Keep your dogs away from Kristi Noem

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Support our nonprofit journalism]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     May 6, 2024 I was never a dog person—until two years ago. That's when my parents brought home Mazie, an angelic German Shepherd with whom I am obsessed. ("Icon" and "angel" are among the nicknames I've given her.) I don't live with my parents, so seeing Mazie ([picture here, you're welcome!]() has become a chief reason for returning home. That said...like all dogs, Mazie can occasionally be annoying or misbehave—like when she tries to swipe our freshly cooked dinner from the counter or destroys her bedding or insists upon following our every move around the house because of her attachment issues (we are, [like half the dating population](, working on it). Mazie isn't perfect, but her quirks are part of what makes her unique. In other words, and this might sound wild to have to say: We have never once considered shooting Mazie. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, on the other hand, cannot say the same. You've probably heard by now about how Noem writes in her forthcoming memoir about [killing her own puppy]( after the dog, Cricket, attacked a local family's chickens. As my colleague Inae Oh writes, Noem had many options on how to respond, including training Cricket, but opted to shoot the dog to death in a gravel hunting pit instead. We're not quite sure what was going through Noem's (or the ghostwriter's?) mind when they put that anecdote in the book, which has [provoked]( widespread disgust across the political aisle. (Noem defended the killing, [writing]( on X, "tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm.") But, somehow, things have gotten even worse: In an appearance on Face the Nation yesterday, Noem [suggested]( that President Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, should also be killed, following [reports]( the dog bit Secret Service agents in at least two dozen incidents. (It's gone a bit under the radar, in comparison, the other scandal here. It emerged in recent days that Noem also [included]( a fake anecdote in the book about meeting North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, but admitted on CBS yesterday that "this anecdote shouldn’t have been in the book" and that it will be edited accordingly before publication tomorrow. Noem refused to directly answer host Margaret Brennan's question about whether she actually ever met the dictator.) I think we can glean many lessons from this debacle, but there does seem to be an obvious one we can all agree on: Don't shoot your dog. —Julianne McShane P.S. Did you check out [this week's episode]( of Reveal, about how police exploit requirements to notify the family of a victim they kill in order to protect themselves and their departments from lawsuits? Make sure to [listen]( wherever you get your podcasts. Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Kristi Noem Takes Aim at Second Target: Biden’s Dog]( The admitted dog killer and South Dakota governor suggests the president should have killed his German Shepherd, too. BY INAE OH SPONSORED CONTENT BY HEIFER INTERNATIONAL   Your Gift, Their Future: Generate 5X the Change! Heifer International is a global nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger and poverty. As families face rising costs, you can help them succeed. This month, a group of donors is matching every donation making your gift transform 5X the lives of families in need. [Don’t miss this limited-time match opportunity!]( [Trending] [Sen. Tim Scott, a rumored VP pick, backs Trump's election denial]( BY JULIANNE MCSHANE   [Reproductive rights advocates close in on abortion ballot measures in Missouri and South Dakota]( BY JULIA LURIE   [Forcing workers back to the office could be terrible for the environment]( BY KATE YODER   [The promise of health chatbots has already failed]( BY DEREK BERES Advertisement [House Bookshop Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [California police are using a controversial tactic after someone dies in their custody]( When police kill someone, they have to notify the family. Some officers are using that moment for something else. BY MOTHER JONES MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE   An important update on our finances We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals—and we can’t sustain coming up short on [donations]( month after month. It is [impossibly hard]( in the news business right now, and the [crisis]( facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. Neither is Mother Jones. Which is exactly why, despite the challenges we face, we just took a big gulp and [joined forces]( with the Center for Investigative Reporting, which creates the amazing podcast and public radio show [Reveal]( and other investigative projects. It’s going to be hard making it all work, and we simply can’t afford to fall behind our fundraising targets month after month. If you can part with even just a few bucks, [please support Mother Jones and investigative journalism with an urgently needed donation today](. And thank you so much to everyone who recently has. We’re grateful. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Share it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. 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