A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
A Nation In Crisis
It was a crazy news weekend, but nothing topped this.
The ousted former president called for terminating the Constitution and reinstalling himself as chief executive. This is the United States circa 2022.
The reaction to Trump’s jihad against the rule of law was immediate and widespread except where it’s needed most: “GOP lawmakers largely silent after Trump suggests ‘termination’ of Constitution”
If you’re looking for a silver lining, it’s Trump’s admission of intent for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election:
Keep An Eye On This
Apparent attacks on two electrical substations Saturday evening have left tens of thousands of residents of Moore County, North Carolina without power.
“Authorities have confirmed that at least two substations were damaged by gunfire on Saturday night,” the local newspaper reported.
The FBI has joined the investigation into what law enforcement is calling an “intentional” and “targeted” attack.
The whole county was under a curfew Sunday night, and schools were closed Monday.
The power outage occurred during a local drag show that had attracted protestors, but authorities were not connecting the two events yet.
Former TPMer Nick Martin has a thread on why those who monitor extremist activity are watching the Moore County case closely:
Musk, Taibbi, And Hunter Biden
Where to even start? The weekend’s worst collision of bad faith, narcissism, conspiracizing, and navel-gazing was largely contained to Twitter, so if you missed it, be grateful.
If you’re trying to catch up on how Elon Musk enlisted Matt Taibbi do to what they billed independent autopsy of sorts on Twitter’s moderation of the Hunter Biden laptop story (I feel icky having just typed that), then do NOT use this “media” story in the NYT. Mainstream media continues to be unable to grapple with bad faith actors engaged in media manipulation.
There is almost zero value in narrating this fiasco for you, so I won’t even try. You have my permission to ignore this story (I know that counts for very little). If you must delve into the Hunter Biden laptop sludge, here’s a good, grounding article from earlier this year to check off that box.
Chris Christie’s Niece Kicked Off Plane And Arrested
The 25-year-old niece of former New Jersey Gov. Christie (R) was pulled off a plane in New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day after she allegedly asked a family onboard that she perceived to be Latino if they were “smuggling cocaine,” law enforcement said.
Shannon Epstein then proceeded to allegedly bite, kick, and spit at sheriffs deputies who arrived to arrest her.
In the scuffle, she injured six deputies, biting one on the arm and breaking the skin, and kicking another in the groin, Rivarde said. They were treated there by paramedics. …
Seven deputies were needed to handcuff Epstein to a wheelchair, so that she could be moved to the airport security office, Rivarde said. She continued to shout vulgarities and try to bite deputies, he added.
Here’s the kicker:
All the while, Epstein shouted that the deputies were going to lose their jobs or end up in jail, boasting that she was related to powerful people and that her uncle is a friend of former President Donald Trump …
Georgia Smashes Early Voting Records
Early voting in the Georgia Senate runoff ended Friday but not before the state twice broke its own single-day record for early voting. Election Day is tomorrow. CNN’s closing poll showed Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) leading Republican nominee Herschel Walker 52-48 among likely voters.
Kari Lake Lawyers Sanctioned for False Claims in Election Suit
Alan Dershowitz was among the lawyers for losing GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake who were sanctioned by a federal judge for making false and unsupported claims in her pre-election lawsuit seeking to change Arizona’s voting mechanisms.
Well Hello South Carolina!
Big changes afoot in the schedule of Democrats’ presidential primaries.
Moving up: South Carolina
Moving down: Iowa
Milo Expelled From Kanye’s Entourage
Far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos has been fired from the informal 2024 presidential campaign of Ye, the music star formerly known as Kanye West.
Comedy Gold From Dem Up And Comer
Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, whose April speech defending herself against a right-wing smear went viral, was a hit at Saturday’s Gridiron Club dinner:
Indonesia’s Mount Semeru Erupts
The weekend’s pyroclastic flows came a year to the day after a previous eruption killed 50 people:
RIP
Longtime Sesame Street mainstay Bob McGrath has died at 90.
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