Ironweeds

Our boy Ross Douthat has a bad case of tick borne illness and takes the entirely wrong lessons from his journey to wellness. Fuel tax dollars meant to repair infrastructure in Pennsylvania took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in the state police’s pockets. All crypto is a fake scam, but this crypto especially is a fake scam! Some good news coming out of Saratoga and the Gulf of Mexico. 

Ross Douthat gets Lyme, learns nothing: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/19/opinion/lyme-disease-health-care.html 

Douthat’s Lyme coming out story: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/23/opinion/lyme-disease-chronic-illness.html?referringSource=articleShare 

Fuel tax for cops: https://whyy.org/articles/pa-fuel-tax-meant-for-bridge-repair-went-to-state-police-instead/

Crypto Scam: https://www.vice.com/en/article/epxakz/crypto-co-founder-revealed-to-be-infamous-fraudster-investors-shaken 

Judge dismisses BLM charges: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Judge-dismisses-charges-against-BLM-protester-16800379.php 

Court revokes leases to drill in Gulf of Mexico: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/27/climate/federal-court-drilling-gulf.html 

As Covid peaks in the Capital District, its complications surge around the globe. From indentured servitude to scam testing to trigger happy parents to presidential quackery, we have a lot of depressing covid news that we can’t wait to share with you. Also Dry January is pure evil and New York is keeping farty food out of landfills. 

Medical workers barred from beginning new jobs: https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/2022/01/21/what-we-know-ascension-thedacare-court-battle-over-employees/6607417001/

Bolsonaro guilty of crimes against humanity: https://unicornriot.ninja/2021/covid-commission-finds-bolsonaro-committed-crimes-against-humanity/ 

Pop up Covid testing scams: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/covid-testing-company-300-pop-sites-us-faces-multiple-probes-rcna12261

Deliberate hospital understaffing driving nursing crisis: https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000008158650/covid-nurse-burnout-understaffing.html?smid=tw-share

Mother threatens to bring gun to school over masks: https://wjla.com/news/local/page-county-public-schools-luray-virginia-increase-security-police-presence-mom-threatens-to-bring-loaded-gun-over-mask-mandate

Dry January is pure evil: https://nypost.com/2022/01/18/dry-january-is-pure-evil-to-bars-reeling-from-covid/

New laws on food waste to go into effect: https://www.ecowatch.com/new-york-food-waste-recycling-law.html

In Biden’s America, parents face fines for keeping sick kids home in a pandemic, blue-pilled Senators flagrantly violate public health and safety rules, and the plebes are told to treat Covid testing like going to your favorite brunch place. The Spanish Secret Service was behind the 2017 terror attack in Barcelona in an attempt to keep Catalonia in line. The 1/15 hostage situation in Fort Worth surrounds a shadowy figure called the Gray Lady of Bagram. How the decision to have kids is personal, regional, global, and everything in between. And great news on the Covid front: a cannabis cure and a vaccine for all. 

Latham restaurateur: Senator doesn't get pass on mask mandate https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Latham-restaurateur-says-Gillibrand-doesn-t-get-16778202.php 

Secret Service was behind Barcelona attack: https://www.thenational.scot/news/19841925.secret-service-behind-barcelona-terror-attacks-says-ex-cop/ 

To breed or not to breed: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/20/style/breed-children-climate-change.html

Aafia Siddiqui: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/nov/24/aafia-siddiqui-al-qaida

More on Siddiqui: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/21/us-pakistan-protests-release-neuroscientist-aafia-siddiqui

Texas hostage situation: https://abcnews.go.com/US/armed-man-takes-hostages-texas-synagogue-source/story?id=82285896

Weed and covid: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/01/14/marijuana/can-cannabis-really-prevent-covid-not-quite-new-study-shows-promise/

Patent Free Vax Development: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/15/corbevax-covid-vaccine-texas-scientists

This week we’re talking about the strange connection between cryptocurrency and the unrest in Kazakhstan, the strange connection between Maxwell trial juror number 50 and the Carlyle Group, and the strange connection between Coca Cola and a live action role playing park for cops in Atlanta. Chris shows his true loyalty as Worcester says no to invasive facial recognition technology. 

