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Back in October, 14 members of the Wolverine Watchmen militia were arrested for plotting to kidnap and possibly murder Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Excuses were made on their behalf, almost immediately. Perhaps they were just planning to do a perfectly legal citizen's arrest, offered one sheriff. Just last week, a judge decided the bonds for Paul Bellar and Joseph Morrison, two of the men involved in the plot, were too high and reduced them to $75,000 each.

As completely horrifying as it is that anyone would legitimately try to kidnap the governor of Michigan over having to wear a mask to the supermarket, it now turns out that their plans did not end there.

In addition to kidnapping Whitmer, prosecutors allege that the men also had another plan wherein they were going to get 200 of their closest friends together and stage an armed takeover of the Michigan capitol building and "stage a week-long series of televised executions of public officials."

It is not clear exactly how they were going to get anyone to televise these executions. Even Fox would likely pass. At best, they could maybe get a livestream on Rumble, the latest YouTube For Wingnuts. Maybe they thought that like, once you murder the government of Michigan you get to become the government of Michigan, and they could just order local stations to broadcast it? It's not really clear.

Televised mass executions have become a prominent feature of many rightwing fantasies over the past few years. Part of the QAnon plan for televised mass executions involved also arresting everyone in the media and then intercepting all of the signals so that the only thing on TV for a week was the executions of "traitors" and Satanists and whoever else it is they don't like this week. This is what they mean when they say, ever so slyly, "Enjoy the show."

There was also a Plan C. This plan involved just straight up setting the entire capitol building on fire and leaving no survivors.

Now, it's easy to think, "Okay, well, these are just a few wackos who have gone too far, and now we've got them and they'll probably go to jail and learn their lesson about plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan or publicly execute all of the state officials." But they're not alone. Even sort of.

In fact, a lot of people with even greater influence than these doofuses are publicly encouraging similar measures over the election.

On Infowars this week, correspondent Owen Shroyer said that we would all deserve mass violence if we don't just let Donald Trump continue being the president whether he won the election or not.

In explaining this, he compared Democrats and the media to a school bully named Steve who goes around taking everyone's lunch money and everyone knows he's taking their lunch money, but Steve gets mad when people mention he's taking their lunch money because it could lead to violence against him. It was a very strained analogy.

If you're in the high school lunchroom and there's a guy going around stealing everybody's lunch money, everybody's like, "Where's all my lunch money going? This is weird." And then you're like, "Hey, Steve over there has been going around stealing everybody's lunch money." And then Steve comes up to you and says, "Hey man, don't say that. That's hateful against me. That could lead to violence against me." Well, hold on a second, Steve, you're the one who stole all the lunch money. That's who the globalists are, that's who the Democrats are, that's who the mainstream media is. They've stolen your country, they've stolen your integrity, they've stolen your freedom, they've stolen your reality, they've stolen everything. They've stolen your future, they've stolen your children's future, they've stolen our education system. They have taken from us everything except the very breath from our mouths, and now they're coming for that too with a stupid face mask.

He then explained that, like Steve the lunchroom bully, we would deserve the violence coming to us because of all of the atrocities we have committed by not re-electing Donald Trump to be President of the United States.

And so you just point the finger and you say, "You've done this. You've committed these crimes. You've committed these atrocities. You're trying to make us a slave. You're lying to us. You're dividing us. You're gaslighting us. You're instigating us. You're doing it." And they say, "Don't say that. That could lead to violence against us." Well, you know what? Maybe you deserve what's coming. You ever thought about that? Oh, wait, they have, that's why they're so scared. Did you really think we would just take this on our backs?

"You're trying to make us a slave," he says. This reminds me of my favorite Lenny and the Squigtones lyric, "Our friends put us down, they say we're a clown," except it is not supposed to be a hilarious joke.

Shroyer then explained that the MAGA people have been peaceful up until now (Narrator: They have not been peaceful), but that will all change if they do not get their way. They will have to start murdering us all, and Owen Shroyer will sit comfortably in his studio while all the angry veterans and fathers do his bloody grunt work, broadcasting the whole thing.

