Crash Course: Democrats flipped the Pennsylvania House this week — here's why that matters

A Democratic majority in Harrisburg is about more than one party in one state — it's a sign of real progress [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvN2Ezc3BoMDUzMC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbWJxY3ExZHJ2eS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Democrats flipped the Pennsylvania House this week — here's why that matters The post-midterm momentum that Democrats continued with important victories in three Pennsylvania special elections last week is significant both for Pennsylvanians and for the country. Democrats [won](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZ3JqcmRpOGEyZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) three state legislative seats, giving them a one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the first time in a [decade](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNm10cGo2b2I5Yi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). This is much more than a partisan victory in one middle-sized state. [Read the rest from Dennis Aftergut.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveXN4MW9scXR3Yy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) "I've done my share of bombing": Marc Maron on taking comedy risks, failure and unfunny edgelords "I don't want to be negative," says [Marc Maron](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcnN2ejk5a2J1OC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) in his first-ever HBO special, "but I don't think anything's ever going to get better ever again." In the aptly named ["From Bleak to Dark,"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvY3V2bG9tZnZmbi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) the comedian and former[ "GLOW"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOXNuc21pbnlrei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) actor takes on despair, [dementia](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveHk0dWszbzFzdi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and [depression](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMnA3em02NHFudC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) with the trademark wry weariness familiar to fans of [his long-running "WTF" podcast.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaDM0bzRlbWx5eC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) But it's his blunt retelling of the aftermath of the sudden 2020 death of his partner, [filmmaker Lynn Shelton](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMGxsMHg3cTgweC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), that forms the hilarious, cathartic heart of the performance. It's the most exhilarating exploration of grief you'll likely see this year. [Read the rest from Mary Elizabeth Williams.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMDdkMm9zYmZoMi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images/Oluwaseye Olusa/HBO) - The case to let children vote: Why law professor [Adam Benforado](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYmx6MXRnaTlnbS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) calls for a “minor revolution" - Bringing John Lennon and Elton John together, and other rock tales from "The Tastemaker" [Tony King](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNW5qN2Z4anh2bi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - [Roseanne Barr](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZnhkNDdibndtOS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) calls cancel culture "fascist" in an interview with Tucker Carlson - The top 12 dishes that'll make your [Super Bowl party](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva3UyNnQ4ZndjMC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) a hit — even if your team flops - The decline of the [Netflix rom-com](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveW9hcTVla3VvZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - What the New York Times gets wrong about the ["American Dirt"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvc2N4M29qbjJxcS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) controversy - Trial by [impotence](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYjIwcHUxYWh0Yi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): When men had to copulate publicly or be served divorce papers - The 7 most harrowing revelations from Hulu’s "Sarah Lawrence cult" docuseries [“Stolen Youth”](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZTN4M3kzYWNiOC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Revisiting Gaspar Noé's rape and revenge film backward in impactful ["Irreversible: Straight Cut"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOWZmanQ1czAwbC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) If you found yourself here without subscribing, sign up for [Crash Course](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdHlqc2x1ZGM3ci8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), so you don't miss anything! Diversity, "wokeness" and violent oppression: Lessons of the Tyre Nichols case The brutal [murder](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcjJlMmp4Z2RtaC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) of Tyre Nichols by five Black Memphis police officers should be enough to implode the fantasy that identity politics and diversity will solve the social, economic and political decay that besets the United States. Not only are the former officers Black, but the city's police department is headed by Cerelyn Davis, a Black woman. None of this helped Nichols, another victim of a modern-day police lynching. [Read the rest from Chris Hedges.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvank0dW44Z3UyZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Scott Olson/Getty Images) - "Love of rare liquor lands Oregon officials in criminal probe," [CBS News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNm95anVxdTBxMS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "1st officer in Nichols arrest accused of brutality at prison," [AP News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvemdyOXQwbGxqNS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Penn Badgley Asked for Fewer Sex Scenes in ‘You’ Season 4," [Hollywood Reporter](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMzRxOWVwY2JvZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "NORAD says additional ‘object’ detected over northern Canada," [CNN](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOXVkZm9nOHRkei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Anti-LGTBQ+ attacks increased after far-right groups starting working together — with boost from Fox The last two years have been the deadliest for transgender people, especially Black transgender women, with nearly one in five of all hate crimes motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias, [according to the Human Rights Campaign](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveHQ1amJ1NjA4Mi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Several new reports detailed the growing violence and intimidation against LGBTQ+ people, with white nationalists targeting Pride events and showing up to Drag Queen story hours at local libraries, shouting homophobic and transphobic slurs. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) [released a report](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdXdlaGE2ZGJrci8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXVXA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) last year, which found that there was a nationwide surge of at least 174 anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrations. [Read the rest from Areeba Shah.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMTcyOHR0b2YwdS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWM2NjU0c3Z1OXUmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY-PU1Ohj1pt4Z1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRly1nTP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmPj1NToY9abeGdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2023 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. 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