If people die as a result of your "celebration", you're celebrating wrong.

 From CNN - 

At least 150 people fatally shot in more than 400 shootings over the Fourth of July weekend

At least 150 people were killed by gun violence in more than 400 shootings across the country during the Fourth of July weekend as major cities nationwide confront a surge in violent crime, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive.

The data, which includes the number of shooting incidents and gun violence victims nationally over a 72-hour period from Friday through Sunday, is still evolving and will be updated.

Apparently Philly has enough homegrown rectums with two legs, they aren't interested in importing any new ones

From Yahoo! News - 

White supremacist marchers 'ran away' from Philly residents, police say

Members of a white supremacist group marching through Philadelphia on Saturday evening "ran away" from city residents who confronted them, according to police.

Demonstrators, who police said were from out of town and were reportedly members of the Texas-based Patriots Front, chanted while holding American flags and shields, according to WPVI, an ABC affiliate.

So...how long before Fox News/OAN/Breitbart/etc. start whining about "cancel culture"?

And Philly, while this doesn't make up for throwing snowballs at Santa, good job on this one.

Fauci: 'Go the extra mile' and wear mask in places with low vaccination rates

Dear Arizona: Regardless of your age, political leanings, or financial status, GET VACCINATED. 

From The Hill -

The nation's top infectious diseases expert, Anthony Fauci, said on Sunday that people should “go the extra mile” and wear masks in areas with low vaccination rates even if they’re fully vaccinated.

“If you put yourself in an environment in which you have a high level of viral dynamics and a very low level of vaccine, you might want to go the extra step and say, 'When I'm in that area where there's a considerable degree of viral circulation, I might want to go the extra mile to be cautious enough to make sure that I get the extra added level of protection even though the vaccines themselves are highly effective,'" Fauci told anchor Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Not sure if his suggestion applies to AZ (really don't know); per the Mayo Clinic's vaccine tracker, AZ is ranked 21st in terms of the percentage of the population that is fully vaccinated.

Note: I'm fully vaccinated but wear a mask when I'm out, not because of this but so the folks around me have one less thing to worry about.

Statewide candidate update

No new Democratic candidates at this time, and one R that I missed in a earlier post (apologies to readers for that omission),

Beau Lane is an R ad agency exec (candidate for AZSOS) and David Livingston (candidate for AZ Treasurer) is, well, "colorful".

Pic from an April 24, 2014 blog post, and pic courtesy the Twitter feeds of the AZGOPers who journeyed to the Bundy insurrection in NV.

Changes

 Due to a conflict, I will no longer cross-post Arizona-specific material at Blog for Arizona.

Any such material will be posted here and tagged with "Arizona".

I learned a few things during my time as one of their writers and I hope they and their readers benefited from my voice, but things happen.

The US' first lady cares more about Arizonans than does AZ's governor

 From KJZZ -

'Do It For Your Children': Jill Biden Calls On Arizonans To Get Vaccinated

First lady Jill Biden is asking Arizonans to get vaccinated. She stopped in Phoenix on Wednesday to highlight the need for higher COVID-19 immunization rates in the state.

Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff visited a vaccination event at a west Phoenix middle school. After greeting teenagers who were there to receive the Pfizer vaccine, Biden and Emhoff spoke to an audience that included several Arizona lawmakers and tribal leaders. Biden pointed out Arizona’s vaccination rate is behind the national average.

Yet, while someone from DC wants Arizonans to get vaccinated, Doug Ducey is bragging about letting up on Covid.  From the governor's own website - 

Governor Doug Ducey Rescinds 25 Pandemic-Related Executive Orders

Governor Doug Ducey today is rescinding 25 Executive Orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic following action by the Arizona Legislature to codify into law many of the policies enacted by the Executive Orders to protect against excessive mandates, including mask usage in schools and prohibiting vaccine passports.

Yup, he's running for something in 2024; I don't yet know if he'll be running for POTUS/VPOTUS or against Kyrsten Sinema for Senate.

Mike DeWine, the governor of Ohio, announces his intent for a 2024 run for president

Not in so many words, of course, but witness these headlines/stories from OH over the last couple of days -

From MSN -

Ohio governor signs budget that includes provision allowing medical providers to deny services to LGBTQ people

From The Hill -

Ohio governor deploys nearly 200 National Guard members to US-Mexico border

From WJW, a Fox affiliate in Ohio -

Gov. DeWine: The Delta variant advances in Ohio, ‘I’m worried’

People in OH are getting infected and even dying, and he claims to be "worried" but that worry won't interfere with his full on embrace of his (and the Republican base's) unmitigated embrace of the "fear of the other".

