Take a minute to [un]wind with our Sunday morning newsletter. Grab a cup of coffee and catch up on what you may have missed from [un]Divided this week – plus, all the anti-fringe news that’s fit to print.

Shinzo Abe assassination:

This week, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed during a campaign event. News of his death brought condolences from across the political spectrum in America.

“Few people know what a great man and leader Shinzo Abe was, but history will teach them and be kind,” said former President Donald Trump. “He was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan.”

President Biden called Abe “a champion of the Alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people,” adding, “his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure.”

The assassination of any world leader is horrifying, but, as Japan-based journalists pointed out, Abe’s murder is particularly shocking given that the country has some of the tightest gun restrictions in the world. In fact, as seen in images from the scene, the weapon used by the gunman appeared to be homemade.

Abe’s assassination also revealed a horrible pattern in the press of vilifying certain leaders after death, while celebrating others. Many shared a side-by-side of how NPR reported on Abe’s death versus the death of Fidel Castro.

Elon Musk wants out of Twitter deal:

Say it ain't so. Elon Musk no longer wants to buy Twitter – a blow to any of us who thought (perhaps wrongly) that he would help ensure equal treatment of users across the ideological divide.

Musk notified Twitter on Friday that he intends to walk away from the deal, valued at $44 billion dollars, claiming the number of fake "bot" accounts far exceeds the platform's claim of 5%.

But can Musk really just call the whole thing off? Maybe not.

Bret Taylor, Chairman of Twitter's board, wrote (in a tweet of course) that the company is "committed to closing the transaction."

The whipping that wasn't:

No, border patrol agents on horseback did not whip Haitian migrants trying to cross the Rio Grande last year, an official investigation into the incident concluded.

While photos certainly made it look otherwise, the agents were swinging split reins used to control their horses.

While the agents have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing, they may still face disciplinary action over use of force and, in the case of at least one agent, using derogatory language.

[un]Divided contributor Ali Bradley, who is reporting from the border, says the investigation also found that the agents were not trained in crowd control and didn't receive backup despite asking for it.

Meanwhile, some Republican leaders are urging President Joe Biden to apologize to the agents, after he vowed last year that they would "pay" for their treatment of migrants.

"Their reputation was smeared by President Biden, Vice President Harris, and their allies in the media - and they should all apologize to these Border Patrol agents," said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

If you want to read the investigative findings for yourself, you can do so here: https://www.docdroid.net/WVVPGAy/202112280-cbp-closing-report-public-redacted-final-pdf

Brittney Griner pleads guilty:

WNBA start Brittney Griner plead guilty this week in a Russian court, where she was accused of bringing drugs into the country. Griner said she inadvertently left marijuana vape cartridges in her luggage.

It is unclear how much more time (she's already been held since February) Griner could face behind bars in Russia, or whether the rival nation will seek to use her in a prisoner swap.

There were mixed reviews to my commentary on Griner's situation Friday on the podcast. If you missed it, you can watch it here at the 1:30 mark: https://brandikruse.locals.com/post/2401094/parent-vilified-for-raising-red-flag-about-a-washington-law

I also spoke with former NFL player Dave Wyman about what American athletes are and are not told before traveling overseas. Watch our conversation from "Fridays with Friends" here around the 24:50 mark: https://brandikruse.locals.com/post/2401094/parent-vilified-for-raising-red-flag-about-a-washington-law