01/30/23
Good morning! It’s Monday, January 30th.
National Puzzle Day!
I… LOVE a puzzle. I also have a cat. So I haven’t done a puzzle in a while, but man. Let me tell you something. You put me in a cat-free space with a puzzle and it’s game over for me.
And now, the news.
Shooting in L.A.
-via LA Times
We start as we start here in America… with news of yet another mass shooting. At least three people were killed and four more were injured in a Benedict Canyon shooting that police believe was targeted.
Benedict Canyon is just a little north of Beverly Hills in Los Angeles.
The suspect, or suspects, remain at large.
Here’s first hoping that changes by the time you’re hearing this.
And here’s hoping that perhaps we can make some real changes.
…one of those hopes is far more likely to come to fruition.
Tyré Nichols
-via AP News
Memphis police have released footage of the traffic stop that resulted in the murder of 29 year old Tyré Nichols by five police officers.
The police officers were a member of something called The Scorpion Unit, which stood for Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods.
After the release of the footage, Memphis police director CJ Davis announced that the unit would be disbanded.
The officers themselves have been fired and charged with murder, among crimes, for the beating that took place.
I have not watched the video, though I have read some descriptions of what took place over the course of three minutes. I will not be recounting that here. There is a link in show notes to the AP’s coverage of this story if you’re curious.
But the reason I’m not recounting it here is because this is traumatic. This is far too common and way to traumatic to just freely describe the violence to someone who didn’t ask.
Which I point out because I hope, should you watch the video, you take the same caution when you consider whether you’re going to repost the video.
In his name, protests broke out across the country. Obviously in Memphis, but New York, DC, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and more.
Because yes, break up the Scorpion unit. But rethink the system that brought it in the first place. You can talk about a few bad apples all you want, but when the roots are bad – maybe it’s time to just dig up the whole tree.
Minnesota Secures Abortion Rights
-via Axios
In “people with a uterus are people” news… the Minnesota State Senate has given the thumbs up emoji to securing abortion rights in their state because what’s being described as a safe haven for abortion rights in the Midwest.
The new legislation doesn’t just cover abortions, but also codifies birth control, sterilization and prenatal care into law.
Republicans worry that the bill does not include any cut off on when the abortion can be performed, which makes this the most extreme law in the country, I say… good! Now do the other states.
Bodily autonomy in 2023… what a concept!
Update on Paul Pelosi’s Attack
-via CNN
A couple updates on the attack that took place last year on Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi.
First, footage of the attack was released, as was the 911 call and initial police interview of the attacker – David DePape.
The footage shows exactly what we’ve always known, which is that DePape attacked Pelosi with a hammer, resulting in a skull fracture as well as injuries to his hand and right arm.
Of course, the people who tried to use the awful incident as a joke, or act as if there was something sneakier going on and that perhaps Pelosi knew DePape or that this was anything other than an escalation in the political violence we’ve seen since a guy who is unsuccessful in love, popular votes, and steak sales won the presidency in 2016… those folks have remained silent.
On Friday, another chilling update came to this story when DePape called a San Francisco reporter on Friday with what he called, “an important message for everyone in America.”
Calling from jail, DePape allowed the call to be recorded but did not allow for follow-ups.
Without naming Pelosi specifically, DePape says he has gathered the names and addresses of people he believed were destroying America and said he wants to “have a heart-to-heart chat about their bad behavior.”
He went on to add that he was sorry he wasn’t better prepared and couldn’t get to more of them.
So that’s… chilling.
And I’m sorry but that’s where we’re leaving it. That’s it. That’s the news.
I’m proud of… puzzles. Sometimes. You know what I like? I like those puzzle where you do the whole thing and then, after, it’s a different kind of puzzle. Like a mystery or something. That’s fun.
But more than that… more than the three puzzles I have in my apartment right now, none of which I’ve done because I bought them in early March 2020 and a cat a couple weeks later… but you also love attention… I’m proud of you.