#NY’s highest court on Thurs overturned Harvey #Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on #felony#SexCrime charges, a stunning reversal in the foundational case of the #MeToo era.
In a 4-3 decision, the #NY Court of Appeals found that the #trial#judge who presided over #HarveyWeinstein’s case had made a crucial mistake, allowing prosecutors to call as #witnesses a series of women who said Weinstein had assaulted them — but whose accusations were not part of the #charges against him.
"IN THE FIRST WEEK OF HIS CRIMINAL TRIAL, Donald Trump raised about $5.6 million online by warning his small dollar-donors that the 'Deep State' was out to lock him up."
Trump sent out an email when jury selection began, saying Biden's attacking him, and his disciples responded by sending $1.6 million in response to the email. He took in another $1 million the rest of the week, mostly from small donors.
"Trump seems aware that his power is waning. Early yesterday, he called for supporters to 'RALLY BEHIND MAGA,' but only a handful of people gathered outside the courthouse. Today he claimed that the turnout was low because police had 'completely CLOSED DOWN' the streets around the courthouse. That was a lie: the streets, the sidewalk, even the courthouse have remained open to the public."
Noah Berlatsky on how the corporate media and not just Fox help serve Trump's interests:
"Trump is a creature of publicity and propaganda, with a talent for shameless self-promotion and self-marketing. He’s put his brand on everything from Trump steaks to Trump bibles. As a recognizable figure who regularly says controversial and shocking things, he’s a riveting story for journalists."
"Trump may have forced his legal team to stand by his absurd claims that none of the sex with Stormy Daniels ever happened, the payoff to cover that non-event was never reimbursed, that Cohen only received legal fees, and that everyone else but Trump is lying. He may even feel he needs to maintain this ridiculous narrative to keep public opinion on his side for the election.
But as a legal strategy, it’s pretty foolish. And oh-so-Trumpian."
On Monday, with prosecutors beginning to make their case to the jury that Donald Trump committed 34 felonies, Trump didn’t get angry, animated or antagonistic. Instead, he fell asleep."
But the media:
"As the media watchdog group Media Matters noted last June after Biden announced his re-election run, corporate media was quick to cover Biden’s age and stamina issues but not Trump."
"A former POTUS is a criminal defendant. Let’s pause for a moment and—to use a phrase I abhor that was ubiquitous on Twitter seven years ago—let that sink in. ...
A FPOTUS indictment, therefore, is unprecedented. And this is just the first of Trump’s criminal trials. There are three more pending. … That doesn’t even take into account the civil fraud case…."
"The New York Times reported there are at least nine court officers and additional Secret Service agents in the courtroom today, a much larger security presence than normal.
Outside the court, a local park has been turned into a stage by Trump supporters."
The MAGA extremists who oppose aid to Ukraine expressed anger over the measure’s passage, but outside of that group, there was bipartisan relief and mutual congratulations. …
MAGAs are Trump loyalists, counting on his return to power, and Trump is visibly diminished."
"For the last week, he has been sitting in a courtroom with no choice but to do as he is told by the judge while potential jurors have expressed their dislike of him to his face. This is novel for him, and it is clearly taking a toll.
Trump’s financial troubles have not gone away, either."
How #Trump Screwed Up His Lawyers’ Ability to Do Their Jobs
The ex-president’s penchant for intimidating witnesses now means his legal team won’t have advance warning on who’s testifying for the prosecution each day.
The man doused himself w/a liquid around 1:35PM ET in Collect Pond Park, across the street from the courthouse. Onlookers screamed as bright orange flames engulfed the man. It was unclear what motivated his action.
A #juror was quickly dismissed at the start. She was among the 7 already selected, she said she was very worried that despite the fact the court ruled to keep jurors’ name secret, she would still be exposed & targeted.
The #press is barred from covering aspects of the trial related to the #jury, for understandable #security reasons. At the same time, the judge is taking another 5 days to hold a hearing on whether #Trump has violated the #GagOrder that was placed on him w/ repeated social media posts about a key #witness & #jurors.
This is 1 of many ways in which despite Trump's complaints that he is being treated unfairly, the judge is bending over backwards to be fair to him in this #trial.
