NPR: “An independent panel of researchers said it has found no major irregularities in the 2020 census results that were used to reallocate congressional seats and Electoral College votes for the next decade. In a report released Tuesday, the American Statistical Association’s task force of census experts also noted that despite concerns about interference by the Trump administration, their review uncovered ‘no evidence of anything other than an independent and professional enumeration process’ by the Census Bureau staff who took ‘corrective actions as necessary.'”

“Their assessment comes about five months after the April release of state population totals from a national head count that was upended by last-minute schedule changes because of the coronavirus pandemic and Trump officials. ‘We may have come to a different conclusion had the election come out differently and they had to put out numbers Dec. 31,’ said Nancy Potok, a former deputy Census Bureau director who co-chaired the task force, during a press briefing before the report’s release in reference to Trump officials’ failed efforts to move up the delivery of state population counts. Instead, the bureau ultimately pushed that back to run more quality checks, which Potok said gave the task force ‘a lot of confidence’ in the agency’s work.”

The hot new Coronavirus cure-all for Q-curious anti-vaxxers is Betadine, a topical iodine solution used for scrapes cuts… and also found in douches, Rolling Stone and Meidas Touch report.

Betadine Gargle is pre-diluted Povidone Iodine.
It can be safely used as a gargle. I bought some off the shelf at TARGET.
It is scientifically proven to kill coronavirus in the mouth. Less viral load is a good thing
Gargle
Don't swallow
Re-tweet
Save Liveshttps://t.co/H38gXGPBgp

— KrisColorado (@KrisColoradoLV) September 14, 2021

On one level it is understandable that people would look for a common medication that would work for COVID-19, as many parts of the world still have no access to vaccines and it may be a year or two at least before does can be distributed to everyone living in rural Bolivia and the Central African Republic and Vanuatu and what not. If Ivermectin worked it would be a wonderful stop-gap.

But that’s not even close to being an excuse for these domestic MAGA dipshits who have been pleaded with and cajoled for months to just shut the fuck up and get vaxxed. Now they’re gargling iodine as their means of avoiding an entirely avoidable illness.

“Bob Enyart, conservative Christian radio host and former pastor of Denver Bible Church, has died after contracting COVID-19 on September 1 while fighting against COVID restrictions. On Monday, the late 62-year-old’s friend and co-host of Real Science Radio Fred Williams announced his death on Facebook in a now-deleted post. ‘It comes with an extremely heavy heart that my close friend and co-host of Real Science Radio has lost his battle with COVID,’ said Williams.”

“‘Bob Enyart was one of the smartest, and without question the wisest person I’ve known. All the while being exceedingly kind and humble, and always, always willing to listen and discuss anything you wanted.’ ‘It was an honor beyond measure to have been alongside him for 15 years and over 750 science shows,’ Williams continued. Williams ended the deleted post by asking everyone to ‘pray for Enyart’s family during this difficult time.’ Enyart recently stood against COVID-19 mask mandates and vaccine distribution. Enyart stated on his show that scientists allegedly tested the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines on ‘the cells of aborted babies'” – Newsweek.

“One day before the Gavin Newsom recall, adherents of the QAnon conspiracy belief system are busy attempting to invalidate the election results before they even come in – but they’re torn on what exactly comes next. Although most people likely assume QAnon has its deepest roots in places like Florida or Texas, the extremist ideology has made significant inroads in California. It’s particularly noticeable in Orange County and San Diego, where people sporting QAnon flags and shirts have been seen at anti-lockdown and anti-Newsom protests over the past year.”

“In the lead-up to the Newsom recall, anons have glommed onto a December 2018 Q post in response to a commenter asking, ‘Will voter fraud in CA ever be brought to light?’ ‘Watch CA,’ Q wrote back. Three years on, some are convinced this means that Newsom will fraudulently win this recall election and, confronted with overwhelming evidence of this alleged fraud, Californians will kick off a national audit that gets Trump back into office. ‘DETHRONING Newsom is THE catalyst for the MAIN EVENT,’ wrote QAnon influencer John Sabal (who goes by QAnon John) on Telegram last week. If you were struck by the dubiousness of California’s 10 million-plus registered Democrats suddenly being swayed by this argument, keep this in mind: Many QAnon believers think California is majority Republican. In the weeks after the 2020 presidential election, QAnon discourse was full of baseless assertions that Trump won California; in reality, Biden received 11 million votes to Trump’s 6 million” – SFGate.

