Right Here, Right Now

America's Slide, The Pew Coup Q Stew

During our last time going out to lunch before the pandemic, my dad (who was the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust and later spent years in the Partisans fighting the Nazis) and I were walking toward a restaurant, and he expressed his dismay that Americans weren’t taking the threat to our country seriously enough. I suggested that while most Americans were concerned, they didn’t see the Trump era as being that ominous because they assumed the kinds of things that happened in his life could never happen here. My dad stopped walking, looked at me, and asked, "You think vhen I vas a kid any of us thought it could happen there?" I bring up this excerpt from my book because, like most of my dad's concerns, his worry about America's slide toward a corrupt authoritarianism is happening before our very eyes. It's bad enough what this is doing at home, but it's hard to overstate what it's doing abroad. We’ve known about Trump's treachery and Putin romance since Trump sided with him over America in Helsinki, and the enablers were completely cool with that. From that point, I was sure I could never again be shocked. But the GOP’s tragic Ukraine delays have shocked me to my core. American officials unwilling to take the side of democracy because of the wishes of a corrupt, Putin-wannabe 91-time indictee, one of the leading rightwing media personalities praising Russia during the same week Navalny was killed, Trump only commenting on Navalny's murder by comparing the victim's plight to his own legal problems and an entire political party reacting with a ho hum, performative, fake impeachment hearings based on nothing (except some testimony from a lying informant with ties to, wait for it, Russian intelligence) ...This is what it looks like when it's happening here.

+ "I've got a suggestion for the next Trump-G.O.P. fund-raising scheme. You know how sports memorabilia stores sometimes sell basketballs autographed by an entire N.B.A. team? Well, I was imagining that Donald Trump could sell white flags at $1,000 a pop that say, 'We surrendered Ukraine to Russia,' autographed by him and the House and Senate MAGA sycophants he’s assembled to deny Ukrainians the weapons they need to stave off Vladimir Putin’s onslaught. For an extra $500, you could get a white flag autographed solely by Trump and J.D. Vance and emblazoned with Vance’s immortal words, 'I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine.' Or one signed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, big enough to sum up his worldview: I was for Ukraine aid until I was against it, but I could be for it again if Trump is not against it. This is a matter of principle for me. Either way, it’s all Biden’s fault." Tom Friedman in the NYT (Gift Article): Trump’s G.O.P. Is a Confederacy of Fakers. "Trump’s G.O.P. has become bottomless. It now manifests an infinite willingness to engage in any form of crow eating, bootlicking, backtracking and backstabbing to stay in his good graces, no matter how crackpot, selfish or un-American his demand. Trump decides to just dump Ukraine? Bye-bye, Zelensky. Trump decides to toss aside months of bipartisan work to forge a grand bargain on immigration reform? Gone — no questions asked! I’ve never seen so many people in one party behave with so little respect for themselves or the nation’s interests at one time."

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The Pew Coup Q Stew

Why would so many people who know better back Trump? Don't underestimate the religious factor and Trump's transactional willingness to push almost any policy that gives him power. It's a transactional relationship that has worked to great effect for the religious right so far. See the makeup of the Supreme Court and the state of abortion laws for an example. Politico: Trump allies prepare to infuse ‘Christian nationalism’ in second administration. "Spearheading the effort is Russell Vought, president of The Center for Renewing America, part of a conservative consortium preparing for Trump’s return to power." And when it comes to many of these issues, most of the party leaders are fully on board. Nikki Haley sides with Alabama Supreme Court on IVF ruling: 'Embryos, to me, are babies.'

+ The Alabama Supreme Court opinion holding that embryos are children, explained.

+ And don't be surprised that the decision in Alabama was infused with religious language. Alabama Supreme Court chief justice spreads Christian nationalist rhetoric on QAnon conspiracy theorist's show.

