Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Brittney Griner Held Hostage by GOP and Why Beauty Contests Are Ugly
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Brittney Griner Held Hostage by GOP and Why Beauty Contests Are Ugly

Cops’ Elderly Bias Helped Serial Killer, Twitter Vs. Elton John, Fox Crumbling Under $1.6 Billion Lawsuit?, and More

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Dec 12, 2022
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Brittney Griner Held Hostage by GOP and Why Beauty Contests Are Ugly
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There’s so much content this time that there’s no room for my usual insightful ramblings and head-scratching pop-culture references. So, let’s get to it.


Politics: Brittney Griner Goes from Pawn of Russia to Pawn of Republicans

The brother of the ex-US Marine jailed in Russia slams Donald Trump for exploiting his imprisonment to attack President Biden (Business Insider)

Twitter avatar for @davidpwhelan
David Whelan @davidpwhelan
Former President Trump appears to have mentioned my brother #PaulWhelan's wrongful detention more in the last 24 hours than he did in the 2 years of his presidency in which Paul was held hostage by #Russia (zero). I don't suggest he cares now any more than he did then (zero)
Twitter avatar for @peterbakernyt
Peter Baker @peterbakernyt
Trump slams trade with Russia, saying, "Why wasn’t former Marine Paul Whelan included in this totally one-sided transaction? He would have been let out for the asking." Begging the question then of why Trump didn't free Whelan, who was imprisoned in 2018 during Trump's presidency
2:17 PM ∙ Dec 9, 2022
73,081Likes24,550Retweets

Summary: Trump has harshly criticized Biden for exchanging Griner for Viktor Bout, an arms dealer.

My Take: Let’s see, some Republicans are angry that Biden wasn’t able to bring back Paul Whelan, who’s being held in Russia for espionage. Please take a roll call and ask each one of them to tell us everything they have done since Whelan’s arrest in 2018 to secure his release. Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton, said last week that Trump could have swapped Whelan for Bout in 2018, but decided not to.

Paul Whelan himself said he was happy for Griner, though disappointed that he was still not free. Whelan’s family has also said they supported the swap for Griner. In the meantime, President Biden has promised to continue to work for Whelan’s release.

Will the swap put American tourists in jeopardy as hostages? They have always been in jeopardy, more so if traveling to hostile countries with dictators as leaders. Let’s not make it easier for them—stay out of those countries. And those bitter Republicans looking to exploit her for some easy publicity, should either contribute with a solution or step back and let the adults handle it.

This the fourth time since Griner’s arrest that I’ve written about her plight. I hope to never write about her again unless to praise her remarkable basketball skills when she returns to the court.


Pop Culture: Are Beauty Pageants Still a Thing? Here’s Why They Shouldn’t Be

Miss Universe Pageant Moves to Streaming via Roku Channel, as Deal With Fox and Steve Harvey Ends (Variety)

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