Toxic white male nerd avengers: What’s really behind the “Suicide Squad” super-fan freak-out; Salon, 8/9/16

Matthew Rozsa, Salon; Toxic white male nerd avengers: What’s really behind the “Suicide Squad” super-fan freak-out:

"Beyond simply calling for diversity, though, we also must infuse our debate with an awareness that being a fanboy doesn’t entitle you to anything. The common thread linking the “Suicide Squad” petition to other nerd-based racist and misogynist incidents this decade is that, at their core, all of them betray an assumption that producers of popular entertainment are beholden to the nerd community. This misunderstands a basic principle of a free market society — while consumers have the right to invest or not invest their time and money as they see fit, they don’t have the right to demand that producers act as obedient servants to their will. It’s certainly nice when an author or actor or critic or film studio shows deference to the wishes of fans, but they are in no way ethically obligated to do so. Indeed, because many fans (like many people from all walks of life) harbor terrible social views, it is very often necessary for producers to disregard the will of the more vocal segments of their fanbases. Just because some gamers don’t want increased diversity doesn’t mean it shouldn’t happen; just because a lot of moviegoers liked “Suicide Squad” (myself included) doesn’t mean the film critics aggregated by Rotten Tomatoes should agree."

In vilifying Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova, Americans are splashing murky waters; Washington Post, 8/10/16

Sally Jenkins, Washington Post; In vilifying Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova, Americans are splashing murky waters:

"Regardless of what anyone thinks of Efimova, it’s hard to see how the American censoriousness against her — or any individual athlete — is a solution to state-sponsored doping. And it’s just begging for anti-American backlash. King is just 19, and you would never want to curb her outspokenness or competitiveness. But it’s worth suggesting to her that a lot of beloved American athletes take supplements and use medical assistance not on the banned list. It’s also worth suggesting that she’s never walked a mile in the shoes of someone born in Grozny in 1992.

“Usually in the Olympic Games, all wars stopping,” Efimova said."

Ethicists: Clinton team violated ‘spirit’ of pledge; Politico, 8/11/16

Katy O'Donnell, Politico; Ethicists: Clinton team violated ‘spirit’ of pledge:

"Ethicists tended to agree that while there may be no evidence of a deliberate violation of Clinton’s pledge, the emails underscored the blurry lines between the globe-spanning charity and Clinton’s work as the nation’s top diplomat.

“The Clinton Foundation was taking money from anybody who would give it, and the biggest contributions were from people who had business before the State Department,” said Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen.

“They didn’t follow the pledge. … I don’t think anyone in the foundation sought to deliberately violate the pledge, I just don’t think they cared about it,” he added."

Political violence is no joke; Washington Post, 8/10/16

William Kennedy Smith and Jean Kennedy Smith, Washington Post; Political violence is no joke:

"By now, we have heard enough dark and offensive rhetoric from Trump to know that it reflects something fundamentally troubled, and troubling, about his candidacy. Trump’s remarks frequently, if not inevitably, spark outrage, which is followed by a clarification that, in lieu of an apology, seeks to attribute the dark undertones of his words to the listener’s twisted psyche. This fools no one. Whether you like what he is saying or, like a growing segment of the electorate, you reject it, it is easy to grasp Trump’s meaning from his words. But what to make of a candidate who directly appeals to violence, smears his opponents and publicly bullies a Gold Star family, a decorated prisoner of war and a reporter with a disability, among others? To borrow the words of Army Counsel Joseph Welch, directed at another dangerous demagogue: “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”

The truth remains that words do matter, especially when it comes to presidential candidates. On that basis alone, Donald Trump is not qualified to be president of the United States."

Do menacing comments about Hillary Clinton cross the First Amendment line?; Washington Post, 8/10/16

James Hoefler, Washington Post; Do menacing comments about Hillary Clinton cross the First Amendment line? :

"Did Trump cross the First Amendment line with his comments? We look for guidance to the Supreme Court’s most recent case to test the limits of this sort of speech: Brandenburg v. Ohio. In that 1969 decision, the court set forth a three-part test to determine the contours of First Amendment sanctuary: Was criminal action (1) intended, (2) imminent and (3) likely?...

We all celebrate the First Amendment and its broad protections of speech, as egregious and unpresidential as that language might sometimes seem. But all political liberties come with limits, and a case could be made that Trump’s brutal entreaties have exceeded that limit. Should he continue to exhort violence at his rallies, it may be his own legal defense needs, rather than those of his followers, that he will need to worry about."

CBS All Access' 'Star Trek: Discovery' to Be Captained By a Woman, Feature Gay Character; Hollywood Reporter, 8/10/16

Lesley Goldberg, Hollywood Reporter; CBS All Access' 'Star Trek: Discovery' to Be Captained By a Woman, Feature Gay Character:

"Fuller confirmed that his Star Trek also will feature a gay character after he received hate-mail during his time on Voyager following a rumor that speculated that one of the show's characters could be out. He noted that fellow executive producer Alex Kurtzman was the first to pitch the idea, which was already something Fuller had planned on including in the 10-episode series.

