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Announcements/ Reminders:
- One reminder for you guys at the top of today’s episode – TOMORROW is what’s known as “Super Tuesday” or essentially when MANY MANY states will be voting in the primaries – 17 states, according to NBC News’s chart on the subject. Super Tuesdays often decide elections, so this is something we will definitely be watching, even though we pretty much know where things are headed with these two primaries. Stay tuned.
- Iris Apfel
I wanted to start off today’s episode with the passing of a beloved fashion icon. So, the New York Times described Iris as having a quote unquote “kaleidoscopic wardrobe”… She was colorful, she was sparkly, she was funky, she was bold. Nothing about her was quiet. She came into the fashion world in her 80s and 90s and what a mark she left. She loved boho she loved vintage – she loved flea markets and contrasting patterns. She had short grey hair and was rarely seen without her hallmark GIANT circle glasses.
Iris was born in Astoria Queens in 1921. She was born to an interior designer and a fashion boutique owner – so her sense of style was something she was born into. She studied art at NYU AND at the University of Wisconsin. She worked for Women’s Wear Daily early on, but she really began her career designing interiors with her husband… For places like the White House and Estée Lauder’s home, according to the New York Times. Their group known as Old World Weavers actually restored old textiles. And it’s not surprising, given her love of incorporating interesting textures and fabrics into her iconic wardrobe.
Iris really became famous, though, in her 80s and 90s. She’s a testament to the idea that “it’s never too late.” She had over 3.1 million followers on instagram, and nearly 300,000 on Tiktok. She once said QUOTE “self expression is painful, because you have to go through and think about yourself very deeply. And you find out who you are, and how you can improve yourself. You have to LOVE what you’re doing with your time on this planet. And that’s what I’ve been doing.” END QUOTE.
She passed away on March 1st, 2024. May she rest in very fabulous peace.
- Trump kicked off ballot in Illinois
According to Bloomberg Law News, Donald Trump is barred from the Illinois primary ballot by a decision made on Wednesday. But that decision is on hold – for now. Here’s where things get a bit confusing, but hang in there with me as I break it down.
Basically there were two other states – Colorado and Maine – that came to similar conclusions… That based on the events of January 6th, President Trump incited an insurrection, and therefore, should not be allowed to run for President in their state. But, of course, if you remember, Trump appealed those two cases. And the Supreme Court announced they would hear the case, so basically the Supreme Court is going to decide whether or not the events of January 6th constituted an insurrection. And if so, it may get Trump kicked off of the ballot.
So now, this decision in Illinois is being appealed as well, which causes it to essentially be lumped into that same Supreme Court case on whether or not Trump incited an insurrection. So Trump will stay on the ballot in Illinois, FOR NOW, as the Supreme Court case plays out. We will DEFINITELY keep you guys posted on this.
- Content warning: this story involves war and a humanitarian crisis
- Two Gaza / Israel updates:
+Airdrops to Gaza
So you guys may have already seen this on our instagram stories, it appears Biden was inspired by efforts made my France, Jordan, and the Netherlands and decided to also airdrop aid into Gaza. Now, critics of course, pointed out the irony of supplying weaponry to Israel and then aid to Gazans dodging those very bombs and bullets… But the White House says their supplying weaponry in pursuit of Hamas, not to harm the people of Gaza. But we know, these weapons are definitely doing both.
Either way, the US dropped aid from the skies – 38,000 ready to eat meals. They worked in coalition with the Jordanian Air Force. It is important to note though, that both sides of this conflict acknowledge the aid primarily goes to the quote unquote “strongest” – most likely those with ties to Hamas or Hamas themselves – tend to take control of the resources without Humanitarian relief workers there to make sure it gets to the most needy. So while this drop is definitely a positive, it’s not going to make some vast impact on the on-going crisis in Gaza.
+Israel refuses to come to the negotiating table
So talks are being held in Cairo with leaders of Hamas… But Israel opted NOT to come to the table, because Hamas is refusing to give them a complete list of hostages who are alive, and those who are dead. This is something that the families have been asking for, understandably, since the outset. Israel said of the decision QUOTE “Hamas refuses to provide clear answers and therefore, there his no reason to dispatch the Israeli delegation.” END QUOTE.
It’s also important to note that Ramadan begins in about a week on Sunday March 10th… Tensions between Israel and Gaza always seem to heighten around religious holidays – both Jewish, and Muslim – even when they’re not at war. So that is just something to be aware of.
Something I am wondering, however, is why Israel would even trust numbers or tallies coming from Hamas. We know Hamas has gone to great lengths to deliberately destress the families of the hostages… Toying with their emotions about whether or not their loved ones are alive. They could easily say someone is alive today and kill them tomorrow… So it feels like a more productive use of their time, might be to come to the negotiating table to actually FREE the hostages that ARE alive, rather than waiting on tallies that may or may not even be true.
- Navalny’s funeral
So, Alexei Navalny’s funeral took place this past Friday… And people came out by the THOUSANDS to honor him. They chanted QUOTE “no to war” END QUOTE and QUOTE “love is stronger than fear” END QUOTE and “thank you, Aleksei” END QUOTE. They bore white and red flowers and told international news outlets that they were not afraid to come out. That Alexei was not afraid and so they would not be either. Russians actually flew from all over the country to be in attendance that day.
The funeral was held in Moscow. His coffin was carried by four men, into a church. Hundreds of thousands streamed the funeral procession on Youtube.
Other Russian opposition politicians attended to pay their respects… US Ambassador to Russia, Lynne M. Tracy, was also seen outside the church. Despite this vast coverage and attendance internationally, the funeral service was not covered on ANY Russian news outlets, that we know are incredibly controlled by the Kremlin.
As one young Russian woman put it QUOTE “I think he is a freer man than all of us… He lived as a free man and died as a free man.” END QUOTE.
- Oregon backtracks on hard drugs
The state of Oregon has opted to RE-criminalize hard drugs, after only about 3 years. So what exactly happened that made them change their minds? Let’s get into the details.
So this groundbreaking legislation took effect in 2021. Since then the state as a whole, but especially Portland, saw overdoses and overdose deaths SORE. According to the CDC, from September 2022 to September 2023, overdose deaths rose 42%. They then tried to implement more treatment programs around the state, to help people recover from addiction… But this did little to combat the rise in numbers. And it got to the point where many progressives who had initially championed de-criminalization of these drugs, were advocating fro re-criminalizing them.
The measure to re-criminalize passed 21-8, so a sizable margin.
And that, is the News Du Jour!
Today, I wanted to leave you guys with the quote:
“Before sunlight can shine through a window, the blinds must be raised.”