“Pattern of attacking family members”: Judge threatens to revoke Trump juror access in new gag order

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal hush-money trial on Monday expanded the gag order in the case to include family members following the former president’s attacks on his daughter.

Judge Juan Merchan in the expanded gag order barred Trump from attacking his family members and those of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Merchan previously barred Trump from publicly speaking about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and their families.

Trump's "pattern of attacking family members of presiding jurists and attorneys assigned to his cases serves no legitimate purpose. It merely injects fear in those assigned or called to participate in the proceedings, that not only they, but their family members as well, are 'fair game' for Defendant's vitriol," Merchan wrote in Monday’s order. "It is no longer just a mere possibility or a reasonable likelihood that there exists a threat to the integrity of the judicial proceedings. The threat is very real."

The order comes two weeks before Trump’s Manhattan trial is set to begin. Merchan in the order warned that he would revoke Trump’s access to juror names if he violates the terms and warned that “any violation of the Order will result in sanctions.”

"The average observer must now, after hearing Defendant's recent attacks, draw the conclusion that if they become involved in these proceedings, even tangentially, they should worry not only for themselves, but for their loved ones as well. Such concerns will undoubtedly interfere with the fair administration of justice and constitutes a direct attack on the Rule of Law itself," Merchan wrote.

Trump’s lawyers had argued that the former president’s posts about Merchan’s daughter were protected political speech, citing her role at a firm that fundraised for Democrats.

"President Trump’s comments concerning Your Honor’s daughter are, properly understood, a criticism of the Court’s prior decision not to recuse itself," Trump’s lawyers wrote, according to NBC News.

Bragg’s team argued that Trump’s attack on Merchan’s daughter "fundamentally threatens the integrity of these proceedings and is intended to intimidate witnesses and trial participants alike."

Some people may see more images per second than others, study finds

People perceive visual information at different speeds and some people effectively see more images per second than others, according to new research from Trinity College Dublin. In a study published Monday in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers found that if a light source flickers above the limit of how many images per second a person could perceive, the person will not perceive the light source as flickering at all. To discover the maximum number of images per second each study participant could perceive, scientists measured each person's “critical flicker fusion threshold.” Some people perceived a light to be completely still even when it flickered about 35 times per second, but other participants could still detect the rate of a light flickering even when it was flashing more than 60 times per second.

“We don’t yet know how this variation in visual temporal resolution might affect our day-to-day lives, but we believe that individual differences in perception speed might become apparent in high-speed situations where one might need to locate or track fast-moving objects, such as in ball sports, or in situations where visual scenes change rapidly, such as in competitive gaming,” said lead study author Clinton Haarlem, a PhD candidate at Trinity's School of Natural Sciences, in a Monday release.

Researchers said that while this individual level of visual acuity — called "temporal resolution" — may remain quite stable in general for a person, the researchers' post-hoc analysis suggests there may be slightly more changes over time for female study subjects than for male subjects.

Fake right-wing panic about “trans” Easter is part of Trump’s push for Christian nationalism

Most Americans spent Easter weekend with traditional activities like church or egg hunts, or, for non-Christians, just enjoying the lovely spring weather. Chronically dishonest MAGA Republicans, however, spent the holiest day of the Christian calendar violating the Ten Commandments. They specifically transgressed the one forbidding "false testimony," by lying their heads off about President Joe Biden. The lie? That Biden, a devout Catholic who spent Easter morning at mass, is mocking Christianity and oppressing its adherents.

These phony outrages are being used by Republicans to justify their party's rejection of religious liberty and embrace of Christian nationalism.

On Easter, Biden released a statement that said, "Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s Resurrection." Earlier in the week, the White House also acknowledged Sunday was the Transgender Day of Visibility, calling on Americans "to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity." March 31 is always Transgender Day of Visibility and it's just a coincidence that it coincided with Easter. Donald Trump and other Republicans, however, pretended Biden planned it that way to insult Christianity.

Trump's campaign called it "blasphemous" of Biden to speak out against discrimination and violence. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La. tweeted that Biden "betrayed the central tenet of Easter" and falsely accused Biden of "[b]anning sacred truth and tradition." Lies all the way through, of course. Jesus never even mentioned trans people, and certainly didn't center hating them in his philosophy. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., falsely claimed, "There is no length Biden and the Democrats won’t go to to mock your faith." She then used a Bible verse to unsubtly threaten violence. "The Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming."

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There was also some phony anger over the fact that none of the White House Easter eggs had religious symbols on them, ignoring the fact that this has been White House policy for 45 years — including during the Trump administration. It's a First Amendment issue, but also, let's face it: People whose compulsion to blanket everything in religious imagery, even children's playthings, are too dreary to include in what is supposed to be a fun Sunday picnic.

"We must make America pray again," Trump said. […] You can't make people pray without force.

Using unvarnished bigotry and outright lying to rube-run Fox News viewers is standard GOP stuff, not that its frequency makes it any less depraved. But this fraudulent moral panic is especially alarming because it's not just about getting MAGA granny to believe she can stop her grandkids from being queer with a Trump donation. Increasingly, these phony outrages are being used by Republicans to justify their party's rejection of religious liberty and embrace of Christian nationalism.

Embedded in all this performative outrage is an argument: It's justified for Republicans to adopt Christian nationalism, and even fascism, on the grounds of self-defense. The supposed threats to Christianity are so great, the thinking goes, that the only way to "protect" the faith is to end religious liberty and democracy. And, of course, their political opponents are "demonic" and subhuman, thereby violence against them is permissible, even desired.

As Paul Waldman wrote in his newsletter addressing Trump's $60 Bibles, it is a grift, but also "a message to Christian nationalists," which is, "electing him will be a way for them to seize control of government for their god."

"Begging strangers for money": John Oliver mocks Trump hawking products to pay for legal troubles

Trump claimed in his Bible ad that "Christians are under siege," and that the only way to "protect anything that is pro-God" is through force. "We must make America pray again," Trump said. Emphasis mine. It drew little attention because the phrase is a play on his "Make America Great Again" slogan, but there is no way to read it other than as an open rejection of religious freedom. You can't make people pray without force.

This rhetoric isn't just authoritarian, but flat-out fascist. That was evident in a Fox News segment regarding the Trans Day/Easter coincidence, in which a panelist advanced a conspiracy theory about trans people trying to take God away.

Boothe: This is a clear effort and a coordinated effort to remove God from our society… pic.twitter.com/pC30VcWXOB

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 31, 2024

“This is a clear effort and a coordinated effort to remove God from our society and to replace God with false gods, and in this instance, it’s the trans community,” Lisa Boothe said of the Trans Day of Visibility statement. “They clearly want us to bow at the altar of the trans community instead of bow to God.”

Every single word of this, of course, is a lie. Democrats are not trying to take God away, as evidenced by Biden going to church and sharing a statement of faith. Nor is there a scrap of evidence that trans people are trying to become a "new" god to be worshipped. Not to get all Godwin's law on folks, but there's no daylight between this and what Nazis would say about Jews: A small, oppressed minority is actually super-powerful and evil. It's not just dehumanizing, but eliminationist, allowing viewers to believe violence against trans people is "self-defense."

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It's also pure psychological projection. Over the weekend, there was one person who was trying to displace god so that people would worship him instead: Donald Trump. He spent Holy Week positioning himself as a new messiah, posting an article comparing his plight to Jesus' crucifixion and saying that court fines for his decades of fraud are like when "Christ walked through His greatest persecution."

That's genuine blasphemy, but of course, the MAGA masses eat it up. Monday, Michael Bender of the New York Times published an in-depth analysis of how Trump has managed "to transform the Republican Party into a kind of Church of Trump." He spoke with Republican voters who openly spoke of Trump in messianic terms. One woman said Trump has "definitely been chosen by God," because it must be "divine intervention" that he's survived all the legal problems he has. Another woman insisted, "They've crucified him worse than Jesus," who was literally crucified, unlike Trump, whose main physical discomforts stem from his own poor diet and exercise choices.

It's easy to roll one's eyes as the self-serving dramatics of MAGA voters using false claims of victimhood as cover for their ugly views. But, as the threatening language in Greene's tweet shows, this "woe is us" act is deeply dangerous. The hyperbolic conspiracy theories and dehumanizing language serve to convince Republican voters that religious liberty and democracy are simply values they can no longer afford to hold. The message is Christians are so "under siege" that the only way to fight back is by stripping everyone else of basic rights.

This all goes hand-in-hand with Trump building his 2024 campaign around the Big Lie. False claims that Democrats "rig" elections exist only to justify actual efforts by Trump and his allies to steal elections. False claims that liberals are trying to destroy Christianity function the same way: to rationalize book banning, abortion bans, forcibly shutting down drag shows and Pride events, and otherwise actually depriving people of their rights to live outside of the narrow prescriptions of right wing Christianity.

Ultimately, of course, the two conspiracy theories blend together into an ur-justification for Trump's efforts to end democracy itself. They tell themselves that, to quote evangelical leader Lance Wallnau, Democratic voters are not "people anymore," but "demons talking through people." Demons don't have rights. Demons don't deserve safety. Demons are a supernatural threat to be eliminated at all costs. That rhetoric is painfully stupid — but that doesn't mean it's not dangerous.

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“Perfectly predictable”: Dr. John Gartner on why “a malignant narcissist like Trump” sells Bibles

American fascism is a form of political religion. It is a social force based on faith and emotion and corrupt power more than a coherent ideology grounded in reason, facts and the truth. As such, fascism is antithetical to real democracy and normal politics.

Trumpism and the MAGA movement are American fascism’s largest and most popular denomination and sect. Donald Trump is the high priest and Dear Leader.

On Monday of the Easter Holy Week, Donald Trump shared a post on his Truth Social disinformation platform where he appeared to compare himself to Jesus Christ being tortured on the Cross. Why? Because Trump is finally facing some type of real accountability from the law for his decades-long obvious crime spree.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump continued to honor Holy Week by announcing that he is selling his own version of the Bible. Trump has publicly and repeatedly stated that he is a Christian. But by definition, his behavior is blasphemous and an example of idolatry. Of course, Trump does not worship God or Jesus Christ; he has shown himself to be a megalomaniac and malignant narcissist who only worships himself (and of course money and other forms of power). Trump basically views his MAGA followers and other “Christians” as useful idiots who are a source of narcissistic energy, money and other resources for him.

"One of America’s most enduring faiths isn’t Christianity, Islam or Judaism – it’s White supremacy."

On Friday (“Good Friday” in the Christian Holy Week), Trump wallowed in his love of violence by sharing an image of President Biden, bound and gagged in the back of a pickup truck. This is another threat of assassination and murder by Donald Trump against President Biden.

Trump then “celebrated” Easter Sunday by issuing the following paranoid, conspiratorial, lie, and threatening pronouncement on his Truth Social disinformation platform:

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL, INCLUDING CROOKED AND CORRUPT PROSECUTORS AND JUDGES THAT ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO INTERFERE WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2024, AND PUT ME IN PRISON, INCLUDING THOSE MANY PEOPLE THAT I COMPLETELY & TOTALLY DESPISE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DESTROY AMERICA, A NOW FAILING NATION, LIKE “DERANGED” JACK SMITH, WHO IS EVIL AND “SICK,” MRS. FANI “FAUNI” WADE, WHO SAID SHE HARDLY KNEW THE “SPECIAL” PROSECUTOR, ONLY TO FIND THAT HE SPENT YEARS “LOVING” HER, LONG BEFORE THE GEORGIA PERSECUTION OF PRESIDENT TRUMP BEGAN (AND THEREBY MAKING THE CASE AGAINST ME NULL, VOID, AND ILLEGAL!), AND LAZY ON VIOLENT CRIME ALVIN BRAGG WHO, WITH CROOKED JOE’S DOJ THUGS, UNFAIRLY WORKING IN THE D.A.’s OFFICE, ILLEGALLY INDICTED ME ON A CASE HE NEVER WANTED TO BRING AND VIRTUALLY ALL LEGAL SCHOLARS SAY IS A CASE THAT SHOULD NOT BE BROUGHT, IS BREAKING THE LAW IN DOING SO (POMERANTZ!), WAS TURNED DOWN BY ALL OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES, AND IS NOT A CRIME. HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

"Never forget": Trump unloads on Republican "cowards and weaklings" in Easter Sunday meltdown

As the 2024 election approaches, and the pressure from the hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and legal expenses increases, and his criminal trials (finally) begin, Trump will only escalate his claims of godhood and divine status and power. Trump’s followers are desperate and eager to earn his blessings and will do almost anything – including violence – for the personal fascist lord and savior and cult leader.

In an attempt to better understand Trump’s Bibles and how they relate to the larger democracy crisis, I recently spoke to a range of experts.

These interviews have been lightly edited for clarity and length:

Federico Finchelstein is a professor of history at the New School for Social Research and Eugene Lang College in New York. His most recent book is "A Brief History of Fascist Lies."

