February 1, 2021

What GOP Conspiracy Are You?

I'm Anderson Cooper drank the blood of a bald eagle for the child prison camps on the moon.

February 1, 2021

Michigan grants Enbridge key permits to build Line 5 tunnel under Straits

Enbridge Energy is one step closer to building a tunnel to transport petroleum beneath the Straits of Mackinac, after Michigan environmental regulators approved key permits for the Line 5 project.

The decision by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy comes months after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered the pipeline to shut down this May, underscoring the complicated road ahead for both Enbridge and its detractors in Michigan.

In an announcement Friday, state officials acknowledged wide-ranging public concerns about the tunnel, but said state law limited their nine-month review to a narrow question: Will the tunnel project comply with Michigan’s environmental laws ?

They concluded the answer is yes, and granted Enbridge permits to discharge wastewater into the Great Lakes and conduct its tunnel-building work in protected wetlands.

Read more: https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/michigan-grants-enbridge-key-permits-build-line-5-tunnel-under-straits

February 1, 2021

With COVID surging, Michigan State University tells students to stay home

With COVID-19 spreading through residence halls and test positivity rates triple the state average, Michigan State University is asking students to stay in their dorm rooms or apartments.

The “enhanced physical-distance directive,” sent in a letter to students Saturday, will be in effect through Feb 13. The University of Michigan announced a similar directive last week that runs through Feb. 11.

No cases of COVID-19 variants — some of which are believed to be more contagious — have been detected yet at MSU, according to university spokesperson Emily Guerrant. There were 14 variant cases identified at the University of Michigan as of Wednesday.

MSU officials cited rising test positivity rates in its residence halls as the reason for the directive. The higher the rate of people testing positive, the broader the spread of the virus is likely to be.

Read more: https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/covid-surging-michigan-state-university-tells-students-stay-home

February 1, 2021

A Michigan mom is the face of the push to let kids play sports during COVID-19. Her social media is

A Michigan mom is the face of the push to let kids play sports during COVID-19. Her social media is filled with conspiracies.


Jayme McElvany is the organizer of Let Them Play Inc., a group advocating for an end to COVID-19 restrictions halting high school sports. She’s a staple of news coverage on the issue, including the most recent rally at the Michigan Capitol Saturday.

“I feel like a mom to 60,000 kids right now and I couldn’t be prouder of all of them for continuing to battle for their right to play organized youth sports,” the Milan parent told MLive.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recently issued an order extending a pause on winter contact sports until Feb. 21. Most second-wave pandemic restrictions have been lifted — and the ban on indoor dining, which Republicans frequently railed against, is set to end Monday. Now some parents advocating for their kids to resume sports have taken center stage with rallies and a lawsuit threat, part of the months-long fight from a minority of Michiganders who oppose the Gov. Whitmer’s COVID response.

Similar Let Them Play groups have popped up in other states, following the pattern of early anti-lockdown protests that often shared organization from national groups and funders.

Read more: https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/01/31/a-michigan-mom-is-the-face-of-the-push-to-let-kids-play-sports-during-covid-19-her-social-media-is-filled-with-conspiracies/

February 1, 2021

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley has banked more than $500,000 for his possible run for Ohio governor

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley has more than $500,000 in a state campaign account, including about $350,000 raised over the past six months, as he pursues a possible bid for governor, he said in an interview this week.

Cranley, 46, so far is the only Ohio Democrat to take the formal step of filing paperwork with the state to run for governor in 2022. But he’s stopped short of declaring his candidacy. He said he plans to share more details about his campaign, including policy ideas, this Spring.

“I’m going to be laying out those ideas whether I run or not, but I wouldn’t be raising this money and putting this together as comprehensively as I have if I weren’t extremely serious about running,” he said.

He reported his fundraising haul ahead of a Jan. 31 state deadline. If he ends up running, he would appear in the Democratic primary to challenge Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, assuming DeWine wins the GOP primary.

Read more: https://www.cleveland.com/open/2021/01/cincinnati-mayor-john-cranley-has-banked-more-than-500000-for-his-possible-run-for-ohio-governor.html

February 1, 2021

Black Ohio lawmakers unhappy with state Senate health chair pick over 'colored' people remark

Black state lawmakers are questioning the ability of the new Ohio Senate Health Committee chair to understand the health needs of minorities because seven months ago he asked whether “colored” people had poor sanitary habits that made them more susceptible to COVID-19.

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus "demands" a health committee leader "who understands and can help enact health policy that addresses inequities in our state without political influence," said director Tony Bishop in a release Wednesday evening.

The controversy centers on June remarks from Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, during a health committee meeting on whether racism should be deemed a public health crisis in Ohio. The measure, which never came to a vote, generated a discussion about racial disparities in COVID-19 infection rates.

Huffman asked: "Could it just be that African Americans — the colored population — do not wash their hands as well as other groups? Or wear a mask? Or do not socially distance themselves?"

