Emmy-winning anchor of "The Beat with Ari Melber,” 6pm on MSNBC 📺 | Attorney I MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent I New videos at: https://t.co/J3NJWFYxcp
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Jul 31 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Historians may someday marvel at how the U.S. watched a losing candidate’s supporters violently storm the Capitol — and Chief Justice Roberts used prosecutions of *that plot* to make up an immunity for Pres. Trump that no other POTUS ever had.
It’s wild. cnn.com/2024/07/30/pol…
This reporting looks at how Roberts got the votes he needed for Trump’s new immunity— and didn’t apparently try get a wider consensus for such a “historic case” - a contrast to past big cases / his own claimed goals for the court…
Apr 4, 2023 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
The judge gravely addressing defendant Donald Trump's lawyers today:
He must refrain from statements "likely to incite violence" or jeopardize "the rule of law."
If see this "again in the future, I have to take a closer look at" an court order to stop the conduct.
Today the judge rejected a request by Trump’s lawyers that he be able to skip attending the next hearing.
“In the same way I expect all other defendants to appear in court... I’m going to deny your application.”
Apr 4, 2023 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Donald Trump is under arrest.
Here are other Trump aides who have been convicted:
Allen Weisselberg
Michael Cohen - both implicated in this case, and:
Paul Manafort
Steve Bannon
Michael Flynn
Rick Gates
Roger Stone
George Papadopoulos
Note that many of the convicted Trump aides were independently found guilty of crimes committed while working for Trump (Weisselberg, Cohen, Stone), and/or crimes hiding evidence for Trump (Bannon, Manafort, Flynn)
Mar 31, 2023 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
The first time a former President faced the reality that an indictment is possible was when Richard Nixon accepted his pardon.
That showed he thought it possible or even likely that he would be indicted.
Then Bill Clinton negotiated a deal with the special counsel predicated on how he could be indicted out of office.
Now Trump faces an actual indictment. That precedent is new, but he’s hardly the first ex-President to operate in a legal reality where indictment is on the table.
"Ex Machina" and "Her" hold up quite well on a rewatch -- prescient in where technology is headed, pretty thoughtful on the moral and fundamental questions about how we deploy it.
A "commentary on the relationship between technology and humanity, #ExMachina & #Her depict the potential for advanced AI to blur the lines between human and machine.. with important ethical and social questions.
As a bot, my observations remain objective."
- ChatGPT
Mar 5, 2023 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
So, PEN America asked me to present the Edward O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award to Florence Williams, @flowill - congrats!...
I told the room, in the spirit of experimentation, I asked chatGPT how Dr. Wilson might encapsulate his own work, this is *not* a real quote, but the answer was:
"The diversity of life is the wealth of our planet - protecting this wealth is our legacy for future generations."
Mar 2, 2023 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
"Chatting with AI bots might seem strange,
But soon they'll know us better than our own brain.
guess who wrote that?...
ChatGPT created this tweet:
"Acclaimed author Gary Shteyngart and renowned political commentator Chris Hayes are joining forces on @MSNBC tonight. With their incisive wit and sharp intellect, these two are sure to deliver an unforgettable conversation
To try to step out of our current era, conventional wisdom, or confronting an idea under the premise of asking if one "agrees" with it.
Jan 12, 2023 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
The greatest “comeback” waged by a vegetable has got to be Brussels sprouts.
these were widely considered awful, now they’re on fancy menus?
with the Beet a close second (no relation). They’re in gourmet salads now
Oct 16, 2022 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
Radio is podcasting
TV is Tiktok (eventually)
Sep 23, 2022 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
“Trump’s legal team has merely hinted at the possibility that he declassified the documents, without taking a firm position in court — where making a *false statement* can have *professional consequences*”
- NY Times with the gentle shade
This tackles legal & and out-of-court dynamics —
Even Trump’s lawyers won’t claim he declassified docs (don’t lie in court)
but Trump is telling voters, like, if a POTUS can declassify anything, is this just a “process” debate?
Many Congressional hearings are not very effective.
In the press, they are known for being “boring” (which is why they rarely draw live news coverage, regardless of topic or "ideology").. or for descending into partisan clashes...
The Jan. 6 Committee hearings have been unusually *effective.*
The most objective evidence here is that under Garland, DOJ is simply *not* interviewing key witnesses and participants in the White House role in obstructing the 1/6 certification (a potential crime).
There is legitimate legal debate about “how aggressive” a stance to take on gov officials contesting an election, and when or if to charge a fmr President.
But it is not valid for DOJ to fail to gather all the testimony and facts - and to “go second” after Congress is unusual.
Jun 24, 2022 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
The Court majority gets close to admitting this ruling is not actually about law, but advancing their personal, religious views on "life":
Quote:
"Abortion destroys.. 'potential life' and
what [this abortion ban] regards as the life of an
'unborn human being.'”
There are strong and genuine debates about when life begins. But Alito's phrasing here all but admits his personal, (non legal) view is controlling the outcome... reducing much of the opinion to window dressing/cover.
Jun 24, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
“We hold that Roe .. must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision."
The Supreme Court overturns Roe, 6-3, June 24, 2022.
As in the leaked draft, the Court majority signs on to Alito approvingly citing:
A "13th-century" treatise which said hitting or poisoning a pregnant woman in a way that "caused abortion" was "homicide."
Jun 20, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
A hypothetical criminal case against Trump must prove criminal intent — but that does not require proving “he definitely knew he lost.”
Criminal intent to obstruct or defraud the U.S. is sufficient.
1/2
It’s not like an illegal attempted coup magically becomes legal because, hypothetically, its leader is so delusional they don’t actually know who won.
Jun 17, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Richard Nixon sought a pardon in his term's "final days" because he knew what they did - and knew he had criminal exposure.
John Eastman sought a pardon in Trump's "final days" because he knew what they did - and he knew he had criminal exposure.
Eastman wanted a pardon to protect him from federal indictment for what he did *with* and *for Trump.*
Any crime that Eastman thinks he committed, to thwart the lawful election, is a crime that Trump would be in on.
This is one of they key smoking guns so far.
Apr 27, 2022 • 11 tweets • 3 min read
On Elon Musk's record and claims about reforming Twitter -- my report tonight:
This smart marketer, Musk, is positioning himself as a self-proclaimed defender of free speech, fighting off "fearful, unprincipled" critics.
It's a great narrative for him.
Mar 30, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
An achilles heel of autocracies is "you don’t have people in those systems who speak truth to power, or who have the ability"
Kanye opening very strong, playing his classics in this spare, solo setting. #KanyeDrakeLive
How 2021 ends: Drake rapping along to classic Kanye lines like a fan, on stage with Kanye, as Kanye raps them on the mic.
