01/25/24

Good morning! It’s Thursday, January 25th.

Fluoride Day.

This is great because it’s one: a great reminder that dental hygiene is important. But two: it made me think of Parks and Rec which, duh always, but also the specific Parks and Rec episode where they want to put fluoride in the water but Jamm doesn’t want them to because he’s also an orthodontist and fluoride is good for teeth so bad for business.

Solid episode all around.

And now, the news.

Israel-Hamas War

-via NY Times

Let’s start with the Israel-Hamas war, where explosive projectiles from tank rounds struck a UN training center in Gaza, killing at least 9 and injuring at least 75. It also started a fire at the facility, which is currently being used as a shelter for displaced people in the area.

It's not currently publicly known who perpetrated the strikes, but the UN notes that only Israel uses tanks in conflict. Later, the Israeli Defense Force said it was looking into whether Hamas hit the building.

Meanwhile, as thousands of Gazans are trapped at a hospital, surrounded by fighting, as Israeli Defense Forces surrounded a second hospital that is also being used as shelter after ordering evacuations in that area.

Not sure where people are meant to go at this point, as the entire north end of the strip, and now more than half of the south, is under evacuation. But that’s the update there.

Russia-Ukraine War

-via AP News

And then over to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – on Wednesday, Russia reported that a transport plane crashed in a border region near Ukraine, which they accused Kyiv of being responsible for, without proving any evidence. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied.

All 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, died in the crash.

Pointing accusations at each other has been a pretty common factor in the war that is now 700 days old. The US hasn’t even been able to confirm whether there were even POWs on board, so to be totally honest, it’s really hard here to even report on this story because, like – okay what actually happened?

But there is video of the plane crashing, so we know for sure a plane did crash. And that’s unfortunately all we for sure know right now.

SCOTUS Declines Execution Halt

-via CNN

Also on Wednesday, the Supreme Court declined to halt the execution of an Alabama man who was sentenced to death for a murder-for-hire (he was the murderer, not the hierer) in 1988.

At play here is the fact that the man, Kenneth Smith, is set to be executed by nitrogen gas, which is a new method that, due to its secrecy, has people concerned that it could lead to excessive pain or torture.

Litigation continues ahead of a 30-hour window for his execution that begins today.

Ohio Bans Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

-via CBS News

Override their governor’s veto, Ohio has banned gender-affirming care for minors in the state. The new law also transgender girls and women from playing in girls and womens sports from kindergarten all the way up to the collegiate level. Just to really drive home the point, when you’re in college, you’re pretty typically not a minor anymore. So… really want to clarify that.

Also, because the cruelty is the point – they are also restricting mental health care for trans minors.

Another classic move from the small government republican party.

These people are just… the cruelty is the point! Sports in college? Mental health? Mental health!

Vote em out.

Wheels Coming Off

-via ABC News

Here’s something… a wheel fell off a plane on Saturday.

Just… rolled off and the plane was taxiing before takeoff. I like that this is how one of the flight controllers alerted the plane: "One of your nose tires just came off; it just rolled off the runway behind you."

Uh oh!

Everyone’s fine, but like… hey. Can we take a real close look at Boeing and the way they build planes? Specifically the way they screw stuff together? Can we get em some better wrenches?

GOP Boss Tries to Get Lake Outta the Race

-via AP News

Jeff DeWiff, the Arizona GOP Party Chair has resigned after trying to bribe Senate-candidate, election denier, and almost certainly Q-Anon follower, Kari Lake to keep her out of politics.

This is… listen. Don’t do crimes. But like… this is funny.

Because Kari Lake is so awful that even her party is like – I will risk it all to ask you to please not run.

The attempted bribe happened as Lake was in court to challenge her losing 2022 bid – classic Lake, she was trying to say the election was stolen. Classic facts, it wasn’t stolen.

DeWit says he wasn’t trying to bribe her (although the conversation was “is there a number at which…” and Lake cut him off with “I can be bought?”), so I mean… that sounds like a bribe. To me. Someone who’s never been bribed.

It’s interesting though because if there are people that want people like her out of politics, certainly these people want that because they understand people like Lake and Trump are bad for their party. So like… say it aloud? You’re not brave for bribing her. Say it with your chest – these people are terrible.

Stewart Returns to Daily Show

-via Axios

And in “I didn’t even know you guys were taking applications?!” news… Jon Stewart is returning to the Daily Show as an EP five days a week and, very exciting, a host one day a week through the 2024 election cycle.

The show will continue having rotating guest hosts the other three days.

So… you’re saying there’s a chance?

And that’s it. That’s the news.

I gotta put my reel together for Jon!

I’m proud of fluoride. I don’t get it, I always misspell it, but I know it helps. But more than that… because you are also helpful – I’m proud of you.