While details about the cast are still yet to be determined, the news that it would be led by a woman comes as little surprise. Showrunner Fuller — who is openly gay — recently moderated a 50th anniversary Star Trek panel at San Diego Comic-Con where he used the platform to stress that the franchise could serve as an antidote to the current political upheaval.

"Think about what’s happening in America, and think about the promise of Star Trek, and what we can all do to get there," he told the crowd before ending the panel by asking all the fans in attendance to take each other’s hands and “make a promise to leave this room with love, to leave this room with hope, to leave this room and take responsibility to craft a path to Gene Roddenberry’s vision.""

'No room' in Indonesia for gay rights, says president's spokesman; Agence France-Press via Guardian, 8/11/16

Agence France-Press via Guardian; 'No room' in Indonesia for gay rights, says president's spokesman:

"There is “no room” for the gay community in Indonesia, the president’s spokesman has said, as a new report criticised officials for an unprecedented series of LGBT attacks.

“Rights of citizens like going to school and getting an ID card are protected, but there is no room in Indonesia for the proliferation of the LGBT movement,” presidential spokesman Johan Budi said.

Indonesia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens have long been targeted by vigilante Islamist groups.

But the community experienced an “immediate deterioration” in their rights following a sustained assault by ministers, religious hardliners and influential Islamic organisations in the space of two months this year, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on Thursday."

TRUMP: A TRUE STORY; Washington Post, 8/10/16

David A. Fahrenthold and Robert O’Harrow Jr., Washington Post; TRUMP: A TRUE STORY:

"It was a mid-December morning in 2007 — the start of an interrogation unlike anything else in the public record of Trump’s life.

Trump had brought it on himself. He had sued a reporter, accusing him of being reckless and dishonest in a book that raised questions about Trump’s net worth. The reporter’s attorneys turned the tables and brought Trump in for a deposition.

For two straight days, they asked Trump question after question that touched on the same theme: Trump’s honesty.

The lawyers confronted the mogul with his past statements — and with his company’s internal documents, which often showed those statements had been incorrect or invented. The lawyers were relentless. Trump, the bigger-than-life mogul, was vulnerable — cornered, out-prepared and under oath.

Thirty times, they caught him."

EVERY TIME "BLACK MIRROR" MADE US HATE TECHNOLOGY; Comic Book Resources, 8/9/16

[Spoilers] Jesse Gormley, Comic Book Resources; EVERY TIME "BLACK MIRROR" MADE US HATE TECHNOLOGY:

"Since its debut in 2011, British anthology series "Black Mirror" has merged speculative sci-fi fiction with elements of "The Twilight Zone" and a dash of "Tales from the Crypt." The series focuses on the unrelenting intrusion of technology and how people interact with devices and innovations on both an individual and societal level, with often horrifying results. Creator Charlie Brooker named "Black Mirror" after the powered down devices in all our lives, staring back with a cold, shiny blank gaze.

What makes "Black Mirror" so terrifying is the way it shines a light on the darker side of technologies we're already living with right now. There's no looking into a crystal ball or pontificating on "wouldn't it be great if..."; no dreams of warp drives, laser swords or teleportation. "Black Mirror" brings us the horror of technology that's either currently in the hands of the public, or in the R&D departments of companies like Google, Sony or Facebook.

With Netflix recently announcing the third season's debut this October, CBR looks at the myriad ways "Black Mirror" made us question the computer we use at work, the phone we can't be without, and every time we wished technology could somehow make our lives better -- and how it's made us hate them."

Two Views On The Jim Crow South And Its Legacy Today; The Diane Rehm Show, 8/10/16

[Podcast] The Diane Rehm Show; Two Views On The Jim Crow South And Its Legacy Today:

"Historian Charles Dew was born in 1937 and grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida. His parents, along with every white person he knew, believed without question in the inherent inferiority of black Americans and in the need for segregation. In a new memoir, “The Making of a Racist,” he describes what he learned as a child and how he gradually overthrew those beliefs. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson details the crushing realities of the Jim Crow South from the other side of the color line. In her 2010 book, “The Warmth of Other Suns,” she documents the migration of black families in the 1930s, 40s and 50s in search of better lives in the North and in the West. Charles Dew and Isabel Wilkerson join us to talk about racism in American, then and now.

Guests

Charles B Dew professor of history, Williams College; author of "The Making of a Racist: A Southerner Reflects on Family, History and the Slave Trade"

Isabel Wilkerson Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist; author, "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration"

"Vetting"; robrogers.com, 8/10/16

Rob Rogers, robrogers.com, Brewed on Grant:

"Vetting"

Anyone who thinks Trump was "just joking" about shooting Clinton is missing the point; Vox, 8/9/16

Zack Beauchamp, Vox; Anyone who thinks Trump was "just joking" about shooting Clinton is missing the point:

"...[I]n a certain sense, it doesn’t really matter what Trump intended. This tweetstorm, from Dallas lawyer Jason P. Steed, explains why.

