ArizonaRepublic

From Stephanie: This is a great question and one that we are writing about today. The story should post either tonight or tomorrow. The state JUST on Monday announced it's going to an age-based approach, so moving into the 55 and older group now, then 45 and older and so on.

This approach statistically captures more people with high risk underlying conditions, the state says. But it does not acknowledge younger, immunocompromised people, like the 20-year-old with Down Syndrome, the 28-year-old with heart problems or the 19-year-old with leukemia.

Some of these groups are appealing to the state to be included earlier, so we'll see what happens with that. Just this morning state health director Dr. Cara Christ said she thinks the age-based approach will allow the state to get through the vaccination process faster, and that all age groups likely will have received at least one dose by summer. She expects to get to the 45+ group by early April.

My investigations found that almost every business Capri has been involved in ended the same way; lawsuits, allegations of broken leases, claims of walking away with development money. Toby Keith won't talk about how he became involved with Capri. I've been able to document how Rascal Flatts got tied up in the latest scheme.

Hi, Alison here. The reasons we found (in no particular order) are: bars/restaurants stayed open and AZ does not have statewide mask mandate; haphazard enforcement of mitigation measures; elected officials who downplay the virus; individual behavior; winter travel destination; timing of the state's second surge; geography. Link to the story is here: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2021/02/01/why-arizona-is-worst-nationwide-us-rate-new-coronavirus-cases/4281247001/

I have been able to track how Rascal Flatts got involved through people originally involved in Boomtown (the company Capri used for the TK restaurants).

Go with me on this. It's kinda complex. It involves lawsuits filed by Capri against another developer who used to work for him (at the Toby Keith's) named Phil Lama.

Lama quit to open the first RF restaurants in 2012. Capri sued him for stealing trade secrets. Capri lost, but RF backed out of the deal.

Lama had a partner at the time named Chris Burka.

Burka signed a deal with RF for naming rights after they dumped Lama.

Burka ended up taking the concept to Capri. Burka fronted the RF developments with Capri's longtime girlfriend, Tawny Costa.

Capri kept his name off public documents, while running it through Burka and Costa.

Whew?

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Sometimes I need to break out hand puppets to keep it all straight