I'm going to try and roll through for this and just wanted to pedantically save you from some very minor jabs you'd get from locals if you say Jack's is in "downtown San Jose" like you did on the pod. It's solidly in Japantown. They neighbor each other but the distinction is important to locals!

Thanks for what you do!

@xowngoals.com, Hey guys. Just want to correct something you said on today’s episode. Montoya do not choose to bench Kundananji. She could not play due to yellow card accumulation. The card she got in the game when she asked Montoya to take her out set her over the edge. Love the pod!

The Shooter and the Prophet Russell M. Nelson, the Latter-day Saint prophet who preached the need for peacemakers in an angry world, died over the weekend. Then a gunman opened fire on a church in Michigan.

On the death of a prophet, a church shooting in Michigan, and what I learned from President Russell M. Nelson. This was a difficult piece to write. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Temple Tattoo moves on: Beloved Oakland institution begins next chapter in Temescal Once a vibrant hub for barbershops, studios and small businesses, Oakland’s 17th Street has emptied out — pushing Temple Tattoo into a new era across town.

My latest for the @sfchronicle.com about legendary tattooer Freddy Corbin and why he chose to move his prolific shop, Temple Tattoo, from downtown Oakland to the Temescal neighborhood and what that means for that tattoo scene.

Give it a read! 👇🏻

#Oakland #tattoo #BayArea

Lots of NWSL! Women’s soccer is a cleanse from the toxicity of other sports lol.

I was expecting the shooter to be ex-military or something like that given that he took Kirk out in one shot. He wasn’t. Just a 22-year-old Utah Mormon kid from a gun-loving family.

I didn’t have guns in my home—my dad immediately got rid of a pistol he inherited upon his dad’s death. But I shot guns at least once a year if not more with friends and leaders in my Mormon congregation. Often, it was at sanctioned scouting events.

I don’t have a lot of commentary on the shooter other than to say his family culture around guns is unsurprising. Utah be like that.

A few hours later, my best friend texted me asking if I saw Kirk was killed on campus. I was shocked and immediately curious if the shooter was a student. The open carry laws at Utah public universities have always been super controversial. For context, I was attending when Sandy Hook happened.

I walked into to the gym on the next afternoon and saw on the TV “Trump: ‘Charlie Kirk is dead.’” I just thought Trump was denouncing Kirk over something he said. A naive assumption in hindsight, but not outside the realm of possibility.

Honestly, the only thing I knew about Kirk at the time was that he was an influential, right-wing political operative. I literally had never seen any of his content before then.

I graduated from UVU just over a decade ago. The night before the shooting, I saw a post from the school’s paper—which I briefly wrote for—that spoke excitedly of Kirk’s visit while also noting it was controversial. The tone was completely different from when I was there, but I digress.

Utah student who last questioned Charlie Kirk wishes he ‘would’ve asked a different one’ A Utah Valley University student was the last person to ask Charlie Kirk a question before the political commentator was fatally shot. Here's what Hunter Kozak has to say.

A Utah Valley University student was the last person to ask Charlie Kirk a question before the political commentator was fatally shot. Here's what Hunter Kozak has to say.

I agree it makes sense. Was just pointing out the sad contrast in expectations vs reality.

At the beginning of the season, several analysts had Bay FC as a probable break out team. That was largely due to the groove that Kundananji and Oshoala found by the end of last season. I was cautiously optimistic. Now the exact opposite has happened. #NWSL

For the love of Mission burritos and orange sauce, someone in the @bayfc.com front office please listen to the mid season analysis from @sheabutterfc.com, @southernsylvs.bsky.social, @diasporautdpod.bsky.social, and @thombomb816.bsky.social.

RealPage fended off Berkeley ban. How will other cities fare? A lawsuit in Berkeley may spell trouble for other cities aiming to restrict software that jacks up rent, but bipartisan support for such bans is swelling.

New: Multiple U.S. cities, states, and even the DOJ now believe that certain real estate tech companies are harming renters through collusion and price-fixing. Here's a look into the bipartisan fight against RealPage 👇

sfstandard.com/2025/07/09/r...

sfstandard.com/2025/07/09/r...

I paid for a month of @slingtv.bsky.social Blue plus the sports package so I can watch the Women's Euros, WAFCON, and the Copa América Femenina all in my birthday month and it's *chef's kiss* #woso

As a secular, 8th-generation Mormon, it’s funny how little the Pope affects me.

I was about to chime in about the differences between religious and a religious-based cultural identity but knew you, as a historian, clearly understood that. So I went looking for the clarifications. 😆

It’s funny how even the lack of religious belief does that! I am constantly amazed at how differently my kids see the world from how I did at their age.

Agreed. As a secular Mormon, I wish our modern temples looked more like they did in the 19th century ala Salt Lake City. Now they’re too sleek looking with no real character beyond “We’re rich and don’t know what else to do with our money.”

A Chicago Pope implies the existence of an MLA Pope and APA Pope

Writing is re-writing, as they say.

Bet you can't guess what I'm up late doing...

So, this guy obviously doesn't have MS13 on his knuckles. What an absurd claim! But as a tattoo historian, I can say: even if he did, it's all absolutely no evidence that he's affiliated with the gang anyway. Tattooing a Nike logo on you doesn't mean you make shoes.

Thank you!

Thanks Xina! I plug @mattlodder.com's podcast @beneaththeskinpod.history.tattoo every chance I get! Best tattoo podcast out there, hands down.

RFK Jr. Is using a new study on autism rates to push his anti-vaccine agenda While researchers try to determine why autism rates seem to be rising, Kennedy made it clear he’ll try to put his thumb on the scale.

This week, RFK Jr. vowed to look at “environmental factors” as a possible cause for autism.

While he didn’t explicitly discuss vaccines, his remarks made clear, once again, that Kennedy will likely use the federal government to prop up the long-debunked claim that vaccines cause autism.

Ethan Gregory Dodge ✍🏻 Writer 📷 Photographer 👔 Secular Mormon

And yes—I’ve got a few investigations in the works that wouldn't be prudent to talk about yet. But I’m excited for all of it!

Want to follow along? I'd love your support! Check out my work, interviews about my work, and more at egd.io.