Ted Cruz should immediately stop telling jokes

View in browser   February 26, 2021 Ted Cruz is back with his first big speech—one notably given far from his home state as it continues to reel from the devastation of last week's winter storms—and, reader, it did not go well. The lowlights, which could best be summed up as a cringeworthy attempt at stand-up comedy, included Cruz trying to make light of his disastrous decision to abandon Texas for Cancun last week. He also said that Donald Trump, who had once insulted Cruz's wife's appearance and claimed that Cruz's father had played a part in JFK's assassination, "ain't going nowhere." That declaration comes a day after Mitch McConnell had said that he would "absolutely" support Trump if he were to win the Republican nomination in 2024. Right on. In any event, happy Friday! Sending lots of love, vaccinations, ace television, and good vibes your way. —Inae Oh Advertisement   “Please Don't Kill Me,” Angelo Quinto Pleaded. The Cops Kneeled on His Neck for 4 Minutes. Police tore him out of his mother's arms. Now she wants answers about the killing of her son. BY RAMENDA CYRUS   McConnell: I'd "absolutely" back Trump if he's the 2024 Republican nominee BY INAE OH Warren, Booker, and Sanders push DHS to investigate allegations that officers threatened asylum seekers with COVID-19 exposure BY FERNANDA ECHAVARRI The Texas fiasco makes the case for creating a national power grid BY MATT SIMON Senate parliamentarian kills the dream of a $15 minimum wage—for the moment BY ABIGAIL WEINBERG Advertisement   Why do meatpacking workers face such gruesome conditions? A new report shines a light on the piles of cash Big Food shovels into Washington. BY TOM PHILPOTT   Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. Donate SOME GOOD NEWS, FOR ONCE The First Online Chess Olympiad for People With Disabilities Is Expanding More than 400 players from 45 countries competed in the first Online Chess Olympiad for People With Disabilities recently, and the games are growing. Programmers are developing a virtual platform for blind and limited-vision players to access “all the functionalities and possibilities” of online chess, according to the International Chess Federation (FIDE). And a Recharge salute to five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, from India, who just launched the Global Chess League, with eight teams from across the world. See? An entire chess Recharge without once naming a Netflix show and citing “soaring popularity.” If you have good news on or off the board, drop a line to recharge@motherjones.com. —Daniel King Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by forwarding it to a friend or sharing it on Facebook and Twitter. Donate Subscribe This message was sent to franchmaverickk.secretwords123@blogger.com. To change the messages you receive from us, you can edit your email preferences or unsubscribe from all mailings. For advertising opportunities see our online media kit. Were you forwarded this email? Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today. www.MotherJones.com PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755