Donald Trump makes a statement on the two mass shootings: This morning at 7:00 a.m. PDT Trump addressed the two mass shootings that killed 29 people this weekend. More on those lower in this post. Prior to his aired comments, Trump made sure to make a couple of tweets about how the shootings were the fault of the media. Trump, as we are all too well aware, has stoked the fires of hatred and ire toward immigrants. He has emboldened white nationalists and racists. He probably won't touch on that bit in his speech, though.
Oh good, he's blaming this on the internet: A quick pivot to the real culprit here! "The perils of the internet cannot be ignored," Trump said at the press conference Monday morning. He's also proposing red flag laws that are drenched in mental health scapegoating. "Mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger—not the gun." Trump then stated that he wants mass shooters to face the death penalty. He also accidentally said that the second shooting on Saturday happened in Toledo. It happened in Dayton.
"May God bless the memory of those who perished in Toledo"
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) August 5, 2019
Toledo? pic.twitter.com/xVkqrveEl9
Welcome to the hellfire month: It's starting. There's a fire on the Colville Indian Reservation that has burned over 10,400 acres so far. It's only 20 percent contained. Also, this is super not important, but I typed "hellfire month" before I read that this baby was burning up a part of the reservation called "the Hellgate Game Preserve." Spooky. The fire sparked on Friday after a lightning strike.
Washington jails step up to the plate: To address the opioid crisis, jails across Washington state are prescribing inmates buprenorphine. The drug acts on the same receptors as heroin but doesn't give the person taking it a high. It does, however, prevent withdrawal. It's safer and less potent than methadone and helps people "feel normal." This is especially critical in jails because while many inmates are forced into sobriety it doesn't mean it will stick. And, there's a high likelihood of overdose when former addicts are released from prison. Buprenorphine can help that.
Seafair may have saved this guy's life: A man swimming in Lake Washington around Mercer Island was pulled from the lake in critical condition. He was having trouble staying above water. Crews responded so quickly because they were already mobilized for the Seafair event. He was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition.
Another hot day: Summer finally showed up in Washington.
Sunny and warm Monday; highs in the 70s & 80s. Sunny again Tuesday but onshore flow will bring down highs a few degrees. Remember, with these temperatures the insides of vehicles can get hot pretty quickly. Be sure not to leave children and pets in vehicles! #WAwx #SummerSafety pic.twitter.com/jfhJFfZQ2u
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) August 5, 2019
No rest for Jay Inslee: Since he announced his presidential bid in March, Gov. Jay Inslee, America's newest favorite hunk, has been traveling seemingly nonstop. Sixty percent of his days have been spent campaigning out of state on the road. The longest stretch he was in Washington state was nine days in May. Inslee is working hard on his climate change-centric campaign. It is, however, costing the taxpayers a chunk of change. The state patrol is working overtime to keep Jay and his stylish glasses safe. Their expenses have skyrocketed to $580,000 with travel and overtime costs.
Live from Uncanny Valley: This Brazilian drug dealer tried to sneak out of jail dressed as his daughter. The worst part about the whole thing was that he was going to leave his daughter in jail in his place. Unfortunately for everyone involved, he was stopped by security and will face punishment. The other eight people involved, including his daughter, were arrested.
Brazilian drug dealer attempts to escape from a Rio de Janeiro prison dressed as a woman. Read more: https://t.co/oT6AMXtxXY pic.twitter.com/eCdjGonwKi
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) August 5, 2019
It's crunch time for the viaduct demolition: The demolition is happening from both the North and the South. Soon, the two crews will converge at the most suspenseful point of the operation: Pioneer Square. The buildings are over a century old and some are as close as 10 feet away from the viaduct. Mesh curtains and plywood have been put up to shield the buildings from damage.
Okay. We've got to talk about these shootings: America the beautiful. America the free. America the only land where there can be two devastating mass shootings within hours of each other. First, on Saturday, an act of what is now appropriately being labeled domestic terrorism (pause for a second: read that again. DOMESTIC TERRORISM.) was perpetrated by a 21-year-old white man. That man, a domestic terrorist, killed 20 people in an El Paso, Texas Walmart. Twenty-six more people were injured. The shooter allegedly wrote a manifesto that espoused hatred for immigrants and Hispanics and used white national and racist language.