Before becoming a lawyer, Steed was an English professor. He wrote his PhD dissertation on "the social function of humor" and found something important: Jokes about socially unacceptable things aren’t just "jokes." They serve a function of normalizing that unacceptable thing, of telling the people who agree with you that, yes, this is an okay thing to talk about.

This, Steed explains, is why "it’s a joke" isn’t a good defense of racist jokes. By telling the joke, the person is signaling that they think racism is an appropriate thing to express. "Just joking" is just what someone says to the people who don’t appreciate hearing racist stuff — it shouldn’t matter any more than saying "no offense" after saying something offensive.

Likewise, Trump is signaling that assassinating Hillary Clinton and/or her Supreme Court nominees is an okay thing to talk about. He’s normalizing the unacceptable."

Trump’s reckless call to ‘Second Amendment people’; Washington Post, 8/9/16

Editorial Board, Washington Post; Trump’s reckless call to ‘Second Amendment people’ :

"“You aren’t just responsible for what you say,” Gen. Michael Hayden, a former CIA director, said in response to Mr. Trump’s remark. “You’re responsible for what people hear.”...

As is often the case, Mr. Trump was incoherent enough to permit more than one plausible interpretation of his words. If he had not so often celebrated violence and wielded dark innuendo against political opponents, minority groups, journalists and others, it would be easier to give him the benefit of the doubt in this case.

Unfortunately, a spokesman’s after-the-fact explanation did not clear the bar of plausibility. “Donald Trump was obviously talking about American voters who are passionate about their Second Amendment rights and advocating they use that power at the ballot box,” the spokesman said. No; Mr. Trump was talking about what would happen if Ms. Clinton were elected."

Dan Rather Warns Donald Trump Supporters: ‘History Is Watching’; Huffington Post, 8/10/16

Ed Mazza, Huffington Post; Dan Rather Warns Donald Trump Supporters: ‘History Is Watching’ :

"“By any objective analysis, this is a new low and unprecedented in the history of American presidential politics,” Rather wrote. “This is no longer about policy, civility, decency or even temperament. This is a direct threat of violence against a political rival.”

Trump not only went against the norms of politics, he may have even broken the law.

“If any other citizen had said this about a presidential candidate, would the Secret Service be investigating?” wrote Rather.

“To anyone who still pretends this is a normal election of Republican against Democrat, history is watching,” he wrote. “And I suspect its verdict will be harsh. Many have tried to do a side-shuffle and issue statements saying they strongly disagree with his rhetoric but still support the candidate. That is becoming woefully insufficient. The rhetoric is the candidate.”"

Further Into the Muck With Mr. Trump; New York Times, 8/9/16

Editorial Board, New York Times; Further Into the Muck With Mr. Trump:

"Just eight years ago, Senator John McCain of Arizona, then the Republican presidential nominee, told a man at a town hall session who said he was “scared” of an Obama presidency that Mr. Obama “is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared as president of the United States.”

Twenty minutes later, a woman told Mr. McCain that she couldn’t trust Mr. Obama because “he’s an Arab.” “No ma’am,” Mr. McCain replied. “He’s a decent family man, a citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. And that’s what this campaign is all about.”

Republicans would do well to summon the integrity that Mr. McCain showed in 2008, and not just to give some sense of decency to this ugly campaign. The time has come for Republicans — including Mr. McCain — to repudiate Mr. Trump once and for all."

From Trump’s controversial words, a pattern: Outrage, headlines and then denial; Washington Post, 8/9/16

Isaac Stanley-Becker and Sean Sullivan, Washington Post; From Trump’s controversial words, a pattern: Outrage, headlines and then denial:

"One common thread linking many of Trump’s more controversial comments and actions is that he denies having said or done them. Trump claimed never to have mocked a disabled New York Times reporter, despite a widely disseminated video clip showing him making jerking movements with his arms. He claimed that he never said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is not a war hero, despite a Q&A in which he said just that...

Trump also relies regularly on the turn of phrase “many people are saying” to make pronouncements without offering evidence backing them up.

On Monday, for instance, he tweeted: “Many people are saying that the Iranians killed the scientist who helped the U.S. because of Hillary Clinton’s hacked emails.”

“Mr. Trump’s tweets speak for themselves,” said Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks.

Trump and his allies often blame the media for misconstruing his words. The statement issued by his campaign after his Tuesday comments appeared under the heading: “Trump Campaign Statement On Dishonest Media.”"

This is Donald Trump at his lowest yet: a man hinting at murder; Guardian, 8/9/16

Lucia Graves, Guardian; This is Donald Trump at his lowest yet: a man hinting at murder:

"Rebecca Traister has written brilliantly on the long history of powerful men like Trump who would delegitimize the ascent of women and minorities. But this – to have the nominee of a major party appear to encourage his supporters to assassinate his opponent – is unlike anything we’ve seen before, quite likely for the simple reason that we’ve never had a woman this close to the White House steps.

