and looting , but there are also attacks on the police .
And it should come as no surprise that these are also the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about defunding or abolishing the police .
All of this is part of a larger tapestry , and if we only look at the issue through a narrow lens , we ’ re missing that bigger picture .

The Intelligence Bureau of the NYPD is warning all of the officers working in and around New York City about ongoing threats of terrorist attacks against them. Hopefully, the officers didn’t need too much of a warning since they’ve already been the targets of repeated violent attacks this year. In June alone, two NYPD officers were shot and another was stabbed in what was determined to be an Islamic terror attack. During the recent wave of riots, officers were physically assaulted by Antifa thugs and members of the rioting mobs. And according to a recent memo sent to all personnel, the situation is continuing to deteriorate. The threats aren’t just coming by way of random attacks in the streets. Domestic terrorists are bringing the fight to the cops outside of working hours. (CBS New York)
The NYPD is circulating a memo warning its own about continuing threats against current and former officers from terrorists and extremists… A new Intelligence Bureau memo sent to uniformed members Friday says law enforcement and military personnel remain prime targets for violent extremists. The memo outlines recent threats from traditional al-Qaida aligned networks as well as anarchists and neo-Nazis. Threats include lone-wolf attacks and knife-wielding assassinations.
Most of this is pretty chilling. The memo warns officers to be very situationally aware, particularly when leaving the station at the end of their shift. Officers are warned that “there may be people that are watching you, surveilling you, following you to see where you go, to see where you live.”
But why the sustained increase in attacks on police officers? The Intelligence Bureau doesn’t see much of a mystery there, either. One security analyst said that domestic terrorists are planning attacks while most of the public remains distracted, both by the pandemic and all of the anti-police rhetoric filling the streets. They’re finding it easier to get away with this mayhem when many police departments are struggling to get the job done with fewer resources after the Defund the Police movement took hold in municipal governments.
Further, the PBA president added to these warnings, noting that it’s not just the thugs in the streets causing problems. When elected officials demonize the police and turn the public against them, would-be terrorists are emboldened and are more inclined to strike.
PBA President Patrick Lynch said in part, “In today’s anti-police environment, these threats are more serious than ever before. Those in power who use their platform to demonize police officers need to realize that their words matter. They are giving inspiration and encouragement to violent extremists of every stripe.”
Sadly, this isn’t a situation that’s unique to New York City. We’ve been covering stories here all year long coming out of Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and more. Wherever you see these riots taking place there is certainly property destruction and looting, but there are also attacks on the police. And it should come as no surprise that these are also the same hotspots where you hear the most talk about defunding or abolishing the police. All of this is part of a larger tapestry, and if we only look at the issue through a narrow lens, we’re missing that bigger picture.


hotair--2020-12-22--California nears 2 million cases of coronavirus just weeks after passing 1 million mark

The LA Times reports California is nearing a “ morbid milestone ” of 2 million COVID cases since the pandemic began : It took almost 10 months for California to record its millionth confirmed coronavirus case .
Now , just six weeks after crossing that morbid milestone , the state is on the cusp of surpassing 2 million… There are now 1.93 million confirmed coronavirus cases in California , according to data compiled by the Los Angeles Times .
That total includes 62,661 new cases reported Monday alone — by far the most confirmed in a single day since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass 2 million cases on Christmas Eve .
Most of that surge has taken place in the past two weeks with half a million cases reported in that time .
The real concern isn ’ t the number of cases but the number of cases that require hospitalization .
The state has been running models of the infection which suggest there could be 99,000 COVID patients in hospitals by the beginning of next month .
As of last month there were only 73,867 hospital beds in the entire state .
Those numbers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the surge but at some point the problem isn ’ t just physical space and equipment it ’ s staffing .
Dr. Mark Ghaly , California ’ s HHS Secretary , said some regions are likely to exceed even their surge capacity .
“ We believe that 12 % of today ’ s cases will be hospitalized 12 days from now , ” Ghaly said .
“ Then 12 % of those hospitalized patients will be admitted to the ICU for critical-care needs .
With that in mind , looking at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are on , we are worried that certain regions do exceed their existing capacity and may even go beyond the existing surge capacity they currently have planned.
” As it stands , two regions of California ( out of 5 ) are already at 0 % available ICU beds .
That figures isn ’ t an absolute count .
It allows for some percentage of ICU beds that will be needed for ordinary emergencies like heart attacks .
But already some hospitals are reporting patients are being forced to wait for beds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit areas are in southern California .
LA , Orange County , San Bernardino , San Diego and Riverside have the most positive patients in the state .
But the lesson of 2020 is that no matter how bad things look , they can always get worse .
Yesterday Gov .
Newsom expressed concern about a new strain of the virus which may be more contagious than the one we have : Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday that he ’ s been having discussions with airlines and others about the potential for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California from the United Kingdom in an effort to keep the more contagious variant of the virus out of the state .
“ I hope the federal government takes action in this space , ” Newsom said .
“ They should.
” By Sunday , France , Germany , Italy , the Netherlands , Belgium , Austria , Ireland and Bulgaria all said they would ban incoming flights from the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the newly reinstituted lockdown measures , including travel restrictions and the shuttering of pubs , gyms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to findings that the genetic changes in the new strain could make the virus “ up to 70 % more transmissible.
” We ’ re starting to see the vaccine roll out here in California but it ’ s not going to be quick enough to prevent hospitals in southern California from being overwhelmed in the next few weeks .
And northern California isn ’ t that far behind .
That also means there zero chance the lockdowns now in place throughout the state are going to be lifted after three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those orders will be extended based on current trends .
It would be great to think that 2021 will bring us a return to some kind of normalcy but for those of us in California it ’ s looking like things are going to get worse before they get better .