The MAGA movement pushes its religiosity into the most bizarre form of greed. Trump's conflation of the Bible with doing business and his own comparisons with Jesus's suffering ideas are separate dimensions of the same phenomenon, namely the fascist tendency to make the leader a God-like figure who is not exempted from corrupted practices. In this case Trump desperately needs money. Hitler and Mussolini enriched themselves by writing and selling their writings but Trump's also wants to make money with sacred texts.

There is no question that Trumpism is an extreme political religion. Like the fascists, Trump not only makes alliances with religious actors but also appropriates Christianity for its own political and economic gains.

Dr. John Gartner, is a prominent psychologist and contributor to the bestselling book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President."

Of course, a malignant narcissist like Trump, physically sitting at the defendant’s table being prosecuted for his multiple crimes, would liken himself to the crucified Christ. It fits perfectly into both his personality disorder’s hypomanic grandiosity and its paranoid sense of grievance and persecution. And to complete the package, because malignant narcissists are also anti-social con men, he’s grifting off of Trump Bibles. It’s all perfectly in character and perfectly predictable. History is full of strongmen who declared themselves to be divine. It follows that anyone who does not bow down mindlessly in obeisance to them is evil, and must be purged, for society to be cleansed, to usher in the “Great Leap Forward” or “Thousand Year Reich.”

I’ve always found the image of Trump holding the Bible upside down to be profoundly meaningful and revealing. He’s the epitome of everything anti-Christian. Christ is reputed to have said: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” I don’t think anyone has accused Trump of displaying any of those traits even once in his 77 years on Earth.

Julie Ingersoll is a professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Florida. She teaches and writes about the Christian Right. She is the author of numerous books and articles including “Evangelical Christian Women: War Stories in the Gender Battles” and “Building God’s Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstruction."

Last week started with Trump embracing how his supporters identify him as a Christ figure in a way that other Christians see as out-and-out idolatry, Through Holy Week they amped up the Christian persecution narratives as a shield against accountability or the former President . As if that wasn’t enough, we then watched Trump hawking Bibles like they’re Trump steaks or tacky ballcaps. But before we collectively shake our heads in disbelief or disgust, it’s worth thinking about where these views come from and paying careful attention where they can go. There is a long history of Christians rhetorically identifying with Jesus' persecution —but the focus has become so pronounced that many use their own perceived level of “persecution” as a measure for the degree to which they can claim to be authentic Christians.

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Of course, in a society dominated by Christianity—and increasingly dominated by their brand of Christianity, it’s hard to see actual persecution. But that’s when mythic narratives are most helpful. Facts be damned; Trump is the victim of “evil accusers.” Scholars who look at Religion and Violence point to the unique dangers of the ”cosmicization” of conflict. With mundane conflict, disagreement between individuals over material, earthly issues, compromise and resolution is possible. But once conflict is infused with a cosmic framework in which real live people are identified as forces of good or the forces of evil, literal representatives of God or Satan, resolution becomes impossible. Violence is made much more likely. This is dangerous language and we need to be prepared that no matter how the next few months unfold our freedom, our safety and our democracy are at risk.

Darrin Bell is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, creator of the syndicated comic strip Candorville, and author of the graphic novel “The Talk." He is also a contributing cartoonist for the New Yorker.

There’s a reason why autocrats tend to portray themselves as messianic figures: religious faith doesn’t require logic, facts, or evidence, or compromise with those who are outside the faith. It only requires a belief that your view of the world is correct, that anyone who disagrees with your worldview is either unenlightened or purposely trying to lead you astray from the one true path, and that any opposition to your religious leaders are actually attacks upon your faith.

One of America’s most enduring faiths isn’t Christianity, Islam or Judaism – it’s White supremacy. Those who believe in that faith suspected they found their messiah when he came down that escalator in 2015 and proudly spewed bigotry about Mexican immigrants. Their faith in him grows in inverse proportion to the skyrocketing evidence of his criminality, his bigotry, his corruption, and his sociopathy. Trump’s many critics and prosecutors are just heretics trying to lead them astray. Donald Trump is cultivating that foolishness because that’s what aspiring dictators do. It’s the best way to stay out of prison while they’re lining their pockets and destroying their countries’ traditions and institutions in their pursuit of “absolute immunity” and absolute control.

André Gagné is a professor and the chair of Theological Studies at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. He is the author of "American Evangelicals for Trump: Dominion, Spiritual Warfare, and the End Times."

Trump has once again skillfully managed to compare himself to Jesus to bolster his supporters’ view that he has been “chosen by God,” and this during Holy Week which leads to Easter, which is celebrated by many Christians (Easter comes in early May this year for Orthodox Christians). The comparison to Jesus came from a Trump supporter who made a parallel between Trump’s legal troubles, seen as a form of persecution, with Jesus’ persecution and trial during Holy Week. The supporter’s message is then followed by a quote from Psalm 109:3-8 (from the New King James Version). Of course, the immediate context of Psalm 109 does not refer to Jesus (and even less so to Donald Trump!), it is rather a lament attributed to King David labeled against false accusers. The lament also contains an imprecatory prayer asking God to bring judgment on David’s oppressors. But for those familiar with the biblical text, Psalm 109:8 (“Let his days be few; and let another take his office.”) was reinterpreted in the New Testament, by the writer of the Book of Acts, and applied to one of the 12 apostles, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. What is therefore meant here is that Trump (and his supporter) sees those who persecute him as “Judases,” and that ultimately, Trump and his supporters believe that he will vindicate by God. The words “… and let another take his office” (Ps 109:8b) most likely meant for the Trump supporter that he prays God for Trump to replace Biden as president.

Among other things, the analogy between Trump and Jesus is completely off mark. Psalms of lament serve to highlight how righteous individuals fall prey to persecution, despite being good to others. This is what David writes and what happened to Jesus of Nazareth. Can this be said of Trump? Also, the person described in these verses says: “I give myself to prayer… they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.” Can this also be said of Trump? A recent Pew survey noted that few Americans see Trump as religious, even if Republicans “think he stands up at least to some extent for people with their religious beliefs.”

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It is ironic that Trump is now promoting a new “God Bless the U.S.A.” Bible. People can certainly be skeptical when it comes to Trump having ever read the Bible – despite him saying that he has many Bibles in his home. One can have many books without ever reading any of them! We remember when Trump was asked a few years ago to tell people what his favorite Bible verse was, and could not name one verse, but just said “I wouldn’t want to get into it. Because to me, that’s very personal… The Bible means a lot to me, but I don’t want to get into specifics.” And the time at Liberty University when Trump quoted from “two Corinthians” (those familiar with scriptural referencing know that it’s “Second Corinthians”). There is little evidence of biblical literacy on the part of Trump, and this new stunt will likely serve him through his financial problems.

David L. Altheide is the Regents' Professor Emeritus on the faculty of Justice and Social Inquiry in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University and author of the new book "Gonzo Governance: The Media Logic of Donald Trump."

Social scientists have long studied how politicians and dictators couch their agendas in religious terms. Donald Trump is an entertainer, entrepreneur, propagandist, and cult figure. His latest attempt to make money by proclaiming that the United States is a Christian nation violates the First Amendment to the Constitution, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” Defendant Donald Trump’s legal bills and payment of massive fines leads him to curry the favor of religious zealots as he promotes Christian Nationalism. He needs money for his campaign, and he needs votes for president.

He is using the politics of fear to promote the lie that Christianity is under attack by our established institutions, including state and federal courts. Trump cajoles followers to salvage his financial soul and send him money because he, like Christ, is being persecuted. Trump stated: Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless The USA Bible.

Unlike organizations that give away Bibles, Trump’s company is selling “God Bless the USA Bible” for sixty bucks. The Trump Bible will include the Constitution, the Pledge of Allegiance, words to the song, God Bless the USA, and a likeness of Donald Trump. A similar deal was proposed in 2021 but was scrapped because of complaints by Christians.

There have been many attempts to market specialty Bibles, including for political purposes. For example, in 1970, President Eisenhower’s picture was featured in “Good News for Modern Man,” Dwight David Eisenhower Memorial Edition. But more is involved than mere money grubbing with religious documents. Trump is promoting Christian Nationalism by combining religious and political symbols. Notwithstanding that Donald Trump was incapable of discussing the Bible intelligently in several interviews, he has joined forces with those who proclaim that public life and religious commitment must be uniform. Christian religious leaders traditionally have opposed aligning sacred text with political tracts like the U. S. Constitution because this would suggest that both documents are equal. And this is what many Christians objected to just a few years ago. As the First Amendment implies, democracy can only work if citizens of varied religious and political views separate their private and personal religious preferences from public life and discourse.

Trump continues to promote Gonzo Governance by attacking established institutions, principles, and political practices. The former president advocates for a Christian nation and demeans the Bible by pandering to pay his legal bills. Indeed, many religious Americans may find scriptures in the Bible to dissuade them from following this crass appeal. Consider Second Timothy, 3: 2: “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”

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Vincent van Gecko: Colorful new lizard species named after the famous painter

When the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh painted "The Starry Night" in 1889, he did so while staring out a window from his mental asylum room in the French town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. More than a century later, a team of scientists discovered a yellow-and-blue patterned lizard and were reminded of the same visual scene that once inspired one of history's most renowned painters.

Therefore, the team of Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray did Ishan Agarwal the only logical thing: They named the newly-discovered gecko after van Gogh, dubbing it with the scientific name Cnemaspis vangoghi. For people who prefer to use a common term, the authors suggest "Van Gogh’s starry dwarf gecko."

The Van Gogh's starry dwarf gecko can reach 3.4 cm in length, with light blue spots on its back as well as a yellow collar and forebody. They are indigenous to the Southern Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, India, where they can be found on the rocks, in the trees and even on the sides of buildings. The region is apparently thick with lizards: Because Tamil Nadu is very biodiverse, the researchers predict that they will have identified more than 50 new species before their expedition is complete.

The research itself was conducted in the field, with the scientists spending long hours waiting to spot new animals before carefully capturing them. It was described alongside another new species, Cnemaspis sathuragiriensis, which was named for its type locality the Sathuragiri Hills. Their analysis was published in the journal ZooKeys.

Climate disinformation is on the rise. Here’s how to fight back

When a pair of climate change-deniers spread lies about climate scientist Michael Mann, he sued his attackers and actually won, after a jury awarded him a $1 million settlement in February.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute's Rand Simberg and the National Review's Mark Steyn wrote a pair of blog posts about Mann in 2012 in which they made two defamatory claims: First they falsely accused Mann of manipulating data in his famous "hockey stick graph" depicting the rapid increase in Earth's temperature due to burning fossil fuels, and then they baselessly compared Mann to notorious child molester Jerry Sandusky, writing that he “molested and tortured data” and was “the Jerry Sandusky of climate science."

"Striking back hard": Climate change protesters on how fossil fuel companies try to squash dissent

Now Mann is using his experience to urge others to stand up to spreaders of climate change disinformation. At a time when fossil fuel corporations use pseudo-science to dupe millions, deny their culpability in exacerbating this crisis and even work alongside government officials to squash protests, it is increasingly difficult to oppose big polluters without fear of being drowned out, targeted for abuse or both.

In an interview with Salon, Mann opened up on the lessons that activists can learn from his ordeal; on the important role that the United States will need to play in providing effective world leadership on climate change; and on how climate change disinformation and misinformation is being spread more ruthlessly than ever thanks to under-regulated social media platform like X (formerly known as Twitter) and Meta's Instagram and Facebook, as well as the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) that threatens to supercharge the information wars.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

We are at a critical point in terms of climate change and things are arguably spiraling out of control. It is hard enough for one country to deal with this. How are we realistically supposed to deal with it on a global scale?

"Historically, when the U.S. has led on this issue, you have seen other countries come to the table and rise to the challenge."

Obviously, you have to deal with it separately in each country because politics occur at that scale. Yet one could argue that American leadership is particularly important. We've seen that historically, when the U.S. has led on this issue, you have seen other countries come to the table and rise to the challenge. And that's what makes, for example, this next election so critical, because with one of the two choices we would see essentially not only the disappearance of American leadership on climate, but an agenda that seeks to in fact revoke previous treaty agreements and eliminate entire divisions within the government that exist to address matters of climate and energy policy. The U.S. is the world's largest cumulative carbon polluter and has an especially important role because of that in demonstrating leadership on this issue.

There is sort of a domino effect. If the U.S. leads, then historically we've seen other countries, like I said, come to the table and rise to the challenge. Every country has to establish [climate] policy within the framework of its domestic politics. But leadership from major industrial countries is critical to convince countries like India, for example, to make more substantial commitments to decarbonizing their own economies.

What are the lessons from your lawsuit that can apply to other people who are fighting climate change misinformation?

I think it's important to clarify that that case wasn't technically about misinformation, per se. Obviously, people have the right to express their own opinions about climate and the underlying science, and good faith challenges are actually an important part of science. They help science move forward.

But what is not a good faith sort of criticism or engagement is making false, libelous accusations about scientists, or comparing them to convicted criminals. That exceeds the bounds of what is considered honest discourse. That's what this case was really about. The defendants were making false and clearly libelous claims of fraud and exacerbating those false claims by comparisons with convicted criminals.