Fox News: “Conservative Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri is supporting venture capitalist and best-selling author J.D. Vance in the crowded and combustible field of contenders vying for the Republican Senate nomination in the 2022 race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio. The endorsement, shared first with Fox News on Tuesday, is the first by Hawley in the 2022 election cycle in an open GOP Senate nomination race.”

“‘I’m proud to endorse JD Vance for U.S. Senate from Ohio. JD knows well the devastating realities that our country faces. Especially in Ohio, families gripped by addiction have the cards stacked against them and entire towns continue to plummet. JD will fight for tighter restrictions at the southern border, bring back a robust manufacturing industry and put the needs of our own American citizens first,’ Hawley said in a statement.”

“Russian President Vladimir Putin is going into self-isolation because of coronavirus cases in his inner circle, the Kremlin said Tuesday, adding that he tested negative for COVID-19. The announcement came in the Kremlin’s readout of Putin’s phone call with Tajikistan’s president. Putin has been fully vaccinated with the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, receiving his second shot in April. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin is ‘absolutely healthy,’ but will self-isolate after coming in contact with someone who contracted the virus. He didn’t clarify for how long Putin would remain in self-isolation, but assured that the president will continue working as usual. Asked if Putin tested negative for the virus, Peskov said ‘definitely, yes.’ Peskov didn’t say who among Putin’s contacts were infected, saying only that there were several cases” – AP.

“I spent the last year running against the real Donald Trump…”

With the polls showing upwards of 60% of California voters against the recall of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, the Republicans and presumed favored alternative Larry Elder have already started the conspiracy claims that the election was rigged against them, the Associated Press reports.

Elder has declared that if he loses, he believes “there might very well be shenanigans, as there were in the 2020 election.”  Elder has already set up an election war-room and is soliciting tips of alleged election fraud.

Donald Trump’s minions have distributed various statements calling into doubt the security of the California recall election process and all ballots cast.  Various other GOP officials have also promoted unsubstantiated conspiracy theories. 

The new baseball team in Olney, Maryland wasn’t happy with a local parody news site claiming that the team’s fictional fan website, “OlneyFans,” was recently enjoying a spike in traffic, the Washington Post reports.

The Takoma Torch, which bills itself as “Takoma Park’s ONLY humor source,” ran a story last week headlined, “‘OlneyFans’ Website for MoCo’s New Baseball Team Crashes Due to Unusually High Traffic,” mocking the announcement from the fan contribution site OnlyFans blocking sexually explicit material.

The baseball team’s lawyer sent a “cease and desist” letter threatening the Torch for the parody and demanding the story be taken down, to which the satirists offered to sell them the “OlneyFans” logo the site developed as a graphic for the story.  The price?  “Olney” $5,000.

My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 13, 2021

“My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied” —Nicki Minaj via Twitter

Eric Bochene, an upstate New York man who was charged by authorities for entering the Capitol during the January 6th domestic terrorist attack, has told the Federal Court that he intends to bill the court for fees accumulated for representing himself in court, which he says could amount to one million dollars, Syracuse.com reports.

The 49-year-old from New Hartford even helpfully submitted a rate card to the court:  $10,000 fee for a 30-minute court appearance or $50,000 if it’s under duress. Research time costs $500 per hour, or $50,000 under duress.  He also has some penalties:  $6 million if there’s an attempt to forge a signature or $5 million for forced giving of bodily fluids, for example.  He had already prepared fifteen invoices.

District Judge Randolph D. Moss immediately wrote a response denying the payment to Bochene.  “[T]he Court is unclear exactly what relief Defendant seeks,” Moss wrote.  “[T]o the extent Defendant is seeking payment for appearing in Court, that argument lacks merit. … Defendant stands charged with several crimes, and is currently released on personal recognizance bond… [T]he defendant must appear in court as required.”

Apple issued an emergency patch to the iOS operating system to fix a problem that allows hackers to access the user’s phone or computer without requiring the user to download a covert piece of software, the Associated Press reports.

Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab found the vulnerability, which they say allowed hacker-for-hire Israeli firm NSO Group to access the phone of a Saudi activist and is suspected of hacking phones of Arab journalists.  They notified Apple September 7th.

The hack is known as a “zero click” exploit, and this is the first time such a tool was discovered and analyzed.  “We’re not necessarily attributing this attack to the Saudi government,” said researcher Bill Marczak.

“The Biden administration’s messaging on Afghanistan is working, new polling seen exclusively by NatSec Daily shows – a boon to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as they head into congressional hearings on the chaotic withdrawal. The CT Group, an international consulting firm, sent one-sentence arguments to people in the United States, Britain and Australia, both in favor of and against President Joe Biden’s pullout decision” Politico reports.

“They found that pro-withdrawal lines drove more people to support leaving Afghanistan, whereas statements that backed remaining in the country weren’t as convincing. The most effective line for Biden was this one: ‘The U.S. has been in Afghanistan for 20 years, that is far too long, regardless of the impact we should leave now.’ Six other summations of the administration’s arguments – such as how the United States couldn’t keep spending money to prop up an ineffective Afghan state – also resonated with the American, British and Australian respondents. ‘Our data shows that the Biden administration, the messaging it’s doing, is reaching an audience and is making an impact,’ said Price Floyd, director of campaigns and communications at CT’s Washington, D.C., office.”

In response to this yesterday’s fatal all-hands fire, the FDNY Fire Safety Education Unit is sharing safety info today at the S&W Supermarket, 4028 East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx until 1 pm. For online #FDNYSmart tips visit https://t.co/NpwdRdlElY pic.twitter.com/DivYSaBYPJ

— FDNY (@FDNY) September 13, 2021

The New York City Fire Department, a government agency with immense power over the nation’s largest metropolis, boasted openly of distributing so-called “fire safety education” propaganda outside of a supermarket in the Bronx on Monday, with items designed for consumption by children and adults, separately. The precise content of the literature offered to adult passers-by was not known at publication, however a photo of the vehicle of the unidentified FDNY agents indicated that there was a specific emphasis on “smoke detectors”, obnoxious devices requiring AA batteries that shriek loudly whenever a discount store-brand version of a DiGiorno pizza is left in the oven for like, a fucking minute longer than the time it says on the box. A shrill nanny state for all.

Clearly visible in the photo – and much more concerning – however, was a “coloring book” meant for young New Yorkers to use crayons to color in rote vector illustrations and complete “activities” casting fire in a negative light. To put it bluntly, these books are teaching children to hate and fear fire, even making them feel guilty for harmless fun like playing with matches or lighting bottle rockets indoors. An entire generation is being fed this vile lie that fire is inherently evil and wrong, woke-washing the critical role it played in the foundation of Western Civilization. The only end to this nightmare is to elect only the leaders who promise to put an immediate stop to fire safety education and hold the FDNY accountable for polluting young minds. Fire the fire haters!

#WalkAway campaign founder Brandon Straka’s email newsletter via JoeMyGod: “Dear Patriots, It probably comes as no big surprise at this point to hear me say, ‘There’s much I can’t talk about right now.’ I know you must be so sick of hearing it. This week is a crucial week however. Very, very crucial. For now, suffice it to say that I have to make a major decision, and also suffice it to say that my choices are not plentiful. As of now, I am not happy with what I am being asked to do.”

“It flies in the face of what is true, and I have always been about telling the truth – whether people like it or not. It’s sad to me that a person can be put in a position to have to take ownership of something that is false, and seemingly have no other choice. Please pray to God that somehow this week right will be done and truth and justice will prevail. Try not to worry about me. I will be ok. I will ALWAYS be ok. But right is right and wrong is wrong. And I may be swallowing a very bitter pill. I hope somehow I won’t have to. All I ask is that you pray and send love. This email may sound somber and pessimistic, but you know me – I’m an eternal optimist. No matter what is done to me, I hold my head high – I know the truth – and I remain optimistic and determined to look to a bright future. I’ll have more to report in the coming days. This is all for now. Sending love to you all, and would love to hear from you all with some love in return. Thank you, Patriots.”

