Debbie Dingell delivers paczki and talks about democracy on WDIV in Detroit for Fat Tuesday

Happy Paczki Day AKA Fat Tuesday! Like last year, I begin with Rep. Debbie Dingell delivers paczkis to Local 4 (and tells us what she's working on), an annual tradition of the representative and WDIV/Click On Detroit.

In a well-loved tradition, U.S. Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell brought paczkis to our newsroom for Fat Tuesday -- and she's updating us on what she's currently working on.

I'm glad Dingell is settling into her not-so-new district after the game of redistricting musical chairs that shuffled Michigan's U.S. representatives around last year. I'm also glad that she pointed out that the war in Ukraine has become a war for democracy and that Biden's trip takes him to Poland, where he can eat paczki in their home country. Euronews reports on his arrival in US President Joe Biden in Poland after a surprise visit to Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden arrived in Poland Monday night after making a surprise visit to Kyiv in a show of solidarity with Ukraine just days before the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion.

Looking forward to writing more about Biden's trip in coming days.

I conclude by returning to metro Detroit with CBS Detroit's Detroit bakery prepares for Paczki Day.

On Tuesday, Feb. 21, hundreds of the Polish pasties will be sold, and one bakery in Detroit is preparing for the influx of customers[.]

It wasn't until I moved to Michigan and discovered paczki that I found out why today is Fat Tuesday. Here's to spreading that knowledge to my readers.

Debbie Dingell discusses Ukraine and the State of the Union Address on Fat Tuesday

Happy Paczki Day AKA Fat Tuesday! Despite today being a fun holiday, serious events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine are taking place. WDIV/Click On Detroit's Michigan US Rep. Debbie Dingell on Russia-Ukraine, Biden's 1st State of the Union speech reflects that.

It's a Fat Tuesday tradition, with Michigan U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell stopping by WDIV. She talks with Rhonda and Evrod about what's happening in Ukraine, and what she's expecting for President Biden's first State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.

In addition to the war, which is taking place next door to Poland and causing refugees to flee to the home of the paczki, Representative Dingell expects the pandemic and inflation will be major subjects of tonight's speech. I plan on blogging about the address and reactions to it tomorrow.

Speaking of holiday traditions, I'm continuing my tradition of using WXYZ's location reporting with today's 'Paczki Day everyone is Polish.' Metro Detroiters wait in long lines for Paczki. I couldn't be "all DOOM all the time" today.


Alex Bozarjian mentioned that this is her first Paczki Day. Welcome to Detroit, Alex! Glad you're enjoying the local cuisine and culture!

Speaking of local culture, today may be Paczki Day in Detroit and elsewhere Polish immigrants settled, but it's better known as Mardi Gras, most famously celebrated in New Orleans. Since I like marching music, I'm closing with Southern University's Human Jukebox at Bacchus parade from WWLTV.

Southern University is one of the most sought after bands for Mardi Gras parades. They entered the Convention Center to huge applause at Bacchus.

That was fun to watch, but not as great to listen to. I might have a better sounding video of the Human Jukebox this Friday for Marching Music Day. Stay tuned.

Michigan flooded while Trump tweeted then refused to wear a mask on camera

While Trump threatened Michigan over voting by absentee ballots then visited the Great Lakes State while refusing to wear a mask on camera, a different disaster hit the state, a double dam break followed by a flood. MLive summarized the story in "A whole town destroyed" Michigan flooding and dam failures leaves path of destruction.

A look at the a week many mid-Michigan residents will not soon forget after heavy rain and dam failures resulted in massive flooding across the region.
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How did the dam fail? What happens next? When the Edenville Dam failed on May 19th, 2020, it started a chain of events that would devastate thousands of lives, homes, and property. So much so that President Donald Trump has approved an emergency declaration throughout mid-Michigan hit with catastrophic flooding.

This is another story about weather meeting neglected infrastructure, although I could make a case of it being climate, something I first hinted at in the title of I know weather isn't climate, but check out these videos! They show that flooding is normal for Michigan this time of year. On the other hand, I observed a trend in Detroit flooding one year later five years ago.

It fit a pattern that's emerged since I began keeping this blog.

[C]limate change...[is] expressing itself as increased precipitation, including 2013 being the wettest year in Michigan history, 2013-2014 being the snowiest year in Detroit's history, or 2011 being the rainiest year in Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Toledo.

In addition, this month's flood resulted from the second highest single-day rainfall in Detroit history. Welcome to four precipitation records in four years.

Since then, another precipitation record has been set, as I mentioned in Snowfall of the century for Detroit on Groundhog Day.

The third-biggest snowstorm in metro Detroit's recorded history has plows humming among tall snow piles on roadways across southeastern Michigan this morning.
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With 16.7 inches of snow since the storm arrived early Sunday, it's the most to fall since Dec. 1 and 2 in 1974, when 19.3 inches fell, as recorded at Detroit Metro Airport. The snowiest was April 6, 1886, when 24.5 inches were reported...

Add the snowiest month in Detroit history and that's now six precipitation records in four years. As I wrote in the first entry I wrote about the storm, welcome to weather weirding in the 400 ppm world.

I haven't been keeping as close track of Michigan precipitation records since then, as this blog has become more national and international in its focus, but it wouldn't surprise me if the state has racked up more in the past five years.

All of this is making my wife and I feel like a mini-apocalypse has descended on Michigan with floods and political attacks on top of COVID-19 pandemic and record unemployment with experts predicting worse to come. We're not alone. In her interview on MSNBC, Rep. Debbie Dingell Reacts [To] Devastating MI Flooding And Trump Visit To Ford Plant, Dingell expressed much the same sentiment.

President Trump is heading to Michigan today after threatening the state and making false claims about voter fraud as flooding devastates the state. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell joins Stephanie Ruhle to react.

At least he's not threatening to withhold disaster relief now, as the caption for the MLive video reported.

Speaking of the pandemic, Governor Whitmer extended both the stay at home order and state of emergency. WDIV reported that as part of Michiganders react to extension of stay-at-home order

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended Michigan’s stay-at-home order until June 12 and the state of emergency until June 19.

The pandemic response even overwhelmed what would have been the focus of the clip in normal times, Aquaman and Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa visiting metro Detroit. Even he wore a mask on the way out. Welcome to celebrity in a time of plague.

Politics, pastries, and Polish culture from Michigan for Paczki Day

Happy Paczki Day AKA Fat Tuesday!  For this year's celebration, I begin with something serious from WDIV in Detroit, Rep. Debbie Dingell talks Paczki Day and politics.

It's a tradition her late husband started decades ago, and she's keeping it going.

I think it's smart for Representative Dingell to bring paczki to "her friends in the media."  It certainly makes her look good in the eyes of both the media and the public and gets them to talk to her on good terms.  Speaking of being on good terms or lack thereof, I'm no fan of Mike Bloomberg, but I'm also no fan of vandalizing his campaign offices, either.  It's no secret that I don't like Trump at all, but I still disapprove of Trump's star on Hollywood Walk of Fame being demolished.  As I wrote then, "Don't trash symbols of the opposition--vote!"

On another note, I've been ignoring the coronavirus outbreak on this blog, so I'm glad Dingell mentioned it.  I'll have to make up for that omission later this week.

Enough seriousness on this fun holiday.  Follow over the jump for videos about paczki from Michigan.