The Dark Side of Immune

SCOTUS and Why It's Good to be the King

Four years ago nearly to the day, President Trump used a White House briefing to ponder the notion of using sunlight, ultraviolet light, and household disinfectants to kill the coronavirus. The president was not a doctor, but every afternoon, he played one on TV. And this time Doogie Howitzer went too far. Executives at Reckitt Benckiser, which owns brands including Lysol, felt compelled to issue a statement: "As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route)." This was a memorable example of a common theme. Trump issues a ridiculous suggestion or a preposterous lie, and then the rest of us waste time having a serious discussion about a frivolous topic. Today, that tendency reached a new low as the Supreme Court held a multi-hour session to determine whether or not a president has complete immunity. In short, the Supreme Court is set to decide whether America has a president or a king, something George Washington decided 252 years ago. Here's a look at the arguments from CNN and AP. (Of all people, Trump should know the only way to get complete immunity is by taking hydroxychloroquine.) Here's the big picture. The Court is considering these absurdist presidential immunity questions for the first time in centuries because it's the first time we've had a president who was this much of a criminal and such an existential threat to democracy. And his corrupted party, craven enablers, and rabid base of followers has selected him to be president once again.

+ This SCOTUS case is tantric law. Everyone knows the likely outcome. What matters is how long they can drag out the build up. And, to carry on with the theme, it looks like justice could be a long time coming. Supreme Court signals further delay in Trump election interference case in weighing immunity claims.

+ Meanwhile, back in NYC, David Pecker's testimony continued to implicate Trump in one of his other acts of election interference. "Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Pecker if Trump said anything to make him think that he was concerned about his family rather than the campaign. 'I thought it was for his campaign,' Pecker said. In conversations with Cohen and Trump, his family was never mentioned." Here's the latest from CNN, NBC, and The Guardian.

+ Wait, there's more Trump legal news. Federal judge upholds verdict in E. Jean Carroll case and denies Trump’s motion for a new trial.

+ Oh, and there's more (very big) election interference news. "An Arizona grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump ‘s chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani and 16 others for their roles in an attempt to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The indictment released Wednesday names 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Trump won Arizona in 2020." Trump's crime coverage has more spinoffs than Law & Order. I wish I had immunity to Trump news.

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Bridge to Nowhere

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was unforgettable and breathtaking even for those who just saw footage on the internet. Imagine the impact for those who lived and worked in the shadow of the bridge. "The financial consequences of the collapse will be immense. But what of the emotional blow — the sudden, surreal disruption for the residents of Dundalk, where an enduring landmark, an economic artery that shaped the town’s horizon and helped fuel its aspirations for 47 years, was ripped away in a matter of seconds? 'It’s like a death — a friend is gone,' said Rhonda Green Randolph, 59, who recalls the bridge being built when she was a child and now can’t bring herself to look at the wreckage in person." WaPo (Gift Article): ‘That bridge was a symbol of us.'

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College Material

"Elite universities are caught in a trap of their own making, one that has been a long time coming. They’ve trained pro-Palestinian students to believe that, on the oppressor-oppressed axis, Jews are white and therefore dominant, not 'marginalized,' while Israel is a settler-colonialist state and therefore illegitimate. They’ve trained pro-Israel students to believe that unwelcome and even offensive speech makes them so unsafe that they should stay away from campus. What the universities haven’t done is train their students to talk with one another." (That's something the kids on campus share with the rest of us.) George Packer in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Campus-Left Occupation That Broke Higher Education.

+ I didn't think of these bookends for the Class of 2024. "Columbia’s class of 2024 missed high school graduations and university orientation. Their freshman year passed in a haze of masks, Zoom classes and isolation. Four years later, not much has changed. Thanks to the Gaza protests, crowds are again being dispersed, classes have gone remote and students are wearing masks—this time to hide their identities at demonstrations. Graduation ceremonies might be canceled." They Entered College in Isolation and Leave in Protest.

+ Hamas and Iran celebrate anti-Gaza war protests taking US colleges by storm. You might find that disturbing. Would the protesters? Share of college students blaming Hamas for Oct. 7 attack on Israel declines in new poll.

+ I can't stand Bibi, deplore his rightwing allies, am no fan of the way this was has been conducted, and think the lack of humanitarian aid is unconscionable. But that's a far cry from thinking Iran and Hamas are the good guys here. Gazans venting anger against Hamas in wake of death and destruction.

+ Dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi has been given a death sentence for his involvement in the widespread protests that swept Iran in 2022.

+ "The Hamas terror group published a propaganda video Wednesday showing signs of life from 23-year-old Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, prompting relief and concern for his parents, and sparking an angry anti-government protest near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home demanding a deal to return the hostages."

+ "President Biden and the leaders of 17 countries whose citizens were abducted by Hamas issued a joint statement Thursday calling on the group to accept a hostage deal currently on the table that would lead to a ceasefire in Gaza."

4

Beagle Bucks

"People like me have fueled the growth of what you might call Big Vet. As household pets have risen in status—from mere animals to bona fide family members—so, too, has owners’ willingness to spend money to ensure their well-being. Big-money investors have noticed. According to data provided to me by PitchBook, private equity poured $51.6 billion into the veterinary sector from 2017 to 2023, and another $9.3 billion in the first four months of this year, seemingly convinced that it had discovered a foolproof investment." Why Your Vet Bill Is So High.

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Extra, Extra

Weinstein's Sequel: "The court, in a 4-3 ruling, ruled that the judge in the New York County trial prejudiced Weinstein with improper rulings, including allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case. The court — the highest court in New York state’s judicial system — ruled that a new trial must take place." N.Y. Appeals Court Overturns Harvey Weinstein Rape Conviction.

+ Time to Consult a Lawyer: "McKinsey is under criminal investigation in the United States over allegations that the consulting firm played a key role in fueling the opioid epidemic."

+ Milk Dud: "The fact that you can go into a supermarket and 30% to 40% of those samples test positive, that suggests there’s more of the virus around than is currently being recognized." Stat: Early tests of H5N1 prevalence in milk suggest U.S. bird flu outbreak in cows is widespread.

+ Dragged Over the Coals: "The Biden administration on Thursday placed the final cornerstone of its plan to tackle climate change: a regulation that would force the nation’s coal-fired power plants to virtually eliminate the planet-warming pollution that they release into the air, or shut down."

+ Ticket Masters: "More than 250 recording artists have signed a letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce in support of a bill advocating for ticket sale transparency and consumer protections against bots." Billie Eilish, Dave Mathews, Lorde Among Artists Addressing Ticket System Reform.

+ Getting the Picture: Here are the Winners of the 2024 World Press Photo Contest.

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Bottom of the News

"The rat hole first went viral in January when a photo garnered millions of views on the social platform X. It quickly became an offbeat tourist attraction, drawing hundreds of devoted fans to West Roscoe Street. At its peak, a makeshift shrine was erected at the site, featuring a framed photo of a mouse, a cardboard coffin and dozens of coins strewn across the sidewalk. Lines of eager visitors would stretch down the block." City removes and preserves Chicago Rat Hole after complaints from neighbors.