March 2, 2021

Educators line up to get COVID-19 vaccine at Ford Field

DETROIT -- Meijer's two-day vaccination clinic at Ford Field is at capacity with 24 pharmacists and 2,600 appointments. Monday was the first day of administering the Moderna vaccine, and the same residents will return in four weeks for the second dose.

Earlier last week, Meijer and the Michigan Education Special Services Association collaborated to identify and schedule appointments for education employees who still needed the vaccine.

"It came together pretty quickly with Meijer approaching us at the beginning of the year," said Jen McCollum, Detroit Lions senior communications director. "Teachers and school staff from six counties in southeast Michigan are here today to get their vaccine." ............(more)

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2021/03/01/detroit-area-educators-line-up-get-covid-19-vaccine-ford-field/6864574002/

March 2, 2021

Paul Gosar spoke to a white nationalist conference, and they chanted his name

Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar surveyed the crowd as he settled in at the podium for the Feb. 26 headlining speech at the America First Political Action Conference, an event organized by a young white nationalist.

“Wow, what a group,” Gosar, a Republican from Prescott, told the crowd in Orlando, Fla., launching into a speech in which he railed against the “deep state,” talked about the importance of building an impenetrable wall along America’s southern border and how “cancel culture” is a greater concern than the climate crisis.

When Gosar finished, the event concluded with a 67-minute speech by 22-year-old white nationalist Nick Fuentes, the conference organizer, who called the Jan. 6 riots “awesome” and demanded elected leaders like Gosar enact protections for the country’s “white demographic core.”

Gosar was the only elected representative to speak at the conference. Other speakers included Vincent James Foxx, a propagandist for white supremacists online who creates compilations of racist fist fights, and former Rep. Steve King who was repudiated by most of his fellow congressional Republicans after an interview with The New York Times in which he wondered why terms like “white supermacist” have become “offensive.” ..............(more)

https://www.azmirror.com/2021/03/01/paul-gosar-spoke-to-a-white-nationalist-conference-and-they-chanted-his-name/

March 2, 2021

CPAC was about more than Trump's cult -- it's now cemented the GOP's authoritarianism

CPAC was about more than Trump's cult — it's now cemented the GOP's authoritarianism
Even scarier than Trump's personality cult, CPAC shows that Republicans' fascism deeper than Trump

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
MARCH 1, 2021 6:00PM


(Salon) If you want a perfect emblem of the current state of Republican politics, look to the story of how Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., spent this past weekend.

On Friday night, Gosar attended a conference for unvarnished fascists, where the main organizer gave a speech calling for America to be white nationalist country and openly celebrated the insurrection spearheaded by Donald Trump on Jan. 6. On Saturday, while speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Gosar lamely claimed to denounce "white racism," clearly feeling that those magic words erased his participation in and support for those who are organizing white racists to take over the country through force.

....(snip)....

Much was written, both on social and plain old regular media, about how CPAC this year was cementing Trump's power over the GOP and turning the party into a cult of personality for their orange-hued buffoon of a leader. Indeed, it's both alarming and darkly funny, from the rapturous reception of his predictably whiny stemwinder to the ridiculous gold statue of Trump that was on display, which drew thousands of jokes about golden calves. But really, the Trump worship is only part of what is the bigger and much scarier story of CPAC.

The conference was geared around the task of completing the transformation of the Republican party into an overtly authoritarian — even fascist — party that is focused on seizing and holding power against the will of the American people. The Trump idolatry is part of that — what's a fascist party without a cult around a narcissistic leader? — but ultimately, Trump still functions as he always has, which is as a tool for his followers to get what they want, and not an ends in himself. And what they want, as CPAC made quite clear, is to make the U.S. a white nationalist country, which is always what the "MAGA" slogan stood for. ........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/03/01/cpac-was-about-more-than-trumps-cult--its-now-cemented-the-gops-authoritarianism/

March 1, 2021

Michigan to get Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine this week

Michigan is expecting to receive 82,700 doses of the single-shot COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson this week, the state health department says.

The shipment is expected to arrive Wednesday and will be shipped to local health departments and hospitals, said Lynn Sutfin, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. ..........(more)

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/03/01/michigan-johnson-johnson-single-dose-vaccine/6874870002/

March 1, 2021

PASS that stimulus bill. In addition to getting essential relief to Americans.....

