Crash Course: Worst legal crisis since the Civil War

Making same mistakes as Weimar Germany? That doesn't sound good none Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). none Former GWB White House lawyer: We've faced nothing “of this magnitude since the Civil War” none Richard Painter was a loyal Republican for most of his adult life, and served as a White House ethics lawyer under George W. Bush. Yeah, we know: Those of you who remember those years might like to have a word with him. But it's time to move on! Painter's new book “[American Nero](bookshop.org/a/2464/9781948836012)” argues that Donald Trump's presidency was uniquely destructive to the rule of law, and he tells Salon's Chauncey DeVega in our Wednesday morning interview that the legal crisis America faces after the insurrection of Jan. 6 is almost without precedent: “We have not had to deal with something of this magnitude since the Civil War, and it needs to be properly investigated.” Furthermore, Painter says, the Biden administration's reluctance to prosecute Donald Trump's allies and associates — or even Trump himself — over the apparent crimes surrounding Jan. 6 isn't just a poor strategic decision or a sign of political weakness. It could be a grievous historical error: That is like the mistake that Weimar Germany made in 1923, when Hitler and his followers had the Beer Hall Putsch and thought they could take over the German government. They were all tried and sent to jail. Hitler did a year or so in prison. Then he gets out and he is elevated by the right-wing extremists as a hero. Ten years later, Hitler is sitting in the chancellor's office running the whole country. When people engage in a coup attempt like this and are allowed to come back, it will be much worse the second time around. [Read more.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0R-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTcvZm9ybWVyLWJ1c2gtbGF3eWVyLXJpY2hhcmQtcGFpbnRlci1vbi10aGUtamFuLTYtY292ZXItdXAtbGlrZS10aGUtbWlzdGFrZS13ZWltYXItZ2VybWFueS1tYWRlVwNzcGNCCmGO0u6UYbOXZUdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) none none Paris is smoking, but not necessarily burning Can you handle Steve Bannon's big comeback and Paris Hilton's in the same week? You're an adult (we believe), so we know it's possible. Salon's Melanie McFarland offers a delightful readout on Hilton's attempt to prove to the world that she's also an adult — not only that, “but a human adult. One who talks in a baby voice and is obsessed with tiny dogs.” This all appears to concern a so-called reality show known as “Paris in Love,” which purports to document Hilton's engagement to a person called Carter Reum, now her alleged husband. It's entirely possible that you and I will not spend one single second of our all-too-short lives on this planet viewing “Paris in Love,” but we promise you, McFarland's review is worth double the price of admission. This show, and the earlier “Cooking With Paris,” are Hilton's mid-existence attempts to lay claim to an image and a brand that she never entirely controlled, that shaped who she is instead of the other way around. For whatever reason Hilton's latest barrage of content asks us to simultaneously mourn her divorce from so-called normalcy and cheer her on as she reaches for the societally prescribed signposts of progress and happiness for the fairer sex. ... The part that makes it hard to buy is knowing that everything else about her image is engineered for the sole purpose of securing attention from the public that she claims not to want. [Read more.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0Q6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTYvcGFyaXMtaGlsdG9uLWluLWxvdmUtZG9nL1cDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) (Photo via Getty Images) none - Do Republicans have a House majority locked down, a year before the 2022 midterms? Based on redistricting so far, [it sure looks that way](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTYvYWxyZWFkeS1oYXMtZW5vdWdoLXNhZmUtc2VhdHMtLXRocm91Z2gtcmVkaXN0cmljdGluZy1hbG9uZS0tdG8td2luLWJhY2staW4tMjIvVwNzcGNCCmGO0u6UYbOXZUdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). - Cuban dissidents and their U.S. backers aimed for big anti-government rallies this week. [Why didn't that happen?](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RhaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTcvY3ViYW5zLWRlZmluaXRlbHktd2FudC1jaGFuZ2UtLWJ1dC1ub3QtbmVjZXNzYXJpbHktcmVnaW1lLWNoYW5nZVcDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - LeVar