Do Consumers Actually Shop Directly on Social Media Platforms [New Data]

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, many consumers raced online to buy products they couldn't get in-store. And, by July 2020, global retail ecommerce sites cumulatively saw a record 22 billion monthly visits.

As brands scrambled to offer more products and services online, social media platforms -- such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp --began rolling out ecommerce tools to help businesses sell more items directly from their social pages.

Now, as social media networks continue to expand on in-platform shopping tools, it's clear that social media ecommerce is gaining steam. But, as with any new marketing trend, you might wonder, "Are consumers actually buying products while surfing social media?"

The question above is worth asking. As a marketer, creating an online catalog or ecommerce process -- even with the help of an intuitive social media platform -- takes time and effort.

Not only will you need to determine which products will be sold online and how you'll deliver them to customers, but there might also be a technological learning curve for your team. Odds are, you'll want to know that consumers are actively using social media shopping tools before you enable them

To help you determine if social media shopping features are worth considering, I asked 467 consumers if they'd ever purchased products on social media platforms.

Do Consumers Actually Buy Products on Social Media?

There are now more ways than ever to buy products on social media. But, since some social media shopping tools are still rather new to shoppers and brands, you might think consumers have barely used them yet.

But, when we asked, "Have you ever purchased a product directly from a social media platform? If so which one(s)?" more than 50% of consumers had purchased a product on at least one platform.

Data Source

Of the 49.5% of respondents that haven't purchased a product directly from a social media platform, 9% said they still plan to do so eventually, while 40.5% say they prefer to buy products from ecommerce websites. Although that 9% of consumers who plan to shop on social media one day seems like a small number, it could grow as social media shopping tools gain more use, popularity, or trust in the coming months.

Ultimately, while social media shopping features are still fairly new to consumers, they might make sense for brands that are looking for a scalable way to enter the ecommerce world.

Below I'll dive into the four social media platforms consumers say they've purchased products from and how they could be useful for brands.

Which social media platforms are consumers really shopping on?

Facebook

More than one-third of the survey respondents above have purchased a product directly from Facebook.

Facebook's online shopping popularity isn't surprising. Even before the 2020 launch of Facebook Shops, users flocked to Facebook Marketplace to find items or products being sold by residents nearby, independent sellers, or even local stores.

While Facebook Marketplace is more like Craigslist than an ecommerce store -- and still requires you to contact a seller or go to their website before buying a product, its years of success likely helped justify the launch of Facebook's newest shopping features.

Here's a brief rundown of the newest ways people shop on Facebook:

Facebook Shops

Facebook Shops, which rolled out this summer, enables business page admins to create a "Shop" featuring a list of products or product collections.

Users who visit the brand's Facebook Business Page can tap or click a View Shop button to see products, add items to their cart, and purchase them directly from a Facebook Checkout page.

Facebook Messenger

Social media users who aren't interested in sifting through a Shop's list of products can also message brands on Facebook Messenger. Once a brand creates a Facebook Shop, they can integrate it with their Messenger account, WhatsApp account, or Instagram account for a smooth customer purchasing experience directly in their threads.

When customers message brands with Shop integrations to learn more about specific products, they'll receive automated messages with product suggestions from the Shop owner -- as seen in the image below.

Image Source

The Facebook Shops' Messenger integration isn't the first feature Facebook has offered that enabled consumers to shop via message thread. Between 2016 and 2019, Facebook allowed business pages to send messages that included a product shot, basic description, and a Buy Now button which allowed customers to buy products in the Messenger app via their phone's payment feature. Here's what this looked like:

Image Source

Takeaways for Marketers

Currently, launching a Facebook Shop might be one of the best ways to sell products on social platforms. Not only does Facebook have the largest and broadest reach of all the platforms on this list, but Facebook Shops can also integrate with Instagram and WhatsApp, allowing you to easily expand to multiple social media platforms when you're ready.

Even if you already have an ecommerce site, Facebook Shops can still be beneficial if you have large audiences on social media who primarily use mobile phones and apps to surf the web. For example, if a new prospect comes across your brand on the Facebook app, they can simply click into your Shop, check out a few products, and even buy a few using their phone's payment tool. This might create much less friction than they'd receive if they needed to leave their social media app to browse through a large list of products shown in your ecommerce store.

Ultimately, Shops' versatile options could be a good fit if you sell to a broad audience, are interested in expanding to Instagram or WhatsApp, or are an experienced online seller who also wants to turn social media followers into customers.

Instagram

Although most of Instagram's shopping features were added after Facebook Shops launched, nearly a quarter of respondents have bought products on Instagram.

Below are Instagram's most notable shopping features:

Instagram Shops

Instagram Shops essentially uses the same design, layout, and technology Facebook Shops, but is linked to Instagram Business Pages specifically. Like Facebook Shops, you'll also need admin access to a Facebook Business Page and a Facebook Shop to use this feature.

To leverage this feature, you merely need to go to your Facebook Commerce Manager settings, link your Facebook and Instagram Business pages to each other, and enable your Shop on your Instagram Business profile so your visitors will see a View Shop button. Once this Shop is activated, your Instagram Shop's viewers will see the same mini-online store they'd see if they entered your Facebook Shop on that platform.

Instagram Shoppable Posts

While you'll still need a Facebook catalog that lists your products, you do not need a Facebook Shop to launch Instagram Shoppable posts. This feature allows you to link your Instagram feed posts and images directly to the product's Instagram Checkout page.

Image Source

While this feature began specifically with feed-style posts, it has now stretched to Instagram Stories, Instagram Live (shown below), and -- most recently -- Instagram Reels.

Image Source

While an Instagram Shop allows your followers to see all the major products or collections your selling, Instagram Shoppable posts allow you to highlight your product with creative content, such as reviews or demos, while also linking directly to a purchasing page. This enables users to discover a product, watch it in action, and buy it almost immediately if they like what they've seen.

Instagram's Shopping Tab

You can also optimize your Instagram product content to show up in the Shopping tab of Instagram's app. With this tool, prospects that might not know about your brand might search for products, find items from your brand, and add them to their bag. From there, they can tap the bag icon in the corner and purchase these products directly from the Instagram app.

Takeaways for Marketers

Instagram's shopping features might be useful to your brand if you already have a presence on Instagram, target the Gen Z or millennial audiences, and have engaging or intriguing photo or video assets to market your product, brand, or service.

If you already have a Facebook Shop and want to expand your social media ecommerce strategy to Instagram, it's also scalable and easy. Because Instagram Shops are carbon copies of pre-created Facebook shops, you only need to take a few steps to place a Shops button on your Instagram Business Page. But, if you don't have interest in a Facebook account, you can still leverage Instagram Live Shopping, Shopping Posts, and highlight your products in the Instagram Shopping tab.

To learn more about each of these tools, how they work, and how brands can leverage them, check out this post for more details.

WhatsApp

While WhatsApp, also owned by Facebook, doesn't have its own shopping platform, users can still chat with brands, request to purchase a product from the companies WhatsApp for Business catalog, and pay for it directly in the message thread.  

