When scholars of authoritarianism and fascism leave U.S. universities because of the deteriorating political situation here, we should really worry.

Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky sharply disagreed with a decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom of California to host Steve Bannon on Newsom’s new podcast this week, saying Bannon’s voice should not be elevated “on any platform ever, anywhere.”

Trump revokes Columbia student’s residency status because his speech allegedly “supports Hamas” (terrorism) and harms US “national security—magic words that justify anything, including violations of 1A. There’s a reason it’s starting with students at Columbia.
But we can be sure it won’t stop there.

So Philippines arrests its own former president on an ICC warrant even though it has no obligation because it’s no longer party to ICC Treaty. Meanwhile European countries who ARE legally obligated to arrest Netanyahu invite him for state visits instead. JFC😖 apnews.com/article/rodr...

A few months ago an AEI fellow laid out a plan for the Trump administration to destroy Columbia as a message to the rest of academia
www.aei.org/op-eds/a-com...

Three sets of lawsuits initiated against President Trump's executive actions:

Birthright citizenship (Rebecca Beitsch reporting)
Schedule F (@courtneyrozen.bsky.social)
DOGE (@joshgerstein.bsky.social @kyledcheney.bsky.social)

Covered in this morning's Early Edition roundup by @justsecurity.org:

Donald Trump's second inaugural will be remembered for being worse than 59 others, including his first, George F. Will writes.

"It was memorable for its staggering inappropriateness."

Drunk with wealth now power, Musk’s deliberate gesture was intended to draw the very reaction it has from critics/apologists alike, and steal media coverage during inauguration. Good/bad he craves attention like Trump, each now dependent on the other in a symbiotic, sociopathic, relationship.

It's striking how SCOTUS could decide the TikTok ban in a few days but delayed and sat on the question of presidential immunity for months.

The Court can move quickly when it wants to. When it came to ensuring Trump could be brought to trial for Jan. 6, it just didn't want to.

My alternative (fictional) version of Donald Trump’s sentencing and the dark future we face.

open.substack.com/pub/joesalta...

From Hegseth's own lawyer:

"Hegseth agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to the woman because he feared that revelation of the matter 'would result in his immediate termination from Fox,' where he works as a host, the statement [by Hegseth's attorney] said."

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

In 10 weeks, 64 journalists have been killed covering the war in Gaza. By comparison, 77 were killed during the twenty years of the Afghan War, 2001-21.*

* Committee for the Protection of Journalists data

Jews calling for a cease fire have taken over Grand Central ✊

Tell me again how they’re marginal. Absolute nonsense.