Winter

Beijing Continues to Punish Journalists

Publish something the Party doesn't like: go to jail. That's the message sent, again, by Beijing, aka Communist Party HQs. The world has been aware for sometime that Party leaders in Beijing flubbed early efforts to control the spread of the Corona-19 virus from its beginning in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province. Medical doctors were put on notice early on that they cannot speakout about the situation. A Dr. LIn was chastised early on for his early announcements about the spread of the virus and its deadly effects. And now we have more evidence of Beijing's efforts to silence any and ALL opposition to Party dictates. Ajournalist from Wuhan was arrested and tried in criminal court for her efforts to document and describe conditions in Wuhan in early 2020 as the virus began causing a health emergency there. Zhang Zhan, 37 years old, was sentenced by the "court" to 4(four) YEARS in prison for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble". I love the description of these alleged crimes, so pedestrian and simply put. Ms. Zhang went missing in May, a long time ago in this pandemic. Her friends found out she had been arrested. They also discovered she was force fed by prison officials when she went on a hunger strike. Her big problem is the psychological impact of isolation; the profound effects of incarceration and loss of personal freedom at the hands of the Communist Party. Journalists and observers were barred from the trial proceedings and sentencing. And we do business with these Communists? Hmmmmm. It seems like a long time ago Pres. Richard Nixon, and his lackey, Henry Kissinger, "opened" China relations in 1972-73. Mao was still walking the halls of the Kremlin(his stuffed carcess lies entombed in a mausoleum in Tianamen Square). Since then, hundreds of Chinese people have left the chains of rural poverty behind and moved into a decent lifestyle unimaginable 30 years ago. However, the Party has not changed its stripes and still insists on Party loyalty from all members and non-members alike. It remains to be seen what the president elect will do about human rights abuses in China when he assumes office in 3 weeks. The country watches and waits in eager anticipation.

Russya Called Out On Navalny Poisoning

A number of investigative reporters have unveiled the truth about the poisoning of Mr. Navalny while on a flight to Moskova from easter Siberia. He had been tailed/followed by agents of the FSB from its headquarters in Moskova. Passenger logs indicate that agents took flights before or after Mr. Navalny's flights, wherever he was bound. This activity had been ongoing for at least 2 years. Mr. Navalny and his staff were able to obtain cell phone records of those who were involved. They were able to ascertain the plans in place to bring the poison to where it was most likely to be emplyed against the most outspoken critic of the Putin regime. The allies of Navalny were able to get the phone numbers and call those fellows. One of them actually talked with Navalny and outlined the plans in brief, thinking he was another agent from anoth Kremlin Bureau. These facts came out 2 weeks ago. When Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, leader of the largest country in the world, was asked about it, he made light of the claim, stating if security agents were looking to assassinate Mr. Navalny, he would be dead. Forunately, the pilot of the flight on which he became ill, landed in Omsk and was able to get him to a medical facility in time to save him. HE WAS THEN FLOWN TO A HOSPITAL IN GERMANY WHERE THE POISONING WAS CONFIRMED. It was the standard Russyan poison: weapons grade Novachuk, made in Moskova. No doubt more sanctions will fall on the shoulders of the hapless followers of Mr. Putin. Another sad chapter in the Russan suppression of opponents of his regime.

TRPA

TRPA, the Bi state agency, will host a zoom meeting on January 7th, to provide information on the Meeks Bay Plan which is currently in development. Thae last meeting in NOvember, generated a considerable amount of input from all interested parties, and the TRPA rescheduled a followup meeting to this week. The agency wants to hear from locals, so this is the time to speak up and be heard: it's your West Shore, and we can guide the future by actively participating in the process. Many aspects of the project have been considered, and many more could be addressed. Opinions can sway results,, now, before any actions take place. The problems are focused on the surrounding area of Meeks Bay and meeks Creek where it empties into the lake. It is the site of prievious recreational facilities, going back almost 100 years when a pier reached into the lake to provide a stop for lake boats bringing passengers to the West Shore, central. The Meeks bay Resort has been a Forest Service entity for many years since ownership passed from private hands to the Fed. government. Leases were let to operators to run the resort, and the native American tribal managers have been in charge during the past few seasons. The adjacent state campground on the south side of the creek has been a camping site for a number of years, and provides overnight guests and day use visitors access to the beach. On HIghway 89 at Meeks Bay are 2 fire houses: one from North Tahor Fire(year around), and the US Forest service(seasonal occupancy). Across the highway at this point is a trailhead for hiking access to the Desolation Wilderness, a mecca for high Sierra campers and hikers. All of these activities are under intense scrutiny at this time. The former boat harbor in the Meeks Creek basin has been shut down for 3 years after a certain level of pollution was found in the harbor and sources were not ascertained. The tribe did not spend money to do a study, and the situation is certain to limit any boaters to kayaks and canoes, and paddle boards. So,, there's quite an agenda for this week's meeting on zoom. One can sign up on the TRPA web site. Happy New Year Mayor of Tahoma