The WhatsApp payment feature, shown below, is quite similar to Facebook Messenger's older "Buy Now" feature, shown in the section above:

Image Source

Takeaways for Marketers

While buying products might take a bit longer on WhatsApp than on a Facebook or Instagram Shop, roughly 13.5% of respondents have still done it.

As WhatsApp continues to grow and expand its business features, this app might be worth keeping on your radar if you are interested in building a chat-based community and social revenue stream at the same time.

While this app might be opportunistic for conversational marketers, this app might also be beneficial if you're looking to sell internationally. While Facebook and Instagram also have audiences around the world, most of WhatsApp's user base lives outside of the U.S. In fact, WhatsApp's largest audiences are from India and Brazil.

Pinterest

Until recently -- Pinterest users could buy some of the products they saw directly in the Pinterest app. Interestingly enough, it launched and discontinued its tool before Facebook and Instagram launched similar features.

From 2015 to 2018, Pinterest enabled brands to create Buyable Pins that allowed you to purchased pinned products directly from the app. Next to each Buyable Pin's "Save" button was a blue "Buy It" button. When tapped, it sent users directly to a Pinterest purchasing screen.

mage Source

While Pinterest offered its in-app purchasing feature for years, the brand converted Buyable Pins to more scalable Product Pins in 2018.

Product Pins, which the platform now uses, send app users to a company's website checkout page rather than a Pinterest app page.

While the conversion to Product Pins prevented Pinterest from needing to manage millions of transactions a year, it was also more beneficial to the brands. In a 2018 statement to AdWeek, Pinterest revealed that Product Pins received 40% more clicks than Buyable Pins.

Although Buyable Pins are no longer active, 10.5% of respondents still say they've purchased products directly on the platform.

While respondents could have purchased items from Buyable Pins in the past, they also could have made purchases through Product Pins, which open an in-app browser to a brand's checkout page without requiring users to leave Pinterest. Although the transaction itself isn't happening on Pinterest's servers, the feature still enables users to make a quick purchase without interrupting their social media experience.

Takeaways for Marketers

Although Pinterest no longer enables consumers to make purchases directly from the platform, you should still take its product marketing opportunities, such as Product Pins, seriously.

After all, many different audiences use Pinterest to create inspiration boards filled with products or items they might want to purchase. And Pinterest data shows that users like to search or learn about products on the platform

Aside from the brand-friendly nature of Pinterest's platform, marketers should also take note of its consistent growth. By Q3 of 2020, Pinterest surpassed 442 million monthly active users, up from 322 million in Q3 of 2019. Even if it doesn't seem like Pinterest is the right platform for your brand now, it might be useful to your strategy later as its audience continues to grow, evolve, and use the platform to look for products or inspiration.

Which Social Platforms Should You Sell On?

While many of the respondents above still haven't purchased a product through a social media platform, this might change as shoppers continue to embrace online shopping.

Additionally, as more brands leverage social shopping tools in place of ecommerce stores, shoppers might become accustomed to using social media shopping options.

If and when you do decide to launch a social media shopping feature for your brand, you'll want to look at your audience when determining the right place to start.

For example, if your audience is made up of many different age groups, Facebook might be the best place to set up shop. Meanwhile, if your audience is primarily Gen Z, you might want to embrace Instagram's tools.

Additionally, you should prioritize social media shopping tactics on platforms you've already built a following on. For example, if you have a large, engaged WhatsApp audience, selling products there might be a scalable expansion to an already-strong social media strategy.

Ultimately, the best strategy will be to determine where your audiences are most likely going to shop or surf social media and then meet them where they are with your product listings or online shop

To learn more about where your target social media audience might be, check out this helpful post on social media demographics.

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Ducks grind their way through to end their 9-game winless streak

If the Ducks were mired in a nine-game winless skid in past seasons they could have eased the tension by going to dinner together, dropping the bill in the laps of their rookies. Or they could have called off practice and gone bowling or held a ping pong, pool or golf tournament.

One time, they scrimmaged outdoors on the frozen Rideau Canal in Ottawa, taking a break from the grind of the 2005-06 season. Teemu Selanne and Todd Marchant served as coaches. Goaltender J-S Giguere shed his pads and mask and played forward, scoring a goal.

Two days, later the Ducks beat the Senators.

Team bonding exercises are banned because of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols. Players cannot go to dinner together, on the road or at home. Bowling, ping pong, pool and golf in groups are forbidden activities. Their time at the rink is limited, too.

So, what’s a struggling team to do?

In the Ducks’ case, the answer was to keep grinding through what longtime team captain Ryan Getzlaf called “probably the most challenging (time) I’ve encountered here in my 15 years.” So much of their past lives has been altered and not in a favorable way.

“There’s a lot of different methods of breaking out of slumps and team troubles and all that kind of stuff,” Getzlaf said. “But most of them involve something off the ice, where you get together as a group. You do some things as a group, a team dinner or whatever it is. You’re just not able to do any of that stuff. You have to find a way to do it in the locker room, night in and night out.”

In the end, the Ducks ended their 0-6-3 winless streak Saturday with a determined effort that featured Getzlaf’s goal in overtime, miraculous goaltending by Ryan Miller, a career night by Troy Terry, a three-point game by Rickard Rakell and Kevin Shattenkirk’s first goal with the Ducks.

It added up to a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in OT.

“The frustration goes up and down,” Getzlaf said. “It’s not like we were getting blown out. In a lot of the games, we had the lead. We’ve just got to figure out how to play confidently throughout the whole game. It’s an opportunity to build something and learn from it.”

HAPPY HOMECOMING

Terry, a Denver native who played at the University of Denver, recorded the first two-goal game of his career and fired a season-high seven shots on goal Saturday against the Avalanche. He scored even-strength goals at 4:26 of the second period and 13:03 of the third.

“He was dancing tonight and he was feeling it,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “It was probably one of his best games we’ve seen all season. Just a real good performance, and that whole line was good (Saturday), him, (Max) Comtois and ‘Getzy.’”

Comtois assisted on Terry’s second goal as the linemates totaled three goals and three assists.

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• 
  Ducks rally to defeat Avalanche in overtime, ending 9-game winless skid

• 
  Ducks’ Josh Manson adds muscle with return to lineup

• 
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GOING STREAKING

Rakell scored one goal and assisted on two others, including Getzlaf’s power-play strike 1:59 into OT, extending his points streak to five consecutive games. Rakell has three goals and six assists during his streak and has four goals and 12 assists overall.

Rakell and Comtois are the Ducks’ co-leaders with 16 points.

MINOR REPORT

Goalie Olle Eriksson Ek made 39 saves in his AHL debut with the San Diego Gulls, a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday over the San Jose Barracuda at Great Park Ice in Irvine. Eriksson Ek, 21, is the second-youngest goalie to win a game for the Gulls behind only Lukas Dostal, 21, earlier this season.

Andrew Agozzino scored the OT winner, his fourth goal in as many games.