Just as the birther movement that Trump helped lead was thinly-veiled racism rooted in the belief that a black man couldn’t possibly legitimately be the president, Trump’s insistence that “crooked Hillary” has “stolen” the election thrives among those who are angry that power could be taken from them by a woman, and specifically this one.

It’s vulgar, un-American and undemocratic. And it was only a matter of time."

Trump’s Ambiguous Wink Wink to ‘Second Amendment People’; New York Times, 8/9/16

Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times; Trump’s Ambiguous Wink Wink to ‘Second Amendment People’ :

"People are playing with fire here, and there is no bigger flamethrower than Donald Trump. Forget politics; he is a disgusting human being. His children should be ashamed of him. I only pray that he is not simply defeated, but that he loses all 50 states so that the message goes out across the land — unambiguously, loud and clear: The likes of you should never come this way again."

In the Olympic Pool, Contempt for Drug Cheats Rises to the Surface; New York Times, 8/9/16

Christopher Clarey and Karen Crouse, New York Times; In the Olympic Pool, Contempt for Drug Cheats Rises to the Surface:

"Where once there was polite, if sometimes awkward, silence, there is now direct confrontation. Much of it is along old political fault lines from the Cold War as, coincidentally or not, athletes from the West go after once-barred athletes from Russia and China.

“Antidoping is all about trust: trusting your competitors, trusting the drug testers, trusting the sports admin types,” said Richard Ings, a former antidoping official from Australia. “What I believe you are witnessing is evaporated trust. Remember, nearly 100 positives have now been found at the Beijing and London Games.”...

“They don’t belong in a sport,” Camille Lacourt, a star French swimmer, said Monday night in comments reported by the French newspaper L’Équipe. “They should make up their federation of dopers and have fun among themselves. It disgusts me to see people who’ve cheated standing on podiums. Sun Yang, in the 200 free, he pees purple.”"

UC Davis chancellor resigns following probe on ethical violations; Los Angeles Times, 8/9/16

Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times; UC Davis chancellor resigns following probe on ethical violations:

"“Janet Napolitano is a serious administrator who sees Katehi’s actions as character flaws that harm the university and they have to stop," said William G. Tierney, an education professor and co-director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education at USC. “She is very clear about how she sees the world. The appearance of impropriety is almost as big of a problem as an actual impropriety.”

“You don't want to wake up and find out that one of your campus leaders is in the news for alleged wrongdoings,” Tierney added. “At a time when UC is really having major financial issues and the Legislature and governor are asking for reforms, this gets in the way.”"

Alabama Chief Justice To Face Trial For Barring Same-Sex Marriage; Huffington Post, 8/9/16

Daniel Marans, Huffington Post; Alabama Chief Justice To Face Trial For Barring Same-Sex Marriage:

"A court has decided that Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore will face trial in September for violating judicial ethics after he ordered state judges not to issue same-sex marriage licenses early this year.

The Alabama Court of the Judiciary, which has the final say on complaints against state judges, rejected Moore’s motion to dismiss the charges on Monday, paving the way for a trial, AL.com reported.

Moore is widely expected to be found guilty and removed from the Alabama Supreme Court as a result. The Court of the Judiciary did, however, reject a motion by the state’s Judicial Inquiry Commission to remove him from the bench right away."

Justice Department orders more ethics training for lawyers; Politico, 8/8/16

Josh Gerstein, Politico; Justice Department orders more ethics training for lawyers:

"The Justice Department has ordered a large swath of its attorneys to undergo additional ethics training in response to a judge's findings that he was misled by federal government lawyers handling a high-profile lawsuit over President Barack Obama's immigration policies.

The new training — a one-hour, one-time program on top of existing requirements — was ordered last month for the roughly 1,000 attorneys in Justice's Civil Division and disclosed in a court filing made public Monday afternoon."

There’s No Such Thing as Innocuous Personal Data; Slate, 8/8/16

Elizabeth Weingarten, Slate; There’s No Such Thing as Innocuous Personal Data:

"The way you walk can be as unique as your fingerprint; a couple of studies show that gait can help verify the identity of smartphone users. And gait can also predict whether someone is at risk for dementia. Seemingly useless pieces of data may let experts deduce or predict certain behaviors or conditions now, but the big insights will come in the next few years, when companies and consumers are able to view a tapestry of different individual data points and contrast them with data across the entire population. That’s when, according to a recent report from Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, we’ll be able to “gain deep insight into human emotional experiences.”

But it’s the data that you’re creating now that will fuel those insights. Far from meaningless, it’s the foundation of what you (and everyone else) may be able to learn about your future self."

Show Trials in China; New York Times, 8/6/16

Editorial Board, New York Times; Show Trials in China:

"The campaign against legal activists is part of President Xi Jinping’s broad assault against any criticism of Communist Party rule. It has also included tough new controls on nongovernmental organizations, especially those with foreign connections, and a crackdown on religious organizations not sanctioned by the government.

