Crash Course: A federal court holds Trump accountable for his abuse of the law: Here's why that matters

That million-dollar fine imposed on Trump and his lawyer for weaponizing the legal system is a serious deterrent. [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcjVwNTJ4c2p5bi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaG16MHlxeTdjeC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). A federal court holds Trump accountable for his abuse of the law: Here's why that matters Yes, Virginia, amid the clouds over Washington, D.C., silver linings sometimes do appear. One shone through brightly last Thursday. A federal court [held former President Donald Trump to account](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvb3VjcHN6NnN0bi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) — serious account — for filing legally frivolous "[revenge](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZXdidmFjdTltaS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)" lawsuits and congenitally abusing the judicial system. That is one reason why the [$937,989 fine](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZGNweWZibXc3bC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) that the federal court in southern Florida imposed on Trump and his lawyer, Alina Hadda, is so significant. The penalty appears to have registered on the former president: Within hours, he [withdrew](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZXBhc2p2c3JibC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) a lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James, a suit that the court decision had identified as similarly frivolous and vengeful. Accountability deters. It reflects the willingness and ability of the judiciary to resist an autocratic personality's attempts to use law to harass and destroy his opponents and dismantle limitations on his own power. [Read more from Austin Sarat and Denis Aftergut.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvN2JjY3J1N2tkYS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) Libs of TikTok owner Chaya Raichik ramps up her anti-LGBTQ crusade Chaya Raichik, owner of the far-right Twitter account Libs of TikTok, is currently on a right-wing media tour of sorts, continuing her attacks on the LGBTQ community and appearing on shows hosted by QAnon adherents and other conspiracy theorists, as well as figures linked to neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideology. Raichik and her Twitter account have become super-spreaders of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, which experts warn can embolden extremists, heighten political and social conflict and in some cases even lead to violence. Social media influencers like Raichik, who has an enormous online following, can pose a particular threat to marginalized groups, experts say, since they push out a flood of disinformation that is shared widely and creates more hostility toward minorities and marginalized communities. "When you have a person with a very large audience abusing a community, that person is putting that community at risk, either for online harassment or for intimidation in real life and violence in real life," said Wendy Via, co-founder and president of Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. [Read more from Areeba Shah.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcG9zNWt5YXhqZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) - The promise of the George Floyd uprisings and the [persistence of police thuggery](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbHJ2NTZpcDB3Ny8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Rachel Maddow obtains footage of George Santos [claiming he survived assassination attempt](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcDExMXlidHU5MS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - What gun control studies tell us about [how to stop violence](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvY3h4eXdncjJ5ei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), according to experts - Hopelessly devoted: Kevin [McCarthy's dedication to Marjorie Taylor Greene](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMGk5eWI4MnJsNy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) is a dangerous sign - What's so hard about [making movies accessible?](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvanp3YXdpb3FpeS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - “Ping pong zoonosis”: [COVID is spreading from humans to animals](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdWVtMWdpNGdxeS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and back again - How TV has [embraced the traumatic side](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbWRvengwamhqOS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) of the "dangerous miracle" of childbirth - Love, betrayal and "Getting Smarter": The story [behind Barbara Feldon's rise to fame](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbHdudHQ2eGRubi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) as Agent 99 - Pamela Anderson claims [Tim Allen flashed her](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMjQzN2hjaGhvNy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) on the set of "Home Improvement" when she was 23 - If you give an AI a cookie, can it [make a viral recipe?](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmxyd2R2a29weC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - With these 4 expert tips, you'll [never fear cutting onions](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbjRlMnZzdjFrbi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (or any other allium) again - Sorry Starbucks lovers, the [rewards program is changing](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveWdvcjJzZjdscS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) for the worse on Feb. 13 If you found yourself here without subscribing, sign up for [Crash Course](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNnAxd3NmaGV3ei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), so you don't miss anything! Headline for SALON POV... No Black actors were nominated in the lead acting categories. And this year's nominations are also a huge step backward when it comes to the work of women. This in a year that saw films both heavy-hitting like the Maria Schrader-directed "She Said" and "Till," directed by Chinonye Chukwu, and box office dynamos like "[The Woman King](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZmozYnpsNmR0bS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)" directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, which was an instant hit, making $94.3 million worldwide. But these films are not only directed by women, they're about women. The majority of the Best Director-nominated films are about men. White men bickering in the countryside, dealing with a sinking luxury yacht, turning into a filmmaker as a middle class boy in the mid 20th century. Several of the Best Director-snubbed films by women received other noms, which makes the absent recognition of their directors' work even more glaring. [Read more from Alison Stine.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYm43MnRhc2s5ei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Sony Pictures/Ilze Kitshoff) - "Classified documents found at Pence’s Indiana home," [CNN](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvODRrdGp3amxzeC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "The Rise of Spirit Warriors on the Christian Right," [The New Republic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveXJ3Ymc5bGdiZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Former President Donald Trump posed for picture with former Philly mob boss Joey Merlino at South Florida golf club," [The Philadelphia Inquirer](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMzBzM3YxMmlwOS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Was There a Civilization on Earth Before Humans?" [The Atlantic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMmNjbHo2YWthdy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "U.S. Accuses Google of Abusing Monopoly in Ad Technology," [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaHBtNHVhbHdrMC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Top Ukrainian officials ousted in anti-corruption sweep," [The Washington Post](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveHphc2lqNTNwOS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Newsom calls out Fox News — as his meeting with shooting victims is interrupted by another massacre California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday was pulled away to be briefed on the state's second mass killing in three days while meeting with victims of the first one. While Newsom was meeting with victims of the Monterey Park shooting, he specifically criticized the coverage on Fox News, accusing the right-wing network of "not doing a damn thing about gun safety, not a damn thing for decades." "It's a disgrace what they say, what these people say every single night," Newsom [told reporters](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOTFoYTdidTVwdy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), accusing the network of perpetuating "crime and violence in this country" through "xenophobia" and "scapegoating." During his visit at the hospital, Newsom [tweeted](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvajhjazN1cTFibC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) that he was "pulled away to be briefed on another shooting," referring to Half Moon Bay. "Tragedy upon tragedy," he wrote. Newsom told [CBS News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaDltbnpoZzh2My8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3pXA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) that the Second Amendment is "becoming a suicide pact." "Nothing about this is surprising," the governor said. "Everything about this is infuriating." [Read more from Igor Derysh.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcnAzc3NlbmhkbC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWx0N3h6a2sxa3ombGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY8jKGdFjbXlWAFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Philip Cheung for The Washington Post via Getty Images) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmPIyhnRY215VgBSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2023 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE 19801 [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRls57JP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpjyMoZ0WNteVYAUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)