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Ducks grind their way through to end their 9-game winless streak

If the Ducks were mired in a nine-game winless skid in past seasons they could have eased the tension by going to dinner together, dropping the bill in the laps of their rookies. Or they could have called off practice and gone bowling or held a ping pong, pool or golf tournament.

One time, they scrimmaged outdoors on the frozen Rideau Canal in Ottawa, taking a break from the grind of the 2005-06 season. Teemu Selanne and Todd Marchant served as coaches. Goaltender J-S Giguere shed his pads and mask and played forward, scoring a goal.

Two days, later the Ducks beat the Senators.

Team bonding exercises are banned because of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols. Players cannot go to dinner together, on the road or at home. Bowling, ping pong, pool and golf in groups are forbidden activities. Their time at the rink is limited, too.

So, what’s a struggling team to do?

In the Ducks’ case, the answer was to keep grinding through what longtime team captain Ryan Getzlaf called “probably the most challenging (time) I’ve encountered here in my 15 years.” So much of their past lives has been altered and not in a favorable way.

“There’s a lot of different methods of breaking out of slumps and team troubles and all that kind of stuff,” Getzlaf said. “But most of them involve something off the ice, where you get together as a group. You do some things as a group, a team dinner or whatever it is. You’re just not able to do any of that stuff. You have to find a way to do it in the locker room, night in and night out.”

In the end, the Ducks ended their 0-6-3 winless streak Saturday with a determined effort that featured Getzlaf’s goal in overtime, miraculous goaltending by Ryan Miller, a career night by Troy Terry, a three-point game by Rickard Rakell and Kevin Shattenkirk’s first goal with the Ducks.

It added up to a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in OT.

“The frustration goes up and down,” Getzlaf said. “It’s not like we were getting blown out. In a lot of the games, we had the lead. We’ve just got to figure out how to play confidently throughout the whole game. It’s an opportunity to build something and learn from it.”

HAPPY HOMECOMING

Terry, a Denver native who played at the University of Denver, recorded the first two-goal game of his career and fired a season-high seven shots on goal Saturday against the Avalanche. He scored even-strength goals at 4:26 of the second period and 13:03 of the third.

“He was dancing tonight and he was feeling it,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “It was probably one of his best games we’ve seen all season. Just a real good performance, and that whole line was good (Saturday), him, (Max) Comtois and ‘Getzy.’”

Comtois assisted on Terry’s second goal as the linemates totaled three goals and three assists.

Related Articles

• 
  Flames are the latest NHL team to call for Darryl Sutter’s unique intervention

• 
  Ducks rally to defeat Avalanche in overtime, ending 9-game winless skid

• 
  Ducks’ Josh Manson adds muscle with return to lineup

• 
  Ducks fall to depleted Avalanche in OT

• 
  Darryl Sutter leaves role with Ducks to become Flames head coach

GOING STREAKING

Rakell scored one goal and assisted on two others, including Getzlaf’s power-play strike 1:59 into OT, extending his points streak to five consecutive games. Rakell has three goals and six assists during his streak and has four goals and 12 assists overall.

Rakell and Comtois are the Ducks’ co-leaders with 16 points.

MINOR REPORT

Goalie Olle Eriksson Ek made 39 saves in his AHL debut with the San Diego Gulls, a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday over the San Jose Barracuda at Great Park Ice in Irvine. Eriksson Ek, 21, is the second-youngest goalie to win a game for the Gulls behind only Lukas Dostal, 21, earlier this season.

Andrew Agozzino scored the OT winner, his fourth goal in as many games.

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Steph Curry sinks last shot, wins another 3-point contest

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  The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry competes in the 2021 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Sunday in Atlanta. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

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  The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry competes in the 2021 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Sunday in Atlanta. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry celebrates while competing in the NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Sunday in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

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  The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry celebrates after winning the 2021 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Sunday in Atlanta. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry celebrates after winning the 3-point contest at basketball’s NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta, Sunday, March 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

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  The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry competes in the 2021 NBA All-Star – MTN DEW 3-Point Contest during All-Star Sunday Night at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley, left, embraces the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry following the 2021 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Sunday in Atlanta. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry holds the trophy after winning the 3-point contest at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

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ATLANTA — Steph Curry shot his way to another 3-point title and Domantas Sabonis made sure the Skills Challenge still belongs to the bigs.

Curry, the Golden State Warriors superstar, provided a dramatic preview for his seventh All-Star Game appearance when he sank his final 3-pointer to edge Utah’s Mike Conley for the title on Sunday night. Curry also won the 3-point content in 2015.

Conley had the lead with 27 points before Curry was the final shooter of the contest. Curry had 26 points before sinking his final shot from the corner for 28 points and the win.

“I could hear the temperature rise a little bit,” Curry said of the reaction from the small crowd allowed in State Farm Arena.

“It was some awesome competition,” Curry said. “I’m glad I got it done.”

After a runner-up finish to 2020 Skills Challenge winner and fellow big man Bam Adebayo of Miami, Indiana’s Sabonis returned to win the title.

The 6-foot-11 Sabonis did not miss a pass or 3-point shot in elimination wins over Julius Randle of the New York Knicks and Luka Doncic of Dallas in the test of passing, ball-handling and shooting ability. Doncic fell behind by missing in his first two tests of his passing accuracy.

Sabonis beat Orlando’s 7-foot Nikola Vucevic in the matchup of big men for the skills title. Each missed two 3-point shots before Sabonis sank his third attempt and then clenched his fist in victory.

“It was fun,” Sabonis said. “I wanted to come out and make sure I got it done this time.”

Curry had 31 points in the first round to lead the contest. Also advancing were Jayson Tatum, with 25 points, and Conley, with 28.

Tatum led off the final round with 17 points while making only one shot from the “money ball” rack. Conley nearly duplicated his first-round total and it appeared it might be enough until Curry solidified his reputation as one of the top shooters in NBA history.

The slam dunk contest was scheduled for halftime of the All-Star Game.

“This one goes out to @KlayThompson” @StephenCurry30 || #NBAAllStar https://t.co/S7Dm9vuO1p pic.twitter.com/Dxz8Tcz7Zt

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 8, 2021

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California’s embarrassment of tax riches

California politicians, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and majority party legislators, practically break their arms trying to pat themselves on the back for the fact that California has a large and unexpected budget surplus. According to last month’s report from the California Department of Finance, general fund receipts for the first seven months of the current fiscal year were $10.5 billion above the Governor’s Budget forecast.

But government policies had little to do with the generation of this excess revenue. After all, more so than most other states, California imposed some of the most draconian lockdown laws (many pursuant to executive orders) in the nation. But California taxpayers continued to contribute to state revenue in large amounts, not because of these regulations, but in spite of them. The reality is that the private sector can adapt with more innovation and flexibility than is ever demonstrated in the public sector. Companies allowed their employees to work from home and for many businesses, particularly in the technology sector, operations scarcely skipped a beat.

That doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been private-sector pain. The government-imposed lockdowns have crushed many service industries such as hair salons, restaurants, the travel industry and theme parks. This is evidenced by California’s continued high unemployment rate and steady outmigration of both businesses and individuals. Nonetheless, the “California Tax Machine” (the actual title of a book) continues to chug along.

