Notes From All Over -- The Southeast US Edition -- December 25, 2020

For the most part, Nashville, TN, was quiet this morning. 

Tea leaves: the blast in downtown Nashville was designed to draw as many law enforcement officers to the scene prior to the blast, and to inflict as much injury as possible to as many police officers as possible. This is not rocket science. Law enforcement agencies in Nashville have said the blast was most likely intentional. Well, duh. Time line:

• early morning: gunshots fired in the area to draw police to the scene:
• suspicious RV identified (raises questions how it was identified as suspicious)
• the identified RV (before it blew up) looks like an ordinary RV; nothing suspicious about it)
• obviously authorities were tipped off to this specific vehicle
  
• police immediately call in reinforcements to go door-to-door to warn residents to flee
• an audio warning goes off via a public address system
• "countdown" of some sort described
• blast goes off
• officials: suggest blast may have been intentional
• before investigation has gained any traction, Nashville mayor says it appears to be a "one-off"
• in other words, for the most part, Nashville was quiet this morning
  
• the big question: were the police wearing masks when they responded to the scene? Tennessee is currently a "hot spot" for Covid-19 (see link below).
  

By the way, if the suspects are rounded up within a few hours, this will speak volumes.

And we move on.

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Chinese Flu Watch

Tennessee, on a per capita basis, remains in the #1 position for most active cases on Christmas Day:

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The Mideast

Saudi Arabia reports a cargo ship in the "gulf" was hit by a mine today. Details sparse.

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In Other News

In Florida, residents (actually first-time visitors) are being warned that iguanas are falling from trees. This is a fairly seasonal event, perhaps even a Christmas tradition. Who knows?