‘At the Republican National Convention, trump made a brief, scripted, obviously disingenuous call for “unity,” and much of the media treated it as a major “pivot” to a more moderate, inclusive candidate. This anticipated pivot has been a joke for eight years, but the media keeps falling for it.

Yet on Friday, trump made a statement of his Fascist, authoritarian intent if elected, saying that if he gets into office, his supporters “won’t have to vote anymore,” and the media mostly yawned. Whether it’s because they just think this is “trump being trump,” or you have to take what he says “seriously but not literally,” or if you call him on it he’ll just backtrack, this didn’t get a tiny fraction of the attention it deserves….

While he’s never actually made even a modicum of a “pivot” to moderation, he has, in fact, led an insurrection in an attempt to stay in office despite losing an election. Since then, he and his team have been systematically laying the legal and logistical groundwork to ensure that the strategies that failed in 2021 will succeed in 2029. There is every reason to believe that he is deadly serious and that if he gets into the White House, no fair election will ever get him or his MAGA cultists out…’ (Boing Boing)

‘In a reversal from the president’s longstanding resistance to changes to the high court, Biden said on Wednesday that Supreme Court reform would be among his top priorities for the remainder of his term in office. Biden announced Sunday that he would not seek re-election after mounting pressure from Democratic Party officials who asked him to step aside after his widely panned debate performance in June.

The president is expected to propose setting term limits for justices on the Supreme Court, which would require a constitutional amendment, and establishing an enforceable code of ethics, which could be enacted by Congress, Politico reported.

Biden is also likely to voice support for a constitutional amendment that would limit immunity for presidents and certain other officeholders after the court ruled in July that presidents cannot be prosecuted for “official acts” during their time in office. The court’s ruling stemmed from a case concerning former president trump….’ (Fox News)

(The New York Times). As I said below, I think of this as a selfless act in defense of democracy. trump was no ‘hero’ simply because he stood up on a podium and got his ear grazed by a would-be assassin’s bullet (would not have been a “hero” even if it had been on target!) but this is an act of heroism by a great man.

Reading the coverage so far, it is not clear how definitive the endorsement of Harris is. Possibilities swirl about. I read James Carville’s scheme for regional mini-primaries with interest. Flights of fancy like drafting Michelle Obama or Hilary Clinton (although not herself much younger than Biden) should not be dismissed. I don’t think we should rule out an open convention simply because it would be “chaotic.” After all, the will of the people is supposed to be — as long as it results in defeating the despotic, egotistical and imbecilic multiply-convicted felon and serial rapist put up by the shell of the Republican Party. 

‘Astronomers and stargazers eagerly await a once-in-a-lifetime event that can occur at any moment now. They expect to see a star explode by September, and it will be visible from Earth, so we can all watch.

T Coronae Borealis, also called the Blaze star, is a binary star system about 3,000 light years away and consists of one white dwarf and one red giant. The white dwarf accretes hydrogen from the red giant. When enough accumulates, it triggers a thermonuclear explosion, causing the star to become significantly brighter in the night sky for a short time.

Astronomers expect the explosion to occur before September 2024, and during its peak, you should be able to see it without a telescope for several days and over a week with one. It will take place in the constellation Corona Borealis, which is between the constellations Hercules and Boötes, and it can be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the location before the event so it will be easier to find when it does….’ (GeekSided)

‘The past week has seen an outpouring of hate from the far right over the wife of Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance. The unremarkable fact that Vance is married to Usha Vance, a woman of Indian heritage, has become a fixation for white nationalists online.

Following Monday’s announcement of Vance as Trump’s running mate, white nationalist “groyper” Nick Fuentes seemed to enter a meltdown on his broadcast, saying, “What kind of man marries somebody that isn’t a Christian? What kind of man marries somebody named Usha? Clearly, he doesn’t value his racial identity, his heritage. Clearly, he doesn’t value his religion. He doesn’t marry a woman that professes Jesus Christ? What does that say about him?”

Jaden McNeil, another white nationalist activist, posted a picture of Vance, his wife, and their newborn with the caption, “I’m sure this guy is going to be great on immigration.” Other prominent far-right accounts have similarly bemoaned Vance’s multiracial family, with replies awash in bigotry. “There is an obvious Indian coup taking place in the US right before our eyes,” whined far-right conspiracy theorist Stew Peters.

Considering the flagrant racism of the far right, this reaction may not shock, but it certainly appalls. It’s a reminder that there are factions of Trump’s base that view diversity in their party, and the country, with horror. (Recall Ann Coulter telling Vivek Ramaswamy that she would not vote for him because he is Indian.)…’ (The New Republic)

‘Do you wonder why so many people seem unfazed by trump’s dictator aspirations? As reported in The New Republic, a recent Pew Research Center study reveals that nearly a third of Americans have no objection to military rule or an authoritarian leader.

How did we end up in this bizarre reality where people are lining up to have their freedoms taken away? Experts say it’s about feeling safe and cozy in a world that’s changing too fast for their liking. Joe Pierre, a UCSF professor, explains that when people feel threatened, “Authoritarianism and a ‘strongman’ leader who’s willing to trample over civil rights can sound like a very appealing solution.”…’ (Boing Boing)

‘Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland is sounding the alarm on an extensive “Deep State target list” that donald trump’s self-proclaimed “secretary of retribution” has compiled.

Hoping to enlist “constitutional” sheriffs to arrest anti-trumpers — including journalists, politicians, former U.S. Capitol Police employees, and their families — MAGA’s retired Army Reserve Ivan Raiklin has created a list of 350 people to target, according to Raw Story. And he envisions “live-streamed swatting raids” as part of the process.

“This is a deadly serious report,” Raskin told Raw Story. “A retired U.S. military officer has drawn up a ‘Deep State target list’ of public officials he considers traitors, along with our family members and staff. His hit list is a vigilante death warrant for hundreds of Americans and a clear and present danger to the survival of American democracy and freedom.”…’ (Boing Boing)