Crash Course Weekend: Trouble piles up for Louis DeJoy

The postmaster general has more conflicts of interest than we can count [Crash Course] Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgphccM8dWFwtQthUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). Written by [Brett Bachman](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0QhaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9CcmV0dEFCYWNobWFuVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Trouble piles up for USPS' Louis DeJoy The headlines just won't stop for U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. This time, a watchdog group revealed that [he has faced more than a dozen conflicts of interest](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvdHJvdWJsZS1waWxlcy11cC1mb3ItcG9zdG1hc3Rlci1nZW5lcmFsLWxvdWlzLWRlam95Lz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphccM8dWFwtQthUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) during his tenure at USPS. This includes stakes both he and his family retain in private logistics companies directly affected by USPS policy, including a $30-$70 million stake in his former company, XPO Logistics, that DeJoy refuses to divest. "If you have a $30 million interest in a company, of course it's going to impact you," Stuart Gilman, a former assistant director at the Office of Government Ethics, wrote in a report published by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Crew obtained thousands of financial documents via Freedom of Information Act Request, which showed that DeJoy has a number of blatant conflicts. "I would assume that there is a problem here. It certainly doesn't pass the smell test." (Photo via Getty Images) Did Trump's social network rip off its code? It certainly looks that way. Users who were able to access and create accounts on a beta version of Trump's "TRUTH Social" through a backdoor immediately noticed that it bore an uncanny resemblance to Mastodon, an alternative social network known for its focus on privacy and "free speech" values. The error message on Trump's new social platform used the site's elephant mascot, and one user even [snapped a screenshot of the site's HTML code](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9SZWFsR2xlbk1lcmxpbi9zdGF0dXMvMTQ1MTA2ODQ2NDIzMjE1NzE4ND9zPTIwVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) that explicitly mentioned Mastodon, leading many to surmise that it had lifted the company's code directly. This isn't necessarily unusual — Mastodon is an open-source software. But it appears Trump's team flouted the sharing rules Mastodon set, potentially opening TRUTH Social up to legal action in the future. "I do intend to seek legal counsel on the situation," Mastodon founder and lead developer Eugen Rochko told Talking Points Memo. "Compliance with our AGPLv3 license is very important to me, as that is the sole basis upon which I and other developers are willing to give away years of work for free." - Alec {NAME}'s fatal film set shooting [followed union workers' outcry over safety issues](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0SJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvYWxlYy1iYWxkd2lucy1mYXRhbC1maWxtLXNldC1mb2xsb3dlZC11bmlvbi13b3JrZXJzLW91dGNyeS1vdmVyLXNhZmV0eS1pc3N1ZXNfcGFydG5lci8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYXHDPHVhcLULYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) - Billionaire donor who funded Jan. 6 group now [pouring dark money into Glenn Youngkin campaign](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0SMaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjIvYmlsbGlvbmFpcmUtZG9ub3ItZnVuZGVkLWphbi02LWdyb3VwLW5vdy1wb3VyaW5nLWRhcmstbW9uZXktaW50by1nbGVubi15b3VuZ2tpbi1jYW1wYWlnbi8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYXHDPHVhcLULYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) - Razor blades and weed edibles: [Behind the enduring Halloween "candy poisoning" urban legends](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0SNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvcmF6b3ItYmxhZGVzLWFuZC13ZWVkLWVkaWJsZXMtYmVoaW5kLXRoZS1lbmR1cmluZy1oYWxsb3dlZW4tY2FuZHktcG9pc29uaW5nLXVyYmFuLWxlZ2VuZHMvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) - Gerrymandering doesn't just hurt Democrats, Salon's Amanda Marcotte writes — [it also speeds up the Republican race to the bottom](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RTaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjIvZ2VycnltYW5kZXJpbmctd2lsbC1iYWNrZmlyZS1vbi8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYXHDPHVhcLULYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) - What if humans didn't need to breathe? [A study on algae's ability to oxygenate cells raises