NPR's Morning Edition ran a story yesterday that was a little surprising, to say the least. As part of training in how to stay focused when dealing with a person you have a "strong, visceral disagreement" with, the FBI invited representatives of a certain Kansas based hate group to speak to their trainees:

At a minimum, the timing was terrible.

Westboro was engaged in a legal battle with the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder. The father filed suit against the church after it protested at his son's military funeral. A Maryland district court ordered the church to pay nearly $11 million in damages, saying the demonstrations caused "emotional distress, intrusion upon seclusion and civil conspiracy."

An appeals court overturned the decision. Then around the time that Westboro leaders were at Quantico, the Supreme Court ruled that the church was allowed to continue its mocking protests outside military funerals because it's protected by the First Amendment.

The top brass at the FBI only found out about the Westboro invitations after more than 200 officers and agents had attended the sessions. Almost immediately afterward, the officers and agents sent memos asking why the group had been invited.

The FBI official responsible for bringing in the church group did not want to be identified by name. He said he found the group personally distasteful, but thought police and FBI agents needed to learn how to engage people they disagreed with and find ways to build relationships with them.

He conceded that inviting a group that pickets military funerals to a military base was, at best, problematic. Officials said it was one of the reasons the fourth session took place at the FBI facility in Manassass.

The FBI has invited other controversial figures to speak to trainees in the past, including former members of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan.

I can think of a few different circumstances that I'd like to see members of that organization speaking to FBI, but not really as part of a training exercise.

When it comes to fundraising in the Tucson City Council races, the incumbents definitely have the advantage, according the latest campaign finance reports covering contributions and spending through May 31.

Take Ward 1, where Democratic incumbent Regina Romero is facing a primary challenge from Democrat Joe Flores.

Romero had already raised $43,500 as of May 31 and applied for matching funds, which will provide a dollar-for-dollar match for her private contributions. As we reported weeks ago, that means that Romero is essentially done with fundraising.

Flores, a political newcomer, has raised only $2,291 by the end of May and has loaned his campaign another $,2623. He had just $2,030 in the bank at the end of the reporting period.

In Ward 2, Democratic incumbent Paul Cunningham had a big lead over Republican challenger Jennifer Rawson.

Cunningham had raised $16,711 and has qualified for matching funds. His campaign manager, Curtis Dutiel, told The Range earlier this month that Cunningham had received an additional $11,000 in matching funds since the report was filed and had roughly $23,000 in cash on hand.

His GOP opponent, Jennifer Rawson, reported raising $1,432 and had $665 in the bank at the end of the reporting period.

In Ward 4, incumbent Councilwoman Shirley Scott has raised just $15,861, putting her in last place among her council colleagues. She had just under $11,000 left in the bank and has yet to apply to qualify for matching funds.

But her GOP challenger, Tyler Vogt, had raised just $4,797 and had only $1,886 in the bank.

Nearly all music from 1990 has a weird distant feel at this point, but this leaked video from the Scientology archives is particularly bad. Catch organization head and very nice man (according to several terse emails I received) David Miscavige wearing a very strange sweater around 2:45!

[Laughing Squid]

Bilal Muhammad looks at life for a female barber in the male dominated world of the barbershop.

I don't have much time to spare on former "mayoral candidate" Marshall Home and JB says Gibson can't take over the beat, so we're outsourcing the coverage to Rum, Romanism and Rebellion, which is doing a fine job of keeping track of Home here and here.

We appreciate your efforts, Tedski, especially when they lead to a Chicago Tribune story as amusing as this:

Early on in the proceedings at a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago, Apostolou's Chicago lawyer, Zane Smith, reiterated to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Pamela Hollis that his firm isn't connected to Marshall Home. Home has filed papers saying that he has a $150 million lien against Giordano's.

"I can only describe Mr. Home's filings as wacky," Smith told the judge. He added that he has seen no evidence of a loan between Home and Apostolou. Giordano's main creditor, Fifth Third Bank, is owed $45 million.

Hollis concluded the same thing after Home was sworn to testify. She also noted his "Incomprehensible" filings in the case.

Apostolou, a Greek immigrant who lost control of Giordano's in the bankruptcy filing after he fired his first lawyer and struck up a relationship with Home, then was sworn in to testify. During which he said he had signed documents for Home but had never borrowed or lent him any money.