The pattern is dismally familiar in the annals of authoritarian governments. Mr. Xi’s efforts in the trials to portray the defendants as agents of “foreign hostile forces” working to foment a “color revolution” against the government echoes Vladimir Putin’s habit of identifying America as the architect of all of Russia’s problems. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has accused the West of supporting the plotters of the failed coup last month, and used it as a pretext for his crackdown."

How to Give Rural America Broadband? Look to the Early 1900s; New York Times, 8/7/16

Cecilia Kang, New York Times; How to Give Rural America Broadband? Look to the Early 1900s:

"“The technology is a little different but how we get broadband to homes is actually very similar to electric,” he said.

Since broadband service has started, signs of economic vitality have appeared in the region."

 How False Equivalence Is Distorting the 2016 Election Coverage; The Nation, 6/2/16

Eric Alterman, The Nation; How False Equivalence Is Distorting the 2016 Election Coverage:

" Journalistic abdications of responsibility are always harmful to democracy, but reporters and pundits covering the 2016 campaign will be doing the public a particularly grave disservice if they continue to draw from the “both sides” playbook in the months leading up to the November election. Now that Donald Trump has emerged as the presumptive Republican nominee for president, some simple facts about him and his campaign should be stated clearly and repeatedly, not obfuscated or explained away or leavened into click bait. Trump is a pathological liar and conspiracy theorist, a racist, misogynist, and demagogic bully with a phantasmagoric policy platform and dangerously authoritarian instincts. Hillary Clinton’s flaws and failures are many, and they should not be discounted, either. But they are of an entirely different order. Love her or hate her, at least we don’t have to wonder whether she believes in democracy. When it comes to sane and even semi-sensible policy proposals for America’s future in the 2016 presidential election, there is only one side."

How Do Journalistic Standards Apply When Covering Donald Trump?; Here & Now, 8/9/16

[Podcast] Here & Now; How Do Journalistic Standards Apply When Covering Donald Trump? :

"New York Times media columnist Jim Rutenberg wrote yesterday that Donald Trump is testing the standard of objectivity among the journalists who cover him. He says journalists have to throw out the textbooks they have used for decades in covering politics.

Here & Now's Robin Young speaks with Rutenberg and NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik about the challenges journalists face covering Trump."

Trump Is Testing the Norms of Objectivity in Journalism; New York Times, 8/7/16

Jim Rutenberg, New York Times; Trump Is Testing the Norms of Objectivity in Journalism:

"If you’re a working journalist and you believe that Donald J. Trump is a demagogue playing to the nation’s worst racist and nationalistic tendencies, that he cozies up to anti-American dictators and that he would be dangerous with control of the United States nuclear codes, how the heck are you supposed to cover him?

Because if you believe all of those things, you have to throw out the textbook American journalism has been using for the better part of the past half-century, if not longer, and approach it in a way you’ve never approached anything in your career. If you view a Trump presidency as something that’s potentially dangerous, then your reporting is going to reflect that. You would move closer than you’ve ever been to being oppositional. That’s uncomfortable and uncharted territory for every mainstream, nonopinion journalist I’ve ever known, and by normal standards, untenable.

But the question that everyone is grappling with is: Do normal standards apply? And if they don’t, what should take their place?"

Trump in trouble over 'Second Amendment' remark; Politico, 8/9/16

louis Nelson, Politico; Trump in trouble over 'Second Amendment' remark:

"Donald Trump on Tuesday said "the Second Amendment people" may be the only way to stop Hillary Clinton from getting to appoint federal judges if she wins the presidential election in November.

“Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment,” he said as an aside while smiling. “By the way, and if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know. But I’ll tell you what, that will be a horrible day.”"

"Effective Tweeting"; Bizarro, 8/9/16

Dan Piraro, Bizarro:

"Effective Tweeting"

GOP senator Susan Collins: Why I cannot support Trump; Washington Post, 8/8/16

Susan Collins, Washington Post; GOP senator Susan Collins: Why I cannot support Trump:

"My conclusion about Mr. Trump’s unsuitability for office is based on his disregard for the precept of treating others with respect, an idea that should transcend politics. Instead, he opts to mock the vulnerable and inflame prejudices by attacking ethnic and religious minorities. Three incidents in particular have led me to the inescapable conclusion that Mr. Trump lacks the temperament, self-discipline and judgment required to be president."

50 G.O.P. Officials Warn Donald Trump Would Put Nation’s Security ‘at Risk’; New York Times, 8/8/16

David E. Sanger and Maggie Haberman, New York Times; 50 G.O.P. Officials Warn Donald Trump Would Put Nation’s Security ‘at Risk’ :

"Fifty of the nation’s most senior Republican national security officials, many of them former top aides or cabinet members for President George W. Bush, have signed a letter declaring that Donald J. Trump “lacks the character, values and experience” to be president and “would put at risk our country’s national security and well-being.”

Mr. Trump, the officials warn, “would be the most reckless president in American history.”

