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Source: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/feed

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<title>Trump Loses Bid For Mistrial Before Cross-Examination Of Stormy Daniels Begins</title>
<link>https://talkingpointsmemo.com/live-blog/stormy-daniels-expected-on-stand-tuesday-at-trumps-new-york-trial</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Kovensky]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2024 20:29:29 +0000</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?post_type=live-blog&p=1488320</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Stormy Daniels, the porn star who was paid $130,000 as part of a hush money deal weeks before the 2016...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img width="804" height="603" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/stormy-daniels-Hush-trial.jpg?w=804" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/stormy-daniels-Hush-trial.jpg 1600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/stormy-daniels-Hush-trial.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/stormy-daniels-Hush-trial.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/stormy-daniels-Hush-trial.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/stormy-daniels-Hush-trial.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/stormy-daniels-Hush-trial.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px" /></p>
<p>Stormy Daniels, the porn star who was paid $130,000 as part of a hush money deal weeks before the 2016 election, is on the stand in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial.</p>
<p>Follow along with us below. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1488320</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Abnormal Psychology and the Trump VP Pick</title>
<link>https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/abnormal-psychology-and-the-trump-vp-pick</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Marshall]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2024 19:06:43 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Editors' Blog]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Backchannel]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1488470</guid>
<description><![CDATA[For whatever reason people are now back to discussing who Donald Trump will pick as his running mate. I guess...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img width="804" height="535" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1399664360-scaled.jpg?w=804" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1399664360-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1399664360-scaled.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1399664360-scaled.jpg?resize=804,535 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1399664360-scaled.jpg?resize=1536,1023 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1399664360-scaled.jpg?resize=2048,1364 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1399664360-scaled.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1399664360-scaled.jpg?resize=1000,666 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1399664360-scaled.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px" /></p>
<p>For whatever reason people are now back to discussing who Donald Trump will pick as his running mate. I guess it’s likely because of the ongoing Kristi Noem implosion. This is a perennial parlor game for all presidential nominees. But it is worth noting how different it is for Trump, or, more specifically, how the list of qualifications Trump requires are based on the mix of predation and insecurity that make up his personality. As with Trump himself these are so extreme as to be qualitatively different from that of any other presidential candidate ever. Indeed, he requires characteristics that are so impossible to squeeze together that they leave only the tiniest of openings for a contender to be viable.</p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1488470</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>‘True The Vote’ Put Out A Handbook Encouraging Vigilante Reporting Of Non-Citizen Voting</title>
<link>https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/true-the-vote-put-out-a-handbook-encouraging-vigilante-reporting-of-non-citizen-voting</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Khaya Himmelman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2024 16:42:32 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020 election]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2024 election]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[election denial]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[election misinformation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[True the Vote]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1488331</guid>
<description><![CDATA[True the Vote, the right-wing conspiracy theorist group that spread lies of ballot stuffing in the 2020 election is focused...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img width="804" height="603" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vigilante-reporting-non-citizen-voting.jpg?w=804" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vigilante-reporting-non-citizen-voting.jpg 1600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vigilante-reporting-non-citizen-voting.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vigilante-reporting-non-citizen-voting.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vigilante-reporting-non-citizen-voting.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vigilante-reporting-non-citizen-voting.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vigilante-reporting-non-citizen-voting.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px" /></p>
<p class="is-style-serif">True the Vote, the right-wing conspiracy theorist group that spread lies of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-elections-true-vote-ballot-stuffing-199113b47bc2df79c63fdf007cd23115">ballot stuffing</a> in the 2020 election is focused on perpetuating a new lie ahead of 2024: the myth of non-citizens voting in elections. </p>
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<title>Torched</title>
<link>https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/torched</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Marshall]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2024 14:07:15 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Editors' Blog]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1488379</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Very weird story here to keep an eye on. Last week either 15 or 17 police cars at a Portland...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Very weird story here to keep an eye on. Last week either 15 or 17 police cars at a Portland Police Bureau lot were <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/05/02/portland-police-fire/73543838007/">torched in what was treated as a suspected case of arson</a>. Yesterday local news reported that a group calling itself the “Rachel Corrie Ghost Brigade” claimed responsibility for the incident. (Corrie was a pro-Palestinian activist who was run over by an IDF bulldozer in 2003). The group said that they cut through a fence at the Bureau’s training facility and lit the fires to strike a blow before police could respond to a pro-Palestine occupation at Portland State’s Millar Library — “raid them before they raid you.”</p>