The LA Times reports California is nearing a “morbid milestone” of 2 million COVID cases since the pandemic began:
It took almost 10 months for California to record its millionth confirmed coronavirus case. Now, just six weeks after crossing that morbid milestone, the state is on the cusp of surpassing 2 million… There are now 1.93 million confirmed coronavirus cases in California, according to data compiled by the Los Angeles Times. That total includes 62,661 new cases reported Monday alone — by far the most confirmed in a single day since the pandemic began.
The state will likely pass 2 million cases on Christmas Eve. Most of that surge has taken place in the past two weeks with half a million cases reported in that time.
The real concern isn’t the number of cases but the number of cases that require hospitalization. The state has been running models of the infection which suggest there could be 99,000 COVID patients in hospitals by the beginning of next month. As of last month there were only 73,867 hospital beds in the entire state. Those numbers have gone up since then as hospitals adjust for the surge but at some point the problem isn’t just physical space and equipment it’s staffing. Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s HHS Secretary, said some regions are likely to exceed even their surge capacity.
“We believe that 12% of today’s cases will be hospitalized 12 days from now,” Ghaly said. “Then 12% of those hospitalized patients will be admitted to the ICU for critical-care needs. With that in mind, looking at the cases day-over-day, the trajectory that we are on, we are worried that certain regions do exceed their existing capacity and may even go beyond the existing surge capacity they currently have planned.”
As it stands, two regions of California (out of 5) are already at 0% available ICU beds. That figures isn’t an absolute count. It allows for some percentage of ICU beds that will be needed for ordinary emergencies like heart attacks. But already some hospitals are reporting patients are being forced to wait for beds. At the moment all of the hardest hit areas are in southern California. LA, Orange County, San Bernardino, San Diego and Riverside have the most positive patients in the state.
But the lesson of 2020 is that no matter how bad things look, they can always get worse. Yesterday Gov. Newsom expressed concern about a new strain of the virus which may be more contagious than the one we have:
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that he’s been having discussions with airlines and others about the potential for new quarantine protocols from people flying into California from the United Kingdom in an effort to keep the more contagious variant of the virus out of the state. “I hope the federal government takes action in this space,” Newsom said. “They should.” By Sunday, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland and Bulgaria all said they would ban incoming flights from the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the newly reinstituted lockdown measures, including travel restrictions and the shuttering of pubs, gyms, theaters and hair salons, were taken in response to findings that the genetic changes in the new strain could make the virus “up to 70% more transmissible.”
We’re starting to see the vaccine roll out here in California but it’s not going to be quick enough to prevent hospitals in southern California from being overwhelmed in the next few weeks. And northern California isn’t that far behind. That also means there zero chance the lockdowns now in place throughout the state are going to be lifted after three weeks. Gov. Newsom said yesterday those orders will be extended based on current trends. It would be great to think that 2021 will bring us a return to some kind of normalcy but for those of us in California it’s looking like things are going to get worse before they get better.


hotair--2020-12-22--Birx quits: The accusations this week have been very hard on my family so I'm retiring after the tra

