May 5, 2021

Florida Man, ATMs and Mary Jane

Florida man arrested after NSP troopers find over 400 pounds of marijuana hidden in ATMs


GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (WOWT) - A man from Florida was arrested on Friday after Nebraska State Patrol troopers found over 400 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop.

Gilbert Fernandez, 36, of Cooper City, Florida, was arrested for possession of more than one pound of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver, and possession of money during a drug violation.

An NSP K9 was able to determine there may be some sort of substance inside the van during a traffic stop. Troopers found 14 ATMs and a big safe inside the van and found out that there were packages of marijuana hidden inside.

Troopers also found about $9,000 in the front seat of the van in a duffle bag. They say the total weight of the marijuana was 426 pounds. ..........(more)

https://www.wowt.com/2021/05/04/florida-man-arrested-after-nsp-troopers-find-over-400-pounds-of-marijuana-hidden-in-atms/

May 4, 2021

Paul Ryan can't save the GOP -- he is still a huge part of the problem

Paul Ryan can’t save the GOP — he is still a huge part of the problem
The former House Speaker sits on Fox News' board and has yet to publicly stand up for Liz Cheney or Mitt Romney

By SOPHIA TESFAYE
MAY 4, 2021 6:53PM


(Salon) Republicans had a golden opportunity to finally kick Donald Trump to the curb after Jan. 6. Instead, the majority of elected Republicans, both in Congress and across the country, have stood by him. They've spent the last five months steamrolling over anyone who dares to speak out against him or in defense of democratic norms. Fealty to Trump has become the latest battle line in the ongoing GOP civil war. That's how we've ended up with Liz Cheney criticizing the Republican Party from the left.

"We can't whitewash what happened on January 6 or perpetuate Trump's big lie," the Wyoming Republican and the No. 3 House GOP leader, said Monday at the annual retreat for the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "It is a threat to democracy. What he did on January 6 is a line that cannot be crossed."

....(snip)....

Liz Cheney's latest comments came in an off-the-record interview with former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. Ryan, you'll recall, now sits on the board of Fox News, where one executive told Vanity Fair in 2019, "Paul is embarrassed about Trump and now he has the power to do something about it."

Paul Ryan may have the power to do something about it, but unlike Cheney (who at least voted to impeach Trump) he hasn't. Instead, he's been cashing in at the right-wing network and watched as Tucker Carlson has risen to the top spot by spewing barely diluted white nationalism. Ryan wouldn't even say anything after Trump celebrated Mitt Romney, the man Ryan ran on a presidential ticket with a few short years back, being booed by his hometown crowd. The media-supported myth that Ryan was a serious, responsible lawmaker propped up this malevolent character for far too long. .........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/05/04/paul-ryan-cant-save-the-gop--he-is-still-a-huge-part-of-the-problem/

May 4, 2021

Gov. Whitmer to receive courage award from Kennedy Library Foundation

Lansing — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is one of seven people who will be honored by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation for risking their own health and safety to protect others during the COVID-19 pandemic. ........(more)

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/05/04/whitmer-receive-courage-award-kennedy-library-foundation/4938479001/

May 4, 2021

This year's 4/20 set a record for single-day cannabis sales in North America

(Detroit Metro Times) This year's 4/20 was the biggest yet.

That's according to Headset, a cannabis industry data-tracking firm. The company says that the annual stoner holiday saw the largest single-day cannabis sales on record in both the U.S. and Canada, including a $10.3 million day here in Michigan. According to the company, the massive sales totals represented +84.5% growth in average daily sales over the previous four Tuesdays in the U.S. and +59.9% growth in Canada.

The company also has some stats on cannabis companies that do business in Michigan. Gage Cannabis Co., which runs seven retail locations in Michigan, reported an 181% increase in daily average sales on 4/20, and a 166% increase from last year. The company logged nearly 3,000 sales on 4/20, with an average basket size of $171, and good old-fashioned flower accounting for 73% of total sales.

Lume Cannabis Co., which runs 15 dispensaries in the state, saw a +24% year over year growth from 2020 to 2021 for 4/20, with flower making up the majority of the sales on 4/20 with 45.95% of total sales, followed by edibles (17.6%), cartridges (15.5%), extract (9.8%), and pre-rolls (8.6%). ..............(more)

https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/this-years-4-20-set-a-record-for-single-day-cannabis-sales-in-north-america/Content?oid=27046911#.YJFmEDxVSTU.link

May 4, 2021

Woman hurled racial abuse at Burger King worker because her Whopper's tomato was sliced too thick

A Florida woman has been arrested and charged with felony battery after she threw a sandwich at a Burger King worker while pelting her with racial slurs.

The Smoking Gun reports that 77-year-old retiree Judith Black became unruly in her local Burger King after being served a Whopper with a tomato that was allegedly sliced too thick.

As shown by surveillance camera footage in the store, Black proceeded to angrily complain about the tomato's thickness to a female Burger King employee, who advised Black that she would have to calm down before her complaints would be addressed.

