Crash Course: Trump lawyers' bid to delay trial over "pyramid scheme" lawsuit just backfired on his 2024 campaign

A federal judge is done with Trump lawyers' stonewalling Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYXRqeXgyMmU0cC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Trump lawyers' bid to delay trial over "pyramid scheme" lawsuit just backfired on his 2024 campaign A federal lawsuit accusing former President Donald Trump and his family of promoting a pyramid scheme will finally go to trial on Jan. 29, 2024 – at the start of a presidential election year. The lawsuit, which was anonymously filed in Oct. 2018, alleges that the Trump Corporation promoted a multi-level marketing scheme — or a pyramid scheme — through the company ACN Opportunity, LLC, which operates under the name American Communications Network, [Law & Crime](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbWpwaWkza2dmei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDhXA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) reports. The four plaintiffs claim that Trump should be held liable for lending his and his children Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump's names to a pyramid scheme that broke state and federal laws around "racketeering and conspiracy to racketeer." [Read the rest from Areeba Shah.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaWQ2aHVmM285eS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Paul Morigi/WireImage/Getty Images) The strange, psychedelic history of Christmas How do reindeer fly [Santa's](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdTNmeHVlYTIxay8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) sleigh around the world? If you guessed hallucinogenic mushrooms, you might actually be right. It almost sounds sacrilegious to mix [psychedelics](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvczJkdWlsOHYxMC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and winter festivities, but there's actually a fair amount of historical evidence that suggests modern Christmas was borne out of trippy traditions. From flying reindeer to presents and ornaments to the bearded man with the North Pole address, a ton of iconography overlaps with indigenous psychedelic shamanism in [Siberia](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdDcwbjY2ejhqZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and northern Europe. Some historians argue that [Santa Claus is actually a "magic" mushroom shaman](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZm41N3lhenMxby8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), as indicated by his red and white outfit. It resembles the psychedelic fly agaric mushroom, a fungus as bright red as [Rudolph's schnoz](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva2tsZmgzcm03cS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) sprinkled with white flecks like snow. Drawing on this and other evidence, quite a few scholars subscribe to theories that numerous Christmas traditions spawned from pagan [psychedelic rituals](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMTR0MW05ZmQ3di8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), even if it's not a mainstream belief. But how much truth is there to this [hallucinatory history](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmZxMWlqMGR3di8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)? [Read the rest from Troy Farah.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmN2YXUwdGpmaC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) - [Giuliani](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcDluZTV1cGRsOS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) could lose his law license over violating attorney rules in cahoots with Trump's "Big Lie" - ["Harry & Meghan"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva2pwcTIxNDA0ay8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): The 11 biggest bombshells from the final part of Netflix's tell-all docuseries - Previously sealed [JFK assassination files](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMm10dG90cWZwdS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) released via an executive order signed by Biden - Shame and sugar-free cookies: On [navigating the holidays after a life of disordered eating](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaG44ZXp6MXpoai8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - New study of online dating reveals [the secret to getting more suitors](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdzIwOGd0czkxNy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - [Ina Garten](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdDBwbWkzcnpvby8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) serves this Trader Joe's dessert to guests with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce - "Ghosts" star [Rose McIver](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMnJmZnAxMGNpei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) on poking fun at the Christmas movie, cultural appropriation and all - [Salon's favorite books of 2022](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNzZkZTJwa3MweC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) — fiction and nonfiction - Free speech warrior [Elon Musk](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdzhlN2hwc242Ny8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) bans, vows “legal action” against student for tweeting public info - Catholic bishops have changed course on [abortion](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOWp2NHFjd2Z0Zi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) — but their end goal is the same - [Lethal injection](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMnJ4Y2NxeDFlci8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) is a gruesome disaster: After 40 years of cruelty, enough is enough If you found yourself here without subscribing, sign up for [Crash Course](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvN2tqa2VhamI2eS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), so you don't miss anything! Joe Biden, Cyndi Lauper and friends celebrate a big win — that really isn't much of a win It may be the last victory lap for the Biden administration. On Tuesday, the president celebrated the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act with members of Congress and more than 5,300 invited guests, with the press dutifully in attendance. It was a great Christmas present for supporters and the LGBTQ+ community, but the New Year promises a return to Republican control in the House of Representatives, so the chances are slim that we will hear about anything more than [Hunter Biden's laptop](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNjVrZjA5d3Z3Yy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) during the next two years. The administration is well aware of this, of course, and prepared an appropriate celebration to "get while the gettin' is good" on the South Lawn. A party-like atmosphere not seen since the Obama administration prevailed on a crisp, cold, December afternoon. The Marine Corps band provided musical accompaniment while guests broke out in spontaneous cheers and dance. You know the holy rollers were spewing hatred at seeing such an assemblage, but luckily no one gathered on the South Lawn had to listen to it. [Read the rest from Brian Karem.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMnAxODVoa3hldC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) - "Lead and Cadmium Could Be in Your Dark Chocolate," [Consumer Reports](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmlkcTFmMHk3cS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDhXA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Jane Fonda Says Cancer In Remission," [Dateline](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveWpkdWhycWw5ZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDhXA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies" Director Pushes Back Against Critics and Resistance to Believing Child Abuse Claims," [Variety](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvN2Fyd2ZmangyNi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDhXA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Photos: See tornado damage from around the New Orleans region," [Nola.com](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveXRocW16ZnU3ei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDhXA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Republicans want to blame Club Q shooting and other hate crimes, baselessly, on police defunding "To the politicians and activists who accuse LGBTQ people of grooming children and being abusers, shame on you." During Wednesday's House Oversight committee hearing on anti-LGBTQ violence, Club Q bartender Michael Anderson was blunt, both about his experiences and whom he holds responsible for the horrific mass shooting he survived. A combination of "inaction on gun reform" and "hate speech," he said, led to that terrible night last month in Colorado Springs, where he "saw my friend lying on the floor, bleeding out, knowing there was little to no chance of surviving the bullet wound." Matthew Haynes, the owner of Club Q, testified that there is a direct line from Republican leaders who reject LGBTQ rights to the five deaths and massive trauma suffered by his customers and staff. Noting that "169 members of Congress" voted against a recently-signed law protecting same-sex marriage, he asked, "Are LGBTQ people not part of your constituency? Do you not represent us? While we wait for you to answer, we are being slaughtered and dehumanized across this country, in communities you took oaths to protect." [Read the rest from Amanda Marcotte.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvajlua2gwdTJsNy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTZhNHowbDBvNDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY5DQXZxj0Qp0VFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmOQ0F2cY9EKdFRSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2022 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE 19801 [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlfuLQP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpjkNBdnGPRCnRUUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)