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.
Club Q shooting
At least five are dead and as many as 18 injured after a shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado. I recommend following local news outlets on the ground for the best coverage. Here are links for a couple different ones:
https://www.fox21news.com/news/local/
The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, opened fire as soon as he entered the club, according to Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez. The first call to 911 came in at 11:56 p.m. Responding officers arrived in the club just four minutes after the first 911 call, with Aldrich in custody by 12:02am. Police credit two patrons with confronting Aldrich in an effort to subdue him, likely saving lives.
The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime, Chief Vasquez said during a briefing.
The nightclub, Club Q, posted a statement on its Facebook page.
This is not the first time Aldrich has been in the news for violence or attempted violence. In 2021, he was arrested for making a bomb threat. Here is the original press release for that case. According to local newspaper The Gazette, the case was later sealed and no criminal charges were pursued.
Thwarted synagogue attack
Police in New York City arrested two men Saturday, with at least one of them accused of making threats to attack synagogues in the city.
Matthew Mahrer, 22 and Christopher Brown, 21 were taken into custody at Penn Station. Brown was wearing a swastika armband at the time of his arrest, the Daily Mail reported. According to NYPD, the pair had an illegal firearm, 30 rounds of ammunition, and a hunting knife.
It is unknown whether Mahrer was part of a plot, or if he was meeting Brown to sell him a firearm. An earlier intelligence bulletin that went out informing law enforcement of threats made against the Jewish community listed only Brown as a person of interest to be on the lookout for.
Brown was charged with making terroristic threats, aggravated harassment, and criminal possession of a weapon. Mahrer was charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
White man sues Seattle, claims discrimination
Are Seattle’s efforts at ‘equity’ going too far? A former city employee has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, alleging that he was discriminated against for being white. The story was first reported by Ari Hoffman of The Post Millennial.
Joshua Diemert, who worked in the city’s Human Services Department for eight years, claims a supervisor told him he should resign rather than take a medical leave of absence because he was blocking people of color from being promoted. The lawsuit also details other alleged incidents – such as Diemert being ignored after claiming that at least one person in the office was denying financial assistance to citizens who were white.
Diemert is being represented pro bono by the Pacific Legal Foundation. Attorney Laura D’Agostino joined [un]Divided on Friday for an in-depth interview about the facts of the case. You can watch it here (9:50 min mark).
Read the entire complaint here.
Nikki Haley 2024?
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley bragged about her no-loss record in elections, fueling rumors that she may mount a 2024 presidential bid.
During remarks at the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, Haley hinted that she would “have more to say soon” on the matter.
"If my family and I decide to continue our life of service, we will put 1,000% into it and we'll finish it. For now, I'll say this: I've won tough primaries and tough general elections. I've been the underdog every single time. When people underestimate me, it's always fun. But I've never lost an election. And I'm not going to start now."
Haley served as the governor of South Carolina before being tapped to join the Trump administration. While she has maintained a cordial relationship with her former boss, it has not been uncritical.
Following the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Haley’s opinions on Trump were detailed in a lengthy Politico article. While she avoided the type of blanket condemnation that others in the party embraced post-January 6, she said she believes “his actions since Election Day will be judged harshly by history.”
Spreading [un]Divided’s message of common sense
One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most since leaving my job in mainstream media is the speaking opportunities that the switch has presented (sharing my political opinions would have rightfully been frowned upon a year ago).
Last Sunday, I joined the crew from Outlaw Radio Network in Kitsap County for a lengthy conversation about the election results and what’s in store for 2024.
You can watch the episode here. While I was there, I also tried one hell of a coffee-flavored whiskey distilled by Outlaw Tom. You can check out his distillery here.
On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Washington State Farm Bureau in Wenatchee. I discussed some of the key issues facing our farmers and ranchers – including labor, overregulation, and increased costs tied to inflation.
I urged those in the room to fight to have their voices heard in Olympia, despite a (legitimate) concern among some that the party in power is too disconnected from what’s happening on the east side of the state.
On Thursday, I travelled to Vancouver, Washington, to address a meeting of the Building Industry Association of Washington.
I discussed the need for the government to limit regulations and lift costly mandates that hold our state’s builders back from rapidly addressing the state’s housing shortage. You can listen to my remarks here.
And congrats to newly installed BIAW President Gary Wray!
Housekeeping
Happy Thanksgiving week! Gobble gobble. Hopefully you have plans to spend some time with the people you love. We will have our Monday and Wednesday shows as normal. There will be no show on Friday, November 25, as we all recover from food comas. The man and I will be heading over to Pullman for the Apple Cup (Go Cougs!) so please say hello if you see us!
Have a greet week and thank you for your commitment to give common sense a comeback!
