Tracker

Some good- no, GREAT news today. The chief immunologist for the federal government said in an interview today that the pace of vaccine arrival and injection is accelerating and that, barring unforeseen complications, Canada ought to have herd immunity some time in June.

Sex Toy Company Receives Award From Queen For ‘Outstanding Continuous Growth’ British sex toy company Lovehoney has received a royal seal of approval. The adult retailer this week was honored with The Queen’s Award for Enterprise “for outstanding continuous growth in overseas sales over the last six years,” according to a press release on its website. The accolade, announced by the official journal of record, The London Gazette, allows the company in Bath, southwest England, to fly The Queen’s Awards flag at their office and use its emblem on marketing and packaging materials for five years. Lovehoney also won the award in 2016. “We are thrilled to have received official recognition from the Queen,” Debbie Bond, Lovehoney’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement. “Her Majesty has been a wonderful supporter of Lovehoney as we have grown into being the world’s leading sexual wellness brand.” Sex Toy Company Receives Award From Queen For ‘Outstanding Continuous Growth’ | HuffPost

A 'sweet stress relief': DOJ releases info about sheriff's deputy who allegedly bragged about beating Black man A violent extremist's phone records have led to the discovery of a group chat that included racial epithets and threats from a law enforcement officer. According to The Washington Post, the man in the group chat labeled himself as "Shadow Moses" but federal investigators later determined that the mystery man was Cody Richard Griggers, a Georgia sheriff's deputy. In court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said that Griggers "boasted about beating a Black man during an arrest, threatened to falsely charge Black people with felonies so that they could not vote and advocated for killing politicians and others he viewed as political enemies." On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice released a statement about the case involving Griggers. The 28-year-old, who has been terminated from the Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office several months ago, entered a guilty plea on a weapons charge after federal agents confirmed his ties to violent extremists. The law enforcement agency also noted that federal authorities confiscated a total of 11 unregistered firearms inside his home and in his police patrol vehicle. "This former law enforcement officer knew that he was breaking the law when he chose to possess a cache of unregistered weapons, silencers and a machine gun, keeping many of them in his duty vehicle," acting U.S. attorney Peter D. Leary said in a statement. "Coupled with his violent racially motivated extreme statements, the defendant has lost the privilege permanently of wearing the blue." Despite the group chat records where Griggers boasted about his actions, Wilkinson Sheriff Richard Chatman has pushed back against the claims. He reportedly believes Griggers may have fabricated stories about targeting Black people "to impress the other people in the extremist group's chat." In reference to Griggers' claim about beating a Black man during an arrest, Chatman claims, "That never happened." However, investigative evidence suggests otherwise. Griggers faces the possibility of up to 10 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine. The Washington Post has also confirmed that he will never be allowed to work in law enforcement again. A 'sweet stress relief': DOJ releases info about sheriff's deputy who allegedly bragged about beating Black man - Alternet.org

Devin Nunes is caught up in Giuliani’s 'Russian mob' scandal: Trump impeachment prosecutor Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) has exposure in Rudy Giulian's legal scandal, according to former prosecutor Daniel Goldman, who served as majority counsel in Donald Trump's first impeachment trial. Goldman offered his analysis after The New York Times reported that FBI agents also executed a search warrant at the home of Giuliani ally Victoria Toensing. "This makes sense because, during the Ukraine impeachment investigation, we obtained draft retainer agreements between a Ukrainian official and Toensing and diGenova that Giuliani brokered," Goldman tweeted. Podcast host Eric Garland noticed Goldman's analysis and added his summary of the situation. "UM. SO GIULIANI AND TOENSING AND DIGENOVA WERE SIMULTANEOUSLY UNREGISTERED AGENTS OF UKRAINE *WHILE ON THE PAYROLL OF RUSSIAN MOB BOSS DMITRO FIRTASH* - while working for Trump. When he was President. And they all were conspiring with Russian intelligence," he wrote. "Correct," Goldman said. "And don't forget Devin Nunes and his sidekick Derek Harvey were involved too," he added. Devin Nunes is caught up in Giuliani’s 'Russian mob' scandal: Trump impeachment prosecutor - Alternet.org

