Surprise: Multiple Wuhan Lab Employees Went To Hospital Sick In November 2019

By William Teach May 24, 2021 – 6:45 am

This story is, unsurprisingly, mostly being ignored by most of the big media players, because they need to protect China, I guess. Or, is it that they do not want to give credence to a Trump and MAGA theory? Because TDS? Or, are they just not wanting to engage in speculation and “conspiracy theories”, despite constantly engaging in them against Trump?

Intelligence on sick staff at Wuhan lab fuels debate on COVID-19 origin

Three researchers from China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology became sick enough in November 2019 that they sought hospital care, according to a previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report that could add weight to growing calls for a fuller probe of whether the COVID-19 virus may have escaped from the laboratory.

The details of the reporting go beyond a State Department fact sheet, issued during the final days of the Trump administration, which said that several researchers at the lab, a center for the study of coronaviruses and other pathogens, became sick in autumn 2019 “with symptoms consistent with both COVID-19 and common seasonal illness.”

The disclosure of the number of researchers, the timing of their illnesses and their hospital visits come on the eve of a meeting of the World Health Organization’s decision-making body, which is expected to discuss the next phase of an investigation into COVID-19’s origins.

Current and former officials familiar with the intelligence about the lab researchers expressed differing views about the strength of the supporting evidence for the assessment. One person said that it was provided by an international partner and was potentially significant but still in need of further investigation and additional corroboration.

Another person described the intelligence as stronger. “The information that we had coming from the various sources was of exquisite quality. It was very precise. What it didn’t tell you was exactly why they got sick,” he said, referring to the researchers.

November 2019 is roughly when many epidemiologists and virologists believe SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the pandemic, first began circulating around the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where Beijing says that the first confirmed case was a man who fell ill on Dec. 8, 2019.

Is this something, or just a cause of correlation isn’t causation? A bit of serendipity?

The Biden administration declined to comment on the intelligence but said that all technically credible theories on the origin of the pandemic should be investigated by the WHO and international experts.

This would be the same WHO which protected China through most of the pandemic, right? Not like there will be much cooperation from China to start with. They have been less than forthcoming since this started, and were just fine with Democrats Blaming Trump. They aren’t going to start cooperating now. Does China Joe actually want answers which could hurt the amount of money he and his kids have made from China?

Read: Surprise: Multiple Wuhan Lab Employees Went To Hospital Sick In November 2019 »

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Say, Is America Ready To Switch To Electric Vehicles?

By William Teach May 23, 2021 – 3:00 pm

Well, sure, if we were all rich, right? Because EVs are primarily toys for the rich

Turn off the gas: is America ready to embrace electric vehicles?

Electric vehicleIn Detroit, auto plants have for decades churned out trucks built with Motor City steel and fueled by gasoline. But this week’s rollout of the Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck offered a vision of the future in America’s automotive heartland: aluminum-clad pickups running off of electric powertrains with lithium batteries.

An electric model of the nation’s best-selling vehicle at an accessible $40,000 has the potential to shift the auto industry’s course, and do more to advance the transportation sector’s electrification than any recent development, analysts say.

“Offering a well-known vehicle at a competitive price could really help push the EV agenda in the US,” said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at Edmunds.com.

We can all afford a $40k base model truck, right?

It’s uncharted territory, said Autotrader executive analyst Michelle Krebs. The success of the Lightning or any EV hinges on a major infrastructure build-out that’s far from certain.

Wouldn’t the success be based on consumers actually wanting them and buying them?

The Lightning feature that seems to be catching the most attention isn’t under the hood or in the cab, but on the price tag. With EV tax incentives, the truck’s base model could cost about $32,000 – less than a $37,000 gas-powered F-150 with a crew cab. By contrast, the GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T, are priced at $80,000 and $70,000 though they are slightly flashier.

That is a lie. You get a tax credit, not actual cash off. And that tax credit doesn’t equate to saving $7000, $7500, $10000, or whatever the credit is.

The Lightning’s range is also notable. One charge will take a base model Lightning 230 miles, or, for an additional $20,000, the extended range trim will travel 300 miles. It can haul up to 2,000lbs of payload and tow up to 10,000lbs. However, Ford doesn’t offer any data on range with a heavy payload or tow, and Car And Drive estimated it at as little as 100 miles.

Wait, $20k to go an extra 70 miles? And towing range is extraordinarily limited?

