Crash Course: Legal experts pour cold water on Trump’s victory lap after classified docs found at Biden’s office

Trump's lawyers falsely affirmed they'd returned the documents, in violation of a subpoena. Biden's returned them. [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcXN1ODRxbzR0Yy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmhzYXh2c2VyNS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Legal experts pour cold water on Trump’s victory lap after classified docs found at Biden’s office Personal attorneys for Biden discovered about 10 documents from Biden's vice-presidential office while "packing files housed in a locked closet to prepare to vacate office space at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C.," a think tank affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania, Biden's special counsel Richard Sauber told CBS News. The documents were in a box with unclassified papers, according to the report. The materials were discovered on November 2 and the White House counsel's office immediately notified the National Archives, which took possession of them the next day. Trump and fellow Republicans seized on the news, questioning the difference between the documents discovered at the Penn Biden Center and the dozens of documents marked classified found by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago after Trump failed to turn them over in response to a grand jury subpoena and his lawyers affirmed that he had returned all of the documents. But legal experts say the matter bears little resemblance to Trump's months-long refusal to turn over documents from his residence before the August FBI search. "The situations couldn't be more different," [wrote](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdnh2N2U2Y2djMS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe. "But that won't stop the False Equivalence Squad from drooling all over this. 'But her emails' will become 'But his documents.' Sick — but effective." [Read more from Igor Derysh.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbDB4ZTQ3M2JhcS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to be a mainstream Republican now. Sadly, the media will let it happen Greene, who is a [much savvier operator than the liberals](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbnJwd3Qxc2wyZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) constantly dunking on her would like to admit, clearly realizes that being on the always-Kevin side of this fight opened up a golden opportunity: She can now rebrand herself as a mainstream Republican. With her shiny new committee assignments — [complete with access to some of the most](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMXdmbHUxbTRqei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) highly classified information in government — and her role as McCarthy's golden girl, Greene is set to remake herself into a respected figure on Capitol Hill. She'll be just as much a conspiracy theory kook as she ever was, but her new status as an elder statesman in the GOP will put an ennobling gloss on her lies, [helping push them through the ever-credulous](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaWk5YmdyYzMwNS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Beltway press.  That Greene is consciously rebranding herself became undeniable on Sunday, [when she distanced herself from QAnon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvam96b3c5YTd5OC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) during a Fox News interview. In one sense, these are easily debunked lies. But it's also true that, like many far-right conspiracy theorists, [Greene doesn't actually believe the vile thingsÂ](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvb2gycjF4d2RobC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)she says. Truth has no value to her. She just says whatever she thinks will benefit her politically. Sadly, there's every reason to think this will work in a media environment where mainstream journalists are always eager to minimize the radicalism of Republicans and present them as "normal" politicians to the public. [Read more from Amanda Marcotte.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvd2V1anhoZGQxOC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Drew Angerer/Getty Images) - [America's theater of the absurd](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdHc1bW9lMWdhaS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): Our politics has become an endless carnival - [90% of humans will suffer](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdGdwNW1ranJ5eS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) extreme heat, drought due to climate change: report - Drugs, silence and Camilla “the villain”: Revelations from [Prince Harry’s “60 Minutes” interview](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbXYwOHVtZHE0ay8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - [Dr. Dre stills Marjorie Taylor Greene](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMTc4OGZoZmJ6ei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) as Twitter locks her account - [Does cinnamon belong in chili?](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvajBtOWFlYWgwdy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) The Midwest says yes (and so does Fran Lebowitz) - ["Saint Omer"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYms3NndxMTczaC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) examines the darkest maternity taboos and the "language of the accused" - After 50,000 years, a [comet is returning to the inner solar system](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYmN0MXBsZ3Vqci8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Here's how to see it - [Noma](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdWgzcXF3bTRxcy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), the best restaurant in the world, is set to close its doors in 2024 - Costco is selling [Alfredo sauce](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaGU1NDB2anIxMi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) made by an Ina Garten-approved brand If you found yourself here without subscribing, sign up for [Crash Course](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZnhob3RpcWZmNi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), so you don't miss anything! Put the popcorn away, folks: Kevin McCarthy is speaker of the House, and that's no joke The new Republican majority in the House of Representatives plans to attack the very idea of government legitimacy and oversight itself by engaging in conspiracy-theory "investigations" and de facto show trials of Hunter Biden (as well as his father), Nancy Pelosi, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Hillary Clinton and other designated villains. They are also likely to target the FBI, the Department of Justice and anyone else seeking to investigate Donald Trump and his co-conspirators for their attempted coup against democracy. Republicans also intend to undermine, defund or outright eliminate Medicare and Social Security, leaving tens of millions of Americans in poverty with no reliable access to health care. They may force a government shutdown and default on federal debts, creating economic chaos and damaging the international power, prestige, and credibility of the United States. They will seek to end military and other assistance to Ukraine as it fights to resist the Russian invasion. In total, the Republican fascists and their allies will use their legislative authority to advance a sweeping agenda aimed at ending America's multiracial democracy. Kevin McCarthy, who was finally elected as speaker of the House after 15 ballots, may seem like a hapless clown but has wholeheartedly embraced this anti-democratic agenda. [Read more from Chauncey DeVega.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva3Iwb3M4ZGE3ZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) - "House Republicans in the dark on McCarthy’s shadow document," [Axios](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZ2U3b3J2dzFwYy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Ron DeSantis Is Imposing Political Control on Schools," [New York Magazine](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdWs2ZnQ0bDZ4ai8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "The Sports Scandal Almost Nobody Is Talking About," [The Atlantic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZXQ5dWRrNWVxZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "It’s not just what you eat, but the time of day you eat it," [The Washington Post](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZ3hiZ2RxNjh3My8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "U.S. Moves to Bar Noncompete Agreements in Labor Contracts," [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcWUydXcwMHc2ZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Getting Lost in the World’s Largest Stack of Menus," [Taste](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveTJnYXFxZGU0ZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) "I think it's fantastic": George Santos is very happy the GOP just voted to gut ethics office The House of Representatives on Monday passed a new set of rules that weaken the ability of the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate ethics-related complaints about members of Congress. "I think it's fantastic," Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., [told Insider](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYm0xdGgycDA2Zi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDlXA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) in an interview on Monday. The New York Republican, who was recently sworn into Congress, faced scrutiny for fabricating his educational and professional background and pushing out falsehoods about having Jewish heritage. Santos now faces at least two Office of Congressional Ethics complaints related to his financial disclosures. "This kind of self-serving behavior is why many Americans have lost faith in politics," Stand Up America President Sean Eldridge said. "McCarthy and his fellow MAGA Republicans have sent a clear message about their priorities and who is actually in charge in the new House: corrupt politicians." [Read more from Areeba Shah.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNnBxczhxaXJwdS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXMwcDRtYWY2eDkmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7XPpL5j34mEJVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Win McNamee/Getty Images) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmO1z6S-Y9-JhCVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2023 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE 19801 [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRloSnOP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpjtc-kvmPfiYQlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)