Crash Course: Crypto, Trump and toxic masculinity

Plus: Dems gear up for bitter Supreme Court fight none Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgph4FOJ8mGH6eNDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). Written by [Brett Bachman](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0QhaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9CcmV0dEFCYWNobWFuVwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). none none Goodbye, Justice Stephen Breyer Multiple reports Wednesday trumpeted the impending retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer — a much-anticipated move, at least by liberals eager to replace the 83-year-old before this year's midterm elections. But can Senate Democrats push through a nomination quickly given their razor-thin majority and the continuing recalcitrance of their conservative colleagues Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema? The answer, of course, is unclear — though pressure on the duo after months of stonewalling President Joe Biden's legislative priorities is at an all-time-high. Flashback: Biden promised on the campaign trail in 2020 to nominate a Black woman to the high court. Some names of potential replacements, courtesy of NBC News: - Ketanji Brown Jackson of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and a former Breyer law clerk - U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji - Leondra Kruger, California Supreme Court Justice [Read more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0SHaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvcmV0aXJlbWVudC1vZi1qdXN0aWNlLXN0ZXBoZW4tYnJleWVyLXJhbXBzLXVwLXByZXNzdXJlLW9uLW1vZGVyYXRlLXNlbmF0ZS1kZW1vY3JhdHMvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). (Photo via Getty Images) none The "Son of omicron" is here In terms of headlines we didn't want to read this week, this one may take the cake: Omicron now has a sub-variant, called BA.2, that's worrying public health officials. What you need to know: - It's been identified in more than 40 countries, including 11 cases in California - The World Health Organization labeled it a "variant of concern" — the same designation given to omicron and delta in the months before those strains caused their own devastating surges Without much reliable data on the situation, it's impossible to forecast the potential severity of an upcoming BA.2 surge. But doctors who have been studying the new variant say they're "cautiously optimistic" that it won't cause the same level of disruption as past variants. "I don't think it's going to cause the degree of chaos and disruption, morbidity and mortality that BA.1 did," Dr. Jacob Lemieux, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told USA Today this week. "I'm cautiously optimistic that we're going to continue to move to a better place and, hopefully, one where each new variant on the horizon isn't news." [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0SJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvc29uLW9mLW9taWNyb24tdmFyaWFudC13b3JyaWVzLXB1YmxpYy1oZWFsdGgtb2ZmaWNpYWxzLWFtaWQtbmV3LXdhdmUtb2YtMTktaW5mZWN0aW9ucy8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeBTifJhh-njQ1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). none - Book banning fever [heats up in red states](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0RXaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvYm9vay1iYW5uaW5nLWhlYXRzLXVwLWluLXJlZC1zdGF0ZXMvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - Michelle Obama 2024? Republicans [raising money](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvbWljaGVsbGUtb2JhbWEtMjAyNC1yYWlzaW5nLW1vbmV5LW9mZi1pbnZlbnRlZC1ydW1vci8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeBTifJhh-njQ1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) off invented “rumor” - Former Oath Keeper and Jan. 6 protester launches [effort to "audit"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0RyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvZm9ybWVyLW9hdGgta2VlcGVyLWFuZC1qYW4tNi1sYXVuY2hlcy1lZmZvcnQtdG8tYXVkaXQtbWljaGlnYW4vP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~)Michigan election - Florida senators walk out after Ron DeSantis' surgeon general [refuses to answer](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0SXaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvZmxvcmlkYS1zZW5hdG9ycy13YWxrLW91dC1hZnRlci1kZXNhbnRpcy1zdXJnZW9uLWdlbmVyYWwtcmVmdXNlcy10by1hbnN3ZXItaWYtdmFjY2luZXMtd29ya19wYXJ0bmVyLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOJ8mGH6eNDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) if vaccines work - Why the best scenes in "The Book of Boba Fett" [are silent](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0RhaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvLWJvb2stb2YtYm9iYS1mZXR0LWJlc3Qtc2NlbmVzLXR1c2tlbi1yYWlkZXJzLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOJ8mGH6eNDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - “Trump has it completely wrong”: Allies revolt after [Trump endorses rival](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0SEaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvdHJ1bXAtaGFzLWl0LWNvbXBsZXRlbHktd3JvbmctYWxsaWVzLXJldm9sdC1hZnRlci1lbmRvcnNlcy1yaXZhbC10by1tYWdhLWRhcmxpbmcvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~)to MAGA darling - Fox News host Dan Bongino [permanently banned from YouTube](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvZm94LW5ld3MtaG9zdC1kYW4tYm9uZ2luby1wZXJtYW5lbnRseS1iYW5uZWQtZnJvbS15b3V0dWJlLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOJ8mGH6eNDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - James Webb Space Telescope: When to expect [the first images](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvamFtZXMtd2ViYi1zcGFjZS10ZWxlc2NvcGUtaW1hZ2VzLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOJ8mGH6eNDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) from the state-of-the-art observatory - Florida radio host with "intimate details" of Matt Gaetz' alleged sex crimes [pleads guilty](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0SIaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvZmxvcmlkYS1yYWRpby1ob3N0LXdpdGgtaW50aW1hdGUtZGV0YWlscy1vZi1tYXR0LWdhZXR6LWFsbGVnZWQtcGxlYWRzLWd1aWx0eV9wYXJ0bmVyLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOJ8mGH6eNDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - What Ron DeSantis' COVID fight with the FDA is [really all about](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0RzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvd2hhdC1yb24tZGVzYW50aXMtZmlnaHQtd2l0aC10aGUtZmRhLWlzLXJlYWxseS1hbGwtYWJvdXQtZG9uYWxkLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOJ8mGH6eNDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - Peter Dinklage pushes Disney's "Snow White" remake to rethink ["f**king backward" dwarf depictions](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0ROaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvcGV0ZXItZGlua2xhZ2Utc25vdy1kd2FyZnMvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - Chef Roy Choi shines a light on our [broken food systems](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0SHaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvcm95LWNob2ktc2hpbmVzLWEtbGlnaHQtb24tb3VyLWJyb2tlbi1zeXN0ZW1zLXdlbGwtdGhyb3ctYXdheS1iZWZvcmUtd2UtZmVlZC1wZW9wbGUvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~): "We'll throw away food before we feed people" Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0QgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL25ld3NsZXR0ZXJXA3NwY0IKYeBTifJhh-njQ1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) to receive Crash Course. none none Crypto, Trump and toxic masculinity What do the rise of vaccine refusal, cryptocurrency and Donald Trump have in common? They're all driven by the same "white guy refusal to play nice with others," Salon's Amanda Marcotte writes — the same tendency which leads many of them to try and opt out of the social contract. Criticizing and tweaking systems so they work better for everyone is a good thing. But that is not what is going on with modern horrors like cryptocurrency, vaccine refusal, and Trumpism. None of those are genuine attempts to fix existing systems. It's about "alternatives" for people who think they are above honoring the basic social contract. Systems don't work, however, unless everyone plays by the rules. As the cryptocurrency crash demonstrates, if you inject too many wannabe cheaters into a system, the whole thing will eventually fall apart. [Read the full commentary](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0SJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvdGhlLWNyeXRwby1jcmFzaC1pc250LWp1c3QtdHVsaXAtdHJhZGluZy0taXRzLWEtcmVzdWx0LW9mLXRoZS1lbnRpdGxlbWVudC10aGF0LWxlZC10by8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeBTifJhh-njQ1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). (Photo via Getty Images) none - "Your Wordle strategy says a lot about how you see the world," [NPR](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0Q5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy8yMDIyLzAxLzI0LzEwNzQ1MzIzMjcvd29yZGxlLXN0cmF0ZWd5VwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "How a Bad Zoom Date Led Me to the 'Black Manosphere,'" [Elle Magazine](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0RIaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZWxsZS5jb20vbGlmZS1sb3ZlL2EzODgxOTIzNy9ibGFjay1tYW5vc3BoZXJlLW9ubGluZS1kYXRpbmcvVwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - Give Moms Cash: Do you enjoy healthy babies and stable relationships? Dole out the baby bucks," [Jill Filipovic via Substack](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP4QBAWh0dHBzOi8vamlsbC5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vcC9naXZlLW1vbXMtY2FzaD90b2tlbj1leUoxYzJWeVgybGtJam94TXpNd01qZzRMQ0p3YjNOMFgybGtJam8wTnpjd01EWTRNQ3dpWHlJNklrUlhkMFJ4SWl3aWFXRjBJam94TmpRek1qSXhNalE0TENKbGVIQWlPakUyTkRNeU1qUTRORGdzSW1semN5STZJbkIxWWkwNU16UTVJaXdpYzNWaUlqb2ljRzl6ZEMxeVpXRmpkR2x2YmlKOS43c3JVVU1TVF96RTJhdXc4TlF6ZXpUdzFlclYtc0RRZGMtNXZIZFdaOGswVwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "How Facebook took over the internet in Africa – and changed everything," [The Guardian](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0R6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL3RlY2hub2xvZ3kvMjAyMi9qYW4vMjAvZmFjZWJvb2stc2Vjb25kLWxpZmUtdGhlLXVuc3RvcHBhYmxlLXJpc2Utb2YtdGhlLXRlY2gtY29tcGFueS1pbi1hZnJpY2FXA3NwY0IKYeBTifJhh-njQ1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "The presidency has changed. Biden needs to adapt," [The Washington Post](~/AASU4wA~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-njQ1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) none none Joe Rogan does it again Spotify's $100 million dollar man has found himself at the wrong end of a number of controversies recently — but none quite so dumb as this week's scandal du jour. During an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" featuring the clinical psychologist and occasional right-wing pundit Jordan Peterson, the duo managed to ignite at least two separate backlashes. Let's take them one at a time: - Peterson claimed climate change doesn't exist because there's "no such thing as climate." It's not exactly clear, but it appears Peterson was trying to make the point that measuring Earth's climate over time will naturally lead researchers to assess a large number of variables — and that making sense of so many variables is an impossible task. - Rogan said that calling a light-skinned person Black is "weird" — and that the term should only be reserved for African natives "not wearing any clothes." [Read more (if you must)](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0SUaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjYvam9lLXJvZ2FuLWpvcmRhbi1wZXRlcnNvbi1naXZlLXRoZWlyLWRlZmluaXRpb24tb2YtYmxhY2stYW5kLXNheS10aGVyZXMtbm8tc3VjaC10aGluZy1hcy1jbGltYXRlLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOJ8mGH6eNDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). (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~/RgRj1Q5SP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmHgU4nyYYfp40NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2022 Crash Course, All rights reserved. [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1Q5SP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgph4FOJ8mGH6eNDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)