In this week’s podcast we talked about the Chris Cuomo/Fredo story and that got me onto a topic I’ve thought about for a couple decades – one tied to my fascination with American regionalism and aggression. Back in the 1990s, psychologists at the University of Michigan conducted a study about regionalism and aggression. As is often the case, the ‘real’ took place before the participants actually thought it was happening. The participants are all white male college students. They are walking down a hall when an apparent bystander thoughtlessly bumps into him while closing a file cabinet and calls him an “asshole”.

The House GOP leadership has circulated talking points to its members instructing them to respond to questions about mass shootings by claiming they are all motived by people “from the left.”

Be sure to read this note from TPM Reader AS …

I was among the scores of protesters at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island last night. Like many, I left before a guard at the facility drove his truck into a crowd of my fellow activists, and his colleagues pepper-sprayed others. But I was hectored as I was leaving, and I felt the sense of menace in the air. To call the atmosphere “tense” would be an understatement.

I always have to remind people that, Fox News withstanding, the Fox News poll is legitimate and respected. There’s a mountain of information in the one released this afternoon. (Full results here.)

You may have seen the toplines. Trump fails to get to 40% against any of the top Democratic contenders.

From TPM Reader BW (Ben Waxman):

I have to say, McSwain’s comments today were pretty shocking, even to me. I’m not a casual observer– I was Krasner’s spokesperson throughout the campaign and transition. And then I was the Director of Communications for DA Krasner & and the Philly DA’s Office until the end of May.

McSwain has taken a number of shots at Larry over the past year, even adopting a case that he felt was handled too leniently by the DAO. It was unusual but all within McSwain’s power as a federal law enforcement official.

Authorities at that immigration detention facility appear to have suspended the guard who drove his truck into/over those protestors outside the facility. The facility suspended Capt. Thomas Woodworth; they wouldn’t say whether he was the one at the wheel though videos of the incident show people calling his name.

I think TPM Reader JG is right that I may have missed an element of this. It doesn’t change the big picture. Israel’s relationship is with the U.S., not the Republican Party or Donald Trump. So they are responsible for what they do and the repercussions it has for the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

I’m still a bit unclear on the precise mix of push and pull. I suspect Netanyahu’s caretaker government was divided. But Trump does seem to have pushed them over the edge. They had earlier signaled they would okay the visit. Trump was reported to have been pushing them to deny entry. Overnight unofficial reports said Israel was moving toward denying entry. Then after Trump’s tweet, and seemingly in response, they made it official.

From TPM Reader JG …

Let me comment on Israel’s apparent decision to bar entry to Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.

I wanted to flag your attention to this video. It’s video of a protest by the Jewish activist group Never Again Action protesting outside the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, a private immigration detention facility.

Tierney Sneed reports on the continuing struggle over Ohio’s embrace of extreme voter purges.