Extra, Extra
Think Different: “What makes this moment different, and unusually dangerous, is that we have never before had a president who is sociopathic; who relishes cruelty and encourages political violence; who refers to his political opponents as ‘vermin,’ echoing the rhetoric of 20th-century fascists; who resorts to crimes to overturn elections, who admires dictators and thrives on stoking hate. Trump has never been well, but he has never been this unwell. The prospect of his again possessing the enormous power of the presidency, this time with far fewer restraints, is frightening.” Peter Wehner, who self-describes as someone who has “had strong rooting interests in Republican presidential candidates who have won and those who have lost,” explains why this election is so different (and so disturbing, even if Kamala wins). The Atlantic (Gift Article): This Election Is Different: “No election prior to the Trump era, regardless of the outcome, ever caused me to question the fundamental decency of America.” (Word.)
+ All over Hell and Half of Georgia: However it turns out, this election won’t suffer from a lack of interest. Record number of early votes cast in Georgia as election gets underway in battleground state. (And we’re talking records that smash previous numbers.) One of those early voters: Jimmy Carter. And some more peachy news from Georgia. Georgia judge blocks rule requiring counties to hand-count Election Day ballots.
+ Plumbing the Depths: Sink won’t drain? Air conditioner on the fritz? Call private equity. They’re buying up the mom and pops. WSJ (Gift Article): America’s New Millionaire Class: Plumbers and HVAC Entrepreneurs. “Their growth marks a major shift, taking home-services firms away from family operators by offering mom-and-pop shops seven-figure and eight-figure paydays. It is a contrast from previous generations, when more owners handed companies down to their children or employees.”
+ Unnatural Disaster: “‘When people assert that help is not coming to western North Carolina — which is completely untrue, which is a lie — the people who are actually on the ground helping feel demoralized,’ NC Gov Roy Cooper said. ‘If you’re participating in spreading this stuff, stop it … Whatever your aim is, the people you are really hurting are those in western North Carolina who need help. The safety of our government and volunteer response workers, including FEMA, remains a top priority.'” 92 unaccounted for in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, ‘dangerous flow of misinformation’ ongoing.
+ Want Add: “Sinwar’s victory strategy evidently lay in a vision of a war that would spread to engulf Iran and the entire Middle East. As Israel calculates its next steps, it should consider the possibility that a major escalation and regionwide conflagration is Sinwar’s last hope.” David Ignatius in WaPo: What Hamas hoped would happen after Oct. 7.
+ Moto-Vation: “The Razr had something that other handsets had mostly neglected: it was hot … It seemingly prioritized fashion over function, and that felt desirably fresh compared to the typical blobs of chunky plastic that had become commonplace (looking at you, Nokia 1100).” Looking back at one of the coolest phones. Hello Moto.