Yeah, it's a million marchers in DC peacefully now. Yeah, it's going to be thousands of people peacefully in Atlanta this weekend. But let me tell you: If you steal this election from us and you put in a UN communist corrupt criminal Joe Biden in the White House, it's not going to be a million peaceful marchers in DC. No, no, no. No, it's not. No, it's not. And you know, quite frankly, that's not a threat because I'm to the point where — I mean we can lead marches all day long, but I know I won't have to be the one to get my hands dirty. I can sit right here in studio and just broadcast the whole thing. It's going to be 3 million veterans, it's going to be 3 million fathers that have been fed up and at the end of their rope for a long, long time, who have been screwed over by this system and are done.

Well that just makes sense.

Newt Gingrich, in an appearance on Hannity, was more subtle, but still got his point across:

But look, I would say to every person in Georgia who favors Donald J. Trump: Go to the governor's mansion, physically. Go to the Capitol, physically. Communicate that you're prepared to stand up for America and you're prepared to stand up for an honest election and that you are sick of politicians selling you out.

As I've said before, one of the truly scary parts of this whole plot is that these men have likely been told for years, by conservative media, that they have every right to overthrow the government should the government do anything they consider "tyranny." They have been told that this why the Second Amendment exists. They have been told that they are the only Real Americans and that the rest of us? At best we don't count, at worst we are insurgents trying to take their country away from them. Given how hard it is drilled in, the surprising thing that this doesn't happen more regularly.

[ABC7 Chicago]

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Larry Kudlow, Trump's top economic adviser, went on CNBC this morning to finally put to rest concerns that the Trump administration is more worried about how the economy might affect Donald Trump's reelection than about the coronavirus epidemic. Kudlow, who insisted two weeks ago the outbreak was "contained," repeated that claim today, although in between the two TV appearances, 14 Americans have died and the number of states with confirmed cases has increased to 22. Not to worry, said Kudlow: the economy is strong overall, and this little dip in the market is a fine time for smart investors to buy! What's really important, said Kudlow, is that "America should stay at work," as long as America doesn't yet have a fever and chills or a productive cough.

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Kudlow explained on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" (yes really) that you only need to worry about coronavirus in the locations where there's actually an outbreak, and even if you get COVID-19, "80 percent come out of it with no problem." Sure, elderly folks and people who might have "preexisting conditions" (he's good with the medical lingo) may need to take extra precautions. But as for the rest of us, we got to get behind the mule in the morning and plow:

[If] you're healthy, you should go to work. Go about your business. That's our advice. And even regarding transportation which may be hit, the airlines, they are calm about it but they are in trouble in some of their numbers. Look, domestic flight, for the most part, is in good shape. And, if you stay away from the travel warning countries, international flight, likewise. So, I don't want to downplay anything. Worry about the effect on human beings for heaven's sake. But I'm just saying, let's not overreact [...] In many ways. America should stay at work. We should stay at work.

Host David Faber broke in, with some squawking, and noted that former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb had warned (like, on Faber's show the other day) that the US response to the outbreak has been inadequate, and we're "losing valuable time" in getting measures in place to prevent larger outbreaks. Gottlieb also noted that because of inadequate testing, there are likely thousands of undetected cases, though Faber didn't bring that up with Kudlow.

But about that "America should stay at work" thing. DUDE. "[Statements] like the ones you just made are actually encouraging people to do things that they shouldn't. And will actually cause the spread of the virus as opposed to it stopping."

Kudlow replied that Gottleib is a brilliant friend of his, and of course if you're in Seattle or Northern California where there are states of emergency, you should be extra careful. But then it was right back to that shiny magic feather of the "80 percent" of people who "come out just fine" — for which we haven't seen a specific fact check, but if he means "ultimately get better," that's way different from "don't have to stay home in bed" or whatever the hell he's trying to get at.

But the rest of the country is not suffering from those kinds of breakouts. At least not yet. I don't want to suggest it might not occur in the future. We're just trying to do this a day at a time, a fact at a time, if you will. And really, the overriding numbers, most Americans are not at risk. And as I say, 80% of Americans, if you get the infection, are going to come out just fine. Some people have it and don't even know it because they get through it in a week or two.

