BarryLaverty

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but when you defame someone, insinuating that they were responsible for inventing diseases that killed people, and you are very wrong, that is low and wrong.

He's no more a doctor or researcher than Rodgers, for sure, but he also doesn't try to mount a public campaign against REAL SCIENCe and REAL MEDICINE and disparage and attack those who work in those fields out of some deep-rooted paranoia and government hatred. So, there is that difference.

The rebuttal from one of his targets. https://www.yahoo.com/news/gop-rep-dan-crenshaw-burns-033812568.html GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw Burns Tucker Carlson With 1 Stinging Question About His Job Ed Mazza Wed, April 17, 2024 at 10:38 PM CDT·1 min read 875 Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) fired back at Tucker Carlson with a reminder of one of his more embarrassing moments after the right-wing video host attacked him on social media. “Why do the reddest states produce the dumbest, most liberal Republicans?” Carlson tweeted. “Why aren’t John Cornyn and Dan Crenshaw bagging groceries at Walmart?” Crenshaw fired back: That was a blunt reminder of Carlson’s widely mocked trip to Russia, where he visited a Moscow supermarket and marveled at things such as a shopping cart return system, like those that can found at just about any Aldi in the United States. Carlson, a longtime apologist for Vladimir Putin, traveled to the country for an interview with the Russian leader that was so soft Putin himself mocked Carlson for it. Carlson was slammed by people on both sides of the aisle over the visit. “The Soviets had a term for people like Tucker: useful idiots,” another GOP lawmaker, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), said at the time. Crenshaw and Carlson have tussled before. Just last week, Crenshaw torched Carlson as “a cowardly, know-nothing elitist who is full of poop.” Carlson, who has admitted to lying on his show when he was on Fox News, was once the top host on cable television as he peddled racist conspiracy theories and anti-immigrant rhetoric. He and Fox News parted ways shortly after the conservative network agreed to pay $787.5 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation lawsuit over unfounded claims on its shows about election fraud in 2020. Now he posts his videos on X, YouTube and a subscription website.

You're thinking of the OTHER crazy Green Bay QB, the one who ripped off the state of Mississippi.