The employee then turned her back on the customer, who proceeded to hurl her Whopper at the employee while calling her a "Black b*tch." ............(more)

https://www.rawstory.com/burger-king-racist/

May 3, 2021

Why corporate America appears to be drifting away from the Republican Party

Why corporate America appears to be drifting away from the Republican Party
Public protests over Georgia’s voting law likely contributed to many companies’ taking a strong stand

By M. K. CHIN
MAY 3, 2021 5:48PM


There's a growing rift between corporate America and the GOP – two groups that have long been bedfellows.

The latest incident involves a restrictive voting law passed in Georgia – with dozens of other states working on their own measures meant to limit voting. Over 300 companies, CEOs and other executives signed a statement printed in The New York Times to "defend the right to vote and oppose any discriminatory legislation," while Major League Baseball moved its All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver.

Republicans reacted furiously and warned of retribution, including eliminating tax breaks for companies taking a stand on the issue. Texas' governor backed out of throwing the ceremonial first pitch at the Texas Rangers' home opener. And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell bluntly warned companies to "stay out of politics" – though he later softened his tone.

Meanwhile, Democrats are trying to capitalize on the fracture.

As a management professor, I study how corporate executives' values and political views affect the decisions they make on behalf of their companies. While I believe CEOs are partly responsible for the growing business-GOP divide, it's not the only factor driving it. ....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/05/03/why-corporate-america-appears-to-be-drifting-away-from-the-republican-party_partner/

May 3, 2021

Concerts returning to Metro Detroit in 2021: The latest shows

(Detroit Free Press) More than a year after the pandemic abruptly halted concert touring, artists are making plans to get back in front of audiences.

The concert schedule at metro Detroit venues is quickly coming to life again, with shows being booked for August and beyond. The pandemic isn’t over yet, and anything can change, but performers, promoters and venues are banking that things are headed in a positive direction.

Here’s a running guide. It will updated regularly as new concerts and rescheduled dates are announced.

Riff Fest, Sept. 18-19, DTE Energy Music Theatre

(Announced May 3) Rob Zombie and Megadeth will headline the latest edition of Riff Fest, playing DTE Energy Music Theatre Sept. 18-19.

The WRIF-FM hard-rock festival will feature a Sept. 18 lineup of Zombie, Chevelle, Avatar, Candlebox and Ayron Jones on DTE’s main stage, while Twiztid, South of Eden and Eva Under Fire will play a second parking-lot stage. ............(more)

https://www.freep.com/in-depth/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2021/05/03/concerts-detroit-michigan-tickets-dates-2021/7401288002/

May 3, 2021

U.S. Infections Rise at Slowest Pace of Pandemic: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) Confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. rose at the slowest pace since the pandemic began in the week ended Sunday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. Florida banned the use of so-called vaccine passports.

The European Commission proposed easing restrictions on business and leisure travel for those who have been fully inoculated against Covid-19, adding to signs of a gradual return to normalcy as vaccinations gather pace. Separately, Germany plans to exempt fully vaccinated people from pandemic restrictions by next week. Bavaria’s Oktoberfest celebration was canceled for a second year.

Daily deaths in India hit a record 3,689 on Sunday, while the number of cases slowed slightly after the country became the first to cross the mark of 400,000 cases in a day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lost a crucial election as the crisis deepens. He had been widely criticized for continuing to hold mass rallies in the state as infections rose. ..........(more)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-02/u-s-seeks-expanded-access-in-global-vaccine-talks-virus-update?srnd=premium

May 3, 2021

The Biggest Remaining Challenge in Stopping the Coronavirus

(Slate) On April 15, at a hearing on the coronavirus pandemic, Rep. Jim Jordan harangued Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Jordan, an outspoken critic of mask mandates, demanded to know when Americans would “get their liberties back and be able to move on with their lives.” Fauci explained that the answer depended on progress in vaccination, which in turn depended on how many people were willing to roll up their sleeves. Jordan, who had passed up an invitation to get vaccinated in December—and had reiterated in March that he was in “no hurry” to get his shot—ignored Fauci’s point and went on with his tirade.

This is the paradox we’re dealing with as we try to get control of the virus: People who won’t get vaccinated—in many cases, the same people who defy mask orders and other public health measures—are holding us back from resuming normal life. Many of them are deliberate freeloaders. They’re counting on the rest of us to suppress the pandemic—and thereby protect them—by getting vaccinated, while they refuse to do the same. ...........(more)

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/05/coronavirus-challenge-vaccine-refusers.html

May 3, 2021

In Quebec, Child Care Is Infrastructure

(Bloomberg) While child care centers across the U.S. have faced a spate of closures during the pandemic, the Canadian province that pioneered a model for universal subsidized child care had a markedly different experience — even from the rest of Canada.

Though providers in Quebec faced many of the same struggles to keep kids and caregivers safe, more centers were able to stay open, and in some cases thrive.

A major reason Quebec’s system fared better was its funding model, according to a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The research builds on other economic studies that have concluded a market-based approach does not work well for the child care industry, especially during an economic downturn.

“I’ve been defending private markets all my life. I’m not an extreme leftist. But you also have to be pragmatic. Child care is an area where private markets don’t do a very good job,” said Pierre Fortin, an economist at the University of Quebec at Montreal who has done extensive research on Quebec’s system. ...............(more)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-29/lessons-from-quebec-on-universal-child-care?srnd=premium