Here's a video of one of the people who sacrificed his own safety to help others: These videos are hard to watch. Please feel free to scroll over. This man helped rescue children.
Off-duty Army serviceman Glendon Oakley saved several children's lives during the El Paso shooting – but he doesn't want any praise: "I know what I did was heroic, but I’m more focused on the families that were lost and the kids that died." https://t.co/tAMhyk7JyI pic.twitter.com/VlYF9XgT2t
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 5, 2019
El Paso native Beto O'Rourke speaks out: O'Rourke was unpolished in his response to the shooting in his hometown. Good. We should all stop treating these events as if they're normal. Here's the transcript of what he said.
Beto's visceral emotion in reaction to white nationalism and racism is refreshing, honestly. El Paso is his community, and his love for it and his embrace of the multiracial fact of America has always been what made him so compelling. He gets mad passes for cussing IMHO. https://t.co/2ozLRaa4yr
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) August 5, 2019
Here's video of what he said:
"Members of the press, what the fuck?" Beto O'Rourke and all of us. pic.twitter.com/hJNSBsPUmA
— Tommy X-TrumpIsARacist-opher (@tommyxtopher) August 5, 2019
8chan kicked off its network: The El Paso shooter was allegedly inspired by 8chan, a forum website, to carry out the shooting. Similarly, the Christchurch, New Zealand shooter also used 8chan. The site has been the center for radicalizing beliefs and carrying out violence. Cloudfare, 8chan's network provider, is kicking the forum off its platform. That probably won't bar 8chan from the internet, but it will make it more difficult for 8chan to function. At least for a little while.
This is the wrong take: Hours before Trump's statement Monday morning he tweeted this bullshit about how stronger background checks AND increased immigration reform will be the solution toward the [checks notes] senseless murder of immigrants and non-white people.
....this legislation with desperately needed immigration reform. We must have something good, if not GREAT, come out of these two tragic events!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2019
The Dayton, Ohio shooting: The second shooting on Saturday took place at a bar in Dayton, Ohio. He killed nine people including his sister in a span of 30 seconds. Police patrolling the area responded quickly and shot and killed the shooter. Still, nine died and 26 were injured. Currently, there is no motive for this shooting. The suspect, however, notoriously had a "hit list" and a "rape list" in high school.
No, stop: We don't need this bullshit, Neil.
In the past 48hrs, the USA horrifically lost 34 people to mass shootings.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) August 4, 2019
On average, across any 48hrs, we also lose…
500 to Medical errors
300 to the Flu
250 to Suicide
200 to Car Accidents
40 to Homicide via Handgun
Often our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data.
We've got to move on: There's only so much room for these tragedies in the post today. Don't forget them, though. Or the California shooting that happened only a week ago. These events seem to fade faster and faster from our collective memories. We can't normalize this.
Video of me trying to ignore how fucking bleak everything is: This is actually footage of this French guy flying across the English Channel.
WALKING ON AIR: French jet-ski champion successfully crosses the English Channel on his self-made "flyboard," just 10 days after a failed first try ended with him up to his neck in water.
— ABC News (@ABC) August 5, 2019
He cruised along at just over 100 mph on the nearly 22-mile trip. https://t.co/Dnt2HaUoNv pic.twitter.com/cUy4OOXvzw
Gravity gets Mitch: Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky senator, tripped and broke his shoulder.
Impeachment could be coming: Mark your calendars for late fall. That's when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said articles of impeachment could be recommended.
Tennessee man steals car full of kittens: The man stole the car on the side of the road. It had kittens in it. A multistate chase ensued. The car crashed. The kittens are all okay.
PLEASE VOTE SEATTLE: The primary is tomorrow! Mail your ballot in! Or, vote in person tomorrow. Information here. Endorsements here.
Tonight's best Seattle entertainment options include: A screening of Lamberto Bava's gory Demons at the new Beacon Cinema, a chance to meet the Oprah-approved cook and author of The Big Bottom Biscuit, Michael Volpatt, and a show with Dutch/Turkish group Altın Gün.