I think it was an important precedent because it does say that there are limits. Good faith skepticism and disagreement, that's fine. But when you cross the line into defamation — bad faith, ideologically-motivated lies about science and scientists — then you will face the consequences. This does send a larger message to the scientific community that there are bounds, and if you are subject to dishonest and defamatory attacks against you and your findings, politically and ideologically motivated attacks against your science and your scientists, there is recourse.

I hope it creates maybe a little bit more space where scientists feel more comfortable in speaking out, speaking truth to power, speaking publicly about the broader implications of their science, knowing that there are some basic protections in our system and that they do have recourse if they are subject to those sorts of scurrilous attacks.

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"Twitter has become a cesspool for the promotion of misinformation and disinformation; Elon Musk is not an honest actor."

I think your story is relevant to more people than just scientists, because there are plenty of us who aren't scientists, but who try to advocate for reforms that will address climate change. We also get personally attacked.

That's right. It does go beyond the narrow sort of category of scientists. It really does get at the issue of how anyone who's subject to bad faith, dishonest, defamatory attacks has always had this recourse. It exists in our system, and this is a reminder that it's there when we need it.

In terms of the larger question of misinformation, how do you think AI fits into the picture, both in terms of pros and cons?

AI is an incredibly useful and important tool in science itself. It allows us to construct far more sophisticated statistical models of processes to find patterns and data to make predictions. There is quite a bit of work going on in my field in climate science about using AI machine learning to, for example, improve climate model predictions and provide more robust descriptions of interrelationships between processes. All of that is useful for understanding and predicting the impacts of climate change. In my field, that's an application of the good things that can be done with it.

You could also extend that to, for example, communication, which is another passion of mine — communicating the science and its implications to the public and policymakers. There are ways where AI and machine learning can be used, for example, to assess how misinformation and disinformation propagates in the public sphere on social media and better understand how to effectively target disinformation and misinformation. And there's work going on in that area, some of it within our own center. So that's the good side.

The bad side, of course, is that any tool can be weaponized by bad actors, and we're seeing that undoubtedly right now in the climate arena. We see that on social media, where for a number of years we've seen bot armies used to pollute the social media discourse on climate change and environmental sustainability. And AI and machine learning provides more sophisticated tools for bad actors who can design even more effective, more convincing, more human-like armies of bots whose role again is to infect our public discourse and to create confusion and disagreement and dissension in such a way as to impede any meaningful policy progress on climate.

We've seen that going on for years. We know bad actors like Russia and Saudi Arabia are using online tools to do this, and AI just gives them far more potent weaponry with which to continue that assault on our public discourse, particularly when it comes to misinformation and disinformation. Now we have to worry about whether images are trustworthy. We have to worry about whether videos are trustworthy, something that we used to take at face value. There is audio-visual evidence of something, we're used to sort of taking that as fact.

But now with machine-learning AI techniques, there is the ability to create fake videos where you're attributing words to people that they never spoke, or actions to people that they never took. All of that just provides an even larger arsenal for the bad actors who are out there looking to pollute our public discourse and looking to, again, impede any meaningful global policy progress in dealing with the climate crisis.

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What role do you think social media companies like Meta and X should play in curating climate change content?

Great question. Frankly I think that some of these companies need to be much more strongly regulated. I think they've shown that they're not willing to be responsible on their own. Elon Musk obviously bought Twitter with the intent to destroy it, to weaponize it for bad actors who helped fund his takeover, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia. Twitter has become a cesspool for the promotion of misinformation and disinformation; Elon Musk is not an honest actor. By some measures, he has engaged in criminal behavior, and I think it's pretty clear that he has to be reined in and we are going to need much tougher regulatory policies to deal with companies like Twitter and Facebook, that are effectively monopolies now.

There is no viable substitute for them. They have used anti-competitive practices to prevent any meaningful competition in the spaces that they occupy in the social media world. They have to be regulated like monopolies. We need a far stricter FCC-equivalent governmental body that can regulate the behavior of these monopolies now that are playing a profound role, far more profound than the television broadcast networks which are regulated, in our public discourse. So the long and short of it is that we can't expect them to play nice. They've shown no willingness to do that. We have no reason to expect them to change in that regard. They need to be reined in and they need to be reined in soon because our process of democratic governance itself is now threatened directly by companies like Elon Musk's Twitter.

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“No, after you”: Japanese bird gestures to its mate to go first, study reports

Birds never cease to amaze observers with their versatile intelligence. Flying birds experience time and space in radically different ways than humans; urban birds like pigeons adapted with remarkable ease to the COVID-19 pandemic; and even the supposedly stupid turkeys can survive in a wide range of habitats and endlessly frustrate hunters with their cleverness.

Now researchers report in the journal Current Biology that Japanese tits (Parus minor), which is socially monogamous, gesture to their comrades with their wings in order to communicate. They will make an "after you" gesture, indicating to its mated partners they should enter a nest first. While some forms of gesticulation occur to point out objects (so-called deictic gestures), the Japanese tits' gesticulation was a symbolic gesture. This means that the gesture was intended to communicate a specific message, such as a human waving goodbye, which requires a bit more cognitive function to pull off. To prove this, they observed over 320 nest visits and noticed the birds only gestured when their mates were around, essentially saying "after you." This research challenges previously-held assumptions that only humans and great apes make gestures.

"Our findings encourage further research on animal gestures, which may help in understanding the evolution of complex communication, including language," the authors write. One of the study's co-authors, University of Tokyo animal behavior professor Toshitaka Suzuki, elaborated in a press statement about why birds and humans may share this ability to communicate with their appendages.

“There is a hypothesis that walking on two legs allowed humans to maintain an upright posture, freeing up their hands for greater mobility, which in turn contributed to the evolution of gestures," Suzuki said. "Similarly, when birds perch on branches, their wings become free, which we think may facilitate the development of gestural communication."

Trump is tempting a “crackdown” with continued threats against judge’s daughter: legal experts

Donald Trump is ramping up his online attacks of the daughter of the judge overseeing his New York hush-money case — and the Manhattan district attorney's office wants the former president held accountable.

On Saturday, Trump vaulted another social media attack of Judge Juan Merchan's daughter. Trump claims her past work as a political consultant presents a conflict of interest for the judge, sharing a link to a New York Post article about her on Truth Social. “This is a disgrace to our Legal System. Judge Merchan should be immediately sanctioned and recused, and this fake ‘case,’ only kept alive by the Highly Conflicted Judge, should be completely dismissed right away,” Trump wrote in a post that included images of Merchan's daughter, Loren Merchan.

Trump's weekend post of the article, which he reshared on Sunday, marks "an escalation in terms of potential threats" to Loren Merchan, Catherine Ross, a George Washington University constitutional law professor, told Salon. The "rapidity and repetition" of Trump's attacks are also "striking" in revealing "where his focus and his energy" are, especially on Easter Sunday, she noted.

The former president's weekend social media rant followed a spate of other attacks targeting Loren Merchan, whom Trump assailed on social media at least three other times throughout the week.

Legal expert: Trump sharing image of hog-tied Biden could push NY judge "to control this now"

Just hours after one instance last Tuesday, the judge imposed a gag order in response to the Manhattan district attorney's prior request, barring Trump from publicly commenting on or instructing others to publicly comment on witnesses and jurors, while prohibiting statements meant to harass court staff, the prosecution team and their families. Legal experts noted, however, that last week's gag order did not insulate Judge Merchan or his family, nor did it protect District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

To an extent, Trump's repeated comments about the judge and his family could be construed, as Trump argues, as "protected" First Amendment speech, David Schultz, a Hamline University legal studies and political science professor, told Salon. But his remarks "may be starting to get closer to trying to intimidate the court," Schultz said, emphasizing that "no party in court" has "any right" to "obstruct or or intimidate" a proceeding.

In a Thursday letter, Bragg's office asked the judge to "clarify or confirm" the gag order's scope and direct the presumptive Republican nominee to “immediately desist from attacks on family members," suggesting that Trump may have violated the order by deriding Loren Merchan and pushing a false claim about her, according to HuffPost.

The letter argued that the gag order's ban on making harassing or interfering statements about the court's staff or their families protects the judge's daughter from Trump's invective. The former president should be punished for further violations, prosecutors added.

Trump's lawyers countered that the DA's office is misinterpreting the order and requesting its expansion instead, arguing that it does not bar the former president from making comments about Loren Merchan, a political consultant whose Democratic campaign consultancy firm worked on campaigns for President Joe Biden and other top Democrats.

Though how Judge Merchan will react to Trump's attacks of his daughter is unclear, Schultz speculated that the judge could "warily" conclude that Trump is attempting to intimidate him through his online remarks.

"If the court reaches that conclusion that this has crossed the line from protected free speech over to the line of some kind of either true threats or real effort to try to bully or intimidate the court, I can see the judge changing — at this point — the order and saying, at the very least, 'You can't go after my daughter, who's not at all a party to this whatsoever,'" Schultz explained.

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Merchan's next step, Schultz predicted, would be to "clarify" what the gag order covers and what its "bounds are," further establishing "who can be a target," what the parties can and can not say, and "how far Trump can go." From there, Merchan will see "what Trump does next."

Violating a gag order could result in Trump being held in contempt of court, fined or — on the extreme end — even jailed, HuffPost notes. Trump was subject to a $15,000 fine in his civil fraud trial last fall after twice violating the gag order the judge imposed prohibiting Trump from speaking about court staff.

If Trump's attacks on Merchan's daughter persist, Schultz predicted, the court, which he believes has given Trump an "incredible amount of slack" thus far, will "crackdown" should Trump violate any additional gag order.

The Manhattan DA's Thursday letter is "helpful" because it offers Judge Merchan "a pathway to rely on the district attorney's request and arguments" in favor of expanding the gag order and determine it's "necessary for the administration of justice" rather than taking full responsibility for it should he choose to do so, Ross added.

She also reiterated the hope she previously told Salon she has that the judge will "impose conditions" on Trump's release for a set period with any violations yielding penalties up to confinement, and "be prepared to enforce his orders."

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"That's because I believe that everyone should be equal in front of the law, and there is no question that any other criminal defendant would have suffered serious repercussions by now for the same behavior," she said Monday, adding that it's "extremely troubling" that Trump is being treated differently.

She conceded that Merchan may be "reluctant" to act harshly against Trump because the former president is likely trying to "create grounds for a mistrial," an interlocutory appeal and pursue additional avenues to further postpone his trial start date, which is slated for April 15.

The former president may be attempting "to cow the judge so that he is bending over backwards to show how fair he is to Trump in ruling on motions and objections during the trial," Ross explained, adding that "no judge wants to be the first one to revoke the former president's bail, or to impose much more draconian conditions like house arrest, or a bracelet."

But what penalties or punishments will work to corral Trump's comments is the "half-billion dollar question," Ross said.

Trump is trying to create the "impression" that the judge is biased against him "because he is not litigating in the courtroom," Ross said. "He's litigating in public opinion and trying to undermine the perception that the legal system will be fair to him. That is his whole strategy: to rile up his supporters, [claim] that he's a victim [and] there's no justice for him. And the more he can muddy the waters and dominate the headlines, he thinks he's better off."

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Legal expert: Trump sharing image of hog-tied Biden could push NY judge “to control this now”

Legal experts are sounding the alarm over a violent image Donald Trump shared on social media last Friday. The life-sized decal, seen on the back of a Long Island pickup truck decorated with blue-line flags in a clip Trump posted on Truth Social, depicted President Joe Biden kidnapped and tied up, creating an illusion that the president was trapped in the truck bed.

In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, Sunday, New York University historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, whose research spans authoritarianism, fascism and propaganda, warned of the dangers of Trump's recirculation of the image, emphasizing its size.

"Being life-size, this image is allowing Americans to imagine a fate that Biden would have if he were removed in a violent way," Ben-Ghiat said in the clip. "And so it's continuing the coup of January 6."

Ben-Ghiat went on to explain that coups result in "some kind of harm" coming to the overthrown leader, with that person either "being killed" or imprisoned. The image of Biden as a hostage or kidnapping victim is showing "not a democratic transition of power, but a violent one," she said arguing the image needs to be taken "high seriously." She previously flagged the image on X Friday as "an emergency," urging followers to "wake up."

George Washington University Constitutional law professor Catherine Ross also noted that the violent image Trump shared came in the "background" of his online attacks of the daughter of New York Judge Juan Merchan, who's overseeing his upcoming hush-money trial, which is set to start April 15.

After being hit last week with a gag order in the case that bars him from commenting on jurors, witnesses, court staff, the prosecution team and their families but does not protect the judge or the Manhattan district attorney, Trump has vaulted a handful of social media attacks against presiding Judge Juan Merchan's daughter, whose career as a political consultant for Democratic politicians Trump claims presents a conflict for the judge.

The district attorney's office last week urged the judge to "clarify or confirm" the scope of the gag order in light of Trump's attacks, arguing it's provision for court's staff and their families should cover Merchan's daughter.

"What he posted about Biden is so over the top, we don't have words for it," Ross told Salon Monday, noting that Biden's image in the decal appeared to have a "laser spot" on his forehead. "This level of attack on a public figure — if I were Judge Merchan, I would be putting that in the pot in thinking about how to control this now," she added.