Merry Christmas-2020 Really

So, sports fans: it's Christmas. Don't gather, social distancing required, don't linger indoors, where your mask(s), don't mix with people not in your household, and have a nice day. Church services around the world, especially for those of the Christian faith, have been restricted. As the UK recognizes that a BREXIT deal has been achieved with the EU, the country has to confront a new Covid-19 variant that is more contagious than earlier variants. Countries will impose travel bans on travelers from the UK. Passengers from the UK to the US will have to show the tests results indicating a negative finding w/i 72 hours of the scheduled flight. Some airlines have already implemented the restrictions. Skiers who have access to homes in the Lake Tahoe Basin are probably staying close to those homes today. The weather is good for skiing, but it is a holiday. There's not much snow on the ground and it doesn't appear likely that much will fall in the immediate future. 30" on the top of Homewood ans 11" at the lodge are not great numbers. Such are the problems of ski resorts, hotels and motels, and all related businesses that need guests to show up this winter. It doesn't look good.

California Has a New US Senator

Gov. Gavin Newsom has the opportunity to wield some national influence. He did. He named California's Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, to fill the position of Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris. Padilla is a California-born native, from southern California. The son of Mexican immigrants, he studied hard, and was accepted into M.I.T. where he received his B.S. degree. Upon graduation, he returned to his home state to seek opportunities in the tech field. However, when Prop. 187, passed by voters across the state, labelled non-native residents as illegals and ineleigible for certain benefits, he decided to enter politics.(It was found unconstitutional by the Supremes). In no time, he landed in Sacramento where he impressed all whom he encountered. Recently, in the 2020 General Election, he wrote the ballot measure for Proposition 19. This proposition was a significant measure, designed and promoted by the National Assoc. of Realtors to enhance the future prospects for all its members not only in California, but also nationally, wherever heirs of California residents may live(think Texas, Florida, and Nevada). This proposition gutted the Proposition 13 of 1978 that protected property owners from onerous increases in property taxes brought on by existing laws and policies dictated from Sacramento. No one is surprised by the mechinations of politicians wherever they are, but Alex Padilla one-upped them all. He wrote the words that confused millions of voters to vote against their best interests. He wrote that this measure would benefit seniors, fanilies, the State, homeowners, and local areas ravaged recently by wildland fires. Voters, in turn, agreed that this seemed to be an appropriate goal(s). However, tucked into the end of the statement was the provision that unless heirs lived in the inherited property, property taxes would increase to market rate(sales amounts, assessments). The result of that would be forced sales by heirs who could not possibly pay those amounts. And who would benefit in the short term: REALTORS and their lackies across the landscape. To reach the margin of victory(about 1% of votes cast), the Board of Realtors contributed $42 millions for the campaign. Opponents, largely the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assoc., spent $45,000. The Democratic Party spent $1.2 million for the measure. What chance does a property owner have against such odds? And why does Alex PAdilla think that he's helping California? And what will he do when he gets to Washington and the US SEnate? And why do the citizens of California move out of state at record rates? So long "Golden State", hello the New California: Land of Helpless Recipients of the State's surplus, of which there is none. Thank you COVID. I'd rather have Mr. Padilla in Washington, DC, where he'll fit right in with the rest of his ilk. No wonder the Orange-haired idiot received more votes than any other presidential candidate in history(excepting his opponent.) Bon Voyage, Alex Padilla, stay in Washington.