The letter says Mr. Trump would weaken the United States’ moral authority and questions his knowledge of and belief in the Constitution. It says he has “demonstrated repeatedly that he has little understanding” of the nation’s “vital national interests, its complex diplomatic challenges, its indispensable alliances and the democratic values” on which American policy should be based. And it laments that “Mr. Trump has shown no interest in educating himself.”

“None of us will vote for Donald Trump,” the letter states, though it notes later that many Americans “have doubts about Hillary Clinton, as do many of us.”"

Donald Trump Hired Me As An Attorney. Please Don’t Support Him For President.; Huffington Post, 7/31/16

Thomas M. Wells, Huffington Post; Donald Trump Hired Me As An Attorney. Please Don’t Support Him For President. :

"I have thought about this a lot, and I want to share my humble insights of why we cannot elect Donald Trump as president of the United States. To me, it is more about character than politics. Because of lack of the former, the latter ― the actual politics of Donald Trump ― are not that easy to discern."

For Putin, Disinformation Is Power; New York Times, 8/5/16

Arkady Ostrovsky, New York Times; For Putin, Disinformation Is Power:

"Fifteen years ago, a few months into his presidency, Vladimir V. Putin told Larry King on CNN that his previous job as a K.G.B. officer had been like that of a journalist. “They have the same purpose of gathering information, synthesizing it and presenting it for the consumption of decision makers,” he said. Since then, he has excelled at using the media to consolidate power inside Russia and, increasingly, to wage an information war against the West.

So the apparent hacking by Russian security services of the Democratic National Committee emails, followed by their publication by WikiLeaks, should come as no great surprise to Americans. It is only the latest example of how Mr. Putin uses information as a weapon. And the Kremlin has cultivated ties with WikiLeaks for years.

It has also used disinformation in its annexation of Crimea and in its war in Ukraine, launched cyberattacks on Finland and the Baltic States, and planted hoax stories in Germany to embarrass Angela Merkel. During the Cold War, the Kremlin interfered in American politics for decades. The K.G.B.’s so-called active measures — subversion, media manipulations, forgery and the financing of some “peace” organizations — lay at the heart of Soviet intelligence."

A ‘confession’ that reveals plenty about China; Washington Post, 8/7/16

Editorial Board, Washington Post; A ‘confession’ that reveals plenty about China:

"Ms. Wang has a remarkable record. Yet according to her statement last week, she disavows all of it. Her crusades for equal justice — particularly for women and girls — were merely the product of manipulation from “foreign forces” to “smear the party and attack the Chinese government.” Ms. Wang “won’t acknowledge, won’t recognize and won’t accept” an international human rights award she was given...

Ms. Wang has not been heard from since her statement, even though the Chinese government claims she has been set free on bail. The same is true of legal assistant Zhao Wei, who was supposed to be released last month after posting a confession online. Several of Ms. Wang’s colleagues are also in detention. A court began hearing their case last week, but the trial is open only to select members of the media. Two have been sentenced; one received seven years in prison while the other got a three-year suspended sentence. When the wives of other detainees traveled to Tianjin to seek information, they were placed under house arrest.

For years, Ms. Wang has been publicly committed to questioning the state. Now, in a chilling testament to Chinese tyranny, she has publicly condemned her own questions. Ten years ago, these lawyers could rarely get a case into court. Five years ago, some were disbarred. Today, they face trials far from free or fair — and the defense of human dignity is treated as treason."

Judge Tests Limits of Free Speech With Facebook Jury Remarks; Associated Press via New York Times, 8/6/16

Associated Press via New York Times; Judge Tests Limits of Free Speech With Facebook Jury Remarks:

"The Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission believes Stevens went so far in misleading the public about Wine's request and undermining his own impartiality that it charged him with multiple counts of misconduct. Stevens is scheduled for a hearing Monday that could usher him off the bench for good.

But his posts ignited a debate about racial fairness, judicial impartiality and free speech that seems far from finished.

Experts say his cause was worthy: Stevens shined a light on a racial imbalance that has dogged the criminal justice system for generations. But his attack on a prosecutor for requesting an appellate opinion could cross an ethical line and threaten to drown out the issue he attempted to highlight."

Why We Ask to See Candidates’ Tax Returns; New York Times, 8/5/16

Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times; Why We Ask to See Candidates’ Tax Returns:

"Until Donald Trump, every major-party presidential nominee since then had released his or her tax returns (except Gerald Ford, who released a summary in 1976). The simple reason is that, on at least one subject, Nixon got it right: The American people need to know if their president is a crook."

Students' Broken Moral Compasses; Atlantic, 7/25/16

Paul Barnwell, Atlantic; Students' Broken Moral Compasses:

"At a recent convening of 15 teacher-leaders from around the country at the Center for Teaching Quality in Carrboro, North Carolina, I spoke to some colleagues about the balance between teaching academic content and striving to develop students’ moral identities. Leticia Skae-Jackson, an English teacher in Nashville, Tennessee, and Nick Tutolo, a math teacher in Pittsburgh, both commented that many teachers are overwhelmed by the pressure and time demands in covering academic standards. Focusing on character and ethics, they said, is seen as an additional demand.

