Crash Course Weekend: TrumpWorld's Big Lie PowerPoint

Plus: An interview with Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon none Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgphs1HktWGmZzUIUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). Written by [Brett Bachman](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0QhaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9CcmV0dEFCYWNobWFuVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). none none Inside TrumpWorld's Big Lie PowerPoint You may have seen it circulating online over the past few days: A 36-page PowerPoint titled "Election Fraud, Foreign Interference & Options for 6 JAN." New reporting suggests this slideshow is a shortened, but largely similar version of another document by the same title turned over to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. It's a new development that the committee is scrutinizing closely. Inside the powerpoint are a smattering of conspiracy theories and various debunked ideas about how to overturn the results of the 2020 election, stuff like: - The country of Venezuela, with the assistance of China, took over voting machines in 28 states - Theories claiming only paper ballots are valid - Plans to declare a national emergency in order to delay the certification of the 2020 election - Proposal to federalize National Guard to count paper ballots and maintain order in the face of widespread protests If this seems like a re-hashing of a number of old conspiracies that Trump allies have unsuccessfully been floating for months, that's not entirely wrong. But according to the Washington Post, Republican leaders in both chambers of Congress, Meadows, Rudy Giuliani and even Trump himself met with the people circulating this PowerPoint in the days leading up to Jan. 6, which suggests the plot to subvert the 2020 election results went further and involved more advance effort than was previously known. Meadows, through an attorney, told the Jan. 6 committee that he had simply received the document via email and that he had not done anything with it. [See the full PowerPoint document](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0SKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTEvaW5zaWRlLXRoZS0zOC1wYWdlLXBvd2VycG9pbnQtdHJ1bXB3b3JsZC11c2VkLXRvLWp1c3RpZnktaXRzLWNhbXBhaWduLXRvLW92ZXJ0dXJuLTIwMjAvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) none none An interview with Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon Hip-hop icon Raekwon, also known by his stage name "The Chef," sat down with Salon's D. Watkins this week to talk about his early days as a founding member of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan — and about the arrival of a new generation of fans, many of them swung into the group's orbit via a Hulu series called "Wu-Tang: An American Saga." Much of their conversation delved into Raekwon's upbringing in New York City, where he was born in 1970 as Corey Woods. As of last month, that story is now a memoir, titled "Raekwon: From Staircase to Stage," a book that he says was a difficult, but important, project to complete. Watkins writes: In "From Staircase to Stage," Raekwon writes about his adolescence growing up in the Park Hill section of Staten Island: "A beautiful place, but also a dangerous place," full of experienced street dudes who specialized in crack sales, robbing and murder. The beautiful parts of Park Hill allowed and even challenged Raekwon to fall in love with hip hop culture, to connect with future Wu-Tang members, to hone his craft, to see himself as being more than a street guy caught up in a drug game — and to dream outside of Park Hill. The dangerous parts of the same neighborhood slam-dunked Raekwon right into the middle of the drug trade where he warred with other blocks, drug crews and the NYPD during his turbulent adolescence. ... "I had never been a guy that really just let people into my private life like that," Raekwon told me. "But being that we have so much history in the game, when I think about this young generation, I think it's important that guys such as myself write a book about our stories and our times of being out there in the street, dreaming for this kind of platform." [Watch the full interview](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0RwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTEvcmFla3dvbi1vcGVucy11cC1hYm91dC1saWZlLWJlZm9yZS1hbmQtd2l0aC10aGUtd3UtdGFuZy1jbGFuLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphs1HktWGmZzUIUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). (Photo via Getty Images) none - Was a Republican scheme [to push sham candidates](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0SEaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTEvbXlzdGVyeS1vZi1mbG9yaWRhcy1naG9zdC1jYW5kaWRhdGVzLWdyb3dzLW1ham9yLWVuZXJneS1jb21wYW55LWxpbmtlZC10by1zY2hlbWUvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) funded