<p>It’s important to note that people can claim responsibility for something they didn’t do in order to gain publicity for a cause. So we shouldn’t assume the claim is necessarily legitimate. But someone did apparently light the vehicles on fire. Portland police say they’re aware of the claim of responsibility but won’t comment beyond that. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
<title>Oh Look, Aileen Cannon Has Delayed The MAL Case Yet Again</title>
<link>https://talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo/aileen-cannon-has-delayed-the-mal-case-yet-again</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Kurtz]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2024 13:32:30 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Morning Memo]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1488317</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img width="804" height="603" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/aileen-cannon-donald-trump-rips.jpg?w=804" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Donald Trump, Aileen Cannon" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/aileen-cannon-donald-trump-rips.jpg 1600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/aileen-cannon-donald-trump-rips.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/aileen-cannon-donald-trump-rips.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/aileen-cannon-donald-trump-rips.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/aileen-cannon-donald-trump-rips.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/aileen-cannon-donald-trump-rips.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px" /></p>
<p><em><em>A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. <a href="https://morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sign up<em> for the email version</em></a>.</em></em></p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">It’s Happening Right Before Our Eyes</h2>
<p>I’ve lost track of how many Morning Memos have led with the latest delay allowed, imposed, or facilitated by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in the Mar-a-Lago documents case. But it’s a lot!</p>
<p>In her latest move yesterday, she <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/us/politics/trump-classified-documents-trial-delay.html">suspended</a> this week’s deadline for Donald Trump to make a crucial filing in the pretrial wrangling over what classified information will be allowed at trial. </p>
<p>True to form, Cannon didn’t set a new deadline; instead, she’ll let things float along again for some indeterminate amount of time. The trial is still set to begin May 20, but that date became unrealistic months ago due to her delays, and she has resisted setting a new trial date. </p>
<p>The specific deadline Cannon suspended was for Trump to declare which classified information he intends to use at trial, which would then set off a back and forth between the two sides under the Classified Information Procedures Act. That’s typically a fairly involved and often lengthy process that trial judges engage in as reasonably early as possible to clear the way for trial. Special Counsel Jack Smith has been pushing for months to get the CIPA process rolling; Trump of course has objected; and Cannon has played along.</p>
<p>The May 20 trial date is no more in jeopardy after Cannon’s latest (<a href="https://twitter.com/KatiePhang/status/1787657870206496847">unexplained</a>, by the way) decision than it was before. It was definitely not happening because of Cannon’s prior inertia. But whatever narrow window remained for trying this case before the election closed a little more. </p>
<p>The bottom line is this: Cannon has turned the flame under the water up so slowly and incrementally that there has been no concerted national outrage about her wildly inappropriate handling of the case. Not that it would matter; she seems indifferent to the public criticism. At the same time, she has continued to punt actual decisions that could potentially create grounds for appeal. It’s a one-two punch that leaves Smith in an impossible bind. </p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Forecast: Stormy Daniels To Testify Today</h2>
<p>Big day ahead as the Trump hush-money trial shifts from the necessary grinding through financial records yesterday to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-gag-order-d853768fff5fafbdee55623579889140">expected testimony</a> today of porn star <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/07/nyregion/stormy-daniels-trump-witness.html">Stormy Daniels</a>, another of Louisiana’s many great contributions to our national politics. You’re welcome. TPM’s Josh Kovensky is at the courthouse and will be liveblogging today’s proceedings <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/live-blog/stormy-daniels-expected-on-stand-tuesday-at-trumps-new-york-trial">here</a>. </p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Happened In The Hush Money Trial Yesterday</h2>
<p>A quick recap:</p>
<ul>
<li>Trump was found in violation of the gag order in the case and fined another $1,000, but more importantly the judge gave what sure sounded like his <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/merchan-to-trump-no-more-fines-only-jail-if-you-violate-my-orders">final warning</a> to Trump: Do it again and I will put you in jail.</li>
<li>Later in the day, Trump struck the pose that he would <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/06/trump-jail-time-gag-order-hush-money-trial-00156388">happily go to jail</a> for violating the gag order. No one believes him, of course. Here’s why it would be <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/07/trump-gag-order-violations-sentencing-00156373">doubly bad</a> for him. </li>
<li>The prosecution called <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/prosecutors-drive-toward-core-of-trump-case-with-some-questions-still-unanswered">witness after witness</a> from inside the Trump Org to review business records and explain the company’s financial controls – all with the thrust of showing how the hush money payments to Stormy Daniels were concealed and recast as legal fees. </li>
<li>A fun catch by <a href="https://joycevance.substack.com/p/courting-disaster">Joyce Vance</a> about one of the Trump Org witnesses, Jeff McConney: </li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>An interesting side note: It was Jeffrey McConney’s son Justin, fresh out of film school, who was Trump’s first social media manager. Before he arrived on the scene, Trump didn’t know how to use social media. In 2013, Trump posted his first tweet, an innocuous thank-you to someone who complimented him publicly. After leaving the company in 2017, Justin McConney <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/20/oh-no-the-day-trump-learned-to-tweet-1070789">said</a>, “The moment I found out Trump could tweet himself was comparable to the moment in ‘Jurassic Park’ when Dr. Grant realized that velociraptors could open doors. I was like, ‘Oh no.’”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Just Stop Talking, Dude</h2>