P.S - the last time I looked (which was during the composition of this post), Ohio shared borders with Kentucky, Michigan, Canada (across Lake Erie), Pennsylvania, Indiana, and West Virginia,

Know what it doesn't share a border with?

Mexico.

Yet he's sending members of the OH National Guard to the border with Mexico.

Do the math.

(Updated) The insanity can appear anywhere

 From ABCNews -

Armed standoff with police shuts down part of I-95

WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- A group of heavily-armed men are engaged in an ongoing standoff Saturday with Massachusetts police, prompting shelter-in-place orders in some areas and sparking massive delays on the holiday weekend as a portion of Interstate 95 remains shut down.

Note: I-95 runs from Miami north to Canada.  In Massachusetts, it goes through the eastern part of the state.

This is a bit surprising because places like Alabama, or even Arizona, are known for sovereign citizen groups, not Massachusetts.

Update on 7/3/2021 to add:

From CNN -

Massachusetts police standoff with heavily armed men ends in 11 arrests

(CNN)A standoff overnight between Massachusetts State Police and "several heavily armed men" in the woods ended Saturday morning with 11 arrests, authorities said.

The ordeal, which started during a police traffic stop, led to the shutdown of part of Interstate 95 and a shelter-in-place order for the surrounding area on a busy holiday weekend, police said.

[snip]

The men were wearing what Mason described as tactical vests and military style uniforms, along with body cameras, and they were carrying a mixture of long rifles and pistols. The men indicated they were traveling from Rhode Island for "training," according to Mason.

Update2 on 7/4/2021 to add:

From The Boston Globe -

Police name men arrested, charges in I-95 standoff in Wakefield

[snip]

According to state police:

The defendants are identified as follows (two of the defendants continue to refuse to identify themselves),

1. JAMHAL TAVON SANDERS LATIMER, a.k.a. JAMHAL TALIB ABDULLAH BEY, 29, of Providence, R.I.;
2. ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, 21, of the Bronx, New York;
3. WILFREDO HERNANDEZ, a.k.a. WILL MUSA, 23, of the Bronx, New York;
4. ALBAN EL CURRAUGH, 27, of the Bronx, New York;
5. AARON LAMONT JOHNSON, a.k.a. TARRIF SHARIF BEY, 29, of Detroit, Mich.;
6. QUINN CUMBERLANDER, 40, of Pawtucket, R.I.;
7. LAMAR DOW, 34, of the Bronx, New York;
8. CONRAD PIERRE, 29, of Baldwin, New York;
9. A male juvenile, age 17;
10. John Doe #1, refusing to identify self;
11. John Doe #2, refusing to identify self.

All suspects are charged with the following offenses:

1. Unlawful possession of a firearm, eight counts;
2. Unlawful possession of ammunition;
3. Use of body armor in commission of a crime;
4. Possession of a high capacity magazine;
5. Improper storage of firearms in a vehicle; and
6. Conspiracy to commit a crime.

Additionally, HERNANDEZ, JOHNSON, DOW, and the juvenile male are charged with furnishing a false name to police.

Alabama police: Nearly two dozen shots fired into Democratic state senator's home

 

Pic from AL.com

From The Hill -

The home of an Alabama state senator was shot at 23 times on Thursday morning, The Associated Press reports.

The home, belonging to state Sen. Vivian Davis Figures (D) was attacked around 5 a.m., according to neighbors.

Guessing that certain people in Alabama don't like Democrats, women, or African-American people.

If Cathi Herrod ever said "damn!", this would be the time

 From MSN -

Ohio governor signs budget that includes provision allowing medical providers to deny services to LGBTQ people

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a state budget that includes a provision allowing medical providers to deny services to LGBTQ people based on moral, ethical, or religious objections.

Guessing that this one is coming to the next session of the lege.

Ms. Herrod is the uber-conservative grifter/lobbyist in charge of The Center for Arizona Policy.

Snowflakes in action

 From WTOP - 

Judge dismisses group’s effort to remove Black Virginia state senator

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — A judge in Virginia has swiftly rebuked a conservative group’s effort to remove a Black state senator from office. Louise Lucas is a Democrat who represents parts of southeastern Virginia. She is also the state Senate’s president pro tempore.

From The Texas Tribune -

State museum canceled book event examining slavery’s role in Battle of the Alamo after Texas GOP leaders complained, authors say

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick confirmed on Twitter that he called for the event to be canceled. Abbott, Patrick and other GOP leaders are board members of the State Preservation Board, which oversees the Bullock museum.

