Morning News Round-Up

I haven’t had a Morning News Round-Up in a very long time – years – and I miss it.  Unfortunately, it seems like we’re in a period when it fits all too well.
 
I tend to check out the Raw Story website regularly.  I like Raw Story, though my biggest complaint with it is that they too often have “click bait” articles, that after  you click on them not only have next to nothing to do with what the headline was, occasionally they literally have absolutely nothing to do with the headline and don’t even mention it in the piece.  But overall, I find it pretty solid and informative.
 
Anyway, yesterday afternoon, just browsing the homepage, it had a slew of headlines that just leaped out and almost didn’t need reading (or I couldn’t bear to read them…), but they still demand comment.  And so I figured I’d just post them and dive in –
 

“End-times radio host says COVID vaccines implant ​'an egg that hatches into a synthetic parasite' in your body”
 
It’s not that the story is crazy.  It’s that I don’t have it in me to understand how not only can someone spread stories like this on the radio and live with themselves, but even more, how there are people who actually listen and believe pure insanity.  Though in many ways, that explains Trump being elected, and the continued belief in the Big Lie.  And yes, I understand greed and scamming people for a buck.  And yes, I understand people who claim “Oh, I only listen because it’s so funny.”  But neither of those still really explain the emptiness that both of these require.  Because the first isn’t just a mere scam, but hurting society at large.  And the latter isn’t that funny to actually be the reason they listen.  And the depth of stupidity to believe any part of this takes one’s breath away.  On the other hand, I’ve very glad that I don’t have it in me to understand how someone can say this to scam people, nor to believe it.
 
  
"‘This is all a set-up’: Steve Bannon whines to Matt Gaetz as he inches closer to being prosecuted"
 
There’s something too perfect about anyone whining to Matt Gaetz about how they are close to being prosecuted.  That it’s Steve Bannon – who was convicted of defrauding suckers of millions and appears to have been one of the people behind the January 6 insurrection – takes perfection to another level, which one would think can’t be done, defying the metaphysical laws of what being “perfect” is.
 

"I think someone may be trying to kill me':  Matt Gaetz makes stunning claim on House floor"

While I know that sticking with yet another Matt Gaetz story these days is almost too easy, this is near-impossible to pass up, since it’s an almost awe-inspiring condition to watch Matt Gaetz top himself, getting a bigger and bigger shovel to dig the hole he’s making for himself.  After all, this is from the same guy who first insisted he was being extorted, which made no sense based on any known definition of “extortion.”  And now, his latest flailing claim – made on the floor of the House of Representatives, for some reason unknown to Man – is that a professional hit man on Twitter said this to him.  Because, after all, that’s how professional hit men work – a) making threats to alert their target, and b) doing it on Twitter. To be clear, the subject of death threats to public figures is nothing to joke about.  But this isn’t about jokes, it’s to note that Democrats critical of Trump have had death threats regularly against them for four years – lead by Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, “the Squad” and more -- so much so that if they all went on the House and Senate floor each time it happened, there would be no business done ever.  Besides which – there was an insurrection on January 6 where far-right seditionists were very vocal and public about killing Speaker Pelosi, Mike Pence and others – and had actual weapons, including a noose – and Matt Gaetz has been on the side trying to block any concern and investigation about that. Nor did he ever criticize Trump for making all media targets by calling them “enemies of the people.”  I hope Matt Gaetz is safe.  I’d bet lots of money he is.  At issue is Matt Gaetz so desperate for putting himself in the center of attention on the House floor that he’s topped even his own gas mask gag there while drawing more attention to the criminal problems he has, as he himself makes light of something deeply serious for others in Congress, thanks to his and his own party’s actions and silence.
 
 
"Arizona Republicans fear ‘we’re going to shoot ourselves in the foot’ by chasing Trump ‘down the rabbit hole’"

“Going to”??  So, Arizona Republicans don’t think they’ve done so already?  After paying for an audit of a multi-certified election, hiring the CyberNinja guy who’d never audited an election before, losing authorization of their voting machines and having to buy news ones now, taking three months on what was supposed to be a couple weeks…and finding 360 more votes for Joe Biden – Arizona Republicans now fear they’re “going to” shoot themselves in the foot?  At this point, they should feel blessed they have any feet left.   Perhaps if their concern was shooting themselves in the foot chasing Trump down a rabbit hole, Arizona Republicans should have thought of that earlier.
 

"Slur-spewing man allegedly pulls a knife during parking dispute -- then has his collection of guns confiscated"

Honestly, I don’t know what this story is about – I can make some guesses, but not only are they just guesses, they don’t matter – but the larger point is that if  you have a collection of guns, you really don’t want to draw attention to whether you pose a threat to society by spewing slurs and pulling a knife for any reason, but especially something as paltry as a parking dispute.  When you do that, you risk…well, shooting yourself in the foot.  Like Arizona Republicans, though, too little, too late.
 
 
"Parkland high school shooter pleads guilty, says 'he’s very sorry'"

So, okay, we’re back to that “too little, too late” thing.  Mind you, I’m certainly glad he’s very sorry.  It beats the opposite.  And apologies are very good to hear.  But they tend to be best when they fit the action you’re apologizing for.  In fairness, I’m not sure there’s an apology that would ever fit that action, even prostrating yourself on the ground and wailing in horrified agony – since the families of the victims already have likely been doing that – but still, “very sorry” does seem a bit thin as far as regrets go.  You’d think his lawyer might have grasped that.  The best I can figure is that his lawyer said, “You’re screwed, make it quick and get it over with.”
 
 
"Condoleezza Rice explains why white people shouldn't feel triggered by the teaching of slavery"

I like seeing a prominent Republican saying this.  I just wished she recognized that it’s not really “white people” who feel triggered about teaching slavery, but mostly white Republicans of her own party.  “White people” spreads the blame much, much too thin and tarnishes a great many tens of millions of white people who don’t feel triggered by it at all.  If you’re going to criticize a problem, get the problem right so that you know what you’re actually criticizing.
 
 
"Jim Jordan explodes with anger after Dem chairman challenges him to say 'election was not stolen'"

Just noting that after Mr. Jordan (once again) exploded with anger – his go-to move for the Jordan brand – he still did not, then, say that the “election was not stolen.”
 
 
"'Princess of Arizona' Meghan McCain fumes over her SNL portrayal: ‘Laughing stock of the country’"

Just noting that when Saturday Night Live did its first sketch on Ms. McCain in 2019 – the one which called her the “Princess of Arizona,” she sent out a tweet that said – “I’m not supposed to be on twitter because of hiatus BUT this sketch is hilarious, and being parodied by @SNL is a huge pop cultural honor. -- Signed, your old intern and ‘the princess of Arizona’.”  While it’s certainly possible for someone to like an initial joke that they later think keeps going too far, it’s also possible that if you don’t want to be the laughing stock of the country, you shouldn’t act like one.