<p>Nathan Wade, the ousted special prosecutor in the Georgia RICO case, just can’t help himself, it seems. Now he’s done a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/fulton-county-prosecutor-nathan-wade-day-reckoning-coming/story?id=109946087">sit-down interview</a> with ABC News and predicted a “day of reckoning” in court is ahead for Trump.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Quote Of The Day</h2>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>[T]he GOP will never rebuild until we move on from the Trump era, leaving conservative (but not angry) Republicans like me no choice but to pull the lever for Biden. </p>
<cite>Former Georgia Lieutenant Gov. Geoff Duncan (R), on <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/georgia-republican-official-who-defended-states-election-results-in-2020-backs-biden">his decision to vote for Joe Biden</a> in 2024</cite></blockquote>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Great White (Ahem) North</h2>
<p>TPM’s <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/how-alex-jones-and-white-nationalist-podcasts-exploded-into-canadian-politics">Hunter Walker</a>: How Alex Jones And White Nationalist Podcasts Exploded Into Canadian Politics</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Yes, Yes, And Yes</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/06/campus-protests-explanation-nypd/">Philip Bump</a>: “Why is the simplest explanation of campus protests so hard to accept? <br>Young people were sympathetic to Palestinians even before the war began. Why is that ignored?”</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Yeoman’s Work</h2>
<p>Mother Jones’ <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/05/i-read-everything-elon-musk-posted-for-a-week-send-help/">Tim Murphy</a>: I Read Everything Elon Musk Posted for a Week. Send Help.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Preach, Brother, Preach</h2>
<p>Former TPMer Brian Beutler <a href="https://www.offmessage.net/p/mainstream-media-guilty-conscience">wades</a> into that mess of a <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/05/05/2024/joe-kahn-the-newsroom-is-not-a-safe-space">conversation</a> between Semafor’s Ben Smith and NYT executive editor Joe Kahn about the role of journalism in America today:</p>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>The executive editor of the <em>Times</em> really <em>should</em> have a view on whether democracy is preferable to autocracy, truth preferable to lies, and where those values fit in the hierarchy of political commitments. And he should feel free to share that view with the public. Even if voters tell pollsters they have other concerns. Even if fervent coverage of the threat to democracy happens to help the only candidate in the race committed to its survival. Even if it means acknowledging your critics have a point. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>A very eloquent assessment from Brian. Take a moment to read the full thing.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Big Congrats To TPM Alum Justin Elliott!</h2>
<p>Justin Elliott, one of the two OG muckrakers at TPM way back in the day, was part of the ProPublica team that won the <a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/news/2024-pulitzer-prize-announcement-0">Pulitzer Prize for Public Service</a> Journalism yesterday for its series of stories on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ cozy financial relationship with billionaire GOP donor Harlan Crowe. </p>
<p><em><strong><em><strong><em>Do you like Morning Memo? </em></strong><a href="mailto:talk@talkingpointsmemo.com?subject=MM"><strong><em>Let us know!</em></strong></a></em></strong></em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1488317</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Scenes From Flooding In Porto Alegre, Brazil</title>
<link>https://talkingpointsmemo.com/gallery/scenes-from-flooding-in-porto-alegre-brazil</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine Frapech]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2024 13:24:29 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Galleries]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1488244</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Since the end of April, the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil has been hit with heavy...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img width="804" height="603" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?w=804" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg 4000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px" /></p>
<p>Since the end of April, the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil has been hit with heavy rainfall, causing the Guaíba River to overflow and flooding the capital city of Porto Alegre. Dozens of people have died as a result and search and rescue efforts continue to look for the missing.</p>
<p></p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Aerial view of flooded Porto Alegre</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="8064" height="6048" data-id="1488246" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151091698.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488246" title="Aerial view of flooded Porto Alegre" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151091698.jpg 8064w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151091698.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151091698.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151091698.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151091698.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151091698.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151091698.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 8064px) 100vw, 8064px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Aerial view of the Center of Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul, after the overflow of the Guaíba River on May 5, 2024. Rains and flooding have caused damage to infrastructure and displaced more than 20,000 people. (Photo by Ramiro Sanchez/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Many people had to be evacuated by boat </h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5688" height="3792" data-id="1488245" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151039857.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488245" title="Many people had to be evacuated by boat " srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151039857.jpg 5688w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151039857.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151039857.