Brnovich (mis)uses his position as AZAG to have the public pay for those who wish to threaten the public

From Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, published by the Arizona Capitol Times -

AG: Parents can take schools to court over quarantine

If your child is sent home to quarantine when school resumes because of possible exposure to Covid, you have the right to challenge that in court. 

And the state will even pay for your lawyer. 

That bit of information comes because state Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, decided to ask Attorney General Mark Brnovich about a section of the state Health Code that gives state and county health officials various powers during a state of emergency. And one of them specifically allows those agencies to “require isolation or quarantine of any person.” 

The opinion is here.

Not sure who is more craven here - Townsend, in her quest to use her position to ignore the science and endanger others or Brnovich, in his quest to win the R primary for US Senate by siphoning money from society in order to pay those who wish to threaten it.

OK - it's Brnovich.  

Townsend is simply a lousy human being, which hardly makes her unique at the state legislature; it just makes her eligible for the Legislative Loon Award.

Brnovich is a public employee who is looking to sacrifice the public on the altar of his lust for high office.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.  

Sarah Palin embraces her inner anti-vaxxer

From Business Insider via Yahoo! News -

Sarah Palin gave a speech opposing vaccination, and said she would get a shot 'over my dead body'

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has vowed not to get a coronavirus vaccine after claiming she had natural immunity because she contracted COVID-19 in March.

Palin, who was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, said on Sunday she would get the vaccine "over my dead body."

This stuff, the proud embrace of scientific ignorance, wouldn't bother me so much if the only folks endangered by it were people like Palin and other anti-vaxxers.  Unfortunately, they're endangering the rest of us.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.  

People are dying of Covid, yet Rep. Steve Kaiser wants to ignore the science

 Arizona's hospitals have reached their capacity due to Covid hospitalizations and the state is asking for federal help to deal with it, but Republican State Rep. Steve Kaiser has proposed HB2020 to exempt from vaccine requirements those that have had Covid or anti-bodies from it.

The problem?  

His proposal ignores the science.

From the CDC -

Antibodies and COVID-19

Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be detected in the blood of people who have recovered from COVID-19 or people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Getting a vaccine is safer than getting COVID-19, and vaccination against COVID-19 is recommended for everyone 5 years of age and older. If someone has already had COVID-19, vaccination against COVID-19 increases their body’s antibody response, which improves their protection.

It is important to remember that some people with antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 may become infected after vaccination (vaccine breakthrough infection) or after recovering from a past infection (reinfected). Based on what we know right now, risk of reinfection is low for at least the first 6 months following an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 diagnosed by a laboratory test. When someone who is fully vaccinated gets COVID-19, it is called a vaccine breakthrough infection. No vaccine is 100% effective, so some breakthrough infections are expected. The risk of infection, severe illness, hospitalization, and death are all much lower for vaccinated people compared to people who are unvaccinated. When reinfections or breakthrough infections happen, having antibodies plays an important role in helping prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

For many diseases, including COVID-19, antibodies are expected to decrease or “wane” over time. After a long enough period of time, your level of antibodies can decrease below a level that provides effective protection. This level is called the “threshold of protection.” When antibodies decrease below the threshold of protection, you may become more vulnerable to severe illness. We do not yet know what the threshold of protection for antibodies is for the virus that causes COVID-19 or how long it takes these antibodies to wane. Even after antibodies wane, your immune system may have cells that remember the virus that can act quickly to protect you from severe illness if you become infected. These topics are being researched by scientists all over the world.

­I have COVID-19 antibodies. What does it mean?

A positive antibody test result can help identify someone who has had COVID-19 in the past or has been vaccinated against COVID-19. Antibody tests are not used if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or for diagnosing a current case of COVID-19. This is because it takes most people with a healthy immune system 1 to 3 weeks after getting COVID-19 to develop antibodies. A viral test is recommended to identify a current infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. More information about the role and uses of antibody testing is available.