by the nation's largest electricity retailer? - Pennsylvania [deserves better](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0RbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTEvcGVubnN5bHZhbmlhLWRlc2VydmVzLWJldHRlci10aGFuLWRyLW96Lz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphs1HktWGmZzUIUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) than Dr. Oz - Modern American sex education is lacking. Please, [take a page](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0R6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTEvbW9kZXJuLWFtZXJpY2FuLWVkdWNhdGlvbi1pcy1sYWNraW5nLXBsZWFzZS10YWtlLWEtcGFnZS1mcm9tLXRoZS1kdXRjaC8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYbNR5LVhpmc1CFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) from the Dutch - "A Guide to the Labyrinth" is [a portrait of Jim Morrison](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0SGaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTEvYS1ndWlkZS10by10aGUtbGFieXJpbnRoLWlzLWEtcG9ydHJhaXQtb2YtamltLW1vcnJpc29uLXRoZS13cml0ZXItaW4taGlzLW93bi13b3Jkcy8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYbNR5LVhpmc1CFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), the writer, in his own words - Kyle Rittenhouse claims he's going to Arizona State — but the university says [he hasn't applied](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0SNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTAva3lsZS1yaXR0ZW5ob3VzZS1zYXlzLWhlcy1nb2luZy10by1hcml6b25hLXN0YXRlLWJ1dC10aGUtdW5pdmVyc2l0eS1zYXlzLWhlLW5ldmVyLWFwcGxpZWQvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - Despite a steely performance, Sandra Bullock's [dreary film of life after prison](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0RiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTAvdGhlLXVuZm9yZ2l2YWJsZS1yZXZpZXctc2FuZHJhLWJ1bGxvY2stbmV0ZmxpeC8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYbNR5LVhpmc1CFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) is "Unforgivable," Salon film critic Gary Kramer writes - Court ordered Biden to restart Trump's “Remain in Mexico” — but he didn't [have to make it worse](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0SBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTEvb3JkZXJlZC1iaWRlbi10by1yZXN0YXJ0LXJlbWFpbi1pbi1tZXhpY28tLWhlLWRpZC10aGF0LWFuZC10aGVuLW1hZGUtaXQtd29yc2UvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - Tucker Carlson says son was [in U.S. Capitol building](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0RvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTEvdHVja2VyLWNhcmxzb24tc2F5cy1zb24td2FzLWluLXVzLWNhcGl0b2wtYnVpbGRpbmctb24tamFuLTYvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) on Jan. 6 - Who are the Jan. 6 committee's[new subpoena targets](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0SMaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTAvamFuLTYtY29tbWl0dGVlLXJlbGVhc2VzLW5ldy1zdWJwb2VuYS10YXJnZXRzLWluY2x1ZGluZy1lbmRvcnNlZC1jb25ncmVzc2lvbmFsLWNhbmRpZGF0ZS8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYbNR5LVhpmc1CFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)? - On its final run, "The Expanse" [serves a last supper](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0RPaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTAvdGhlLWV4cGFuc2UtcmV2aWV3LXNlYXNvbi02Lz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphs1HktWGmZzUIUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) for we who continue fighting for our humanity - Kanye West publicist attempted to [pry bogus fraud confession](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0SLaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTAvcHVibGljaXN0LWZvci1rYW55ZS13ZXN0LWF0dGVtcHRlZC10by1wcnktZnJhdWQtY29uZmVzc2lvbi1vdXQtb2YtZ2VvcmdpYS13b3JrZXItcmVwb3J0Lz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphs1HktWGmZzUIUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) out of Georgia election worker - Celeste Headlee [on "Speaking of Race"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0R4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTAvY2VsZXN0ZS1oZWFkbGVlLW9uLXNwZWFraW5nLW9mLXJhY2UtZG9udC1mZWVsLWJhZC1qdXN0LXNheS1zb21ldGhpbmcvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~): "Don't feel bad, just say something" - And, finally, learn how to make macaroni and cheese [without a recipe](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0RsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTEvaG93LXRvLW1ha2UtbWFjYXJvbmktYW5kLWNoZWVzZS13aXRob3V0LWEtcmVjaXBlX3BhcnRuZXIvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0QgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL25ld3NsZXR0ZXJXA3NwY0IKYbNR5LVhpmc1CFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) to receive Crash Course. none none We're focusing on the wrong details in "Succession" *WARNING: Spoilers ahead* Sure, Kendall's future as a member of the Roy