Losing My Perspicacity January 24, 2025

Good Morning and Happy Friday. I’m so glad you’re here, and I’m ecstatic that this week is over. I hope everyone is taking care of themselves.

LMP has been free for everyone to read all this week, largely because I think we all needed to be together while the deluge of awful news hit like water from a firehose this week. Whether you’re a premium subscriber or not, LMP will always be free on Fridays, but next week it will go back to being exclusive for premium subscribers Monday - Thursday.

I hope you’ll consider becoming a premium subscriber. Independent journalism (which mostly means “I freelance and I have a newsletter” these days), is a tough row to hoe during the best of times, and while all journalists are aware that they could be targeted by the Trump administration in the coming days, those of us who don’t have an outlet to protect us are especially vulnerable. Not only that, but our industry is collapsing around us, and our odds of being hired to work for a major outlet are getting slimmer by the day. Either way, you can click on the ad below to help keep LMP alive (I only run ads one day a week).

As I write this newsletter tonight, I’m watching Capitol Police Officer Michael Fanone’s mother tear up on Joy Reid’s show as she describes what it’s like to live with the constant threat that the now-pardoned January 6ers will come after her again (she’s already had a few close calls). Michael Fanone, who suffered a traumatic brain injury on January 6, says he’s been told by the Department of Justice that he is “no longer a victim.” He’s been unable to obtain an order of protection against the people who attacked him (who are now back out on the streets) because the DOJ will not provide him with the addresses of his attackers so they can be properly served. He’s also talked about all the lawmakers who promised to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with the Capitol Police before changing their tune to celebrate the pardons, saying, “There are a lot of Jon Fettermans in this world.” Truth hurts, Fetterman.

This week, I’ve been thinking about the young man who turned his father in to the feds and the women who reported men on dating apps. What happens to them? Who protects them? Rather than being grateful for being out of jail and doing a bit of self-reflection, the J6ers are calling for vengeance and retribution. Someone is going to wind up dead, and it’s going to be Donald Trump’s fault.

Today, Is The Resistance starting to take shape?; A Milwaukee meteorologist is sacked for objecting to Nazis; Egg prices are going UP; Unrivaled has a great opening weekend; Don’t take nutrition advice from Jordan Peterson; and The High Note.

Here we go.

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The Resistance rises in the most unlikely place

Earlier this week, I mentioned the multiple lawsuits filed by multiple State Attorneys General, seeking to strike down President Donald Trump’s executive order overturning birthright citizenship. The established law that people born in the United States (or in a United States territory) are American citizens is one of the first things aspiring lawyers learn, probably within the first week of law school. The fact that Trump is attempting to cancel legal precedent grounded in the 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868, is ludicrous. I can’t fathom how any lawyer could walk into a courtroom and argue that a president has the right to unilaterally void the Constitution with a straight face.

Today, the lawsuit filed by Washington, Oregon, Illinois, and Arizona went before Federal District Court judge, John C. Coughenour — a Reagan appointee — and his take was similar.

(Shoutout to Chris Geidner for the screenshot from the Seattle Times.)

That is what this is referred to in legal circles as “having the judge hand your ass to you in front of the entire world.” Judges typically understand that lawyers sometimes have to make stupid arguments to keep their clients happy, and they aren’t usually this brutally frank about bad arguments. I’m surprised Judge Coughenour didn’t suggest sanctioning the DOJ lawyers involved, though that may still be in the offing.

In good news, the judge granted the states’ motion for a temporary restraining order and set a briefing schedule, which means the law is blocked for the next 14 days. Meanwhile, six other suits challenging Trump’s order are currently winding their way through the courts.

Trump, of course, said the DOJ will immediately appeal Judge Coughenour’s ruling, but likely won’t have much luck with the famously liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, though everything is so crazy right now, it’s hard to see anything as a sure win.

Still, any pushback is welcome after what we’ve seen this week.

Criticizing Nazis will get you fired in Milwaukee

This is abhorrent behavior, and this station and their owner, Weigel Broadcasting, are deservedly getting dragged all over the internet.

Now I’m no history major (though I married one and gave birth to another), but Hogan’s Heroes led me to believe that Nazis were the bad guys.

Ah, the old right-wing radio host faux outrage machine. I know it well. This is disappointing coming from Chicago-based Weigel, best known for MeTV, which airs a steady stream of old TV shows that Boomers find nostalgic. Have you ever been flipping channels and come across Gunsmoke or Ponderosa? That was probably MeTV.

Kuffel has made her social media presence private, and likely for good reason. But if calling out Nazis makes you unemployable, we’re all in big trouble. In what world does your news director pick Nazis over his meteorologist?

Mysteriously, eggs are still expensive!

We’re all shocked that attempting to end DEI in America and annex Greenland and the Panama Canal has not brought down the price of eggs, but it’s true!

Am I to understand that the President of the United States can not just wave a magic wand and end price inflation? If only someone had told us this before the election!

That said, it's probably not a great time for Trump to forbid health organizations (like the CDC) from communicating with Americans.

Do you mean, like, announcements that bird flu is in our backyards and what to do about it? Those kinds of announcements?

So… where are we on that “injecting disinfectant and sunlight into the body” thing?” Did we ever get the results?

Unrivaled is off to a rip-roaring start

I know this newsletter is, ostensibly, also supposed to be about sports, but it’s been rough to focus on sports (for me) since the election. However! I am always here to hype up the women’s game, and I was thrilled to see the new women’s 3v3 league, Unrivaled, getting decent ratings in its first weekend.

From The Athletic:

All told, three million viewers tuned into the league’s opening weekend. That’s not too shabby, considering that so many people have been distracted by the NFL, college football playoffs, and whatever Trump is doing to even know the league has started.

I looked at the ratings for the Big 3, Ice Cube’s 3v3 pro league that features 1) men, and 2) recognizable names, even for those who don’t follow the league. The Big #averaged 600,000 viewers per game in 2023, its sixth season. Given all the momentum behind Unrivaled, it seems not all that far behind. In fact, when it debuted in 2017, the Big 3 only averaged 235,000 viewers in its second week of play.

The first slate of games was a lot of fun, especially as the only time the masses get to see women play 3 v 3 ball is during the Olympics, assuming they can find it on the multicast. Unrivaled, on the other hand, is being shown on TNT, TruTV, and is streaming on MAX. It’s definitely worth checking out.

So that seems… not great

This is where listening to guys like Jordan Peterson will get you.

By the way, on the off-chance that you ARE getting dietary advice from Jordan Peterson, I encourage you to listen to the Maintenance Phase podcast episode about him.

Believe me when I tell you that I debated whether to include the pics. I’m just going to link a story with the pics here, if you really want to see them. Full disclosure: They put me entirely off of dinner last night.

The High Note

Each day, I try to end this newsletter in a way that will leave you a little bit brighter than you were, say, mid-way through.

This one is for the Tolkien nerds. The woman who created those iconic maps of Middle Earth is finally getting the credit she deserves.

And here’s a video, if that’s more your thing.

If you’re not a Tolkien fan, you’ll have to content yourself with all the subreddits banning links to X. Also, this.

Survive and advance today, kids. Have a great and restful weekend.

See you on Monday.