Most people who have a positive antibody test result can continue with normal activities, including work, but they should still take steps to protect themselves and others, including getting vaccinated.

Studies show that people who have antibodies from an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 can improve their level of protection by getting vaccinated.

A positive antibody test result alone, especially one from an infection at an unknown time or that was determined by a viral test more than 6 months ago, does not necessarily mean that you are immune to getting COVID-19. If you have had an antibody test, it is important to review your test results with your healthcare provider.

Kaiser is another one that is in the running for the Legislative Loon Award, though I may have to add a "homicidal" criteria to it.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.  

Irony has a new poster child

From The Daily Beast - 

North Dakota Republican Misses His Own Anti-Vax Rally After Catching COVID

After presumably working very, very hard to help organize a Monday rally against COVID vaccine mandates, a far-right North Dakota lawmaker had to give it a miss after coming down with the virus himself. Republican Rep. Jeff Hoverson revealed over the weekend that he is quarantining and taking ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug unproven to have any substantial effect on coronavirus patients. He wrote on Facebook that “Covid is real and like a really bad flu.” The Minot lawmaker told the Associated Press he was “feeling rough” after being diagnosed last week. Hoverson is a pastor who has introduced legislation to repeal mask mandates and sponsored a failed attempt to criminalize aiding women’s access to abortions. He said on Monday that although he would not be attending his “We the People” rally outside North Dakota’s statehouse, three of his teenage children would be.

Hoverson has a history of being a problem child.

From KFYRTV, on October 27 -

North Dakota lawmaker barred from flight following incident with Minot TSA agent

A North Dakota lawmaker was barred from boarding a flight at Minot International Airport Monday, following an incident with a TSA agent.

Rep. Jeff Hoverson, R-Minot, said he and his wife were planning to travel Monday for their anniversary.

Hoverson told Your News Leader that a TSA agent who was giving him a pat down put his hand in the front pocket of Hoverson’s hoodie.

Can you add "duh" to a poster pic?

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.  

Ignoring Covid in order to score some political points doesn't make the victims less dead

No matter how fervently the ignorant ones stamp their feet and insist otherwise...

From The Tennessean, dated today -

Tennessee lawmakers restrict authority of schools, local health departments over COVID-19

Following five hours of late-night deliberations between the two legislative chambers, Tennessee lawmakers adjourned at 1:34 a.m. Saturday, after passing a series of measures significantly limiting COVID-19 restrictions by businesses, schools, local health departments and even the governor.

Debate over the comprehensive package split along party lines — with advocates touting individual liberty and opponents voicing concerns of state government overreach.

Late night legislation is usually bad, as we've learned here in AZ; measures that can't stand up to scrutiny in the light of day should *never* be approved by a legislative body.

In Tennessee, the lege approved an amendment to SB9014 that not only does the things specified in the story above, but also restricts private businesses from requiring masks or vaccination of their employees and/or customers.

From their summary of the bill - 

VACCINE MANDATES AND STATUS

This amendment prohibits:

(1) A governmental entity, school, or local education agency (LEA) from mandating that:

(A) A person receive a COVID-19 vaccine; or

(B) A private business or school require proof of vaccination as a condition to access the private business's or school's premises or facilities or to receive the benefits of the private business's or school's products or services; and

(2) A private business, governmental entity, LEA, or school from compelling or otherwise taking an adverse action against a person to compel the person to provide proof of vaccination if the person objects to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine for any reason.

This amendment specifies that a medicare certified provider or medicaid certified provider is not a private business or governmental entity, but only to the extent that the medicare certified provider or medicaid certified provider is subject to a valid and enforceable medicare or medicaid condition of participation that imposes a requirement contrary to the newly created Title 14.

"School" means a public elementary or secondary school operated by a local education agency or by the state with public funds, including a charter school; a publicly-operated child care agency, child care program, preschool, or nursery school; and a public postsecondary educational institution.