.... it's a BIG political win for Biden and the Democrats. Sorry but I want to rub Repug faces in it. Elections are supposed to have consequences.

March 1, 2021

Florida man drowns while searching for lost golf ball, authorities say

OLDSMAR, Florida — A 74-year-old man was found dead in a pond on a golf course Sunday and authorities believe he likely fell in while searching for a lost ball.

The body of Hermilo Jazmines was found by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office dive team at the East Lake Woodlands Country Club, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

Jazmines was golfing with a friend Sunday morning when he hit his ball in the water on the course’s third hole, the news release says. He was last seen looking for his ball near the water. ...............(more)

https://www.cleveland.com/nation/2021/03/florida-man-drowns-while-searching-for-lost-golf-ball-authorities-say.html

March 1, 2021

'Deez Nuts' MAGA a**hole indicted for role in Capitol insurrection

A Trump supporter who took part in the January 6th riots at the United States Capitol building has been indicted weeks after he challenged federal law enforcement officials to "investigate deez nuts."

In a new court filing released Monday, an FBI special agent details the social media posts of a man named James Matthew Horning who repeatedly photographed and took video of himself during the Capitol riot while also throwing taunts at law enforcement officials.

In one video, Horning lights up what he says is a marijuana cigarette and then says, "F*ck it, smoking a joint on the Capitol steps right now."

Horning then posted on Facebook after the riot in which he said he was proud to take part in an event that he hoped would intimidate Congress into installing former President Donald Trump in the White House. ..............(more)

https://www.rawstory.com/james-matthew-horning/?

March 1, 2021

Bullet trains in America? The new push for major high-speed rail project between Boston and New York

How does an hour and 40 minutes between New York City and Boston by train sound?

It’s not outside the realm of possibilities, with high-speed rail projects and proposals getting a major boost under the new Biden administration.

Bloomberg reported on the possibility of a bullet train between some of the largest cities in the Northeast with a new tunnel from New York to Boston under the Long Island Sound with stops in Providence and Hartford. It’s called the North Atlantic Rail Project. It’s been in the works as an initiative since 2017 and is a collaboration between leaders in seven New England states.

https://twitter.com/economics/status/1363521125809065992?s=20

It would require the largest underwater tunnel in North America. It would also require government funding to really get off the ground. The tunnel would be built in three phases over 20 years at the cost of at least $105 billion. ..............(more)

https://thepointsguy.com/news/bullet-trains-america/

March 1, 2021

Mall Values Plunge 60% After Reappraisals Triggered by Bad Debt

(Bloomberg) U.S. mall values plunged an average 60% after appraisals in 2020, a sign of more pain to come for retail properties even as the economy emerges from pandemic-enforced lockdowns.

About $4 billion in value was erased from 118 retail-anchored properties with commercial mortgage-backed securities debt after reappraisals triggered by payment delinquencies, defaults or foreclosures, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

That average drop -- which reflects the change in value since the debt was originated years ago -- may underestimate losses when the properties come up for sale because so much retail real estate is in distress. And few buyers are willing to take risks on aging shopping centers as e-commerce continues to grab market share.

“It’s an eye-popping decline,” Gwen Roush, an analyst with DBRS Morningstar rating service who tracks commercial real estate, said in an interview. “When we’re forecasting a loss on these malls, we’re even further haircutting that value.” .............(more)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-01/mall-values-plunge-60-after-reappraisals-triggered-by-bad-debt?srnd=premium

March 1, 2021

Ex-Detroit Red Wing Todd Bertuzzi reportedly arrested on suspicion of drunk driving

Former Detroit Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi has reportedly been arrested on the suspicion of drunk driving.

According to TMZ, the 46-year-old was pulled over after midnight Saturday morning in Auburn Hills after motorists called 911 to report a swerving car.

Police reportedly saw the vehicle run a red light. When Bertuzzi was pulled over, officers suspected he was intoxicated. Bertuzzi refused a breathalyzer test, but according to TMZ, Bertuzzi showed signs of impairment during field sobriety tests.

Joe Taylor, who identified himself as a working front-desk operations for the Auburn Hills police department, said the department did not have a comment because the incident is “still under investigation.” Records show Bertuzzi was booked 3:35 a.m. Feb. 27 and released from Oakland County Jail 12:52 p.m. Feb. 27. ...........(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2021/03/01/detroit-red-wings-todd-bertuzzi-arrested-drunk-driving/6868608002/