Congresswomen Debbie Dingell leads a Democratic group proposing $10 trillion legislative package for jobs, infrastructure, childcare, senior care and much more. This is over and above the $2 trillion package President Biden proposed yesterday. Where is the money coming from to pay for all of this?
A federal judge Thursday freed contractor Bobby Ferguson from federal prison on compassionate grounds after he served only eight years of a 21-year sentence for helping former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick turn City Hall into a criminal enterprise. If Trump hadn’t freed Kwame, this would not have happened.
Governor Whitmer is proposing to tie the lifting of restrictions to the vaccinations rates. The more people get vaccinated, the more restrictions will be lifted. It is probably a reasonable approach to incentivize people to get vaccinated, but it reminds me of the parent who gets their kids to do things by bribing them.
Per the NY Times, Governor Cuomo’s most senior aides engaged in a sustained effort to prevent New York’s own health officials, including the commissioner, from releasing the true death toll in the state’s nursing homes to the public or sharing it with state lawmakers. The actions coincided with the period in which Mr. Cuomo was pitching and then writing a book on the pandemic. I really regret purchasing and reading his book on his handling of the pandemic. How much of the book can I believe?
We haven’t heard much from Rudy Giuliani recently, but he was in the news yesterday as Federal investigators searched his home and office as part of a criminal investigation into his dealings in Ukraine. This is significant. To get the search warrant, the prosecutors had to convince a judge that the likelyhood of a crime existed.
Three Georgia men were indicted on federal hate crime and attempted kidnapping charges in connection with the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was shot to death while jogging through a South Georgia neighborhood last year. The suspects — Travis McMichael, 35; his father, Gregory McMichael, 65; and William “Roddie” Bryan, 51 — were each charged with one count of interference with Mr. Arbery’s right to use a public street because of his race and with one count of attempted kidnapping. Travis and Gregory McMichael were also charged with one count each of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm. Travis McMichael is accused of shooting Mr. Arbery. This is another case that probably would not have happened had there not been a video disputing the original storyline that was released by the local prosecutor’s office.
Construction barrels are popping up all over. Please slow down to protect our workers. Plan ahead and assume you are going to get caught in construction. Use the WAZE app when planning your commute. It will tell you exactly how long it will take and it will identify construction slowdowns and recommend alternative routes. Don’t be the person who flies through construction zones because you didn’t plan your commute properly.
Per the NY Times, Brendan Hunt was struggling to find success as an actor in New York City when he discovered another way to become famous. He began to film conspiracy theory videos about the Sept. 11 attacks and other mass killings, building an audience over many years. During the pandemic, Mr. Hunt’s tone escalated. The tipping point came on Jan. 8, when Mr. Hunt published a video urging Mr. Trump’s supporters to kill Democratic politicians. A viewer notified the F.B.I., and Mr. Hunt was arrested in January. On Wednesday, after a weeklong trial in Brooklyn, a jury concluded that Mr. Hunt’s words were not protected by the First Amendment. He was found guilty of making a threat to kill members of Congress, a federal crime that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This is not the last we will see of cases like this associated with the January 6 insurrection.
Per Bridge Magazine, Michigan remains one of only two states that don’t require state lawmakers to disclose their financial interests.So it was significant when state legislative leaders recently touted bipartisan ethics reform measures they insist will hold members accoutable. There’s just one hitch. The financial information lawmakers would be required to submit is not available to the public. Instead, according to the bill, it would be handed over to a secretive legislative committee; secretive because the information would be exempt from the state’s Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act. The public would only learn of a current lawmaker’s financial holdings if the committee determines a member has violated ethical conflict-of-interest standards. Members’ financial records otherwise can only be disclosed to the public upon request after they leave office, under the legislation. We are blessed to have such conscientious and hardworking legislatures in this state.
Stay safe: Wear your mask properly. Wash your hands regularly. Social distance. Schedule your vaccine.
Quote of the Day: “I would say this is the best attempt to maintain the status quo, under the appearance of reform. We don’t know what this committee’s powers or rules are, or what are the requirements of legislators.” said Simon Schuster, executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, a Lansing nonprofit political finance watchdog organization, when asked about the proposed transparency laws in Michigan.
Orchid of the Day: To all the people who responded to my blog from yesterday. Coming home from my game and reading the comments was a great way to end my officiating career.
Onion of the Day: Tucker Carlson of Fox News. He proves time and time again that he never lets the facts get in the way of his untruths.
Not positive, but I don’t think it’s Friday. Were you hit by a ball off a bat yesterday?