Phoenix NBC affiliate KNPX’s political correspondent Brahm Reznik reports Trump has endorsed Republican Arizona State Rep Mark Finchem’s candidacy for Arizona Secretary of State. Finchem’s entire platform is essentially “Trump Won” and he was present immediately outside the Capitol during the assault on January 6th. At a “pre-rally” the day before the riot, Finchem spoke on stage after being introduced as as a friend by MAGA scumbag Ali Alexander of “Stop the Steal” and “Kamala Harris isn’t actually Black” fame. So, to put it mildly, a real piece of shit.

Wrote Trump in the endorsement: “It is my great honor to endorse a true warrior, Representative Mark Finchem, of the Great State of Arizona, for the position of Secretary of State. He is a patriot who has fought for our Country right from his earliest moments in government. Mark was willing to say what few others had the courage to say. In addition to his incredibly powerful stance on the massive Voter Fraud that took place in the 2020 Presidential Election Scam, he is strong on Crime, Borders, our currently under siege Second Amendment, and loves our Military and our Vets. Mark will also be fighting hard for further Tax and Regulation Cuts. Mark Finchem has my Complete and Total Endorsement. He will never let the people of Arizona down!”

Vice: “A Nevada businessman who once cleared out his company’s warehouse to host a Trump rally in violation of state lockdown laws, has become the new host for the country’s biggest QAnon conference. At the end of August, the ‘For God & Country Patriot Double Down’ was left without a home, when Caesars in Las Vegas pulled the plug. Just days later, the organizers posted a video of themselves celebrating securing a new venue, but decided not to reveal the name in a bid to stop the public and the media pressuring the hotel to cancel the event.”

“But now Vice News can reveal that the new venue is the Ahern Hotel and Convention Center, a premises close to the Las Vegas Strip owned by Don Ahern, a multi-millionaire businessman who is the finance chairman of the Nevada Republican Party and one of the biggest supporters of former President Donald Trump. The event is a follow-up to the ‘For God & County Patriot Roundup’ conference that took place in Dallas at the end of May, attracting hundreds of attendees and some of the biggest stars in the QAnon firmament. Next month’s event is set to be even larger and is set to feature the father-and-son duo of Jim and Ron Watkins, who facilitated the rise of QAnon on their website 8kun (formerly known as 8chan). The event will also feature several elected GOP figures, including sitting Arizona state lawmakers Rep. Mark Finchem and Sen. Sonny Borrelli.”

“The House select committee investigating the 6 January attack on the Capitol has instructed telecom and social media companies last week to preserve records of Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, according to a source familiar with the matter. The move positions the select committee on the doorstep of the Oval Office as it pursues a far-reaching inquiry into whether Trump and his White House helped plan or had advance knowledge of the insurrection perpetrated by the former president’s supporters” the Guardian reports.

“House minority leader Kevin McCarthy’s claimed it would be illegal for telecom companies to comply with the investigation’s records requests. House select committee investigators signaled their intention to examine potential involvement by the Trump White House and House Republicans when they last week made a series of records demands and records preservation requests for Trump officials connected to the Capitol attack. In the records preservation requests, the select committee instructed 35 telecom and social media companies to avoid destroying communications logs of several hundred people, including the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, and 10 House Republicans, in case it later issues subpoenas. But the previously unreported inclusion of Meadows on the list of people whose records the select committee wants preserved suggests the panel will seek more information on the most senior aide in the Trump administration and could upturn every inch of the West Wing in its inquiry. The former chief of staff is among several top White House officials who may hold the key to unlock inside information pertaining to the extent of the former president’s involvement in the Capitol attack that left five dead and nearly 140 injured.”

Tropical Storm Nicholas is expected to make landfall on the Texas shoreline near Houston with high winds, isolated tornadoes and a rising risk of flooding due to rainfalls that could approach 20 inches, NPR reports.

The storm will hit from Texas to Mississippi, and it could reach hurricane force prior to hitting landfall.  Democratic Louisiana John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency for his state, while Republican governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Tate Reeves of Mississippi continue to not impede people’s freedoms as the storm approaches.

The storm will create flooding in urban areas as the storm dumps 8 to 16 inches of rain over the next few days, with some areas getting 20 inches.  Nicholas is a non-symmetrical storm that will bring waves of rain over the areas impacted, with the eye traveling along the coast before rain hits inland.