News

‘QAnon Shaman’ Jacob Chansley Gets 41 Months in Prison

Jacob Chansley (the horned, shirtless, figure commonly known as the QAnon Shaman) was sentenced on January 6 to 41 months imprisonment for his role in the riot.

If a 3.5-year sentence sounds harsh for what was ultimately a nonviolent charge—obstructing an official proceeding in Congress—consider that Chansley has already spent the past several months in jail in solitary confinement.

NPR says:

Judge Lamberth said to Chansley before announcing his sentence that he believed that his remorse was genuine and sincere, but that he also stated that Chansley’s actions were “terrible.”

Chansley said he had taken the correct decision to plead guilty to take responsibility and not go to trial, where he could face a longer sentence.

“You had to face 20 years,” Mr. Chansley said. Lamberth explained that there is one thing you can do here: you only have 41 months to go. It may not be felt today but I can assure you that you were intelligent and did the right things.

Chansley, who prosecutors called the “flag bearer” of the Capitol riot was sentenced to a shorter term than Chansley’s 51-month recommended by the Justice Department.

Kimberly Paschall (assistant U.S. Attorney) told the court, at the beginning of hearing, that such a sentence was needed “to send an important message to Chansley” and to anyone else who may wish to harm the country.

Chansley knew he could not refuse the plea agreement that included a 41-month sentence. 20 Years. The sad truth of the criminal justice system is that defendants often plead guilty to avoid long sentences. They are also denied the chance to show their innocence in front of a jury of peers.

People who defaced and entered the Capitol in January 2006 are not political prisoners. They certainly are not heros. It is legal for the government’s to bring them before a judge. They also broke other laws and committed trespassing. This sentence is far too harsh. Chansley didn’t commit any violent crimes and it is unlikely that he will reoffend. Prosecutors should be able to argue that Chansley did not commit a violent crime and they should also present their case to the jury. However, many defendants are willing to accept a longer sentence due to the risk of being sent to prison.


Scott Alexander has written the complete summary of all evidence regarding ivermectin’s effectiveness as a COVID-19 therapeutic. His Substack. Astral Codex TenAlexander contends that many of the ivermectin researches were unreliable or need to be dismissed. Some studies seem to support his conclusion that ivermectin provides a significant, but not insignificant, benefit for COVID-19 patients.

Alexander notes, however, that the studies where ivermectin appeared to do the most good seem to be concentrated in certain parts of the world—India, Bangladesh—with higher-than-average intestinal worm problems. His theory—and it’s a very good one—is that ivermectin doesn’t directly improve COVID-19 outcomes: Rather, these studies were disproportionately likely to include patients suffering from worms, which had rendered their immune systems less able to fight off other infections. Since ivermectin is highly effective at fighting worms, it indirectly resulted in an improvement over the placebo group by helping patients overcome their intestinal worms—a not insignificant boon in their simultaneous battles against COVID-19. Alexander explains:

The negative effects of COVID-19 might be reduced if worm infections are treated! It is also a deworming agent, ivermectin! You can see where this is going…

This is the most pertinent species of worm. Strongyloides stercoralis. One of the most popular treatments for COVID-19, corticosteroids is a type immunosuppressant drug. It suppresses immune responses that do more damage than good for coronavirus. Therefore, it is better to turn them off. These are the immune reactions that can be controlled. Strongyloides. When you shut them down, even for a moment, the worms multiplied out of control. This is what you call “”Strongyloides Hyperinfection” can lead to death. According to the WHO:

COVID-19’s current pandemic highlights the dangers of systemic corticosteroids, and to a lesser degree, any immunosuppressive therapy in patients at high risk for strongyloidiasis. A few cases of strongyloidiasis resulting from COVID-19 corticosteroid therapy were reported. This highlights the importance of dealing with the risk of the iatrogenic syndrome of strongyloidiasis hypinfection syndrome. Corticosteroid administration was not performed in patients infected.