That’s the type of detail that could keep consumers away from not just the Lightning, but all electric pickups. On a 150kw DC fast charger, the extended-range trim targets up to 54 miles of range in 10 minutes, or just under an hour for a full charge.

It’s not hard to imagine a scenario in which someone who may be buying a truck to tow a camper a long distance once or twice per year opting for a gas-powered F-150 instead being inconvenienced with an hour-long stop to recharge every 100 miles or so, Caldwell said.

You can fill a regular F150 in under 10 minutes, be on your way.

Buy-in from the auto industry could help Biden push his proposal with Congress, though it’s uniformly opposed by the GOP. Republican leadership has pointed to the lack of infrastructure as a chief reason for opposing spending on the EV transition, but at the same time opposes funding an infrastructure build-out.

If the auto industry thought a lot of consumers would buy EVs they’d be making more. Even regular hybrids sell a lot less than straight gas cars (note: I’m heavily considering leasing a Honda Insight when my current one is up in February, provided the lease rates are worth it. Have to be comparable to Civics and Accords). Buy-in means nothing if consumers won’t purchase. Having a shit-ton of charging stations will mean nothing if consumers won’t buy them, if they don’t want them. If they don’t want to deal with the inconvenience, if they realize they can get a car that still gets pretty good MPG and have a lot of features vs more expensive base model EVs.

Read: Say, Is America Ready To Switch To Electric Vehicles? »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Energy, Global Warming | 14 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach May 23, 2021 – 1:00 pm

…is an area that will be decimated by climate change, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Blazing Cat Fur, with a post on voting machines in Pa. that wouldn’t recognize Republican votes.

It’s Italy week!

Read: If All You See… »

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Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

By William Teach May 23, 2021 – 9:30 am

Patriotic Pinup

Happy Sunday! Another gorgeous day in the Once and Future Nation of America. The sun is shining, the Dodgers are winning again, and summer is fast approaching. This pinup is supposedly by McClelland Barclay, with a wee bit of help.

What is happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. Weasel Zippers notes the cost of meat going up in China Joe’s America
  2. Vox Popoli covers a black woman beating a white girl in a pizza place
  3. The Right Scoop discusses what Ron Desantis has to say on critical race theory
  4. The Other McCain covers Chubby St. Greta vs China
  5. The Gateway Pundit notes teacher’s just being super exhausted
  6. The First Street Journal discusses walling off Philadelphia
  7. Raised On Hoecakes notes American Airlines investigating a pilot who’s against CRT
  8. Powerline highlights that it’s verboten to criticize The Squad members
  9. Patterico’s Pontifications notes Gavin Newsome’s “grassroots” support
  10. Pacific Pundit covers the NFL discriminating against Eugene Chung
  11. Moonbattery notes Walgreens forced to close in California due to pretty much legal shoplifting
  12. Legal Insurrection discusses the vote for Oregon areas to join Idaho
  13. Jihad Watch highlights pro-Palestinians threatening Jews in Canada
  14. House of Eratosthenes discusses liberals vs leftists
  15. And last, but not least, Geller Report News covers Ashli Babbitt’s family suing the Capital Police

As always, the full set of pinups can be seen in the Patriotic Pinup category, or over at my Gallery page (nope, that’s gone, the newest Apache killed access, and the program hasn’t been upgraded since 2014). While we are on pinups, since it is that time of year, have you gotten your “Pinups for Vets” calendar yet? And don’t forget to check out what I declare to be our War on Women Rule 5 and linky luv posts and things that interest me.

Don’t forget to check out all the other great material all the linked blogs have!

Anyone else have a link or hotty-fest going on? Let me know so I can add you to the list. And do you have a favorite blog you can recommend be added to the feedreader?

Read: Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup »

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New York Trots Out Sweeping Police “Reform” Legislation, Would See Police Leave In Droves

By William Teach May 23, 2021 – 8:15 am

If people think the current state of affairs in Democrat run states and cities has been counter-productive to law and order and has caused police to retire/leave in large numbers now, just wait to see if this legislation makes it through to become law

How a Sweeping New Proposal Would Limit Police Use of Force in New York

unintended consequencesPolice officers in New York state could only use physical force as a last resort, would have to meet a higher threshold for using deadly force and would face new criminal penalties for violating those guidelines under a sweeping legislative proposal unveiled Friday.