California: US New Corona Virus Hot Spot

Well, not too hard to figure out why California is on the brink of a health disaster. In the last two weeks corona cases have exploded across the state. Hospitals are at or near capacity. Our Governor, Mr. Gavin Newsom, has been subdued these past 2 weeks after being chided for dining with friends at the French Laundry restaurant in the Napa Valley. This restaurant features fine food at $400/ per person plus wine and tip. My, my, such extravagance in time of pandemic. This event came on the heels of an order from his office/desk advising all residents to avoid socializing, and to avoid dining with people not your family. Oh, he admitted to "making a mistake". How pathetic! The man is a dim bulb, a man surrounded largely by sychophants of his own choosing( Oh, Gavin, you are sooooo wonderful). Meanwhile, unemployment surges, again. And to top off the situation, Elon Musk announced that he was moving his company to Texas, where he says the business climate is more business friendly and he can find employees who can afford to live there. California will have a reckoning after the 2020 Census data is published. It has already come out that California's growth has slowed to a level not seen in many many years and the trend is definitely toward a new direction: downward. Who can afford a house? Who can afford onerous sales taxes? Who can afford high personal income tax rates? Who can afford 2 hour commutes,stuck in gridlock? Who can afford a ONE PARTY State government beholden to big money? A case in point, the recent general election featured several propositions put before the voters. Among them were props. that asked voters to approve new Affirmative action rules(def.), new labor laws to manage gig workers such as Uber/Lyft drivers(passed to benefit large corporation(s)), and Proposition 19: a gutting of the Prop. 13 real estate tax caps from 1978. This last proposition was put on the ballot by the legislature(Democratic super majority). The wording was carefully written to confuse voters, especially those who are senior citizens. It is no doubt that this was written by the real estate lobby which runs roughshod over the legislature in California. The National Assoc. of Realtors pumped over $41 millions into the campaign to get the proposition passed. It did with a 51.1% margin. The opposition spent a mere $45,000. The Democratic Party itself spent over a million dollars, and the California Realtor Assoc. spent over $2 millions. What chance did the citizens of California have against this powerful national lobby? Not much, really. Even with that much money behind it, it passed by the slimmest of margins. What will happen? After it takes effect next year-2021, homeowners who want to leave their residence to their offspring will have to face the new reality: if the heirs choose not to live in that domicile, the property TAXES will rise to reflect the current market value of the structure. No longer will heirs have the "Old" property tax rate their parents had. They generally will have to pay huge increased amounts or sell. That is the key word: SELL. The word is pure honey to : you guessed it: realtors, who gorge themselves on commissions for doing next to nothing to rake in those same commissions. It will take awhile, but the injustice of the act and its unethical handlers in Sacramento will have to accept another taxpayer revolt similar to Prop. 13. It seems the Dems cannot help themselves when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars. Look at what the Old Scammer Jerry Brown did: tried to build a"Train to NOwhere", spending billions on a test track somewhere near nowhere. Or better yet, the grab of well water across the state: w/i a few years, the counties will come in to your property and install a meter to "monitor your usage". This upends hundreds of years of private property rights over water ownership. Hmmm. No wonder people are leaving like rats off a sinking ship. Whose name is on the proposition? Kevin Mullin, of San Mateo County. Another dim bulb following in his father's footsteps to gorge at the public trough. Thank you, Gavin Newsom. Enjoy the decline inyour reputation. You deserve nothing better, given your inept handling of the worst pandemic in 100 years.

Russyan Scum Hack Attack

The FSB is continuing its assault on civilization around the world. The Kremlin nerds working in the HQ in MOskova unleashed their dogs on the US government in early spring of 2020. News of the hacking of computer systems across a broad swath of US government Departments indocate the most sophisticated attack yet. The US Cyber Security Dept. has yet to name the damage done by the intrusions. The department clearly got caught by new efforts by Russya to steal data and consolidate hacking efforts that heretofore were not possible. Pres. Elect Joe Biden says our country's response will be quick and devastating to the responsible parties. Haven't we heard this before? Time to isolate the Kremlin and let them snuggle with the Commies south of the Amur River. The Chinese will soon take over most of Siberia anyway.

Tahoma: Snow

Yes, that is real snow. Finally. It looks like there will be a white Christmas. But the figures in the Nativity scene will all be wearing masks: governor's orders. Oh, by the way, a recall effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom is gaining steam. He could be gone next year.

