What happened when Moms for Liberty came to deep-blue NYC

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     January 19, 2024 I've lived in New York City, on and off, for over 10 years—but last night, I had two new experiences in the city that never sleeps: I went to a Moms for Liberty town hall on the Upper East Side, and I met [disgraced]( former Congressman George Santos. The so-called parents’ rights group—which has pushed book bans and helped stir the moral panic about pronoun usage in schools—[promised]( its event would consist of “important discussions about education in NY.” But remarkably little of the two-hour conversation that unfolded focused on educational issues—or proposed solutions—relevant specifically to New York City public school students, parents, or teachers. Instead, speakers continuously contradicted themselves. They trotted out their go-to culture war talking points—about “gender ideology” and diversity, equity and inclusion in schools—while also wondering aloud how education had “become so political.” They mocked the protesters outside—and president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten—for allegedly failing to engage on educational issues, while also trading ad hominem barbs about them (which kept Santos cackling in the corner). They adopted the language of anti-racism and LGBTQ inclusion, even as they critiqued it. To get the full tea—including my run-in with Santos, in which he tried to get me to buy one of his personalized videos he sells for $350 a pop—[check out my piece](. And have a good weekend. —Julianne McShane Advertisement [House Donations Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [That Time When Moms for Liberty Came to Deep-Blue NYC]( They were met with chants of "worst moms ever!" And I met disgraced former congressman George Santos. BY JULIANNE MCSHANE MOJO MUST-READS BY DANIEL SCHULMAN   The Money Kings: The Epic Story of the Jewish Immigrants Who Transformed Wall Street and Shaped Modern America The incredible saga of the German-Jewish immigrants—with now familiar names like Goldman and Sachs, Kuhn and Loeb, Warburg and Schiff, Lehman and Seligman—who profoundly influenced the rise of modern finance (and so much more), from Mother Jones Deputy DC Bureau Chief and New York Times best-selling author Daniel Schulman. [Get The Money Kings here](. [Trending] [A federal judge has gone to great lengths to make clear Trump really did rape E. Jean Carroll]( BY KATIE HERCHENROEDER   [Famed climatologist Michael Mann finally faces his detractors in court]( BY DHARNA NOOR   [Will California keep funding sickle cell care?]( BY JULIA MÉTRAUX   [Did the largest pediatrician group miss the mark on GMOs?]( BY KIERA BUTLER Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [From hairstylist to Jan. 6 influencer: Meet the man helping the GOP whitewash the insurrection]( Brandon Straka went from house arrest to convincing Republicans to embrace the Capitol rioters. BY STEPHANIE MENCIMER [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755