01/31/24
Good morning! It’s Wednesday, January 31st.
National Hot Chocolate Day.
Okay.
I’m writing this as it’s 77 degrees in January in Los Angeles, so this doesn’t sound super appealing but hey, if you’re not living in the world swing of weather ever, go for it! Chug some chocolate baybee.
And now, the news.
Drone-Strike Retaliation
-via ABC News
Starting again with a little bit of information on what will be the US reaction to the deadly drone strike in Jordan over the weekend.
For what feels like pretty obvious reasons, details are limited but what we do know is that there are going to be deliberate strikes on “facilities that enabled these attacks,” over the course of several days. It’s not yet public whether those attacks will be in or outside of Iran.
In a short press conference, President Biden said Tehran is arming proxy groups and said he does “hold them responsible in that they're supplying the weapons to the people who did it." He did, again, reiterate that he is not looking for a larger war with Iran.
So I guess… keep an eye out for that news? Eh, I’ll tell you about it when there’s more to tell you about.
Jackie Robinson Statue Stolen
-via CNN
Hey, here’s a disgusting thing…
A Jackie Robinson statue was stolen from a little league field in Wichita, Kansas, and later found, burned and in pieces, in a trashcan.
I mean… what goes on?
Police have found a truck they believe is connected to the crime.
The person that did this should have to pay for a new statue, obviously, and get fined for whatever the crime is, but then also every time he walks outside people should point to him and call out “hey! Aren’t you the monster who ruined a Jackie Robinson statue at a little league field?!”
Because truly…
Elon Musk Won’t Get Billions
-via CBS News
Alright, here’s a little palate cleanser for that last story.
Elon Musk, no no – stay with me, Elon Musk will NOT get to keep his Tesla pay package of more than $55 billion because he and his company failed to prove his payout was earned.
Which is hilarious to me because… duh.
Literally what on earth would earn someone $55 billion?
This comes five years after suit accused him and the Tesla board of breaching their duties, wasting corporate assets, and unjustly enriching Musk.
And I just think it’s nice that he doesn’t get to keep that money because I just, and this is me personally, bad people shouldn’t be able to get billions of dollars. I realize that’s most of the people who have billions, but you know what…. Oprah has billions and she’s a good person. So it IS possible.
Taylor Swift AI
Speaking of self-made lady billionaires…
AI-generated nude and sexually suggestive images of Taylor Swift are making their way through social media. It started on Twitter, and for a minute the site blocked searching on her name. But the next day, Tuesday, the block was off and searches were available again.
The images have made their way to Facebook and Instagram now too.
Couple things… this is disgusting. Full stop. This is disgusting harassment.
Also, this combined with all the conspiracy theories about how the NFL and Swift are working with the Biden White House to deliver the Chiefs a Super Bowl and Biden a second term.
Which is… you know… obviously fake. Truly unhinged behavior.
It’s also wildly dangerous.
Here’s something… everyone’s all up in arms about how often they show Taylor Swift during the games, but the average she is shown per game, per like three and a half hour game, is 25 seconds… That’s less than a commercial!
These MAGA-obsessed folks and the right-wing media that built them, lifts them up, and then feeds their problems, might save themselves a lot of money and trouble if they’d just admit they hate women.
Anyway, it’s concerning and I cannot stress this enough… if you come across any of these trolls, don’t feed them.
It’s going to be a long year.
Cori Bush Investigation
-via NPR
And finally, an update on the House investigation that popped up on Monday.
Cori Bush, the democrat House rep from St. Louis, is under investigation for spending campaign funds on personal security.
The Department of Justice declined to comment, but Bush noted that, since she took office, she’s been the subject of relentless threats and, since she’s not entitled to personal security through the House, she’s had to use campaign funds for security.
This includes her now-husband who she claims is able to provide services at or below-market rate which admittedly doesn’t sound great but, per House rules, family members can be hired and paid with campaign funds as long as they provide legitimate services for fair market value.
The FEC and House Ethics Committee are also investigating.
And that’s it. That’s the news.
The Taylor Swift one really put me in a mood just because… it’s gross. For what? You don’t need to like her music, I don’t care, I’m not making money off people like her music. (Unlike Kelly Clarkson. No no, I just promote her like I do). Anyway, I don’t care how you feel about her music but she hasn’t done anything except exist successfully and be a woman. And that’s what people have a problem with. And that… sucks.
I can’t end the episode like this!
Hey, hey… Kelly Clarkson, huh? What pipes.
I’m proud of hot chocolate. But more than that… because you’re great yearround… I’m proud of you.