Crash Course: Eek, a balloon! How China easily got Republicans to beclown themselves

Once again, the GOP proves it's the party of insecure men overcompensating. [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvem9paWRocHl4aC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvemZydnlhanFkby8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Eek, a balloon! How China easily got Republicans to beclown themselves It's a truth that should be self-evident: If you are emasculated by a balloon, you weren't so tough to begin with. While displeased with the predicament, adults recognized that freaking out was not the answer. Instead, they waited until the balloon wasn't a direct threat to people and property underneath and shot it down over the ocean. Meanwhile, Republicans — many in elected office who could be doing something useful with their time — saw the Chinese balloon as an opportunity for cringeworthy tough guy cosplay. Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance was [just one of many, many Republicans who spent](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva3hsMmY2dTdjcy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) the Days of the Chinese Balloon ping-ponging between performative hysterics and childish games of dress-up where they pretended they were somehow going to shoot the balloon down. [Read more from Amanda Marcotte.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMml0bno3djRsNi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) Florida is officially a laboratory for fascism in the U.S. DeSantis and other Republican fascists have proclaimed Florida to be a bastion of "freedom" and "liberty." In reality, Florida is now a laboratory for fascism. As part of his authoritarian project, DeSantis is enforcing thought crime laws that forbid the teaching of AP African-American studies in high school and other courses and programs across Florida's school system (including at the college and university level) that examine questions of power, race and systemic inequality. DeSantis and his agents recently declared that the AP African-American studies course was inappropriate and will not be taught in Florida's schools because it has "no educational value" and is "indoctrinating" (white) young people. DeSantis and his regime's thought crime attacks on African-American studies are Orwell's "1984" meets "Birth of a Nation." The purpose of DeSantis' thought crime laws is to intimidate and terrorize all teachers, educators, librarians, and others who are committed to education, critical thinking, and the truth in Florida (and beyond). In DeSantis' Florida — and soon to be across "red state" America if he and the other fascist Republicans get their way — there will be censors who review books and other material for thought crimes and other "dangerous" ideas that are contrary to the interests of conservatives. [Read more from Chauncey DeVega.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvN2I4OTl5a3hoMi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) - Judge: [Abortion may still be protected](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcjIycWo5Ymxtbi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) by different constitutional amendment despite SCOTUS ruling - [Six foods](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZGF0ZDB5Nm4zdi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) that climate change is going to ruin - Sam Smith's "full-on Satan worship" Grammys number puts conservatives in an [anti-vax Satanic panic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZ3R1OWtyOHZjei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - How living on Mars would [warp the human body](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdWw1aGY5a2lidS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - How [Harry Styles' Grammys speech](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMHB2dTdsNTdhYS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) made Beyoncé's Album of the Year loss worse - Certain [foods increase your risk of ovarian cancer](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaTNpYjM3dzMzZi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) — but there's a surprising way to prevent it - Subway is [ditching pre-sliced meat](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvenV3cGN2bmUydy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) in a play to boost sales - [Reba McEntire's new restaurant](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcTRta3NvanNicS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) takes the charcuterie board to a whole new level - Bitter cacao nibs and bleeding hands: My 10-day [chocolate-making nightmare](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdGgyZmo4MWZzcC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) If you found yourself here without subscribing, sign up for [Crash Course](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvazJqcGw2amE5Yi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), so you don't miss anything! Phony constitutional "originalism" is likely to kill women after Second Amendment decision A federal appeals court put many women's lives in danger last week by [declaring](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNmN3ajZiMGYxai8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) unconstitutional a federal law that makes it a crime for those under a restraining order in a domestic violence case to possess a firearm. Three conservative judges, two of whom had been appointed by Donald Trump, did this for the absurd reason that such regulations did not exist in 1791 when the Second Amendment was adopted. A court invalidating the explicit congressional protection extended to domestic abuse victims defies common sense. The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence reports that a "woman is [five times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbzYxMTYwaXNnei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) more likely to be murdered when her abuser has access to a gun." Judicial decisions ignoring such realities tell us that some judges care more about ideology than protecting women's lives. [Read more from Erwin Chemerinsky and Dennis Aftergut.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZGZ4azQ1YjZiYS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images) - "Why everyone feels like they're faking it," [The New Yorker](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbzg4anliZTRibi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "I Love The Idea That Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez Hate Each Other," [BuzzFeed News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMG52MHJkaGphei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "ChatGPT’s creators can’t figure out why it won’t talk about Trump," [Semafor](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZ2NpcjFmb2F0Ni8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "So Are Nonstick Pans Safe or What?" [The Atlantic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva3QxcnJybDBndC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Inside the Implosion of Justin Roiland’s Animation Empire," [The Hollywood Reporter](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNnN1ZmU1dXl1dS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "The Defiance of Salman Rushdie," [The New Yorker](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZm1nbHJ1M2NzZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Florida GOP moves to let Ron DeSantis take over Disney World special tax district over LGBTQ support Republicans in Florida's House of Representatives introduced legislation Monday that would rename the special tax district set up for Walt Disney World and allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to choose the people in charge, [The Tampa Bay Times reported](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveHVvcmpvc201Mi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Under [House Bill 9B](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbjQ1Z2Nmdzk5NC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDVXA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), released Monday, Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District will become the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and, unlike before when Walt Disney Co. picked the board of supervisors, its five members will be chosen by DeSantis and approved by the GOP-led state Senate. DeSantis pushed for last year's law dissolving Reedy Creek on June 1, 2023, in retaliation for Disney's opposition to his "Don't Say Gay" law. But the legislation had a critical flaw: It did not say how the state would handle Disney's nearly $1 billion in bond debt, which would fall on the residents of Orange and Osceola counties if Disney's ability to tax itself was removed from law. [Read more from Areeba Shah.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvemMyNDVibTNkei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTg0eGRkOGxnNDUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-HOjuNjcrxCyVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlxhPOP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmPhzo7jY3K8QslSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2023 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. 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