October 11, 2024

The Stuttering Lede, Oct. 11th, 2024

25 days until we find out if we can stop fascism

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt

Elections 2024

• If you didn’t vote in 2020, Cards Against Humanity will PAY you to apologize, make a voting plan, and publicly post #DonaldTrumpIsAHumanToilet — up to $100 if you live in a swing state and lean blue. Apologize.

• Today in Aurora, Colorado, Donald Trump will be announcing “Operation Aurora” — a gang member removal program. The program will invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target and dismantle illegal migrant criminal networks operating on US soil, including the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, according to a senior campaign official.

• Trump: "I didn't have to be here. I could be in a beautiful beach. I could be in a gorgeous beach somewhere in the world. The sun beaming down in this beautiful body in a bathing suit." Ewwwww!!!

• Obama: Or diapers. I remember buying diapers. Do you think Donald Trump ever changed a diaper?

  Supporter: His own!

  Obama: I almost said that, but I decided I should not say it.

• Why isn't it a bigger deal that the world's richest man, Elon Musk, is trying to buy (now literally, at $47 a pop) a U.S. presidential election? What is the $250B man trying to accomplish with this, and why is he harassing Pennsylvania?

• Trump, on a lying spree, made at least 40 separate false claims in two Pennsylvania speeches. False claims are also called LIES.

• The GOP and Trump aren’t interested in addressing or curbing immigration. They rely on it for political power and for profit.

  The point is to create an environment of fear where they can better exploit vulnerable people.

• Asked 5 times by Lulu Navarro whether Trump lost the 2020 election, JD Vance declines to say yes or no. JD Vance confirms that he would have illegally used his office to do an autogolpe for Donald Trump. JD Vance says that he can throw out democracy because he couldn't see Hunter Biden's dick 2 days earlier than he otherwise could. Why does JD think Hunter Biden's dick would have made people vote for Donald Trump? Will he call on Elon Musk to stop "censoring" his own vetting doc?

• Rep. Lauren Boebert could not be more wrong while being right: “We’ve got a big decision coming up November 5th. It’s like one of those choose your own adventure novels. Except in this one, your options are a booming economy with prosperity and freedom… or watching our country fall apart and be handed over to tyrants and dictators.”

• Gen. Miley fears being court-martialed if Trump wins.

• Dems are seriously second-guessing some of the strategies of the biggest pro-Harris Super PAC, Future Forward. They worry outreach to young and nonwhites is faltering and think Trump was able to rehabilitate his favorables too easily.

• Barack Obama: “For anyone out there who thinks your vote doesn't matter, let Jeanie be an example to all of us of the power of your vote. Don't take your vote, or your voice, for granted. Happy 104th birthday, Jeanie!”

• Donald Trump’s Plan B.

• Trump took the "most sensitive" British naval secrets and (most likely) gave them to Putin.

• No evidence Trump really has been to Gaza.

Politics

• A couple of weeks ago, Elie Mystal “complained on this hellsite [Twitter] about the Electoral College. Some people decided to come at me with really bad arguments in defense of the system. Well... ALLOW ME TO RETORT.”

• Raising California fast food workers' minimum wage helped, not hurt the economy.

• An incomplete list of things mentioned in this story: tires, diapers, corn, washing dishes, Charli XCX, Hitler, the Bible, Howard Stern's ratings, the forgotten ’90s Whoopi Goldberg comedy Eddie.

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• Trump admin protected Brett Kavanaugh from full FBI investigation.

• Conspiracy theories around Hurricane Helene are ridiculous, but what they show is that the Right and the GOP are sliding into Ecofascism as the consequences of climate change accumulate.

• Over Larry Hogan’s eight years in office, nearly 40% of the competitive affordable housing awards overseen by the governor went to developers listed as clients on HOGAN’s website.

• FTC finalized updates to the form that firms must fill out when proposing a reportable merger or acquisition.

• Mark Cuban Is Wrong': Bernie Sanders Defends Lina Khan as 'Best FTC Chair in Modern History'

• "Who's Afraid of Lina Khan?" Based on conversations with 100 people - billionaires, service workers, agency heads, executives, VCs, senators, scholars, advocates, current/former FTC staff, & Khan herself, at HQ & on the road.

• Is DEI Backlash Real Or Manufactured?

• The Gibraltar deadlock.

Women Rights

• According to Sen. John Kennedy women are not people.

• Georgia's Supreme Court reinstated the state’s six-week abortion ban. This ban has denied countless people access to necessary health care, including Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller whose preventable deaths were a direct result of this abortion ban.

• The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Texas hospitals cannot be forced to provide emergency abortion care to save the life of the mother.

Ukraine/Russia

• Project ‘Putin Speaks:’ Speeches of V. Putin are presented in English using his voice (AI helps). Some sound strange (early ones), but last ones seem authentic. There are also transcripts.

• A network of over 1000 likely automated, pro-Russian X accounts that we're calling "Sleeper Agents," as some have been active for over a DECADE.

• US House Speaker Mike Johnson stated he has no desire to continue funding Ukraine. He expressed belief that, if former President Trump wins, he could end the conflict by calling Putin and saying, "this is enough.”

• A Nigerien rapper celebrates Vladimir Putin's 72nd birthday yesterday. So much cringe...

• 'Chinese Mercenaries' Fighting for Russia Killed in Ukraine: Report.

Middle East

• A recent survey of Israelis has some depressing findings: among them, that only 28% of Israeli Jewish respondents think that Palestinians have the right to statehood.

• Israel not only permits Jewish terror in the West Bank, but also finances it.

• The world (doesn’t) react to IDF attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

• Israel’s lack of vision in multi-fronted war may be fatally exposed.

Tech

• Elon Musk joined Tucker Carlson for an interview Monday night, and laughed about what he believes is a lack of assassination attempts against Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.

• The history of the Internet is under attack.

• Elon Musk’s X has reportedly worked with the Trump campaign to censor material that could be harmful to the former president’s White House chances as part of a pattern of election interference that is unprecedented in U.S. history.

• Worth noting that Maye Musk was raised by a literal fascist who loved the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, moved to South Africa because he supported apartheid, and blamed opposition to apartheid on the Jews.

• NYT reports that the Trump campaign privately back channeled to officials at this platform to get them to throttle links to reports about hacked materials from their campaign.

• The relationship between fascism, masculinity, and machines on full display: Irvine, California unveils first Cybertruck police car in the U.S.

Climate Change

• “We are on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster. This is a global emergency beyond any doubt. Much of the very fabric of life on Earth is imperiled. We are stepping into a critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis.”

• Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum makes a bold statement on climate change to start her Presidency. Mexico City Public Buses Will Be Powered by Food Market Solar Panels.

Misc.

• Kevin Smith Bringing ‘Dogma’ Back To Theaters, Home Release.

• New Jerseyans Working Remotely for Out-of-State Employers May Be Eligible for Gross Income Tax Credit.

• Cate Blanchett’s new show is either beautiful … or a schlocky nightmare.

• Recording cops up close is not a crime.

• Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million to Hurricane Helene and Milton Relief Efforts.

Humor