If adopted, the changes could drastically alter the nature of law enforcement in New York at a time when the issue of police accountability is at the center of a fraught national debate over persistent racism in America’s criminal justice system.

The legislation was proposed by Letitia James, the state’s attorney general, who said in a statement that her goal was to provide “clear and legitimate standards for when the use of force is acceptable and enacting real consequences for when an officer crosses that line.”

The proposal — announced nearly a year after a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, killed George Floyd, a Black man — came amid continuing calls for increasing the accountability applied to officers who are involved in such killings.

Instead of providing better training, instead of reaching out to the communities where the violence tends to occur making the cops use force, instead of teaching the proper actions in schools, they will handcuff the police and make it much more likely to be sued and/or criminally charged. Hence, a lot of police officers will leave, because they never know when they will be thrown into a bad situation with the ever increasing amount of people willing to engage police in violence, who resist, who fail to follow commands, who run, who pull a weapon on police. Just think about how many are blaming the officer who shot Ma’Khia Bryant, despite the officer having just rolled up, yelled for Ma’Khia to stop, then shot her when she was about to stab another girl (obviously, the other black girl’s life doesn’t matter to the cop haters).

James’ proposal — sponsored in the state Legislature by Brooklyn Democrats Sen. Kevin Parker and Assembly member Nick Perry — is certain to face opposition from Republicans and potentially some moderate Democrats in suburban districts.

The legislation would amend state law to require officers to exhaust so-called de-escalation tactics, like verbal warnings, before using force and would create a “last resort” standard for justifying such a use of force.

“Police officers are imbued with an incredible amount of police power and state power,” James, a Democrat, said at a news conference in Manhattan Friday. “The state has every right to demand that that power is used as seldom as possible, and when it must be used, only appropriately and proportionally.”

And the vast majority of them do. But, this would make it virtually impossible to actually use force when necessary.

Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, which represents police officers in New York City, criticized the legislation sharply.

“This sweeping proposal would make it impossible for police officers to determine whether or not we are permitted to use force in a given situation,” he said in a statement. “The only reasonable solution will be to avoid confrontations where force might become necessary.”

In other words, those police who do not leave will be tasked with patrolling the rich, then upper middle class, then middle class neighborhoods. They will avoid going to areas where there is lots of crime. They will be slow to respond to calls which could put them in a bad situation. Domestic dispute? Avoid. There is a high chance of things going bad. Kids fighting? Nope. Stolen car? File insurance claim. Guy running around threatening people? Nope. Someone walking around pinching women? Nope.

Crime will skyrocket. And the law should include a provision that anyone who voted for any lawmaker that approves of this bill should not be allowed to move from the State of New York. This includes if they voted for AG Letitia James. This is what they were voting for. There might not be enough Republicans and moderate Democrats to stop this trainwreck. But, hey, you never know if the general assembly will become reasonable.

Read: New York Trots Out Sweeping Police “Reform” Legislation, Would See Police Leave In Droves »

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US Army To Prioritize Focus On ‘Climate Change’

By William Teach May 22, 2021 – 3:00 pm

Anyone think China and Russia are doing the same? We aren’t talking about taking the weather into account, or how the climate has always changed. We’re talking Cult of Climastrology stuff

US Army to prioritize fight against climate change

The U.S. Army recently released a bulletin stating that it will henceforth be “prioritizing climate change” in its strategic defense planning.  The Defense Department has already established the “Department of Defense Climate Working Group,” a new office that will coordinate the DOD’s ongoing response to the allegedly grave threat that climate change poses to the national security of the United States.  I wonder if Greta Thunberg will be heading up the DDCWG.

The Army’s laser focus on climate change appears to be in response to President Biden’s stated agenda of aggressively addressing climate change across governmental bodies and is occurring simultaneously with the culture change being imposed on the U.S. military from the top down.  Defense secretary Lloyd Austin, for example, fully supports Biden’s emphasis on climate change…as long as it doesn’t take time away from the troops’ mandatory “Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Training” or their indoctrination into Marxist theory.

This past April, Austin asserted that “climate change is making the world more unsafe and we need to act.”  He added, “Today, no nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis.  We face all kinds of threats in our line of work, but few of them truly deserve to be called existential.  The climate crisis does.”

Am I the only one concerned that the most important military in the world is frightened by climate change?

