01/27/26
Good morning! It’s Tuesday, January 27th.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
It was chosen on this day because on January 27th, 1945, the Red Army, the Soviet military, liberated Auschwitz.
On accident!
They happened upon it!
Happened upon one of humanity’s greatest horrors.
The day before the troops arrived, 56,000 prisoners were sent on a death march, which meant there were only 7,000 prisoners in the three main camps: Auschwitz, Monowitz, and Birkenau.
They were sent on that death march because although the Red Army was advancing upon German forces, they were doing it to secure territory and defeat Berlin. They didn’t know Auschwitz was, you know… Auschwitz.
But the Nazi’s knew someone was coming, and so they sent 56,000 prisoners to die. Many of the 7,000 they left behind died later, after help came, because they were so weak.
And so, on this day, we honor the six million Jewish people who were killed in a genocide.
But we also need to understand that the Holocaust didn’t just happen. For the first six years of Hitler’s rule, the Nazis changed Germany from a multi-party republic to a single-party dictatorship. Jews were not just murdered. No, at first they were made to be seen as outcasts. They were banned from politics, journalism, and most schooling. Books seen as un-German were banned and burned.
During this time - Germany hosted the Olympics.
German passports held by Jews were invalidated until they were stamped with the letter J.
Jewish-owned businesses were closed.
This was a horror that unfolded in steps.
And we can’t know what was in everyone’s mind at that point, but I’m sure there were people who considered themselves to be good people. Who were horrified to see what they were seeing, but kept saying it wouldn’t get worse. It wouldn’t go further.
Who couldn’t imagine what was happening.
Who couldn’t believe their eyes. Who couldn’t believe what they were literally seeing.
But they were in one part of Germany and the nazis hadn’t come to their part yet. And besides, they weren’t Jewish, they didn’t even know any Jewish people, so they probably really wanted to do something but didn’t know what…
But as Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing.”
And, as Mark Twain said: “History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”
And now, the news.
Minnesota
-via AP News, The Cut, and The Atlantic
Starting of course in Minneapolis, where Mayor Jacob Frey said on Monday that he spoke with President Trump and announced that some federal officers will begin to leave the state.
Not only that, and this is huge – Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino will also leave the state and, according to The Atlantic, his job.
He will return to his former job in El Centro, California where he is expected to retire soon.
Hey, remember the whole thing I just told you about the holocaust?
Greg Bovino has been seen sporting a coat that literally looks like one that the Nazis wore. He also did a Nazi salute.
If it dresses like a Nazi, salutes like a Nazi, and deports like a Nazi…
So I think it’s great, frankly, that he is losing his job.
According to this Atlantic article, Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski (her advisor and also boyfriend… ew to both of them. They both deserve each other and also neither of each other, if that makes sense?) are also at risk of losing their jobs.
Let’s keep this energy up! Who else can we fire?
Do you know why this is happening? Do you know why little boy Bovs is losing his job? Because we never stopped talking about it. They couldn’t get what they wanted – our silence. Our compliance.
This is a win because he’s out of here, but it’s also a win because it’s a reminder that we have way more power than them.
Frankly, I think we all needed this.
Winter Storm
And now… weather on the tens and twos.
A huge winter storm hit half the country over the weekend, so let’s talk about it.
Parts of Pennsylvania saw at least 20” of snow. New York and Massachusetts saw 22”.
Who got the most? Bonito Lake, New Mexico, which is very fun to say. Bonito Lake… 31”.
Not so fun to experience, I’m sure.
More snow is expected, along with frigid temperatures that will continue throughout the week, with more than 200 million people under alerts for severe cold temperatures.
The cold temperatures are to blame for at least 29 deaths, and currently more than 700,000 customers are without power. As a reminder, that doesn’t mean 700,000 people; that means customers. It doesn’t count the number of people in the home, all of whom are freezing cold in a home without power and heat.
Man Climbs Building
-via NBC News
Hey, have you ever looked up at a really tall building and thought “dang, that looks really tall”?
Well on Saturday, Alex Hannold climbed one of the world’s tallest buildings, the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan… without any ropes or nets.
The tower is 1,667 feet tall.
He did it in an hour and a half! He’s the second person to have done this, but the first to do it without a rope.
And I did want to be a little jokey jokey about it but you know what? Whatever. He has a passion and he did it and I think it’s fun. It was a fun 90 minutes.
Super Bowl LX
And finally… the Seattle Seahawks will play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 on February 8th.
If the Patriots win, they will hold the record for most Super Bowl wins ever (they’re currently tied with the Steelers). I don’t want to get into it, but I recently have learned every single thing there is to know about football. (It’s a game of yards)
And so with all of my football knowledge, I can very easily say… go Hawks.
Sports by Kim™️
And that’s it. That’s the news.
What else can I tell you about football? There’s a nickelback. A tushpush. And I just really hope everyone is friends at the end of the day.
Also there’s a rumor that Aaron Rodgers is married to an AI bot and… that’s fun. I’m choosing to believe it.
But more than an AI bot, because I believe you possess all of the knowledge in the world but, unlike a bot, you’re not braggy about it… I’m proud of you.