1. I am not vaccinated.

I choose to trust my own body’s immune system against #COVID19 and do not fall into any risk groups.

I solidly stand against the unconstitutional vaccine mandates, and I will be fighting alongside those persecuted for choosing not to take the jab.

— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) November 15, 2021

Punchbowl reports on revelations from Jon Karl’s new book “Betrayal” about Trump’s ranting at the two top Republicans in Congress: “Trump said this about the two GOP leaders: ‘If McConnell and McCarthy fought harder, okay, you could have a Republican president right now, and now they don’t have anything.’ It’s no surprise that Trump complained about the leaders over his loss in 2020. But this is why the former president remains a wild card for McCarthy. The California Republican needs Trump to be at least neutral in his quest to become the speaker.”

“Trump also complained that ‘Kevin’ wasn’t treating Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene properly: ‘She’s been a very good supporter of mine, and I’m a supporter of hers. And I don’t think Kevin has treated her properly,’ Trump said. Lots of people have opinions, and we tend to view most of Trump’s musings as discordant and unsatisfying. But this book looks like it will be fascinating – and, furthermore, what Trump says about McCarthy matters. A huge chunk of the House GOP remains enthralled by the defeated former president. Trump is targeting those who backed his impeachment or voted for bipartisan deals with Democrats. And, as we said, Trump will certainly have views about McCarthy’s quest to be speaker.”

Separately Politico reports from the book that Moscow Mitch “planned to disinvite Trump from the inauguration. According to Karl, McConnell ‘felt he could not give Trump another opportunity to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.’ McCarthy was against the plan. McCarthy and a McConnell aide separately informed the White House of the plan. The information spurred Trump to preemptively announce that he wouldn’t attend via what would become his last tweet.”

“Thousands of Thais took to the streets of the capital on Sunday demanding reforms of the monarchy, defying a court ruling that such demands are a veiled attempt to overthrow the institution. Youth-led protests that began last year by calling for the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, 66, a former coup leader, have become the biggest challenge in decades to the monarchy which is constitutionally enshrined to be held in ‘revered worship’.”

“Protesters marched against rows of riot police behind shields, waving placards that read ‘No absolute monarchy’ and ‘Reform is not abolition’. ‘The king’s increased powers in recent years are pulling Thailand away from democracy and back to absolute monarchy,’ a protester read in a statement after the demonstration reached the German embassy in Bangkok. ‘This is a fight to insist that this country must be ruled by a system in which everyone is equal'” – Reuters.

https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1459973816147447814

Washington Post: “Republicans are rallying around former White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon after his indictment on charges of contempt of Congress on Friday, warning that Democrats’ efforts to force Bannon to comply with what they say is an unfair subpoena paves the way for them to do the same if they take back the House in 2022.  Bannon, like former president Donald Trump, has refused to comply with an order from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection to turn over records and testify about his actions leading up to the attack, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol trying to stop the certification of President Biden’s electoral college win.

“Bannon is expected to turn himself in to law enforcement Monday ahead of a court appearance that afternoon. Democrats and a handful of anti-Trump Republicans argue that the indictment was necessary to enforce subpoenas issued by the Jan. 6 committee to Trump associates who are resisting cooperation and to witnesses summoned by other congressional panels.  Many GOP leaders, however, are seizing on Bannon’s indictment to contend that Democrats are ‘weaponizing’ the Justice Department, warning Democrats that they will go after Biden’s aides for unspecified reasons if they take back the House majority in next year’s midterm elections, as most political analysts expect.

“’For years, Democrats baselessly accused President Trump of ‘weaponizing’ the DOJ. In reality, it is the Left that has been weaponizing the DOJ the ENTIRE TIME — from the false Russia Hoax to the Soviet-style prosecution of political opponents,’ Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), the third-ranking House Republican, tweeted Saturday.  Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) suggested that Republicans would seek payback if the GOP regained control of the House, signaling that in challenging the doctrine of executive privilege, Democrats were making it easier for Republicans to force Biden’s top advisers to testify before a future GOP Congress.”