FACE COVERINGS GENERALLY

(1) This amendment prohibits:

(A) A private business that receives grant funds or tax credits from this state (a "publicly-funded private business") or governmental entity from requiring a person to wear a face covering as a condition to access the publicly-funded private business's or governmental entity's premises or facilities or to receive the benefits of the publicly-funded private business's or governmental entity's products or services unless severe conditions exist and the requirement is in effect for no more than 14 days. "Severe condition" means that the governor has declared a state of emergency for COVID-19 and a county has an average rolling 14-day COVID-19 infection rate of at least 1,000 new known infections for every 100,000 residents of the county based on the most recent data published by the department of health;

(B) An employer that receives grant funds or tax credits from this state (a "publicly-funded employer") from requiring an employee to wear a face covering as a term or condition of employment or taking an adverse action against an employee for failing to wear a face covering unless severe conditions exist at the time the requirement is adopted and the requirement is in effect for not more than 14 days.; and

(C) A publicly-funded private business, governmental entity, or publicly-funded employer from requiring a person to wear a face covering if the person provides documentation from the person's healthcare provider that wearing a face covering is contraindicated for the person, or if the person objects to wearing a face covering because of the person's sincerely held religious belief.

(2) This amendment authorizes a publicly-funded private business, governmental entity, or publicly-funded employer to renew its face covering requirement for additional 14-day periods if severe conditions continue to exist each time the face covering requirement is renewed. If, at the end of a 14-day period, severe conditions no longer exist, then the publicly-funded private business, governmental entity, or publicly-funded employer must not renew its face covering requirement or otherwise require a person to wear a face covering as a condition to access its premises or facilities; to receive its products or services; or as a term or condition of employment.

From Mayo Clinic's Covid page (OK, mostly, I like images :) ) -

For those who prefer numbers, from Johns Hopkin University -

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.   

3. Stop voting for pro-death candidates for public office.

Greg Abbott gives everyone yet another reason to avoid Texas if one wants to stay alive

From The Texas Tribune -

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bans any COVID-19 vaccine mandates — including for private employers

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued another executive order cracking down on COVID-19 vaccine mandates — this time banning any entity in Texas, including private businesses, from requiring vaccinations for employees or customers.

Abbott also called on the Legislature to pass a law with the same effect. The Legislature is in its third special legislative session, which ends Oct. 19.

He's pro-gun too.

Or maybe he's just pro-death (for others).

Do they find the idea of vaccines or the suggestion of thinking more objectionable?

From The Daily Beast -

Republicans Shout Down Lindsey Graham for Pushing Vaccine

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was booed by Republican activists Saturday after he suggested they should consider taking the coronavirus vaccine, making him the latest prominent Republican to face a backlash from the party’s grassroots over the vaccine.

Speaking at a county Republican event in Summerville, South Carolina, Graham said he had received the vaccine and encouraged audience members to take the vaccine as well.

[snip]

“I didn’t tell you to get it, you ought to think about it,” Graham continued, shrugging to the audience as they heckled him.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.   

Killing folks: it's a Republican thing.

From NPR -

Lawmakers and the pope ask Missouri's governor to halt an execution. He says no

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Monday declined to grant clemency to death row inmate Ernest Johnson, despite requests for mercy from the pope, two federal lawmakers and thousands of petition signers.

Johnson, 61, was convicted of killing three convenience store workers during a closing-time robbery in 1994. He is scheduled to die by injection at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre, about 50 miles south of St. Louis.

"The state is prepared to deliver justice and carry out the lawful sentence Mr. Johnson received in accordance with the Missouri Supreme Court's order," Parson, a Republican, said in a statement about his decision not to reduce the sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

[snip]

Weiss said executing Johnson would violate the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits executing intellectually disabled people. He said multiple IQ tests and other exams have shown that Johnson has the intellectual capacity of a child. He also was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and in 2008, he lost about 20% of his brain tissue to the removal of a benign tumor.

