06/17/25
Good morning! It’s Tuesday, June 17th.
National Eat Your Vegetables Day
Yeah, if you’re a DORK!
And now, the news.
Political Assassinations in Minnesota
-via NPR, Justice.gov, 19th, AP News
Starting in Minnesota, where the suspect in Saturday’s political assassination and assassination attempt left two people dead and two others in critical condition, has been caught after the largest manhunt in the state’s history.
The suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, is currently being held in federal prison, is being charged with both state and federal charges of murder and attempted murder, among other crimes.
Before we talk about Boelter, let’s talk about Minnesota House Representative Melissa Hortman. She was elected to the state House in 2004, and, fifteen years later, became the speaker.
In 2023, as speaker of a party with a one-seat majority, she delivered big wins to Minnesotans - universal free school meals, paid family medical leave, expanded voting rights for Minnesotans on probation or parole, and moves to codify access to abortion.
She was an effective speaker and leader who was just… trying to make things better for the state she was born and raised in.
On Saturday morning, Vance Boelter, dressed as police officer, drove a black SUV with emergency lights and a plate that said “police” (this is an admittedly odd description – the plate didn’t say “exempt” as an official plate normally would, instead it was a white piece of paper that said “police” in black license plate font).
He carried a handgun, wore a black tactical vest and was disguised with a realistic silicone mask. The kind you’d see at Halloween.
In all, he went to four different lawmakers’ homes, banging on their doors in the middle of the night.
The first house he went to was that of state Senator John Hoffman. He and his wife were shot multiple times. They survived and were the ones who were able to identify Boelter.
He then went to the house of a currently unnamed lawmaker, who wasn’t home before going to state Senator Ann Rest house. He was approached by a police officer who was doing a wellness check on Senator Rest. That officer believed Boelter was another officer, and by the time he circled back, he was gone.
He then went to the home of state House Rep. Hortman, where he shot and killed her and her husband.
When he was finally found, he had a hit list of 45 elected officials in his car, including House Rep. Ilhan Omar, House Rep. Tina Smith, all democrats, as well as other figures tied to Planned Parenthood or the abortion rights groups.
Boelter is a registered Republican who voted for Trump.
More details are coming out. When we know more, we’ll know more.
No Kings
That shooting in Minnesota happened in the morning.
And you know something amazing?
It didn’t stop more than 2,000 No Kings protests from taking place all over the country. It may have scared a few people away, sure, but it didn’t stop everyone.
And I think that’s something to be proud of.
We don’t know how many people came out in all but presume we’re talking hundreds of thousands because 50,000 came out in New York and 20,000 came out in Los Angeles alone.
Although, who knows, in Los Angeles, it could have just been people who were still out.
Because yes, we are still, say it with me… in a police state!
And on Saturday, during the No Kings protest, the Marines detained a civilian for the first time since this deployment began.
Ironically, he was a veteran! He was detained for crossing a yellow tape line instead of having to go around a building.
Just to clarify something – the Marines are allowed to temporarily detain folks before turning them over to law enforcement. I don’t like it! I’m not saying the Marines and National Guard should have been detained! I’m just saying, you know… details matter here.
Meanwhile, while we continue under a police state here in Los Angeles… I would say let us be a warning to all other Democratic-run cities. And apparently so would Trump. Because on Sunday, Trump tweeted on his ironically titled Truth Social that ICE should step up efforts in cities that were the "core of the Democrat Power Center,” once again trying to say that noncitizens were a part of some big amazing scheme the democrats ran to steal the election.
My guy… you won the election.
And the way I know this is because I just, like, have heartburn all the time these days.
…I was so relaxed on Sunday. It was so nice.
Israel v Iran
Speaking of heartburn – a lot has developed in the situation between Israel and Iran since Friday’s episode.
In the last five days, Iran has fired more than 300 missiles at Israel, striking more than 30 sites in Israel, killing at least 24 people and injuring at least 592 others.
In Iran, at least 224 people have been killed.
Both Iran and Israel have warned the other country to evacuate, but on Monday, Trump also added to the group, posting that everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran, the capital city of Iran, home to about 9.5 million people.
As I record this, Israel’s Defense Forces have said that Iran has launched a new round of missiles towards Israel.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military attacked IRINN, Iran’s state television channel.
And as all of this was going on, at the G7 Summit, which is taking place right now, Trump said that he would not sign a statement calling for a de-escalation between Iran and Israel.
Why not? It’s a statement! It’s literally just a pretty please!
He also left the G7 early, on Monday night, citing the escalations between Israel and Iran.
And I’m sure it’s that, and not the fact that no one wanted to sit with him at lunch.
Gee-7
-via CNN
Oh Kim, why wouldn’t anyone want to sit with Trump at the G7?
Well, it used to be called the G8, but Russia got kicked out after it tried to steal Ukraine and people were likehey, we hate that, and in the first few hours of the G7, Trump blamed Justin Trudeau (oh, by the way, Canada was hosting the G7) for Russia getting kicked out.
Justin Trudeau wasn’t even Prime Minister for more than a year and a half after Russia was kicked out, ya dunce!
He said the US gave $350 billion in aid to Ukraine under President Biden. In all, including what’s been given under these first three months of Trump’s presidency, the US has given about $188 billion. So that’s wrong.
He described his UK trade deal as a deal with the European Union. The UK is not a part of the EU.
He also said Biden allowed 21 million immigrants to come into the country. That would certainly be something! It’s possible he was talking about the full number of migrants who had encounters with America, including the millions who were immediately expelled. That number, at most, is 11 million.
So it’s possibly that maybe, just maybe, no one wants to sit with him at lunch because misunderstanding numbers is contagious?
Anyway, he left early.
Trump Mobile
-via ABC News
Of course, maybe the reason he’s leaving early is because he needs to make sure his new mobile phone service and Trump-branded smartphone launches smoothly?
You heard me.
It’s monthly price for the 47th and 45th president?
$47.45.
Loser!
And who did he send out to sell this thing? Eric Trump. If I could must up the care to care, I’d feel bad.
The plan is a normal plan – but it’s the phone. The phone is where they really set themselves apart.
It’s called a T1 phone and has an American flag and a HUGE T and a little tiny 1 etched on it.
Obviously it’s gold.
It’s so ugly.
And that’s it. That’s the news.
I’m proud of vegetables. Some are good. All are healthy.
I’m not proud of the phone. But I’m happy to know about it, ya know? Happy to laugh at it.
But more than that, because you’d never buy something like that… I’m proud of you.