Keeps hammering away with the crazy that I know some of you embrace. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/aaron-rodgers-sparks-outrage-outlandish-213520618.html Aaron Rodgers Sparks Outrage After Outlandish Claims About U.S. Government, Dr. Anthony Fauci Creating HIV/AIDS Chris Malone Méndez Updated Thu, April 18, 2024 at 7:23 AM CDT·6 min read 3.3k Cooper Neill/Getty Images New York Jets star Aaron Rodgers has seemingly made as many headlines for his words off the field as he has for his work on the field. In his latest resurfaced controversial claim, the Super Bowl champ suggested that the HIV/AIDS pandemic that broke out in the 1980s was entirely manmade, and connected it to former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci. Rodgers explained his position on the Look Into It podcast back in March. According to the Jets quarterback, Fauci fumbled the fight against HIV and the rollout of antiretroviral drug AZT. Rodgers called this move the "blueprint" for the U.S. government's COVID response. "The blueprint, the game plan, was made in the '80s. Create a pandemic with a virus that’s going wild," he said. "Fauci was given over $350 million to research this, to come up with drugs—new or repurposed—to handle the AIDS pandemic. And all they came up with was AZT." "And if you do even a smidge of research, and I know, I’m not an epidemiologist, I’m not a doctor, I’m not an immunologist, whatever the ###. I can read, though. And I can learn and I can look things up just like any normal person. I can do my own research, which was so vilified, to even question authority," he added. "But that was the game plan back then. Create an environment where only one thing works. Back then AZT; now, Remdesivir until we get a vaccine." "By the way, we know Fauci had [a] stake in the Moderna vaccine and we know Pfizer is one of the most criminally corrupt ever, the fine they paid was the biggest in the history of the [Department of Justice] in 2009," he continued. "What are we talking about? We’re going to put our full trust in science that can’t be questioned?" Fauci's purported links to Moderna, which presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (who coincidentally was reportedly considering choosing Rodgers as a running mate) also espoused, have long been debunked. Rodgers' claims of Fauci and other researchers engineering HIV with the help of the U.S. government for the purpose of unleashing a pandemic on the public have—to put it lightly—not been historically or factually proven. AIDS is believed to have jumped from primates to humans as early as the late 1800s. Related: Aaron Rodgers Says He's Lost Millions Due to His COVID Stances Many online were furious about Rodgers' comments as they began to recirculate on social media. "So cool that the NFL effectively blacklisted Colin Kaepernick for his racial justice stances. But Aaron Rodgers can spout reckless conspiracies about HIV, Sandy Hook, etc., and continue to be one of the highest-paid players in the league," one person wrote on X. Another user jokingly contrasted some of Rodgers' public statements with those of retired seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. "Tom Brady last week: 'I’m gonna work harder. I’m gonna care more. I’m gonna show up earlier. I’m gonna put more time in. I’m gonna work later. I’m gonna study more. I’m gonna do things other people aren’t willing to do.' Aaron Rodgers this week: 'The government created HIV,'" they said, adding, "It has been simultaneously overcovered and undercovered that one of the greatest athletes in history had their brain melted by COVID and is now a full-blown loon." "The first recorded AIDS death was a teenager in St. Louis in the late '60s. There's some evidence that HIV goes back to the 1920s. Aaron Rodgers is such a maroon [sic]," another chimed in. Others added to the chorus of evidence that HIV existed years before the panic of the '80s. "My uncle was a medical doctor in Africa. HIV existed decades before 1980s America. Aaron Rodgers is a #### moron," one person stated plainly. While Rodgers himself acknowledged he's not a medical professional, one person online pointed out that he doesn't even have any education credentials beyond a high school diploma. "Aaron Rodgers has no college degree. He majored in American Studies while he was at UC Berkeley. He left school early to join the NFL before he graduated and never return to finished his degree in American Studies. So obviously he’s an expert about the origins of HIV," they said. Another X user wants Fauci to take legal action against Rodgers for his reckless statements. "I really hope Dr. Fauci sues Aaron Rodgers into oblivion after he said Fauci created AIDS along with the U.S. government," they said. Rodgers is set to return to the field with the Jets later this year after his first season with the team ended after just four plays last year. Fauci stepped down from his longtime position as director of NIAID in 2022 and is now a faculty member at Georgetown University.

Yeah, we should aspire to be more like...Oklahoma! Said no self respecting Texan ever!

You've had that one stored away, eager to strike, haven't you??? On the topic, didn't you get the memo from the other Russian apologists and Putin admirers on here about them? Pay better attention in the meetings!