Parson is a lot like Donald Trump, and not just in a death-for-others wish sort of way.

From Politico in early October of 2020 -

Missouri governor mirrors Trump: Covid-positive after months of virus criticism

 

If President Donald Trump wants to know what it’s like to contract coronavirus in the final weeks of a campaign while taking heat for a laissez-faire approach to the pandemic, he can ask Missouri Gov. Mike Parson.

Parson, a Trump ally in a Republican-leaning state, quickly reopened Missouri after issuing a stay-at-home order in April, leaving much of the later response up to local governments. His hands-off approach has remained even as infection rates climbed and he suffered his own: Parson announced in late September he tested positive, and then on Wednesday said that he and his wife had “recovered.”

People are dying of Covid in Alabama. Alabama's response? Build prisons

From Business Insider via Yahoo! News - 

Alabama lawmakers approve controversial plan to use $400 million in COVID-19 relief funds to build 2 new prisons

Alabama lawmakers pushed forward Friday on a controversial plan to spend $400 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to build two new prisons in the state.

According to the Associated Press, lawmakers in the state approved a plan to construct two new prisons and renovate existing prison facilities for a total of $1.3 billion, with $400 million coming from federal funding provided to the state under President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan.

Six prison facilities would close under the new plan, according to the AP.

The $400 million is about 20% of the funding the state received under the ARP.

Of course, Alabama elects people like Mo Brooks and Tommy Tuberville, so honor, decency, and intelligence aren't valued there.

Neither are human lives.

From Johns Hopkins University -

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.  

The only way that Cheeto listens to a doctor is if Vlad has awarded himself an MD

From The Hill -

Trump on what would prevent 2024 bid: 'I guess a bad call from a doctor'

Former President Trump suggested in an interview Friday night that only a "bad call from a doctor" would prevent him from seeking another White House bid.

Trump, who has openly flirted with launching another presidential campaign while so far declining to reveal his plans for 2024, was asked by television host David Brody what might prevent him from running again.

Cheeto has a history of ignoring actual doctors, even when doing so results in people dying.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.  

Many words can be used to describe Joe Biden. 'Sneaky' isn't one of them

But the GQP is going there anyway.

I've previously written about being on the mailing list of a GQP fundraising operation called "ConservativeIntel.com".

Still am, and they still get the 'Intel' part of their name wrong.

They send lots of frantic emails to me, many asking questions like "Are you still a Republican?" (never was) and "Are you still a Trump supporter?" (also, never was).

I hit 'delete' a lot.

However, one of their emails came across my inbox that grabbed by attention.

Personally, I don't think that publicly announcing any part of a plan to deal with the pandemic is subtle enough to be called 'sneaky', but perhaps conservatives think that the best way to deal with Covid is to ignore it.

670K dead people might beg to differ.

Hope the bears are in isolation

Otherwise, the next remake of the movie "The Wizard of OZ" may have to cast anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, and trumpkins.

Of course, we know who will be playing the parts of the flying monkeys.

And Cheeto, who I expect would want the part of the Wizard, would probably be nothing more than the Cowardly Lion.  

If the part was written so that the Lion never did anything brave in his life.

From NPR -

9 Lions And Tigers At The National Zoo Are Being Treated For COVID

Humans aren't the only ones who have to worry about COVID-19. A number of lions and tigers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., are now being treated for the virus.

Six African lions, a Sumatran tiger and two Amur tigers have tested presumptive positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 and are undergoing treatment, the zoo said in a news release Thursday.

And yes, The National Zoo does have some bears in it.

Well, there's always walking to work, or even resigning from her position

To be fair, a Republican may consider both to be a "librul conspiracy".

From The Hill -

Alaskan legislator says airline ban preventing her from getting to capital for votes

An Alaskan state senator, who has been banned from Alaska Airlines for failing to comply with masking policies, says that she asked to be excused from legislative business because the ban prevents her from being able to be present for votes.

