The thread that ties the recent chemical spills together

The thread that ties the recent chemical spills together

Vox reports: There’s a common thread linking many of the high-profile chemical spills that have made headlines across the country lately: the oil and gas industry. Philadelphia residents were on high alert after the Trinseo latex plant 20 miles from the city released at least 8,100 gallons of acrylic polymers into a tributary for the Delaware River on March 24. Those acrylic polymers were made up of compounds known as butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, and methyl methacrylate; all are produced from fossil fuels….

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Elon Musk brands NPR ‘state-affiliated media’ in policy reversal

Elon Musk brands NPR ‘state-affiliated media’ in policy reversal

Matt Novak writes: Twitter added a warning to NPR’s Twitter account on Tuesday, declaring it as “state-affiliated media,” a label that’s typically been reserved for foreign media outlets that represent the official views of the government, like Russia’s RT and China’s Xinhua. In fact, several people on Twitter pointed out that the social media company specifically said that news outlets like NPR are not state-affiliated media because they have editorial independence, despite getting some funds from the government. “State-affiliated media…

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Elon Musk changes Twitter icon to Dogecoin amid $258 billion lawsuit

Elon Musk changes Twitter icon to Dogecoin amid $258 billion lawsuit

atm marketplace reports: Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter and Tesla, has changed the Twitter app logo from its traditional blue bird to a Shiba Inu dog, the symbol for the cryptocurrency Dogecoin. Before Musk purchased Twitter, a user suggested he should change the icon to which he replied, “That would [be] sickkk,” according to a NPR report. Following the update, the value of Dogecoin shot up on April 3 from under a cent to 10 cents, according to Coindesk. Musk…

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The dubious legal theory at the heart of the Trump indictment, explained

The dubious legal theory at the heart of the Trump indictment, explained

Ian Millhiser writes: There is something painfully anticlimactic about Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s indictment of former President Trump. It concerns not Trump’s efforts to overthrow the duly elected government of the United States, but his alleged effort to cover up a possible extramarital affair with a porn star. And there’s a very real risk that this indictment will end in an even bigger anticlimax. It is unclear that the felony statute that Trump is accused of violating actually applies to…

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Is the effort to hold Trump accountable showing the limits of our ‘politics of revelation’?

Is the effort to hold Trump accountable showing the limits of our ‘politics of revelation’?

Julia Azari writes: The politics of revelation casts Trump as not a catalyst of change but a mirror to how we have changed. At the heart of this narrative is the idea that partisan ties overwhelm everything. And this perspective has some basis in political science. Trump’s approval ratings in office were incredibly stable, regardless of positive or negative events. It’s quite striking when you contrast this with the approval patterns for Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan — you can…

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The opaque $70 million scheme by No Labels that could make Trump the next president

The opaque $70 million scheme by No Labels that could make Trump the next president

Judd Legum and Rebecca Crosby write: No Labels, the purportedly non-partisan organization that supports Republicans and conservative Democrats, is making preparations to promote a third-party presidential ticket in 2024. The group says it is “laying the groundwork for a potential independent unity ticket in 2024” as an “insurance policy” in case both major parties “nominate candidates most Americans don’t want to vote for.” It claims that a “centrist” third-party ticket could win an “outright victory in the Electoral College in 2024.” The…

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‘He’s a war criminal’: Elite Putin security officer defects

‘He’s a war criminal’: Elite Putin security officer defects

The Associated Press reports: On Oct. 14, a Russian engineer named Gleb Karakulov boarded a flight from Kazakhstan to Turkey with his wife and daughter. He switched off his phone to shut out the crescendo of urgent, enraged messages, said goodbye to his life in Russia and tried to calm his fast-beating heart. But this was no ordinary Russian defector. Karakulov was an officer in President Vladimir Putin’s secretive elite personal security service — one of the few Russians to…

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In Russian courts, espionage charges lead to secret trials and near-certain convictions

In Russian courts, espionage charges lead to secret trials and near-certain convictions

The Wall Street Journal reports: As Moscow prosecutors prepare an espionage case against jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, lawyers with experience in the Russian judicial process predict a journey through a justice system with the familiar features of Western courts but little of their substance. Like in the U.S. and other Western legal systems, Mr. Gershkovich is guaranteed a defense lawyer in Russia. But in practice, there is no promise of when his lawyer will be allowed to…

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The UK company spreading Russian fake news to millions

The UK company spreading Russian fake news to millions

BBC News reports: The BBC’s Disinformation Team can reveal that a UK-registered media company is spreading Russian state disinformation to millions of people in the Arab-speaking world. Yala News claims to offer impartial news, but BBC analysis has shown most of its content directly mirrors stories on Russian state-backed media sites – and that it actually operates out of Syria. Yala Group, the parent company of Yala News, has a strong social presence. It’s 20 or so Facebook pages are…

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NY Gov. Hochul is helping her fossil fuel donors gut key climate law

NY Gov. Hochul is helping her fossil fuel donors gut key climate law

The Lever reports: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is pushing to gut the state’s signature climate law after raking in nearly half a million dollars from the corporations and lobbyists pushing the move, according to a Lever review of campaign finance records. The governor’s office wants to place a provision into the state’s $230 billion budget that would change how the state counts methane emissions, allowing energy companies to include more natural gas in their energy mix while still…

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Inside Trump’s demands for a high-profile surrender: ‘It’s kind of a Jesus Christ thing’

Inside Trump’s demands for a high-profile surrender: ‘It’s kind of a Jesus Christ thing’

Rolling Stone reports: Donald Trump insisted on turning his Tuesday arraignment into a spectacle, and he’s going to get his wish. A law enforcement official tells Rolling Stone that the former president was offered a chance to surrender quietly and be arraigned over Zoom. Instead, Trump opted for a midday, high-profile booking at the Manhattan courthouse, the official says. “He wanted a perp walk, he wanted daylight hours,” says the law enforcement official, who’s involved in aspects of the security…

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Finland to join NATO on Tuesday, Sweden still waiting

Finland to join NATO on Tuesday, Sweden still waiting

Reuters reports: Finland will join NATO on Tuesday, marking the completion of a swift journey into the military alliance for the Nordic nation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, officials said. Finland has a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia, meaning NATO’s frontier with Russia will roughly double in length, and the move drew a pledge from Moscow that it will beef up its forces in border regions. “Tomorrow we will welcome Finland as the 31st member of NATO making Finland safer…

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The terrifying threat that No Labels will reelect Trump

The terrifying threat that No Labels will reelect Trump

Jonathan Chait writes: One underrated scenario that would enable a right-wing authoritarian like Ron DeSantis or even Donald Trump to win the presidency in 2024 is that the Republican path will be cleared by an organization called No Labels. The semi-inscrutable organization, which is lavishly funded by anonymous donors, is planning a third-party candidacy that would almost certainly peel off enough moderate voters from the Democratic ticket to ensure a Republican victory. Like a far-off meteor heading directly for Earth,…

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