Crash Course: Clarence Thomas, Ken Paxton and Donald Trump: The corrupting influence of oligarchy

Clarence Thomas and Ken Paxton's high-end corruption isn't about a few "bad apples." It's how our system works [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdGplNWs5em10di8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODhXA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvejlvcGNtbjZ3NS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Clarence Thomas, Ken Paxton and Donald Trump: The corrupting influence of oligarchy It is tempting to attribute the scandals now enveloping two right wing icons — [Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva3Vja3Fza3l3by8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODhXA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and [Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvd21zdnkyajlhZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODhXA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) — to both men's lack of an ethical compass. Resisting that temptation is necessary if we are to learn a larger lesson about the roots of much political corruption in this country. The through-line in those headline-grabbing events involves massive wealth, domestic and foreign, seeking to buy power and knowing how to cultivate those who have it as well as those who have had it and might regain it. Simply put, people with great wealth often seek to [enlist the powerful to help them keep things as they are](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMDYwMnR0djg4ai8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODhXA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). [Read the rest from Austin Sarat and Dennis Aftergut.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYjFuNHI3cXBnaC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) Biden and McCarthy step back from the abyss: It's a huge defeat for Donald Trump On Wednesday evening the House finally passed debt ceiling legislation — over the heads of the members of the Freedom Caucus, who threatened "a reckoning" for Speaker Kevin McCarthy because he compromised with Democrats, and over the heads of some progressives who felt the bill sold them out. While compromise has often been the key to our democracy, for some today it is as popular as [Marjorie Taylor Greene banging the gavel](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvb3VoaDFwODVzMC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and asking for decorum in the House — it gets a lot of laughs, but nobody takes it seriously. This week, that changed. [Read the rest from Brian Karem.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdzN0bGVwdjQ3MC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) - [Biden takes a nasty spill](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMWYzMzBrZmRjZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) during Air Force Academy commencement ceremony - After [Danny Masterson rape conviction](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveWVhYXozczB1ci8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), Scientologists claim trial inflamed "bigotry" against church - “Blockbuster piece of evidence”: Experts say [recording “fatally undermines” Trump’s entire defense](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbWhubjdsbmZ5eC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - “I kind of get sad”: [Lauren Boebert complains about receiving “positive” calls from constituents](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZDhhOHc1YmNqMi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Plan your weeknight meals around this [plant-based, budget-friendly superfood](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdDNqemdlb3phMC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Trump explodes on Truth Social after [DeSantis team won't say if it's "Dee-Santis" or "Deh-Santis"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveXRyazJzcHd4Zi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Infighting [Trump lawyers plotted "murder-suicide" pact](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZGxneHF2NWR2My8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) — and were overheard by reporter: report - "It's a pro move": [What Leslie Bibb learned from acting vets](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdjY1cGFveWpneC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), from Robert De Niro to Carol Burnett - Trump melts down on Truth Social as his [lawyer struggles to defend damning secret recording](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvODlzNml0N2Nzby8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - “Game over”: [Legal experts say secret recording shows Trump "essentially confess"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYm54MmxoaXp2OC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Pop star Sia says she's on the spectrum. [Do you think you're autistic? Here are some signs](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdDh0d2tvbGl6ZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Trials and triggers: [Psychiatrists warn Trump's psychosis will grow](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmFvZGxpemU1ei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) "as he becomes more desperate" - [Time to move on from the "Ted Lasso" way](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva2h0NDQ3b3A1Ni8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) after a bloated season - [Were the founding fathers "woke"?](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva3hzeWc3aW5rei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Well, compared to the modern-day GOP — definitely If you found yourself here without subscribing, sign up for [Crash Course](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvam1uam5lNzlqOS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), so you don't miss anything! After Chick-fil-A ruffles far-right feathers, Fox News asks if the culture war has gone too far Now that some ultra-conservatives have [vowed to boycott Chick-fil-A](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcDR2ZzhtMHR0YS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) over the company's corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Fox News hosts are scrambling on-air to determine whether the public backlash towards "woke" companies — the same backlash they've previously helped direct at brands like [Bud Light](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYTVvejZjZHE4ci8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and [M&M'sÂ](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbXY3cnJpZmJyNS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)— has finally gone too far. [Read the rest from Ashlie D. Stevens.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvamdwYzhtdnB1cS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Rafael Henrique/Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images) - "Bill Cosby faces new sexual assault lawsuit," [CNN](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNXlldjZobzg5aS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODhXA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "A trans inmate wins health care and will move to women's prison after suing Minnesota," [NPR](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNWoybGxiMmdsaS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODhXA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Taylor Swift fans claim ‘post-concert amnesia’ due to bizarre phenomenon," [New York Post](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbTkzdXlyZWkxai8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODhXA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "US military drone controlled by AI killed its operator during simulated test," [The Guardian](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaG50emM3ZnZmNi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODhXA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) The killer orcas aren’t winning. They could be self-sabotaging While some might see this as "winning" for the whales in this so-called uprising, others are worried this could be a form of self-sabotaging. "If these killer whales continue attacking boats, it will make protecting them harder," Rendell wrote in The Conversation. "Not only does interacting with revolving propellers increase the risk of injury to these animals, it also threatens people – from the injuring of crews to the sinking of vessels – which will create political pressure for something to be done." Wieland told Salon she is concerned this could be a "step backwards" for orcas and how they're perceived by the public. Wieland said that the human relationship with orcas has shifted over the last 50 years. [Read the rest from Nicole Karlis.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbGZsc3p3dTM3NS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXAxZ3JwaDVrODgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZHW_y3lkIC9gflIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Getty Images/Chase Dekker Wild-Life Images) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmR1v8t5ZCAvYH5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2023 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE 19801 [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmXFC-P0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpkdb_LeWQgL2B-Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)