Earlier this year, the airline announced that state Sen. Lora Reinbold (R), of Eagle River, Alaska, would not be allowed to fly on the airline after she refused to comply with masking guidelines multiple times. Federal COVID-19 protocols require people on certain modes of transportation, including on planes, to wear a masks. 

Maybe the Alaska legislature should just declare the seat to be vacant because the current occupant refuses to appear at the state capitol and fulfill the job requirements.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.  

Is it spelled "freedom" or "freedumb"? Either way, anti-vaxxers should be proud.

Got no words on this one.

From USA Today - 

Alabama man dies of cardiac event after 43 hospitals with full ICUs turned him away

The family of a man who died of heart issues in Mississippi is asking people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 after 43 hospitals across three states were unable to accept him because of full cardiac ICUs. 

Ray Martin DeMonia died last week in Meridian, Mississippi. He was three days shy of his 74th birthday and a well-known native in Cullman, Alabama, his family said.  

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.  

Woman sues to deworm her husband; gets rebuffed by an Ohio court.

Isn't getting a divorce attorney easier than pushing a lawsuit?

From NPR -

An Ohio Judge Reverses An Earlier Order Forcing A Hospital To Administer Ivermectin

A judge in Ohio has reversed an earlier emergency order that required a hospital to administer ivermectin to a COVID-19 patient against the hospital's wishes. The anti-parasitic drug is most commonly used in the U.S. as a dewormer in animals.

Federal agencies and medical associations alike have cautioned against the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19, as there is little evidence it is effective. But prescriptions — and related calls to poison control centers — have skyrocketed in 2021 as right-wing media have hyped it as a treatment for COVID-19.

The judge's decision is here.

In the name of anti-vax purity, the Pinal County Supervisors throw rural folks under the bus.

From KJZZ -

Pinal County Supervisors Vote To Reject $3.4 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Grant

Last week, the Pinal County Board of Supervisors rejected a $3.4 million federal grant aimed at improving vaccine equity.

The board voted 3-2 against accepting the grant money from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Linda Lyon of Blog for Arizona has a take based on an Arizona Republic story on the same matter here.

From the minutes of the meeting -

It doesn't specify which supes voted against helping rural Pinal County residents, but Lyon has that - 

Kevin Kavanaugh, who has a history of opposing anti-Covid efforts.

Jeff Serdy, who has much the same history.  But he thinks that enhancing corporate profits are a good thing.

Jeff McClure, a fellow traveler on the "sacrifice the lives of others" ideological trail..

While all three are from cities/developments in Pinal County, and one knows it from their votes, there's a *lot* of rural in Pinal County.   From the website of the US Census -

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated. 

In Florida, facts don't matter. Political expediency does.

 And, in a bit of a surprise, for once I'm not talking about Ron DeSantis, though I could be.

And2, unsurprisingly, he's involved.

From Business Insider -

Florida official wants Gov. Ron DeSantis to make the controversial and unproven COVID-19 treatment ivermectin more widely available

A Florida county commissioner wrote a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis pleading that the livestock deworming drug ivermectin become more widely available for people who are struggling with COVID-19. 

In the letter, Commissioner Neil Combee called ivermectin a "wonder drug," according to NBC affiliate WFLA.

From Lake Wales News -

County Commissioner Neil Combee Promotes Ulcer Medication as Covid Cure

A Polk County Commissioner is coming under fire for promoting a common ulcer medication as a cure for Covid-19. There is no medical or clinical evidence to support his claim.

Neil Combee, who represents the northwest corner of Polk but is elected county-wide, asserts that "the government knows" that the over-the-counter medicine is effective but is covering it up for unknown reasons. He offered no explanation as to why any authority would do so but says that he "doesn't trust government."

