Here’s the setup. Last night a friend of mine, who currently lives in the fascist state of Washington but is visiting her family in Texas, and I went out for barbecue. Duh. We dined in a packed local joint I will totally go to again. Not a single mask in sight. We discussed how lovely it was to live life normally. Like human beings. I commented I didn’t miss the insanity of Washington State. She is trying to find property in Texas so she might also escape the insanity of Washington State. During this discussion over brisket and fried pickles (a beautiful combination), she alerted me to a bill recently introduced to the House which would mandate people flying in the United States be vaccinated. Before you say “but that’ll never happen” go read some news. Any news will do.

House Resolution 4980 introduced by New York Democrat Ritchie Torres:

H.R.4980 – To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that any individual traveling on a flight that departs from or arrives to an airport inside the United States or a territory of the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and for other purposes.

What in the actual hell does “and for other purposes” mean?

This roughly translates to anyone flying within the United States (intra-nationally), and anyone coming into or departing the United States (internationally). Basically anyone in America who flies. That happens to include a crap ton of people, myself included. A lot of folks like to take the tact “well it doesn’t affect me, so I’ll continue sitting on my ass clicking the dislike button and doing nothing more.” Including, sadly, many people in the conservative audience. AKA some of you. I know that’s the case, because I read comments. Things like “that would never happen here” when we bring you news about COVID bullshit in far away lands. I get it, what’s happening in France and Australia are “over there” problems. And you, an American, think you have freedom.

You only have freedom if you do something to protect it. Which doesn’t include being apathetic and thinking it won’t happen here because “but the Constitution” and/or “but my guns.” Democrats employ the Constitution as a dry wipe for their crap holes. So if you think our founding documents will protect you from Democrats, wake up and stop being an idiot. Also, a lot of so-called conservatives would likely surrender their guns if the government asked them to. Pardon me if I don’t have a lot of faith in strangers on the internet who are brave with the typing.

Now, this bill has only been introduced. It’s not been voted on, nor has text for it been submitted. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take this threat seriously when we have the likes of Tony Fauci MD dropping deuces all over your freedom, and a president who’s been more than happy to do the same. There are plenty of people, both on the left and the right, who seem eager to surrender their freedoms in order to feel a little safer. Including mandating any form of a vaccine passport.

Don’t let this happen. Don’t let this bill see the light of day. Don’t let others like it see the light of day. Don’t you dare say shit like “well I just won’t fly.” What makes you think if they get this passed, there won’t be a requirement to provide proof of vaccination to renew your driver’s license? Or to enter a grocery store?

https://t.co/9yJf2feVv4

— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano)
1628349637.0

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett turned away a challenge to Indiana University’s requirement that all students be vaccinated against Covid-19 for the fall semester unless they have a religious or medical exemption.

Giving no explanation, Barrett on Thursday summarily denied a request to block the vaccine mandate from eight students who said their constitutional rights were being violated.

The case marked the first time the nation’s highest court has acted on a vaccine mandate. It comes as universities and employers across the country are moving to require Covid inoculations in an effort to stem the rapid spread of the Delta variant.

Barrett, the justice who takes the first look at emergency matters from Indiana, acted alone and chose not to refer the request to the full nine-member court. She denied the request without asking the university to file a response.

In July 2021, following multiple large public events in a Barnstable County, Massachusetts, town, 469 COVID-19 cases were identified among Massachusetts residents who had traveled to the town during July 3–17; 346 (74%) occurred in fully vaccinated persons. . . .

[ CDC ]

When revising its mask guidance this week to urge even vaccinated people to wear masks indoors in much of the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was criticized for not citing data in making that move.

Now it has — and the data is sobering.

The study details a COVID-19 outbreak that started July 3 in Provincetown, Mass., involving 469 cases. It found that three-quarters of cases occurred in fully vaccinated people. Massachusetts has a high rate of vaccination: about 69% among eligible adults in the state at the time of the study. . . .

Sen. Rand Paul ripped National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins after he suggested Tuesday that parents should mask up while at home to protect their unvaccinated children from contracting the new Delta variant of COVID-19.

