Classified Documents Discovered in Mike Pence's Home: Whoops!
At this point, is there anyone who hasn't held onto secret papers? Plus: Dave Chappelle defends trans jokes as "nuanced." And: Your bulging belly could mean you'll be more frail in your final years
Thanks for rising up today, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Today Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy turns 45. Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins on this day in 1938. And Happy Birthday to Dr. David Mindich of Temple University! Before we get to the news of the day, I have an update:
RiseUPdate
On Tuesday, I reported that a transphobic tweet by the world famous author of the Harry Potter novels had earned a like from screen legend Mark Hamill. The tweet by J.K. Rowling questioned the claim of a transgender journalist in the U.K., who said she is more of a woman than Rowling is.
This was the second time the actor famous for playing Luke Skywalker had liked one of Rowling’s anti-trans tweets. Yesterday afternoon, Hamill tweeted an explanation stressing he supports “human rights for EVERYONE, regardless of their gender identity, PERIOD.”
Rowling herself has not commented, but the journalist, India Willoughby, made it clear in her own tweet that she considers Hamill an ally, even as some on Twitter criticized him, and Fox News piled on.
Here Now The News
HELLO, POT, I’M KETTLE: YOU’RE BLACK! Mike Pence’s lawyer discovered about a dozen documents marked as classified at the former vice president’s Indiana home last week. Those classified records have been turned over to the FBI which has launched a review in coordination with the Justice Department’s National Security Division, to find out how they wound up in Pence’s house in Carmel, Indiana… especially since Pence has repeatedly said he did not have any classified documents in his possession. Whoops! — CNN
HALF MOON BAY MURDERS A CASE OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE: CBS News
GUNMAN IN MONTEREY PARK FIRED 42 SHOTS INSIDE DANCE CLUB: CNN reports the killer of 11 people was familiar to several patrons as a former dancer. The BBC shared the heartbreaking stories of several victims, who ranged in age from 57 to 76.
“DECISIONS ARE IMMINENT” IN GEORGIA ELECTION FRAUD CASE: The Fulton County, Ga. district attorney says a grand jury investigating tampering in the 2020 presidential election has recommended several indictments and her decision to bring charges is “imminent.” For that reason she asked a judge hearing arguments about whether to release a report by the grand jury that did the investigation, to keep it under wraps. Could former President Donald Trump be among those indicted? Details at CNN
IN REVERSAL, U.S. AGREES TO SEND TANKS TO UKRAINE: It may take months to get there, but today the Pentagon is expected to announce about 30 of the jet-engine-powered M1 Abrams tanks will be sent to Ukraine, and the U.S. will train their soldiers how to operate the complex machines. —NYT and CNN
Politicukoos
“POLITICAL VENGEANCE:” That’s how Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) described the decision by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to boot him and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) from the House Intelligence Committee. — NYT
WHAT ABOUT OMAR? McCarthy hasn’t made good on his threat to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the Foreign Affairs Committee. That would require a vote by the full House of Representatives, and at least one Republican — Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) — is on record as saying she’ll vote “no.” — NBC News
WHY DID McCARTHY PUT GEORGE SANTOS ON SCIENCE COMMITTEE? — The Daily Beast
DRAG QUEEN DRAGS SANTOS ON TWITTER AFTER HE MOCKS COMICS: Huff Post and Fox News
SENATOR CALLS FOR EGG PRICES GOUGING INVESTIGATION: The Hill
DIRECTV DROPPING NEWSMAX? Republicans in Congress are pressuring the satellite TV provider to keep the right-wing network. — MSNBC
COVER YOUR EARS! TAYLOR SWIFT PUNS APLENTY AT TICKETMASTER HEARING: NPR
Supreme Disgrace
LIBERALS SIDE WITH JUSTICE AMY CONEY BARRETT: The case was brought by disabled veterans who sought compensation for disabilities related to their service. They got bupkis. — Slate
Biz News
WALMART RAISING WAGES: From $12 to $14/hour. — Wall Street Journal
SNL STRIKE: About 20 post-production workers authorize strike during contract talks with NBC, — Giant Freakin Robot
JUSTIN BIEBER SELLS MUSIC RIGHTS FOR $200 MILLION: Fox News
GOP ACCUSES MICROSOFT OF GOING “WOKE:” Microsoft announced changes to its Xbox console settings to allow users to save more energy and reduce the carbon impact of their gaming. But Republicans including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) say it’s actually a leftist plot: “First gas stoves, then your coffee, now they’re gunning for your X-Box!” — Newsweek
THESE 4 CITIES ARE PREDICTED TO SUFFER A CRASH IN HOME VALUES: So says Goldman Sachs in the New York Post.