“We all want to live in a better world”: “Zoey 101” actor Matthew Underwood shares abuse claims

Former Nickelodeon star Matthew Underwood has spoken out about his experience with sexual harassment and assault, following the recent release of Investigation Discovery’s explosive docuseries, “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.”

Underwood, who played the role of Logan Reese on kids’ show, “Zoey 101” from 2005 to 2008, took to his personal Instagram account over the weekend to detail traumatic experiences he allegedly endured while working for Nickelodeon and prior, citing online threats as the reason for his disclosures. “I’m going to share something with you that I never thought I’d have to talk about publicly, as it’s honestly none of your business anyway,” the actor began, addressing social media users.

“When I was 19, I was sexually harassed and then assaulted by my agent at the time, who had spent a decent amount of time building trust with me as a friend and mentor,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “My trust was betrayed and my self-image was crushed. I reported him to the agency and he has since been fired — although he is still active in the industry. This experience provoked my move away from L.A. and ended my pursuit of acting.”

It's not just the kids: "Quiet on Set" shows how parents of abused stars were collateral victims

The actor went on to state that he was sharing his story because people had been “blowing up my email telling me they hope me and my mom die” and calling him a “pedophile defender.”

“I imagine many of my friends in the business are being equally harassed if they aren’t joining in the chorus,” Underwood wrote, “so I’m sharing this with hope that some of you can recognize that just because a person doesn’t shout from the rooftops that pedophiles are bad or that people can suck — that does not mean they don’t have their own reasons for staying silent, good reasons, personal reasons.”

“Quiet on Set” details the reportedly rampant abuse and toxicity that beset some of Nickelodeon’s child actors and female staffers in the late 1990s through the mid-2000s; chiefly, the four-part docuseries marked the first time that former “Drake and Josh” star Drake Bell opened up about being sexually assaulted by his former dialogue and acting coach at Nickelodeon, Brian Peck. In addition to Bell’s claims, “Quiet on Set” also focuses on Dan Schneider, the mind behind “Zoey 101” and one of the network’s most prolific creators, painting him as the perpetrator of said inappropriate workplace culture. Notably, Alexa Nikolas, who co-starred with Underwood on “Zoey 101,” was featured as an interviewee in “Quiet on Set” and has maintained a strong and outspoken stance about Schneider’s reported behavior.

Underwood continued by observing that he “had never had a bad experience working on set of a Nickelodeon show, and I never had a bad experience with Dan,” adding that he likes “to believe people have the capacity to be better humans, and Dan appears to recognize that he had been an asshole in his past. I like to believe he is fully capable of being a creator and coworker everyone can enjoy working with.”

The actor concluded his statement by arguing, “Of course I don’t f**king support pedophiles.” He implored the internet to “Please stop wishing death upon my family, and please reconsider harassing other actors who wish to maintain their privacy — you never know who has already been a victim of the hell you’re wishing upon them.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5FAGpvP0mS/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=47efda99-6bb4-4f8a-b4ec-40024cca75f7&img_index=1

Bell in the docuseries expressed a similar sentiment about Schneider, stating that he personally never had a negative experience with the Nickelodeon creator, who he claimed even supported him throughout his ordeal with Peck.

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How to make sure your leftovers are safe to eat

Eating leftovers can be a great way to save money, diversify your cooking repertoire and reduce food waste.

But eating leftover food can also be risky as these foods have already been exposed to bacteria in the environment. If you haven't stored and re-heated leftovers correctly, you could be putting yourself at risk of potentially life-threatening food poisoning.

That doesn't mean you should start avoiding leftovers, however. By following the the correct food safety practices, you can ensure you avoid harm when eating leftovers.

How quickly should leftovers be refrigerated or frozen?

Bacteria exist everywhere in our world, including in kitchens – and the foods within them. The bacteria that cause food to spoil can grow rapidly with the right nutrients, moisture and temperatures. Some double in numbers in as little as 20 minutes.

It's important that any leftovers are put into the fridge or freezer as quickly as possible and within two hours maximum. This time advice is based on how quickly bacteria can grow in food at non-refrigerated temperatures, and means leftover food become less safe to eat the longer it is left at more than 5°C. You should also make sure that leftovers are covered. Clingfilm and airtight lids help prevent air from getting at the food. This is important, as most pathogens need oxygen to grow.

How long are refrigerated leftovers safe to eat?

Your fridge should be kept at a temperature of between 0 and 5°C, as this inhibits the growth of food poisoning bacteria on leftovers.

Leftovers must be eaten within two days, as any longer gives harmful bacteria more time to grow. Indeed, pathogens such as Listeria, which can cause flu-like symptoms, can even grow in refrigerated temperatures and are more likely to grow beyond two days – which is why this is the recommended time limit for storing your leftovers.

If you don't think you'll eat your leftovers within that timeframe, consider freezing them. Leftovers can be kept for up to three months if frozen at -18°C.

What is the safest way to re-heat your leftovers?

When you reheat leftovers, you must ensure the food is piping hot all the way through. If not, don't eat it.

Leftover foods should be reheated to an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C). For sauces, stews, soups and gravy, it's best to bring them to a full boil, stirring for at least three minutes. These practices will kill most bacteria and inactivate any heat-sensitive bacterial toxins that are present.

If reheating leftovers in the oven, set the oven temperature to at least 325°F (163°C or gas mark 3) and bake long enough to completely heat the food through to at least 74°C. If reheating leftovers in the microwave, you should also make sure they reach an internal temperature of 74°C before eating.

Reheating food using a slow cooker is not a good idea because if foods stay at a temperature less than 165°F for several hours, this can permit bacterial growth – increasing your risk of food poisoning.

Can you reheat leftovers more than once?

You really should not reheat leftovers more than once. Each time a food warms and cools, it provides the right temperature and amount of time needed for any harmful bacteria to start to re-grow.

This then makes it harder for heat kill all the pathogens present the next time you warm up the leftovers. If you don't think you'll eat all your leftovers within two days, consider freezing them.

Can you reheat a takeaway?

Whether you can safely re-heat takeaway foods depends on how you stored it.

If it was stored warm in the back of your car or left at room temperature in your home for more than two hours, then the meal may be a food poisoning risk – especially if you've already touched or partially eaten it (which introduces bacteria to the food).

But if you didn't handle the food much and refrigerated it within two hours of purchase, then the takeaway is safe to re-heat – provided the next time it's eaten it's first heated to a piping hot temperature of at least 74°C. It also shouldn't be stored in the fridge for more than two days.

There are some takeaway foods that you should be careful about saving as leftovers. Cooked rice dishes are possibly the most risky to save. Uncooked rice may contain spores of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that causes food poisoning.

While the parent bacterium is killed when rice is cooked, its spores can survive the temperature of boiling water. If rice is not refrigerated within two to three hours of cooking, the spores can grow into bacteria which in turn release the rice toxins which give rise to food poisoning symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting. The longer contaminated cooked rice is left to stand at a non-refrigerated temperature, the more Bacillus cereus will be present and the more unsafe the dish becomes.

If cooked rice needs to be saved, it should be covered once cooked and cooled quickly (ideally within 2 hours), then stored and refrigerated for no more than 24 hours. Cooked rice leftovers should be piping hot when reheated, and should never be reheated more than once.

Leftovers can be safe to eat so long as you take the right precautions. But if you're ever in doubt, or don't think you'll eat them within two days, storing them in the freezer will give you more flexibility than storing them in the fridge.

Primrose Freestone, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology, University of Leicester

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The lost history of Linda Martell, a pioneering country artist who helped shape “Cowboy Carter”

Country music's history is just as vast and varied as its genre's tastemakers and icons.

However, in Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter," the mega-sized album acts as a history lesson educating us on the genre's pioneers. On the album, which features country greats like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, the Texas pop star also made sure to include Linda Martell. The country music pioneer is featured on the album in two songs: "Spaghettii" and "The Linda Martell Show."

Her single “Color Him Father” reached No. 22 on the Billboard country music charts . . . the highest a Black woman would chart for more than a half-century.

Martell's inclusion in Beyoncé's sprawling journey into country music pays homage to the groundbreaking artist who revolutionized the genre. But Martell has mostly flown under the radar of country music fans and history, remaining as a lost part of crucial music history. Her large cultural impact and her musicianship played a significant role in the '60s and '70s. Most importantly, Martell is a Black country musician who is receiving her flowers decades after she was entirely blackballed by Nashville's overwhelmingly white and racist country music gatekeepers.

In "Cowboy Carter," Beyoncé converts us to the religion of country music

Martell's short-lived career began when she began performing with her family members. As a teenager in the '50s, Martell, her sister and her cousin formed a musical trio and began performing at local clubs. Compared to greats like Ronnie Spector, Martell and her group the Anglos released their first single in 1962. Following a string of failed singles, Martell told Rolling Stone in 2020, “We learned that the music business is most difficult, and you can really, really be fleeced.”

Years after the band broke up, Martell finally got her big break. When she was singing at an Air Force base in South Carolina, William “Duke” Rayner, a future music manager who ran a furniture store in Nashville saw her singing and offered to pay for Martell to record a demo. Martell said she blew off his calls because she thought he was "a kook." Eventually, the singer took him up on his offer. Martell was then introduced to Shelby Singleton Jr., who worked A&R at Mercury Records and produced records for Black and white artists.

In 1969, Singleton had convinced Martell to pivot from pop to country. It was a bold move from a Black artist. Even though Black musicians were mostly responsible for the genre's origins, in the 1960s, Black artists had no entryway into country. After Rayner signed her to a management contract and a one-year record deal with Singleton, she immediately recorded a cover of “Color Him Father” by the Winstons.

She was told the only way to survive in the country industry was to get used to the racism.

Her single “Color Him Father” reached No. 22 on the Billboard country music charts. This would be the highest a Black woman would chart for more than a half-century until Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em” hit No. 1 in March. That same year, Martell made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry as the first Black woman to perform in the iconic venue.

In 1970, her album "Color Me Country" cemented the rising star as country's first Black superstar. Despite the success, Martell was subjected her to relentless racist heckling and slurs at her performances. She said at one point she had been booked for a show in Texas, but a promoter canceled it when she showed up and he saw she was Black. Even fans would tell her she didn't sound Black. She was told the only way to survive in the country industry was to get used to the racism, develop thicker skin and ignore the taunts.

"When you’re playing to an all-white audience — because Lord Jesus, they are prejudiced — you learn to not say too much," Martell said. "You can carry it a little too far if you’re correcting somebody. So you learn how not to do that.”

However, it wasn't long before Martell's rising star faded as fast as she appeared on the country scene. In May 1970, her manager sued Martell for not paying him a commission. While it was handled by her record company, Plantation Records, more trouble arose as the company began to promote a white artist, Jannie C. Riley. Martell shared with Rolling Stone that Singleton said he would focus on Riley more than her. Following the tension, Martell left Plantation, and her contract allowed her to sign for another label after it was fulfilled. She began recording with another label when Singleton threatened to sue them, leading to the deal falling apart.

“He blackballed me. You heard the term? Well, he did that. So no one else would record me. It ruined my reputation in country music. Shelby had a lot of power during that time," Martell said.

In 2021, the Country Music Television Awards honored Martell with the Equal Play Award, highlighting the "groundbreaking African American female country vocalist [was finally getting] ‘Sent her flowers’ after a bittersweetly important career."

Beyoncé's efforts to showcase Martell's importance to country music in two songs and having her narrate lines about musical genres and how they make "some feel confined" is a nod and recognition of Martell's struggles and the struggles of many other Black country artists.

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“Arrest me!”: J.K. Rowling posts anti-trans rant, responding to Scottish hate crime law

J.K. Rowling has taken on Scotland's new legislation against hate speech in a lengthy anti-transgender Twitter thread posted Monday.

Per ABC, Scotland's new Hate Crime and Public Order Act makes it unlawful to incite hatred via threatening or abusive language on the basis age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity. The "Harry Potter" series creator known for criticizing transgender individuals posted a thread about the new law by sharing information about several transgender women, including convicted criminals, trans-activists and other public figures. "April Fools!" Rowling wrote. "Only kidding. Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren't women at all, but men, every last one of them.

"In passing the Scottish Hate Crime Act," Rowling claimed, "Scottish lawmakers seem to have placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femaleness, however misogynistically or opportunistically, than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls. . . . For several years now, Scottish women have been pressured by their government and members of the police force to deny the evidence of their eyes and ears, repudiate biological facts and embrace a neo-religious concept of gender that is unprovable and untestable . . . Freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal."

Rowling concluded she's currently not in Scotland, "But if what I've written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment," she said. She added the hashtag #ArrestMe

🎉🌼🌸April Fools! 🌸🌼🎉

Only kidding. Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren't women at all, but men, every last one of them.

In passing the Scottish Hate Crime Act, Scottish lawmakers seem to have placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their…

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024

Spotting the signs of disordered eating in youth: Tips for parents and caregivers

In the age of social media, youth are constantly bombarded with viral trends and toxic messages that set unrealistic standards about the ideal body image. This has translated into a far too common expression of body shape dissatisfaction in young people.

Eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder are serious mental health conditions that affect approximately one million Canadians. These conditions are also on the rise in youth, with research showing that health-care visits for eating disorders doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to before the pandemic.

This is concerning, since there are already very long wait times for eating disorder programs.

Impact of eating disorders

Individuals with eating disorders experience a problematic relationship with food, often accompanied by significant distress about their weight, shape and size. Many experience body image dissatisfaction and restrictive eating.

Eating disorders do not discriminate. They can occur in people of any race/ethnicity, age, socioeconomic class or gender. Youth who do not "fit" the stereotype of an eating disorder, especially those from Black, Indigenous and racialized backgrounds, may face delayed recognition and diagnosis.

Eating disorders impact every aspect of an individual's life and contribute to significant distress for the affected individual and their family, including their siblings. They can have serious and life-threatening complications, such as bradycardia (heart beating too slowly), osteoporosis (bone weakening) and anemia (low red blood cell count). Eating disorders are also associated with a high rate of premature death.

As clinicians and researchers, we have studied and worked with youth and their families struggling with eating disorders or "disordered eating" (the spectrum of unhealthy eating behaviour and patterns). Below we offer a guide for parents and other supportive adults on recognizing the signs of disordered eating in youth and offer practical resources and tips to support them effectively.

Signs of disordered eating

Considering the growing concern about the rise in eating disorder behavior in youth, and the importance of timely recognition and action, the following signs and symptoms of disordered eating are important to look out for:

Behaviors related to disordered eating:

Excessive exercise to reduce weight or change body shape
Going to the bathroom immediately after eating
Eating in secret
Restricting foods, such as a specific food group
A preoccupation with losing weight or maintaining a low body weight
Frequently weighing themselves because of body image dissatisfaction
Unusual behavior around food such as weighing/measuring food or cutting food into tiny pieces, or large consumption of liquids at mealtimes (for calorie dilution and a sensation of fullness)

Physical signs of disordered eating:

Unexplained weight loss or weight fluctuations (up or down)
Delayed puberty or amenorrhea (missed periods)
Sensitive or damaged teeth
Dizziness or fainting
Feeling cold
Stomach pain

Social and psychological signs of disordered eating:

Personality changes, such as social withdrawal and increased irritability
Depression or anxiety
Fighting with others about food, eating and weight
Avoidance of food-related social activities like birthdays or sleepovers

General recommendations for all parents and caregivers

Be on the lookout for sudden or drastic changes in your child's eating habits, such as extreme dieting, avoiding certain foods, preoccupation with weight, and fears about losing control of overeating. Also, keep an eye out for frequent fluctuations in meal patterns.
Pay attention to any physical changes you notice in your child, such as unexplained weight loss or gain, persistent fatigue, or changes in mood. These could be signs of underlying issues related to disordered eating.
Be mindful of withdrawal from social situations that centre on food, such as avoiding gatherings where meals are involved.
In addition to social media use, parent role modeling can shape children's attitudes and behaviour toward food and body image. As a result, we recommend that parents ditch the weight-based talk. It is best to avoid commenting on people's physical appearances, weight, shape and body sizes, including your own and others in your life. Rather, we recommend parents focus on health rather than appearances and empower youth to develop a positive relationship with food and their bodies.

The importance of early identification and intervention

If you notice some of the signs and symptoms of disordered eating, it is essential to talk with your child. Invite them to share their experiences and listen without judgement. Express compassion, kindness and concern about their health and well-being.

If you believe your child's health is at risk, warmly but firmly tell them that you are worried about them and organize contact with a health-care professional. Make an appointment with your primary care provider and come to your appointment prepared to discuss the type of behavior you have been seeing.

Previous research suggests that quickly seeking help may support better recovery from an eating disorder. This awareness motivates both providers and family members into action to quickly identify eating disorder behavior in youth and to advocate for them to receive comprehensive care from a diverse health-care team including psychologists, physicians, dieticians and social workers.

If you experience a long wait for targeted support in your area, consider also exploring reputable organizations in your geographical location.

It is important for parents and caregivers to recognize that negative body talk does not mean that your child has an eating disorder. It is, however, something to be mindful of, especially when coupled with the signs of eating disorders provided above.

The National Eating Disorders Information Centre helpline and live chat are available seven days a week. For Helpline call 1-866-NEDIC-20 (toll-free) or live chat at nedic.ca

Amelia Austin, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mathison Centre for Youth Mental Health and Education, University of Calgary; Gina Dimitropoulos, Associate professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary; Sheri Madigan, Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, and Tracy Vaillancourt, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in School-Based Mental Health and Violence Prevention, L'Université d'Ottawa/University of Ottawa

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

“The Bachelorette” has a responsibility to protect its first Asian lead

"The Bachelor" franchise is evolving. Or so we are being told.

The flagship ABC dating show just finished its 28th season of "The Bachelor" with resident himbo in charge, Joey Graziadei receiving his happily ever after with fiancée Kelsey Anderson while simultaneously stealing the hearts of the collective Bachelor Nation. Following that season high, the franchise shook things up by casting its first Asian lead with Jenn Tran for the upcoming season of "The Bachelorette."

Almost every season, like clockwork, nonwhite contestants receive online racial hate.

Tran, a Vietnamese-American student studying to be a physician's assistant, placed as one of the top six contestants this season. The 26-year-old stuck out for her transparency about her non-traditional and complicated family background. Her vulnerability, sense of humor and lightness were her most shining traits during the season. However, while Bachelor Nation generally liked Tran, she wasn't their first nor even their second pick for the new "Bachelorette."

When "After the Final Rose" last Monday, Tran was announced as the first-ever Asian contestant as a "Bachelor" lead, this historic event was met with a mixed reaction from audiences. The fanbase had expected this season's standout, Maria Gorgas or possibly runner-up Daisy Kent to take up the "Bachelorette" mantle.

In times of dating apathy and insincerity, it took a himbo to save "The Bachelor" franchise

Sadly, this tepid reception indicates that Tran isn’t coming in with readily available fan support. Therefore, the "Bachelor" franchise and its producers are obligated to Tran as the show’s first-ever Asian "Bachelorette" to protect her, as it has failed to do with its previous non-white contestants.

The backlash of racist fans

Almost every season, like clockwork, nonwhite contestants receive online racial hate. This season, half-Filipino and Black third-place runner-up, Rachel Nance was a target of that racial bullying and hate. Gorgas and Nance had a slight disagreement in an episode, causing Gorgas' rabid fanbase to attack. It led to thousands of comments on Nance's social media chastising her for not being a "girl's girl," disrespecting her family's culture and posting disturbing, racist comments like "jungle Asian." Nance was able to address the comments during the "Women Tell All" episode, saying, "I would just want to remind people that, you know, we're not just faces on a screen," and that fans are quick to "pop off because there's no consequences" but that the contestants "have to pay the consequences mentally and emotionally."

Host Jesse Palmer said, "Here's the thing, Bachelor Nation. We love your strong opinions. I think it's so important that we uplift these women, who are brave enough to be vulnerable and to share their stories with Joey and with all of us at home. These women, they deserve our praise and not our hate."

However, Nance's experience with the vitriolic aspect of "The Bachelor" is an indication that the franchise, no matter how evolved it says it has become, still struggles to amplify and support its nonwhite leads and contestants to its outspoken and activated white audience. The show's previous Black leads are clear examples of this repeated and unaddressed mistreatment.

Racist contestants competing for love

Starting with the show's first Black lead, Rachel Lindsay, took up the mantle in 2017 but was stuck with a racist contestant vying for her love. Internet sleuths discovered a history of contestant Lee Garrett's deeply bigoted tweets. One of which said, “What’s the difference between the NAACP and the KKK? Wait for it . . . One has the sense of shame to cover their racist a** faces.” Former host Chris Harrison said before Garrett was cast, everyone behind-the-scene was unaware of his tweets. During the season, Garrett also had a long-standing beef with a contestant Kenny King, who is Black. Garrett called King "aggressive" and told another Black contestant that King was “playing the race card."

In 2020, a post-George Floyd America led to the half-Black and half-Mexican contestant Tayshia Adams as the first Latina Bachelorette. But she was only considered Bachelorette when Clare Crowley dropped out of her duties halfway through the season. Adams was then only given half a season to turn around the very contained COVID-19 season.

"The Bachelor's" repeated infractions against its Black contestants came to a head with the disastrous Matt James season. Amid the Crowley/Adams hybrid season, the half-Black James was cast as the first-ever Black "Bachelor." However, during his run, Redditors found a photo of front-runner, Rachel Kirkconnell, a white girl from the South participating in an antebellum party in 2018. Since the series is filmed in advance, James didn't know her racist history and ended up with Kirkconnell. It all imploded in a deeply uncomfortable live episode hosted by Emmanuel Acho.

A racial reckoning

The controversy didn't stop with just contestants though. On "Extra," former Bachelorette Lindsay interviewed then-host Harrison about the antebellum photo discovery. Harrison questioned if this was in fact bad news, or if it just seemed worse because of modern sensibilities. “Rachel, is it a good look in 2018 or is it not a good look in 2021?” he asked.

“It’s not a good look, ever, because she’s celebrating the Old South. If I went to that party, what would I represent at that party?” Lindsay countered.

Harrison continued, “The woke police is out there, and this poor girl, Rachel, who has just been thrown to the lions. I don’t know how you’re equipped when you’ve never done this before, to be woke enough, to be eloquent enough, to be ready to handle this.”

"The Bachelor" denounced Harrison's comments, sacked him and said it was trying to achieve "greater equity and inclusion within ‘The Bachelor’ franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation of our crew, including among the executive producer ranks." After the controversy, Lindsay and James were critical of how the show handled its racial issues, in Lindsay's case officially breaking ties with the franchise. James commented on how the show depicted "dangerous stereotypes" and “negative depictions” of his Black father and other fathers in the media.

A new era . . .?

Since the show's brutal reckoning with race, the franchise has changed its format, its host and even longtime show creator and executive producer Mike Fleiss after allegations of misconduct. However, the franchise is still unsure how to comprehensively and sensitively address race. Last month, at a Television Critics Association press tour, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans asked the franchise’s bosses, “Why does the show find it so difficult to handle race issues?”

Is the show even equipped to highlight the Vietnamese-American experience?

A newer producer Claire Freeland, who wasn't a part of Lindsay's and James' seasons said, “I can speak to where we are now . . . Our goal is to represent the fabric of the country, not just in terms of diversity and ethnicity, but also ability and body types and representing where people are from in the country as well.”

The other producers avoided answering the question when Deggans pressed them. He said, "I guess we have our answer."

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The path forward is simple. For Tran, whatever changes new producers continue to echo need to be enforced to the fullest degree. This includes thorough criminal and social media background checks on contestants to prevent racist incidents like in Lindsay's season. Or even to prevent triggering and problematic contestants from infiltrating a space that could harm a woman, a woman whose family history has already been marked with argumentative, angry parents.

In addition, "The Bachelorette" should monitor Tran's Instagram through a team of trained social media professionals capable of censoring racist comments on her accounts. Most importantly, it should put out a zero-tolerance racism policy statement before the season begins so that the tone is set with the show's aggressively conservative fanbase.

Furthermore, is the show even equipped to highlight the Vietnamese-American experience? Are people behind the scenes educated on what this means and what Tran's experience will be like to represent on television across the U.S.? Tran had told Graziadei that hometown dates could be "complicated" because her mom, who's Vietnamese, doesn't fully understand American culture. How can the show bring those two cultures together to really showcase her Asianness and her Americanness in equal parts? In order to execute this with care and concern for Tran, her family and culture, they could ask Tran what she needs to feel supported throughout this journey of finding love. Or the production could consult Asian American groups that are more than available to advise on any needed context and pitfalls to avoid.

In the process of finding love, Black contestants and leads have shouldered the brunt of maltreatment from the franchise's racist, middle-American fanbase and its meddling producers. In this new, revamped age of "The Bachelor," it seems the producers are dead set on selling change. This success is fully banking on the hope that Tran is supported and uplifted in handling the baton that's been passed to her as the first Asian to lead the franchise. It's not looking too promising as last season she was mistaken for another Asian contestant on the show's official Instagram account. So is all this change and progress a sham? We have to wait and see, but with its contestants of color, it's often the same song and dance on "The Bachelor."

about "The Bachelor"

“Finding Your Roots”: George Washington greatly admired Michael Douglas’ Revolutionary War ancestor

Michael Douglas may have played many heroes in his prestigious acting career, but the veteran actor is closer to real-life heroism than he may have thought.

On Tuesday's upcoming episode of PBS' "Finding Your Roots," the Oscar-winning actor – who next stars in Apple TV's Benjamin Franklin series "Franklin" – gets new insights into his American beginnings from host Henry Louis Gates Jr.