This is a very important topic in the context of an epidemic where corticosteroids were one of only few treatments that showed improvements in mortality. However, it has a wider relevance as corticosteroids (and other immunosuppressive therapy) have been increasingly used in chronic conditions such as asthma and rheumatologic disorders. Asthma or other rheumatologic conditions.

You must “address your risk.” strongyloides infection during COVID treatment in roundworm-endemic areas. WHO: How can we address it?

Treatment of chronic strongyloidiasis with ivermectin 200 µg/kg per day orally x 1-2 days is considered safe with potential contraindications including possible Loa loa infection (endemic in West and Central Africa), pregnancy, and weight <15kg.

Ivermectin’s high safety profile has led the United States to use presumptive ivermectin treatment for strongyloidiasis for refugees who have migrated from endemic regions. Canada and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control both issued guidelines on presumptive treatments that can be used to prevent hyperinfection among at-risk populations. You should consider screen- and treatment options, and if necessary, adding ivermectin into mass drug administration programmes.

These are serious issues that can be common enough for you to consider “add” if it’s not something you plan on screening.[ing]”Ivermectin for mass drug administration programs in the affected areas!”

In areas of low ivermectin levels, the good ivermectin results Strongyloides prevalence, like Vallejos in Argentina, are mostly negative. High-quality ivermectin research has shown positive results in some areas. Strongyloides prevalence, like Mahmud in Bangladesh, are mostly positive.

Alexander points out that Alexander is only 50 percent certain of his hypothesis. Of course, he could be mistaken. This is a great solution for the ivermectin puzzle.

ReasonRonald Bailey of UC Berkeley wrote that although ivermectin might be effective, it’s not “a miracle cure”.


Detroit’s public school system will transition to virtual education in December. This is partly because it believes that additional cleaning time can help to slow spread of COVID-19. According to Chalkbeat:

Detroit’s school district will switch to remote instruction three Fridays per month in order to reduce COVID spread and allow staff the opportunity to thoroughly clean the schools.

The move was announced Wednesday on the district’s web site. It comes as the state is leading the nation in new COVID cases.

In that statement, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti stated that he made that decision after listening to the concerns expressed by school-based leaders and teachers as well as support staff and students regarding mental health, increasing COVID, and how best to clean up schools.

On Dec. 3, 10, and 17, learning will be available online.

The spread of COVID-19 will not be slowed down if schools are cleaned more frequently. No matter how hard education officials try to convince you otherwise, cleaning surfaces is part of the COVID-19 hygiene theatre. The spread of the virus is primarily through people exhaling their respiratory droplets. The virus particles cannot survive long on surfaces.

Additionally, even though cleaning can have a small positive effect on students’ learning outcomes, it is not worth the huge disadvantage of school closings. For a full year, students were forced to attend virtual school. This is because they are experiencing significant pandemic-related learning problems. Schools must also fight for their continued operation, especially since COVID-19 presents very minimal threat to children.

Some schools are more concerned with the reality than they are about closing. Oregon’s middle school has closed for three weeks to address student misbehaviors and fights. The New York Times‘ Michelle Goldberg correctlyThe school was “closing in order to cope with the tragic fallout of closing schools.”

Detroit’s schools don’t have to be closed. From Friday, January 1st, virtual students in Southfield (a suburb of Detroit) will take place.

Public schools should not be expected to educate children or provide day care services to working parents. Families need to have the ability to withdraw their per-pupil education money and put it where it would do good.


• The judge in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial doesn’t likeHe was the subject of media coverage and now he’s turning his back on courtroom cameras.

• Two men convicted of killing Malcolm X in 1965 have been exonerated.

• The House of Representatives voted to censure Rep. Paul Gosar (R–Ariz.) for sharing an edited anime video in which a figure with his face slays a monster with the face of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D–N.Y.).

• Steven Pinker and Robert Zimmer are no longer involved in the University of Austin.

• The HBO Max special celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter J.K. Rowling won’t be included in this movie.