eyebrows](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RLaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvYWxnYWUtb3h5Z2VuYXRpb24tYnJhaW4vP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) - Bill Maher explains how he thinks [America can stop Trump's "slow-moving coup"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0R_aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvYmlsbC1tYWhlci1leHBsYWlucy1ob3ctaGUtdGhpbmtzLWFtZXJpY2EtY2FuLXN0b3Atc2xvdy1tb3ZpbmctY291cF9wYXJ0bmVyLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphccM8dWFwtQthUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) - Between the measles and COVID, [Netflix's "You" makes a bizarre creative decision that doesn't make sense](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0Q_aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMveW91LW5ldGZsaXgvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) - How the 1% [tricks you into thinking climate change is your fault](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0R4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvaG93LXRoZS0xLWlzLXRyaWNraW5nLXlvdS1pbnRvLXRoaW5raW5nLWNsaW1hdGUtY2hhbmdlLWlzLXlvdXItZmF1bHQvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) - Read [Justice Sotomayor's scathing Texas abortion dissent](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0SJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjIvanVzdGljZS1zb3RvbWF5b3ItaW4tYS1sb25lLWRpc3NlbnQtZXhwbGFpbnMtd2h5LXRoZS1pcy1vbi10ZXhhcy1hYm9ydGlvbi1iYW5fcGFydG5lci8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYXHDPHVhcLULYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) - Trump makes bizarre statement [claiming he "made it possible" for John McCain to have "world's longest funeral"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0SHaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjIvYmxhc3RzLW1lZ2hhbi1tY2NhaW4tYXMtbG93bGlmZS1hbmQtc2F5cy1oZS1nYXZlLWpvaG4tbWNjYWluLXdvcmxkcy1sb25nZXN0LWZ1bmVyYWwvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) - Why the latest "What We Do in the Shadows" twist [makes sense in The Great Resignation era](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0SLaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvd2h5LXRoZS1sYXRlc3Qtd2hhdC13ZS1kby1pbi10aGUtc2hhZG93cy10d2lzdC1tYWtlcy1zZW5zZS1pbi10aGUtZ3JlYXQtcmVzaWduYXRpb24tZXJhLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphccM8dWFwtQthUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) - Ed Begley, Jr. on [helping "SNL" try to reunite the Beatles](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0SNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvZWQtYmVnbGV5LWpyLW9uLWhlbHBpbmctc25sLXRyeS10by1yZXVuaXRlLXRoZS1iZWF0bGVzLWFuZC1zYXZpbmctZ2VvcmdlLWhhcnJpc29ucy1ndWl0YXIvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) and saving George Harrison's guitar - Nevada "voter fraud" case hyped by Trump campaign [exposed as criminal hoax by prosecutors](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0SNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvbmV2YWRhLXZvdGVyLWZyYXVkLWNhc2UtaHlwZWQtYnktY2FtcGFpZ24tZXhwb3NlZC1hcy1jcmltaW5hbC1ob2F4LWJ5LXByb3NlY3V0b3JzX3BhcnRuZXIvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) - Jan. 6 rioter's "offensive" argument to judge [lands him harsher sentence than prosecutors asked for](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0SVaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvamFuLTYtcmlvdGVycy1vZmZlbnNpdmUtYXJndW1lbnQtdG8tbGFuZHMtaGltLWhhcnNoZXItc2VudGVuY2UtdGhhbi1wcm9zZWN1dG9ycy1hc2tlZC1mb3JfcGFydG5lci8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYXHDPHVhcLULYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) - And, finally, try this pancake that's tailor-made [for when you're too lazy to make pancakes](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvYS1wYW5jYWtlLWZvci13aGVuLWltLXRvby1sYXp5LXRvLW1ha2UtcGFuY2FrZXNfcGFydG5lci8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYXHDPHVhcLULYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly9zYWxvbi51czgubGlzdC1tYW5hZ2UuY29tL3N1YnNjcmliZT91PTcxY2IzZThhNmU5NjM5YzgxMDIzY2Q0MjcmaWQ9NWRlZGEyYWFhN1cDc3BjQgphccM8dWFwtQthUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) to receive Crash Course. Trump's Big Lie: A new "lost cause"? What do Trump's election loss and the end of the Civil War have in common? Both started with a stinging defeat, perceived by many Americans as a refutation of their entire way of life. But most importantly, Salon columnist Lucian K. Truscott IV writes, they were both followed by lies. So many lies. In Trump's case, those lies have now become the centerpiece of a number of state-level voter suppression laws — many concentrated in former Confederate states — [that Truscott argues amount to "a kind of