It turns out the actor's fourth great-grandfather, Colonel John Neilson fought in the Revolutionary War. The high-ranking soldier was even praised by the first President of the United States, George Washington. When Gates asked the actor how he felt about his ancestor's heroism, he said, "Proud, to say the least, just to know what an integral part he played in helping us start our new country."

After the battle of Bennett's Island in New Jersey, Neilson received a letter from Washington. "I shall rely upon you to advise me constantly of their situation. I am sir your most obedient servant, George Washington," the first president said. Neilson provided General Washington with military intelligence during the war.

"It's hard to articulate. Obviously, it brings to life the history at that particular time, but to think he's your direct descendant of somebody of that heroic proportions is cool," Douglas said with a smile to Gates.

“Finding Your Roots” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS.

“Begging strangers for money”: John Oliver mocks Trump hawking products to pay for legal troubles

John Oliver has called out Donald Trump for a recent slew of "cash grabs."

On Sunday's "Last Week Tonight," Oliver observed that Trump has “had a rough run in the courts lately. Between the E. Jean Carroll defamation judgment and New York State’s fraud case, he’s on the hook for over half a billion dollars, but even that doesn’t capture the full extent of the financial damage."

"Apparently since leaving office, he spent more than $100 million on legal bills alone, which averages more than $90,000 a day, none of it paid for with his own money," Oliver said, citing a New York Times report. “A lot has come from his supporters because he’s repeatedly used his legal troubles as a pretext to ask for donations, including this plea on Tuesday," he added, showing a clip of the ex-president speaking to MAGA supporters: “We’re fighting. We’re winning. You see what’s going on. So whatever you can do to help financially would be fantastic, because we have to beat it if it’s $5 or $10 or $100, whatever you can do.”

“That is a man who talks nonstop about how he’s one of the richest men on Earth, begging strangers for money in a hostage video that looks like it was filmed in a house haunted by the world’s tackiest ghosts," Oliver quipped.

Oliver also cited several new products Trump has been peddling including a bible, gold sneakers, cologne, a mini-speaker, and gold wireless earbuds. "You know how you can never tell which Airpods are yours and which are your friends, because all the cases look the same? Well, if you get these, you lose all your friends instantly — problem solved," Oliver joked.

Uncoiling the future of food: Scientists say snake might be the solution for sustainable protein

As climate change continues to shape and threaten global food security, both advocates and scientists are consistently on the hunt for viable solutions — and, according to a new study from the journal Scientific Reports, a potential new frontrunner has slithered into the mix.

As researchers write, commercial python farming could provide a “flexible and efficient” form of sustainable protein, while producing relatively little waste, especially when compared to conventional livestock. “Livestock production traditionally has relied on a small number of domesticated species and production models — a little-changed formula that until now has served humanity well,” the study authors write.

However, those traditional livestock and plant crop systems are faltering, they write, as diminishing natural resources, infectious diseases and increasingly catastrophic weather events have led to the urgent need to explore more sustainable and resilient alternatives. That’s where pythons come in. According to the report, ectotherms, or cold-blooded animals, are approximately 90% more energy efficient than warm-blooded animals and, in the context of agriculture, “this energy differential readily translates into a potential for higher production efficiency.”

Argentina’s new certification could promote more climate-friendly livestock production

As such, after studying more than 4,600 Burmese and reticulated pythons on commercial farms in Vietnam and Thailand, researchers found the snakes had a more efficient food conversion ratio than salmon, pigs, cows, chicken and crickets. They conclude that while commercial python production is in its infancy, it offers “tangible benefits” for sustainability and food systems resilience, which raises the question: Why don’t we currently eat more snake meat in the United States?

Snake meat isn’t uncommon in other parts of the world. In Vietnam and Thailand, where the researchers conducted most of their work, pythons are raised and then prepared in a variety of ways, ranging from slightly brackish python soup to spiced curry. In South America, especially Brazil and Colombia, charbroiled snake meat is a relatively pedestrian street food. Rattlesnake is also eaten in various forms — stewed, ground into sausage or grilled and wrapped in a tortilla — across the Southwestern United States, though it doesn’t have wide-spread commercial appeal.

A large part of this is a PR problem.

"Beware of rattlesnakes, as they can still bite you after they are dead due to a reflexive action of the nervous system."

In many Western cultures, snakes are perceived as being unhygienic and dangerous enough to completely warrant avoiding their consumption. This perception goes back millenia, as both Jewish and Christian Old Testament scriptures dictated that snakes were “unclean” (not to mention reminiscent of Satan masquerading as a serpent in Genesis) which meant that they shouldn’t be eaten by the devout. Even as some have relaxed those religious guidelines, eating snake is still largely regarded as something you do to just survive, be that because of poverty or circumstance.

“Trying to kill a snake is a last-ditch survival effort and one that I don’t recommend unless the situation dictates it due to the risk of snakebite,” wrote Tony Nester for Outside in 2010.

He continued: “Beware of rattlesnakes, as they can still bite you after they are dead due to a reflexive action of the nervous system. Lopping the head off, burying it, and then skinning and cleaning the snake are the recommended methods established by the military and used by survivors.”

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Not particularly enticing, right? In recent decades, however, some chefs have been slowly putting snake on the menu, both as a way to stretch their culinary skills and as a way to reinforce the idea publicly that there is a need for more sustainable foodways beyond factory-farmed beef and chicken.

"People have a very visceral reaction to certain critters here, snakes being one of them," Gabe Hernandez, a Texas-based chef, told The Austin Chronicle in 2015. “There are a lot of animals out there, proteins out there, that we don't touch. If we start to look at these as potential for protein on our plates, we can alleviate some of the problems with overfarming tension with our more traditional farm situation."

The researchers in this study likened python to another familiar protein: “Reptile meat is not unlike chicken: high in protein, low in saturated fats and with widespread aesthetic and culinary appeal.”

Beyond the personal and cultural reasons snake isn’t commonly eaten in the United States, we also don’t have the practical infrastructure necessary to currently farm pythons at scale, something critics of the study say needs to be considered.

For instance, Kajsa Resare Sahlin, a sustainable food researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Center who was not involved in the study, pointed out in New Scientist that while pythons may help take care of pest rodents, “if a whole industry develops around this as a feed source, it will create perverse incentives to maintain ‘rat problems’—and the implications for local communities could of course be vast.”

“I think it will be a long time before you see python burgers served up at your favorite local restaurant here,” study co-author Rick Shine, a natural scientist at Macquarie University, said in a statement.

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Craving juicy, tender and flavorful fried chicken? Try using sweet tea in your brine

In anticipation of warmer weather and the formal arrival of spring (at least here in the east coast, where cold weather continues to plague us), I’ve been on the hunt for a foolproof recipe for homemade fried chicken. The best fried chicken I’ve had to date was at Toast, a New Orleans-based brunch spot serving french toast, crêpes and waffles galore. Their fried chicken with maple syrup & cayenne butter has been on my mind a lot this month, so in hopes of recreating their signature offering, I’ve been scouring the internet for all the fried chicken tips and tricks I can get my hands on.

Recently, I stumbled upon Lilly Parnell’s glowing review of fried chicken served at chef Jennie Wert's restaurant Ellen's on Front, which blends Latin and Asian influences with traditional American fare. The fried chicken, Parnell described, “was the perfect contradiction of flavors and textures: sweet and spicy, crispy and juicy.” But what really wowed her was the chicken’s secret ingredient: sweet tea.

Indeed, Wert's special sauce for achieving delicious fried chicken is using a sweet-tea brine. As explained by Parnell, Wert marinates the chicken wings and thighs for 24-hours in a homemade sweet tea brine. She then uses a dry batter consisting of flour, cayenne, paprika and salt and pepper. To her wet batter, she adds soda water, which creates an airy consistency for “an ultra-crispy chicken skin.” She finally fries the chicken in oil before tossing them in hot sauce and honey butter and topping them with Thai basil leaves.

Similar to Parnell, my mind was also blown, mainly because I’ve never considered utilizing sweet tea as a brine. My understanding of homemade brine is limited to the standard ratio of one cup kosher salt to one gallon of water. To spruce things up, I’ll add a sweetener like honey or brown sugar and spices or use buttermilk instead. But sweet tea was a new alternative that completely took me by surprise.

Brining meats is amazing. How much sodium does it add?

Sweet tea, though an ambitious choice of ingredient, isn’t all that uncommon in brine recipes. Chef John Fleer, hailed as the “thinking man’s chef,” uses a sweet tea-based brine when making fried chicken. Fleer’s recipe, courtesy of John T. Edge, “manages to pay tribute to the traditional South of days past and the multicultural South still on the horizon.” Fleer makes his brine by simmering a quart of brewed tea (double strength) along with one lemon, a cup of sugar and a half cup of kosher salt. The chicken (Fleer uses thighs and drumsticks) brines in the ice-cold, salty-sweet tea mixture for 48 hours before it’s coated in an egg-buttermilk mixture, corn flour and crab boil seasoning.

When it comes to utilizing a brine in making fried chicken, some recipes call for it while others say it’s unnecessary. Brining for the most part is helpful, depending on the kind of meat you’re working with. It adds flavor, allowing the meat to absorb that extra liquid and become juicier and more moist when cooked. The salt in brine tenderizes the meat, dissolving some of its muscle fibers which helps reduce its overall toughness. It also unfolds and unravels meat proteins, resulting in a more tender cooked meat.

Brining is great for lean meats that are inherently flavorless when cooked on their own, like chicken breasts, pork chops, seafood and Thanksgiving turkey. Red meats, like beef or lamb, are better off with a marinade.

“Tea is such a natural addition to fried chicken because it adds a welcome touch of bitterness to the meat, which complements the juicy, rich, fatty, crispy bird,” wrote Joe Sevier for Epicurious. Sweet tea, in particular, not only yields spicy and sweet, crunchy and succulent chicken, it also adds mellow fruity undertones that intensifies the flavor profile of your dish.

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In a recent interview with EatingWell, “The Kitchen” co-host Katie Lee Biegel touted her own fried chicken recipe, which calls for a brine made with Milo’s brand sweet tea. Biegel’s brine also includes onion, garlic and soy sauce “for its salty depth of flavor,” she said.

“The tannins in the tea tenderize the chicken, and the sweetness from the tea and the soy sauce infuse into the chicken,” Biegel added. “This makes it so incredibly flavorful and almost impossible to overcook.”

That being said, sweet tea-based brines aren’t just reserved for making fried chicken. The brine can be used when preparing an Easter Ham that's finished off with a lemon glaze, per this recipe from Southern Living. It can also be combined with molasses when making a sweet tea and molasses-brined spatchcock chicken, per this recipe from Epicurious. Whatever your choice recipe is, be sure to have fun with making your own sweet tea brine. I sure will be — speaking of which, I’ve got fried chicken to make.

about brining your meats:

It could boil down to a Snickers bar — or golden sneakers

Let’s call her Barbara. She doesn’t want to use her real name for reasons that will become clear.

She lives in Virginia, has voted for Donald Trump in the last two elections and until very recently was prepared to vote for him again. She is Baptist, has been married for 15 years to the same man who works for local government and they have an eight-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter. She is a registered Republican and says she has voted in every election since she was 18. She has never crossed party lines to vote for a president but did so in a state race when Danica Roem ran for the state house for the first time. Roem is the first openly transgender woman to be elected to a state office in Virginia. She is now a state senator and Barbara told me that she has voted for Roem every time she has been on the ballot. It might seem odd that a devout Baptist would vote for Roem, but Barbara said it was something Roem spoke about in her first election campaign that changed her mind.

She said Biden finally put a face on an issue that has bothered her personally for a long time.

“Her opponent was talking about what a danger she was to us, but she was the only one that was talking about the huge traffic problems we have near where I live. She was the only one who said she’d try to fix them. I had to drive those roads. My husband drives them for work every day,” Barbara explains. That was why she voted for Roem. “I didn’t tell my husband because I thought he’d be mad. But when it came time to vote, I thought I’d give her a chance. I haven’t regretted it once.”

Roem recalls, “That was the route 28 issue.” She explains that. “It meant a lot to people who live in the area. Constituent service means a lot.”

As it turns out, Barbara’s husband also voted for Roem for the same reason. “We were both surprised. We actually had a laugh at that. But we haven’t told any of our friends,” she revealed.

Now she is considering crossing party lines once again.

The "martyrdom" of Donald J. Trump

“I haven’t made up my mind,” she explains., This time she is talking with her husband, who might also change lanes. She admits she’s been dissatisfied with Donald Trump. “I’ll never vote for him again,” she vows, listing a variety of reasons that include his misogyny, angry rhetoric and divisiveness. “I agree with his policies a lot. I want a border wall. I want to hold the Chinese accountable. I want more conservatives in government,” she noted. But at the end of the day, she concluded, Trump is “wearing me out.”

She has former friends she never talks to anymore. “We just don’t get along because of politics and religion. We never used to talk about that stuff. Now, it seems like that’s all we talk about.”

She doesn’t like Trump’s hush money case with Stormy Daniels, his other court problems and “the fact that lately, all he talks about is himself. I don’t care if he’s in debt. He’s supposed to be a billionaire? Honey, where I come from, if you’re rich you don’t talk about it.”