Nonetheless, Tutolo engages his math students at the beginning of the school year by focusing on questions of what it means to be a conscientious person and citizen while also considering how his class could address community needs. His seventh-grade class focused on the issue of food deserts in Pittsburgh and began a campaign to build hydroponic window farms. While learning about ratios and scaling—skills outlined in the Common Core math standards—students began working to design and distribute the contraptions to residents in need, a project that will continue this fall as Tutolo “loops” up to teach eighth grade."

Why a Trump loss in November could still be destructive; Washington Post, 8/5/16

Dana Milbank, Washington Post; Why a Trump loss in November could still be destructive:

"Mix that paranoia with the propensity for violence seen at Trump events, and you can see where this could go after Nov. 8.

At a Trump rally in Pennsylvania this week, a video posted by PennLive shows Trump supporters shoving, throwing to the ground and bloodying the nose of a demonstrator.

A video montage published this week by the New York Times captures the rage at Trump rallies: Trump supporters proclaiming “F--- those dirty beaners,” “F--- Islam,” “F--- that n------,” “Hang the bitch”; Trump responding to a protest by telling supporters “come on — get him”; and various scenes of pushing and shoving of demonstrators."

Why facts don’t matter to Trump’s supporters; Washington Post, 8/4/16

David Ignatius, Washinton Post; Why facts don’t matter to Trump’s supporters:

"Trump’s campaign pushes buttons that social scientists understand. When the GOP nominee paints a dark picture of a violent, frightening America, he triggers the “fight or flight” response that’s hardwired in our brains. For the body politic, it can produce a kind of panic attack."

The unbearable stench of Trump’s B.S.; Washington Post, 8/4/16

Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post; The unbearable stench of Trump’s B.S. :

"Harry Frankfurt concludes that liars and truth-tellers are both acutely aware of facts and truths. They are just choosing to play on opposite sides of the same game to serve their own ends. The B.S. artist, however, has lost all connection with reality. He pays no attention to the truth. “By virtue of this,” Frankfurt writes, “bullshit is a greater enemy of truth than lies are.”

We see the consequences. As the crazy talk continues, standard rules of fact, truth and reality have disappeared in this campaign. Donald Trump has piled such vast quantities of his trademark product into the political arena that the stench is now overwhelming and unbearable."

Donald Trump and the fitness threshold; Washington Post, 8/4/16

Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post; Donald Trump and the fitness threshold:

"Donald Trump, the man who defied every political rule and prevailed to win his party’s nomination, last week took on perhaps the most sacred political rule of all: Never attack a Gold Star family. Not just because it alienates a vital constituency but because it reveals a shocking absence of elementary decency and of natural empathy for the most profound of human sorrows — parental grief...

This is beyond narcissism. I used to think Trump was an 11-year-old, an undeveloped schoolyard bully. I was off by about 10 years. His needs are more primitive, an infantile hunger for approval and praise, a craving that can never be satisfied. He lives in a cocoon of solipsism where the world outside himself has value — indeed exists — only insofar as it sustains and inflates him...

Trump’s greatest success — normalizing the abnormal — is beginning to dissipate. When a Pulitzer Prize-winning liberal columnist (Eugene Robinson) and a major conservative foreign policy thinker and former speechwriter for George Shultz under Ronald Reagan (Robert Kagan) simultaneously question Trump’s psychological stability, indeed sanity, there’s something going on (as Trump would say)."

Trump’s Enablers Will Finally Have to Take a Stand; New York Times, 8/5/16

David Brooks, New York Times; Trump’s Enablers Will Finally Have to Take a Stand:

"He also cannot be contained because he lacks the inner equipment that makes decent behavior possible. So many of our daily social interactions depend on a basic capacity for empathy. But Trump displays an absence of this quality.

He looks at the grieving mother of a war hero and is unable to recognize her pain. He hears a crying baby and is unable to recognize the infant’s emotion or the mother’s discomfort. He is told of women being sexually harassed at Fox News and is unable to recognize their trauma.

The same blindness that makes him impervious to global outrage makes it impossible for him to make empathetic connection. Fear is his only bond...

Events are going to force Republicans off the fence. For the past many months Republican leaders have been condemning Trump’s acts while sticking with Trump the man. Trump is making that position ridiculous and shameful. You either stand with a man whose very essence is an insult to basic decency, or you don’t."

I Ran the C.I.A. Now I’m Endorsing Hillary Clinton.; New York Times, 8/5/16

Michael J. Morell, New York Times; I Ran the C.I.A. Now I’m Endorsing Hillary Clinton. :

"In sharp contrast to Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Trump has no experience on national security. Even more important, the character traits he has exhibited during the primary season suggest he would be a poor, even dangerous, commander in chief.

These traits include his obvious need for self-aggrandizement, his overreaction to perceived slights, his tendency to make decisions based on intuition, his refusal to change his views based on new information, his routine carelessness with the facts, his unwillingness to listen to others and his lack of respect for the rule of law.