Birx quits: The accusations this week have been very hard on my family so I'm retiring after the transition

Ah , man .
Normally I don ’ t care when a public servant decides they don ’ t like their job but I feel bad about this one .
Watch : I can ’ t tell if that ’ s a sincere “ I ’ ve had enough ” statement or if it ’ s more like , “ I ’ ve had enough — unless you really want me to stay on forever , Mr. President-elect , in which case I ’ ll be honored to serve.
” Is it a sympathy play to try to get Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure the transition goes well , meaning I will stay as long as needed and then retire , ” she wrote today in a statement , per Politico .
Hmmmm .
The part in the clip about her elderly parents being “ very depressed ” is a gut punch , though .
Read this post from yesterday if you missed it for essential background .
I repeat what I said there : I ’ m just not sure that Birx did anything wrong when she went to Delaware with members of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that she told people not to travel , but the fear about Thanksgiving get-togethers this year had nothing to do with travel per se .
It had to do with different households mixing , allowing the virus to leap from one to another .
That ’ s how we get community spread .
Obviously she didn ’ t mean that people from the same household shouldn ’ t “ travel ” to the park or the beach together or even to a vacation home somewhere .
As long as your own household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you ’ re not contributing to the virus ’ s propagation .
It wasn ’ t clear from yesterday ’ s AP story whether Birx violated that guidance or not .
She and her husband own two homes , one which they live in and one which her parents , daughter and son-in-law , and their kids live in .
Birx interacts regularly with them , it seems , which makes me suspect that they ’ re all in the same quarantine bubble together , essentially a single household spread out over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true then her family trip to Delaware to visit her third home , a vacation property , didn ’ t actually break any rules .
In fact , Birx told Fox News yesterday that she avoided her usual Thanksgiving celebration this year because she didn ’ t want different households mixing .
“ Like many Americans , I am the sole caregiver for my parents , ” she said in a statement to Fox News .
“ They live with me in my immediate household in Potomac , where my daughter and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all supporting each other and providing for each other during this difficult time.
” She added : “ We did not hold the usual Thanksgiving dinner we have every year which includes 30-40 members of my extended family .
In fact , I did not hold a Thanksgiving celebration whatsoever this year .
My trip to Delaware after the Thanksgiving holiday solely focused on preparing the property for a potential sale .
Members of my immediate household assisted in that as well.
” What ’ d she do wrong ?
If she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her parents and her grandkids all being part of the same household , i.e .
in a bubble together that excludes other households , what rule did she break , exactly ?
The only wrinkle in this that I can see is the fact that her son-in-law ’ s mother also sometimes visits the house where Birx ’ s parents live with her daughter and grandkids .
Birx told the AP that she and that woman haven ’ t seen each other in months ; they ’ re never in the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , that woman could be bringing in the virus and putting people in the home at risk *unless* she ’ s in the extended “ bubble ” too .
Is she ?
The reason I feel defensive on Birx ’ s behalf — a little defensive , as she ’ s not blameless in America ’ s COVID ordeal — is that she ’ s not a politician .
She didn ’ t strive to be part of America ’ s embarrassing political circus .
She ’ s a doctor who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus managed by a shambolic White House and , I think , earnestly did her best to try to help .
She had to negotiate Trump ’ s moods , a no-win situation in which she ’ d either be attacked by the left as an apologist if she didn ’ t criticize him or attacked by the right as disloyal if she did .
She went from leader of the government ’ s COVID response to answering to Scott Atlas , a doctor with no background in virology who seems to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID was to let most of the population get it .
Atlas was finally dismissed , clearing the way for Birx to exert some new influence over containing the virus at a moment when the pandemic is the worst it ’ s ever been — whereupon she had a hit piece dropped on her by the AP dragging her children , grandchildren , and elderly parents into the fray .
I can only imagine the sort of moronic death threats she ’ s gotten over the past 24 hours about “ deep state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set for others .
If she really did break her own rules then she should quit for having set a bad example , but as I say , I ’ m not sure she did .
And I do think she tried to make things better for the country .
Good intentions count .
Pity anyone who tries to do right by this failing country and has to navigate its relentlessly obnoxious , irredeemable political culture to do it .
Maybe Biden will give her a chance .

