Restraining DisorderThe Latest on The Middle East, A Speaker Emerges (Maybe)“The brutality of Hamas, this bloodthirstiness, brings to mind the worst rampages of ISIS … Stomach-turning reports of babies being killed; entire families slain; young people massacred while attending a musical festival to celebrate peace; women raped, assaulted, paraded as trophies. In this moment it must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel … Our hearts may be broken but our resolve is clear." So said Joe Biden is a statement of strong supportfor Israel. One word common in such speeches that was missing from Tuesday's: Restraint. Why? In part because 22 Americans are now listed among the dead and in part because Biden has seen the images of the massacres that included the murder of whole families, rapes, beheadings, and mutilations of children and even babies. Of course, it comes as no surprise to Hamas that Israel will be unrestrained in its response. They didn't think this attack would result in the re-opening of peace talks. It's about killing. We can expect a lot more fighting, a lot more brutality, and lot more losses of life. Sadly, a majority of the deaths will be innocent civilians. (Scheduling Note: NextDraft delivery will be sporadic this week.) 2Jim Dandy"Republicans on Wednesday nominated Rep. Steve Scalise to be the next House speaker and will now try to unite around the conservative in a floor vote to elect him after ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the post. In private balloting at the Capitol, House Republicans pushed aside Rep. Jim Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman, in favor of Scalise, the current majority leader, lawmakers said. The Louisiana lawmaker is seen as a hero to some after surviving a mass shooting on lawmakers at a congressional baseball game practice few years ago." Thankfully, Jim Jordan has been pushed aside. There's not much more to be thankful about. Hopefully, the GOP will get someone officially in the top spot so we can go back to functioning in the dysfunctional way to which we've grown accustomed. Tom Nichols in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The World Needs a Unified and Resolute America. (America needs that, too.) 3School Punch"Last school year, news reports identified more than 1,150 guns brought to K-12 campuses but seized before anyone fired them, according to an investigation by The Washington Post. That’s more than six guns each day, on average. Nationwide, 1 in 47 school-age children — 1.1 million students — attended a school where at least one gun was found and reported on by the media in the 2022-2023 school year." I used to be a teacher in one of the more violent schools in Brooklyn. Schools are not particularly good at finding guns and other weapons. So keep in mind that these high numbers only refer to the weapons seized. WaPo (Gift Article): Guns are seized in U.S. schools each day. The numbers are soaring. 4Shop Til You Drop a Dime"As Linda, I am a mystery shopper—a euphemism for corporate spy. Mystery shopping companies, which serve as middlemen between mystery shoppers and retailers seeking to review customer service, contact me to evaluate employees. I time how fast they make hot chocolate, rate their enthusiasm while scheduling appointments, and verify if they mention specific cord-blood benefits." Kira Witkin in Esquire: I Got Paid to Spy on People While They Worked. 5Extra, ExtraJudgment Call: "If Americans had heard of Leo at all, it was for his role in building the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court. He drew up the lists of potential justices that Donald Trump released during the 2016 campaign. He advised Trump on the nominations of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Before that, he’d helped pick or confirm the court’s three other conservative justices — Clarence Thomas, John Roberts and Samuel Alito. But the guests who gathered that night under a tent in Leo’s backyard included key players in a less-understood effort, one aimed at transforming the entire judiciary." ProPublica: We Don’t Talk About Leonard: The Man Behind the Right’s Supreme Court Supermajority. 6Bottom of the News"Whether you consider bachelorette parties an occasion to splurge with friends, or a scourge tormenting America’s most Instagrammable mid-size cities, one thing is true: They’re big business .. And no business has benefited more than that most quintessential of bachelorette experiences: the party bus." (Scheduling Note: NextDraft delivery will be sporadic this week.) Get a copy of my 📕, Please Scream Inside Your Heart, or grab a 👕 in the Store. |