family's media empire and Roman's dick-pic fiasco make up much of the A-plot worth scrutiny as HBO's Succession lumbers toward its Season 3 terminus. But as Salon contributor Kaitlin Thomas writes: "we should be discussing something much more important: the show's continued dedication to impressive visual gags." Specifically, why has no one addressed the fact that Roman has a photo of a fluffy white cat on his camera roll or that his lock screen is him giving the finger to Shiv (Sarah Snook)? ... Viewers have long cheered the show's fake news chyrons that have appeared in the show. In Season 2, one read, "Gender Fluid Illegals May Be Entering the Country 'Twice'." Another asked, "Why Are So Many of Our Older Celebrities Dying?" In another episode, a chyron proposed the most important question of all — "Wait, Is Every Taylor Swift Lyric Secretly Marxist?" — while another was a pitch-perfect parody of current "news" practices: "Meet the World's Richest People Trafficker (He's a Surprisingly Nice Guy)." These are incredible sight gags, small rewards for eagle-eyed viewers. But they also fit within the context of the show given how important the use of media and the presence of the media are to its story. However, they also feel like real news items that one could conceivably find in the wild. This now extends to the use of cell phones as well. [Read more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0RhaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTEvc3VjY2Vzc2lvbi1yb21hbi1waG9uZS1waG90by1tZWRpYS10ZWNobm9sb2d5Lz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphs1HktWGmZzUIUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). (Photo via Graeme Hunter/HBO) none - "Operation Whistle Pig: Inside the secret CBP unit with no rules that investigates Americans," [Yahoo News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0SnaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnlhaG9vLmNvbS9vcGVyYXRpb24td2hpc3RsZS1waWctaW5zaWRlLXRoZS1zZWNyZXQtY2JwLXVuaXQtd2l0aC1uby1ydWxlcy10aGF0LWludmVzdGlnYXRlcy1hbWVyaWNhbnMtMTAwMDAwMTQ3Lmh0bWw_c29jX3NyYz1zb2NpYWwtc2gmc29jX3Ryaz10dyZ0c3JjPXR3dHJXA3NwY0IKYbNR5LVhpmc1CFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Inside the fall of Kabul," [The New York Times Magazine](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0RKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMi8xMC9tYWdhemluZS9mYWxsLW9mLWthYnVsLWFmZ2hhbmlzdGFuLmh0bWxXA3NwY0IKYbNR5LVhpmc1CFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "The Internet Has a Rat Poison Problem," [Audubon Magazine](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0RQaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXVkdWJvbi5vcmcvbWFnYXppbmUvd2ludGVyLTIwMjEvdGhlLWludGVybmV0LWhhcy1yYXQtcG9pc29uLXByb2JsZW1XA3NwY0IKYbNR5LVhpmc1CFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "The Great Holiday Billionaire Sell-Off," [Puck News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0Q5aHR0cHM6Ly9wdWNrLm5ld3MvdGhlLWdyZWF0LWhvbGlkYXktYmlsbGlvbmFpcmUtc2VsbC1vZmYvVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "Why are we so awful to our spouses?" [New York Magazine](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0SKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlY3V0LmNvbS8yMDIxLzEyL3Rha2luZy1vdXQtZnJ1c3RyYXRpb25zLW9uLXBhcnRuZXJzLXNwb3VzZXMuaHRtbCNfZ2E9Mi4yMzEzMzU1MTUuNTc2Nzg4Mjk3LjE2MzkyNjEwNzEtMTA5MzU0MDg3MS4xNjI1Njg2NDc3VwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) none none "Pine-11": Fox News' hysterical Christmas tree coverage The juxtaposition of Fox News' over-the-top Christmas tree fire coverage with its dismissal of other dangerous situations — the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, for starters — sure was something to witness this week. Hosts on the network were quick to blame the War on Christmas for being behind the fire, despite shaky evidence to back that up. "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah took aim at the whole fiasco this week, posting a viral supercut of his favorite Fox News reactions to Twitter. It was appropriately titled, "Remembering Pine-Eleven: The Attack on the Fox News Christmas Tree." [Watch the full video](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjmGlQP0SHaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMTAvdGhlLWRhaWx5LXNob3dzLXRyZXZvci1ub2FoLW1vY2tzLWZveC1uZXdzLW92ZXItdGhlLXRvcC1yZWFjdGlvbnMtdG8tY2hyaXN0bWFzLXRyZWUvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). One key detail: Despite its insistence that the Fox News tree is an American "tradition," the network has only been putting it up since 2019. (Photo via Getty Images) 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~/RgRjmGlQP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmGzUeS1YaZnNQhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2021 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 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