Burton didn't get “Jeopardy,” but he [has a new host gig](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RMaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTYvbGV2YXItYnVydG9uLXRyaXZpYWwtcHVyc3VpdC1ob3N0LWplb3BhcmR5L1cDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) after all. - Add just the right amount of [seasonal flavor](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0R4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTYvc3dlZXQtcG90YXRvLWJ1dHRlci1hbmQtY3JhbmJlcnJ5LWRhdGUtcmVsaXNoLWJlbG9uZy1vbi15b3VyLXRoYW5rc2dpdmluZy1jaGVlc2UtcGxhdGUvVwNzcGNCCmGO0u6UYbOXZUdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) to your cheese plate. - The moon has an icy secret — [carbon dioxide “traps”](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RAaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTYvbW9vbi1jb2xkLXRyYXBzLWNhcmJvbi1kaW94aWRlL1cDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) that could be used to make fuel and grow plants. Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly9zYWxvbi51czgubGlzdC1tYW5hZ2UuY29tL3N1YnNjcmliZT91PTcxY2IzZThhNmU5NjM5YzgxMDIzY2Q0MjcmaWQ9NWRlZGEyYWFhN1cDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) to receive Crash Course. none none The Rittenhouse effect: Now Republicans want their own Stasi Conservatives have liked to claim in recent years that they're the true defenders of free speech, but the attack on “critical race theory,” says Salon's Amanda Marcotte, reveals that's been a bunch of hooey all along. Glenn Youngkin's winning campaign in Virginia turned on the possible suppression of [a novel by an actual Nobel laureate](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RSaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMDEvc3VyZ2UtaW4tZ29wcy1vbi1mcmVlLXNwZWVjaC1zaG91bGQtc291bmQtYWxhcm1zL1cDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~), for Pete's sake. North Dakota has a [new law](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP4QUAWh0dHBzOi8vcG9wdWxhci5pbmZvL3AvbmV3LW5vcnRoLWRha290YS1sYXctY2FudC1iZS1kaXNjdXNzZWQ_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpveE16TXdNamc0TENKd2IzTjBYMmxrSWpvME5EQXpOVGswTml3aVh5STZJa1JYZDBSeElpd2lhV0YwSWpveE5qTTJPVGMyT0RrM0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFMk16WTVPREEwT1Rjc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhOalkwSWl3aWMzVmlJam9pY0c5emRDMXlaV0ZqZEdsdmJpSjkubFVtdWxSV1J4LWE0OFJYS2tIVlpBVjgxVFE0Q3dESC1YdUZnYlE0T2lqRVcDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) that would appear to ban any classroom discussion of slavery or Jim Crow, and the “both sides” law in Texas was so broad that some teachers apparently believed they had to teach “both sides” of the Holocaust. But this goes even beyond the semi-Orwellian and almost-overtly-racist New Hampshire group called Moms for Liberty, whose true goal, Marcotte writes, appears to be “[banning books about Martin Luther King Jr.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0R4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWVkaWFtYXR0ZXJzLm9yZy9jcml0aWNhbC1yYWNlLXRoZW9yeS9iYW5uaW5nLWJvb2tzLWFib3V0LW1hcnRpbi1sdXRoZXIta2luZy1qci1hbmQtb3Bwb3Npbmctc2Nob29sLWRpc3RyaWN0VwNzcGNCCmGO0u6UYbOXZUdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) and replacing them with books that insist there was no racial component to American slavery.” One big selling point of the push toward American fascism, Marcotte argues, is this fantasy of a society where people live in abject terror of their right-wing neighbors, afraid to express progressive opinions or even to admit historical facts about the United States. That much is evident in [the GOP base rallying around Kyle Rittenhouse](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTIvYmVuZWF0aC10aGUtcml0dGVuaG91c2UtdHJpYWwtZ3JpbS10cnV0aHMtYWJvdXQtdGhlLXN0YXRlLW9mLWFtZXJpY2EvVwNzcGNCCmGO0u6UYbOXZUdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~), who has been on trial for shooting three people at a Black Lives Matter protest last year, killing two of them. ... He's become a cipher for widespread anger on the right about the very existence of Black Lives Matter protests, and a desire to use violence to silence anti-racist speech. If Rittenhouse is acquitted, it sends a signal to all the gun nut right-wingers out there: It's cool to show up at Black Lives Matter protests loaded down with guns, which is, of course, about scaring people out of showing up to protest racism in the first place. [Read more.