Notices by James Gleick (jamesgleick@zirk.us), page 2

Did Trump “take a bullet for democracy”? Or was he grazed by some debris, like four police officers standing near him?

The FBI knows, and most of the press has figured it out, but they’re not saying, because it might hurt his little feelings.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/finally-word-from-the-fbi-about-the-trump-story-the-press-has-refused-to-question/sharetoken/d68de310-0656-4452-ba52-60d0fcc305ba

Naturally the press (this is the NY Times editorial board) wants a Democratic clusterfuck now. It would be boring for everyone to get behind the proven Vice President and the candidate who is already on the ticket. “Dems in Disarray” is everyone’s favorite headline.

I don’t think so. I think for once the Dems are going to get this right.

#KamelaHarris

An amazing number of political journalists seem to have detailed and intimate knowledge of what’s going on inside Joe Biden’s head.

Trump’s phone call with (or, really, to) RFK Jr. is the unhinged rant of a crazy person. But you won’t know that without listening to the whole thing (which is painful). Journalists will try to make it make sense by quoting selectively.

I’ve read the New York Times all my life, and I worked in the newsroom for ten years, and I’ve never seen the news department along with the editorial department commit to a nakedly partisan political crusade, as they are now. Evidently they are more outraged by Biden’s determination to continue running for re-election than they have ever been by Donald Trump.

#NYT https://mastodon.social/@jeffjarvis/112741426032898617

It won’t happen quickly—and with Republicans in power it won’t happen at all—but we need to begin taking power from our rogue Supreme Court. Like this: https://hci.social/@bkeegan/112718009105258956

“These are not justices; these are Trump cronies. This is not legal reasoning; this is vandalism.”

Adam Serwer in The Atlantic (gift link)

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/07/supreme-court-donald-trump-immunity-decision/678859/?gift=vgcKXZKCrHTQr6wr7_bnjQi97oJ90I1cliJ8SVIQelw&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

#Scotus

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) continues to be the member of Congress who best demonstrates the qualities of leadership so badly needed by her party. She will not succeed in impeaching these Supreme Court justices, but she will shine a light on their corruption and lay down a marker for voters.

Every Democrat should learn from her example.

https://www.newsweek.com/supreme-court-justices-impeachment-aoc-1919728

Are they reading this at the New York Times editorial board? Do they have any self-awareness left?

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/first-presidential-debate-joe-biden-donald-trump-withdraw-20240629.html

Once again, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is saying out loud just how corrupt and politically motivated the Supreme Court majority has become. https://masto.ai/@Nonilex/112685094145453092

Questions for the presidential #debate:

1. Should people convicted of serious crimes be barred from voting permanently (as in many Republican states) or should their rights be reinstated after they are released from prison?

2. Which crimes do you consider most serious: falsifying business records, tax fraud, or rape?

3. Talk to us about sharks.

This smells like a real story. The headline says “mystery fundraising firm,” but there’s no evidence of a fundraising firm. There is a Delaware LLC, apparently a ghost or a shell—no address except a post-office box—that has received $3.1 million in Trump campaign cash.

Where did the money go then? Into thin air?

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/mystery-fundraising-firm-takes-millions-trump-campaign-rcna156755

“The thing with Sam Alito is that he doesn’t give a fuck. He is a seventy-something Fox News watcher and religious fundamentalist who happens to find himself in a position of immense and almost incomparable power over all of American society and he’s going to take that power to the limit to advance his own political preferences. He’s not even going to go through the motions of pretending that’s not the case.”

Josh Marshall understands Alito all too well. Gift link:

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/resilience-part-2-or-thoughts-on-sam-alitos-dgaf-justicehood/sharetoken/Y8snIS0q4CvM

Meta is deploying chatbots powered by AI to impersonate humans in its discussion groups. The chatbots make stuff up—that is their nature. One invents a nonexistent child. Another pretends to have nonexistent merchandise. It shouldn’t be necessary to explain how vile and poisonous this is, but Casey Fiesler spells it out:

https://theconversation.com/ai-chatbots-are-intruding-into-online-communities-where-people-are-trying-to-connect-with-other-humans-229473

#Meta #AI

Trump is testing the mainstream press. He’s saying in every way possible: Yes, I really am going to be a dictator. Yes, I really am going to dismantle the democratic institutions that have defined this country for 250 years. Yes, this really will be the last election, if I win it. And by the way, of course that means the end of a free press.

Now, how are you going to cover this political season? https://mastodon.social/@indivisibleteam/112576597337880208

New Yorkers: Hochul is now extremely vulnerable to a primary challenge. Who should be the next Governor? https://mastodon.social/@davidzipper/112575202302871721

The Republican House has established a Piggy Bank for members of Congress. They can claim tens of thousands of dollars in expenses without itemizing them or providing receipts.

Guess which Congressman has grabbed the most money.

https://wapo.st/4bVHa5A

“I did not find the case trivial. I found it nauseating, a grouping of some of the least attractive and sleaziest human beings I have ever imagined in proximity to the levers of power. And critically, these were people actively and consciously engaged in an effort to corrupt an election. I came away from the trial thinking it was actually important that Trump had to answer for this conduct.”

@benjaminwittes

https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/thoughts-on-donald-trump-s-conviction

When deciding what sentence to impose on a convicted #felon in New York State, does the judge take into consideration the defendant’s contrition or lack thereof? Does anyone know?

Asking for no particular reason.

May 27 — The social-media account of Donald Trump today posted, in place of a Memorial Day message, an angry stream-of-consciousness rant, apparently by the former president himself, directing invective against “Human Scum” and the judges handling his various federal and state trials. He referred to the United States as “our Once Great Country,” to the CNN journalist Anderson Cooper as “Alison Cooper,” and to the judges as “Wacko” and “Trump Hating.” (1/2)