The dangers that flow from Mr. Trump’s character are not just risks that would emerge if he became president. It is already damaging our national security."

It’s Extremely Troublesome That Trump Thinks The Media Is ‘All Bad’; Huffington Post, 8/4/16

Alana Horowitz Satlin, Huffington Post; It’s Extremely Troublesome That Trump Thinks The Media Is ‘All Bad’ :

"A free press which is able to provide checks and balances to government actions is essential to a modern, functioning democracy. As the Miami Herald argues, without transparency, America simply cannot be a government ruled “by the people, for the people.”

“This free flow of information to the public is essential to preserving our American democracy,” the Herald said. “In addition to educating and reporting, the press serves as the public’s independent watchdog, charged with keeping governments, businesses and other organizations in check. What other institution has the power to talk to key leaders, inspire social change and uncover corruption, while analyzing and providing context for major global events? Thanks to diligent reporting, citizens are empowered to take a stance on critical issues, enact change and demand the best from their leaders.”

Countries like China, Russia and Egypt ― where state-controlled media reigns and independent journalists are thrown in jail ― are rampant with other types of human rights violations."

How to Crack Down on Social Media Threats; New York Times, 8/3/16

Room for Debate, New York Times; How to Crack Down on Social Media Threats:

"Last week, a prominent feminist writer abandoned social media after a rape and death threat was directed at her 5-year-old daughter. Online violent threats are not uncommon, especially for women and minorities, but when they are reported, police are often not responsive.

How can law enforcement crack down on threats of violence made on social media?"

Donald Trump’s Spokeswoman In 2012: Gay People Are ‘Not Normal’; Huffington Post, 8/3/16

Jennifer Bendery, Huffington Post; Donald Trump’s Spokeswoman In 2012: Gay People Are ‘Not Normal’ :

"Asked how she squares her past comments with Trump’s claims that he’s a friend to LGBT people, Pierson told The Huffington Post that it’s “a long reach” to look at her tweets from 2012.

“What does 2012 have to do with the 2016 presidential campaign?” she wrote in an email. “You’ll also find that as a grassroots volunteer for multiple campaigns, it’s quite common that Twitter is a platform to promote/defend the policies and values of the candidates at the time. Many times, it’s about engaging trolls which can lead to humorous and sarcastic banter. I’m sure you’ll also find that the positions/values of the candidates are not necessarily a sole reflection of the individual promoting or supporting said candidate.”

Pierson added, “Therefore, there is nothing to square. I support Mr. Trump and his policies 100 percent.”"

Voices From Donald Trump’s Rallies, Uncensored; New York Times, 8/3/16

[Video; Graphic Language; NSFW] Ashley Parker, Nick Corasaniti, Erica Berenstein, New York Times; Voices From Donald Trump’s Rallies, Uncensored:

"Not everyone attending a Trump rally behaves this way. In fact, many are polite and well mannered. But while protesters are often shouted down, crowds seldom express disapproval of the crude slogans and angry outbursts by Mr. Trump’s supporters."

Can mythbusters like Snopes.com keep up in a post-truth era?; Guardian, 8/1/16

Rory Carroll, Guardian; Can mythbusters like Snopes.com keep up in a post-truth era? :

"Mikkelson lists four principal misinformation sources:

1 Legitimate satire sites such as the Onion, which dupe the truly credulous, requiring occasional intervention. “No, SeaWorld isn’t drowning live elephants as part of a new attraction.” “Are the parents of teen Caitlin Teagart going to euthanise her because she is only capable of texting and rolling her eyes? False.”

2 Legitimate news organisations that regurgitate stories without checking, such as the $200 Bill Clinton haircut on Air Force One which supposedly snarled air traffic at LAX in 1993.

3 Political sites that distort, such as Breitbart.com twisting an Obama quote about the “contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation” into the headline “Obama: Muslims Built ‘The Very Fabric of Our Nation’.”

4 Fake news sites fabricating click-bait stories. Such as: “Ted Cruz sent shockwaves through the Republican Party today when he announced he would endorse Donald Trump for President, but only if the GOP nominee would publicly support a ban on masturbation, (saying) without ‘swift action … the country was doomed to slide down a slippery slope of debauchery and self-satisfaction’.” Snopes sourced this to a site that mimicked ABC News to lure clicks to an underlying malware site, generating advertising revenue. It named and shamed the worst offenders earlier this year."

The facts behind Donald Trump’s many falsehoods; Washington Post, 8/1/16

Dana Milbank, Washington Post; The facts behind Donald Trump’s many falsehoods:

"In each case, video, audio and written evidence proves otherwise. So, too, do the facts refute his denials that he called Sen. John McCain a “loser,” objected to Fox News Channel host Megyn Kelly as a debate moderator and used a vulgar word to describe Sen. Ted Cruz at a campaign rally.

In each case, Trump surely could have known that a simple Internet search would prove him a liar. This suggests that he may not think he’s lying — and that he sees truth not as an absolute but as the last thing to come out of his mouth."