legalized second secession](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvYmlnLWxpZS1pcy10aGUtbmV3LWxvc3QtY2F1c2UtLWFuZC1pdC1tYXktcG9pc29uLXRoZS1jb3VudHJ5LWZvci1kZWNhZGVzLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphccM8dWFwtQthUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) by Republican states and the Republican Party." "The words "constitutional crisis" and "slow-motion Civil War" have entered the lexicon," Truscott adds. "Former Republican writers like David Frum, Robert Kagan, Charlie Sykes, David Brock and Max Boot are all over the op-ed pages, warning that Trump and his allies are preparing to 'ensure victory by any means necessary.'" But is anybody listening? (Photo via Getty Images) - "America Has a Sperm Shortage. One Man Is Reaping All the Benefits," [Esquire](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZXNxdWlyZS5jb20vbmV3cy1wb2xpdGljcy9hMzc5ODI3OTMvc3Blcm0tZG9ub3Itc2hvcnRhZ2UtZmFjZWJvb2stZ3JvdXBzL1cDc3BjQgphccM8dWFwtQthUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) - "Inside the World of Buy Nothing, Where Dryer Lint Is a Hot Commodity," [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMC8yMi9yZWFsZXN0YXRlL2J1eS1ub3RoaW5nLWZhY2Vib29rLWdyb3VwLmh0bWxXA3NwY0IKYXHDPHVhcLULYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) - "The many wives of Curtis Sliwa," [The New York Post](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0SBaHR0cHM6Ly9ueXBvc3QuY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjMvdGhlLW1hbnktd2l2ZXMtb2YtY3VydGlzLXNsaXdhLz91dG1fbWVkaXVtPVNvY2lhbEZsb3cmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPVNvY2lhbEZsb3cmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1OWVBUd2l0dGVyVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) - "Zombie Barneys! The Genius of Spirit Halloween," [Curbed](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY3VyYmVkLmNvbS8yMDIxLzEwL3pvbWJpZS1iYXJuZXlzLXNwaXJpdC1oYWxsb3dlZW4uaHRtbD91dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249bnltJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09czEmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT10d1cDc3BjQgphccM8dWFwtQthUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) - "Unfreezing the ice age: the truth about humanity’s deep past," [The Guardian](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL25ld3MvMjAyMS9vY3QvMTkvdW5mcmVlemluZy10aGUtaWNlLWFnZS10aGUtdHJ1dGgtYWJvdXQtaHVtYW5pdHlzLWRlZXAtcGFzdFcDc3BjQgphccM8dWFwtQthUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) Republicans rush to mock Alec {NAME} Right-wing pundits — and even some elected officials — [tripped over themselves Friday to mock a longtime boogeyman](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0R4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjIvcnVzaC10by1tYWtlLWZ1bi1vZi1hbGVjLWJhbGR3aW4taW4td2FrZS1vZi10cmFnaWMtZmlsbS1zZXQtYWNjaWRlbnQvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmFxwzx1YXC1C2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~), Alec {NAME}, after a tragic accident in which he was handed a prop gun with a live round in it, later shooting and killing the cinematographer on the set of a film they were shooting together. "Dear @jack," Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance wrote on Twitter, tagging the company's CEO Jack Dorsey. "Let Trump back on. We need Alec {NAME} tweets." And Vance's response to the tragedy was nowhere near the worst. "What has happened to Alec would be poetic justice," conservative commentator Candace Owens wrote in a since-deleted tweet, "if it weren't for the actual innocent people that were murdered by him." A number of other pundits and right-wing personalities also jumped on a tweet of {NAME}'s from the first round of Black Lives Matter protests, in 2014, which read: "I'm going to make bright, banana-yellow T-shirts that read: "My hands are up. Please don't shoot me." Who wants one?" Even Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., got in on the action, posting a screenshot of {NAME}'s tweet with the caption: "@Alec{NAME} are these still available? Asking for a movie producer…" One user summed up the public's thoughts quite succinctly, writing, "I'm sorry you are so broken inside." (Photo via Getty Images) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). Copyright © 2021 Crash Course, All rights reserved. Our mailing address: 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200 Wilmington, DE 19801 [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0RBaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPTM1NDM5NTJXA3NwY0IKYXHDPHVhcLULYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjV8HBP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgphccM8dWFwtQthUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)