- Justin Jouvenal @ The Washington Post: Supreme Court rules against ban on ‘conversion therapy’ for LGBTQ+ minors
The major ruling casts doubt on similar prohibitions in 30 states. It is the latest in a string of decisions by the high court rolling back protections for LGBTQ+ people.
- Will Sommer @ The Bulwark: Even the Pizzagate King Is Souring on Trump
Mike Cernovich’s journey from Trump diehard to Trump critic should be a warning for the president.
- Oliver Darcy @ Status: The White House Picture Police
Of the many images captured months ago during a Thanksgiving briefing, one of Karoline Leavitt incensed the White House, resulting in a remarkable chain of events that led to its removal from the photo wires, Status has learned.
- Josh Gerstein @ Politico: The man behind Donald Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship
John Eastman has been advancing his fringe interpretation of the 14th Amendment for decades.
- Greg Sargent @ The Daily Blast: Trump’s Rage Erupts Over War Failures as Pope’s Harsh Rebuke Hits Hard
As Pope Leo criticizes Pete Hegseth’s war prayer and Trump’s threats toward Iran go haywire, a scholar of religion explains how Hegseth-Trump war crimes are rooted in extreme right-wing theology.
- Matt Gertz @ Media Matters: The antisemitic influencers who popularized the term “J-pilled” know exactly what it means
A New York Times report on young attendees at last weekend’s Conservative Political Action Conference soft-peddled the movement’s antisemitism by describing some right-wingers as “J-pilled” and erroneously defining that term as “far-right slang for skepticism of Israeli influence.”
- Tom Nichols @ The Atlantic: Pete Hegseth Is Vice Signaling
Vice signaling is rampant throughout the Trump administration because the president’s appointees know that the boss likes underlings who emulate his aggressive indecency.
- Editorial Board @ The New York Times: The People Trump Pardoned Are on a Crime Spree
The pardon system has also relied on the decency of American presidents. President Trump has abandoned this approach.
- Hunter Walker @ Talking Points Memo: Mark Robinson Comes Clean (Sort Of) and Tries to Sell Some Content
Epically scandal-plagued former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has shown us a blueprint for an apology tour in the MAGA influencer era. It apparently involves visiting a very friendly podcast, admitting you lied, not really apologizing for it, and monetizing the whole thing.
- Hemant Mehta @ Friendly Atheist: Texas’ new “Religious Liberty” committee is another Christian power grab
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick handpicked lawmakers who want conservative Christianity embedded in public life.