Ah, man. Normally I don’t care when a public servant decides they don’t like their job but I feel bad about this one. Watch:
EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Deborah Birx tells @newsy that she is willing to help with the #Biden transition but ultimately plans to retire, citing her family's treatment over the past week. pic.twitter.com/yEPy9s0Tf9 — Amber Strong TV (@AmberCStrong) December 22, 2020
I can’t tell if that’s a sincere “I’ve had enough” statement or if it’s more like, “I’ve had enough — unless you really want me to stay on forever, Mr. President-elect, in which case I’ll be honored to serve.” Is it a sympathy play to try to get Biden on her side? “I want to ensure the transition goes well, meaning I will stay as long as needed and then retire,” she wrote today in a statement, per Politico. Hmmmm.
The part in the clip about her elderly parents being “very depressed” is a gut punch, though.
Read this post from yesterday if you missed it for essential background. I repeat what I said there: I’m just not sure that Birx did anything wrong when she went to Delaware with members of her family after Thanksgiving. Yeah, I know that she told people not to travel, but the fear about Thanksgiving get-togethers this year had nothing to do with travel per se. It had to do with different households mixing, allowing the virus to leap from one to another. That’s how we get community spread. Obviously she didn’t mean that people from the same household shouldn’t “travel” to the park or the beach together or even to a vacation home somewhere. As long as your own household is isolating from everyone else’s, you’re not contributing to the virus’s propagation.
It wasn’t clear from yesterday’s AP story whether Birx violated that guidance or not. She and her husband own two homes, one which they live in and one which her parents, daughter and son-in-law, and their kids live in. Birx interacts regularly with them, it seems, which makes me suspect that they’re all in the same quarantine bubble together, essentially a single household spread out over two buildings. If that’s true then her family trip to Delaware to visit her third home, a vacation property, didn’t actually break any rules. In fact, Birx told Fox News yesterday that she avoided her usual Thanksgiving celebration this year because she didn’t want different households mixing.
“Like many Americans, I am the sole caregiver for my parents,” she said in a statement to Fox News. “They live with me in my immediate household in Potomac, where my daughter and her family reside as well. We are all supporting each other and providing for each other during this difficult time.” She added: “We did not hold the usual Thanksgiving dinner we have every year which includes 30-40 members of my extended family. In fact, I did not hold a Thanksgiving celebration whatsoever this year. My trip to Delaware after the Thanksgiving holiday solely focused on preparing the property for a potential sale. Members of my immediate household assisted in that as well.”
What’d she do wrong? If she’s telling the truth about her daughter and her parents and her grandkids all being part of the same household, i.e. in a bubble together that excludes other households, what rule did she break, exactly?
The only wrinkle in this that I can see is the fact that her son-in-law’s mother also sometimes visits the house where Birx’s parents live with her daughter and grandkids. Birx told the AP that she and that woman haven’t seen each other in months; they’re never in the home at the same time. But of course, that woman could be bringing in the virus and putting people in the home at risk *unless* she’s in the extended “bubble” too. Is she?
The reason I feel defensive on Birx’s behalf — a little defensive, as she’s not blameless in America’s COVID ordeal — is that she’s not a politician. She didn’t strive to be part of America’s embarrassing political circus. She’s a doctor who was drafted into the fight against a once-in-a-century virus managed by a shambolic White House and, I think, earnestly did her best to try to help. She had to negotiate Trump’s moods, a no-win situation in which she’d either be attacked by the left as an apologist if she didn’t criticize him or attacked by the right as disloyal if she did. She went from leader of the government’s COVID response to answering to Scott Atlas, a doctor with no background in virology who seems to have surmised that the surest way to defeat COVID was to let most of the population get it. Atlas was finally dismissed, clearing the way for Birx to exert some new influence over containing the virus at a moment when the pandemic is the worst it’s ever been — whereupon she had a hit piece dropped on her by the AP dragging her children, grandchildren, and elderly parents into the fray. I can only imagine the sort of moronic death threats she’s gotten over the past 24 hours about “deep state” doctors not following the rules they set for others.
If she really did break her own rules then she should quit for having set a bad example, but as I say, I’m not sure she did. And I do think she tried to make things better for the country. Good intentions count. Pity anyone who tries to do right by this failing country and has to navigate its relentlessly obnoxious, irredeemable political culture to do it. Maybe Biden will give her a chance.


hotair--2020-12-22--AOC has a left flank and it has already accused her of selling out