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151039857.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151039857.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151039857.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151039857.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151039857.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 5688px) 100vw, 5688px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People are evacuated in a boat after the Guaíba River overflows on May 5, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Ramiro Sanchez/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">A flooded neighborhood on the shores of the Guaíba River</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4000" height="2667" data-id="1488247" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872139.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488247" title="A flooded neighborhood on the shores of the Guaíba River" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872139.jpg 4000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872139.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872139.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872139.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872139.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872139.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872139.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872139.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 4000px) 100vw, 4000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Aerial view of the Guaíba River shore after the overflow of the river on May 4, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Max Peixoto/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">People carry produce through flooded streets</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="6016" height="4016" data-id="1488248" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118592.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488248" title="People carry produce through flooded streets" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118592.jpg 6016w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118592.jpg?resize=768,513 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118592.jpg?resize=804,537 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118592.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118592.jpg?resize=2048,1367 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118592.jpg?resize=600,401 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118592.jpg?resize=1000,668 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118592.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 6016px) 100vw, 6016px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People carry vegetables and fruits through a flooded street after the overflow of the Guaíba River in downtown Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Matheus Piccini/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">View of the flooded Beira-Rio Stadium</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4819" height="3739" data-id="1488261" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182870.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488261" title="View of the flooded Beira-Rio Stadium" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182870.jpg 4819w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182870.jpg?resize=768,596 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182870.jpg?resize=804,624 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182870.jpg?resize=1536,1192 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182870.jpg?resize=2048,1589 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182870.jpg?resize=600,466 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182870.jpg?resize=1000,776 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 4819px) 100vw, 4819px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Aerial view of the flooded Beira-Rio Stadium on May 6, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Max Peixoto/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Members of a rescue team gather</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="6240" height="4160" data-id="1488251" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151043049.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488251" title="Members of a rescue team gather" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151043049.jpg 6240w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151043049.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151043049.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151043049.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151043049.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151043049.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151043049.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151043049.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 6240px) 100vw, 6240px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Members of a rescue team gather on May 5, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Ramiro Sanchez/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Submerged vehicles in a flooded parking lot</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3316" height="2211" data-id="1488264" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184447.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488264" title="Submerged vehicles in a flooded parking lot" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184447.jpg 3316w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184447.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184447.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184447.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184447.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184447.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184447.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184447.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 3316px) 100vw, 3316px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Aerial view showing semi-submerged vehicles in a flooded parking lot in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on May 6, 2024, after torrential storms in the southern Rio Grande do Sul State. The rains may have abated, but floodwaters on Monday continued their assault on south Brazil, with hundreds of municipalities in ruins and food and drinking water fast running out. (Photo by CARLOS FABAL/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Someone carries fruits and vegetables through a flooded street</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="6016" height="4016" data-id="1488252" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118317.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488252" title="Someone carries fruits and vegetables through a flooded street" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118317.jpg 6016w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118317.jpg?resize=768,513 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118317.jpg?resize=804,537 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118317.