Associated Press: “What’s in a name? Well, for Ji-Young, the newest muppet resident of ‘Sesame Street,’ her name is a sign she was meant to live there.  ‘So, in Korean traditionally the two syllables they each mean something different and Ji means, like, smart or wise. And Young means, like, brave or courageous and strong,’ Ji-Young explained during a recent interview. ‘But we were looking it up and guess what? Ji also means sesame.’

Associated Press:  “Petra Mayer, books editor for National Public Radio, died Saturday of what’s believed to be a pulmonary embolism, the news organization said. She was 46.

“Mayer is remembered for her reporting at Comic-Con and helping put together NPR’s Book Concierge, an annual interactive guide that filters titles based on interest to recommend to readers. She was an occasional guest on “Pop Culture Happy Hour” podcast episodes, and her colleagues said she was a proud nerd who loved science fiction and comics.  NPR’s senior vice president for news, Nancy Barnes, said in an email to staff that she died suddenly at Holy Cross Hospital in Maryland.  ‘Petra was NPR through and through,’ Barnes wrote.

“Mayer joined NPR Books team in 2012 after working as an associate producer and director for “All Things Considered” on the weekends, handling the show’s books coverage.  Her biography on NPR’s website said she first joined as an engineering assistant in 1994 while attending Amherst College, but left a few years later for a news writing job at Boston’s WBUR and for a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. She returned to NPR in 2000.”

Associated Press:  “President Joe Biden has chosen as supervisor of his $1 trillion infrastructure plan Mitch Landrieu, who as New Orleans mayor pushed the city into recovery after the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. Landrieu will be tasked with coordinating across federal agencies to work on roads, ports, bridges and airports, the White House said Sunday. Biden is expected to sign the infrastructure bill into law on Monday.

“Landrieu, 61, was formerly the Louisiana lieutenant governor and took over as mayor of New Orleans in 2010, five years after Katrina swamped the city and as the area’s recovery stalled — and as a massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico polluted the state’s coastline. He secured billions in federal funding for roads, schools parks and infrastructure, and turned New Orleans ‘into one of America’s great comeback stories,’ the White House said in a statement.

“’I am thankful to the president and honored to be tasked with coordinating the largest infrastructure investment in generations,’ Landrieu said in the statement. ‘Our work will require strong partnerships across the government and with state and local leaders, business and labor to create good-paying jobs and rebuild America for the middle class.’ When Landrieu was mayor, he gained national recognition when he removed four Jim Crow-era monuments from the New Orleans landscape, including statues of three Confederate icons.”

Politico:  “A Chinese businesswoman convicted of trespassing at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club and lying to Secret Service agents was deported over the weekend, federal authorities said, more than two years after serving her sentence.

“Yujing Zhang was turned over to immigration officials in December 2019 after serving her eight-month sentence. But she was held at the Glades County Detention Center for three times as long as her prison term mainly because of deportation delays during the Covid-19 pandemic, immigration authorities told the Miami Herald. At the time of her sentencing, the then 33-year-old Zhang went to Mar-a-Lago ‘to meet the president and family and just make friends.’ When an incredulous judge questioned her about whether she thought she could really meet the Trumps, Zhang laughed loudly and said she hoped to meet other people, too.

“Zhang then told U.S. District Judge Roy Altman that the president told reporters that he had invited Zhang to Mar-a-Lago. But Altman said that was another lie. It’s unclear what Zhang’s motives were, but the judge said it was clearly about more than getting a photo opportunity.”

USA Today:  “Heavy rain and flooding in a southern province in Egypt have left three people dead and more than 500 others hospitalized from scorpion stings, state-run media reported. Downpours, hail and thunder in the province of Aswan over the weekend forced local authorities to suspend school classes Sunday, Gov. Ashraf Attia said.

“The storms forced scorpions from their hiding places into many houses across the province, Attia added. He said at least 503 people were hospitalized after suffering scorpion stings and that all of them were discharged after they were given anti-venom doses.

“Egypt is home to the Egyptian fat-tailed scorpion, which is considered ‘one of the most deadly scorpions in the world,’ with many deaths coming as a result coming from its poisonous stinger, according to the Saint Louis Zoo. Acting Health Minister Khalid Abdel-Ghafar said in a statement that no deaths were reported from scorpion stings.”