Russian Scum at it Again

The US Dept. of Homeland SEcurity released information about anoth hacking event into various government computer systems. The finger is agian being pointed at Russya- the dean of state sponsored hackers. Why does this backward government persist in saying to the world that "We want parity? It is such a sad case in the 21st century. No doubt the country doesn't have much to contribute to the world as we know it. Vodka? Who needs more vodka? Caviar? Not enough to go around. Siberian wealth? Show me the money. The largest country in the world is a sad, sad failure. Like many a corpporation that has become overweight, lethargic, disoriented, and incapable of self care, this country is a lost soul. The Moscow leadership should just turn out the lights and go home, somewhere.

Book Review: Coming into the Country-John McPhee

Journalist John McPhee has been a writer all his life. He teaches writing at Princeton University in a town where he grew up. Maybe the academic atmosphere contributed to his life goal, or, maybe not. He writes in a journalistic style: he covers the landscape as he finds it, describing everything there, and somethings that used to be there, and the folks that he finds there. He writes personally, expressing his opinions without injecting his own sentiments about his subjects: just the facts, please. Coming into the Country is about the State of Alaska as he found it in 1976/77. Can you remember those years? If you read this book, those years will seep back into your memory, and while you might not have been in the far north at the time, you will gain an appreciation for those years as did Alaskans and those who wanted to be Alaskan. He covers a lot of ground in the book: Alaska is a big place as we know, and as we find out. He wanted to get familiar with those who live there, those who came there(most of those he finds), and how they live and adjust to the 6 month winters with temperatures -50 degreesF at times. He discussed history-the gold rush in th Yukon at the turn of the 20th century. He talks about the oil discovery and the building of the oil pipeline from the North Slope to Prince William Sound on the south coast. He also gives a voice to the native Americans who populate much of the landscape and who received a payment from the Federal Government to compensate for the takeover of their tribal grounds. Additionally, he talks of state politics and the in-state rivalries that exist between Anchorage and Juneau, the pan handle city of the south east that nobody seems to love. His description of the lives of the modern gold miners includes little known details about their actual lives. Of course, his story was written before reality TV brought those persona.ities to the small screen and streaming services. I found his stories about the bush pilots fascinating: how these pilots survive is beyond me. The everyday risks they take is enough to make your hair go straight. I recommend this journalist's effort as a well reported story of modern Alaska.

Gen. Chuck Yeager: R.I.P.

America lost one of its great aviation pioneers and fighter pilots. General Chuck Yeager died this past week at age 97. He had a good run. A young man in WW II, he became a fighter pilot and became a fighter ace, downing 5 enemy planes. He was blessed with incredible vision, naturally: 20/10, or sharply improved over the sharp-eyed with 20/20 vision. He also downed at least 8 more planes during his service in Europe. He was 22 years old when the war ended in 1945. After the war, he stayed in the Army and shifted to the US Air Force when it was spun off from the Army in 1947. He then became a test pilot, risking life and limb as aviation entered the jet age(Germany was building and flying jets at the very end of WW II-too late to turn the tide). Planes were getting faster and faster, approaching the speed of sound. Scientists speculated that aircraft could not endure the stresses at that speed and could not predict the outcome if it was exceeded. Chuck Yeager became the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound in a plane that was not much more than a rocket motor with a couple of wings attached. After that event, his career was a milestone in aviation, and combined with his wartime flying, he entered legendary status. He was a military icon adopted by the civilian world as someone who had "the right stuff". The book of that name featured him as a living symbol of those blessed with those attributes that personified those who had it all. He retired to civilian life as a former Air Force general officer and lent his credibility to various organizations and institutions that contributed to the advancement of science and aviation.

Santa Ana Winds Continue

Hot, dry winds in CAlifornia continue to blow across parts of California. Both southern and northern California have had warnings from utility companies of the prospect of cutoffs of service in some areas related to anticipated wind damage. Citizens are advised to be aware of possible interruptions of service. Lake Tahoe and the eastern Sierra are not affected. Liberty Energy has not been included because their service areas are not affected.

