So... that was wild

This column was gonna have a bit more of a downer vibe, but then a bigot got assassinated so pluses and minuses. What I will say is it's okay to be anti-murder and still be kinda chill with Kirk being out of this plane of existence. I'm not gonna tell you how to feel, but there are a lot of folks who joked about Trump getting grazed who are suddenly all "thoughts and prayers" when it comes to Kirk. I think this is a time for all of us to explore what we mean when we think of radical change and revolution, and what that often looks like, and then think about what our real lines in the sand are. I'm a very peace and love kinda person, but I'm of the opinion that I don't have to extend grace to someone who thought me less than human. I can feel sorry for the kids who lost a father, the students who now have gun violence-related trauma, and anyone who happened to see the video which from what I've heard is kind of gruesome. But I don't owe that man anything close to condolences, and that's okay.

But besides that, here is the news that I've been reading this week, as well as some live updates on the Charlie Kirk assassination.

News to Know

5,000 Podcasts. 3,000 Episodes a Week. $1 Cost Per Episode — Behind an AI Start Up’s Plan (Hollywood Reporter) - Okay this isn't an independent news outlet but my partner sent me this and I literally hate it. I strongly suggest you reading the article because it really makes me think the Dead Internet theory has some truth to it, but here is a great quote that shows exactly what these folks think the future will be: “We believe that in the near future half the people on the planet will be AI, and we are the company that’s bringing those people to life,” said CEO Jeanine Wright.
Charlie Kirk assassinated at university event in Utah (AP News) - For big breaking news, the Associated Press is always who I'm following for updates, so I'm sending this along to y'all. I strongly recommend not watching the video if you can't handle real life blood, I'm just icked out by the idea of it.
New Mexico will be the first state to make child care free (19th News) - This is something we need to do in Illinois! What makes this announcement so amazing is they already had some childcare support for low income families, but with this decision they have removed any income requirements entirely. Read more to learn how they made this happened, and if you're so inclined to try and get this going locally I will not stop you...

Lavender Vibes

Tiff & Eve: As a kid I was always a lover of newspaper comics. For my chores I would clean the windows with newspaper, but I always made sure to save the comics page before the rest of the issue became a cleaning instrument. I'm currently rediscovering this love for comic strips through the r/comics subreddit, and that is where I found Tiff & Eve! I love this strip honestly. It's fun and topical and feels to the queer little world that I live in. There are very few comics I know of that would make an Erin in the morning reference and I love that this one can through it around so casually. You can get the strips emailed to you, or follow their Patreon! - Jada
Yu Yu Hakusho (the anime, not the manga): I have only dipped my toe into anime every now and again, but right now my partner is showing me an anime he grew up watching: Yu Yu Hakusho.The show focuses on a 14-year-old who becomes a "spirit detector" who helps stop demons from taking over the mortal realm. It's an extremely well-made show, but especially this week I'm thinking a lot masculinity and what it means to model healthy masculinity in young men, and I think this show might be it. While there is a lot of fighting and some violence, it's also a show that talks about the importance of having a strong moral code, getting in touch with your feelings, and helping others just because it's the right thing to do. It's a little more for teens cuz the English dub does have swearing, but honestly we need stories like this to help fight against the incels! - Jada