BBC:  “Three men have been arrested under the Terrorism Act after a man was killed in a car explosion outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital.   Just before 11:00 GMT the car – said to be a taxi – pulled up and exploded shortly afterwards, police said.

“The passenger of the vehicle was declared dead at the scene and is yet to be formally identified.  The male driver was injured and is in hospital in a stable condition.  Detectives from Counter Terrorism Police North West said three men – aged 29, 26 and 21 – were detained in Sutcliffe Street in the Kensington area of the city.

“They added they were continuing to ‘keep an open mind about the cause of the explosion’ and were working with Merseyside Police as the investigation continued ‘at pace’.  Armed officers have carried out raids on a property in Rutland Avenue near Sefton Park, and also in Boaler Street in Kensington. Police have not confirmed if the raids are related to the blast at the hospital.  BBC correspondent Phil McCann later said armed officers and specialist police negotiators had arrived at a street near Sefton Park.”

Associated Press:  “First responders would be allowed to treat and transport injured police dogs to veterinary hospitals under a bill that was unanimously approved by the Massachusetts Senate this week.  Nero’s bill was named for the K9 partner of slain Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon.

“Gannon was fatally shot in 2018 while serving an arrest warrant. Nero was also shot, but because of current state law, EMTs weren’t allowed to treat or transport him.  Nero had to be rushed to the animal hospital in the back of a police cruiser and survived the shooting.

“‘K-9 officers protect the men and women in law enforcement as well as the community at large,’ said Democratic state Sen. Mark Montigny, lead sponsor of the bill. ‘These animals endure extreme danger from gun violence, narcotics, and even explosive materials. Allowing our emergency personnel to provide basic treatment and transport is a commonsense measure that honors their contributions across the commonwealth.’  The bill would permit emergency personnel to treat injured police dogs and bring them to veterinary facilities, as long as there are no injured people still requiring a hospital transport.”

NBC News:  “A Southwest Airlines employee was assaulted by a passenger Saturday afternoon following a ‘verbal altercation,’ the airline said. The incident happened during boarding for Southwest Flight 4976 from Dallas Love Field to New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

“According to Dallas police, the passenger boarded the flight around 12:40 p.m. and headed straight to the back, where she argued with a flight attendant who instructed the passenger to leave the plane. The passenger then walked to the front of the plane and verbally fought with another Southwest employee before punching that person in the head, police said. Police arrested the passenger, who faces a charge of aggravated assault.

“The victim, who Southwest Airlines identified only as an operations agent, was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition, police said. ‘We have a Station Manager with her at the hospital with the full support of her Southwest Family sending our thoughts, prayers, and love,’ an airline spokesman said in an emailed statement. ‘Southwest Airlines maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding any type of harassment or assault and fully support our Employee as we cooperate with local authorities regarding this unacceptable incident.'”

Wall Street Journal:  “Donald Trump’s family hotel company has reached an agreement to sell the rights to its glittering Washington, D.C., hotel for $375 million, according to people familiar with the matter.

“CGI Merchant Group, a Miami-based investment firm, is in contract to acquire the hotel lease for the Trump International Hotel, which is located a short walk down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. CGI intends to remove the Trump name, and it has reached a deal with Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. to have the property branded and managed by Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria group, these people said. The hotel is owned by the federal government, but with extensions the lease runs close to 100 years. It is housed in the former Old Post Office and it features some of the largest guest rooms in the capital.

“The sale, which people briefed on the matter said is expected to close in the first quarter, comes as Democratic-controlled House committees have been investigating and holding hearings on potential conflicts of interest and emoluments issues surrounding former President Trump. The Trump Organization has said it didn’t market the hotel to foreign dignitaries and that it writes a check to the U.S. Treasury Department for money made from foreign government guests.”

“The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will ‘move quickly’ to refer Mark Meadows, Trump’s former White House chief of staff, for criminal contempt for not cooperating with its investigation, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.,” reports NBC News.

“Meadows refused to meet congressional investigators on Friday. About 10 minutes after the 10 a.m. session had been scheduled to begin, around a dozen committee staff and investigators walked out of the room along with the stenographer. ‘…when ultimately witnesses decide, as Meadows has, that they’re not even going to bother showing up, that they have that much contempt for the law, then it pretty much forces our hand and we’ll move quickly,’ said Schiff, who added that the committee may also recommend the DOJ file criminal charges against other witnesses who refuse to cooperate, but said the committee will only pursue that option as a last resort.”

