Round One
Boner Candidate #1: DONT MAKE ME TAKE AWAY YOUR VACCINE.
Governor Ron DeSantis threatens to withhold COVID-19 vaccines from communities that criticize distribution. Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his decision Wednesday to steer COVID-19 vaccine to a planned community with family ties to a Republican power couple, threatening to pull doses if local officials criticize his distribution methods. DeSantis is facing questions over his decision to provide seniors living in two of Manatee County’s wealthiest ZIP codes with special access to the vaccine. The pop-up vaccination site is serving residents of Lakewood Ranch, a planned community in Southwest Florida with family ties to Liz and Dick Uihlein. The New York Times dubbed the pair “the most powerful conservative couple you’ve never heard of.” The couple’s list of political contributions includes $900,000 Dick Uihlein gave to DeSantis’ political committee in 2018 and 2019. DeSantis brushed aside concerns of political favoritism during a news conference Wednesday and then issued a warning to local officials complaining about his plan.
Boner Candidate #2: LEAVE ALLISON ALONE.
Just opened what I thought was going to be a snow picture from today's record snowfall in Salt Lake City. Instead, I had to see a picture of some stranger's junk.
I'm tired. I've been working extra hours trying to keep Utahns safe w/ an active storm cycle. I don't want to see it
— Allison Croghan (@AllisonCroghan) February 18, 2021
Boner Candidate #3: THE ELEPHANT LOVES IT
A Russian influencer model is getting heat for posing naked on top of an endangered elephant for an Instagram video. According to The Sun, Russian influencer model Alesya Kafelnikova, 22, posted the short video to Instagram on February 13, showcasing herself in the nude and posed atop a Sumatran elephant. A charity group told The Sun that the Russian influencer model’s use of the elephant in her photo shoot was a “tragic trivialization.” According to The Daily Star, the species of elephant the model posed on is not native to Bali, where she currently lives. A number of elephants in Asia are kept captive to serve the region’s tourism industry. In fact, the Sumatran elephant — the species of elephant used in the Russian influencer model’s video — was designated a “critically endangered” species by the WWF last year. According to a 2017 report from National Geographic, Sumatran elephants and other endangered species in the region’s rain forest have seen swaths of their livable habitat destroyed by the palm oil industry.
Round Two
Boner Candidate #1: WE’RE DECORATING THE PARK
GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah — Officials are looking for help in identifying who vandalized parts of Bryce Canyon National Park. The park’s Facebook page shared images Tuesday of graffiti painted on a retaining wall in the Mossy Cave area. “If you have information that could help identify those responsible, please contact us. Repair of vandalized sites can be costly and time consuming; depending on the location, sites and resources can be difficult to restore to their former condition. We appreciate your assistance in helping to preserve and protect park resources.” the park wrote on social media.
Boner Candidate #2: TEXAS LEADERS ARE NOT LOOKING OUT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE
Rick Perry, a former Texas governor who served as an energy secretary under former President Donald Trump, argued this week that Texans should be happy to go days without electricity if it meant thwarting the federal government. The Houston Chronicle reports that Perry posted a blog on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s website in which he urged Texans to tough it out in the name of keeping their power grid away from federal regulators. “Texans would be without electricity for longer than three days to keep the federal government out of their business,” Perry wrote. “Try not to let whatever the crisis of the day is take your eye off of having a resilient grid that keeps America safe personally, economically, and strategically.” Tired of ads? Want to support our progressive journalism? Click to learn more. Like many other Republicans, Perry also falsely claimed that renewable energy was the real reason for the blackouts.
Boner Candidate #3: EVERYBODY TELLS US THIS IS A BAD IDEA SO LET’S DO IT
A bill that would loosen the restrictions on how Utah schools spend special education funds was approved by lawmakers Wednesday, despite outcry from parents and advocates saying it would mean less support for the kids who have the most needs. The proposal, SB175, would remove the current requirement that such funding from the state only be spent directly on students with disabilities or services to help them. Instead, it would open up the money so it could be used for other needs and beyond just special education students. That could include expenses more loosely tied to disability programs, such as salaries for staff who work with groups that include students with and without special needs, and for services that benefit both. “It simplifies the rules greatly,” said Sen. Jacob Anderegg, R-Lehi, the bill’s sponsor, during a committee hearing. “It’s a balancing act.” He acknowledged that the legislation was spurred by an ongoing dispute between a popular charter school — American Preparatory Academy — and the state. The academy was recently ordered to pay back nearly $3 million in special education funding that auditors from the Utah Board of Education say was not actually spent on services for students with disabilities.
