Hits and Misses
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican, is clearly not your typical member of Congress. An adherent of the QAnon conspiracy theory, she has also called for the execution of top Democrats, has called the media “bloodthirsty,” has suggested that school shootings have been staged and, perhaps most notoriously, that a space laser could have caused the California wildfires. Republicans who are attached to reality and possessing a modicum of political savvy realize how damaging it would be if she becomes the face of the party. U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is now the minority leader in the Senate, had the good sense to come out and denounce Taylor Greene and her brand of conspiracy mongering. He said, “Loony lies and conspiracy theories are cancer for the Republican Party and our country. Somebody who’s suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.’s airplane is not living in reality.”
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro deserves kudos for securing a commitment from internet provider Comcast to delay its implementation of usage-based data overage charges. In equal part, brickbats should go to the telecommunications company for being unable to read the room – and for deciding now was the time to cap data, and charge its customers who go over their data limit additional fees. More adults than ever rely on the internet to work, and many children require it to stream classes. That results in an increase in essential usage that comes at no fault of the customer. At a time when there are so many making less than they were, or who are unemployed, asking customers to potentially pony up more for service was a tone deaf move. As Shapiro noted, “This is not the time to change the rules when it comes to internet data usage and increase costs.” The agreement delays Comcast from instituting the overage charges until July. It also protects low-income families enrolled in the company’s Internet Essentials program for the rest of 2021.
The Super Bowl is Sunday, and the temptation is there for many football fans to attend a party. They should resist, though, and stay at home, so the number of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations can continue to go down. On Wednesday, officials in Allegheny County urged residents to be smart and avoid getting together with people outside their households. Dr. Debra Bogen, the county’s health director, said, “The safest Super Bowl parties are ones with only members of your household. Gatherings of others outside or at the television where there will be cheering, eating, puts people at risk for spreading or catching the virus. Please stay at home and enjoy the game.
Getting COVID-19 vaccines out to people who want them has proven to be a challenge in many states and communities. One state that has had more success than most is West Virginia. So far, 11% of West Virginia’s residents have received at least their first shot, a success rate that has apparently caught the eye of the Biden administration. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice told The Washington Post that the administration’s coronavirus coordinator called him the day Biden was sworn-in to find out what the state was doing right. West Virginia has apparently been keeping it simple, enlisting the National Guard and establishing a clear-cut statewide process. According to Justice, “If you pass this all to the 55 counties in my state, then you’re going to have 55 chefs. You’re going to have absolute chaos in every way.”