THE SMOKING GUN! Matt Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg said in a letter that Gaetz paid for sex with a minor Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz paid to have sex with a minor, his longtime associate Joel Greenberg said in a letter obtained by The Daily Beast. "On more than one occasion, this individual was involved in sexual activities with several of the other girls, the congressman from Florida's 1st Congressional District and myself," Greenberg said in the letter, referring to an individual who was 17 years old at the time of the alleged encounter with Gaetz, according to The Daily Beast. "From time to time, gas money or gifts, rent or partial tuition payments were made to several of these girls, including the individual who was not yet 18. I did see the acts occur firsthand and Venmo transactions, Cash App, or other payments were made to these girls on behalf of the Congressman." Insider could not immediately verify the letter. The Justice Department has been investigating since last year whether Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws and engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor. The investigation into him stems from a broader inquiry into the former Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg, a close associate of Gaetz's who was indicted on 33 felony counts, including carrying out the sex trafficking of a minor between the ages of 14 and 17. Greenberg previously pleaded not guilty.

Rudy Giuliani is an 'idiot' who 'drinks too much' and will give up Trump 'in a heartbeat': Michael Cohen Speaking CNN this Thursday, Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, addressed the recent raid by federal agents on the home and office of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, saying that "we have no idea how expansive this investigation is ultimately going to reveal itself." "...because Rudy's an idiot," Cohen said. "And that's the problem -- Rudy drinks too much. Rudy behaves in such an erratic manner that who knows what's on those cellphones or what's on those computers." When asked if he thinks Giuliani will flip on Trump and offer information to the government, Cohen replied that there's never really been a relationship between Giuliani and Trump in the first place, saying that they didn't even like each other before Trump became president. "So do I think Rudy will give up Donald in a heartbeat? Absolutely," Cohen said.

I hear you and fear for friends and family there.

Studies consistently show that the higher the education level, the more likely the individual is to vote progressive, so not wonder Pallister, Kenney et al hate education. As Trump said," I love uneducated people".

The right wing in Britain, the US and Canada have made a handsome living stoking the culture of perpetual victimhood.

Judge Denies Request to Release Footage of Cops Killing Andrew Brown Jr. Because It Wouldn't Be Fair to Cops Who Killed Andrew Brown Jr. (No, Seriously) A North Carolina judge has ruled that publicly owned footage of public employees killing a member of the public cannot be released to the public, citing stuff and things. Meanwhile, the district attorney fought the request from a coalition of media outlets by showing exactly why it should be released. On Wednesday, North Carolina Superior Court Judge Jeffery B. Foster (you might want to remember that name for a few minutes) denied a media lawsuit demanding the release of body camera footage showing Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Department deputies shooting and killing 46-year-old Andrew Brown Jr. in Elizabeth City, N.C., on April 21. Judge Foster did, however, grant a petition allowing Brown’s family and one member of his legal team to privately view the videos of what family attorneys previously described as an “execution.” During the hearing, District Attorney Andrew Womble disputed that claim with a claim of his own—namely that Brown’s car made contact with the deputies at the scene. Although the sheriff’s office and members of the Brown family’s legal team both told The Root that no law enforcement officers were injured when they riddled Brown’s body with bullets from high-powered weapons as he sat with his hands on the steering wheel, there’s probably no way to clear this up. Although attorney Chantel Cherry-Lassiter said she didn’t see it happen in the 20-second clip of the incident that she was allowed to watch, Womble insists that Brown’s car moved forward and backward before a cop stopped Brown with a “kill shot” to the back of the head. If only there was some kind of definitive, objective way the two parties could clear up this disagreement. Anyway... Judge Won't Release Video of Cops Killing Andrew Brown Jr. (theroot.com)

In Memoriam: Everyone has heard of Karl Marx. But no one remembers his sister, Onya, who invented the starting pistol.