Trump Adds Chinese Politicians to Blacklist

The Trump administration added 14 members of the Communist Party to a blacklist of thos e sanctioned by the US for interfering with Hong Kong's autonomy. They are the follwing: 1. Wang Chen 2. Zhang Chunxian 3. Ji Bingxuan 4. Arken Imirbaki 5. Wan Exiang 6. Wan Exiang 7. Chen Zhu 8. Wang Dongming 9. Padma Cholin(Tibetan) former chairman of Tibetan Autonomous Region 10. Ding Zhongli 11. Hao Mingjin 12. Cai Dafeng 13. Wu Weihua 14. These party members will have assets frozen; they will have travel restrictions on movements to certain countries; and could be restricted in buying certain electronic products such as stereo music equipment.

China -North Korea Trading Partners

In defiance of American sanctions about trading with the isolated Communists in North Korea, the State Department announced that China has been sending vessels to North Korea and loading them with coal and making no secret of it. This clearly an act to antagonize the US. Aerial photograps show coal being loaded at the Nampo ports where coal is shipped abroad. These exports are worth between $330 mion and $410 millions of dollars. The Koreans have made efforts to hack into various computers to steal assets and bitcoins. These efforts have yielded certain amounts of cash, but it's an irregular stream of finds. So, China is continuing its Xi-sponsored international efforts to confront the West.

The Case of Jimmy Lai

Hong Kong police arrested activist Jimmy Lai last week on a variety of charges related to his anti-Beijing activities. Hmmmm. Why would Beijing target such a well known individual? To create fear among his followers and those who might be contemplating similar activities. It's such a weel-worn move that it surprises few. What is not well known is Jimmy Lai's catholicism. He is a well known Catholic lay person, maybe the most well known Chinese lay Catholic. Some are asking the question: "Where is Pope Francis on this clear abuse by Beijing against another religious figure associated with a minority faith? Clearly, Pope Francis is aware of the situation; however, no statement has been forthcoming from the Vatican. We know that the Pope is increasingly getting involved in international politics and he is aware of religious activities in many countries that are home to Christians and Catholics. The world wonders?

US State Dept. Warns of China Actions That affect National Security

So, more US actions tell of continuing efforts by Trump administration to curb aggressive Chinese moves across the globe. In a statement, the State Dept. said:" The Chinese Communist Party's threat to American national security extends into our financial markets and impacts American investors." A number of large companies in China saw their stocks fall after the notice. Hong Kong-listed CHINA COMMUNICATIONS CONSTRUCTION CO. and CHINA RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION CORP fell about 2.25%. CRRC Corp rose 0.3%. Surveillance specialist Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., the largest of these companies by market value, fell 2.3%. FTSE Russell said it would drop the companies from its global equity index series. Other Chinese companies saw stock prices plummet last month after being named by the Pentagon as supporters of the Chinese military. They include China Telecom Corp., China Mobile Ltd., and China Unicom.

US House of Representatives Votes to Remove Cannabis from Schedule 1 Drug list.

In a move long awaited by progressive interests and most States, the House voted to remove cannabis from its controlled drug list. The law will go to the Senate where it is expected to draw less than the majority needed to pass. The act alone is enough to signal that criminal reform is on the Democratic Party agenda for 2021. This could be the break through needed to reduce the prison population that leads the world in shear numbers of incarcerated citizens. While unlikely to pass, the effect of its House passage sends a signal: the time has arrived when the socalled "War on Drugs " has been a miserable failure from the get go.

Huawei CFO in Talks with US

Huawei CFO, Meng Wanzhou, in custody in British Columbia, Canada(at home), is in talks with the US DEpt. of Justice in an attempt to win certain freedoms from prosecution for international business activities in violation ofsanctions imposed by the US against Iran. She has been in custody almost 2 years since she was apprehended in Vancouver, BC by Canadian police at the request of DOJ. Her lawyers are trying to cut a deal where she would admit to certain violations while she goes home and establishes a position from China. This may or may not happen. Depends. What does Prez-elect Biden think of this case? Hmmm.

Trump Chihuahua Has Covid

In a customary manner, POTUS tweeted that his leading legal counsel, Rudi Giuliani, has contacted Covid-19 and is being treated in Washington, DC at Georgetown Medical Hospital. No further details have been made public, but one has to be concerned given his age and obvious infirmaties (comorbidities) which are many. He has been a one-man traveling carnival, moving about the States, appearing in court making one feeble attempt after another as to the veracity of elrction results that have gone against his chief sponsor and No. 1 supporter: Mr. Trump. Will he survive? That is the question on everybody's lips. Will he receive the same cocktail as that given to POTUS? Maybe, much depends on the severity of his case. If diagnosed early in the infection, he may have a chance of survival. Meanwhile, the infevction rate and death rate across the country continue to accelerate to record levels. A general lockdown(states) is to take effect tomorrow, requiring only minimal trips from home for food and medical treatment if not a "front line" worker. This will add to the general anxiety across the continent as citizens move into month 9 of the pandemic and deaths in the US approach 300,000.