I see a lot of people talking about #science as a #religion, or the closely related idea of “#scientism,” the purported ideology that says science is the only way to know things. Oh, I’m not talking about you, they’ll solemnly assure anyone who objects. Naturally you know better. Just … you know … them. Those people, out there. The great unwashed. On the #internet, nobody knows how long it’s been since you took a shower.
You know what I hardly ever see? The phenomenon in question.
There are people who think that way. Yes. Ideologues of science—hardly if ever #scientists themselves—who invoke The #Scientific Method™ (that’s a whole ‘nother rant) as the be-all and end-all justification for whatever nonsense they spew. Such posts and comments have crossed my feed a time or two. But they are vastly outnumbered by those who complain about them, at least where I can see both groups. I have no reason to believe my experience is atypical in this regard.
As a scientist myself, I think science is a very good way to understand certain things. In my field, it’s the best way to know what makes you sick, and hopefully what will make you better. There are other ways to learn these things, sure, and many of them can be useful places to start. If you don’t end up with a #clinical#trial sooner or later, you’re as likely to kill as cure.
To know what we’re seeing when we look up at the lights in the sky. How the natural world around us, of which we’re a part whether we like it or not, changes and how we both affect and are affected by that change. What came before us, and what might come after. The fundamental building blocks of reality. All these require science for real understanding. If you try to puzzle them out any other way, you may learn something, but you’ll also fill your head with a lot of nonsense. Sorting the wheat from the chaff later is a lot harder than doing it right the first time.
Other questions are at least amenable to scientific inquiry, although that process itself may not be enough. What my fiancee does as a #historian looks, to me, a lot like what I do as a #biomedical#researcher. Make observations, construct #hypotheses, gather evidence, test and revise. (And revise, and revise, and …) But #history vanishes every minute. What’s left is always fragmentary, and shaped by the interactions of modern minds with those long since gone to dust. There will never be an objective truth, only the truest story that can be told.
And then there are things beyond any kind of quantitative analysis, or even rigorous qualitative description. We may be able to agree on what makes a true story, more or less, but what makes a good one? That’s inherently personal. A happy marriage, a tasty meal, a satisfying job—only we can define what these goals mean for ourselves. Science may at best, occasionally, provide vague guidelines. Even then, my advice will not determine your experience.
My perspective is unusual in one key way, sure: not too many people do science for a living, at least not compared to other jobs. With regards to the way people talk about science, I think it’s not unusual at all, except maybe that I pay particular attention.
The division above—things that clearly belong in science’s domain, things that clearly don’t, and a whole bunch in the middle—is a whole lot more common than the idea of science as the One True. It’s at least somewhat more common than blanket rejection of science too, but not as much as it should be. That’s also a rant for another time.
Which all makes me wonder what people who never miss a chance to bring up “scientism” and science-as-religion get out of it.
7 jurors have now been seated in #Trump’s #ElectionInterference#HushMoney#trial in NY, beginning the process of assembling a group that will weigh #criminal charges against the former president.
Potential jurors have faced courtroom questioning for much of the day. They have been quizzed about a range of topics, including their media consumption & perspectives on Trump.
Judge #Merchan admonished Trump on Tues afternoon for speaking while a potential juror was questioned.
#HouseRepublicans are expected to send over articles of #impeachment against #DHS Sec #Mayorkas on Tues afternoon, kicking off what is likely to be a brief trial in the upper chamber that could conclude as soon as Wed.
Led by 11 impeachment managers appointed by #House Speaker #MikeJohnson, House #Republicans have demanded a full trial, while Senate Democrats, who hold a 51-49 majority, are planning to band together to dismiss or table the trial.
Most #Senate#Republicans, despite previously voicing issues w/the substance of the articles of #impeachment against #Mayorkas, have echoed the lower chamber’s calls for the Senate to adhere to the rules of impeachment & hold a #trial.
At least one Republican — Sen #MittRomney — has said he plans to vote against a full trial. Several others who have been critical of the impeachment have yet to stake out their position, including Sens #SusanCollins & #LisaMurkowski.
Trump "hush money" trial opening statements get underway in New York (www.cbsnews.com)
Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is expected to be called as the first witness in Trump's "hush money" trial in New York.