Who Knew Tina Turner Was Also a Rugby Icon

May 25, 2023

Plus: One year since Uvalde ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

May 25, 2023

Greetings, Meteor readers,

It’s hard to believe it, but an entire year has passed since the Uvalde school shooting, in which 19 elementary school children and two teachers were killed by an 18-year-old carrying two legally purchased assault rifles. Uvalde was the 212th mass shooting of last year.

And the numbers have only gotten worse. According to the Gun Violence, Archive there have now been 241 mass shootings in 2023, which works out to 1.7 mass shootings per day so far this year. Meanwhile, the residents of Uvalde, Texas are still trying to heal from an unspeakable tragedy.

To learn more about small actions you can take right now (literally right this second) to fight gun violence, check out this list from Everytown for Gun Safety.

In today’s newsletter, we remember the icon Tina Turner and review some startling news about climate change.

Doin’ the Nutbush,

Shannon Melero

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT

Yesterday, rock ‘n’ roll icon Tina Turner died at the age of 83 after what her representative described as a “long illness,” peacefully in her home in Switzerland. Turner was, without a doubt, one of the most talented musicians of our time—a larger-than-life persona synonymous with resilience, star power, and unmistakable, timeless music. That is the Turner we know. But behind the spotlight, Turner lived a surprisingly quieter life. Three unexpected facts about the woman behind the hits:

She was a devout Buddhist: Tina Turner began practicing Nichiren Buddhism in 1973 after being introduced to it through friends. In later interviews, Turner credited her spiritual practice with giving her the strength to leave her abusive relationship with her first husband (who shall not be named). She even released a CD (remember those?) of interfaith chanting called Beyond: Buddhist and Christian Prayers.

She was a sporting icon: Bet you didn’t see that one coming. Through a series of unexpected events, Tina Turner became the face and voice of an Australian rugby broadcast in the 80’s lending her hit songs to some (extremely homoerotic, if you ask me) 80s-esque commercials. (See for yourself, below.) James Dator, a reporter who grew up watching rugby during peak Tina time calls her involvement “a culturally significant moment for a nation that sparked the imagination. If a mega-star like Tina Turner could love rugby league and embrace Australia, then anyone can.”

Her name wasn’t actually Tina: This one is for the youngsters who didn’t know who Tina Turner was until after the Angela Bassett movie. But Turner was actually born Anna Mae Bullock, a Sagittarius, and was given the stage name Tina by That Man.

AND:

You know those tacky Pride collections Target comes out with every year? Well thanks to a push from conservatives online (and plenty of false information), the chain is pulling back on its offerings in some stores citing safety concerns for employees. Over the last few weeks, several social media posts have gained traction claiming Target was selling “tuck-friendly” bathing suits for children. Conservatives seized on this, accusing Target of pushing the transgender agenda on kids. The truth of the matter is that those kinds of bathing suits were designed for adults who desire “extra crotch coverage” when heading out for a swim. AP News found that the kids’ Pride collection bathing suits made no such claim and had no such design but were instead “thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions.” I hate it here.
We can all agree that water pollution is bad, right? And that the Environmental Protection Agency is necessary? Apparently not. Earlier today, SCOTUS ruled that the EPA doesn’t have the authority to police the pollution taking place in various wetlands under the provisions of the Clean Water Act, leaving millions of acres of wetlands “subject to pollution without penalty,” experts say. What spurred the court to make this ruling? A case brought by homeowners who sued the EPA because the administration tried to stop them from building a house near Priest Lake in Idaho and damaging a nearby wetland.
Did you watch that video of a white woman (Sarah Jane Comrie) calling for help because a Black teenager was *checks notes* existing next to a CitiBike? Mhm. The teen, who has asked his name be withheld for his own safety, spoke to Newsone’s Monique Judge about how the incident has negatively impacted his life. And he’s got ALL the receipts disproving Comrie’s claim that she had the bike first. Comrie’s GoFundMe, started by her uncle who was raising money to stop his niece being labeled a Karen (that’s literally the title of the fund), has raised $123,000 to cover Comrie’s legal fees and get her lie-riddled story publicized.

Leave it to Ron DeSantis to have the most chaotic and embarrassing introduction to his presidential run of all time.
Last summer we heard from Dr. Caitlin Bernard who was facing harassment and legal action after providing an abortion for a 10-year-old rape victim. Well, Indiana is still trying to revoke her license for doing her job. Today, Dr. Bernard testified on her own behalf at a medical licensing board meeting that will determine whether or not she gets to keep her license or be barred from providing crucial care to her patients.
*Gossip Girl voice* Hey Upper East Siders, New York is literally sinking.
You must read this powerful excerpt from Geena Rocero’s forthcoming memoir Horse Barbie about hiding her trans identity as a model in the early 2000s. And join us next Wednesday at 1 PM ET on our Instagram Live to hear from her!
Winnie the Pooh, beloved champion of pantslessness, is now being used by a Texas school district as a mascot for how to behave in the event of a school shooting. This is a cursed timeline. Instead of putting some energy into gun reform the state just thinks the best thing to do is use cartoons to tell kids that school shootings are an inevitability that they need to prepare for like a flood or tornado.

ONE MORE THING

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