10/18/23
Good morning! It’s Wednesday, October 18th.
National chocolate cupcake day.
So here’s the thing… it’s not for me. Chocolate is not my favorite flavor. However, I’m very good at baking, and specifically at cookies and cupcakes.
So listen, chocolate cupcakes? Not gonna be my first choice. But a black forest cupcake? That I can get on board with.
And now, the news.
Israel-Hamas War
-via Washington Post, CNN
As we do, we start with the Israel-Hamas war, where at least 500 people have been killed after an Israeli airstrike attack on a hospital in central Gaza where some displaced Gazans were taking shelter.
Hamas blames Israel. The Israel Defense Forces blamed Hamas, saying “a barrage of rockets” was passing near the hospital. Hamas blames Israel.
Hours after the bombing, Jordan’s foreign minister announced that the country will not host the US, Jordanian, Egyptian, Palestinian summit that Biden, and others, were meant to attend this week. Jordan’s Foreign Minister said the reason for this is that, “The summit must be held at a time when there is a decision to stop this war.” While Jordan’s King called the Gaza hospital attack, “an undeniable war crime.”
Biden is still headed to Israel, he’s on his way as of this recording, but will not head to Jordan after.
Ukraine Thanks US for Long-Range Missiles
-via AP News
And of course, the Israel-Hamas War is not the only very serious war taking place right now. There is still the war in Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Ukraine claimed it destroyed nine Russian helicopters, as well as military equipment, an air-defense system, and ammunition warehouses at two different airfields in Russian-occupied regions in eastern and Southern Ukraine, thanks to the longer-range ballistic missiles the United States donated.
Monday marked the 600th day of this war, and while Russia continues to fight in the country, Ukraine still stands. An absolutely incredible feat that, 600 days ago, seemed almost impossible to fathom.
Jim Jordan Fails First Speaker Vote
-via NY Times
And then, of course, we’ve got the search for the next Speaker of the House. Certain he had the votes, Jim Jordan took the vote to the floor! And… dude failed so hard! 20 Republicans voted “ew.”
Jim Jordan got 200 votes. You know who got more? You know who, once again, united their party behind them? Yeah, you guessed it. Hakeem Jeffries. 212 baybee. Make him the Speaker.
No seriously – someone make him Speaker please.
Listen, here’s the thing… first of all, Jim Jordan is a bad dude. Full stop. People that help coverup the sexual abuse of more than 150 survivors are factually terrible humans.
He’s also an ineffectual leader. He’s never, not once, ever had a bill passed in the 16 years he’s been in office. So he’s pointless.
But you know what else he is? He’s an election denier (he literally, on Tuesday, could not admit Biden won the election) who played a big part of January 6th. He is an insurrectionist. And that is who the Republicans put up as their choice for Speaker.
And who knows how this turns out. But the fact that only 20 Republicans said no to someone who played a part in the insurrection is abhorrent. To quote Liz Cheney, if Jordan were to become Speaker, “there would no longer be any possible way to argue that a group of elected Republicans could be counted on to defend the Constitution.”
Meanwhile, because they lack the ability for self-reflection, McCarthy continued to blame Democrats for the way the vote went down today. Dude, you put a sexual assault enabling insurrectionist up. Sorry, the minority party is not responsible for getting your feckless bingbong over the finish line.
Ugh.
Another vote is expected today.
Alec Baldwin May Be Charged in Rust Shooting
-via CNN
On Tuesday, New Mexico special prosecutors announced that, within the next two months, they will present to a grand jury a case that, they believe, shows Alec Baldwin was at fault for the death of DP Halyna Hutchins on the Rust set.
As a reminder, Baldwin was holding the gun that shot and killed Hutchins. Though he says he didn’t pull the trigger.
Earlier this year, involuntary manslaughter charges were dropped after prosecutors said they couldn’t “proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement in its existing form.”
However, in their statement on Tuesday, the prosecutors noted “additional facts” that they believe show Baldwin’s culpability.
And that’s it. That’s the news.
I’m proud up cupcakes. They’re versatile. They have cute little skirts (I just now, in this moment, decided cupcake liners are their skirts). You can make them into sandwiches.
You know what they are? They’re fun. They’re just fun!
But more than that… more than cupcakes, if you can believe it (which I hope you can). Because you are also fun… I’m proud of you.