At the end of the day, she said, Trump’s efforts to sell gold sneakers drove her over the edge, and selling Trump Bibles sealed the deal. “I ain’t voting for him. That’s the Golden Calf right there as golden sneakers.”

You never know what will turn a voter off, or on. “Isn’t it amazing? Insurrection, fraud, racism, division, trying to kill the Affordable Care Act, bullying and hatred,” for some people that wasn’t enough to turn away from Trump, Roem remarked . It boils down to shoes.

But that doesn’t guarantee Barbara will vote Democratic. She said she may not vote for president at all – and her husband told her the same. They’ll vote Republican up and down the ballot and leave the presidential slot blank – even if that helps Joe Biden. “Well, we can’t vote for a Kennedy,” she explained as she talked about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent candidacy. “You can’t trust them.” And while she says she’s most likely not to vote in the presidential race, “I’m just so fed up with all of it,” she explained, something that happened to her recently has opened her up to the possibility of voting – for Biden.

“My cousin sent me a tape on Facebook,” she said. “It was Joe Biden talking about Snickers bars. I thought it was crazy at first, I mean, what the heck is a president talking about Snickers bars for?” She asked. “But my cousin pointed out he said something I’ve said ‘there aren’t enough Snickers in the Snickers bar anymore,” and that hooked her. “I hadn’t even heard of ‘shrinkflation’. I didn’t know that was a thing. I sure didn’t know it was a topic a president would talk about. Yeah, that made me think.” She said Biden finally put a face on an issue that has bothered her personally for a long time.

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Now, she says she’s open to listening to Biden. She’s ignored what he said for so long, because she figured, “he was just an old man with Alzheimer’s.” Now? “Well, he got a bill passed on roads and bridges (the $1 trillion infrastructure bill) and I didn’t know that. I just tuned him out to tell you the truth. So, I’m listening now.” Her own experience with Virginia’s Route 28 also helped her to re-think Biden as a viable candidate.

As for the age issue, “Well everybody in the race is old. That don’t mean nothing at this point. Who is going to actually do what’s best for us? That’s the question.” Barbara said. And while Trump is asking people if they are better off now than they were four years ago, “He ain’t no Ronald Reagan,” Barbara added. “My mom and dad were Reagan fans and they ain’t never liked Trump – though they voted for him too. I don’t know if they will again.”

At the same time, Barbara admits she has no idea if any of the friends she talks to at church or the few friends that still talk to her outside of church feels the same way she does. “I just don’t know. We don’t talk about it. You can’t. I’m sure most of them still will vote for Mr. Golden Sneakers, but I can’t. I don’t regret that I did the first two times, but if anyone has real problems, it’s Trump. I don’t know if he has dementia, but all he talks about is himself.”

But Barbara’s story does beg the question – are there hard-core Trump supporters ready to ditch the Donald in favor of Biden – or will they just stay home? In several swing states, the answer to that question could hold the key to the outcome of the 2024 election.

Roem has some experience with that issue, and a few candid observations to offer.“There is a narrative that politics is so partisan and so divisive, but in my district, a lot of voters have no problem splitting the ticket.” Several precincts in swing states are similar to Prince William County in Virginia, where there are hardcore Republican enclaves.

As Roem describes it, Heritage Hunt, a mostly gated community with a country club and a home owner’s association in Gainesville, VA is one of those enclaves. “It is almost 90 percent white, 55 and older. Not everyone is rich, but they got money,” Roem said. “Upper Middle Class. And even in off year elections more than two thirds of them vote.”

The first time she ran for office in 2017, Roem lost by 16 points. Things were different when she ran there in 2023. “The last time I won it by 35 votes,” she explained. “And they split the ticket for me and a few other Democrats, but voted mostly Republican up and down the ballot.”She noticed a change in 2022 when Democrat U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton bested her Republican opponents there.

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“I figured okay, let’s make a play for Heritage Hunt,” Roem explained. She began an aggressive door-knocking campaign in the heavily Republican area and was surprised at what she heard. “These were hardcore Republicans and it was amazing the absolute revulsion they had over Donald Trump. I didn’t bring him up. That wasn’t part of my strategy. They brought him up,” Roem explained. “They hated his guts. It wasn’t even a pitch. ‘Danica, I’ve been a lifelong Republican until Donald Trump.’ I heard that told to me over and over again. That’s not to say he won’t have a ton of votes out of Heritage Hunt,” Roem added.But the bottom line is that “We are now at the place where I’d be shocked that it goes for Donald Trump. Trump will win the election day voters, but if you count the early and mail-in votes, Biden will win. And I remind you, they vote straight down the Republican ticket for everything there. They are hard core Republican in Heritage Hunt,” she said.

That portends well for Biden in a number of swing states for a very specific reason. It takes both campaign infrastructure to knock on doors, and constituent service to sway those voters fed up with Donald Trump.

Biden’s campaign, flush with cash after record donations and a recent campaign stop in the New York area that drew Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, speaks to the infrastructure. Biden can go door to door as much as he wants, while Trump will have to sell more than 416,000 Bibles to match what Biden got in one stop in New York – and Trump would still languish behind Biden in fundraising – as he languishes behind him in campaign organization and infrastructure.

There are people who are willing to split the ticket – and they are angry with Donald Trump. They just may not talk about it openly – afraid to raise the ire of friends, neighbors and family – who may also be harboring the same concerns.

If hardcore Republicans in Heritage Hunt will vote for a transgender female for state senator, they might be willing to vote for an old heterosexual white man for president – after all it isn’t that big of a stretch. According to Roem, it boils down to rock solid constituent service. Roem has focused on that as a state senator, and it has made all the difference. “As it turned out, I became pretty well liked in Heritage Hunt.”

Biden has that ability in all the swing states. He has the issues, he has the money and he can show solid constituent service – if he can cut through the foghorn bombast of Donald Trump.

In one case, it only took a Snickers bar to make a difference.

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“She’s stacking the deck”: Ex-prosecutor says Jack Smith set to appeal Judge Cannon’s looming order

Special counsel Jack Smith is likely to appeal U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s order after she asked both sides to submit a set of jury instructions that may favor former President Donald Trump’s legally dubious defense in the classified documents case.

Cannon last month ordered Smith and Trump to submit proposed jury instructions around competing interpretations of the Presidential Records Act. The PRA requires a president to turn over all documents to the National Archives at the end of the administration but Trump has argued it actually gives him the right to deem government materials as personal.

Former New York Assistant Attorney General Adam Pollock predicted that Smith would submit the proposed jury instructions as required and wait to her Cannon’s determination.

“Then he’ll have an appealable order,” Pollock told MSNBC on Sunday, adding that Smith may appeal before Cannon sets a trial date.

"This is completely putting the cart before the horse," he said. "The judge is signaling, as she has signaled from the get-go, that she doesn't believe in this case, that she doesn't believe the case is warranted, and she's stacking the deck in favor of the defendant."

Pollock noted that an appellate court previously reversed Cannon’s rulings in the case “on multiple occasions.”

"I would expect that if there is an order on these jury instructions, as she's already signaling she is likely to order, that he'll go right back to the appellate court,” he said.

“Threatening the president is a crime”: Expert says Trump Truth Social post may violate bail terms

Former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social post depicting President Joe Biden tied up in the back of a pickup truck may violate his bail conditions, according to former Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann.

“A standard condition of being out on bail applies in New York and in the D.C. federal case and in the Georgia state case: that you not commit a crime while you are out on bail,” Weissmann told MSNBC on Sunday.

“Threatening the president of the United States is a crime, so the question would be the legal and factual question whether what he has engaged in with respect to posting the image of Joe Biden bound and gagged with what appears to be a bullet hole in his head constitutes that kind of threat,” said Weissmann, a law professor at New York University.

If it is determined that the post constitutes a threat, bail could be repealed and Trump could be remanded into custody, he explained.

Longtime Harvard legal scholar Laurence Tribe stressed that “under existing law it’s unclear whether posting on Truth Social a picture of POTUS tied up and shot in the head in a moving truck under the present circumstances amounts to a true threat under Sec. 871.”

“But no question it warrants an FBI visit and a warning,” he added.

In all seriousness, under existing law it’s unclear whether posting on Truth Social a picture of POTUS tied up and shot in the head in a moving truck under the present circumstances amounts to a true threat under Sec. 871. But no question it warrants an FBI visit and a warning. https://t.co/h06hnzfS8J

— Laurence Tribe 🇺🇦 ⚖️ (@tribelaw) April 1, 2024

“Stand where he tells you to stand”: Why the GOP is doubling down on misogyny in 2024

"Stand where he tells you to stand, wear what he tells you to wear, and do what he tells you to do."

This is the wedding night advice offered to brides by Josh Howerton, a senior pastor at Lakepointe Church in Dallas, Texas. Lakepointe, according to the Dallas Morning News, is one of the biggest megachurches in Texas, with over 13,000 people a week attending its main location. The church itself cites a number over 40,000 a week, between its six campuses and online services. Howerton opened Sunday morning services on February 25 with this paean to sexual coercion.

SBC Megachurch pastor Josh Howerton's advice to women about the wedding night:

"Stand where he tells you to stand, wear what he tells you to wear, and do what he tells you to do."@_jaystringer and I unpack this on Episode 230 of Bare Marriage!https://t.co/DC7wFxdD1T pic.twitter.com/ECwRD1GTKn

— Sheila Gregoire–She Deserves Better is here! (@sheilagregoire) March 28, 2024

Claiming that the bride has "been planning this day her whole life," and so the groom should indulge her: "Stand where she tells you to stand, wear what she tells you to wear, and do what she tells you to do. You'll make her the happiest woman in the world."

Then he hits folks with this counterpoint: In exchange, the bride should take a submissive role in what he pointedly calls "his wedding night," to "make him the happiest man in the world." (Howerton did not respond to a Salon request for comment.)

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In the era of robust online debate between conservative Christians and those in the faith deconstruction movement, this clip unsurprisingly generated a lot of discussion. Sheila Wray Gregoire, a Christian critic of purity culture, responded on her Bare Marriage podcast with an episode titled, "Why Evangelical Honeymoons Often Go So Badly." Howerton responded with two beloved defenses of bigoted rhetoric on the right: that it's out of context and just a joke.

the type of people who post these things will not care (watch how they respond to this comment – no one will acknowledge “oh wow, that’s new info”), but this is a lie.

The person who originally posted this took an old preacher joke about marriage, edited out the comment…

— Josh Howerton (@howertonjosh) March 29, 2024

Gregoire responded in a thread arguing the context "makes this worse" because the "joke" assumes men "don't have to take on ANY of the mental load, emotional involvement, or work of the wedding," and also that "at the wedding night, you get to act like a porn director and direct her every move so you get exactly what you want."

Evangelical sexism is getting more overtly nasty.

She concludes: "In both the wedding, and the wedding night, she does all the work for him." It's an apt rebuttal to those who claim these rigid gender roles are "fair" because they're "balanced." In reality, it's just more of the same sexist assumption that the work of marriage belongs only to women.

All critical discourse, but my first thought upon watching this clip, I must confess: This is why the GOP is doomed in its "outreach" to claw back female voters they've lost in the Donald Trump era.

It's not just the assault on abortion rights, which they can't seem to hold back from, despite the resounding unpopularity of the anti-choice stance. It's that the MAGA base is getting ever more vitriolic with its misogyny. Part of that is due to the more secular dirtbags of the Joe Rogan/Elon Musk variety, who have become such a loud part of the Republican coalition under Trump. But this escalation of boldly misogynist rhetoric is also coming from the evangelicals. Republicans can't win without keeping those people happy, since the Christian right is where the GOP's organizing power still mainly resides.

In her recent New York Times article about the "coarsening" of the religious right, Ruth Graham alluded to this, writing about the trend of evangelical leaders using "vulgarities." But it's not just a matter of using curse words. The vulgarities in question mostly center around an over-the-top performance of toxic masculinity: throwing around sexist terms like "sl*t" and "wh*re," homophobic slurs, and using phrases like "grow a pair." It's definitely got an overcompensation vibe to it. But along with the increasingly violent queerphobia, this means evangelical sexism is getting more overtly nasty. A lot of the faux-chivalrous condescension is being replaced with blunt malevolence and sexual objectification.

The insidious rise of "tradwives": A right-wing fantasy is rotting young men's minds

The Republican gubernatorial nominee, Mark Robinson, is a good example. He loudly proclaims himself an evangelical Christian and occasionally is invited to preach at conservative churches. He also prefers a shock jock vibe when attacking women being sexual or demanding equality. He declared that women are to be "led by men" and, "I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldn’t vote." Last week, resurfaced comments showed he's consumed by hatred for Beyoncé, who he called a "skank" who teaches "our young women to be hyper-sexual wh*res."

Robinson's ascendance shows there's a major appetite for grossly misogynist talk among Republican voters, including those who clutch their Bibles while claiming they're doing it all for Jesus. A likelier explanation, of course, is that religion is just an increasingly thin pretext for resentment of women for getting education and jobs and more independence from men. That's why, even though it's hurting Republicans at the polls, Christian conservatives keep pushing for ever more draconian restrictions on abortion and contraception. It's even turning into a growing chorus of Christian leaders attacking no-fault divorce, which makes it easier for women to end bad or even abusive marriages.