Strangely enough, the billions of dollars of unanticipated revenue in California presents an embarrassing situation for Democrats in both Sacramento and Washington. In the state Capitol, a brimming treasury removes the need for more tax hikes. Such calls for new taxes were difficult enough with California’s already highest-in-the-nation income tax rate, state sales tax rate and gas tax. But now such proposals just look greedy, much like a billionaire expecting a working class relative to pick up the check at a posh restaurant.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped the most radical of progressives from putting several such proposals on the table, but even some Democrats are pushing back on the idea of higher taxes. For example, Gov. Newsom has so far rejected the idea of one of the more radical proposals, a wealth tax on California’s millionaires and billionaires.

Shamelessness on the part of progressives is also evident in Washington, D.C., as Democrats debate Republicans over the next round of COVID-19 relief. The former have argued for a massive $1.9 trillion package while Republicans argue for a more targeted package. As of this writing, it appears that Democrats will get most of what they want with a final product close to the $1.9 trillion passed by the House of Representatives with only a few minor tweaks in the Senate.

This is a shame because less than ten percent of the $1.9 trillion is actually related to COVID-19 relief. The rest is nothing more than a bailout package for mismanaged, profligate states and public-sector unions. For example, there is a special provision giving federal employees a cash payment if they have been unable to go to work because they had to stay home with their children. A nice perk, but why not give it to private-sector employees as well?

Fiscally prudent states also have a legitimate complaint that $86 billion in so-called “COVID relief” will actually go to shore up the public pension funds of states run by Democrats. Illinois and California are the two biggest examples.

Last week, the non-partisan Tax Foundation released a shocking analysis showing that the state aid in the so-called American Rescue Plan Act is actually 116 times the states’ revenue losses: “The preliminary data suggest that states closed out calendar year 2020 with only $1.7 billion less revenue  than they generated in 2019 (a decline of less than 0.2 percent), not counting federal assistance, while municipal governments actually experienced substantial revenue growth due to rising property values. Yet the American Rescue Plan Act sets aside $350 billion in additional state and local aid. Increasingly, federal proposals to provide a cash infusion for state and local governments has become a solution in search of a problem.”

Consistent with the Tax Foundation’s report, California has increased spending at levels far in excess of both inflation and population gains. Perhaps that is why Californians wisely rejected statewide tax hikes including the infamous “split roll” proposal which went down to defeat in November.

Will this potential embarrassment be enough to derail adding $1.9 trillion to the federal debt? Probably not. Democrats, while they have paper-thin majorities in both houses, seem immune to shameful scrutiny. But just as in President Barack Obama’s first two years, which included jamming through the ironically labeled “Affordable Care Act,” progressives have a way of overreaching when given power. This could very well catch up with them in the midterm elections, and 2022 is not that far away.

Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

 

 

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Flames are the latest NHL team to call for Darryl Sutter’s unique intervention

The Calgary Flames hired Darryl Sutter as their head coach Thursday night, and on Friday a talk-show host congratulated him.

“Thanks, John,” Sutter said. “Now I won’t be able to listen to you on the tractor while I’m feeding the cows.”

This was reminiscent of Dec. 19, 2011, when the Kings tried to rescue a drowning season and hired Sutter. At the press conference, someone asked Sutter what he was doing when the Kings called.

“Well, I wasn’t shoveling (manure), I can tell you that,” Sutter replied. “I’d done that already.”

When Sutter is not out standing in his field, he is outstanding in his field. His job in 2011-12 was to get the Kings into the playoffs, which he gradually did. Intrigued by winning, the Kings didn’t stop doing it until they won the Stanley Cup. They won it again two years later.

Three years after that, Sutter was fired, accompanied by poorly muted applause from the locker room. He was too harsh, relentless, stuck in time.

Few coaches win Stanley Cups by negotiating common ground with their players. Scotty Bowman, Randy Carlyle, John Tortorella, Al Arbour, Mike Keenan and Toe Blake rarely did.

This is not to say the Kings were mistaken when they saw an inevitable rebuild coming and doubted Sutter was the right man to supervise it. Indeed, the current Kings are much improved. But the main drivers are still Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown, the frontline workers of ‘12 and ‘14.

“A lot of these players are the same age of my kids,” said Sutter, who is 62. “Sometimes you pull them, sometimes you push them, sometimes you walk with them side by side.”

The facts are that, since 1993, the Kings have won one playoff series without Sutter’s force field behind the bench.

It is a little spooky to realize that the Flames have done exactly the same thing. Their win over Winnipeg in 2020 was technically a “qualifying round,” a best-of-5. They lost to Dallas in the real first round. The tractor goes full circle.

The Flames are four points out of the playoffs in the North, or All-Canada, division, the one with Conor McDavid and Auston Matthews.

“We think we’re a good team that is playing poorly,” said Brad Treveling, the Calgary general manager who was in Phoenix’s front office when the Kings beat the Coyotes in the 2012 Western Conference Final.

“Darryl maximizes performance. His best attribute is that he is very clear. It feels right that he is back.”

Sutter is Calgary’s fourth coach in the past five seasons. The Flames are 11-12-2.  He  does not show up until Monday, after he gets past virus protocols.

Flames’ fans see a franchise in decline. Sutter sees “a top goalie” in Jacob Markstrom and “two top defensemen and a good nucleus of 10-11 players. We just need to make a few adjustments to help them understand the price for winning. The way the schedule is this year, it’s playoff hockey every night.”

He was advising Ducks’ general manager Bob Murray when the Flames called, so he says he is in tune with the season. The only jobs that appealed to him were Calgary and Chicago, where Sutter grew up professionally and was both captain and coach. The Sutter farm, in Viking, is 231 miles northeast of Calgary.

Sutter said he hasn’t yet set aside the Stanley Cup Final of 17 years ago, when goalie Miika Kiprusoff and new Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla led the Flames to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at Tampa Bay. They lost, 2-1, and Sutter was nearly paralyzed with fatigue and remorse.

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“It’s unfinished business,” he said. “I was thinking the other night about that flight home from Tampa. To me it’s a debt to pay.

“This is like a treasure map. You got all these red dots on the map, and they’re the players, and you have to figure out how to connect them and then find the treasure. It was like that in L.A. We had star players, and some of them still are, but we had to get them in the right frame of mind. They fought like hell to get in.”

It is time for Sutter to again get out the miniature Stanley Cup and put it on the nightstand, so he will see it when he awakens, normally before sunrise.

It will also be time to see if old truths carry over, if old methods get the same response, if a team that plays sleepy hockey really does respond to Darryl Sutter’s wakeup call. It only subsides when he pushes the buttons.

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Ducks grind their way through to end their 9-game winless streak

If the Ducks were mired in a nine-game winless skid in past seasons they could have eased the tension by going to dinner together, dropping the bill in the laps of their rookies. Or they could have called off practice and gone bowling or held a ping pong, pool or golf tournament.

