Covidiots

The Guardian reports: Fears have been expressed for the safety of doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff after they were targeted by anti-vaccine activists. Police are investigating comments made by Kate Shemirani, a former nurse who has been struck off for using her position to spread Covid misinformation, during the latest anti-lockdown rally at Trafalgar Square in central London on …

The Insider reports: Mass anti-vaxx protests occurred in London last night, with one conspiracy theorist causing outrage for telling doctors and nurses that they could be tried and hung in Nuremberg-style trials. Kate Shemirani, a former nurse who was struck off the Nursing Council in June 2021 for spreading COVID misinformation, addressed the crowd. She told them: “Get their names …

The Times of Israel reports: Anti-vaccination activists held an unruly protest outside the private home of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a day after the premier accused those refusing COVID shots of endangering the entire nation. Dozens of protesters blocked the road and chanted slogans against Bennett, eventually managing to reach the edge of the protected zone around the prime minister’s …

Maine Public Radio reports: Rep. Chris Johansen, a Republican legislator from the Aroostook County town of Monticello who has been an outspoken opponent of coronavirus restrictions, has reportedly contracted COVID-19. When contacted by the Bangor Daily News on Friday, Johansen said “I’m not talking” and hung up the phone. The lawmaker’s wife, Cindy Johansen, who is the corresponding secretary-officer for …

The New York Times reports: Defying a statewide stay-at-home order and a worsening local outbreak driven by the Delta variant, 3,500 mostly maskless protesters clashed with police officers on Saturday in downtown Sydney, Australia’s largest city. The protest, against the city’s month-long lockdown, raised fears of adding to Sydney’s caseload. “You don’t have to be an epidemiologist to work out …

The New York Times reports: Dr. Joseph Mercola, 67, an osteopathic physician in Cape Coral, Fla., has long been a subject of criticism and government regulatory actions for his promotion of unproven or unapproved treatments. But most recently, he has become the chief spreader of coronavirus misinformation online, according to researchers. Over the last decade, Dr. Mercola has built a …

The Hill reports: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on Friday declined to disclose his vaccine status, saying doing so violates his privacy. Prescott made the comment in a news conference when a reporter noted that running back Ezekiel Elliott said he had been vaccinated. “I don’t necessarily think that’s exactly important. I think that’s HIPAA,” Prescott said when asked about …

ESPN reports: After refusing to receive a vaccine for COVID-19, Rick Dennison is out as a Minnesota Vikings assistant coach, sources told ESPN on Friday. Dennison, who had served as the Vikings’ offensive line coach/run game coordinator the past two seasons, is believed to be the first NFL position coach to leave his team after choosing not to receive a …

NBC News reports: A Delaware judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by conservative political commentator Candace Owens against USA Today and another media organization over fact-checking coronavirus posts she made on Facebook. The judge ruled earlier this week that Owens had failed to state an actionable claim against USA Today or Lead Stories LLC, a Colorado-based entity. Lead Stories, like …

Nashville’s ABC News affiliate reports: Conservative radio talk show host Phil Valentine is hospitalized with COVID-19, according to his family. In a statement released Thursday, relatives said Valentine is “in very serious condition” and is suffering from “Covid Pneumonia,” along with other side effects. Valentine had previously expressed his disagreement with mask mandates, stating that hospitals were never in danger …

CBS News reports: Roughly one in three Louisianans are fully vaccinated. This week, the state’s health department reported the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations since late February. Scott Roe is one of them. “Here I am recovering, getting out of here finally tomorrow. Am I going to get a vaccine? No,” Roe said. “Because there’s too many issues with these …

Mediaite reports: Charlie Kirk has said he will not get vaccinated, and on his show Wednesday he talked about the number on VAERS of reports of people dying after receiving the covid-19 vaccines. Presumably going off tweets from Alex Berenson, Kirk actually suggested that over one million people died after getting the vaccine, saying, “If VAERS is off by 99 …

The Daily Dot reports: One of the most famous guitarists of the past half-century has been making headlines lately, but not because of his recently announced North American tour. Instead, 76-year-old Eric Clapton has become a vocal opponent of the COVID-19 vaccine after receiving one himself. He alleges that the drug is responsible for “disastrous” side effects that caused numbness …

“I will say, the snotty reaction to states like Alabama and Mississippi, it doesn’t just extend to vaccine hesitancy. This is just a cultural bias against those states, period. “They don’t like those states, they don’t like their, you know, trucks they drive, they don’t like how many kids they have. So it’s not just vaccine hesitancy they’re sneering at. …

The Cape Cod Times reports: Linda Zuern, remembered as a staunch conservative, well-respected educator and friend to many in the town of Bourne, died on Friday due to complications of COVID-19. Zuern, 70, died at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston on Friday of severe complications caused by COVID-19, according to family members and friends. Zuern was brought from Cape …

Media Matters has the transcript: JUAN WILLIAMS:: These platforms, they always say, “You know, it’s not our fault. We don’t have anything to do with the content.” But in fact, the content on their platforms is literally killing people. BRET BAIER: Ben? BEN DOMENECH: I want to see that case made from Juan Williams. I want him to find one …

Axios reports: Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Friday that his department would not enforce an L.A. County mask order, saying it is “not backed by science.” Villanueva’s statement comes one day after L.A. county officials announced a new mask mandate for residents in indoor public locations regardless of vaccine status, effective Saturday at 11:59 p.m. “Forcing the vaccinated …

Media Matters has the transcript: ALEX BERENSON (GUEST): What I’ve grown to conclude over the last 12 months is that masks are very simply symbolic. All they are is a sign you are in a dangerous time and you need to listen to us. You know, if I don’t see people wearing masks, I forget to be scared and that’s …

From the Washington Post fact-checker: Johnson repeated two unscientific claims in this Fox News interview, but his phrasing went further than before when he said coronavirus vaccines come with the risk of “some pretty serious side effects, including death.” He keeps disregarding scientists’ published findings about vaccine immunity and the clear guidance from federal health agencies and doctors. He failed …

Mediaite reports: “You don’t have a right to be in this building asking people,” said the woman, as the vaccine messengers are standing outside. “It’s a violation of people’s HIPAA rights,” she falsely claimed to them with complete and utter confidence. “You get out of this building now,” she continued, hectoring the women trying to help people receive a potentially …