A Jewish journalist takes sides in America’s ‘slow civil war’

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-jewish-journalist-takes-sides-in-americas-slow-civil-war/

It’s a familiar story of an America on the edge, but Sharlet adds the perspective of a journalist who has long covered religion. He was among the first to note that Trump rallies were less political events than religious revivals. And like many religions, he says, Trumpism is resistant to the kinds of “civil discourse” that many people propose as an antidote to polarization.

“We cannot fact-check a myth, right?” Sharlet told me in a video interview from his home in Vermont. “It’s not going to work to say, ‘That’s not true.’”

Why the Clarence Thomas Timeline of Gifts Isn’t Pretty

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-the-clarence-thomas-timeline-of-gifts-isnt-pretty?ref=home?ref=home

But Crow isn’t the only Republican giving generously to the Thomas household. Conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo also funneled $80,000—in a small world way, through Kellyanne Conway—to Thomas’ wife, Ginni Thomas.

Both Crow and Leo have had considerable business before the Supreme Court. And a close examination of some of these decisions—all decided on 5-4 votes, where Thomas’ decision was critical—are now coming into sharper focus.

Kevin McCarthy Cuts Ties with George Santos Amid Indictment

 https://www.newsweek.com/kevin-mccarthy-cuts-ties-george-santos-amid-indictment-1799568#:~:text=House%20Speaker%20Kevin%20McCarthy%20told,revealed%20earlier%20in%20the%20day.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told congressional reporters Wednesday evening that he will not support Representative George Santos' reelection bid amid the New York congressman's 13-count federal indictment revealed earlier in the day.

Illusions help cure burst stomach

 Chullin (56b) A gentile once saw a man fall from the roof to the ground so that his belly burst open and his entrails protruded. The gentile thereupon brought the son of the victim and by an optical illusion made out as if he slaughtered him in the presence of the father. The father became faint, sighed deeply and drew in his entrails; whereupon his belly was immediately stitched up.

Biden Mocks Trump After CNN Town Hall

 https://www.newsweek.com/biden-mocks-trump-after-cnn-town-hall-1799578

Biden alluded to Trump's performance—which consisted of sidestepping many of Collins' questions—in a tweet published shortly after the town hall ended.

"It's simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that? If you don't, pitch in to our campaign," Biden tweeted, accompanied by a link to a donations page for his reelection campaign.

Trump narrowly trails Biden despite voter fears about president: poll

 https://nypost.com/2023/05/10/trump-narrowly-trails-biden-despite-voter-fears-about-president-poll/

Former President Donald Trump trails President Biden by two points in the 2024 popular vote despite the commander-in-chief’s lackluster approval rating and concerns about his advanced age, according to a new poll. 

The Yahoo News/YouGov survey released on Wednesday found that 45% of voters said they would vote for Biden, 80, compared to 43% who said they would support Trump, 76, “if the election were held today.” 

Trump digs in on election lies, insults sexual assault accuser during town hall

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-digs-in-on-election-lies-insults-sexual-assault-accuser-during-town-hall/

During a contentious CNN town hall Wednesday night, former US president Donald Trump dug in on his lies about the 2020 election, downplayed the violence on January 6, 2021, and repeatedly insulted the woman whom a civil jury this week found him liable of sexually abusing and defaming.

Trump, returning to the network after years of acrimony, also refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to win the war against Russian aggression and said the US “might as well” default on its debt obligation, despite the potentially devastating economic consequences.

George Santos Rages Against Indictment

 https://www.newsweek.com/george-santos-rages-against-indictment-1799552#:~:text=Embattled%20Republican%20Congressman%20George%20Santos,in%20Central%20Islip%2C%20New%20York.

"It's a witch hunt," Santos told a throng of reporters after departing the courthouse Wednesday afternoon. "It makes no sense that in four months, five months, I'm indicted. You have Joe Biden's entire family receiving deposits from nine family members receiving money from foreign destinations into their bank accounts."

Lisa Parshall, a political science professor at Daemen University, told Newsweek via email that Santos is following the Donald Trump script of "decrying any accountability as political persecution and engaging in whataboutism."

5 takeaways from Trump’s CNN smackdown

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/10/5-takeaways-from-trumps-cnn-smackdown-00096376

The most significant thing about Trump’s town hall wasn’t anything he said about the 2020 election, the Jan. 6 riot at the capitol or the federal jury that found him liable for sexual battery.

It was that on all of those issues, a roomful of Republicans and independents who intend to vote in New Hampshire’s Republican primary was siding with him.

Rep. George Santos charged with fraud, money laundering, using donor funds on designer duds

 https://nypost.com/2023/05/10/rep-george-santos-handed-several-charges-in-indictment/

Lying Long Island Rep. George Santos surrendered Wednesday as federal prosecutors revealed the charges against him — including that he embezzled $50,000 in campaign money to buy designer clothing and pay personal expenses.

House GOP leaders react to Santos indictment: 'There is a legal process'

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-gop-leaders-react-santos-indictment-legal-process

"In regard to George Santos, he was already removed from all of his committees," House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said during Wednesday's leadership press conference. "There is a legal process. The charges just came out, we just saw some of them this morning. And so, in America, there is a presumption of innocence, but they're serious charges. He's going to have to go through the legal process." 

Interesting observation: They hold the above only for Republicans especially not if your name is Biden or Clinton

Santos accused of using donor money to buy designer clothes

 https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3997532-santos-accused-of-using-donor-money-to-buy-designer-clothes/

Eight of these charges — five of the wire fraud counts and three counts of money laundering — are connected with the now-congressman allegedly directing someone in October 2022 to falsely tell potential donors that their funds would be used to buy television advertisements for Santos’s campaign.

George Santos’ Lies Finally Catch Up With Him in Stunning Indictment

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/george-santos-is-in-custody?ref=home?ref=home

The Justice Department unsealed a 13-count indictment Wednesday morning that detailed the variety of ways Santos used his brief political rise to dupe taxpayers and donors—an eagerly awaited law enforcement action that followed months of investigative news reports about his wide ranging fraudster lifestyle.

The charges against Rep. George Santos

 https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/10/politics/charges-george-santos/index.html

The Justice Department on Wednesday unsealed 13 federal charges against Rep. George Santos and the New York Republican is in custody, a spokesperson for the Eastern District of New York said. Santos has been charged on seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the US House of Representatives.