Tahoe Ski Resorts Will Not Accept Walk-Up ticket purchases

So, in the interest of public safety concerns and to facilitate the accomodation of online ticket purchasers, resorts will not sell day use tickets. This departs from long time practice which answers to the variability of weather and concomitant arrival of skiers on any given day. This will play havoc with resorts and will prove itself useless in the trenches. When the time comes to sell a ticket or not, most resorts will practice good business: sells to the customer at the window with the cash. Who comes up with these schemes? Santa? Newsom? Trump? Harry Reid? The public response to virus spread varies. Where people read and gather information, they make decisions based on facts, not fake facts and rumors put out by partisan deniers who abound in California. So when the white stuff starts falling and you want to ski, go for it.

US Congress Votes to delist Chinese Companies

US House voted unanamously to pass legislation that would ban trading of shares of Chinese companies, such as Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd., over concernsthat their audits aren't sufficiently regulated. So, it appears to this casual follower of Chinese trade rules that the US Government continues its campaign to hold the Beijing Government to international trading rules. As has happened in the past, accounting practices in China vary considerably from accepted international business norms. What this means in the market place of stocks and bonds is that when a customer buys any Chinese stocks, he's gambling that the information provided by the listed company is true, and that it conforms to standard accounting practice. This has proven to be a false assumption on the part of buyers of Chinese stocks. Nobody knows with any confidence what are the practices used by Chinese comapnies. Who audits their figures? The PLA? The Central Committee? The Wuhan scientists? The Great Wall Masons Union? Hmmm. Would you invest some hard-earned money in any Chinese opearation today? Or any day? This law passed the Senate in MAy of 2020. Why has this come to pass? Because China will not allow US regulators to check the work of Chinese auditors. Hmmm. Another case of "You can trust us". Smile. Many Chinese companies have imploded over the last decade, Luckin Coffee is one of the recent companies to implode on a global scale. Sponsor of the bill, Rep. Brad Sherman of California, said that China has been stonewalling requests for audits by American regulators to no avail. Mr. Trump is likely to sign the bill as soon as it reaches his desk. China will have 3 years to comply. The bill included clarifications of the intent to provide insight into the law. The New York Stock Exchange has over 200 listings of Chinese companies and would lose out if these compnaies moved to other exchanges. NYSE executives say that the problem can be resolved with agreements on both sides. Some companies have already gone private to remove obstacles to trading on a global scale. Can Beijing negotiate with the US? Doubtful.

China to the Moon

Our fave Asian country has landed a rover on the Lunar surface. Ok, it's been done before. In fact, by the United States over 50 years ago. As in Five Oh. What's the big deal? It's a sign that China has capability. They can launch, guide, and maybe return a vehicle after traveling to and from the moonscape. What was the mission? It was designed to scoop up some dirt and rocks. Maybe 10 kilos worth. So, did it complete the mission? We'll find out, won't we. The international news media was properly informed and given access to the video feeds so they could observe the vehicle's actions while on the surface. Sadly,, the feed was plagued with failures during the critical gathering cycle. But, the media soldiered on to watch as sporadic images came and went from the video. What's next for Chinese technology? Guess.

LA to See Strong Winds for a Week

So, SoCal Edison announced that due to the forecasts for Santa Ana winds over the next week, power to hundreds of thousands of customers will have power interrupted at various times. This market covers millions of CAlifornians who have had to deal with wind-driven wild fires over the last few years. Highways have been closed, families evacuated, and firefighters pushed to the edge of capacity. Now, we have similar conditions with Covid pandemic thrown in for good measure. The Guv will have to mollify voters who want relief from all environmental problems. What to do? Now, hospitalizations have soared because of the virus spreading again at a rapid pace, straining medical capacity. If a hospital loses power, patients will die. Of course, the Idiot-in-Chief will mock all efforts by any Democrat, no matter the situation. Sadly, POTUS knows no other way. Welcome to California Thursday.