Tracker

Agreed, but if he declared martial law, he would not have to answer to anyone.

I find it ironic that two of the premiers that I would have thought would have fumbled the COVID crisis have been two of the most adept. I have personal issues with the way Pallister has managed the province, but for the most part, I have to applaud his actions in the pandemic.

Pence has presidential aspirations(fantasies) but to do that he will have to avoid criticizing Trump, trump's abysmal record, or the racists who supported Trump. He will call for unity but will stickhandle around criticizing by name the Qanon/Proud Boys/Oathkeepers etc etc. Gonna be a tough tightrope act.

The band is getting back together again!

As a footnote to the above post, not only would Trump have been unfazed by rioters hanging Pence, I believe he would have welcomed it for two reasons: firstly, it would have confirmed to the psychotic Trump that his followers loved him so much they were willing to kill for him,( a tremendous ego boost, adding to his grandiose self-image) and secondly, it would have provided him the excuse he desperately wants to declare a national state of emergency (nevermind that he fomented it) and then he would have a pretext to declare martial law. This would have allowed him (in theory) to extend his reign indefinitely. I find it bizarre to say the least that there is an unwritten rule that no president can be charged with a criminal offence, no matter how egregious while in office, nor will he be charged after leaving office for crimes committed while president. The convention is that it would be bad for national unity, so even if the president commits traitorous acts, he will walk free.

Fleeing The Scene Of The Crime: Trump Will Leave White House Before Biden Is Sworn In: Report President Trump plans to leave the White House on the morning of Jan. 20 and will hold a goodbye event at Joint Base Andrews, Reuters has reported. Trump has said he won’t be attending Biden’s inauguration that day, making him the fifth president to miss their successor’s swearing-in ceremony. His goal is to leave Washington while he is still president and before President-elect Biden is sworn in—he reportedly doesn’t want to wait until after, which could require him to ask Biden to borrow Air Force One. Although it’s unclear where he will fly directly after his departure next week, he’s said to have decided to settle in at Mar-a-Lago for the next phase of his life and bring some of his aides with him. Trump Will Leave White House Before Biden Is Sworn In: Report (thedailybeast.com) Pence Was ‘Seconds’ Away From Being Spotted by Capitol Mob: WaPo The Trumpist mob that stormed the Capitol last week got dangerously close to one of their apparent targets: Vice President Mike Pence. A lone police officer was chased up the stairs during the attack, and if the officer had been unable to hold rioters back, they would have reached the landing and seen Pence, The Washington Post reports. Instead, rioters reached a landing area just seconds after Pence and his family passed through as the vice president was whisked away to safety. The Post reports it took 14 minutes from when rioters began attempting to break into the Capitol for Pence to be rushed from the Senate chamber to a hiding spot, an astoundingly long time given the heightened danger of the situation. During the attack some rioters were heard chanting, “Hang Mike Pence!” Jacob Chansley, the “QAnon Shaman,” left a note on Pence’s desk that said, “it’s only a matter of time, justice is coming,” his charging documents allege.

Fox & Friends: Twitter banning extremists like QAnon is ‘very scary’ because you can’t make decisions ‘based on truth’ "Fox & Friends" is defending what it is calling "conservative voices" and "conservative speech" by denouncing Twitter expunging 70,000 accounts tied to extremist groups like QAnon. Friday morning the Fox News morning show declared these extremists peddling often dangerous conspiracy theories and lies about the election are important voices of "truth" in the national conversation, which is false. "It's very scary as to how this is going to affect you," co-host Ainsley Earhardt told viewers, "because they're trying to shut down voices so that you don't know the full story, and you can't make a decision based on truth."

Lung damage after COVID-19 is worse than smokers' lungs: surgeon U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Ian Krug, left, a registered nurse with the 59th Medical Wing, stationed in Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, works with U.S. Air Force Capt. Ramil Labiran, right, a registered nurse with Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and Staff Sgt. LaShauna Brown, center, a medical technician and noncommissioned officer in charge of the pediatric intensive care unit of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., in a makeshift expansion of the intensive care unit at University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, Nov. 16, 2020. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in support of the whole-of-America COVID-19 response. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage states across America, one surgeon has issued a warning that may serve as a reminder to stay vigilant. According to CBS News, Dr. Brittany Bankhead-Kendall, a Lubbock, Texas trauma surgeon, tweeted an observation of COVID's impact on the lungs as she highlighted the likely long-term difficulties people will face. "Post-COVID lungs look worse than any type of terrible smoker's lung we've ever seen. And they collapse. And they clot off. And the shortness of breath lingers on... & on... & on." During an interview with CBS Dallas-Fort Worth, Bankhead-Kendall revealed what she thinks is far worse than the mortality rate that most people focus on. She expressed concern about the long-term impacts COVID-positive and even asymptomatic people may face. "Everyone's just so worried about the mortality thing and that's terrible and it's awful," she told the publication. "But man, for all the survivors and the people who have tested positive this is — it's going to be a problem."

