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Decrepit pervert Donald Trump is going to die soon. Maybe he serves out his term; maybe he even gets a few more rounds of golf in post-presidency before he finally goes out like Stan Chera. But if you’re trying to figure out what the future holds for you and your country, you should look to the broader movement he leaves in his wake. That’s why I want to talk to you about New Hampshire state Rep. Kristin Noble.
Noble is notable because Republicans in her state have put her in charge of education policy, even though she’s signed onto bills promoting anti-Israel conspiracy theories and requiring stores to accept payments in gold or silver. The education policy she seems to be prioritizing is banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory. It’s never quite been clear as to what would fall under such a ban, but some recently leaked texts allegedly between Noble and her colleagues shed some light on the matter.
Image courtesy of The Granite Post News
The Granite Post News found that she suggested Republicans could add “fun stuff” to public schools “when we have segregated schools,” then said that test scores would be higher once that plan is in place. Other members of the chat, including the chamber’s Assistant Majority Leader, seemed to agree with the sentiment. They noted that two other sponsors of the anti-CRT bill have a history of using racial slurs, another one of which is a member of leadership.
Even though Republicans had a successful 2024 election, I don’t think that most Americans want to resegregate schools. But with political coverage overly focused on the aforementioned decrepit pervert, they lose sight of just how extreme the candidates they’re voting for at the state level have become.
Long after Trump’s gone, Republicans in state houses across the nation will still be working to make America a worse place for all but the lucky few at the top. Owing to the hollowing out of local journalism and right-wing billionaire takeover of national media, it’s fallen to independent outlets like us to cover this crisis.
So welcome to Radio Free America. Our goal here is to highlight all the political stories that go under the radar, because much of the legacy media is run by people who just hang out with each other at Sun Valley and don’t want to tell you about what MAGA’s agenda for the country really is. Unlike them, we’re not OK with reimposing segregation in the name of tax cuts.
AROUND AMERICA
More undercovered stories from around the country that we feel deserve more attention
Earlier this month, the study that Monsanto used to justify widespread use of Roundup had to be retracted because of serious ethical issues and reliance on dubious sources. It sure seems like Monsanto (since acquired by Bayer) knew how dangerous Roundup was. But now, right-wing state lawmakers across the country are trying to give them immunity. It shows how rotten at its core the Make America Healthy Again movement is — they want to make it easier for big corporations to poison you. In case there was any doubt.
Though it’s critical to think about what will happen to the Republican Party after Trump is gone, as long as he’s still alive, it will be largely committed to his cult of personality. For example, Florida lawmakers are trying to name Palm Beach International Airport after him, partly because MAGA is Juche for guys with wraparound shades and partly as a way of owning libs trying to go somewhere warm over Christmas break.
(AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)
Another bill in Florida would invest state funds in crypto. The sponsor of the bill is Joe Gruters, who’s currently the chairman of the RNC. And the Supreme Court is considering a case that would give donors to political party committees greater sway over elections. So if you’re desperate for cash, you could either 1) sell a quality product at a fair price or 2) cut a big check to the Republican National Committee.
After the Supreme Court guts the VRA, you may be wondering what 20th century marker of social progress will be next to fall. My bet is on no-fault divorce, as Missouri became the latest state to consider legal recognition of marriages that wouldn’t be subject to it.
(AP Photo/Jon Durr)
Marriage equality is looking a little wobbly these days too, as Tennessee will consider a bill that would allow private entities to disregard same sex couples, as well as a ban on celebrating Pride month.
Speaking of tackling nonexistent problems, Republicans are also hard at work introducing bills to ban chemtrails in multiple states. So to be clear, they’ll let Bayer skate on the people who got cancer from Roundup but are hard at work finding out if airplanes turn frogs gay or whatever it is they think these days.
(AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Last month, we reported that the latest front in MAGA’s assault on America would be bans on immigrants holding office, as Alabama was considering a bill that would do that. And now, Mississippi and Kentucky are doing the same.
Do you remember when you read about Preston Brooks caning Charles Sumner in AP US History? A Vermont Republican wants that to retvrn.
INTERNET BULLSHIT THAT I LIKED
I suspect the median reader of this newsletter is of an age where you should talk to your doctor about whether it’s time to schedule a colonoscopy. So I wanted to let you know about Want My MTV, which will play random, era- and genre- specific music videos (with some skippable old ads thrown in too for full verisimilitude). I spent most of Tuesday listening to their “120 Minutes” channel, thinking about how third-wave ska is unfairly maligned. So check it out, and remember to stretch every day!
BOOK CLUB
Over the holiday break I read Blitzed by Norman Ohler, which is about how the Wehrmacht was zooted to the gills on crystal meth during the first few years of the World War II and how Hitler and his inner circle were receiving a pretty steady dose of opiates and quack cures until the very end. I know it seems outlandish, but maybe Congress could pass a law requiring random drug tests for the president, his cabinet and the CEO’s of publicly traded companies (especially defense contractors) to prevent anything like that from happening here.
HELP ME OUT
Fun fact about me: I always need help with something. This week, I need help with a belt. My black belt broke (not because I have a fat ass, don’t say it’s because I have a fat ass), and I need a new one. I got it off the recommendations from r/BuyItForLife. So instead of going back there, I’ll ask you for help. What black belts should I buy? Any that you’ve had for 20 years? Are you a tanner who wants to give me one for free to promote it? I’m not above that.
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