Sure, sure, da, they are our friends, and we overstate their enemy status? NYET. If they can do it in Muleshoe, they will try the rest of the country. (Washington Post) Tex. hack may be first disruption of U.S. water system by Russia Analysis by Ellen Nakashima April 17, 2024 at 9:06 a.m. EDT Tex. hack may be first disruption of U.S. water system by Russia In January, an alert citizen in Muleshoe, Tex., was driving by a park and noticed that a water tower was overflowing. Authorities soon determined the system that controlled the city’s water supply had been hacked. In two hours, tens of thousands of gallons of water had flowed into the street and drain pipes. The hackers posted a video online of the town’s water-control systems and a nearby town being manipulated, showing how they reset the controls. In the video on the messaging platform Telegram, they called themselves Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR). “We’re starting another raid on the USA,” the video caption reads in Russian, with the hackers saying they would show how they exploited “a couple critical infrastructure facilities, namely water supply systems.” It was followed by a smiley face emoji. That water tank overflow in a Texas panhandle town may well be linked to one of the most infamous Russian government hacking groups, the cybersecurity firm Mandiant said Wednesday. If confirmed, analysts say it would mark a worrisome escalation by Moscow in its attempts to disrupt critical U.S. infrastructure by targeting one of its weakest sectors: water utilities. The hacking group, which private sector analysts once dubbed Sandworm, has achieved notoriety for briefly turning out the lights in parts of Ukraine at least three different times; hacking the Olympics Opening Games in South Korea in 2018; and launching NotPetya, one of the most damaging cyberattacks ever that cost businesses worldwide tens of billions of dollars. Although no one was hurt and service was not interrupted in Muleshoe, the prospect of Sandworm broadening its sites from Ukrainian power grids and French elections to American critical infrastructure is troubling, Mandiant chief analyst John Hultquist said. The U.S. government assesses Sandworm to be part of the GRU, Russia’s military spy agency. The team at Mandiant, which is owned by Google, observed social media accounts being created on YouTube for CARR using servers associated with Sandworm, Hultquist said, adding that Mandiant also has found CARR posting Ukrainian government data stolen by Sandworm hackers on Telegram. “We’ve been saying for a long time that CARR is just a front for the GRU,” Hultquist said. “Then we see them take credit for these acts in the U.S. against water utilities. Is GRU behind these attacks? If it isn’t GRU, whoever is doing this is working out of the same clubhouse. It’s too close for comfort.” The U.S. intelligence community has not yet made a determination whether CARR is run by the GRU, although intelligence analysts are scouring clues. Robert M. Lee, CEO and co-founder of Dragos, which specializes in industrial control system cybersecurity, said a team from his firm tracked CARR’s operations in January. He confirmed the water overflow in Muleshoe but could not specify whether this happened in other towns. “The adversary was definitely looking to do disruptions,” he said, noting that the trend over the last several years has been for state actors to seek to disrupt systems, whereas a decade ago, they were interested mostly in espionage. Another target was the nearby town of Abernathy. The city’s manager, Don Provost, said in an interview that the hack “didn’t interrupt anything.” The FBI and Department of Homeland Security got in touch quickly, he said. “It actually turned out to be a good thing,” he said. “It showed us where our vulnerabilities were.” In an interview, Muleshoe’s city manager, Ramon Sanchez, said the hackers brute-forced the password for the system’s control system interface, which was run by a vendor. That password hadn’t been changed in more than a decade, he admitted. “You don’t think that’s going to happen to you. It’s always going to happen to the other guy,” he said. The same vendor was used by at least two other towns in the area that were subjected to attempted hacks, Sanchez said. But the incident also forced changes. “We learned,” Sanchez said. “The biggest lesson is that we have to always be proactive and always update our cybersecurity.” He thinks Muleshoe was a “victim of opportunity,” adding: “I would have never thought that somebody tied to the Russian military would target Muleshoe.”

Always enjoy the indignation and sputtering when the cult leader's crown gets tarnished! So many pearls being clutched!

Really??? So that includes our weapons?

History being made and Trump sleeps right through it! Old guys need nappies! https://www.yahoo.com/news/dems-roast-trump-appearing-sleep-202802746.html Dems roast Trump for appearing to sleep in court Alex Gangitano Mon, April 15, 2024 at 3:28 PM CDT2 min read Dems roast Trump for appearing to sleep in court Democratic strategists are roasting former President Trump on Monday for appearing to fall asleep in a New York courtroom during the first day of his hush money trial. Trump at times during the day closed his eyes, appearing to nod off. He also would lean back in his chair motionless with his arms crossed for considerable periods, but opinions differed among the press corps about whether the former president was actually asleep. Maggie Haberman, senior political correspondent at The New York Times, reported that Trump looked like he was sleeping and later told CNN, “He appeared to be asleep. Routinely his head would fall down.” She added that Trump didn’t pay attention to a note his lawyer passed him and that his “jaw kept falling on his chest and his mouth kept going slack.” Photographers were only allowed in during the trial’s opening moments and do not appear to have captured the moments Haberman described. Kate Bedingfield, former communications director to President Biden, wrote in response to the reporting, “Sleepy Don.” Dan Pfeiffer, former senior adviser to President Obama, shared Haberman’s initial reporting and added, “If Trump is too old and weak to stay awake at his own criminal trial, what do you think will happen in the Situation Room?” Obama’s 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina shared Haberman’s CNN interview and highlighted her comment: “Well, Jake, he appeared to be asleep.” Democratic strategist Chris Jackson shared a photograph of Trump and said, “So sad.” Others on X argued that if Biden appeared to sleep during a similar moment, it would be a major story. Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of the progressive group Indivisible, posted on the social platform X, “you know what this means: it’s time for another round of stories about Biden’s age.” Additionally, journalist Jemele Hill argued in a post, “Now had this been Biden, it would have been the lead story on every newscast and Fox News would have talked about this for weeks.” Meanwhile, former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele joked, “When you’re old and on trial for falsifying official records you tire quickly. Let the man sleep but watch for that slack jaw, drooling could become a problem.” Trump is in court for his first criminal trial in a matter involving a hush money payment made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. The trial began Monday with the jury selection process, which is expected to last at least several days before opening arguments begin and star witnesses take to the stand.