It often seems as if AOC is the most extreme voice in the Democratic Party but it turns out that ’ s not true .
In fact , this month AOC has been accused of being a corporate sell out by people on her left who are even more anxious to demand big progressive wins from Congress .
The issue at hand is Medicare for All , something that AOC supports but which hasn ’ t had much traction because of the massive price tag associated with it .
Last month a progressive pundit named Jimmy Dore who has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action to jumpstart M4A in Congress : Again , it ’ s usually AOC who is lecturing others about the need for dramatic change now without regard to either its cost or its impact on the party .
But in this case , AOC made what amounts to a moderate argument , i.e .
forcing a vote on this now won ’ t accomplish anything useful .
Dare I say it ?
AOC is right .
Even if the Squad could force a floor vote on Medicare for All , the result would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not only would it not have passed , it would reinforce the idea that it can ’ t pass .
And even if it did somehow pass ( it wouldn ’ t but let ’ s pretend for the sake of argument ) it would only go down to defeat in the Senate .
And that ’ s almost certainly the case even if Democrats win both special elections in Georgia .
Joe Manchin is not going to vote for Medicare for All .
Anyway , like a lot of dumb progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go away .
Briahna Joy Gray , who was formerly a press secretary for Bernie Sanders ’ campaign wrote a piece arguing that now was the time for bold strokes : Perhaps unsurprisingly , support for Medicare for All has reached historic highs during the pandemic .
Even a Fox News exit poll showed that 72 percent of Americans support a single payer system , and impressively , about half of Republicans support Medicare for All .
But importantly for the purposes of the Dore proposition , a whopping 88 percent of Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Jayapal ’ s bill could capitalize on the public ’ s overwhelming approval for Medicare for All , and expose the chasm between the policies Democratic voters want and the positions their elected representatives are willing to take .
It ’ s difficult to imagine a better historical context for this fight… A floor vote and the debate that comes with it could spark a referendum on our failing health care system at a moment when no other issue takes credible priority .
“ Now is the time [ progressives ] have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In two years , the Democrats are going to get wiped out in the House .
They will lose their majority and their speakership .
The only time the progressives are going to have any power is right now at this moment , ” before the Speaker is elected in the first week of January .
Dore ’ s prediction that Democrats will lose seats during the 2022 midterms is far from guaranteed , but given the party ’ s recent losses there is a certain pragmatism to his urgency… Progressives want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe the chance they can secure the votes for Medicare for All in the near future is remote .
If barely half of House Democrats are willing to cosponsor Medicare for All even while it has the support of 88 percent of Democratic voters during a global pandemic , what are the odds the holdouts will be more amenable once the vaccine is distributed and life begins to normalize ?
There ’ s a lot more to the argument which you can read for yourself here .
But hopefully you get the gist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperate plea that AOC and the Squad should force this vote because…who knows ?
In 2020 anything can happen !
Anyway , it seems more likely to happen now than after the vaccine makes its way around the country .
Never let a crisis go to waste .
And obviously if you aren ’ t fully on board with this extreme longshot idea that will probably amount to nothing , it can only mean that you ’ ve sold out to the man .
Seriously , there were people responding to AOC warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And because she refused to be corrected by the many people explaining why this is really a good idea it must mean she ’ s arguing in bad faith .
I ’ m picking these people off Twitter at random but there are a lot more making similar arguments .
But as New York magazine points out , this whole thing still doesn ’ t make much sense .
In fact , Briahna Joy Gray ’ s argument for it is misleading : Lamentably , support for single-payer simply is neither as widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for All does poll well — but it polls best when respondents are given few details about what the policy actually entails .
And when voters are presented with a choice between single-payer and other alternatives for expanding coverage — rather than a choice between single-payer and the status quo — surveys sometimes find that the Democratic base is more sympathetic to Joe Biden ’ s views on health-care policy than to Bernie Sanders ’ s .
The poll Gray cites — in which 88 percent of Democrats voiced approval for Medicare for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you support or oppose providing Medicare to every American ?
” This phrasing is highly ambiguous .
It is not obvious that “ providing Medicare to every American ” means mandating that all Americans forfeit private health insurance and enroll in a single-payer plan .
And it is almost certain that a majority of the survey ’ s respondents did not interpret it that way .
I ’ ve made this point many times .
People support single payer until you present them with the bill .
When you include the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cost , their enthusiasm for it wanes .
And that ’ s the part that Briahna Joy Gray and even AOC are leaving out of this whole discussion .
What forcing his vote would really highlight is the fact that we can ’ t possibly afford a new entitlement that would cost $ 30 trillion dollars over ten years .
That ’ s especially true when the economy is in the toilet as it is now thanks to the virus .
But again , the far left isn ’ t interested in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They want AOC to charge into battle even though she ’ s telling them this effort would fail .
What a weird experience it must be for AOC to suddenly find herself on the wrong side of history .
Here ’ s 22 minutes of Jimmy Dore ranting about AOC using some very NSFW language .