No. I’m concerned that they are forgetting what their mission is, and will make the Army weak. We’re already seeing that happen. Soon it will only be stocked with soy boys, militant feminists, and envirowackos, who will all be worthless in a fight, and will mostly all be conscientious objectors.

Austin also noted that his military is committed to electrifying its vehicle fleets and operating more sustainably.  What about the cost to build/retrofit, as well as issues with performance and charging time, etc.?  All things considered, will these vehicles really be better for the environment?  And is that the point of a military?

How will you electrify a tank? How will you charge vehicles in the middle of the desert? Should be fun having large numbers of vehicles sitting around for long periods charging, eh? I’m sure the enemy will wait patiently. How about the planes and helicopters? The ships?

Shouldn’t we all be more concerned about the “sustainability” of our freedom and way of life?

That’s so old school. You need to wake up to the New Army, pal.

Read: US Army To Prioritize Focus On ‘Climate Change’ »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Global Warming | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach May 22, 2021 – 1:00 pm

…is a horrible restaurant which refuses to go vegan, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is White House Dossier, with a post on China Joe trying to insist that Democrats still support Israel.

Read: If All You See… »

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Oregon To Require Proof Of Vaccination To Participate In Society

By William Teach May 22, 2021 – 10:30 am

Well, kinda puts this in perspective now, eh?

Papers, please! Oregon now requires ‘proof of vaccination’

If you want to participate in Oregon society without being forced to wear a mask, you better have your paperwork in order.

The state is now requiring individuals to display “proof of vaccination” if they’d like to take their masks off indoors, Oregon’s Health Authority has announced.

In rejecting the more practical and individual liberty embracing “honor system” approach that we’ve seen across the United States, the authorities in Salem are taking the fascist policy route.

“Oregon will allow people to go maskless outside but will require them to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — and be able to prove it — to forgo masks in most public indoor settings,” the Oregonian reports.

Yes, you read that correctly. Oregon finally ended its *outdoor* mask mandate, a full year and a half into Covid Mania. And in exchange for “granting” systems the freedom to breathe fresh air, they will now be forced to show “proof of vaccination” if they want to participate in society.

If you want to go into a businesses, workplaces, or houses of worship you are required to show your proof, and they are required to demand the proof. The above photo comes from the main link, which is part of the order. Where do they get the statutory authority to do this? Is there existing law? Are they diving deep into existing law, using loopholes and extensions, since lawmakers so often make laws too broad and leave cracks to do this? Or, are they just drunk on power, and want to flex their authoritarianism? You can bet most places that voted to join Idaho will ignore the order.

It would be worth seriously debating the merits of this authoritarian insanity if in fact Oregon could demonstrate that they were “following the science” on this issue, but it’s clear that this order has nothing to do with science, and everything to do with power and control.

Pretty much. The NY Times story, for which the above article is based on, notes

“We have serious concerns about the practicality of requiring business owners and workers to be the enforcer,” said Nathaniel Brown, a spokesman for Oregon Business and Industry, which represents companies like Nike, as well as small businesses. “We are hearing from retailers and small businesses who are concerned about putting their frontline workers in a potentially untenable position when dealing with customers.”

If they didn’t enjoy asking people to put on their masks, cover their noses, they’re going to love this.

Read: Oregon To Require Proof Of Vaccination To Participate In Society »

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Canada To Soon Face Mega-Hurricanes From ‘Climate Change’ Or Something

By William Teach May 22, 2021 – 7:00 am

Canada will be facing not just hurricanes, but mega-hurricanes, all because you just had to take fossil fueled trips to get juicy and evil burgers

Canada Faces Mega-Hurricanes if Climate Change Pushes Storms North: Swiss Re Warns

Climate change is making hurricanes bigger and stronger, and it may soon push them farther north. Yet Canada’s homeowners, businesses and insurers underestimate that escalating risk, according to one of the world’s leading reinsurance firms.

Overall, the northern nation has proved to be among the world’s most climate-resilient countries, having so far escaped the worst effects of the natural weather disasters whipped up by global warming, according to a report by Swiss Re AG. That has included hurricanes. Although they’ve become increasingly ferocious, they often dissipate before reaching Canada.

But as ocean surfaces warm, the frequency, duration and intensity of storms increase. That’s extending their range and making Canada, where just one or two tropical cyclones make landfall each year, more vulnerable, according to the Zurich-based company, which provides reinsurance to 15% of the country’s insurance industry.