So, this IS a bad deal for Texas? And, this is not companies practicing purposefully greedy profiteering, but it is governmental support in a need area to bolster production so we won't be dependent on foreign-made products. Are you against that as well? Why do you hate America?

You always post half-baked garbage then act scornfully and butt hurt over anyone crossing you...you are MAGA personified...carry on your own dang self.

You'd be wrong there, as usual. I don't want complete gun prohibition. I want registered guns, prevention of violent felons or those on the terror watch list to own them, domestic abusers, and those who are underage. Longer waiting periods, less killing weaponry available.

Oh, so this IS a bad thing for Texas and those who will have jobs here? What I was expecting, well, that and the straw man arguments. When did 'conservatives' get so terrible at 'whataboutisms' that have ZIP comparison value?

Soon after you tell that to the countless more that are murdered here because of our gun obsession. I'll get right on it.

In the Austin area...sure this is a bad thing for some reason. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/biden-administration-agrees-6-4-090030949.html Biden administration agrees to provide $6.4 billion to Samsung for making computer chips in Texas JOSH BOAK Updated Mon, April 15, 2024 at 6:06 AM CDT2 min read 278 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has reached an agreement to provide up to $6.4 billion in direct funding for Samsung Electronics to develop a computer chip manufacturing and research cluster in Texas. The funding announced Monday by the Commerce Department is part of a total investment in the cluster that, with private money, is expected to exceed $40 billion. The government support comes from the CHIPS and Science Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022 with the goal of reviving the production of advanced computer chips domestically. “The proposed project will propel Texas into a state of the art semiconductor ecosystem,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on a call with reporters. “It puts us on track to hit our goal of producing 20% of the world’s leading edge chips in the United States by the end of the decade.” Raimondo said she expects the project will create at least 17,000 construction jobs and more than 4,500 manufacturing jobs. Samsung's cluster in Taylor, Texas, would include two factories that would make four- and two-nanometer chips. Also, there would be a factory dedicated to research and development, as well as a facility for the packaging that surrounds chip components. The first factory is expected to be operational in 2026, with the second being operational in 2027, according to the government. The funding also would expand an existing Samsung facility in Austin, Texas. Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council, said Samsung will be able to manufacture chips in Austin directly for the Defense Department as a result. Access to advanced technology has become a major national security concern amid competition between the U.S. and China. In addition to the $6.4 billion, Samsung has indicated it also will claim an investment tax credit from the U.S. Treasury Department. The government has previously announced terms to support other chipmakers including Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in projects spread across the country.

Oh good, a meme non response to my post. No one serious minded thinks Trump was any kind of diplomatic force for us in the world. He was bluster and arrogant while stroking the egos of dictators and thugs.

Remember that time the Trump administration ended the deal on nuclear access the Obama administration brokered, then Iran became very much closer to developing full blown nuclear weapons? I do.

Per capita those stats. So, nope.

The murder rate there is 11x less than ours. Wonder why that is? Oh, yeah, they require all guns to be registered and have 28 day waiting limits.

So you are equating MAGAs to hyenas? Yeah, makes sense.

Read a very good review that liked it.

Uh, the hyenas are WITH Scar, as his allies, until they realize his betrayal, and they eat him! You have seen the movie, right?

He likes to see himself as Mufasi when he is obviously Scar!