Friday, May 29, 2020

And another day in America with an unhinged President who literally threatens to shoot and kill Americans comes to a close:

“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Deaths

US: 104,542 (+1212)

World: 366,809 (+4785)

Countdown: 158 days.

In the next couple of weeks, the coronavirus will have killed more Americans than died in World War I. It has already killed 40,000 more Americans than died in the Vietnam War—and has proven to be 33 times more deadly than the 9/11 attacks. — But go ahead and keep on supporting dickhead Donald Trump. 

Before President Trump tweeted the phrase “When the looting starts, the shooting starts" on early Friday, it was uttered by a Southern police chief during civil rights unrest in the 1960s.  — Yeah, Trump specifically chose those words.

Trump says he doesn't want 'shooting' after Minneapolis riot over police killing. — His version of damage control is to try and convince you he didn’t mean what he actually said. Shut up, Donald. You need to be locked away. 

Trump’s Campaign Was Always Going to Be About Racism. Minnesota Just Became the Epicenter.

Police officer fires pepper bullets directly at news crew in Louisville. -- Yeah, that wasn’t an accident.

Trump has announced that the United States will terminate its relationship with the World Health Organization.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin charged with third degree murder and manslaughter, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says.

A black Latino CNN reporter was arrested. A white CNN reporter was not.

Legal analyst says arrest captured live on air shows "people don't have faith" in authorities. — Some people. Others apparently love authoritarianism.

Police in Minneapolis released a CNN reporter who was led off in handcuffs along with his film crew while reporting live on television during protests in the city.

Trump accuses Twitter of unfair targeting after company labels tweet 'glorifying violence'.

Trump and Zuckerberg Both Want You to Believe Facebook, a Private Company, Is the Public Square. The president won’t tolerate checks on his behavior—which is convenient, because the platform won’t institute any.

Mark Zuckerberg says social networks should not be fact-checking political speech.

Leaked posts show Facebook employees asking the company to remove Trump’s threat of violence.

Lindsey Graham urges judges to retire so that their places can be filled before November election.

Documents regarding former national security adviser Michael Flynn's December 2016 calls have been declassified and sent to Congress, officials say. — They are summaries of the transcripts. Hmmm. 

Finally, justice for Ethan, man with Down 

Syndrome who died at the hands of movie theater security.

Florida officials approve Walt Disney World reopening plans.

Monkeys steal coronavirus blood samples in India. — Because this is 2020. 

Brazilians say 'I do' at drive-thru weddings to avoid virus.

U.S. senators urge probe of TikTok on children's privacy.

Oh great, now we’re running out of bikes.

Disrupting death: Could we really live forever in digital form? Once largely the concern of science fiction, more people are now interested in immortality -- whether that's keeping your body or mind alive forever (as explored in the new Amazon Prime comedy Upload), or in creating some kind of living memorial, like an AI-based robot or chatbot version of yourself, or of your loved one. The question is -- should we do that? And if we do, what should it look like? — Black Mirror has a terrific episode about this. 

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.