“How can people who are so smart say such stupid things? There is no science to defend putting your kids in masks or parents wearing masks—no science whatsoever. If there were, we would be wearing masks for years and years because for kids, the death rate is about the same as the seasonal flu,” Paul told Fox News.

“It may be less than the seasonal flu. So, is Francis Collins proposing that because the flu is with us forever that parents should be wearing masks around their kids that have the flu? It is absolutely and utterly without scientific evidence!” Paul, a Kentucky Republican and an opthalmologist, continued. . .

Boston’s acting mayor appeared on Aug. 3 to voice her opposition to requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination, suggesting that so-called vaccine passports would disproportionately affect minorities.

“We want to make sure that we are giving every opportunity for folks to get vaccinated. When it comes to what businesses may choose to do, we know that those types of things are difficult to enforce when it comes to vaccine,” Acting Mayor Kim Janey, a Democrat, told reporters in a gaggle.

“There’s a long history in this country of people needing to show their papers. During slavery, post-slavery, as recent as—you know what immigrant population has to go through here. We heard [former President Donald] Trump with the birth certificate nonsense. Here we want to make sure that we are not doing anything that would further create a barrier for residents of Boston or disproportionally impact BIPOC communities.”

BIPOC stands for black, indigenous, and people of color.

Janey said the government wants to work closely with community organizations to make sure of broad access to the vaccines and that she backs employers who want to encourage their workers to get vaccinated.

The comments drew some pushback from rivals who are competing in the mayoral race.

Anthony Fauci suggested Wednesday the delta variant of Coronavirus cases “may double in the coming weeks to 200,000 cases a day,” according to an interview with McClachy. “Remember, just a couple of months ago, we were having about 10,000 cases a day,” he said. “I think you’re likely going to wind up somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 cases … We’re now dealing with, really, a different virus … Even if we vaccinated everyone today, we’re not going to see an effect until the middle to end of September.”

A recent study published by King’s College in London, which operates the ZOE COVID Study app to monitor COVID infection and vaccination rates, found that, as of July 15, 2021, there was an average of 15,537 new daily symptomatic cases COVID-19 among partly or fully vaccinated people in the United Kingdom—an increase of 40 percent from the previous week’s total of 11,084 new cases.^1,2

Infections in Vaccinated People in U.K. Are Outpacing Infections in the Unvaccinated

The Zoe COVID Study, led by epidemiologist Tim Spector, MD, of Kings College in London, estimated that there were 17,581 new daily symptomatic cases of COVID-19 in unvaccinated people, or 22 percent less than the previous week’s total of 22,638 new cases.

According to a press release issued by the study’s authors, “With cases in the vaccinated group continuing to rise, the number of new cases in the vaccinated population is set to overtake the unvaccinated in the coming days.”^3,4

On July 17, the U.K.’s Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, announced he had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus despite having received two doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University’s experimental AZD1222 COVID vaccine on Mar. 17 and May 16.⁵ In a message posted on Twitter, Javid wrote:

“This morning I tested positive for COVID. I’m waiting for my PCR result, but thankfully I have had my jabs and symptoms are mild.”⁶

With a population of more than 66 million people, two-thirds of adults in the U.K. have received COVID-19 vaccine, representing a total of 82,592,996 vaccinations as of July 20. Some 46,349,709 Britons have received the first dose and 36,243,287 have gotten the second dose. The country is not vaccinating children.⁷

The U.K. is among the most highly vaccinated countries in the world, but it is experiencing a third wave of coronavirus infections reportedly largely due to the spread of the Delta variant of the virus.^8,9 Other highly vaccinated countries like Israel are also experiencing a new wave of coronavirus infections due to the Delta variant.