A former Georgia deputy boasted of charging Black people with felonies to make sure they lost their vote In recent months, as less and less white people support voter suppression and more and more people of color organize around gaining political power, our country has once again reached an inflection point. Republican operatives across the country, long pushing for voter suppression laws that target Black and Latino communities, have decided to be even more overt in their attempts at returning to a pre-Brown v. Board of Education, segregated America, where law enforcement can stop citizens from voting based on their skin color or perceived non-whiteness. The feeble excuse from conservative lawmakers and their handlers is that there is massive voter fraud taking place by Jews and Blacks Democratic demons. Of course, the great con here is that the people pretending that Democrats participate in massive voter fraud are usually the only ones guilty of actual elections fraud. On Wednesday, a 28-year-old former Georgia sheriff's deputy pleaded guilty to possessing "unregistered firearms resulting from an FBI-led investigation into a violent extremist group," according to the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia Peter D. Leary. Cody Richard Griggers, an ex-Wilkinson County deputy, was fired in November after the FBI contacted his sheriff about an investigation the agency was conducting on Griggers. U.S. Attorney Leary released a statement saying "Griggers clearly violated his oath with his egregious actions and has no place in law enforcement." But what Griggers did wasn't simply "possess a cache of unregistered weapons, silencers, and a machinegun, keeping many of them in his duty vehicle." An investigation of Griggers by the FBI revealed ties to a group of racist pricks calling themselves "Shadow Moses" or "Shadmo." Griggers' texts and the claims he made in this group, from his position of power in law enforcement at the time, is the real—and frightening—story. Griggers, a former Marine, is facing up to 10 years in prison for having 11 illegal firearms. But it is the nature of his violent, racist, and antisemitic texts that initially prompted his removal from the police force. According to the Belleville News-Democrat, some of the text threads include Griggers boasting, "I beat the (expletive) out of a (racial slur) Saturday. (Expletive) tried to steal (a gun magazine) from the local gun store. ... Sheriff's dept. said it looked like he fell." According to Wilkinson Sheriff Richard Chatman, who is Black, he had Griggers removed from duty when he was contacted with this information by the FBI. According to Sheriff Chatman, after investigating this claim he believes that Griggers was lying to the group in the text thread, as he could not find any evidence that this had happened. "We don't even have a gun shop here," he said. And while that is the single silver lining here, Griggers' others statements reveal the true threats posed by white supremacists and our racism-infected law enforcement system. According to the News-Democrat, the affidavit highlighted Griggers' claims to the text thread group that he planned on violating the civil rights and liberties of Georgia's Black citizens, saying that he was planning on just arresting Black folks to trump up charges. "Also I'm going to charge them with whatever felonies I can to take away their ability to vote," he claimed. A former Georgia deputy boasted of charging Black people with felonies to make sure they lost their vote - Alternet.org

Devin Nunes is caught up in Giuliani’s 'Russian mob' scandal: Trump impeachment prosecutor Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) has exposure in Rudy Giulian's legal scandal, according to former prosecutor Daniel Goldman, who served as majority counsel in Donald Trump's first impeachment trial. Goldman offered his analysis after The New York Times reported that FBI agents also executed a search warrant at the home of Giuliani ally Victoria Toensing. "This makes sense because, during the Ukraine impeachment investigation, we obtained draft retainer agreements between a Ukrainian official and Toensing and diGenova that Giuliani brokered," Goldman tweeted. Podcast host Eric Garland noticed Goldman's analysis and added his summary of the situation. "UM. SO GIULIANI AND TOENSING AND DIGENOVA WERE SIMULTANEOUSLY UNREGISTERED AGENTS OF UKRAINE *WHILE ON THE PAYROLL OF RUSSIAN MOB BOSS DMITRO FIRTASH* - while working for Trump. When he was President. And they all were conspiring with Russian intelligence," he wrote. "Correct," Goldman said. "And don't forget Devin Nunes and his sidekick Derek Harvey were involved too," he added. Devin Nunes is caught up in Giuliani’s 'Russian mob' scandal: Trump impeachment prosecutor - Alternet.org

I am somewhat surprised that Trump didn't choose Quaid as a running mate.

