Morning Reads for Twin Peaks Day (February 24)

“Diane, it’s 11:30 a.m., February 24th. Entering the town of Twin Peaks.”

And so it began. I hope you’re starting off this February 24th with a “damn fine cup of coffee,” whether or not you are a Twin Peaks fan. Yes, I do have a Twin Peaks Sheriff Department mug, and today, it’s holding Blackbird’s Guatemala Huehuetanango roast. Yum.

Let’s get to the news.

Pat Conroy

• 45 states are doing a better job than Georgia when it comes to COVID vaccine distribution.
• On the anniversary of her son’s death, Ahmaud Arbery’s mother has filed a federal civil lawsuit against several people involved in the killing and the subsequent investigation.
• The state Senate has passed the bill requiring Georgians to submit a copy of their ID along with their absentee ballot on a party line vote. It now heads to the House. (Alternate link.)
• Medicare is lowering payments to 13 Georgia hospitals due to their number of infections and rates of patient injuries. Many of the penalized hospitals are the ones that take in the most critical cases.
• The attorney who filed a case on behalf of Georgia Republicans to overturn the state’s election has been referred to the state bar’s committee on grievances for possible discipline. (Alternate link.)
• Stacey Abrams was asked about Kelly Loeffler’s new organization that mimics Fair Fight, and she didn’t hold back. (Alternate link.)
• The historical marker honoring Jackie Robinson in Grady County has been hit by gunfire. The Georgia Historical Society reports that they’ve seen an increase in destruction of monuments relating to African-American history, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the end of slavery in the past few months.

Alice Walker

• Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson have pledged  240 million total Covid-19 vaccine doses by the end of March.
• President Joe Biden is expected to sign an Executive Order today seeking domestic solutions for shortfalls of foreign-made goods.
• A grand jury has declined to indict any police officers in the death of Daniel Prude. (Alternate link.)
• Illinois has become the first state to eliminate cash bail.
• The FBI alert about a “war” against Congress reached the Capitol Police the day before the insurrection. (Alternate link.)
• The Justice Department is having a hard time keeping rioters in jail pending trial.
• In his confirmation hearing yesterday, President Biden’s pick for Attorney General pledged to take on domestic terrorism.
• In what could be a precedent-setting human rights case, a former member of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s secret police was convicted yesterday of facilitating the torture of prisoners in Syria.
• Australia’s antitrust chief is claiming victory in the country’s recent standoff with Facebook.

Flannery O’Connor

• Hundreds of coffins in Italy fell into the sea when a cemetery collapsed.