03/04/24

Good morning! It’s Monday, March 4th.

Benjamin Harrison Day!

Old Benny Harrison was our 23rd president and I didn’t know the guy, we didn’t really run in the same circles back in the same, but I can tell you this… you wanna talk about a nepo baby.

Harrison was the grandson of our 9th president, William Henry Harrison (best known for being the shortest serving president as well as the first president to die in office, when he died exactly 31 days after being sworn in). He was also the great-grandson of Benjamin Harrison the 5th, one of our Founding Fathers.

And now, the news.

Israel-Hamas War

-via ABC News

Let’s start with the Israel-Hamas war, where today VP Harris will meet with Israeli war Cabinet member Benny Gantz where they are expected to plan to increase aid into Gaza, including through more airdrops, like the ones that the Biden administration sent on Saturday when 66 pallets, or about 38,000 meals, were dropped into Gaza.

An advisor to Netanyahu says Israel helped coordinate the drop, but he also denied that people are dying of starvation in Gaza, which is not true. In fact, a UNICEF official says that just in the last few days, at least ten kids have died from starvation, and nearly 16% of the kids in Gaza are acutely malnourished.

So you know… take the idea of coordination with a grain of suspicion.

At today’s meeting, Harris is also expected to reiterate that Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas, but express concern over the 1.5 million people taking shelter in Rafah, a city in the southern strip of Gaza. Prior to the war, just under 172,000 people lived in Rafah – a city that’s just 25 square miles.

Ceasefire talks continue, but it’s unclear if and when it’ll actually start.

Californian Blizzard

-via CBS News

Northern California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain range saw blizzard conditions that left homes without power and shut down part of the 80 freeway for a few hours.

That section of the freeway is also called Donner Pass, and yes it’s named after the so-called Donner Party, where pioneers got stuck in a blizzard there and had to start, you know… chompin.

So it probably wasn’t super comfortable for people to be stuck there in a blizzard this past weekend.

But if you weren’t there, and you saw social media… I’m mean some of the jokes weren’t bad!

Anyway, everyone’s out and currently safe, though the storm is still impacting thousands. Yosemite even told park goes to get on outta there.

Texas Wildfire

-via The Independent

And from that story about climate change to this one… Texas’ Smokehouse Creek wildfire is only 15% contained as of this recording.

At least two people have died because of this fire that has burned 1.1 million acres and overtaken at least 500 structures.

I did make a mistake in Friday’s episode – I said this was the third largest wildfire in America. And all the other news outlets (lol “other” as if this podcast is the same as AP News… it’s better obviously) anyway, all the other outlets were referring to it as the second largest and I felt so cocky like -  those fools! Have they ever heard of looking something up?

Prepare yourself to be shocked – I was wrong. The first that I thought was the largest fire in America’s history is actually a Canadian fire.

Listen… I know a LOT about voting. That William Henry Harrison stuff in the beginning? Most of that came straight from my noggin.

So Smokehouse Creek is still the second largest fire in history.

Haley and Williamson Are Here to Stay

-via AP News (Haley) and Forbes (Williamson)

Goonies never say die, and apparently neither do Nikki Haley or Marianne Williamson.

Let’s start with Nikki Haley, who announced on Sunday that she no longer feels bound by the RNC pledge to support the eventually nominee.

This is big news, but you know what wasn’t? Apparently the RNC made this pledge a prerequisite for all candidates, and nearly everyone signed – except Trump. Classic. No one said anything about that!

Sometimes it takes campaigns a while to find themselves… Nikki Haley found her campaign a little too late, but I’m all for her sticking around. It does not help Trump, and anyone that can be a thorn in his spray tan is welcome to do so.

Meanwhile, Marianne Williamson suspended her campaign on February 8th and then unsuspended her campaign on the 28th. What could make her do this? What astounding numbers made her realize that the country is calling her to service?

A 3% vote in Michigan.

3% of people in the state and she was like “alright alright! I’ll give the people what I want! I’m back baybeeeee”

3% and you know what? She still did better than Dean Phillips.

Unsuspended her campaign… you are not serious people.

SCOTUS To Rule, One Day

-via CNN

While we all wait so patiently. Like so patiently. The most patiently anyone has ever been…

It sounds like we’re possibly getting some sort of SCOTUS ruling today. The problem is, the Supreme Court doesn’t usually announce what rulings they’re handing down before they do so.

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, so are we about to get the Colorado ruling? Are we about to get a Colorado ruling, the day before the day that the majority of electors are handed out, that says that actually Trump shouldn’t be on the ballot? Even though he is currently on it?

What happens if that comes after Tuesday and Colorado’s election?

What happens if my brain just implodes and then explodes?

Look, I’ve said it a million times (to you, I’ve never once meant it for myself) – we can’t time travel. We’ll see what we see when we see it. We’ll know more when we know more.

One election at a time.

There is a SCOTUS ruling expected today. Who knows what it’ll be.

But it doesn’t matter.

Because tomorrow there is an election. And the Supreme Court can hand down whatever rulings they want – elections are how we craft our future.

And that’s it. That’s the news.

Guess what? This show here, this show that you know and love… it is now also a substack. I’m @kimmoffat on substack – a platform I’m only just now learning how to use so, you know… go with grace. But I’m there and the hope is that those newsletters will add a little more to the show. Like gin and tonic… two great things that go great together. You can subscribe for free!

Also if you’re in a Super Tuesday state, head on over to raisingvoters.org to get your election information. If you’re not a Super Tuesday state, still head over there. We built you a real nice website.

Hey you know what… it’s Monday, and I’m proud of you.