Known as famotidine and marketed as Pepcid-AC, the drug is used to reduce the production of stomach acid in ulcer patients, and may cause significant interactions with other medications.

Combee, a Polk County Commissioner and former state legislator, has no scientific or medical training, but he *is* a trumpkin, working in Trump's administration as the Florida state director of the USDA.

Like other trumpkins, reality doesn't matter to him.  Apparently.

From KFOR (OK) -

Patients overdosing on ivermectin backing up rural Oklahoma hospitals, ambulances

A rural Oklahoma doctor said patients who are taking the horse de-wormer medication, ivermectin, to fight COVID-19 are causing emergency room and ambulance back ups.

“There’s a reason you have to have a doctor to get a prescription for this stuff, because it can be dangerous,” said Dr. Jason McElyea.

My guess is that he runs for governor of Florida when DeSantis' term is up; and if that doesn't work out, he moves to AZ and runs for something here.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated. 

3. Don't ignore facts.

Arizona makes the national news again. And again, it's not in a good way.

 At least it's not for the fraudit this time.

From The Hill -

Arizona father threatens to zip tie principal after son told to quarantine

An Arizona father threatened his son's elementary school principal with a citizen's arrest while wielding zip ties after he received news that his child would be required to quarantine after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Vail Unified School District officials told a local NBC News station that the man, who was not named, arrived at Mesquite Elementary School on Thursday morning along with his child and two other men to protest the quarantine policy.

The story from KVOA, the "local NBC News station" referenced in The Hill's story -

Police on-scene at Vail elementary school after group threatens to zip-tie principal over COVID-19 protocols

A conflict over the COVID-19 quarantine policy at a Vail Unified School District elementary school has been resolved shortly after protesters threatened to make a citizen's arrest on the principal Thursday morning.

According to VUSD officials, a student at Mesquite Elementary School was asked to quarantine after he reportedly was in close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19.

VUSD said this decision was made per state policy, citing that when a school in Arizona experiences a positive case of COVID-19, it is required to report the case to its county health department - in Vail's case, Pima County Health Department. Then, the county decides which individuals need to quarantine in order to prevent a potential outbreak in the community.

AP picked it up, too -

1 arrest after clash over Arizona school’s COVID mandates

The father of an Arizona elementary school student was arrested after he and two other men showed up to the campus with zip ties, threatening to make a “citizen’s arrest” on the school principal over a COVID-19 quarantine, school officials said Friday.

Diane Vargo, principal of Mesquite Elementary School in Tucson, said the parent came to her office Thursday with his son in tow. The father was upset the child would have to isolate and miss a school field trip because of possible exposure to someone with COVID-19. She said two other men also “barged in.”

So far, I haven't found the arrested man's name, but I fully expect Dougie has it and will pardon the man, if it gets that far.  Dougie may just make a call and have Markie force/influence the Pima County Attorney's Office to drop the case.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated. 

3. Don't commit or even threaten violence.

Hate crimes up; reporting agencies down

Trump infamously said that if there were fewer Covid tests, there'd be fewer cases of Covid.

Turn out it doesn't work that way for Covid, or for other things.

Ignoring the truth doesn't change it.

From NPR -

Hate Crimes Reach The Highest Level In More Than A Decade

There were 7,759 reported hate crimes in the U.S. last year — the most in 12 years, the FBI reported this week. But some experts and advocacy groups say the true number is probably even higher.

The number of recorded bias incidents reported by the FBI was the highest since 2008, when 7,783 hate crimes were reported to the agency, federal data shows.

From the website of the FBI -

In 2020, 81 of 125 law enforcement agencies in AZ reported hate crime data.

In 2019, 92 of 125 LE agencies did so.

Yet, there was an increase in hate crimes reported.

In 2019, there were 209 reported, or 2.2717 per reporting agency -

In 2020, there were 282 reported, or 3.4815 per agency -

That's a 65% increase per reporting agency.

Not a good thing.