09/06/23

Good morning! It’s Wednesday, September 6th.

National Read a Book Day!

Don’t have to tell me twice!

Fun time to remind you that I have a book you can buy on Amazon called “December.” It is… very sad.

And now, the news.

Tarrio Gets 22 Years

-via PBS

Let’s start with good news!

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio… that guy’s not the good news. That guy is awful. Abhorrent. Yucky.

Rare that a story about him would be good, and yet… on Tuesday, Tarrio was charged with 22 years in prison for, among other charges, seditious conspiracy for his actions related to the January 6th Capitol attack.

22 years is now the record for longest sentence.

Good.

At his sentencing he begged for mercy and then asked the judge not to take his 40s away from him.

Acu-scuse me, ya absolutely abhorrent binkus. You tried to burn democracy to the ground. This thing you helped plan and lead got people killed.

And you’re worried about your 40s?!

I am… hot under the collar, as the kids say.

The kids don’t say that. I’m too mad to think of more interesting phrases.

In general, I hope every day Tarrio wakes up is awful. Just a myriad of bad, from stubbing his toe and not knowing he has a papercut until there’s citrus on it, to having people he likes make fun of him and every day he wakes up being physically and emotionally aware of every bad choice he’s ever made in his life and never being able to shake that shame.

That’s how bad I hope his normal days are. And then, on top of that, I hope the entire decade of his 40s is somehow worse times 40.

“Oh I want my 40s”

White supremist seditionists don’t get nice 40s.

I have to get out of this story before I keep talking about this.

United Airlines Grounds Flights

-via NBC News

United Airlines issued an hour-long nationwide ground stop on Tuesday, due to what they called a “systemwide technology issue” while… their software updated.

So wild, because I thought everyone knew to keep hitting “remind me later” when it came to software updates.

Kansas Newsroom Raid Update

-via AP News

Lawyers for the Kansas newspaper that had their offices raided last month say police didn’t follow the requirements of the search warrant, which was only for the seizure of the computers that were directly involved with the suspected identity theft, which is the possibly absolutely bogus reason police gave for the search.

Instead of taking the one computer, police spent 80 minutes searching one computer for signs that it was used in the identity theft. Finding nothing, they took all computers, plus two reporters’ cell phones, without checking to see if anything they took was involved in the case.

So that’s the update there. Not great.

PA Manhunt Continues

-via CNN

The manhunt for Danelo Cavalcante, a convicted murderer who escaped from Chester County Prison, in Pennsylvania, continues.

And so yeah… just a note that this murderer is still at large. So uh… you know… if you are a listener to this program, if you’re someone that is perhaps related to me and live, you know, in the area. Or surrounding area. I’m not gonna say where. Just hey… you know… be careful. Because I love ya.

Alabama Map Struck Down

-via NY Times

A panel of federal judges have rejected Alabama’s latest congressional map, ruling that Republican lawmakers failed to comply with orders to create a second majority Black district or something “close to it.” A new map will need to be drawn.

According to the census, Black Alabamians make up 26.8%. So over a quarter of the state’s residents are Black. And out of the seven congressional districts the state has, Republicans are really out here trying to pretend like they can’t even make two majority Black districts.

Gerrymandering at its clearest.

“Oh I bet Kim’s gonna talk about the Voting Rights Act again.” Yeah! Because I’m a huge nerd who’s obsessed with it. And in the state where so much was sacrificed - blood, sweat, tears, and lives – so the right to vote could be formalized, Republicans are really out here trying to play games. “You can vote, we just don’t wanna count it.”

The way that would not be the case if your vote didn’t matter so much…

Anyway, the state will now redraw the maps with special master Richard Allen, an Alabama lawyer who has worked under Republican AGs, as well as a California cartographer.

Spani’s Vilda Fired

-via NPR

And finally… more consequences for actions! That’s how we started this episode (though then I got really heated and just kind of held that energy), and that’s what these last two stories are about.

As Spain soccer federation still deals with the fallout of the federation’s president Luis Rubiales forcibly kissing Jenni Hermosa after the World Cup final, remember that, when I first told you that story, I mentioned that the coach, Jorge Vilda, was originally the villain (before Rubiales came on the scene and became, unquestionably, the bigger villain.

But before we saw what trash Rubiales was, Vilda was so problematic that a significant number of players took themselves out of the running to play in the World Cup because they didn’t want to play for him, citing mental abuse and questionable training tactics.

Well, since every member of Spain’s World Cup winning team has said they will not play for Spain while “current leaders” continue, Vilda has been fired.

Goodbye. By which I mean… I am happy, filled with good feelings, to say bye to him.

Montse Tomé, who has been the assistant coach since 2018, has been named head coach in his place. She in the first woman to hold the role in Spain.

And that’s it. That’s the news.

Let me tell ya… that first story really set the tone, huh?

I’m proud of… the players on Spain’s national team. They have dealt with so much, and still brought that trophy home to Spain for the first time ever. And it really sucks that it feels like this amazing feat continues to be a footnote in a story about bad men behaving badly.

Also my parents! My mom and Jim. It’s their anniversary today, and that’s cute. But more than… um… books. Because I’m no dummy. And aren’t you just full of stories? For a lot of reasons – I’m proud of you.