Then the judge asked Home to answer questions under oath, reminding him that what he said could have serious consequences.

"And vice versa," Home said.

"Who are you threatening?" the judge asked Home. She also asked Home to stop interrupting her and mentioned Apostolou's testimony that he received no money from Home.

After the exchanged continued, three guards escorted Home out of the hearing.

Remember: This is the guy who did get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. (Such a shame he lives outside the city limits.)

Mayoral candidate Jonathan Rothschild has raised more than $160,000 for his mayoral campaign—which is a whole lot of cheese, especially since, as it now stands, he'll only face a Green Party candidate. (Republicans are talking about fielding a write-in candidate in the primary in order to get a GOP candidate in the general election.)

If you feel like checking out the reports, you can find them here.

Here's the press release from the Rothschild campaign:

While CM Punk won't be there tonight (he isn't part of the Smackdown brand that's taping tonight at the Convention Center, plus he's ostensibly suspended or fired or something), I would like to thank the WWE for this moment on Monday night's Raw, nearly drawing me back into watching the show and giving a writer for the newish sports/pop culture site Grantland a reason to write over a thousand words about six minutes of television wrestling.

Enjoy our site, wrestlers and production crew! Ask Vince to bring back Goldust.

• From left: Steve Sargent, Charles Kendrick, Rhonda Kendrick and John Foster

“First I questioned their judgment; now I'm questioning their sanity," says Kendrick, now in his 80s. "This is my last hurrah. I missed my 15 minutes of fame, but this is my last hurrah.”

The new Mr. K’s is located in the former Chili’s on the corner of Stone Avenue and River Road. Kendrick and his daughter, Rhonda Kendrick, are opening the restaurant with local restaurant designer John Foster and Steve Sargent, the executive chef at Mays Counter, in which Foster is also a partner.

“For me, it’s more about him than the food,” says Foster, who has known the Kendricks all his life. “He had quite the impact on me the first time I met him, and it just so happens that he makes some gangster barbecue, too.”

Kendrick was one of the first black students to graduate from the UA’s School of Pharmacy, and will be honored at this year’s UA homecoming for his accomplishments. He worked as pharmacist for 40 years at Kino Community Hospital, opened an African-American museum and then opened a barbecue joint to keep the doors open.

He’s also been a vocal advocate for equal rights and access to education, and sort of an unelected official on the southside for many decades.

And his barbecue, well, let’s let him talk about that.

“I went to Kansas City three times; I went to Texas three times. I tried barbecue all over the place, and the only thing I ever did was add a little more spice to my beans,” says Kendrick, who swears by his tomato-based barbecue sauce. “This is Tucson barbecue. We live here; we’re not just passing through.”

What Kendrick and his crew are trying to do is make Tucson a barbecue destination, with them as the nexus. They say there's other good barbecue out there, but they're going to try to raise the bar just a bit.

Sargent — who has worked at a number of restaurants, including stints for Metro Restaurants and the now-defunct Terra Cotta — says the meat will come straight from the smoker, and that nothing will be reheated. He’s putting a bit of an upscale flair on some of the side dishes, too, although every recipe must get the go-ahead from Mr. K himself.

The restaurant will also pay homage to Kendrick’s accomplishments, with pictures from his life lining the walls. Kendrick himself will also hold court at the restaurant, as he’s always done at his south side joint.

On the menu: Brisket, ribs, pulled pork, turkey breast, hotlinks and rope sausages. Side dishes: Candied yams, okra, macaroni-and-cheese, kettle chips, collard greens and many more. There will also be a nice selection of Southern desserts and a full bar. Prices are in the $5 to $12 range.

There will also be live entertainment, and Foster says he’s bringing in a piano from the 1800s for live gospel concerts.

The original Mr. K’s on South Park Avenue will stay open, and they’re talking about doing some improvements to the property.

The new restaurant is expected to open in August.

• Steve Sargent can smoke a ton of meat in this smoker.

"Blue Buddha" by Susan Gott is on display in Philabaum and Phriends, continuing through July 2, at Philabaum Glass Gallery & Studio, through Sept. 30, at Philabam Glass Gallery & Studio, 711 S. 6th Ave.

We thought three new brewing operations starting up this year was impressive, but now there’s a fourth: Catalina Brewing Company.

This company is all about the bikes and the brew, and will even brew a beer for the annual 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo mountain-bike race. The cherry beer sounds awesome, too.