Covidiots

The Hill reports: Conservative Republican lawmakers on Thursday revived a proposal to weaken Kansas’s vaccination requirements for children enrolling in school and day care and to make it easier for people to get potentially dangerous treatments for COVID-19. The Senate health committee approved a bill that would allow parents to get a no-questions-asked religious exemption from requirements to vaccinate their …

Via press release from Rep. Thomas Massie: Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) is leading sixteen of his colleagues in a lawsuit against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The lawsuit, Massie et al v. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seeks to end the CDC’s illegal mask mandate for individuals traveling on commercial airlines. Massie’s lawsuit takes on additional …

From his obituary: Dr. Arthur Neal Mack loved the Lord and was a servant for Jesus. He served his community as an Emergency Room doctor for over 30 years. He used his God given gift of healing to help those who came into his ER and would witness to his patients the care and love that he felt from Jesus. …

“We’re right, right fresh in the midst — which everyone seems to have forgotten about — of a pandemic that wasn’t really a pandemic. “That, if you go back to the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Fauci knew years ago that ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and all these things, you know, would treat COVID. “And yet, they withheld these treatments. We know …

The Vermont Digger reports: The Vermont Roman Catholic Diocese has removed a Windsor County pastor who fought calls by the state’s largest religious denomination for Covid-19 vaccinations, masks and other pandemic precautions. Rev. Peter Williams is no longer head of Holy Family Parish of Springfield and neighboring Chester, Bishop Christopher Coyne informed church members in a public letter this week. …

ESPN reports: Novak Djokovic withdrew Wednesday from the BNP Paribas Open on the eve of the event, saying he cannot travel to the United States because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19. Djokovic, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, cited regulations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the reason for his inability to play. The U.S. has …

From the Orlando Sentinel editorial board: Don’t bother vaccinating your kids against COVID, even though the CDC says it’s a good idea. Quit fussing; they’ll be fine. Dr. Joseph Ladapo promises. You don’t have to wear that mask, either. Dr. Ladapo says it’s a lie that they save lives, and that doctors who believe otherwise are “zombies.” That was his …

The New York Times reports: A convoy of truckers and other supporters circled the capital on the Beltway for a second day on Monday, protesting Covid-19 mandates and hoping to attract attention from lawmakers. Brian Brase, a convoy organizer, told participants that the convoy would again avoid entering Washington, D.C. He stressed that the protesters did not want to spur …

The Washington Post reports: An armada of drivers calling themselves the “People’s Convoy” is circling the Beltway at a deliberately slow speed Sunday as an act of protest against pandemic restrictions. Organizers said their goal was to be a “huge pain.” But though the convoy of hundreds of trucks, cars and SUVs started out moving in a formation that stretched …

The Washington Post reports: Organizers of the “People’s Convoy” say they are planning to circle their armada of trucks, cars and SUVs around the Beltway on Sunday morning and into the workweek at the minimum speed limit to slow traffic and get their message to lawmakers. Brian Brase, a convoy organizer, said in an interview late Saturday that the plan …

CNN reports: Convoy groups led by American truckers are making their way toward the nation’s capital to demand an end to all Covid-19 mandates and restrictions. The protesters, with members coming from at least three individual convoy groups, are expected to arrive in Washington, DC, throughout the upcoming weekend. Organizers told CNN the protest will be tame and “lawful,” and …

Reuters reports: New Zealand police on Wednesday ended an anti-vaccine mandate protest that had disrupted the capital for the past three weeks, dismantling an encampment outside parliament, towing away vehicles and arresting dozens. Several fires broke out among tents just metres from the parliament building, sending up billows of smoke before being doused by police, a Reuters witness said, as …

The Washingtonian reports: A rally on the Washington Monument grounds Tuesday to support trucker convoys has drawn a minuscule crowd so far. About 20 people are in attendance, Washingtonian photographer Evy Mages reports from the scene, as well as a similar number of people who are there to cover the event. The rally was organized by Kyle Sefcik, an MMA …

The Hill reports: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) will skip President Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday because of the COVID-19 testing requirement for attendees. “I don’t have time to go take a COVID test today,” Rubio said, according to a tweet from HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic. “I only take a test if I’m sick.” Rubio’s office confirmed his plans …

The Daily Beast reports: He was an unvaxxed billionaire accused of spreading anti-vaccine misinformation. Now he reportedly has COVID. Clive Palmer, the 67-year-old Australian mining magnate and political provocateur, is battling both the coronavirus and pneumonia. The Australian reported that the billionaire “remains very sick.” “I’m not vaccinated and I don’t intend to be vaccinated,” the billionaire proudly declared at …

Mediaite reports: The “People’s Convoy” of American truckers inspired by protesters from Canada’s Freedom Convoy left California Wednesday, en route to Washington, D.C. as a large group of National Guard troops awaits them. Truckers have been organizing in several locations, but the California group seems to be by far the most organized. Convoy organizer Maureen Steele told Newmax TV last …

Williamsburg Patch reports: As Threes Brewing co-founder and CEO defends his claim that COVID-19 vaccine mandates are a “crime against humanity,” restaurants and shops across Brooklyn are taking his beer off their menus. Joshua Stylman doubled down with a blog post Wednesday, one week after outraging customers and employees by publicly comparing vaccine mandates to policies of the Jim Crow …

CTV News reports: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government will take steps to end the use of the Emergencies Act after it was invoked just over a week ago in response to the ongoing trucker convoy blockades and protests. Trudeau made the announcement alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Justice Minister David Lametti, Public Safety Minister …

TMZ Sports reports: Longtime NBA referee Ken Mauer says he was forced out of the league after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine due to religious reasons. The 36-year NBA veteran joined Jason Whitlock on his show, “Fearless” and revealed the reason he’s been MIA from the hardwood this year is because of the league’s vax mandate. “I never thought …

The CBC reports: The office of Governor General Mary Simon is telling Canadians that they can’t dissolve the federal government simply by contacting her office. Rideau Hall issued what it called the “important message” Tuesday evening on Twitter. “The Office of the Secretary of the Governor General is aware that misinformation encouraging citizens to contact the Governor General or our …