Extra, Extra
Trans Am: If you’ve been watching the World Series or NFL games lately, you’ve probably seen a lot of those Trump anti-trans ads. They’re so idiotic that you might be tempted to laugh them off. But imagine watching the World Series if you’re trans. The cruel truth behind Trump’s new attacks on trans people.
+ Maybe It’s Not The Economy, Stupid? “Despite there being a slight slowdown from the prior quarter’s 3% rate, the figures released by the Commerce Department showed the US is on track for one of the strongest economic performances of any major economy this year.”
+ Subsidiary Subsidiaries: “In recent years, Bezos’s interests in Washington have expanded, with the federal government now contracting billions not just to Amazon’s cloud-computing subsidiary but also to Blue Origin, which is locked in a fierce competition with SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Trump ally Elon Musk. Another Republican megadonor, Larry Ellison, is executive chairman of Oracle, the software company that jockeys with Amazon for major technology contracts.” (Notably) from WaPo (Gift Article): For Jeff Bezos and his businesses, Washington has become more important.
+ Bad Travel Deal: “The thousands of young soldiers North Korea has sent to Russia, reportedly to help fight against Ukraine, include many elite special forces, but that hasn’t stopped speculation they’ll be slaughtered because they have no combat experience, no familiarity with the terrain and will likely be dropped onto the most ferocious battlefields.” Yet, North Korean troops sent to Russia may be pleased to be there, even as they face ferocious fighting.
+ Spain Floods: “At least 95 people have died in eastern, central and southern Spain after torrential rains triggered the country’s deadliest floods in three decades, unleashing torrents of muddy water that surged through cities, towns and villages, trapping people in their homes, bringing down trees, and cutting off roads and railway lines.” At least 95 people dead in Spain’s worst floods in three decades.
+ Glove Affair: “Two fans at Yankee Stadium were ejected from Game 4 of the World Series after one pried a foul ball out of the glove of Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts on Tuesday night.” It was truly nuts, as is the fact that these idiots seem pretty happy with their behavior (and this is coming from a Giants fan).
+ Too Hotline to Handle: “In 2023, Lily Lantz started a full-time job as a crisis counselor at PATH Crisis Center in Bloomington, Illinois. It’s part of the national network known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline … But there was a job hazard she never expected: almost every shift, she said, she spoke to people who would masturbate on the call.” NPR: 988 crisis hotline counselors are sometimes targeted by sexually abusive callers.
+ Don’t Moines if I Do: “Forecasted storms are forcing a one-day delay of ‘Beggars’ Night,’ the annual tradition that children in Iowa’s capital city participate in that replaces the Oct. 31 observation of All Hallows’ Eve held widely across the rest of the country.” Kids in Iowa’s capital will trick-or-treat on Halloween for the 1st time since 1938.