One time, they scrimmaged outdoors on the frozen Rideau Canal in Ottawa, taking a break from the grind of the 2005-06 season. Teemu Selanne and Todd Marchant served as coaches. Goaltender J-S Giguere shed his pads and mask and played forward, scoring a goal.

Two days, later the Ducks beat the Senators.

Team bonding exercises are banned because of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols. Players cannot go to dinner together, on the road or at home. Bowling, ping pong, pool and golf in groups are forbidden activities. Their time at the rink is limited, too.

So, what’s a struggling team to do?

In the Ducks’ case, the answer was to keep grinding through what longtime team captain Ryan Getzlaf called “probably the most challenging (time) I’ve encountered here in my 15 years.” So much of their past lives has been altered and not in a favorable way.

“There’s a lot of different methods of breaking out of slumps and team troubles and all that kind of stuff,” Getzlaf said. “But most of them involve something off the ice, where you get together as a group. You do some things as a group, a team dinner or whatever it is. You’re just not able to do any of that stuff. You have to find a way to do it in the locker room, night in and night out.”

In the end, the Ducks ended their 0-6-3 winless streak Saturday with a determined effort that featured Getzlaf’s goal in overtime, miraculous goaltending by Ryan Miller, a career night by Troy Terry, a three-point game by Rickard Rakell and Kevin Shattenkirk’s first goal with the Ducks.

It added up to a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in OT.

“The frustration goes up and down,” Getzlaf said. “It’s not like we were getting blown out. In a lot of the games, we had the lead. We’ve just got to figure out how to play confidently throughout the whole game. It’s an opportunity to build something and learn from it.”

HAPPY HOMECOMING

Terry, a Denver native who played at the University of Denver, recorded the first two-goal game of his career and fired a season-high seven shots on goal Saturday against the Avalanche. He scored even-strength goals at 4:26 of the second period and 13:03 of the third.

“He was dancing tonight and he was feeling it,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “It was probably one of his best games we’ve seen all season. Just a real good performance, and that whole line was good (Saturday), him, (Max) Comtois and ‘Getzy.’”

Comtois assisted on Terry’s second goal as the linemates totaled three goals and three assists.

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GOING STREAKING

Rakell scored one goal and assisted on two others, including Getzlaf’s power-play strike 1:59 into OT, extending his points streak to five consecutive games. Rakell has three goals and six assists during his streak and has four goals and 12 assists overall.

Rakell and Comtois are the Ducks’ co-leaders with 16 points.

MINOR REPORT

Goalie Olle Eriksson Ek made 39 saves in his AHL debut with the San Diego Gulls, a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday over the San Jose Barracuda at Great Park Ice in Irvine. Eriksson Ek, 21, is the second-youngest goalie to win a game for the Gulls behind only Lukas Dostal, 21, earlier this season.

Andrew Agozzino scored the OT winner, his fourth goal in as many games.

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Steph Curry sinks last shot, wins another 3-point contest

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  The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry competes in the 2021 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Sunday in Atlanta. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

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  The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry competes in the 2021 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Sunday in Atlanta. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry celebrates while competing in the NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Sunday in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

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  The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry celebrates after winning the 2021 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Sunday in Atlanta. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry celebrates after winning the 3-point contest at basketball’s NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta, Sunday, March 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

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  The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry competes in the 2021 NBA All-Star – MTN DEW 3-Point Contest during All-Star Sunday Night at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley, left, embraces the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry following the 2021 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest on Sunday in Atlanta. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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  Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry holds the trophy after winning the 3-point contest at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

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ATLANTA — Steph Curry shot his way to another 3-point title and Domantas Sabonis made sure the Skills Challenge still belongs to the bigs.

Curry, the Golden State Warriors superstar, provided a dramatic preview for his seventh All-Star Game appearance when he sank his final 3-pointer to edge Utah’s Mike Conley for the title on Sunday night. Curry also won the 3-point content in 2015.

Conley had the lead with 27 points before Curry was the final shooter of the contest. Curry had 26 points before sinking his final shot from the corner for 28 points and the win.

“I could hear the temperature rise a little bit,” Curry said of the reaction from the small crowd allowed in State Farm Arena.

“It was some awesome competition,” Curry said. “I’m glad I got it done.”

After a runner-up finish to 2020 Skills Challenge winner and fellow big man Bam Adebayo of Miami, Indiana’s Sabonis returned to win the title.

The 6-foot-11 Sabonis did not miss a pass or 3-point shot in elimination wins over Julius Randle of the New York Knicks and Luka Doncic of Dallas in the test of passing, ball-handling and shooting ability. Doncic fell behind by missing in his first two tests of his passing accuracy.

Sabonis beat Orlando’s 7-foot Nikola Vucevic in the matchup of big men for the skills title. Each missed two 3-point shots before Sabonis sank his third attempt and then clenched his fist in victory.

“It was fun,” Sabonis said. “I wanted to come out and make sure I got it done this time.”

Curry had 31 points in the first round to lead the contest. Also advancing were Jayson Tatum, with 25 points, and Conley, with 28.

Tatum led off the final round with 17 points while making only one shot from the “money ball” rack. Conley nearly duplicated his first-round total and it appeared it might be enough until Curry solidified his reputation as one of the top shooters in NBA history.

The slam dunk contest was scheduled for halftime of the All-Star Game.

“This one goes out to @KlayThompson” @StephenCurry30 || #NBAAllStar https://t.co/S7Dm9vuO1p pic.twitter.com/Dxz8Tcz7Zt

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 8, 2021

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Kings’ top performers viewed as potential finalists for NHL Awards

The Kings will visit Vegas at least twice this season, but, if the NHL Awards are held in person, some of their top performers might be planning a third trip in the offseason.

Since 2018, the Kings have been absent from both the playoffs and nominations for the league’s major awards, but that could change this year.

Drew Doughty, Norris Trophy

Doughty won the Norris in 2016 and was a finalist for the award three additional times. He finished third in 2010’s voting, and was the runner up in 2015 and 2018.

However the past two seasons saw significant dips in productivity across the boards: offense, possession, power-play and overall profile.

This season, Doughty has had a resurgence in all areas of his game while continuing to shoulder an array and volume of responsibilities that few if any other defensemen do. He is second in the NHL in time on ice and, despite the idea to pair him with veteran Olli Maatta initially, has been skating alongside a rookie, Mikey Anderson. Doughty is tied for the league lead in power-play points among defenseman and is also tied for the fourth most overall points by a blue liner. His possession and two-way numbers have improved dramatically across the board as well.

Offensively, Doughty has reaped the benefits of much more dangerous power play and deeper mix of forwards, while also taking advantage of playing more on the flank during power plays. Perhaps more than anything, the enthusiasm, tirelessness and range have all returned to Doughty’s game.

To recapture the trophy, Doughty will face stiff competition from last year’s winner of the Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) trophy last year, Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman. Hedman was a finalist for the Norris Trophy last year and did win in 2018 when Doughty was the runner up.

Hedman remains the front-runner for this year’s award, but Doughty finds himself on a very short list of potential finalists.