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Exhaustive Analysis

"Based on a model in which all new vehicles sold by 2035 are zero-tailpipe emission, the group concludes that there would be 2.7 million fewer asthma attacks among children, as well as 147,000 fewer acute case of bronchitis. The transition to EV-only sales would also prevent 2.67 million cases of upper respiratory symptoms and 1.87 million cases of lower respiratory symptoms in children. And there would be 508 fewer cases of infant mortality." The Verge: Switching to electric vehicles would be fantastic for kids’ health. (They're also remarkably fun to drive.)

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Ripping the Social Fabric

"The story of how American pro-sports jerseys—baseball and beyond—have lost some of their swagger, however, goes further than a single company. It’s also a story about the nature of sports uniforms themselves, and why fans might be doomed to more disappointment in the future." Amanda Mull in The Atlantic (Gift Article): What Happened to Baseball Jerseys? During a week when the NBA is on an all-star break, spring training games haven't started, and the NFL is over, I'll take any sports-related content I can get. Our power went out for several hours the other night, and aside from the total darkness, I barely noticed.

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Extra, Extra

Aim: "There’s no doubt that the IDF has done significant damage to Hamas's infrastructure. Israel has killed or captured somewhere around one-third of Hamas’s fighting force, destroyed at least half of its rocket stockpile, and demolished somewhere between 20 and 40 percent of its tunnel network under Gaza. The more the war goes on, the higher those numbers will become. But as significant as these achievements are, 'none of them come close to eliminating Hamas' says Dan Byman, a professor at Georgetown who studies Israeli counterterrorism policy." Vox: How Israel’s war went wrong.

+ Space Nukes for Dummies: "U.S. intelligence agencies have told their closest European allies that if Russia is going to launch a nuclear weapon into orbit, it will probably do so this year — but that it might instead launch a harmless 'dummy' warhead into orbit to leave the West guessing about its capabilities." NYT (Gift Article): U.S. Warns Allies Russia Could Put a Nuclear Weapon Into Orbit This Year.

+ If Looks Could Kill: "According to court documents in the case, the altercation started with a remark about whether one person was looking at the other." 2 men charged with murder in Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade shooting.

+ Nex: "Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old Oklahoma sophomore, died on February 8. Nex, who was non-binary, was attacked in an Owasso High School bathroom the previous day, sustaining serious head injuries. Nex's grandmother and legal guardian, Sue Benedict, said, "Nex did not see themselves as male or female," and they were supported at home. But, according to Benedict, Nex had been bullied at school due to their gender identity since early 2023." Popular Information: Nex Benedict matters. (And words from politicians have an impact.)

+ A Plan Would Be Good: "What ensured the quiet assimilation of displaced Ukrainians? Why has the arrival of asylum seekers from Latin America been so different? And why have some cities managed to weather the so-called crisis without any outcry or political backlash? In interviews with mayors, other municipal officials, nonprofit leaders, and immigration lawyers in several states, I pieced together an answer stemming from two major differences in federal policy. First, the Biden administration admitted the Ukrainians under terms that allowed them to work right away. Second, the feds had a plan for where to place these newcomers." The Atlantic (Gift Article): Something’s Fishy About the ‘Migrant Crisis.'

+ Max Out: "Boeing announced Wednesday the head of the company's 737 Max program is leaving the company in a management shake-up after a string of mishaps." This gives new meaning to the phrase, they showed him the door.

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Bottom of the News

"A 4-hour long tour of all 17 toilet, or a 2-hour long tour divided into East and West, guides restroom enthusiasts through what are referred to as the symbols of Japan’s world-renowned hospitality culture. During the tour or after, you’ll never have to worry about finding a public restroom in Tokyo ever again." Go on the Tokyo Toilet Tour and Never Worry About Finding a Public Restroom Again. As an occasional IBS sufferer, this is seriously my dream vacation.

+ Apple Officially Warns Users to Stop Putting Wet iPhones in Rice.

+ A man sues Powerball after being told his $340M 'win' was a mistake.