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LeDuff: This Holiday Season We need Better Covid Facts, Whitmer's Truthfulness and Less Info About Jimmy Hoffa

December 22, 2021, 11:50 PM by  Charlie LeDuff

What percentage of people in the hospital with Covid are unvaccinated? What percentage are vaccinated?

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What do the numbers say? (DepositPhotos)

How old are they? What are their underlying conditions?

Why can’t we easily find this information? With reams of data and disease tracing the norm, why can't we find these simple answers, simply?

The University of Michigan has good hospitals and good data collection. Below is a Covid snapshot for Monday this week. Draw your own conclusions. (* denotes one or more of the following; significant underlying lung disease, immunocompromised, age 65 or older.)

Total patients hospitalized: 86 (*54)
Vaccinated: 34 (*23) = 40%
Unvaccinated: 52 (*31) = 60%

Patients in ICU: 39 (*28)
Vaccinated: 10 (*8) = 25%
Unvaccinated: 29 (*20) = 75%

Patients on ventilators: 27 (*19)
Vaccinated: 8 (*7) = 30%
Unvaccinated: 19 (*12) = 70%

Up in the air too long

Gov. Whitmer didn't break the law when she shook down a wealthy businessman for the use of his private jet, the Michigan Bureau of Elections has decided. She simply warped the truth.

You might remember Whitmer used the private jet in March to visit her sick daddy in West Palm Beach, Fla. She was unvaccinated at the time and discouraged other, less important Michiganians from visiting the Sunshine State.

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Much nicer than steerage on commercial (Photo: Clayn Lacy Aviation)

When Deadline Detroit first uncovered the secret trip, Whitmer said her political slush fund paid for it. But federal law prohibits private jet setters from leasing their rides to political slush funds. Whitmer then said her campaign paid for the Gulfstream G-280. Except she took a personal trip, not a business trip, and campaign funds can’t be used as a personal bank account.

Eventually, Whitmer did what she should have at the start -- paid for the trip herself.

The only victim here was the truth.

Musical chairs for a U.S. House seat

State Rep. Shri Thanedar, a millionaire entrepreneur, filed federal paperwork Tuesday to run for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, which will include much of Detroit.

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Shri Thanedar (Campaign photo)

The seat currently is occupied by fellow Democrat and hard-left “squad” member Rashida Tlaib.

“I have not talked with party leaders,” said Thanedar of his run. “And I don’t need to.”

Michigan will lose one U.S. House seat due to population stagnation, and district boundaries are in the process of being redrawn. One of three maps is expected to be voted on Dec. 30 by the secretive and scandal-plagued Michigan Redistricting Commission.

No matter where those boundaries fall, it will leave more incumbents in Southeast Michigan than seats.

And no matter where the lines are drawn, both Tlaib and Thanedar will live in the new 13th. Tlaib could move into the new 12th District, which will comprise part of the old 13th as well as Dearborn. Or Tlaib could stay put, take on Thanedar and avoid hiring a moving van. (U.S. representatives don't have to live in the districts they represent, but voters tend to prefer they do.)

Prominent Reps. Debbie Dingell, Brenda Lawrence, Andy Levin and Elissa Slotkin may also be on the move, looking for new homes and an easier path back to the Beltway smorgasbord.

My pen pal

There's this guy. I don’t know him, but he keeps breathlessly messaging me like he’s panting through his fingertips:

Hey bro, he writes, you want the solution to the greatest murder mystery ever?

Hey bro, you wanna know what really happened to Hoffa?

Hey bro, haven’t heard from you ...

Hey bro, I’m talking Hoffa, bro ...

Hey bro, hit me up but you gotta leave my name out of it.

I’ll think about it for a second— and I always come to the same conclusion.

Nah, fuck it, bro. Keep the Pulitzer Prize scoop.

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