Gabe Vilardi, Calder Trophy

Vilardi appeared to be one of the steals of the 2017 draft, when the Kings also selected another rookie standout, center Jaret Anderson-Dolan in the third round. Vilardi fell out of the top 10 despite some projections that had him just outside the top five.

But a back condition robbed Vilardi of significant development time and cast some aspersions on his potential.

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Vilardi battled hard to return to form and fitness. Between a brief stint last season and the early going this year, he has moved back to the fore of a scintillating group of players under 25 in the Kings’ organization.

Vilardi is tied for fifth in rookie scoring and tied for second in goals by a rookie, with potential to climb both leaderboards. While he has had some tough nights in the faceoff circle, he has won about 46 percent of his draws and taken 304, nearly 200 more than the Kings’ next most-utilized right-handed shot. Center Rasmus Kupari, another rookie righty, has enjoyed success in two games, but Vilardi continues to be the top option on the right side.

Vilardi would be the second King to win the Calder and the first since Luc Robitaille in 1987. The main impediment is some stiff competition, mostly from European players who arrived with pro experience overseas. Russian winger  Kirill Kaprizov has been captivating in Minnesota, as Kings fans know all too well. Kevin Lankinen, a Finn, salvaged Chicago’s threadbare goaltending situation and, in part, its season, along with Swiss rookie forward Pius Suter, who leads all newcomers in goals.

Anze Kopitar, Hart Trophy/Lindsay Award/Selke Trophy/Messier Award/Lady Byng Trophy

The King with the greatest potential to bring home some hardware is the captain, center Anze Kopitar.

Kings Coach Todd McLellan called Kopitar perhaps the most consistent player he’d seen in over two decades in pro hockey. McLellan, former Kings coach Darryl Sutter and no shortage of opposing coaches have praised the comprehensiveness and integrity of Kopitar’s game over the years. So it comes as little surprise that he has returned to the dialogue surrounding so many different awards.

Kopitar has racked up 28 points in 23 games, the best points-per-game average of his career. His previous best was in 2018, when he was a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player. He also won the Selke Trophy that season, for the second time, and he has been a finalist for the award two other times in his career.

In 2016, he won the Lady Byng Trophy as the league’s most gentlemanly player–a feat he could repeat given his low penalty minute totals and clean defensive play–as well as the Selke. Capturing the Selke and Lady Byng had been accomplished previously by only Pavel Datsyuk and Ron Francis.

Only Sergei Fedorov has won both the Hart and Selke trophies in the same season.

Traditionally Hart winners also have a shot at the Ted Lindsay Award–the league’s most outstanding player award voted on by its players–though Kopitar has never been a finalist previously.

If Kopitar were to win the Selke–and his defense by traditional and advanced metrics alike has been superb this year–he would become just the sixth player to win the award three times.

Only two players have won it four times, including Boston center Patrice Bergeron, who was a finalist last year for the ninth time, an all-time record. Philadelphia center Sean Couturier–last year’s winner–as well as St. Louis center Ryan O’Reilly and Vegas winger Mark Stone are also elite defensive forwards.

The Hart and Lindsay finalists are always in rarefied air. Thus far the staggering production of Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Toronto’s Auston Matthews might confine those conversations. Still, Kopitar’s well-roundedness and prolific scoring should put him in the mix.

Kopitar has also been lauded for his leadership as the Kings have accelerated their rebuild under McLellan. He could find himself in the midst of the captains and alternate captains vying for the Mark Messier Leadership Award. Kopitar’s teammate and close friend Dustin Brown won the award in 2014, the year Brown captained the Kings to their second Stanley Cup.

 

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Greeting cards that joke about getting older: What readers are saying

Dear readers,

This week, the focus is on the emails I received in response to the column on ageism and birthday cards.

Here are some of our readers’ perspectives. I’ll follow with some of my own thoughts:

“Rarely am I driven to a column immediately but your column on ‘ageist’ birthday cards really pushed my buttons. Isn’t getting old in this society difficult enough with your now telling us that we can’t laugh at ourselves? The most insulting part of your article is that although we apparently are wise, venerable, faithful friends, fun and spectacular, we are not allowed to share a joke with like-minded older friends of both sexes on our birthdays and still have loads of old-person self-esteem when we are done laughing.”

“Save the flowers for my funeral. I much prefer a funny greeting card. Sock it to me. Mock my memory, laugh at my looks, giggle at my gait – I love it. Laughter is still the best medicine and a sense of humor is one of the secrets to longevity, or so they tell me. At 83 I am well acquainted with the indignities that accompany aging. Might as well laugh.”

“What a crock. What’s next, Easter eggs and Halloween? I am 74 and find the cards very funny. Getting older is no fun and we need all of the laughs we can get.”

“The negative comments about greeting cards with messages poking fun at old age misses the mark. Getting older (I am 84) may be a blessing most of the time, but also a terrible inconvenience. So, do not ‘cancel’ others’ enjoyment and hilarity. My 72-year-old sister and I seek the ones that are appropriate to sagging boobies, joints that protest too much and digestive disasters. It’s none of your business if we like the droll cartoon and sayings.”

“While I agree that belittling someone’s age or discriminating against someone older is wrong, I’d respectfully disagree with you on greeting cards. Greeting cards are given as a gesture of love or friendship, not as weapons. So, cards gently joking about the shared realities of aging are an opportunity for friendly bonding rather than for harmful discrimination.”

Some other perspectives…

“My energetic, intelligent, charming and handsome husband received old fart cards from each of his children on his 60th birthday. I know they didn’t mean any harm, but after reading them he looked at me and said, “Am I kidding myself, am I really just a worthless old man?” He passed many years ago, but I still remember the hurt look in his eyes…”

“I enjoyed reading today’s column as always. I even see what I perceive as age bias in of all places, our church. It’s customary to say hi, but I notice those in their 20’s, 30’s and even 40’s walk by as if we were invisible…”

Here’s my take on the matter.

The issue of ageism and birthday cards raises awareness about age stereotypes. The birthday cards from Changing the Narrative Colorado is part of their mission to increase understanding of ageism and to shift how Coloradans think about aging. One of their many initiatives is to provide a choice in the type of birthday greetings sent to an older people; their recommended choice is to send a card with a positive image of aging.

In most cases, the older person to whom we are sending a card is someone we know quite well. Consequently, the message likely will be received in the spirit it was sent. Again, this is about choices and choices should be honored.

I also believe it’s important not to take ourselves too seriously all of the time. Humor plays an important role in our lives as long as it’s at no one’s expense. And here’s the rub. Changing the Narrative Colorado presents a case that it is at the expense of older people.

If nothing else, the topic of ageism and birthday cards draws attention to how older people are portrayed and the messages conveyed. As a result of our conversation, we may become more aware of older people in the media that includes movies, advertisements, digital and print news as well as the workplace. And then, what are willing to do about it?

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So, thank you dear readers for your candor. This is an important conversation. Keep your sense of humor, raise your awareness of ageism and indeed have a good laugh. And of course, stay safe and well.

Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging, employment and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulagingCommunity

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The Latest: Italy offers vaccination for all by summer’s end

By The Associated Press

ROME — Italy’s health minister says that all Italians who want to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to do so by summer’s end.

Minister Roberto Speranza told state TV on Sunday that Italy expects to receive delivery of more than 50 million doses in the second quarter of this year, including the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine, whose approval by European Union medicine authorities is expected soon.

As of Sunday, about 3.7 million people in Italy had received at least one injection of an anti-COVID-19 vaccine. That’s just over 5% of Italy’s population.

Health authorities in Lazio, the region including Rome, have expressed eagerness to produce Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine in pharmaceutical plants near the capital.

After months of a plateau in daily caseloads of coronavirus since late fall 2020, last week saw a steady climb in new infections in Italy.

Epidemiologists say Italy should brace for a new peak of infections in about two weeks, warning that daily caseloads could reach as high as 40,000 unless more severe restrictions of citizens’ movement and activities are swiftly put into place.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— Biden, Democrats prevail as Senate OKs $1.9 trillion virus relief bill

— Russia scores points with vaccine diplomacy, but snags arise

— Europe staggers as virus variants spark infection surges across the continent

— Murder, but gentler: ‘Cozy’ mysteries a pandemic-era balm

— AP PHOTOS: Cyprus keeps Carnival spirit alive amid COVID-19

— Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at https://ift.tt/35k8pHx, https://ift.tt/3ajhaVd and https://ift.tt/2wrCaXK

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

LONDON — British children are gearing up to return to school on Monday after a two-month closure, part of what Prime Minister Boris Johnson said was a plan to get the country to “start moving closer to a sense of normality.”

As part of the plan, millions of high school and college students coming back to U.K. classrooms will be tested for the first few weeks. Authorities want to quickly detect and isolate asymptomatic cases in order to avoid sending entire schools home.

“We are being cautious in our approach so that we do not undo the progress we have made so far,” Johnson said as he urged people to get vaccinated.

High schools and colleges can reopen in phases to allow for testing. The U.K. government has distributed nearly 57 million rapid “lateral flow” test kits to schools across the country, but there are concerns about the accuracy of the tests, which may result in pupils being forced to self-isolate unnecessarily.

But Susan Hopkins, a director at Public Health England, told the BBC on Sunday that evidence from testing over the past eight weeks suggested less than 1 in 1,000 tests resulted in a false positive.

Britain has had Europe’s deadliest outbreak, with nearly 125,000 COVID-19 deaths.

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FLORIDA CITY, Fla. — A Florida vaccination site had so few eligible takers Saturday that it started inoculating any adult who wanted a shot rather than let the vaccine on hand go to waste.

Word spread and on Sunday the Florida City site was overwhelmed, particularly after local state Sen. Annette Taddeo incorrectly tweeted that the federally-run site would again take all comers. The Democrat, who was the party’s lieutenant governor candidate in 2014, later deleted that tweet and corrected herself.

Police had to calm the crowd when the site again enforced the state’s eligibility rules: 65 and older; frontline medical workers and police officers, teachers and firefighters over 50; and younger people with a physician’s note saying they would be endangered if they caught the virus.

According to the Miami Herald, a Florida City police officer through a megaphone told 200 people waiting in line, “If you do not meet the criteria, you will not be vaccinated today.” Vaccines must be refrigerated at extremely cold temperatures and used that day once they are removed.

The site, run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, administers 500 doses per day. It had enforced Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rules Saturday morning, but when it became clear not enough eligible people would arrive, the workers invited anyone in for a shot. That is not unusual — many drugstores, for example, will inject anyone in the store at closing time if they have leftover vaccines that would spoil otherwise.

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BUCHAREST, Romania — Around 3,000 anti-vaccination protesters from across Romania converged outside the parliament building in Bucharest on Sunday as authorities announced new restrictions amid a rise of COVID-19 infections.

It has been less than six weeks since COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed in Bucharest, but rising infections have prompted authorities to reimpose tighter restrictions for a 14-day period effective as of Monday.

The restrictions will see bars, restaurants, theaters, gambling venues, and cafes close indoor spaces as the capital’s infection rate rose above three cases per 1,000 inhabitants over a 14-day rolling period — effectively entering a “red scenario,” which the authorities use as a threshold to manage both restrictions and the spread of the virus.

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BRUSSELS —The Belgian government issued a decree Sunday that will allow for some relaxation of the strict coronavirus measures as fears for a new spike in infections abate somewhat.

The measures, which were approved on Friday, increase the number of people allowed to meet outside from four to 10 but still keep social distancing rules in place. Funerals will be allowed to have 50 people attend instead of 15.

The Belgian government stressed that social distancing remained a key part of any relaxation measure. It hoped that restaurants and bars would be allowed to open again, under certain conditions, beginning May 1.

Both hospital admissions and new infections have tapering off while they were increasing by 25% on a weekly basis only 9 days ago.

Over 22,000 people in Belgium have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic struck.

___

NOUMEA, New Caledonia — Local authorities ordered New Caledonia, a French archipelago in the South Pacific, to be placed under lockdown for at least two weeks to try to prevent the virus from spreading.

The decision comes after nine new infections were confirmed on Sunday. The president of the Caledonian government, Thierry Santa, said “there’s a very strong risk that the virus starts circulating” on the archipelago.

Beginning Monday, a ban all nonessential activities will apply and all schools and universities will be closed.

The territory of 270,000 people went under a one-month lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic, which successfully prevented the virus from spreading. Since then, restrictions had been lifted.

New Caledonia has kept its borders almost completely closed, suspending nearly all flights with only few exceptions and imposing a mandatory 14-day quarantine and testing for travelers.

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MOSCOW — Russia’s boast in August that it was the first country to authorize a coronavirus vaccine led to skepticism at the time because of its insufficient testing. Six months later, as demand for the Sputnik V vaccine grows, experts are raising questions again — this time, over whether Moscow can keep up with all the orders from the countries that want it.

Slovakia got 200,000 doses on March 1, even though the European Medicines Agency, the European Union’s pharmaceutical regulator, only began reviewing its use on Thursday in an expedited process. The president of the hard-hit Czech Republic said he wrote directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin to get a supply. Millions of doses are expected by countries in Latin America, Africa, the former Soviet Union and the Middle East in a wave of Russian vaccine diplomacy.

“Sputnik V continues to confidently conquer Europe,” anchor Olga Skabeyeva declared on the Russia-1 state TV channel.

The early criticism of Sputnik V has been blunted by a report in the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet that said large-scale testing showed it to be safe, with an efficacy rate of 91% against the virus.

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JERUSALEM — Israel has opened most of its economy as part of its final phase of lifting coronavirus lockdown restrictions, some of them in place since September.

Bars and restaurants, wedding halls, sporting events, hotels and all primary and secondary education were reopening Sunday, with some restrictions on entry and capacity. The move comes after months of government-imposed shutdowns.

The Israeli government approved easing the limitations Saturday night, including reopening the main international airport to a limited number of passengers.

