Friday, June 9: Criminal Trump Strikes Again
The orange king seems destined for jail...unless...
The collection of greasy fried chicken and steak covered in ketchup known as Donald Trump has been indicted once again. The former president is now the first president, former or current, to be charged with a federal crime, so he’s something of a trailblazer.
The charges against Donald stem from an ongoing investigation into his handling of classified documents that he kept after he left the white house. Federal officials tried to get those documents back, and Trump is accused of resisting their efforts and trying to keep the files for himself. I imagine these files must contain KFC’s secret chicken recipe because otherwise I don’t know why an illiterate like Trump would be so attached to them.
Now the former commander in chief faces at least seven criminal counts, including willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The Justice Department has not confirmed or announced the charges yet. Meanwhile, Trump has argued that he was allowed to keep the files because he declassified them before taking them home (not how things work). But officials appear to have a recording of Trump discussing a sensitive military document while acknowledging that it was not declassified.
In the meantime, Trump’s campaign is already making the most of the charges, literally fund-raising off the indictment. The charges don’t prevent him from running for president, and because our country’s legal system is a joke, he could technically campaign, and even try to govern, from prison. That would be the most American outcome, all things considered.
Side Items
Illinois Sundown Town: This article dives deep into the history and controversy surrounding Anna, Illinois, a small town in the southern part of the state best known for being incredibly inhospitable to people of color. Local lore suggests that the town name Anna, is frequently turned into an acronym for “Ain’t No N-words Allowed” (how creative). According to the 2010 census, 95.7% of Anna’s citizens are white, so I’m sure it’s a charming little town, despite the abundance of mayonnaise
Waiting Tables and Learning: Everyone thinks that they’ve had a difficult employment journey, and in some ways, everyone is right. This article is a reflection on one woman’s professional journey as a writer/waitress, going from desperation to a deeper appreciation for her work. We live in an incredibly unstable economy and work mostly in industries that don’t value the worker or their skill sets. It’s nice to see someone embrace the chaos
Colonial Origins of Police: This article, adapted from a panel discussion at the University of Chicago in February, helps draw a direct line connecting our over-policed society with the ongoing American colonial projects in Israel and beyond. The Students for Justice in Palestine at the university held a panel entitled “Counter-Terrorism and Empire: State Violence and the Right to Resist.” The panel was the culminating event of the #IsraeliMilitaryOffOurCampus campaign, a quarter-long student movement from this past winter aimed at exposing the university’s ties to the propagandistic “Israel Institute” and opposing its decision to host “counter-terrorism” courses taught by Israeli military personnel. Just in case you needed another reason to hate law enforcement this morning