Would Trump Lose Post-Presidency Benefits If Impeached? ; The Cruise Ship Suicides ; and More Picks 1/22
Fact-Check: Would Trump Lose Post-Presidency Benefits If Impeached? (Reader Steve)
From the Austin American-Stateman: “If the Democratic-controlled House votes to impeach Trump, he would not automatically lose his post-presidency perks — two-thirds of the Republican-controlled Senate would have to vote to convict and remove Trump. Trump could lose his ability to run for office after he leaves the White House, but it would not happen solely as a result of impeachment.”
Where Trumpism Lives (Doug)
From Boston Review: “Despite the now clear threat posed by continued disinformation about the legality of the 2020 election, on January 6 a majority of House Republicans affirmed their overriding loyalty to President Trump by supporting objections to the certification of Electoral College votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania. … What relationship do these representatives have to the people they represent? A total of 139 House Republicans voted to sustain objections to the certification of at least one state’s election results. A demographic and economic analysis of the constituencies they represent helps to clarify the social and material conditions in which Trumpism has taken root.”
He Made a Viral Bernie Meme Site. Now He Has to Keep It Going (Dan)
The author writes, “By 9 PM ET [Wednesday] night, Nick Sawhney knew he was in trouble. Just a half hour earlier, still steeped in the afterglow of Joe Biden’s inauguration, Sawhney had pushed live a website that lets you put a viral image of Bernie Sanders — seated, mittened, alone — atop any Google Street View image. The meme had already reached a fever pitch, with the Photoshop faithful placing the senator from Vermont in everything from Mortal Kombat to Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. But Sawhney’s creation, born out of a group chat with friends, added layers of personalization, ease of use, and absurdity; because it fixes Sanders in the same coordinates regardless of his location, he occasionally looks as though he’s floating, or sitting on a car, or in an otherwise unlikely orientation.”
The Cruise Ship Suicides (Dana)
The author writes, “After the pandemic hit, workers had to put their lives on hold as Carnival and Royal Caribbean clashed with government authorities over how to get them home safely. It was one thing to offload a group of American passengers in California or Florida and arrange private transport stateside. But what about the convoluted logistics of repatriating crew from India, the Philippines, or Ukraine — all while most of the world was closing its borders to stop the virus’s spread? … This left many crew members with a tedious confinement that started in March and April after passengers disembarked. The ships were eerie — like an ‘empty ghost ship,’ as one Royal Caribbean worker puts it — especially for those who had to quarantine after being exposed to the coronavirus. For some, that meant being stuck for nearly three weeks in an economy room, one that barely fit a bunk bed, desk, and minifridge, with a porthole window.”
How the Sacramento Zoo Is Working to Keep Animals Free of COVID-19 (Olivia)
From Capital Public Radio: “As humans scramble to reverse soaring rates of COVID-19, process the turmoil of the presidential election, and adjust to ever-changing pandemic restrictions, Sacramentans may be glad to know that at least there’s no outbreak of the virus at the local zoo. ‘We’ve been very lucky at the Sacramento Zoo that we’ve had no cases in our animal collection thus far,’ says head veterinarian at the zoo, Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema. Earlier this week, the San Diego Zoo announced that a troop of gorillas tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. The zoo ran tests of the gorillas’ fecal matter after two of them began coughing last week and suspects the primates became infected by an asymptomatic staff member.”
The 432-Year-Old Manual on Social Distancing (Dana)
The author writes, “In this spookily prescient booklet, people are advised to keep six feet apart, avoid shaking hands and only send one person per household out to do the shopping.”
