Yareni Rios-Gonzalez is a 20 year old young lady.  She was in Platteville, Colorado. It was September 19. She had been pulled over by police who were responding to a report of a woman “menacing with a handgun” while driving.

Yareni was arrested, handcuffed, and locked in a police car which was parked on railroad tracks.

Suddenly, Yareni saw a train barreling towards the police car in which she was locked inside. She “tried frantically to get the officers’ attention.”

A video clip shows a police officer standing outside the car moving away as the train plowed into the vehicle. Yareni had been in the police car approximately 2 minutes before the train struck. The train plowed into the police car with her in it.

Yareni is lucky she was not killed. Though she did suffer serious injuries: a head injury, broken arm, fractured sternum, 9 broken ribs, broken teeth, and injuries to her back and legs.

A second video showed one police officer asking another mere seconds later, “Was she in there.” Another officer responded, “Oh my god, yes she was.” The other officer responded, “Oh, fuck.”

No charges have been filed as yet against Yareni.

In a time when police slayings are commonplace, this one is different. Race was not involved. Yareni’s case is one involving simple negligence. Stupidity on the part of the police officers leaving her in a locked police car on railroad tracks. The negligence is the vehicle being left on railroad tracks.

Ian still in the news. Has not reached Florida yet.

Nothing has changed since yesterday’s blog. Landfall between Tampa and the Panhandle. A Category 3 or 4. Will miss Key West and the Keys by 100 miles or more.

The media is still pumping danger to the Keys. This morning’s 6 am report: “Tropical storm warning remains in effect…..Locations affected – Key West – Sugarloaf Key -Big Pine Key.”

I thought yesterday and did till a couple of hours ago that the media has been overplaying/dramatizing Ian and Key West. Till I stepped on the porch. It was the calm before the storm.

Before a hurricane or tropical storm hits, nothing moves. Not a branch or leaf. No breeze. Nothing. It has always been that way. Such is how it is now. Which means significant winds, surges and rain may be visiting the Keys this evening. Not enough to have warranted leaving. Enough however to cause a bit of concern when it does happen.

One thing I forgot to mention when purchasing groceries for a storm. Failed to mention plastic spoons, fork and knives. Otherwise would be eating the chocolate putting, jam, etc. Arab style with my fingers.

Governor DeSantis is almost as good as Trump in getting his name flouted on the media. His notoriety reached a national scale with his flying immigrants from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard.

David R. Lurie wrote a right on opinion piece 9/21 in The Daily Beast titled: The Performative Sadism of Ron DeSantis.

Some interesting comments, observations in the article.

“The GOP – under Donald Trump and perhaps soon under his would be successor, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis – is rapidly becoming a party centered upon tormenting and humiliating the vulnerable.”

“Cruelty and humiliation have been central to his grievance and political activities.”

DeSantis “expected that the Vineyard’s residents would recoil from the desperate asylum seekers, allowing FOX News’ viewers to savor both the suffering of the migrants and seeing the ‘libs’ exposed as hypocrites.”

Surprise! DeSantis discovered there are good/nice people in the U.S., even those living on a monied island.

DeSantis hit the publicity bell big time. His Vineyard gambit was his “national coming out party as a political sadist, and gained him unexpected attention.” MAGA and far right Republicans loved it. DeSantis loved it. Gained him support for his much desired 2024 Presidential run.

Berlusconi, Putin and Portofino.

Three days ago, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was severely criticized for defending Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Berlusconi claimed Putin was “pushed…..only wanted to replace Zelensky with a government of decent people.”

In my 2/26/2022 blog: Putin Is A Small Man Of Five-Six Saying He Is Five-Seven, I described Putin as being affected with Napoleonic megalomania.

I briefly described the relationship between Putin and Berlusconi. It was not the first time. I had discussed it in a blog or two years earlier.

I had the pleasure of visiting Portofino several times. Berlusconi had a magnificent home in Portofino. I would sit on the water admiring his home, landscaping and huge yacht. He lived well!

Berlusconi and Putin were close friends. So close that Putin’s daughter spent a whole summer at the Berlusconi home in Portofino. It also was reported that Putin built a home next to Portofino’s, though smaller in scale.

Berlusconi was an astute politician in his day. He has to be in his 90’s now. His reputation with young ladies and tax avoidance did him in politically. Putin has had a ladies man reputation also. It was rumored the two may have partied together.

Which brings me to Giorgia Meloni, the newly elected Prime Minister of Italy.

Italy is governed by coalition. I can’t recall any political group ever having sufficient votes for a majority. Meloni’s party is the Brothers of Italy. The party is rooted in a post-war movement that rose out of Mussolini’s fascists.

Meloni’s party previously never received more than 9 seats in the vote. This week it garnered somewhere in the 20’s. Italy opting to take a ride with fascism again

Berlusconi’s party similarly rose out of Mussolini’s fascism, though a different party. To put a winning coalition together, Meloni has joined with two other parties. One being Berlusconi’s. She has put together 44 percent of the seats needed. Enough to win.

It is expected Meloni will be close friends with Putin through the Berlusconi relationship.

Italy is the third largest economy in Europe. Besides being rightist, Meloni is anti-Euro. Should Italy pull out of the Euro, she will screw up the European economy even more than it is at the present time.

It is also thought she will not be as supportive to Zelensky’s Ukraine as her predecessor was.

Meloni a decided addition to Europe’s turmoil.

Enjoy your day!