Trump has been identified as a malignant narcissist and he certainly presents as such. He is all about gathering sycophants, seeing self in grandiose terms and punishing anyone/everyone who does not worship and obey him.

Hurt people hurt people. There are four non-negotiable steps to change and healing: awareness, closure, modeling of new behaviours and integration.

He should be more interested in his aged mom's empty kitchen cabinets.

We are probably going to see a steady stream of these sorts of things over the coming months as those who survived in the Department of Justice despite having a conscience and commitment to justice start opening up their notebooks and following up on all the crap that has been going on during the Reign of Error. Rudy did not complete his mission to overturn the election and exonerate Trump, and billed the hell out of Trump as well (will probably never get paid), so the lack of pardon on Trump's part is cold revenge.

On CBC radio news today, it was reported by Manitoba Health officials that in the Winkler-Morden and Hanover communities, the vaccinations rate is only 20% by the choice of the residents. They were trying very hard to be diplomatic about why but it seems that there is certain group of religious followers who are refusing. There are other, smaller pockets as well in northern Manitoba.

To infinity and beyond...

Feds Search Rudy Giuliani’s Manhattan Apartment, Seize Electronic Devices NEW YORK (AP) — Federal investigators executed search warrants Wednesday morning at the Manhattan home and office of Rudy Giuliani, former President Donald Trump’s attorney, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The former New York City mayor has been under investigation for several years over his business dealings in Ukraine. Details of the searches were not immediately available, but it comes as the Justice Department continues its investigation into the former New York City mayor and staunch Trump ally. Investigators executed warrants at Giuliani’s home on Madison Avenue and his office on Park Avenue and seized electronic devices, a person familiar with the investigation told the AP. The officials could not discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. News of the search was first reported by The New York Times. The federal probe into Giuliani’s overseas and business dealings stalled last year because of a dispute over investigative tactics as Trump unsuccessfully sought reelection, and amid Giuliani’s prominent role in subsequently disputing the results of the contest on Trump’s behalf. The full scope of the investigation is unclear, but it at least partly involves the Ukraine dealings, law enforcement officials have told the AP. Feds Search Rudy Giuliani's Manhattan Apartment, Seize Electronic Devices | HuffPost

Louisiana GOP lawmaker schooled on House floor after insisting students should learn about the 'good' of slavery A Louisiana state representative was quickly corrected after he suggested schools teach about the "good of slavery." Subsequently, he also became a laughing stock on the House floor. On Tuesday, April 27, Rep. Ray Garofalo (R-La.) spoke out in support of the proposed education bill he sponsored. In reference to including the history of slavery in Louisiana schools curriculum, Garofalo said, "If you're having a discussion on, whatever the case may be, on slavery, then you can talk about everything dealing with slavery, the good the bad the ugly." However, one of his Republican colleagues quickly set the record straight. Rep. Stephanie Hilferty (R-La.) made it clear that "There's no good to slavery though." A clip of their exchange was shared by the Louisiana Democratic Party via Twitter. With the video, the political party tweeted, "The low point of session undoubtedly came today when Rep. Ray Garofalo said Louisiana schools need to teach the good of slavery." Louisiana GOP lawmaker schooled on House floor after insisting students should learn about the 'good' of slavery - Alternet.org NY Post Reporter Resigns, Says She Was ‘Ordered’ To Write False Kamala Harris Story A New York Post reporter said Tuesday she had resigned after being ordered to write a false story that claimed migrant children were being given copies of a book authored by Vice President Kamala Harris in “welcome kits.” The story, published last Friday, set off a days-long misinformation cycle among Republican leaders and on conservative media. The Washington Post debunked the claims Tuesday, demonstrating that the article appeared to be based entirely on one image of a single copy of Harris’ 2019 children’s book that was propped on a bed at a Long Beach, California shelter. NY Post Reporter Resigns, Says She Was 'Ordered' To Write False Kamala Harris Story | HuffPost

A couple of weeks ago in the US, a guy in Home Depot was told to put a mask on or leave and he hit the security guard in the head with a hammer. So, shooting people is just one small step further.