What’s up everyone. Bill here, back from my much needed vacation—feeling rested and ready to rumble. Needed that week-long tune-out from the safe distance of Republican Cape Cod (also goes by the Outer Banks). But what a week to miss!

In this episode, I go in cold, having refrained from reading a single Worcester story from the time I was gone. Chris catches me up on the tumult in real time. It’s fun… or as fun as the subject matter allows.

We recorded this episode last night (in a very echoey conference room) after I stopped by the stand out for Etel Haxhiaj that afternoon. Held at Newton Square, the event was extremely well attended, especially since it was word-of-mouth advertising only for the obvious security reason of this city being full of psychos (one of them, Mendel Fogelman, made a fool of himself, driving around the rotary eratically, engaged in a one-man counter protest, calling people communists while nearly causing multiple accidents).

My favorite moment, from my favorite interviewee, Andrew Marsh… the thumbs down. Instant classic.

More on the rally in my next written post / O.C. Dispatch, whichever comes first. For now, suffice it to say the event was well attended, the mood was great, and in all the people I interviewed, a running theme was bafflement at just why the police went ahead with these easily beatable criminal charges, weeks after the fact.

We spend the bulk of our time pondering that question, and getting into the rare mindset of one Thomas Duffy.

Links…

⧚ Rally for David Huerta, who is FREE

⧚ Initial write up on charges pressed on Haxhiaj

⧚ Tom Marino’s This Week In Worcester piece about why there were charges

⧚ WPD’s very professional response!

⧚ ‘No homicides, WPD takes credit’ copaganda in the Telegram

⧚ L.A. Taco’s stellar coverage of the situation unfolding there This podcast is part of the Worcester Sucks media empire, which is 100 percent funded by its readers. Please take out a paid subscription or throw us a tip or order some merch if you appreciate having a real independent outlet like this here! Thank you!

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∿ Outro music: “Economy” by Frankie and the Witch Fingers

∿ Intro music: “Roaming The Cosmic Winds” by Mystic Realm, Worcester-based dungeon synth project by Kevin Fitzgerald. Check out the full album, Forsaken Kingdom, on the Mystic Realm Bandcamp.

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