TESLA STOCK VALUE NOSEDIVE: The company will announce its profits and sales from the 2022 holiday season today, and investment analysts are pumping the brakes. "The Cinderella ride is over for Tesla and [CEO and owner Elon] Musk now needs to navigate the company through this Category 5 dark macro storm instead of focusing on his new golden child Twitter which remains a distraction and overhang for the Tesla story/stock in our opinion," warned analyst Daniel Ives. Ouch!— CNET
MUSK TWEETS CRITICISM OF COMPANIES HE CLAIMS REALLY “CONTROL THE STOCK MARKET:”
MUSK ACCUSED OF CAVING TO PRESSURE FROM INDIA: The Intercept reports Twitter has joined YouTube in blocking a BBC documentary that negatively portrays Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Oscar, Oscar, Oscar!
THE BEST FILM OF 2022 WINS THE MOST NOMINATIONS! My favorite movie, Everything Everywhere All At Once, picked up 11 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, marking the first time a woman proud of her Asian heritage has been nominated in that category.— More at Variety; The Hollywood Reporter goes into detail about Yeoh and why some argue she’s not really the first Asian nominee.
WHO GOT SNUBBED? Tom Cruise, Viola Davis, female directors, etc. — USA TODAY
FOOTNOTE: I mentioned yesterday James Cameron is the first director to have three films that each grossed $2 billion. CNN reports actress Zoe Saldana is the first actor to appear in four films that have earned that much moola: Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Trans World
THEY’RE “TRYING TO SILENCE ME,” SAYS DAVE CHAPPELLE IN LATEST PODCAST: At the top of today’s newsletter, Mark Hamill complained that “Twitter, unfortunately, is no place for nuance.” And actor/standup comedian Dave Chappelle is also bemoaning the lack of understanding of nuance when it comes to his transphobic comedy, or as he puts it, his art:
“Art is a nuanced endeavor,” says Chappelle in the second episode of “The Midnight Miracle” podcast he co-hosts. “I have a belief that they are trying to take the nuance out of speech in American culture, that they’re making people speak as if they’re either on the right or the left. Everything seems absolute, and any opinion I respect is way more nuanced than these binary choices they keep putting in front of us. I don’t see the world in red or blue.”
Chappelle tells the story of protesters showing up at a venue last year and throwing eggs at his audience as they lined up outside.
“Trying to silence a person like me, I don’t think it has anything to do with being loved,” Chappelle concluded. “They want to be feared. ‘If you say this, then we will punish you. We’ll come to First Avenue and fuck your show up and we’ll come to the Varsity Theater and fuck your show up.’ And they just don’t get to do that.” — Variety
A Belly Bulge Now Could Cost You Later
FRAILTY FACTOR: A new study has found an expanded midriff can harm your physical abilities later in life. Researchers followed 4,509 people who were 45 years old or older in Norway for over two decades, and found participants who had a high or moderately high waist circumference at the start of the study were 57% more likely to be “frail” than those with a normal waistline.
Frailty includes poor grip strength, slower walking speed, overall exhaustion, unintentional weight loss and low physical activity. People who were obese at the start of the study, meaning a body mass index or BMI of 30 and higher, were also 2.5% more likely to be frail than those with normal BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. The study was published Monday in the journal BMJ Open. — CNN
Thanks for rising up with me today! There’ll be more tomorrow, and until then, may your news be good news!
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