A promotional event for a book examining the role slavery played leading up to the Battle of the Alamo that was scheduled at the Bullock Texas State History Museum on Thursday evening was abruptly canceled three and a half hours before it was scheduled to begin.

Authors of the book, titled “Forget the Alamo,” and the publisher, Penguin Random House, say the cancellation of the event, which had 300 RSVPs, amounts to censorship from Republican elected leaders and an overreaction to the book’s examination of racism in Texas history.

The Supreme Court favors States' Rights over Voting Rights but favors Corporations over everything

In other words, to them bigotry matters more than individuals, but money matters more than anything else.

From The NCSL Blog -

Supreme Court Rules Against States’ Rights in Pipeline Case

In PennEast Pipeline v. New Jersey [link updated to something that doesn't require a sign in] the U.S. Supreme Court held 5-4 that the federal government may constitutionally grant pipeline companies the authority to condemn necessary rights-of-way in which a state has an interest. Pipeline companies likewise may sue states to obtain the rights-of-way.

The State and Local Legal Center (SLLC) filed an amicus brief 

[link updated to something that doesn't require a sign in]

 asking for the Court to reach the opposite conclusion. NCSL did not join the brief.

Some may consider Kelo v. The City of New London (the USSC decided that it was OK to seize property from a private owner and give it to a corporation) to be the worst USSC decision ever, but I'll always consider the decision The County of Santa Clara v. Southern Pacific (where the USSC deemed corporations to be people who can avail themselves of Constitutional protections) the worst ever.

Corporations are not people.

Though the Dred Scott decision was pretty vile too.

Statewide candidate update

Is there a legislator who isn't running for higher offiee?

I know there are, but sometimes, it seems that all of them are.

The one Democrat on this list, Aaron Lieberman, is a sitting legislator (LD28).

Shawnna Bolick, is also a sitting legislator, and unlike Lieberman, but like her Republican colleagues, absolutely hates the voters of Arizona.

Steve Gaynor, a Republican businessman and failed 2018 candidate for Arizona Secretary of State, is, for lack of a better word, "colorful".

Current and former legislators running for higher office:

Katie Hobbs (D), Lieberman (D), Kimberly Yee (R), and Matt Salmon (R) are all running for governor.

Diego Rodriguez (D) is running for attorney general.

Reginald Bolding (D), Bolick (R), Mark Finchem (R), and Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R) are all running for secretary of state.

Walt Blackman (R) is running for Congress.

That's 10 so far, but I'm guessing that won't be the final number.

Trump Org indicted in an example of "what goes around, comes around"

 Note: an indictment is not the same thing as a conviction.

However, it's a first step along that path.

From CNBC - 

Trump Organization and its CFO indicted by Manhattan grand jury

The offices of the Manhattan District Attorney and New York Attorney General have obtained indictments against the Trump Organization and its longtime finance chief Allen Weisselberg, two people familiar with the matter told NBC News.

The indictments against the organization and Weisselberg, handed up by a New York grand jury, are expected to be unsealed in court Thursday afternoon in Manhattan, a Trump representative told NBC.

Weisselberg is expected to surrender Thursday morning, The Washington Post reported earlier, citing sources. The Post said he is expected to be arraigned in front of a state judge later that day. The Trump Organization is also expected to be arraigned.

Guessing that Cheeto is convicted before he is reinstated to the presidency.

Well before.

Maricopa County will obtain new voting machines after 2020 audit concludes

 From NBCNews.com -

Arizona's most populous county is scrapping its voting machines and procuring new ones in the wake of the conspiracy-soaked Republican audit of last year's ballots.

In December, Arizona Senate Republicans subpoenaed nearly 400 of Maricopa County's machines, along with ballots cast by voters, for an unusual audit of the 2020 election results. The GOP hired private firms, led by the Florida-based cybersecurity company Cyber Ninjas, to do the work, delivering the election machines and ballots to them this year.

<snip>

Replacing the machines would likely cost millions. The county’s most recent expense for election equipment was a $6.1 million contract with Dominion Voting Systems in 2019, the county told NBC News, though not all of that equipment was subpoenaed and will need to be replaced.

The new machines will also be made by Dominion, according to Fields Moseley, the county's communications director.

So the fraudit from Trump and the rest of the GQP will cost the public "millions"?

Pretty sure that as long as someone else is picking up the tab, the GQP will give in to their own craziest conspiracy theories.