Worcester bans facial recognition tech:

https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2021/12/15/worcester-city-councilors-turn-away-facial-recognition-technology/8905136002/

Scotty David and the Carlyle Group: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-06/maxwell-juror-who-could-upend-conviction-works-for-carlyle-group 

Quotes from this book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/292103/american-dynasty-by-kevin-phillips/ 

Cop City in Atlanta: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/12/27/2071361/-Atlanta-city-council-secretly-approved-an-90-million-militarized-police-training-facility

Color of Change Report: https://colorofchange.org/press_release/color-of-change-releases-first-of-its-kind-report-exposing-police-foundation-ties-to-fortune-500-companies-corporate-mega-donors/

Video shows officers run away after tasered man bursts into flames https://www.timesunion.com/state/article/catskill-taser-police-video-16756717.php 

Kazakhstan:

https://eurasianet.org/kazakhstan-gripped-by-protests-as-popular-frustration-spills-over 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/06/bitcoin-btc-slides-cryptocurrencies-drop-on-hawkish-fed-minutes.html 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/06/kazakhstan-bitcoin-internet-shutdown 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/06/kazakhstan-bitcoin-mining-shuts-down-amid-fatal-protests.html

https://fortune.com/2021/11/24/kazakhstan-bitcoin-crypto-mining-energy-power-crisis-china-xive-shuts-down/ 

https://thediplomat.com/2021/09/kazakhstans-cryptocurrency-mining-grows-despite-emissions-worries/ 

We’re back, baby! New Year, same us! We’re talking Matrix 4, Don’t Look Up, Covid Gone Wild, political retaliation in Rensselaer County, and the leftist smoke show who’s now President of Chile! What does 2022 have in store for us? It’s anybody’s guess. Middling movies, a runaway virus, and a few glimmers of hope on the political horizon are setting the tone. 

The Covid-19 case surge is altering daily life across the US. Things will likely get worse, experts warn https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/01/health/us-coronavirus-saturday/index.html

Rensselaer County legislator says vehicle towing was political retaliation https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Rensselaer-County-legislator-says-vehicle-towing-16740909.php 

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin arraigned in state probe https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Rensselaer-County-Executive-Steve-McLaughlin-16665993.php 

Boric’s win in Chile

https://kawsachunnews.com/interview-what-can-we-expect-from-boric 

A Nation on Hold Wants 7o Talk to a Manager: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/01/business/customer-service-pandemic-rage.html

One of Marjorie Taylor Greene's verified Twitter accounts permanently suspended from Twitter: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/02/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-twitter-suspension/index.html

For our last show of 2021, we talk about the latest school shooter and the unique culpability of the parents. Also in the news is the danger Roe v. Wade is in after recent Supreme Court arguments. With Ghislaine Maxwell on trial, we share a bizarre and compelling conspiracy theory that she is a Master Poster. Rod Dreher is very upset that our elites are into butt stuff. And… Steve McLaughlin got arrested. Amazing. We love you so much, and we’ll see you next year!

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/hiney-lickers-of-princeton-decadence/

https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/ocbgl6/today_is_the_one_year_anniversary_of_ghislaine/

With Britney out of commission, the boys hold it down this week to talk about the Omicron variant, the panic over crime and policing, and the epidemic of people being cool and doing crimes. The West’s vaccine hoarding has come back to haunt us with a new Covid variant. Despite press and police freak outs over defund activism, cops have more money than ever. The supposed crime spree of smash-and-grabbers is just another element of the false narrative that cops prevent crime. But you already knew that. And for our wildflower, the Portland Loo project. 