“You have an increased likelihood of hurricanes making landfall further north and eventually making landfalls at higher latitudes than what we’ve ever seen before,” Monica Ningen, head of Swiss Re Canada, said in an interview.

Doomed! Anyone get the feeling Swiss Re Canada is looking to raise premiums using the climate crisis scam?

Canada has so far gotten off lightly when it comes to hurricane damage. A record 30 named storms formed over the Atlantic last year. Eleven made landfall in the U.S. but only one — Teddy — came ashore in Canada as a much weaker post-tropical cyclone.

On Thursday, the Canadian Hurricane Center said that despite forecasts of more Atlantic storms for this year, the number expected to reach Canada is likely to be unchanged.

The last official hurricane-size storm to hit Canada was Igor in 2010. The most destructive was Juan in 2003, which caused more than C$300 million in damage and C$91 million in insured losses in central Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

But, in the future doom is coming! Can you blame Swiss Re for trying to take advantage of brainwashed cult members losing their minds over Hotcoldwetdry?

Swiss Re is particularly concerned that many insurers have stopped paying attention to Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), a phenomenon in which ocean temperatures fluctuate as much as 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) every 25 to 40 years. These changes have a major impact on the frequency of hurricanes in the Atlantic, and the current warm phase isn’t expected to end any time soon, Ningen said.

Yeah, the AMO, a perfectly natural phenomenon which has gone on way longer than humanity has been able to measure it. Of course, climate cultists say your burger fixation makes it worse. Gotta blame the heretics and witches, you know.

Read: Canada To Soon Face Mega-Hurricanes From ‘Climate Change’ Or Something »

Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Global Warming | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Biden Counters GOP With $1.7 Trillion “Infrastructure” Bill, Which Is Even Worse

By William Teach May 22, 2021 – 6:48 am

Mr. Unity and Bipartisan doesn’t seem to understand how that works. Just because you’re talking with the opposition doesn’t mean you’re doing anything. But, then, he learned this from Obama

White House counters with $1.7 trillion infrastructure proposal in GOP talks

Biden Brain SlugWhite House officials are presenting a $1.7 trillion counterproposal to Republicans on Friday in pursuit of a bipartisan deal on infrastructure, reducing the price tag of President Biden’s infrastructure proposal by $550 billion.

“In our view, this is the art of seeking common ground,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a briefing Friday. “This proposal exhibits a willingness to come down in size, giving on some areas that are important to the president … while also staying firm in areas that are most vital to rebuilding our infrastructure and industries of the future.”

If Psaki is saying this, you know it’s pure trash.

The offer is still far above a price tag offered by Republicans and was received tepidly on Capitol Hill, suggesting a bipartisan compromise remains out of reach.

According to a three-page memo obtained by The Hill outlining the counterproposal, the White House is offering to reduce funding for broadband expansion to $65 billion to match a Republican offer spearheaded by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). The new measure also reduces proposed investments in roads, bridges and other major infrastructure projects from $159 billion to $120 billion, which is still more than double the $48 billion originally proposed by Republicans.

But all the other Left wing garbage was pretty much left in the bill, the stuff Biden and Dems call “infrastructure” that isn’t

Senate Republicans Trash Joe Biden’s $1.7 Infrastructure Counter, ‘Further Apart After Two Meetings with White House Staff’

Senate Republicans trashed President Joe Biden’s $1.7 infrastructure counter proposal late Friday, saying they are “further apart after two meetings with White House staff” than following one meeting with the president.

“Based on today’s meeting, the groups seem further apart after two meetings with White House staff than they were after one meeting with President Biden,” Fox News reported, based on a statement from Republican Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Barrasso (R-WY), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

“Senate Republicans will further review the details in today’s counteroffer and continue to engage in conversations with the administration,” the report concluded. (snip)

But there appears to be no budging from the White House on raising taxes. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy firmly stated they are not interested in altering the 2017 tax cuts, which the plan presumably still maintains.

So, wait, the second meeting didn’t even include Biden? Where was he? It’s not like he was doing anything else. He let Vice President Harris meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, which is starting to seem the norm, where Harris meets with world leaders while Joe is MIA. Per his announced schedule, he had all morning to be involved. He did the Medal Of Honor thing, then, disappeared again.

Read: Biden Counters GOP With $1.7 Trillion “Infrastructure” Bill, Which Is Even Worse »

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