Read more: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/01/21/black-ohio-lawmakers-unhappy-steve-huffman-tipp-city-unwashed-colored-covid-senate-health-committee/4240355001/
(Columbus Dispatch)

February 1, 2021

Where Are They Now? The Heroes of the Trump Administration, 10 Years After Greatness

January 26, 2031 – A look back on what’s become of the stars of Trump administration, deemed by scholars to be the greatest in U.S. history:

Donald Trump: Found brief success with the launch of Trump TV, a 24-hour news channel devoted to complaining about the 2020 election. But his fortune collapsed following his conviction of bank and tax fraud. Upon his release from prison, Trump retired to an assisted living facility in Fort Lauderdale. He spent his remained days friendless and alone, dying at age 79 from advanced stage syphilis.

Mike Pence: The vice president’s failure to join the 2021 terrorist attack on Congress left him a despised figure in the GOP. He returned to Indiana to fulfill a lifelong dream: fronting Lil Mike & the Flaming Heterosexuals, a Village People tribute band. Billboard calls him the “highest grossing performer on the Indiana church social circuit.”

Melania Trump: “Free at last!” Melania exclaimed outside the courtroom after her husband’s conviction, where she announced her engagement to become the fifth wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch. “He still has money,” she explained.

Ivanka Trump: With her Prada for Peasants Foundation, which distributes luxury handbags to orphans, Ivanka reinvented herself as a charitable powerhouse. In 2024, she was elected vice president in the Ted Cruz administration. Six months later, she ascended to president when Cruz was unanimously impeached by both parties “for being a huge dick.” She remains in the Oval Office today, best known for her signature legislation – the Like, Stop Election Fraud, You Guys Act – which restricts voting to elderly rural white men. It allowed her to declare herself “Pharaoh” in 2027.

Read more: https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2021/01/26/where-are-they-now-the-heroes-of-the-trump-administration-10-years-after-greatness

February 1, 2021

'Complete surprise.' Chief strategist for Kasich's 2016 presidential bid accused of online sexual

'Complete surprise.' Chief strategist for Kasich's 2016 presidential bid accused of online sexual harassment


COLUMBUS – Twenty-one men have accused Republican strategist John Weaver – a key adviser in ex-Ohio Gov. John Kasich's presidential bid – of sending sexually provocative messages, according to a New York Times report.

Some of the unsolicited messages, including those sent to a 14-year-old boy, occurred while Weaver worked for Kasich. Weaver joined Kasich's presidential campaign as a senior strategist in early June 2015 and remained on the payroll of Kasich's political action committee through May 2019.

"These allegations caught us by complete surprise as we had not seen any evidence of this behavior while he was working with us," Kasich spokesman Jim Lynch said. "While he has not been with our organization for quite some time, we are extremely disappointed by what we have learned."

Weaver first reached out to Trickle Miele, then 14, on Twitter in 2015. At the time, Miele supported the Republican Party and was a fan of Kasich. Although initially "semi-starstruck" by Weaver, Miele told the New York Times that he became increasingly uncomfortable with the messages.

Read more: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/31/john-weaver-chief-strategist-kasichs-2016-presidential-bid-accused-online-harassment/4331370001/

February 1, 2021

Black Lives Matter flag vandalized, white supremacist signs placed around Xavier's campus

Xavier University police said a Black Lives Matter flag was vandalized and signs from a group that supports "extremist ideologies and hate speech" were found scattered in public areas across campus.

The incident was first reported in a notification sent to students just after 7 p.m. Saturday.

" (The Xavier University Police Department) has removed the material and is investigating the situation," officials said. "There is no indication that anyone in our campus community is responsible for posting these signs."

This is the third time over five days that Cincinnati-area universities have seen vandalism or materials left by extremist groups.

Read more: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/01/31/xavier-university-black-lives-matter-flag-vandalized-white-supremacist-signs-found/4331840001/

February 1, 2021

Advocates for People with Disabilities Want Offensive Ohio Laws Rewritten

Advocacy groups are urging Ohio lawmakers to rewrite certain state laws to take out antiquated language now considered to be offensive against people with disabilities.

There are around two-dozen such sections within the Ohio Revised Code as well as two sections of the Ohio Constitution that have been identified as needing to be edited, the groups say. They have offered substitute language with the hopes that lawmakers will take up this issue with the new legislative term underway.

Five years ago, the state adjusted language within the Ohio Revised Code to take out references to “mental retardation.” Katherine Yoder, executive director of Adult Advocacy Centers, described this as an important step toward providing better respect for individuals with disabilities.

But other terms considered to be derogatory remain, including phrases like “crippled children,” “deaf and dumb,” “lunatics” and “mental defective.”

Read more: https://www.citybeat.com/news/blog/21148403/advocates-for-people-with-disabilities-want-offensive-ohio-laws-rewritten
(Cincinnati Citybeat)