Most Infections in Israel Are Among Vaccinated People

In Israel, about 60 percent of the country’s population of 9.3 million has received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. About 85 percent of adults in Israel have been vaccinated. Yet most of the new coronavirus infections are occurring in vaccinated people.¹⁰

In early-July, former Health Minister Chezy Levy, MD confirmed that “55 percent of the newly infected [people in Israel] had been vaccinated.”¹¹

There has also been a concerning rise in the number of vaccinated people in Israel being hospitalized. An article in The Jerusalem Post last week noted that the Israeli Health Ministry reported 124 people had been hospitalized for COVID-19 on July 20 and that 65 percent of them were fully vaccinated. Of the 124 people, 62 were in serious condition and 70% of those patients were fully vaccinated.¹²

Earlier this month, the Health Ministry estimated that the Pfizer/BioNTech’s BNT162b2 COVID biologic was only 64 percent effective in preventing symptomatic infections of COVID-19, specifically those caused by the Delta variant. But the effectiveness rate for Pfizer’s experimental COVID vaccine in preventing infection (and transmission) could be lower.¹³

“We do not know exactly to what degree the vaccine helps, but it is significantly less,” said Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.¹⁴

Infections in Chile, Seychelles and Mongolia Mostly in Vaccinated People

Another example of a highly vaccinated country which has been experiencing a new outbreak of coronavirus infections mostly among its vaccinated population is Chile. Of the thousands of new coronavirus cases being reported daily in that country, 80 percent of them are in vaccinated people. Chile has fully vaccinated 55 percent of its population.¹⁵

The examples of the U.K., Israel and Chile, as well as other highly vaccinated countries like the Seychelles and Mongolia experiencing coronavirus infections mostly within the vaccinated segments of their populations pose a dilemma.¹⁶ The governments of these countries have to decide if the problem is that not enough of their people have been vaccinated, or that the vaccines are simply not as effective as initially assumed they would be.

Could Vaccinations Be Causing Rise in Infections?

There is also a third possible problem which was raised by French virologist and Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier, MD in May 2021. In an interview with Pierre Barnérias of Hold-Up Media, Dr. Montagnier said he believed that the mass vaccination programs for COVID may actually be causing SARS-CoV-2 mutations like the Delta variant and, thus, prolonging the pandemic.¹⁷

Dr. Montagnier explained that in each country that undertakes a mass vaccination campaign, “the curve of vaccinations is followed by the curve of deaths.” He said that the COVID vaccines create antibodies that force the virus to “find another solution” or “die,” adding that it is the variants that “are a production and result from the vaccination.”¹⁸

Dr. Montagnier’s views are admittedly controversial. The thought that vaccinations may actually be exacerbating the COVID pandemic is perhaps too difficult a concept for government officials to consider. But this possibility should not be dismissed outright.

One of the best explanations of this dynamic was given by Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) in a 2011 interview when she described the evolution of pertussis bacteria to evade the vaccines:

“[E]very life form wants to live, wants to survive. Universal principle. And viruses and bacteria are no exception. And when you put a pressure on a virus or bacteria that’s circulating, with the use of a vaccine that contains a lab-altered form of that virus or bacteria, it doesn’t seem that it would be illogical to understand that that organism is going to fight to survive, it’s going to find a way to adapt in order to survive.”¹⁹

Santa Clara County, where the San Francisco 49ers train and play their NFL home games, has one of the highest COVID vaccination rates in California. As of July 11, more than 76% of its vaccine-eligible residents were fully vaccinated, partly because the county and the 49ers franchise turned Levi’s Stadium into a mass inoculation site where more than 350,000 doses were administered over four months.

The 49ers themselves, however, are not so enthusiastic about the shots. In June, head coach Kyle Shanahan said only 53 of the 91 athletes on the team roster — 58% — were fully vaccinated. The team has issued no updates since.

It’s a familiar story in the world of professional sports. Despite resources that other industries can only dream of, most pro leagues in the U.S. are struggling to get their teams’ COVID-19 vaccination rates to 85%, a threshold considered high enough to protect the locker room or clubhouse from spread of the disease. Only the Women’s National Basketball Association, at 99%, can boast a highly successful campaign to educate and vaccinate its players.

And while the public might expect sports figures, and the rich leagues they play for, to help rally the national vaccination effort, that’s not happening. Although the leagues and unions have advocated for players to get the shots, the industry clearly regards vaccination as a personal decision — not a responsibility.

“It’s everyone’s choice whether they want to get vaccinated or not,” Sam Darnold, the Carolina Panthers’ quarterback and a former USC star, said in June when revealing that he had not gotten a shot. “For me, I’m staying by myself right now. I don’t have a family or anything like that. There’s a ton of different things that go into it.”

