This week in our Members Only Newsletter you missed:
Max Notes on the collapse of the temporary pier in Gaza constructed by the U.S. military
The Tuesday Top Five news articles everyone should be reading
An original essay from News Beat’s Rashed Mian on the ashes of Rafah
And Ryan Stanco’s “Not for Nothing” on Red Lobster, Civic Doody and Orange Permafrost
So I guess the question is… what are you waiting for? Sign up today to become a member and level up to unlock a slew of additional perks!
Max Notes
On behalf of the rest of New York I would like to formally say, “You’re welcome.” Of course, we produced this orange fucknugget so we do share some responsibility. But we knew he was a crook and a clown and weren’t the ones that put him in office. We did try to warn everyone.
So the question now is whether or not this will help or hinder the clown’s chances come November. As you’ll see in the chart below, consumer confidence rose after months of a steady decline. As usual, the devil is in the details. Much of consumer confidence is driven by the day-to-day so when the headlines read that major retailers are considering price drops on key goods, it has a positive impact on our collective psyche. However, leading indicators also showed that overall confidence in family finances is declining. So people are feeling better about going to Target today, but still think that they’re fucked in the long-run.
So what’s the throughline between confidence and Trump’s charges?
We have a complicated set of variables. First off, I still believe it’s unlikely that Trump sees the inside of a jail cell. He might have certain prohibitions on travel, which will impact his ability to campaign but being immobile didn’t hurt Joe Biden the last time around. It probably won’t negatively impact Trump’s ability to fundraise considering he broke a record when the news broke of the verdict.
So I don’t think this is the fatal blow that many are hoping for. Biden’s polling numbers are still extremely low and despite his calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, the assault continues unabated with the tent city massacre and seizing full control of the border with Egypt. Between the collapsed aid pier and the humanitarian corridors closing off, the situation in Gaza will worsen by the day. It’s unrealistic to think that Biden’s numbers relative to the Israel/Palestine issue will improve.
And when it comes to the economy, while some consumer goods prices are set to retreat in the coming months, service numbers remain stubbornly high along with home prices and interest rates.
Then there’s Bobby. The ultimate wild card. He’s on the ballot in seven states and his campaign claims that nine more are imminent and petitioning is underway in all but three territories (Wisconsin, Louisiana and D.C.) So this is happening and with a convicted felon and doddering genocide enabler as competitors, RFK might see figures reminicent of Ross Perot.
All that being said, let’s celebrate for the moment that New York finally restored some faith that Trump isn’t above the law.
Confidence rose on the news that retailers might lower prices after sucking the life out of consumers and recording record profits. That only tells a portion of the larger picture where consumers also believe that their family finances are getting worse and that a recession might once again be on the horizon.
Headlines
It’s okay to revel in this moment. For a moment.
David Corn writes about the exhausting trail of destruction Trump has been able to shake off until now. It’s a satisfying take, if only temporary.
From the article:
“His assault on the constitutional order did not lead to political exile or even excommunication from the Republican Party. After he was impeached a second time by the House, with a smidgeon of Republican support, a bipartisan majority in the Senate supported conviction. But with most Republicans standing by Trump, the vote against him fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority. He was in the clear. More importantly, the GOP’s leaders and voters remained devoted to the man who had attempted a coup against American democracy. Yet again, there were no immediate consequences for Trump’s wrongdoing.”
Beneath the headlines is a familiar story. South Africa, the ultimate story of democratic resilience and optimism after years of oppression under an apartheid regime is set to chart a new course. The popular ANC has become stale and out of touch and inequality is widening in South Africa, leading to discontent with the establishment. Like I said… familiar, no?
From the article:
“The respected Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the News24 website have projected that the party's final vote will be around 42%, a big drop from the 57% it obtained in the 2019 election. This would force it [to] go into a coalition with one or more of the other parties in order to form a majority in parliament. The DA has liberal economic policies, while both the EFF and MK favour more state intervention and nationalisation, so the choice of partner would make a huge difference to South Africa's future direction.”
We’re at the beginning stages of what might turn out to be the biggest shitshow ever constructed by humans, and that’s saying a lot. We’re relying (again, still) on private companies to sort through bad actors on the internet instead of shutting down the explosive growth of AI and attempting to get ahead of it with any meaningful regulation. OpenAI might have caught a few bad actors but how many more are there? How would we know? Between Google’s disastrous rollout of generated search and OpenAI pushing boundaries with no guardrails, AI is shaping up to be a disinformation and economic disaster.
From the article:
“The boom in generative artificial intelligence, which can quickly and easily produce realistic audio, video, images and text, is creating new avenues for fraud, scams and manipulation. In particular, the potential for AI fakes to disrupt elections is fueling fears as billions of people around the world head to the polls this year, including in the U.S., India, and the European Union. In the past three months, OpenAI banned accounts linked to five covert influence operations, which it defines as “attempt[s] to manipulate public opinion or influence political outcomes without revealing the true identity or intentions of the actors behind them.”
In celebration of Pride we're flashing back to an early Unf*cking, UNFTR on LGBTQ.
Here’s a snippet from the pod:
MAX: “So what’s important about this is that the movement in this country is young. In our minds and through our teachings, it started with the rights of white gay men, and that’s why Stonewall is such an important part of our understanding and education today. But I liken it to how Martin Luther King, Jr’s advocacy is taught to us through the “I Have a Dream” speech, while ignoring the radical growth of his movement toward the end of his life or the countless events that preceded it that made the March on Washington even possible.”
“In March, the Senate received testimony from the Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board about some transportation related dangers that you should know about. In this episode, hear testimony about those dangers, including those posed by airborne tourism companies, electric vehicles, and self driving technology. You will also hear a stunning NTSB finding about a likely profit-prioritization decision of railroad company Norfolk Southern, which unnecessarily led to the poisoning of East Palestine, OH.”
“A worldwide bestseller for over thirty years, Watership Down is one of the most beloved novels of all time. Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey from their native Sandleford Warren, through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, and toward the dream of a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society.”
Known for his probing interrogations of officials in power, Mehdi Hasan promises to hold the media and others to account with his new independent platform.
For 50 years, American Rivers has been a leader in protecting and restoring rivers throughout the country. Our practical, inclusive approach starts with collaboration and delivers results that improve people’s lives.