It often seems as if AOC is the most extreme voice in the Democratic Party but it turns out that’s not true. In fact, this month AOC has been accused of being a corporate sell out by people on her left who are even more anxious to demand big progressive wins from Congress.
The issue at hand is Medicare for All, something that AOC supports but which hasn’t had much traction because of the massive price tag associated with it. Last month a progressive pundit named Jimmy Dore who has a show on YouTube suggested a course of action to jumpstart M4A in Congress:
Dore argued that AOC and her progressive allies can best advance the cause of universal health care by denying Nancy Pelosi the support she needs to retain the Speakership — until she agrees to hold a House vote on Medicare for All. Dore considers this course of action so self-evidently optimal that the only possible explanation for why Ocasio-Cortez declined to pursue it is that the congresswoman is a fraud who cares more about her career than the needs of her constituents. “She is standing between you and health care,” Dore told his viewers last week.
Again, it’s usually AOC who is lecturing others about the need for dramatic change now without regard to either its cost or its impact on the party. But in this case, AOC made what amounts to a moderate argument, i.e. forcing a vote on this now won’t accomplish anything useful.
Problem w/ this idea is that there isn’t enough thought given to step 2. The Dem votes aren’t there yet, and with a razor-thin margin the Dem NOs are > margin. So you issue threats, hold your vote, and lose. Then what? If you want to know who’s opposed look @ cosponsor list — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 12, 2020
Dare I say it? AOC is right. Even if the Squad could force a floor vote on Medicare for All, the result would be watching it go down to defeat. Not only would it not have passed, it would reinforce the idea that it can’t pass. And even if it did somehow pass (it wouldn’t but let’s pretend for the sake of argument) it would only go down to defeat in the Senate. And that’s almost certainly the case even if Democrats win both special elections in Georgia. Joe Manchin is not going to vote for Medicare for All.
Anyway, like a lot of dumb progressive ideas, this one won’t go away. Briahna Joy Gray, who was formerly a press secretary for Bernie Sanders’ campaign wrote a piece arguing that now was the time for bold strokes:
Perhaps unsurprisingly, support for Medicare for All has reached historic highs during the pandemic. Even a Fox News exit poll showed that 72 percent of Americans support a single payer system, and impressively, about half of Republicans support Medicare for All. But importantly for the purposes of the Dore proposition, a whopping 88 percent of Democrats support the policy. A floor vote on Jayapal’s bill could capitalize on the public’s overwhelming approval for Medicare for All, and expose the chasm between the policies Democratic voters want and the positions their elected representatives are willing to take. It’s difficult to imagine a better historical context for this fight… A floor vote and the debate that comes with it could spark a referendum on our failing health care system at a moment when no other issue takes credible priority. “Now is the time [progressives] have power,” Dore argued. “In two years, the Democrats are going to get wiped out in the House. They will lose their majority and their speakership. The only time the progressives are going to have any power is right now at this moment,” before the Speaker is elected in the first week of January. Dore’s prediction that Democrats will lose seats during the 2022 midterms is far from guaranteed, but given the party’s recent losses there is a certain pragmatism to his urgency… Progressives want to force a vote now precisely because they believe the chance they can secure the votes for Medicare for All in the near future is remote. If barely half of House Democrats are willing to cosponsor Medicare for All even while it has the support of 88 percent of Democratic voters during a global pandemic, what are the odds the holdouts will be more amenable once the vaccine is distributed and life begins to normalize?
There’s a lot more to the argument which you can read for yourself here. But hopefully you get the gist. It’s a kind of desperate plea that AOC and the Squad should force this vote because…who knows? In 2020 anything can happen! Anyway, it seems more likely to happen now than after the vaccine makes its way around the country. Never let a crisis go to waste.
And obviously if you aren’t fully on board with this extreme longshot idea that will probably amount to nothing, it can only mean that you’ve sold out to the man.
In other words your meaning and your purpose is derived from the process of the fight to achieve that which is ethically correct. If you're not doing that, what are you doing? What's the point of even being a politician? Careerism and self aggrandizement? It's so hollow. — Secular Talk🎙 (@KyleKulinski) December 13, 2020
Seriously, there were people responding to AOC warning her that her spirit was dying.
I respectfully beg you to reconsider your stance on this.
This is where you continue being AOC or become the next Nancy Pelsoi. This is where your spirit dies. — Digitalwolf 🐺 #Progressive #BernieOrBust #BLM (@Digitalwolff) December 16, 2020
And because she refused to be corrected by the many people explaining why this is really a good idea it must mean she’s arguing in bad faith.
The fact that she keeps making the same excuse after being told this again and again kinda proves she's arguing in bad faith. She's freaking deviding the left. — ThatMoondragon (@TMoondragon) December 18, 2020
I’m picking these people off Twitter at random but there are a lot more making similar arguments. But as New York magazine points out, this whole thing still doesn’t make much sense. In fact, Briahna Joy Gray’s argument for it is misleading:
Lamentably, support for single-payer simply is neither as widespread nor intense as Gray suggests. Medicare for All does poll well — but it polls best when respondents are given few details about what the policy actually entails. And when voters are presented with a choice between single-payer and other alternatives for expanding coverage — rather than a choice between single-payer and the status quo — surveys sometimes find that the Democratic base is more sympathetic to Joe Biden’s views on health-care policy than to Bernie Sanders’s. The poll Gray cites — in which 88 percent of Democrats voiced approval for Medicare for All — asked respondents, “Would you support or oppose providing Medicare to every American?” This phrasing is highly ambiguous. It is not obvious that “providing Medicare to every American” means mandating that all Americans forfeit private health insurance and enroll in a single-payer plan. And it is almost certain that a majority of the survey’s respondents did not interpret it that way.
I’ve made this point many times. People support single payer until you present them with the bill. When you include the fact that their taxes would literally double to cover the cost, their enthusiasm for it wanes.
And that’s the part that Briahna Joy Gray and even AOC are leaving out of this whole discussion. What forcing his vote would really highlight is the fact that we can’t possibly afford a new entitlement that would cost $30 trillion dollars over ten years. That’s especially true when the economy is in the toilet as it is now thanks to the virus. But again, the far left isn’t interested in hearing reasons this is a bad idea. They want AOC to charge into battle even though she’s telling them this effort would fail.
What a weird experience it must be for AOC to suddenly find herself on the wrong side of history. Here’s 22 minutes of Jimmy Dore ranting about AOC using some very NSFW language.