And there he goes with Donald Trump's horseshit insistence that a lot of people get infected and don't even notice at all, which sure sounds like understating the seriousness of the disease to us.

Now, because Trump made a big deal out of insisting he never said people should go to work when they're infected, we should also point out that Kudlow said "America should go to work," not that "Americans" who are sick with the coronavirus should do so. We have to be very fair about this, because there's no way anyone could possibly hear Kudlow and think he's downplaying the seriousness of an epidemic.

You know, just like how Trump said there are "thousands or hundreds of thousands of people that get better, just by, you know, sitting around and even going to work." No way was he saying they should do that, just that they do, and it's perfectly fine, but he's not recommending it. It's not like they're monsters telling you to go and get sick. That's CNBC gabber Rick Santelli's job.

So when Kudlow repeats that "80 percent" of patients "come out just fine," he appears to be conflating their ultimate recovery with how sick they get before they're all better. (For those who don't just get all better while sitting around, there can be little problems like, for instance, some lung lesions.)

And in US America, our tracking of the disease is so shitty that it seems a bit careless to suggest that most of us should just shrug this off and look forward to the next round of happy talk from Trump and his pals, 90 percent of whom are dunderheads, the end.

[NBC News / CNBC / CNBC transcript / NYT / National Geographic]

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One of the most important matchups in Super Bowl LIV will be between Kansas City’s speedster wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, and San Francisco’s second-team All-Pro cornerback, Richard Sherman. How the Chiefs choose to attack Sherman, and how the Niners respond to that game plan, will be crucial early in Miami, and the effects from those decisions seem likely to be felt throughout the game.

Perhaps the most predictable part of the Hill-vs.-Sherman matchup is that Sherman will almost certainly line up on the right side of the field (from the perspective of the offense).¹² During the regular season and so far in the postseason, Sherman has lined up out wide almost exclusively on the right. Sherman has lined up in the left slot four times but his flirtations with that half of the field have been dwarfed by the 840 snaps on the outside right. His presence has had a chilling effect on offenses. With Sherman on patrol, teams have tended to avoid the right side of the field.

Opposing teams have targeted Sherman as the primary defender 56 times during the regular season and playoffs. His average depth of target at the time of a throw was 12.2 yards, slightly above the league average of 11.7 for defensive backs, indicating that when teams do pass against Sherman, it’s further downfield. In the regular season, he led the Niners with three interceptions and 11 pass break-ups, and he’s added to that in the playoffs with two more of each.

Meanwhile, Tyreek Hill was often targeted on the right side of the field, though he is a deep threat all over the field. Hill’s heatmap shows that he is targeted more than the league average at most horizontal areas of the field 20 yards or deeper, and he’s caught 3.6 receptions over expected on those deep balls, according to Next Gen Stats. His overall average depth of target leads the Chiefs at 12.9 yards. That number comes close to where other teams have been attacking Sherman.

The 49ers may end up hurt by a lack of deception with their coverage scheme. The Chiefs know where Sherman will likely be, so if they want to avoid Sherman by sending Mecole Hardman or Sammy Watkins to Sherman’s side, they can confidently build that into their game plan. Likewise, if they decide to ask Hill to take on Sherman, there’s no mystery about which side of the field to find him.

It’s unlikely that Sherman can match Hill in a footrace, so Sherman will probably give him an ample cushion in their Cover 3 and Quarters schemes — one that Hill could exploit with comeback routes. Or Sherman’s respect for Hill’s speed could free up the seams underneath for tight end Travis Kelce.

Hill and Kelce are tied for second on Kansas City in terms of yards per route run at 2.38. Their numbers reflect an offense that can operate effectively through the air with either player. The deep threat of Hill should open up opportunities for Kelce, and those shorter, more efficient throws over the middle could also help mitigate San Francisco’s dangerous pass rush — which, led by rookie defensive end Nick Bosa, was fifth in sacks during the regular season.