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RSaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTYvdGhlLXJpdHRlbmhvdXNlLWVmZmVjdC13YW50LWEtc3Rhc2ktb2YtdGhlaXItb3duL1cDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) none - Polish forces use water cannons on Belarus border as migrant crisis turns violent, [Washington Post](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0SFaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL2V1cm9wZS9wb2xhbmQtYmVsYXJ1cy1ib3JkZXItbWlncmFudHMvMjAyMS8xMS8xNi9hNDk0OWVhYy00NmRkLTExZWMtYjA1ZC0zY2I5ZDk2ZWI0OTVfc3RvcnkuaHRtbFcDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - China releases full text of 36,000-word “doctrine” that will likely allow Xi Jinping to rule for life, [Bloomberg](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmxvb21iZXJnLmNvbS9uZXdzL2FydGljbGVzLzIwMjEtMTEtMTYvY2hpbmEtcHVibGlzaGVzLXRleHQtb2YtZG9jdW1lbnQtZXhwZWN0ZWQtdG8tZXh0ZW5kLXhpLXMtcnVsZVcDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - Back to Hogwarts: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson to reunite for “Harry Potter” anniversary special, [HuffPost](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaHVmZnBvc3QuY29tL2VudHJ5L2RhbmllbC1yYWRjbGlmZmUtcnVwZXJ0LWdyaW50LWVtbWEtd2F0c29uLWhhcnJ5LXBvdHRlci1zcGVjaWFsLWhib19uXzYxOTNlNGU1ZTRiMDkwMTMxODM2NjFiM1cDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - Scientists say a woman in Argentina has been "naturally" cured of HIV infection — only the second such case, [Insider](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9zZWNvbmQtcGVyc29uLW5hdHVyYWxseS1jdXJlZC1vZi1oaXYtc2NpZW50aXN0cy1zYXktMjAyMS0xMVcDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - Massive flu outbreak at the University of Michigan could signal a difficult winter ahead, [Gizmodo](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RWaHR0cHM6Ly9naXptb2RvLmNvbS9hLWh1Z2UtZmx1LW91dGJyZWFrLWluLW1pY2hpZ2FuLW1heS1iZS1hLXNpZ24tb2YtdGhpbmdzLTE4NDgwNjYxOTFXA3NwY0IKYY7S7pRhs5dlR1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) none Michigan GOP hopes to pull a “Georgia,” but by even sleazier methods A [controversial scheme](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMDkvMTAvbWljaGlnYW4tZ29wLWxhdW5jaGVzLW5vdC1zby1zZWNyZXQtcGxhbi10by11bmRvLXdoaXRtZXJzLXZldG8tb24tdm90aW5nLWJpbGwvVwNzcGNCCmGO0u6UYbOXZUdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) by Michigan Republicans to pull an end-around on Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's veto of their [proposed voting restrictions](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0R6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMDcvMTUvbWljaGlnYW4tZ29wLXBsYW5zLXNob2NraW5nLXNjaGVtZS10by1yYW0tdGhyb3VnaC12b3RpbmctcmVzdHJpY3Rpb25zLW92ZXItd2hpdG1lcnMtdmV0by9XA3NwY0IKYY7S7pRhs5dlR1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) could end up by eliminate one-fifth of all polling sites in the Mitten State, reports Salon's Igor Derysh, The Michigan GOP's “Secure MI Vote” petition, which will likely become law without Whitmer's signature or approval, would enact numerous Georgia-style voter-suppression tactics. But the one that has election clerks up in arms is a ban on donated voting sites, such as churches, which could result in some communities losing half their voting sites, or even more. Here's what Mary Clark, president of the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks, had to say: This is the type of policy that causes me to lay awake at night because it will cause so much confusion amongst voters and put clerks in impossible situations. This would absolutely negatively impact legally registered voters in my jurisdiction and every jurisdiction in this state. [Read more.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RuaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTcvbWljaGlnYW4tZ29wcy1sYXRlc3Qtdm90ZS1jcnVzaGluZy1zY2hlbWUtY291bGQtZWxpbWluYXRlLTIwLW9mLXBvbGxpbmctc2l0ZXNXA3NwY0IKYY7S7pRhs5dlR1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). Our mailing address: 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200 Wilmington, 19801 DE [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmGO0u6UYbOXZUdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2021 Crash Course, All rights reserved. [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjd3PQP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgphjtLulGGzl2VHUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)