09/12/23
Good morning! It’s Tuesday, September 12th.
National Ants on a Log Day!
What a delicious, and incredibly difficult to eat, snack.
And now, the news.
Drew Barrymore Scabs
-via Instagram
It’s only Tuesday and already it’s quite the week for people who truly should know better, and probably were told better, just… making poor choices.
As the writers and actors continue to strike for, among other things, fair residuals and the right to not lose their careers to AI – Drew Barrymore has made the absolutely bonkers decision to… go back on the air. The Drew Barrymore show, which she obviously hosts otherwise what an odd title that would be, has started airing new episodes.
And when I say bonkers I mean… well one: it’s bonkers to scab. But two: her statement, in which she says she says she owns this choice, she says that she’s doing this because the show was built for hard times and “I want to be there to provide what writers do so well.”
So… then… you’re writing? What writers do so well is write. Are you writing? Because that’s scabbing.
She also says she’s hoping for a “resolve for everyone soon.” Which is also a sentence and also interesting because the way to support the strike and get a resolution to do the literal opposite and not create content that gives the AMPTP money.
Such a significant bummer of a move, Drew.
FDA Approves New Covid Shots
-via NY Times
The FDA has approved a new round of Covid boosters, which will arrive alongside the seasonal flu shot, as well as a shot to protect infants and older adults from the respiratory virus RSV.
The CDC is expected to discuss today who should get the boosters, meaning that, pending a final decision by the CDC’s director, the boosters could be shipped to pharmacies within a few days.
New Mexico’s 30-Day Gun Ban
-via NBC News
Last week New Mexico’s governor Grisham issued a 30-day gun ban in Albuquerque and its surrounding county, in an effort to curb gun violence in the area.
How do you think people reacted to that one?
A string of lawsuits have been announced, from Democrats and Republicans alike (really something amazing when Democrats and Republicans are both mad about a gun issue). Those lawsuits haven’t come through yet, it’s early still, but I’m sure we’ll be talking about this more and this 30-ban continues.
The issue here is that, as Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, reminds us: “There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution.”
And while obviously I agree that gun violence if a public health emergency and something needs to be done, this feels like an overreach that might end up having the opposite intended effect.
Morocco and Libya Disaster Updates
-via Reuters (Morocco) and Washington Post (Libya)
We’ve got a horrific update on the death toll following the earthquake in Morocco last weekend. As rescuers continue to search the rubble for victims and survivors, the number of both the dead as well as injured have risen, with more than 2800 dead and another almost 2600 injured.
And as we all try to wrap our heads around that, in another part of the world, a powerful storm and bout of flooding devastated northeastern Libya. The port city of Derna was hit especially hard, with as many as 2,000 people feared dead.
Just absolutely devastating.
Mark Dickey Rescued
-via AP News
Mark Dickey, the American explorer who was trapped in a Turkish cave has been rescued. As of this recording, an initial look at him was fine but he was helicoptered to a hospital for a closer evaluation after suffering a suspected GI bleed.
Trump Crime Update Time
-via AP News (Trump) and NPR (Mark Meadows)
And finally…
Trump Crime Update Time
(huh. Not what I expected. Edition)
Trump lawyers are seeking the recusal of Judge Chutkan from his federal case, citing past public statements she’s made about Trump and his connection to January 6th.
It’s believed to be a bit of a hail mary move, because there’s a high threshold for recusal and also… the decision over the recusal actually falls to… well it says here it falls to Judge Chutkan. Now, I don’t think there’s any reason for her to recuse herself but it does seem a little silly that we give these judges that kind of power. Although, thinking about it, I guess it also doesn’t seem like it should be easy to get a new judge just because the one you were randomly assigned has handed down harsh sentences in similar cases.
Still though. That’s where we’re at. Coach Beard, aka Jack Smith, has until Thursday to file an opposition to the recusal bid.
Also, whilst we’re here, an update – Marky Meads is not going to be able to move his Georgia election stealing crimes case to a federal court. Which is not great news for him, nor is it great news for Trump whose attorney notified the court that he may ask for his case to be moved to a federal court.
By the way, telling the court you might do something? That’s nothing.
And now that Marky Meads has gotten shut down, it’s less likely that Trump will make the ask and, if he does, even less likely it’ll work. So – bad news to Mark Meads. Which is always good news for us… people that like people who don’t try to do election stealing.
And that’s it. That’s the news.
I’m proud of… ants on logs. Actually, any snack really.
Ants as a species are fine too, as long as they’re not in my dwelling.
But more than that… more than a delicious after-school snack that’s hard to chew on but fun to talk about… because you are also a cheeky little combination… I’m proud of you.