Capitol Rioters Meant To ‘Capture And Assassinate’ Officials, Court Filing Says WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Federal prosecutors offered an ominous new assessment of last week’s siege of the U.S. Capitol by President Donald Trump’s supporters on Thursday, saying in a court filing that rioters intended “to capture and assassinate elected officials.” Prosecutors offered that view in a filing asking a judge to detain Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man and QAnon conspiracy theorist who was famously photographed wearing horns as he stood at the desk of Vice President Mike Pence in the chamber of the U.S. Senate. The detention memo, written by Justice Department lawyers in Arizona, goes into greater detail about the FBI’s investigation into Chansley, revealing that he left a note for Pence warning that “it’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.” “Strong evidence, including Chansley’s own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government,” prosecutors wrote.

Franklin Graham slammed for 'inciting violence' after comparing Republicans who voted to impeach to 'Judas' Evangelical leader and top Trump religion advisor Franklin Graham is under fire Thursday after attacking Republican Members of Congress who voted to impeach President Donald Trump, to "Judas," the biblical times apostle who betrayed Jesus Christ. "Shame, shame on the ten Republicans who joined with @SpeakerPelosi & the House Democrats in impeaching President Trump yesterday," Graham said on Twitter. "After all that he has done for our country, you would turn your back & betray him so quickly? What was done yesterday only further divides our nation." Graham also suggested they were paid off to vote against Trump, a dangerous allegation especially just one week after MAGA domestic terrorists and insurgents committed murder and sedition. (Jesus would be soooo proud of Franklin) Franklin Graham slammed for 'inciting violence' after comparing Republicans who voted to impeach to 'Judas' - Alternet.org

Probably, but from reports, Trump is now afraid that by issuing pardons left and right, he will provoke public anger that will harm "his brand".

Physician Who Called Trump 'Healthiest' President Ever Dies At 73 Dr. Harold Bornstein, the long-haired New York City physician who once said Donald Trump would be the “healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency,” died Friday at age 73. His death was listed in a paid obituary Thursday in The New York Times and did not specify a cause. “Dr. Bornstein was a force of nature who brought joy to his family, friends and everyone he encountered in life, and continues to do so in memory. He loved his wife, Melissa,” the obituary read. After graduating from Tufts Medical School in 1975, Bornstein went into practice with his father on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. He also worked at the nearby Lenox Hill Hospital. Bornstein counted President Trump, 74, among his patients for more than 35 years until he gave an interview to the Times disclosing that the president took Propecia, a medication that stimulates hair growth. “He has all his hair,” Bornstein said at the time, explaining that he also takes the drug himself. “I have all my hair,” he added. In the same interview, Bornstein said Trump also took a drug to control rosacea, another to lower his cholesterol and a daily baby aspirin to reduce the risk of heart attack. Two days afterward, Bornstein later alleged, three men including a Trump bodyguard strong-armed their way into the doctor’s office to seize the president’s medical records. In an interview with NBC News, Bornstein called the incident a “raid” and said that it made him feel “raped, frightened and sad.” Then-White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the seizure, which occurred shortly after Trump took office, was “standard procedure” for an incoming president.

The failure to confront the white supremacist invasion of police forces has had deadly consequences The apparent participation of off-duty officers in the rally that morphed into a siege on the U.S. Capitol building Jan. 6 has revived fears about white supremacists within police departments. These concerns are not new. White supremacy, the belief that white people are superior to other races, has long tainted elements within law enforcement. As I testified before Congress just months before this assault, there is a long history of racism in U.S. policing – and this legacy may have contributed to the violence in the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Reports of officers involved in an attack in which the symbols and language of white supremacy were clearly on display are concerning. But so too, I believe, is a policing culture that may have contributed to the downplaying of the risk of attack before it began and the apparent sympathetic response to attackers displayed by some police officers – they too hint at a wider problem. The failure to confront the white supremacist invasion of police forces has had deadly consequences - Alternet.org

The unholy alliance there is the same as in Nazi Germany, between churches, big business, fascists and opportunistic corrupt politicians.

I know how painful it is to have the light of your life torn away and fall into an abyss of emptiness and despair. There are many for whom the life alone without their soulmate is so devoid of meaning and joy that they choose to wither away soon after their mates. It take a lot of courage and support to try to reassemble a life alone.

If anyone wants a lesson in sociology, keep paying attention tot he US. The same sociological processes that led to the rise of Adolph Hitler have been unfolding in the States for the past 50 years and will not easily be undone. It will take generations for the racism and neo-fascism to stop being an integral part of the American political landscape, if it can be done at all. The single biggest problems are that a major US political party and a major TV network are disseminating the lies echoing what each other and Trump are saying. The sane networks have been afraid to call out the intolerance and lies for what they are until very recently.