hotair--2020-12-22--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Congress' pork barrel, Newsom's peril, immigration deferral, a Die Hard

Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Congress' pork barrel, Newsom's peril, immigration deferral, a Die Hard Christmas carol, and more!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Andrew Malcolm joins us for Tuesdays with Andrew !
The Prince of Twitter and I will discuss all of the hot political stories of the day .
We ’ ll talk about Gavin Newsom ’ s replacement of Kamala Harris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even further .
We ’ ll also tackle Die Hard ’ s status as a Christmas movie , so stay tuned for that !
• My good pal and center-left radio host Rick Ungar returns to give us his preview of the incoming Biden administration .
What ’ s his prediction on the end game for Donald Trump ?
Tune in and find out !
• Duane “ Generalissimo ” Patterson brings us up to date on the week ’ s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow ’ s Hugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — barely — on the COVID-19 relief bill , plus we ’ ll talk about the McConnell-Schumer deal to override Trump ’ s veto of the defense bill .
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be sure to join us , and don ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep the momentum going ?
Find out in GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
Andrew Malcolm joins us for Tuesdays with Andrew! The Prince of Twitter and I will discuss all of the hot political stories of the day. We’ll talk about Gavin Newsom’s replacement of Kamala Harris, and how that will complicate his standing even further. We’ll also tackle Die Hard’s status as a Christmas movie, so stay tuned for that!
My good pal and center-left radio host Rick Ungar returns to give us his preview of the incoming Biden administration. What’s his prediction on the end game for Donald Trump? Tune in and find out!
Duane “Generalissimo” Patterson brings us up to date on the week’s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow’s Hugh Hewitt show. He gets bragging rights — barely — on the COVID-19 relief bill, plus we’ll talk about the McConnell-Schumer deal to override Trump’s veto of the defense bill.
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep the momentum going? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!