“Schiff also said the two new indictments against longtime Trump adviser and ally Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress could serve as a warning for other witnesses in the investigation who have declined to talk with the committee.”

“Uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine has, unfortunately, become partisan like so much else in our society. Almost every Democratic adult (90% to 95%) has gotten a shot, while a little less than two-thirds of Republican adults have. That partisanship appears to have transferred to at least one other important vaccination. An examination of flu shot data suggests that which party people belong to is highly correlated with whether they have or will get a flu shot this season – something that was not predictive of flu shot uptake the last few years. Take a look at two recent polls that have asked about whether or not people have gotten the flu shot: Axios/Ipsos and Kaiser Family Foundation. By assessing two polls instead of one, we know what we’re seeing is a real phenomenon and not statistical noise. According to the Ipsos data, 68% of Democrats said they have gotten a flu shot or are very likely to get one. Just 44% of Republicans said the same.”

“This 24-point gap is very similar to the 30-point gap for Covid-19 vaccines. The Kaiser poll shows basically the same thing. A clear majority (65%) of Democrats indicated that they had received or will definitely receive the flu shot. Just 40% of Republicans indicated they would. The 25-point partisan gap in this data is a near carbon copy of the 24-point gap in the Ipsos poll. Now compare this data to what we saw in past years – specifically, in the years before the Covid-19 pandemic took its hold. An AP-NORC poll in February 2020 asked adults whether they had received a flu shot in the last 12 months. In this poll, 58% of Democrats said they had compared to 54% of Republicans. This 4-point gap is well within any margin of error” – CNN

As National Zero readers are no doubt aware, Last Friday the Department of Justice indicted infamous dirtbag and Saturday Night Live “Drunk Uncle” cosplayer Steve Bannon. It has since been reported that Bannon plans to surrender himself to authorities on Monday, November 15th. It is the hope of this author, that Justice Department lawyers will seek to have bail denied for Bannon, and that he will be held at the DC Jail along with other January 6th defendants. The two primary reasons for denying bail to a defendant are that the defendant is either a flight risk, or that defendant may engage in behavior that could cause harm to the community at large. Bannon’s case satisfies both of these conditions.

Bannon is an obvious flight-risk because he is a multi-millionaire who has a number of friends and benefactors who own ocean-going vessels and private islands. Bannon has used yachts owned by friends as a hiding place before. If Bannon is granted bail, the process of retrieving him could easily turn into a multi-million dollar effort requiring the assistance of multiple Federal Agencies. Bannon also has friends who own aircraft, and given his status as a public figure, and his alleged ties to Russian Intelligence agencies, may have easy access to forged documents that would allow him to engage in international travel with relative ease, once he had left the United States. Another January 6th rioter recently fled to Belarus, where he was welcomed by the governmetn, and made fantastic claims of “fearing torture” that were broadcast on Belarus television. It is not at all far-fetched to imagine Bannon following a similar path.

“Austria is days away from introducing a lockdown for millions of people who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said, as daily infections hit a record high and hospital intensive care units are increasingly strained,” reports CBS News. “During a news conference Thursday, the chancellor said parliament should give the ‘green light’ for the move on Sunday, and the restrictions could then be applied across the country. Schallenberg did not say when such measures might take effect, although he said random spot checks would be conducted in public places to enforce the lockdown.”

“Under the proposed restrictions, people who are not fully vaccinated would only be allowed to leave their homes for reasons considered essential, such as going to work, grocery shopping, or visiting the doctor. ‘I don’t see why two-thirds should lose their freedom because one-third is dithering,’ Schallenberg said of the substantial minority who remain unvaccinated. ‘For me, it is clear that there should be no lockdown for the vaccinated out of solidarity for the unvaccinated.’ Currently, the Austrian national health agency is reporting the rate of cases has more than doubled since late October.”

Senator, you’ve been given a huge position to lead and tell people truth. Yet you have squandered it on lies and abused the patriotism of those who trusted you. I will have zero regrets… will you? https://t.co/IXMPyHCJDT

— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@AdamKinzinger) November 14, 2021