Comments like Darnold’s and those of Buffalo Bills receiver Cole Beasley, who tweeted a long rant casting the COVID vaccines as a threat to “my way of living and my values,” have dominated news cycles. Meanwhile, the leagues themselves, whose overall vaccination numbers outpace those of the country at large, pad around the topic carefully.

Tell Schools/Universities No Vaccine Mandates for Children/Young Adults!

“Push? No. Encourage,” said Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, when asked at an MLB All-Star Game news conference about the union’s position on player vaccination. “We’ve encouraged from the beginning.”

And most players have shunned the role of public health spokesperson, making the pro-vaccination campaign a largely faceless one. Few have publicly endorsed vaccination or acknowledged receiving shots, even though the league’s numbers suggest large majorities are vaccinated. Most don’t want to discuss it.

In May, NBA superstar LeBron James pointedly refused to answer questions about whether he’d been vaccinated, saying, “Anything of that nature is all family talk.” Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett said he and his wife had received vaccines, but as for encouraging teammates, “it’s to each their own. I don’t know why people wouldn’t get it, but whatever makes you comfortable, whatever helps you sleep at night, you do that.”

Zachary Binney, a sports epidemiologist at Emory University in Atlanta, believes pro athletes aren’t that different from the rest of us when it comes to vaccines: “A lot of them are vaccinated. A lot of them are willing to become vaccinated. Some of them have concerns. And some of them just are not going to do it — and they are never going to do it.”

In fact, most of the teams are doing well by overall U.S. standards. More than 70% of NFL and NBA players are at least partially vaccinated, according to reports. That puts both leagues’ rates higher than they are for young U.S. adults as a whole. . . .

“Our schools are finalizing their proposed policies and procedures for the fall,” Commissioner Kevin Warren said at Big Ten football media days.

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said the conference will take take a “decentralized” approach to COVID-19 protocols by allowing each school to put in place its own plan.

“Our schools are finalizing their proposed policies and procedures for the fall,” Warren said at Big Ten football media days at Lucas Oil Stadium. “We’ll get that information in early August, we’ll combine it, and then we’ll get together with our chancellors and presidents and other key constituents to make the determination as far as how we handle the fall.”

Warren also said there has been no determination on whether games would be forfeited — as has been suggested by the Southeastern Conference and Big 12 — if teams cannot play because of COVID-19 issues.

Last season, the Big Ten at first called off its fall football season because of the pandemic before reversing course and deciding instead to start in late October.

The late start left no room for games to be made up and numerous Big Ten games were canceled because of COVID-19 left teams short players.

Warren said the conference plans to hire a chief medical officer before football season starts.

Preseason All-Big Ten

The preseason all-Big Ten team released Thursday includes three Ohio State players among 10 players selected by a media panel.

Offensive left tackle Thayer Munford and wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are cornerstones for a Buckeyes program that has won four consecutive conference titles and qualified for the College Football Playoff the past two years.

Each were 2020 first-team All-Big Ten selections.

Olave returns for his senior year with 87 receptions for 1,435 yards and 19 touchdowns in three seasons. In two seasons, Wilson has 73 receptions for 1,155 yards and 11 TDs.

Other East Division players honored were Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson.

The West Division players include Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim, Northwestern safety Brandon Joseph, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, Purdue wide receiver David Bell and Wisconsin linebacker Jack Sanborn. Ibrahim and Joseph were first-team All-Big Ten last season.

Ibrahim rushed for 1,076 yards and 15 TDs on 201 carries as a junior. The scores rank fourth for a single season in school history.

Advisor Alvarez

Former Wisconsin athletic director and coach Barry Alvarez is joining the Big Ten as the special adviser for football.

Alvarez retired from Wisconsin after the past 18 years as AD and 16 seasons previously as coach of the Badgers. Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren announced Alvarez would be joining the conference, starting Aug. 2.

“I trust Barry Alvarez implicitly,” Warren said. “He means everything to this conference.”

Alvarez will work with Warren on College Football Playoff expansion, television and bowl contracts, scheduling, and player health and safety.

Alvarez led the Badgers to three Big Ten titles and three Rose Bowl victories as a head coach and went 119-74-4.

Warren also said Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank will replace Northwestern President Morton Schapiro as chairperson of the Big Ten Council of President and Chancellors. . . .