The FiveThirtyEight projections think that Kansas City is a 3.5-point favorite and give the Chiefs a 63 percent chance of hoisting the Lombardi. If the Niners hope to win, they’ll need strong answers for the problems presented by Hill and the opportunities his presence affords his teammates.

Check out our latest NFL predictions.

Donald Trump assigned his son-in-law Jared Kushner -- the nearest Jewish person available -- the small task of brokering peace in the Middle East. He didn't even ask him to change a light bulb first as a basic skills test. The president unveiled Kushner's brainchild at the White House Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. No Palestinian officials were present to hear the details of the deal that would give Israel most of what it wants and Palestinians the lease to own a well-maintained 1982 Buick Century.

Palestinians broke off direct talks with Kushner in 2017 after Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. They also realized they were talking to Jared Kushner, which didn't help matters. Kushner is keeping the lines of communication open, however. He went on CNN and Fox News this week to discuss how much Palestinian leaders suck. It was similar to the "motivational speech" Alec Baldwin gives in Glengarry Glen Ross.

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KUSHNER: What [Trump] has been able to do today is deliver for the Palestinians a pathway to a state, a contiguous territory, and conditions where they can earn their way to their independence, their dignity.

Wait, so Palestinians, who are human and all, have to "earn" their way to "independence" and "dignity." That's incredibly condescending. Once they "earn" this "independence" and "dignity," Trump and Kushner's proposed Palestinian state could have no standing army and would have to meet benchmarks that the Israeli government oversees. Palestinian leaders aren't thrilled with the offer.

From Reuters:

"We reject it, and we demand the international community not be a partner to it because it contradicts the basics of international law and inalienable Palestinian rights," Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Monday. "It is nothing but a plan to finish off the Palestinian cause."

From the AP:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas doubled down Wednesday on that rejection.

"After the nonsense that we heard today, we say a thousand no's to the 'Deal of The Century,'" he said

Trump insists his deal is in the Palestinian people's best interests, and if you can't trust an impeached, corrupt president, well, you're someone with serious trust issues. Kushner, the master diplomat, helped smooth things over on CNN.

KUSHNER: Perhaps their leadership will read the details of [the deal], stop posturing, and do what's best to make the Palestinian people's lives better.

Tough-talking Jared Kushner is gonna show those Palestinians who's boss. They better put down that coffee, too. It's for closers only. He implied, as in outright stated, that Palestinian leadership is "illogical" and "corrupt" and there was a question of how long the international world was going to "tolerate" their hot mess. Kushner also bizarrely kept insisting that now was the best time for a deal because Israel "continues to grow and grow." If only someone had suggested not to do that!

Kushner felt big sads for the Palestinian people but if they want to show that they are "ready" to have a state, they need to start acting like it. They should at least try to model themselves after our amazingly functional democracy. Trump had given them a great opportunity, but he frankly wasn't confident that their leaders wouldn't just screw it up again like they do everything else.

KUSHNER: You have 5 million Palestinians who are really trapped because of bad leadership. So what we've done is we've created an opportunity for their leadership to either seize or not. If they screw up this opportunity — which again, they have a perfect track record of missing opportunities — if they screw this up, I think they will have a very hard time looking the international community in the face, saying they are victims, saying they have rights. This is a great deal for them if they come to the table and negotiate I think they can get something excellent …

The Palestinian leadership have to ask themselves a question: Do they want to have a state? Do they want to have a better life? If they do, we have created a framework for them to have it and we're going to treat them in a very respectful manner. If they don't, then they're going to screw up another opportunity like they've screwed up every other opportunity that they've ever had in their existence.

Again, don't the Palestinians have rights because they're human beings? Kushner at least believes their track record of failure is "perfect." He sweetened the vinegar with a dash of honey.

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What even qualifies Kushner to disparage the Palestinian leadership and condescend to its people? Well, he boasted to Sky News Arabia that he's read a whopping 25 books on the Israel-Palestine conflict. (They were probably part of a Time Life set that included a series on the Old West.) That might make him an "expert" in a functionally illiterate presidency, but his impressive Goodreads list isn't going to make Trump's self-proclaimed "deal of the century" a success.

[Salon / New York Magazine]

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