Welcome to the first Friday in February.

After last week’s extremely stressful work week, this week has been more manageable but I seem to have a cold or something. Every day has brought a new symptom.

Anyway, enjoy this week’s Friday Five in which I bring you: one story about a conspiracy nut problem, the top five stories of the week and five stories about awful people. Plus one thing I posted and some notable obituaries.

This Week in Is Nothing Sacred:

Texas Butterfly Park To Close Indefinitely As Conspiracy Theorists Intensify Attacks – Trump-allied operatives have baselessly accused the National Butterfly Center of being involved with child trafficking.

Stories of the Week:

Domestic terrorist arrested by Capitol Police in October returns to street outside Supreme Court

How furries fought back against a mayor who demanded the library remove its LGBTQ books

The Biden administration is paying survivor’s benefits to victims of anti-gay discrimination

Philly Election Official Describes Working Under Violent Threats

St. Louis groups launch ‘banned book program’ to distribute challenged books

This Week in Haters, Traitors, and Other Deplorables:

Furry Panic is sweeping through Trump supporters, anti-vaxxers & the religious right

Jan. 6 committee member: Trump ‘absolutely’ tampering with witnesses

MO Dad Who Fought For LGBTQ+ Book Ban Arrested For Child Molestation Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

GOP lawmaker admits that “the whole point of” religious exemptions is to allow discrimination

Katy TX Parent Demanded Michelle Obama Bio Get Removed from Library

Things I Wrote:

Very Very Late Friday Five (don’t ban books edition)

In Memoriam:

Holocaust survivor who lost his family in Auschwitz and successfully took shameful deniers to court in the 1980s after promising his father he would ‘tell what happened’ dies aged 95

‘Queen of Italian cinema’ Monica Vitti dies at 90

Jimmy Johnson, renowned Chicago bluesman, guitarist, dead at 93

Blues drummer Sam Lay, from Alabama, dies at 86; played with Dylan, Waters

Howard Hesseman, Dr. Johnny Fever on ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ Dies at 81 – The two-time Emmy nominee and improv veteran also played teacher Charlie Moore on ‘Head of the Class.’

Howard Hesseman’s WKRP character Dr. Johnny Fever moved the dial