What actually stops a would-be dictator? Political science research points to a single factor above all others: whether enough people can see the threat for what it is.
How to Stop a Dictator. “Democracy is in fact a powerful motivating factor: When people are convinced that there’s a threat to their political freedoms, they can be motivated to go to extraordinary lengths to defend them.”
A visual archive of Jan. 6, 2021 through the lenses of those who were there
“In the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, American political leaders almost universally condemned the riot as an act of domestic terrorism that threatened democracy. Now, President Trump calls Jan. 6 a “day of love” and the rioters “great patriots.” And since he issued mass pardons to the rioters, his administration has been trying to rewrite history. NPR has tracked every Jan. 6prosecution in a public database, and, drawing on thousands of hours of footage and years of reporting, created a front-line account of the riot.
The evidence vividly shows the planning for “revolution” and the brutality of violence on a day that continues to shape American politics.
Judge: IRS broke law ‘approximately 42,695 times’ in giving DHS data
Washington Post: “A federal judge has found that the Internal Revenue Service violated federal law “approximately 42,695 times” when it shared confidential taxpayer addresses. The judge wrote that the vast majority of the nearly 47,300 taxpayer addresses the IRS shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in August were disclosed without the IRS confirming that ICE provided a valid address for the person whose records it was seeking…”
Trump’s properties remain an epicenter of his conflicts and corruption in second term
CREW: “In the year since Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office, he has already racked up an astonishing number of conflicts of interest from the businesses that he owns and profits from as president.
While everyday Americans continue to struggle to cover the rising costs of housing, groceries, utilities and other regular expenses, Trump’s profiteering has led to what Forbes magazine described as “the most lucrative year of [Donald Trump’s] life.” In his first 365 days back in office, Trump visited his properties 198 times, and visited his golf courses 116 times, sending a message to those looking to influence his administration that his properties are open for business.
Foreign government officials visited his properties 55 times, pouring money into Trump’s pockets, and special interest groups held 57 events at them. Trump and his family profit financially. Special interests benefit. Foreign governments benefit. And everyday Americans come last. This corruption is not new. Trump’s first term in office was marred by egregious conflicts of interest arising from his decision not to divest from his real estate empire.
CREW spent those four years meticulously tracking interactions between the Trump Organization and the presidency, totaling more than 3,700 conflicts of interest. CREW has continued tracking Trump’s conflicts in his second term, and the level of corruption and profiteering have already far surpassed the already ignominious standard he set in his first term…”
FBI raids of LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho’s home and office appear tied to AI chatbot probe Los Angeles Times. AI fraud and corruption at nation’s second-largest school system.