It's not just Christian right loudmouth pundits like Matt Walsh or Steven Crowder complaining about no-fault divorce. As Kimberly Wehle of the Atlantic wrote in September, there's an increasingly effective religious pressure campaign on the GOP to claw back a woman's right to leave her husband. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, recently decried divorce, even to escape domestic violence. The Texas Republican platform, additionally, calls for the state legislature to "rescind unilateral no-fault divorce laws and support covenant marriage." A "covenant marriage," which makes it extremely difficult to file for divorce, happens to be what Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., has with his baby-voiced wife.

Kelly Johnson's unnaturally high-pitched and cloying voice caught some attention when he rose to speaker late last year, but public discourse around what is called the "fundie baby voice" soared last month, after Sen. Katie Britt gave her unsettling response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union. Britt, who typically speaks in normal voice, threatened to get squeaky at times during her televised speech. Liberal activist Jess Piper from Missouri went viral with an essay explaining the message Britt was sending with the weird voice: "Be sweet. Obey. Prove it by speaking in muted tones."

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What's wild is Britt's syrupy presentation was initially framed as Republican outreach to women. I guess the thinking was female voters can relate to being trapped in their kitchens and hiding their ambitions from men by talking like toddlers. But it ended up feeling like more of the same pandering to the worst sort of men, the kind of men who call Beyoncé a "skank" and respond to being asked to wash the dishes by lobbying for an end to no-fault divorce.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., recently shrugged off the GOP's loss of female voters by saying, "for every ‘Karen’ we lose, there is a ‘Julio’ and a ‘Jamal’ ready to sign up for the MAGA movement." The statement wasn't just racist because of his trolling word choice. It was also an effort to shove responsibility for the increasingly noxious sexism of the GOP onto the shoulders of men of color. But, really, the loudmouthed misogyny is less about expanding the Republican coalition and more about base maintenance.

It's happening for a lot of reasons: Trump creates a permission structure. Social media incentivizes getting attention by being the biggest jerk on the internet. Fury over the #MeToo movement plays a role. All this has come together to create this crotch-grabbing zeitgeist on the right, even in the Christian spaces that used to pretend at a higher calling. Whatever is fueling it, however, Republican politicians know they have to tend to this burbling cesspool of toxic masculinity, which is going to get in the way of their already weak efforts to appeal to female voters.

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Clinical social worker: “With the Trump Bible, one must consider dementia”

Fascism is a type of political religion. Donald Trump is preaching the religion of fascism.

History has repeatedly shown that fascism and other forms of political religion almost always end in widespread violence and destruction. With his promises and threats of “bedlam” and a “bloodbath,” Trump, the dictator in waiting, has basically guaranteed such an outcome if he “wins” the 2024 election. And that outcome is perhaps just as, if not more, likely if he were to be defeated by President Biden.

"Trump has turned Holy Week into an opportunistic carnivalesque grift."

Over the last few months, Donald Trump has escalated his claims of god-like prophet-messiah status. He has declared that “Jesus Christ” and “God” chose him to win the presidency and defeat President Biden in the 2024 election. He has promoted a video online declaring that “God made Trump” – again elevating himself to near superhuman status as a force of destiny and divine retribution against his and the MAGA movement’s enemies. The corrupt ex-president has taken to comparing himself to Jesus and just announced that he is selling his own Trump-branded version of the Bible with “exclusive” content. Even for those of us who are not Christians, Trump’s behavior is obscene and absurd to the extreme.

On this, Amanda Marcotte told this powerful truth in a recent essay here at Salon:

The teachings of Jesus Christ were always a poor fit for Republicans. They're just way more into decimating Social Security than they are into loaves and fishes. What Trump offers when it comes to Christianity is what he offers his followers in every other aspect: permission to stop pretending to be good people. His gift to them is his shamelessness. Through Trump, his followers can realize their fantasies of being unapologetic bullies. This is the same schtick as MAGA members who claim to be "patriots" while attacking the rule of law and democracy. Trump tells them what they want to hear: You can be a Christian without compassion….

Replacing the real Bible with Trump Bibles is a too-perfect symbol of what has happened to evangelical Christianity. The mistake is in believing Trump's followers are confused or ashamed about their devotion to a godless creep who laughs at true believers. In Trump's hands, the Bible is not a text for prayer and reflection, it's just a weapon. It's much easier to beat people down with a book if it's closed.

Ultimately, once God is invoked, and a malign actor such as Donald Trump anoints himself as a type of prophet, messiah, or Chosen One, there can be no compromise, negotiation, or consensus politics within a real democracy. Religious crusades (or specifically with the union of Christofascism, Trumpism and today’s Republican Party and larger “conservative” movement as a form of political religion), almost by definition are winner-take-all all to the extreme. Such extremism is an existential threat to American democracy and the good society.

In an attempt to better understand Trump’s Christofascism and the threat to democracy, I recently spoke to a range of experts.

These interviews have been lightly edited for clarity and length:

Katherine Stewart is the author of “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism."

Most of the people who follow Trump don’t expect him to behave like a religious person. They are not going to hold him to account for his heresies or irreligious pronouncements, because they don’t truly believe he is religious anyway, and they don’t care. For them, religion is far less about religion than identity, so they have no interest or concern about whether Trump is blasphemous or not. For a good number of those who lend their support to the Christian nationalist movement, professed faith in the literal word of God is little more than performative. To be sure, some do have familiarity with some parts of the Bible, but their religious identity has become entwined with signaling in-group membership and loyalty to their chosen leaders.

What is curious is how some people still insist on interpreting politicized religion through an individual lens: as men’s and women’s search for meaning or as an effort to grapple with the mysteries of the cosmos. We need to be clear: For leaders of the Christian nationalist movement, along with many followers, the politics comes first, and the religion is tailored to its needs like a cheap suit.

The "martyrdom" of Donald J. Trump

As far as Trump himself is concerned, these statements are just further evidence of his bottomless self-pity and narcissism. It would be nice to think that we live in a world where that would cause people who claim to support religious motives to think again, but for too many Trump supporters that is just not the case.

Add in how Trump is now profiting from the sale of Bibles and it is a masterclass from a grifting insurrectionist demagogue on how to win votes by conflating a fundamentalist religion in which he does not believe with a Constitution he has attempted to undermine. Patriotic bombast in a profit-making package.

Robert P. Jones is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller "The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future," as well as "White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity."

For the approximately two-thirds of Americans who identify as Christian, this is Holy Week, a solemn time of participation in worship services that evoke self-evaluation and repentance ahead of the holiest day on the Christian calendar, Easter Sunday. In the midst of this sacred week, the presumed Republican candidate for president, Donald Trump, has committed acts that in any other era would have created an outcry among serious Christians across the spectrum.

On Holy Monday, Trump compared himself to Jesus in a Truth Social post. This was not a one-off comparison. They echoed the claims he has made in other settings, such as his speech to white evangelicals at the National Religious Broadcasters annual meeting last month. There, Trump evoked the theological language of substitutionary atonement to describe himself as their savior. Trump claimed, "I’ve been very busy fighting and, you know, taking the, the bullets, taking the arrows. I'm taking 'em for you. And I'm so honored to take 'em. You have no idea. I'm being indicted for you…."

"Trying to hawk a $60 Trump Bible may be an indication of the poor judgment of early dementia exacerbated by narcissism that in the end may boomerang back on him."

On Holy Tuesday, Trump began hawking a $60 “God Bless the USA Bible," posting this message on X: "Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless The USA Bible.” The book binds, within its brown leather cover, the text of the King James Version of the Bible (preferred by white evangelical Protestants) along with the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a handwritten chorus of Lee Greenwood’s song, “God Bless the USA,” which Trump regularly plays at rallies. This new venture — that includes a royalty deal collected through the same company handling his $400 gold sneakers — is a tangible, monetized embodiment of Trump’s white Christian nationalism.

That Trump has turned Holy Week into an opportunistic carnivalesque grift is not surprising given his character and the financial crunch he is facing from his legal troubles, but it should be appalling. Christian theology has a word to describe those who claim the attributes of Jesus for themselves and who treat sacred things with contempt and disrespect. It’s blasphemy. And the failure of Christians, especially white evangelical Christians to whom Trump is pandering, to speak out against such disgrace during the holiest week of the Christian year is a measure of their captivity and complicity in the denigration of both Christianity and our nation.

Paul Djupe is a political scientist at Denison University and the editor of the Religious Engagement in Democratic Politics series at Temple University Press. He is also the co-author of "The Full Armor of God: The Mobilization of Christian Nationalism in American Politics" and co-editor of the new anthology, "Trump, White Evangelical Christians, and American Politics."

It’s Christian holy week, so what better time than to keep the persecution narrative fully stoked? In a recent Truth Social post, Trump allowed a supporter to suggest that his legal plight is comparable to Jesus’s suffering on the cross. This has been Trump’s play since running for president in 2015: appealing to Christians who feel out of power with a promise to restore them to their believed rightful place. But Trump’s centrality to this narrative has changed drastically. Early in his presidential bid he was seen as the Christian Right’s bully – their protector in politics. As legal and political pressure mounted, Trump became the story, the proxy for how a fallen world treats Christians. He was called anointed by God and he even toyed with the idea in 2019 that he, himself, was the Chosen One.

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In the last year, with indictments piling up, he has been reinforcing his martyrdom, suggesting that he is “taking the arrows…for you and I’m so honored to take them, you have no idea.” He will continue to draw comparisons of his plight with Jesus’s persecution through to the election. He doesn’t stop there, but paints an apocalyptic scene in which his enemies are coming for Christians (“The radical left is coming after all of us.”) and only he stands in the way of broadscale persecution or even a “bloodbath.” There are so many problems with this language, but the most problematic is that the expectation of persecution serves to justify extreme measures to protect their basic rights and liberties up to and including violence. Such connections are being reinforced all over the Right, such as by Charlie Kirk who recently said, “If this election doesn’t go our way, the next day we’d fight.”

Hal Brown is a clinical social worker and was one of the first members of the Duty to Warn group. He has extensive expertise in working with multiple personality disorder (now called dissociative identity disorder) and police stress.

It has always puzzled objective observers, both mental health professionals and others, how many of Trump's lies, exaggerations, and acts of self-aggrandizement were done with him knowing full well that he was pandering to his cult, and how many he actually believed. If he believed even half of them, he'd be considered delusional. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, let's say all of this was performance art. Now with the Trump Bible, one must consider dementia as a cause since ⅓ of all people with dementia end up experiencing delusions. If you listen to his 3-minute spiel for the Bible where Trump seems to deviate from the teleprompter and ad lib you can see indications he actually believes some of what he is saying. For example, does he really think he has many Bibles in his house? His sales pitch for Trump Bible where he meanders into stream of consciousness suggests he may be delusional.

If Trump has even the slightest notion that he is some kind of Jesus-like deity he has become unmoored from reality. Whether this is due to psychosis, dementia, or a combination of the two can't be determined without a complete neuropsychiatric assessment that would include not only extended interviews with Trump and much more extensive testing than the MOCA test but also Melania who presumably would interact with him in unguarded moments and could be asked for other signs of dementia.

Another aspect of early dementia is an increase in signs of poor judgment. Poor judgment can sometimes precede memory loss. It isn't as extreme as somebody wandering off from a facility in the winter wearing only their pajamas. Somebody who is always garrulous and tends to go off on tangents when speaking may do this more frequently. They often lose their train of thought when speaking. People with early dementia can demonstrate a pattern of inappropriate decisions or actions which will ultimately be self-defeating based on their personality but not realizing that there will be predictable consequences that will hurt them.

Decision-making includes three components: courses of action, uncertain events and consequences. When you consider Trump's decision to market a special Bible just before Easter there are his narcissism and money-making inspired aspirational reason for doing this which has to be contrasted with foreseeable negative ramifications. A person who isn't cognitively impaired should be doing a cost-benefit analysis asking themselves whether the benefit will outweigh the cost. They should be able to weigh how uncertain the consequences of an action are. Trump with his narcissism would find it hard under normal circumstances to accept that there might be a final straw where one of his attempted grifts backfires on him, after all he's gotten away with so much. Trying to hawk a $60 Trump Bible may be an indication of the poor judgment of early dementia exacerbated by narcissism that in the end may boomerang back on him.

Rick Wilson is a co-founder of The Lincoln Project, a former leading Republican strategist, and author of two books, "Everything Trump Touches Dies" and "Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump – and Democrats from Themselves."

There’s no doubt Trump is a snake oil salesman trying to make a quick buck selling overpriced Bibles to unwitting Christians during the holiest week of the year. But it’s also a clumsy attempt to sell himself as a God-fearing Christian because he’s rightly terrified that his criminal case for paying off a porn star and the E. Carroll lawsuit are making evangelicals rethink their support for him. It's just another example of Trump showing he’s willing to do or say anything to make a buck or grab a vote.

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