‘We felt that we are one’: How Turkish musicians welcomed Syrian refugees

‘We felt that we are one’: How Turkish musicians welcomed Syrian refugees

The Guardian reports: When Mahdi Alkilani first arrived in Istanbul, aged 24, he couldn’t speak Turkish. Music was his way of communicating. The musician, producer and rapper came to Turkey in 2014 after being arrested by the regime in Syria and accused of smuggling weapons, which he denies. He believes he was one of only two men to be released out of 60 detainees; the rest died in prison. He panicked about how to make a living and survive in…

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Trump demands GOP rivals pledge to pardon him … or else

Trump demands GOP rivals pledge to pardon him … or else

Rolling Stone reports: In the days since Donald Trump was indicted, his allies have had a unified demand of his GOP primary rivals: promise to pardon the Donald — or else. It’s not an accident: In the days leading up to his arraignment, the former president worked the phones to vent about the case to his allies and discuss the way forward. According to a person familiar with the matter and another source briefed on it, Trump had one repeated…

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Trump promises that if reelected he will turn DOJ into a tool serving his political interests

Trump promises that if reelected he will turn DOJ into a tool serving his political interests

The New York Times reports: When Donald J. Trump responded to his latest indictment by promising to appoint a special prosecutor if he’s re-elected to “go after” President Biden and his family, he signaled that a second Trump term would fully jettison the post-Watergate norm of Justice Department independence. “I will appoint a real special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and the entire Biden crime family,”…

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A No Labels candidate would likely throw the election to Trump

A No Labels candidate would likely throw the election to Trump

Al From and Craig Fuller write: For most of our careers, the two of us have been on opposite sides of the political aisle. We regularly express our disagreements in a weekly point-counterpoint commentary on a digital platform in Maryland. But we love our country more than we love our parties, and as we look ahead to the 2024 presidential election, we are in complete agreement: To save the American republic, former president Donald Trump must be defeated. And that’s…

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The surprising reason Neil Gorsuch has been so good on Native rights

The surprising reason Neil Gorsuch has been so good on Native rights

Mark Joseph Stern writes: How did an archconservative justice on an archconservative bench become the best friend Native Americans have ever had at the Supreme Court? That is the question court observers are once again asking ourselves in light of Justice Neil Gorsuch’s role in Thursday’s hugely consequential decision protecting Native rights. Oddly, the answer may lie in the very judicial philosophy that pushes him so far to the right in so many other cases that do not involve the rights of a group…

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Republicans acknowledge Biden bribe audio might not exist

Republicans acknowledge Biden bribe audio might not exist

HuffPost reports: Several Republicans said this week that they don’t know if there really are tapes of Joe Biden talking about taking a bribe. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) revealed Monday that a tip the FBI received in 2020 said a foreign national who allegedly paid Biden $5 million has recordings of himself talking to Biden when he was vice president. The audio purported to be a compelling new detail about the FBI tip, which Republicans have demanded be made public…

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Damning evidence: Russia’s culpability in Ukraine’s biggest ecological disaster since Chernobyl

Damning evidence: Russia’s culpability in Ukraine’s biggest ecological disaster since Chernobyl

Michael Weiss and James Rushton write: It has been nine days since the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam and hydroelectric facility caused the worst ecological disaster in Ukraine’s history since Chernobyl. Because Ukraine is a nation that has been at war for almost a year and a half, the flooding of more than 80 settlements in the Kherson region, resulting in the death of at least 10 people, with another 42 still missing, has already slipped from international headlines. The…

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A shocking number of birds are in trouble

A shocking number of birds are in trouble

Emily Sohn writes: The North American Breeding Bird Survey, organized by the US Geological Survey and Environment Canada, has enlisted thousands of participants to observe birds along roadsides each June since 1966. Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count, which began in 1900, encourages people to join a one-day bird tally scheduled in a three-week window during the holiday season. There are shorebird censuses and waterfowl surveys, all powered by citizen scientists. This wealth of longitudinal recordings started to turn up signs of distress as…

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Judge in Trump documents case has had only 14 days experience presiding over criminal trials

Judge in Trump documents case has had only 14 days experience presiding over criminal trials

The New York Times reports: Aileen M. Cannon, the Federal District Court judge assigned to preside over former President Donald J. Trump’s classified documents case, has scant experience running criminal trials, calling into question her readiness to handle what is likely to be an extraordinarily complex and high-profile courtroom clash. Judge Cannon, 42, has been on the bench since November 2020, when Mr. Trump gave her a lifetime appointment shortly after he lost re-election. She had not previously served as…

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Trump rejected lawyers’ efforts to avoid classified documents indictment

Trump rejected lawyers’ efforts to avoid classified documents indictment

The Washington Post reports: One of Donald Trump’s new attorneys proposed an idea in the fall of 2022: The former president’s team could try to arrange a settlement with the Justice Department. The attorney, Christopher Kise, wanted to quietly approach Justice to see if he could negotiate a settlement that would preclude charges, hoping Attorney General Merrick Garland and the department would want an exit ramp to avoid prosecuting a former president. Kise would hopefully “take the temperature down,” he…

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Jack Smith’s backup option

Jack Smith’s backup option

Ryan Goodman and Andrew Weissmann write: Even before last Thursday’s indictment in United States v. Donald Trump, public speculation swirled about whether the former president had taken classified documents not just to Mar-a-Lago but also to his residence and golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The indictment answered that question with a bang while presenting a new puzzle about why Trump isn’t facing even steeper charges. According to the Justice Department and a taped recording of the former president, Trump…

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Trump is ‘scared shitless’ says former chief of staff, John Kelly

Trump is ‘scared shitless’ says former chief of staff, John Kelly

The Washington Post reports: Former president Donald Trump faced down the most serious threat to his personal liberty and political future like just another day on the campaign trail — waving to fans, giving a thumbs up, swinging by a storied eatery, soliciting donations and planning a spirited speech to supporters at one of his properties. The almost celebratory display on Tuesday, clashing with the more typical sobriety of court proceedings, highlighted Trump’s instinct to face down federal charges with…

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Republicans privately acknowledge Trump’s legal woes are serious this time

Republicans privately acknowledge Trump’s legal woes are serious this time

NBC News reports: It’s long been Republican orthodoxy that no matter what Donald Trump does, the GOP base will stick with him. After his last indictment in New York, the party rallied around him. But this time, privately, Republicans aren’t so sure. An operative in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ orbit, who requested anonymity to speak candidly without approval from higher-ups, said that “from an objective standpoint,” the federal charges Trump faces for his post-presidency handling of classified documents are far…

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First U.S. climate trial begins. It’s being led by kids

First U.S. climate trial begins. It’s being led by kids

E&E News reports: A landmark trial unfolding this week in a small Montana courtroom could have outsize influence on U.S. climate policy — even if the case has little immediate effect in the Treasure State. In the first U.S. youth-led climate case to go to trial, 16 young people are putting Montana’s energy policies on the stand, accusing state agencies and the governor of violating their right to a stable climate by embracing fossil fuels. The case could result in…

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