Most large public activities, including dining at restaurants, are available to people vaccinated against the coronavirus. Israel has sped ahead with its immunization campaign. Over 52% of its population has received one dose and almost 40% have had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, one of the highest rates in the world.

Israel has confirmed at least 799,000 infections overall, including 5,856 deaths.

—-

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal has received 248,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine under a United Nations-backed program known as the COVAX.

The shipment, the first of 1.92 million doses to be sent to Nepal, was flown to Kathmandu’s airport on Sunday as the country begins inoculating its elderly population.

Nepal has already received 2 million AstraZeneca doses and 1 million more are due to arrive within a week. Another 800,000 vaccine doses donated by the Chinese government are also shortly.

Nepal has recorded 274,655 cases of the coronavirus, including 3,010 deaths.

___

NICOSIA, Cyprus —Carnival is usually the highlight of the year for Cyprus, when residents let loose in bizarre and colorful costumes, joyfully dancing and celebrating during the Mediterranean island nation’s biggest annual party scene.

But in the COVID-19 era, the revelry has taken a backseat to lockdowns and bans on public gatherings. Although the parade went ahead last year, this year carnival’s floats, huge puppets and other decorations are sitting in warehouses.

But Limassol city authorities aren’t letting the festive spirit completely wither away, organizing some events that comply with virus restrictions. The culmination of this is the secret outing of King Carnival, the lead float that marks the season’s annual theme.

Skevi Antoniadou, a city official, said the float, which has an abstract figure frozen in a dancing pose, will make the rounds of Limassol’s main thoroughfares without prior notice to avoid mass gatherings.

The exact route will remain a secret and police will be out to discourage people from gathering in large numbers. One foray already took place on Thursday.

“The message to all is that we’re looking forward to having you back next year, because we’ll bounce back from this even stronger,” Antoniadou said.

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka has received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines under the COVAX program.

It received 264,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be given to the most vulnerable people over 60 in the most high-risk areas.

The vaccines, which were delivered through UNICEF, mark the first allocation of 1.44 million doses of vaccines from the COVAX program that the island nation will receive. Sri Lanka is expected to get the rest in stages through May.

Sri Lanka has so far received 1 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in neighboring India, which donated half of the doses. Sri Lanka purchased the balance from India’s Serum Institute.

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SCAPPOOSE, Ore. — Democratic Oregon Gov. Kate Brown received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Saturday and is encouraging others to get it.

Brown says she got the vaccine to demonstrate that it’s safe and effective, and to counter rumors and misinformation. She also says the one-dose vaccine is more convenient than the two-dose requirements of other vaccines.

Brown says Oregon residents should feel safe getting any of the three vaccines currently available: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Brown says that more than a million doses of the various vaccines have been administered, and that 20,000 doses are being given each day in the state.

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LOS ANGELES — Counties across California are increasingly asking to opt out of the state’s centralized vaccination program run by Blue Shield.

The Los Angeles Times reports that none of the state’s 58 counties have signed contracts with the insurance giant even as California moves ahead plans to bring 10 counties under Blue Shield oversight beginning this week.

The state is in the process of switching over to a vaccine appointment and delivery system run by Blue Shield, intended to ensure doses are distributed equitably and reach low-income communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

But some county leaders call the system too bureaucratic and don’t want Blue Shield’s oversight.

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California’s embarrassment of tax riches

California politicians, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and majority party legislators, practically break their arms trying to pat themselves on the back for the fact that California has a large and unexpected budget surplus. According to last month’s report from the California Department of Finance, general fund receipts for the first seven months of the current fiscal year were $10.5 billion above the Governor’s Budget forecast.

But government policies had little to do with the generation of this excess revenue. After all, more so than most other states, California imposed some of the most draconian lockdown laws (many pursuant to executive orders) in the nation. But California taxpayers continued to contribute to state revenue in large amounts, not because of these regulations, but in spite of them. The reality is that the private sector can adapt with more innovation and flexibility than is ever demonstrated in the public sector. Companies allowed their employees to work from home and for many businesses, particularly in the technology sector, operations scarcely skipped a beat.

That doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been private-sector pain. The government-imposed lockdowns have crushed many service industries such as hair salons, restaurants, the travel industry and theme parks. This is evidenced by California’s continued high unemployment rate and steady outmigration of both businesses and individuals. Nonetheless, the “California Tax Machine” (the actual title of a book) continues to chug along.

Strangely enough, the billions of dollars of unanticipated revenue in California presents an embarrassing situation for Democrats in both Sacramento and Washington. In the state Capitol, a brimming treasury removes the need for more tax hikes. Such calls for new taxes were difficult enough with California’s already highest-in-the-nation income tax rate, state sales tax rate and gas tax. But now such proposals just look greedy, much like a billionaire expecting a working class relative to pick up the check at a posh restaurant.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped the most radical of progressives from putting several such proposals on the table, but even some Democrats are pushing back on the idea of higher taxes. For example, Gov. Newsom has so far rejected the idea of one of the more radical proposals, a wealth tax on California’s millionaires and billionaires.

Shamelessness on the part of progressives is also evident in Washington, D.C., as Democrats debate Republicans over the next round of COVID-19 relief. The former have argued for a massive $1.9 trillion package while Republicans argue for a more targeted package. As of this writing, it appears that Democrats will get most of what they want with a final product close to the $1.9 trillion passed by the House of Representatives with only a few minor tweaks in the Senate.

This is a shame because less than ten percent of the $1.9 trillion is actually related to COVID-19 relief. The rest is nothing more than a bailout package for mismanaged, profligate states and public-sector unions. For example, there is a special provision giving federal employees a cash payment if they have been unable to go to work because they had to stay home with their children. A nice perk, but why not give it to private-sector employees as well?

Fiscally prudent states also have a legitimate complaint that $86 billion in so-called “COVID relief” will actually go to shore up the public pension funds of states run by Democrats. Illinois and California are the two biggest examples.

Last week, the non-partisan Tax Foundation released a shocking analysis showing that the state aid in the so-called American Rescue Plan Act is actually 116 times the states’ revenue losses: “The preliminary data suggest that states closed out calendar year 2020 with only $1.7 billion less revenue  than they generated in 2019 (a decline of less than 0.2 percent), not counting federal assistance, while municipal governments actually experienced substantial revenue growth due to rising property values. Yet the American Rescue Plan Act sets aside $350 billion in additional state and local aid. Increasingly, federal proposals to provide a cash infusion for state and local governments has become a solution in search of a problem.”

Consistent with the Tax Foundation’s report, California has increased spending at levels far in excess of both inflation and population gains. Perhaps that is why Californians wisely rejected statewide tax hikes including the infamous “split roll” proposal which went down to defeat in November.

Will this potential embarrassment be enough to derail adding $1.9 trillion to the federal debt? Probably not. Democrats, while they have paper-thin majorities in both houses, seem immune to shameful scrutiny. But just as in President Barack Obama’s first two years, which included jamming through the ironically labeled “Affordable Care Act,” progressives have a way of overreaching when given power. This could very well catch up with them in the midterm elections, and 2022 is not that far away.

Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

 

 

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