115 points · 43 comments

Stop the Steal denied inciting violence: Now its leader wants to "bring hell" to his enemies In the aftermath of last week's attack on Congress, Ali Alexander, chief organizer of the "Stop the Steal" election conspiracy movement, rejected any blame for the unprecedented political violence that flowed naturally from his event in Washington on Wednesday. "I didn't incite anything," Alexander claimed in a video shared to Twitter on Friday. "I didn't do anything." Hours after the riot, Alexander said bluntly: "I do not denounce this." It's a common refrain for Alexander, a convicted felon who shed his given name Ali Akbar years ago while trying to establish himself as a Muslim face in Tea Party circles. For the last two months, since the election, Alexander has popped up at "Stop the Steal" rallies around the country, peddling lies and conspiracy theories and telling people he was prepared to die for the cause — denying that he endorsed violence while walking his rally crowds right up to the edge of insurrection. But two days after he shrugged off allegations that he played a central role in the unprecedented political crime last week, with authorities apparently on his trail and his Twitter account suspended, Alexander live-streamed his open embrace and endorsement of political violence. "Rest assured in this," he says at one point in the 24-minute monologue. "The lord says vengeance is his, and I pray that I am the tool to stab these motherfuckers." At another point in the video — which Alexander appears to have streamed sitting under a dome light in a vehicle moving through the night — the self-styled provocateur, who trades on his association with larger-than-life right-wing personalities such as Alex Jones and Roger Stone, teases viewers that the next step will be violent on a biblical scale. Stop the Steal denied inciting violence: Now its leader wants to "bring hell" to his enemies | Salon.com "When I do unleash the plan, I will unleash ..." Alexander says, then closes his mouth and stares at the camera for seven seconds. He continues: "I will unleash a legion of angels to bring hell to my enemies."

QAnon shaman accidentally unravels GOP impeachment defense: 'He came at the request of the president' House Republicans defended President Donald Trump from impeachment by insisting that he never encouraged his supporters to violently storm the U.S. Capitol, but court documents show those insurrectionists believed they were carrying out his orders. The president addressed supporters Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., where he urged them to "peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard" by marching on the Capitol, and GOP lawmakers seized on those words in their impeachment defense -- but one of the most recognizable figures in the siege told investigators he was doing what he believed Trump wanted. "Your affiant and an FBI agent spoke on the phone with [Jacob] CHANSLEY, who confirmed that he was the male in the face paint and headdress in the Vice President's chair in the Senate," investigators said in an affidavit filed in court. "CHANSLEY stated that he came as a part of a group effort, with other 'patriots' from Arizona, at the request of the President that all 'patriots' come to D.C. on January 6, 2021."' QAnon shaman accidentally unravels GOP impeachment defense: 'He came at the request of the president' - Alternet.org This Republican fiercely believed in Trump. Now she doesn't 'believe in America anymore' President Donald Trump may be leaving the White House in the coming days but his sordid legacy will likely live on because his fierce supporters still believe in the falsehoods he has promoted. An article published by Buzzfeed highlights the plight of a woman only identified as Sandra — a 60-year-old, fierce Trump supporter with deep-rooted, right-wing conservative beliefs. After being caught in the right-wing media whirlwind of Facebook, Twitter, and Parler, Sandra's beliefs shifted to only one possible outcome for the 2020 presidential election. She believed there was absolutely no way Trump could be defeated unless the election was rigged — a dangerous precedent Trump set long before the election even took place. "If Trump doesn't win, I won't vote again," Sandra said. "Because what good would it do? What good did it do?" Although the Trump campaign provided no substantial evidence of voter fraud and nearly all of his post-election lawsuits were tossed out of court for failure to provide proof, many of the president's loyal followers like Sandra still believe there is a conspiracy against him. Now, Sandra has made it clear there is only one man she trusts: Trump, a twice-impeached president who incited a deadly insurrection. This Republican fiercely believed in Trump. Now she doesn't 'believe in America anymore' - Alternet.org

Oh, oh. Somebody is gonna get a hurtin'. And it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. They deserve each other. Let the games begin!!!

Superstore at one time had a pretty decent frozen deep dish pizza. Can't recall who the supplier was, though and its been years since I saw them.

Very believable. Trump swings between being monofocused to the point of obsession and having the attention span of a fruit fly.

I think that you are right- McConnell is trying to look like a righteous politician who damns what Trump has done all the while being careful to not anger the lunatics who follow Trump and worship at his feet.

Donald Trump Set To Be Impeached For Second Time. Trump will be the first president to ever be impeached twice, this time over the Capitol insurrection. By Matt Fuller, HuffPost US WASHINGTON ― A majority of members of the House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time. The article of impeachment charges Trump with “incitement of insurrection.” It is a single article, narrowly drafted by Reps. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) while they were in lockdown during the Capitol riot last week.