The FBI warned Congress of right-wing violence. Capitol Police never saw the report.

View in browser   February 23, 2021 Not a political update, but one worth sharing: Golf legend Tiger Woods was injured in a single-car rollover crash outside of Los Angeles this morning. In a statement, the LA County Sheriff's Department said that Woods, the sole occupant of the vehicle, had to be extricated with the "jaws of life." The extent of his injuries is unclear. Woods had undergone his fifth back surgery in December and was hoping to play in the Masters in April. And, a political update: Senate confirmation hearings are ongoing for Deb Haaland, Biden's nominee for secretary of the Interior, and Xavier Becerra, his nominee for health secretary. Today, the Senate voted 78–20 to confirm Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations. And a joint hearing of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Rules and Administration Committee discussed the security failings that allowed the January 6 attack on the Capitol to take place. A busy day in Washington! —Abigail Weinberg Advertisement   The FBI Warned Congress of Right-Wing Violence Before Jan. 6th. Capitol Police Leaders Never Saw the Report. Former security officials pointed fingers at each other over failures that led to the insurrection. BY MATT COHEN   Josh Hawley is fundraising off lies about the Big Lie BY DAVID CORN Hey Siri—why don't you understand more people who talk like me? BY SINDUJA RANGARAJAN Texas' freeze was one part of a long disaster we're still living through BY TY JOPLIN After the Capitol insurrection, Telegram moved to ban white nationalists. Today, it's a different story. BY ALI BRELAND Advertisement   The Tipped Minimum Wage Didn't Help Restaurants and Hotels Survive the Pandemic, Says a New Report States that pay subminimum wages had the highest rates of hospitality business decline in the past year. BY ANDREA GUZMAN   Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. Donate SOME GOOD NEWS, FOR ONCE I’m Obsessed With This Song About Intrusive Thoughts An intrusive thought. It's that notion you hate, that thing you can't let go of. It forms a pit in your stomach and takes you down a hole you never, ever wanted or needed to go down. It's also the focus of "Here Comes a Thought," a song on the 2013 show Steven Universe. The animated show may be known for its diverse characters or its fascinating world, but the best thing it ever did for me was validate the experience of a mentally ill person just trying their best. I discovered Steven Universe at a fraught time in my life. I was severely depressed and extraordinarily anxious, and searching for any outlet as I navigated the end of high school. The 10–12 minute episodes and the always pleasant tunes soon became a comfort, as they did for plenty of queer kids. The show's Crystal Gems are a group of anthropomorphized gemstones who have banded together to protect the Earth from their aristocratic oppressors. Along the way they have been tasked with rearing the title character, Steven Universe, as he navigates the half-gem, half-human experience. In the episode "Mindful Education," singer Estelle (made famous by "American Boy") and the second half of the duo Aly&AJ, AJ Michalka, sing "Here Comes a Thought." In the lead-up to the song, Steven and Connie have fused into Stevonnie, who is voiced by Michalka, and they are struggling to fit into this new and odd being. A fusion is when two or more gems combine together. They are rare in the universe of the show; the only other fusion Stevonnie knows is their pseudo-parent Garnett. Sapphire and Ruby, who make up Garnett (Estelle), are in love, and have chosen to permanently be Garnett. Fusions are not two-halves, but one whole. The emotions they experience are distinctly their own, even if they are directly influenced by two individuals’ thoughts. In the song, Garnett is lamenting their struggle to be a confident and strong fusion—the struggle to form a partnership—to Stevonnie, a budding, confused fusion, who feels the connection and desire to be one, yet cannot articulate the complicated feelings the journey evokes. It makes sense why Stevonnie is feeling adrift; imagine having someone else, even your partner, in your head! The song can be read like a couple's therapy session during which Garnett mentors Stevonnie. But the beauty of the song is that it actually validates something much more uncomfortable than a couple's spat. Stevonnie is uneasy about the new thoughts popping into their head, which have emerged since they became a fusion. When Garnett (Estelle) describes the thoughts that are bringing Stevonnie down—"something you did that failed to be charming," or "things that you said are suddenly swarming"—they know that this is what Stevonnie needs to hear as the young fusion struggles to settle into their new identity. The state of being a fusion, in this instance, represents the internal struggle. The anxious thoughts about who you are and what you want to be; the carte blanche horrible things that no one needs to think about, the need to go one way but wanting another—they’re all in the subtext of this song. Garnett has been through the entire struggle, and they validate it for Stevonnie by offering them peace: "Take a moment to think of just / flexibility, love, and trust." Stevonnie (Michalka) proceeds to repeat the entire verse back to Garnett, and begins to understand and to feel a little bit better. As a mentally ill person who is constantly anxious about saying the right thing, about being good and fair and ethical, that hits different, to put it lightly. Intrusive thoughts can come with any mental illness, but the "neurotypical" person understands them, too. It's the "what if I ran my hand over this flame?" or, "what if that person using a knife cut their finger off?" thought. But for a mentally ill person it can take the form of debilitating and sometimes deadly notions. It varies from person to person, but that's why the song is so powerful. It is not putting stipulations on which thoughts are okay and which ones are not—that only leads you down a dark path. As Stevonnie sings: "All these little things seem to matter so much / That they confuse me / That I might lose me." These thoughts make so many of us feel ashamed, and like no one else understands. And in this shame we get lost, and it gets worse. But as Garnett croons at the end, "You've got nothing to fear. I'm here, I'm here, I'm here." If you're having intrusive thoughts, you're never alone. —Ramenda Cyrus 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