Omicron: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/11/28/world/covid-omicron-variant-news/told-you-so-african-countries-feel-the-brunt-of-the-wests-scattershot-pandemic-response 

Police departments spend more than ever: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Despite-calls-to-defund-Capital-Region-16632083.php 

Smash & Grab Nation: https://www.wbaltv.com/article/why-some-us-cities-are-facing-a-spree-of-smash-and-grab-crimes/38337956

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/23/us/smash-and-grab-thefts-explainer-cec/index.html

https://theappeal.org/retail-theft-ben-dugan-cVs-walgreens-shoplifting/ 

Prefab Public Restrooms: https://portlandloo.com/

With Kyle Rittenhouse being acquitted, we reflect on his violent acts and the trial. NYPD cops are having a very sad time and regret entering the force. Poor things. In Troy, fear mongering surrounds Barker Park and the presence of people who dare to be homeless in public. The go-to boogeyman in both of these cases is, of course, bail reform. As we predicted ages ago, Republicans are routing Democrats on cannabis legalization, because heaven forbid Democrats ever do something that is widely popular across the political spectrum. And finally, are you tired? Because you’ve been running through your cat’s mind all day.  

Republicans push legalization bills: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/21/cannabis-democrats-republicans-523119

Churchill: In Troy small park, big problems: https://www.timesunion.com/churchill/article/Churchill-In-Troy-small-park-big-problems-16603061.php 

Cats can track your 'invisible presence' using only their ears: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/10/world/cats-track-owners-location-voice-scn/index.html

More than half of the NYPD regrets entering the force: https://nypost.com/2021/11/20/survey-says-more-than-half-nypd-wishes-they-werent-blue/

What legal experts say led to Rittenhouse’s acquittal: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/19/us/legal-experts-what-helped-rittenhouse-acquittal/index.html

PLEASE SIGN! Make the Green Island Bridge safe for cyclists: https://www.change.org/p/mayor-mcnulty-ryan-safe-route-on-the-green-island-bridge

… the truth is I’ll never pay you! This week we’re doing a deep dive into the history of Argentinian debt repayment, or lack thereof. As the country has yoyo-ed between populist and neoliberal political leadership, Argentina’s relationship to IMF loans has changed. Repaying debt is cringe, defaulting is based. 

Sources on Argentina:

https://www.ft.com/content/09a8cd83-616c-48a0-8066-0c96fdeb16b9

https://www.ft.com/content/cdd1ce4e-8cd8-46fc-b0a2-d48c98afc726 

https://www.ft.com/content/ce0d1647-0bd7-4bb4-b787-d1301a8a3bc0 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/26/argentina-imf-biggest-loan

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jn0d6e0flqgeczl/Datz%20-%202009%20-%20What%20Life%20after%20Default%20Time%20Horizons%20and%20the%20Out.pdf?dl=0 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9ro8f41qy1qa9zr/Ranis%20-%202005%20-%20Argentina%27s%20worker-occupied%20factories%20and%20enterpri.pdf?dl=0 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e7zor5xu5y6t53e/Helleiner%20-%202005%20-%20The%20Strange%20Story%20of%20Bush%20and%20the%20Argentine%20Debt%20C.pdf?dl=0 

Fanta Bility killed by police: https://www.inquirer.com/news/angelo-ford-hasein-strand-fanta-bility-shooting-arrest-20211110.html

Don’t text your employees after hours you douchebag: https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkpdan/portugal-makes-it-illegal-for-your-boss-to-text-you-after-work

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This week we do a pretty depressing election recap and then promise to not talk about electoral politics for a very long time. Biden is allowing BLM protesters to face domestic terrorism charges from the Trump Administration for engaging in property destruction and harming no one. Starbucks sent management into 3 Buffalo area stores to quell talks of unionizing, and they can’t even take out the trash without pissing off workers. Marjorie Taylor Greene promises to abolish the prison industrial complex, and Sleepy Joe let one rip in front of the Duchess of Cornhole. What a time to be alive.

India Walton’s loss: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/india-walton-buffalo-loss/

Election Round Up: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/04/politics/elections-2021-roundup-race-deconstructed-newsletter/index.html

Biden stands by as protestors are charged with terrorism: https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-biden-plays-hardball-with-black-lives-matter-20211019-37fgfctxorhzpcvvnpf7wqrmh4-story.html 

Starbucks employees make unionizing effort: https://www.wivb.com/news/top-stories/workers-accuse-starbucks-of-using-aggressive-tactics-to-thwart-union-drives/

Based MTG: https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/Ret do do cc?s=21

Fffrrrrtttttt: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10172959/Camilla-stopped-talking-hearing-President-break-wind-chat-Cop26-summit.html

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