Crash Course: "I'm so tired of these psychos": Moms for Liberty turns toxic

Moms for Liberty: Yesterday's hot right-wing phenomenon has gone toxic [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZDlpcTNqY3ZtZS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMTA4ZjBrZXlvei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). ~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaWNteTh4a3lqaS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveGNwa2Ftd20weC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdWhhOWhxcno0My8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdWZxZG5vZXR0eS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMXJmZGZxbWZkMy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo "I'm so tired of these psychos": Moms for Liberty is now a toxic brand Last month, Salon's Amanda Marcotte published [a lengthy investigative report on Moms for Liberty](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaWRpcjRieXg0ci8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), the group dedicated to rewiring American education toward the far right, and its takeover of the board of education in the Pennridge School District, about half an hour outside Philadelphia. Moms for Liberty, a heavily funded astroturf organization linked to GOP leadership, wasn't especially subtle in its strategies, pinpointing a handful of swing districts in purple states, like Virginia and Pennsylvania, and targeting school board elections, which are usually low turnout and easy to win. Once installed, Moms for Liberty members started banning books and Pride flags, as well as protesting that teachers were "grooming" kids with "smut," which usually meant either a history book or acclaimed, age-appropriate fiction. The idea was to create moral panics around sex and race that could tip national elections towards Republicans. Well, it backfired. Parents in the Pennridge district eager to fight back against right-wing radicals formed the Ridge Network and got the word out, arguing to voters that the group was degrading the quality of the public schools. This week, those efforts paid off: Democrats won all five of the open school board seats in the district, wresting control away from Moms for Liberty. [Read more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvemw3eXBoZ2NkOS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) ~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNTJtaHZoZXZrbi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva216ZGcyNjkyOC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbWg2N21tNDY5bi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdm91bXdncWxoay8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo “Full-blown circus”: Experts say Trump’s list of 127 defense witnesses won’t fly with the judge Donald Trump’s potential list of witnesses in his $250 million civil fraud lawsuit in New York exceeds 120 people, which has the potential to drag out the legal proceedings. The lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James accuses Trump and his family businesses of inflating real estate asset values to deceive lenders and insurance providers into receiving better terms for loans and insurance policies. James has asked that the former president pay $250 million and that he and his sons be permanently barred from doing business in New York. "Trump’s histrionics and chaos creation may help him politically, but not in court,” James Sample, a Hofstra University constitutional law professor, told Salon. “Witnesses who add genuine value are entirely appropriate. Witnesses whose testimony is irrelevant, duplicative or strictly political will likely be given an appropriately short leash.” “There is no way the defense will call 100 witnesses,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Salon. “They may not even call 10 witnesses. This is a cat and mouse game so the attorney general’s office doesn’t have time to prepare their cross-examination.” [Read more from Areeba Shah](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOW8xajZxbXdwbC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) [Subscribe to Salon today](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcDNxOHZieTd4ZS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and unlock more benefits! Up Next ... - N.Y. attorney general [confronts Ivanka Trump](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdmYyZHY4Y2V2ay8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) with "devastating series of documents" on witness stand - "[This isn't the end](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZWFwenQ0YjFsdy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)": Ohio Republicans refuse to give up on abortion bans even after big pro-choice victory - ["Morning Show" boss](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMmdneXVrcjMyYi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) hints at what's next and asks, "What is women's power?" - “Trying to scare women”: [Fox News struggles to cope](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOWltMmM0eDZ1Ny8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) after brutal election night for GOP - Is blue light actually [harmful to your sleep](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva3F1d3VxOHNheC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)? A popular belief, but the science isn't so clear - As Marvel's cultural power continues to fade, [more and more actors are dragging](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYWljOXUzNWoxbS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) the ultimate IP franchise - GOP called out for [censuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNXY4M29yc3pkNy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) while Republicans spew "genocidal rhetoric" - [First reactions to “The Marvels”](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYW9kejZsMjE1ZS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): What critics are saying about the MCU’s woman-centric film Before you go ... Don't be afraid to "Do the Dew"! My beloved Mountain Dew is "healthy" after all I have an unvarnished, immense affinity for Mountain Dew. No matter if it’s accompanying [chicken parm](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva2RuaDA3Z2gxZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), a [Thanksgiving](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMmhyOGJiMGRndC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) or Christmas meal or a [tuna sandwich](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNW0zOGZkODduei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), a crisp, effervescent, subtly tart glass is the perfect complement. My brother and I have both been utterly entranced by the siren song of Mountain Dew for over a decade (enough so that I mention it in my [professional bio](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdHlpbmp1NW13bC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)). My pals have had a running joke for years that my general culinary proclivities lean rather hifalutin, except for Mountain Dew, which could be considered a glaring anomaly. The beverage — which, as reported by [Ian Douglass at Mel Magazine](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMmszZWp3YmgxYi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), borrows its name from a common term for Appalachian moonshine — tends to be culturally derided as lowbrow or [gamer fuel](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZzh6NXdhdzBpdS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmJXA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). But to all the Dew haters out there, I ask: Did you happen to see the FDA’s recent warning about brominated vegetable oil, or BVO? [Read more from Michael La Corte](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZHpzZ2o0ZmZrbi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTUxcDA4azE2dmImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZUXWyUxl77vIalIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmVF1slMZe-7yGpSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2023 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE 19801 ~/AASU4wA~/RgRnL07WP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgplRdbJTGXvu8hqUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~ Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]