01/18/23

Good morning! It’s Wednesday, January 18th. National Michigan Day!

Did you know that the word “homes” doesn’t have an anagram for all 5 letters?

Yeah, because I thought it would be funny to do a thing where I say “oh did you know if you take the first letter from all the great lakes and put them together they make” and then say a different word other than Homes.

But like, homes is it. It’s all I can make. So… joke ruined. Thanks a lot Michigan!

And now, the news.

Arrest Made in Democrat-Targeted New Mexico Shootings

-via AP News

Let’s start in New Mexico, where an arrest has been made in the shootings that took place in December and January, aimed at the homes and offices of Democrat officeholders in the state.

The suspect arrested in the case is Solomon Peña and if his name sounds familiar it’s because you either live in New Mexico, or you are a giant nerd. Peña ran for statehouse in 2022, backed by the Republican party.

Peña is accused of paying $500 to four men in exchange for them shoot at the homes of the Democratic lawmakers. Peña himself went along for the final drive-by, during which he shot into the bedroom of a 10-year-old girl – who was in her room at the time of the shooting, but not injured.

Since his lose in November, in which he only received 26% of the vote, he has continued to claim his lose is the result of election fraud. Which is ironic because, since he was arrested in 2007 for stealing electronics, his candidacy was actually challenged in state district court since he was never pardoned by the governor and therefore ineligible to run.

He was able to stay on the ballot, however, because the state court sided with him, saying it was against the constitution for a felon record to rule him out for running for office. An appeal is pending but still… it’s ironic that he, whose entire candidacy was questionable, was the one calling election fraud.

He was arrested on Monday.

This is your evergreen reminder that the election wasn’t stolen. Some People… Are Just Losers.

House Republicans Move to Impeach Homeland Security Secretary

-via CNN

In a rare move, but likely a sign of the times, House Republicans have moved to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. They took their first step in building the case this week.

First step, they’d like to hold hearings on the problem at the border, which will serve as a prelude to his impeachment.

So listen… the problem at the border? It’s a problem. That’s why I just described it that way. It needs to be fixed. But hey, and I realize this is kind of, like, their “thing,” but you know what’s a better way to fix what’s happening?

To try and fix it instead of just pointing fingers.

And, on top of that, stop lowering the threshold for impeachment. Because let me give you a full number of everyone that’s ever been impeached, in the history of the country.

Sixty. That’s it.

Including three presidents (one of them twice, lololololol).

And that’s just the House. That’s just the step one because, as a reminder, while an impeachment in the House IS an impeachment, full stop, they have to get the thumbs up emoji from the Senate in order to leave office. And that’s happened less than a third of the time. Impeachment is a rare and very serious thing.

But my concern here is that, much like Trump and his lying about the things that don’t matter, House Republicans want you to think impeachment isn’t that big of a deal. So they can do things, like overturn Trump’s impeachment. And follow through on their threats to impeach Biden for, like, love of ice cream or something.

Things mean things, and if this House is going to spend the next two years telling you they don’t – this podcast is going to spend the next two years reminding you they do.

China Lifts Marvel Ban

-via Variety

In the second-most-exciting-piece-of-news-I-saw-on-Variety-yesterday news… China has lifted the restriction on Marvel moves in the country.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will premiere in China on February 7th, while Ant Man and the Wasp will premiere February 17th.

The unofficial ban started three years ago and, because it’s an official ban, no one has said exactly what the reason was for the ice out but it can likely be pointed to increased tensions between America and China, as well as political events like the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.

And that’s it. That’s the news.

Short episode but everyone just BE. COOL. About it. It was a slow news day and we like those days.

I’m proud of… Michigan. You gave me a great family, a great tattoo, and some of my favorite memories. But, then again, I once fell off my bike in my uncle’s front yard and it took a long time for people to come check on me because I was supposed to be taking a nap. So, you know… the Mitten state giveth and the Mitten state taketh away.

But more than that… more that my favorite Michigan wine (oh but it’s so cold!!!) because you are also a dang delight… I’m proud of you.