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118317.jpg?resize=2048,1367 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118317.jpg?resize=600,401 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118317.jpg?resize=1000,668 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151118317.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 6016px) 100vw, 6016px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A person carries vegetables and fruits through a flooded street after the overflow of the Guaíba Rive on May 5, 2024. (Photo by Matheus Piccini/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Flooded streets of Porto Alegre</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4000" height="3000" data-id="1488249" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488249" title="Flooded streets of Porto Alegre" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg 4000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150963220.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 4000px) 100vw, 4000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An aerial view of flooded streets on May 4, 2024. (Photo by Ramiro Sanchez/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">A resident walks through flooded streets</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="6016" height="4010" data-id="1488253" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150887182.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488253" title="A resident walks through flooded streets" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150887182.jpg 6016w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150887182.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150887182.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150887182.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150887182.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150887182.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150887182.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150887182.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 6016px) 100vw, 6016px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A man walks through a flooded street on May 4, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Matheus Piccini/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Some residents use inflatable boats to move through flooded streets</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="6016" height="4016" data-id="1488255" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150956097.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488255" title="Some residents use inflatable boats to move through flooded streets" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150956097.jpg 6016w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150956097.jpg?resize=768,513 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150956097.jpg?resize=804,537 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150956097.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150956097.jpg?resize=2048,1367 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150956097.jpg?resize=600,401 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150956097.jpg?resize=1000,668 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150956097.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 6016px) 100vw, 6016px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People move through the flooded streets in an inflatable boat after the overflow of the Guaíba River on May 4, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Matheus Piccini/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Flooded streets meet an elevated highway in Porto Alegre</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4000" height="3000" data-id="1488250" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150967761.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488250" title="Flooded streets meet an elevated highway in Porto Alegre" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150967761.jpg 4000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150967761.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150967761.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150967761.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150967761.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150967761.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150967761.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 4000px) 100vw, 4000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An aerial view of flooded streets after the overflow of the Guaíba River on May 4, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Ramiro Sanchez/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Locals use boats to navigate flooded neighborhoods</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5616" height="3744" data-id="1488265" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151170016.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488265" title="Locals use boats to navigate flooded neighborhoods" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151170016.jpg 5616w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151170016.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151170016.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151170016.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151170016.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151170016.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151170016.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151170016.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 5616px) 100vw, 5616px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Locals move in boats following flooding due to heavy rains in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil on May 6, 2024. (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">View of the Guaíba River shore after overflow</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4000" height="2666" data-id="1488256" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872537.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488256" title="View of the Guaíba River shore after overflow" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872537.jpg 4000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872537.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872537.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872537.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872537.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872537.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872537.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872537.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 4000px) 100vw, 4000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Aerial view of the Guaíba River shore after the overflow of the river on May 4, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Max Peixoto/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Police arrest men who were allegedly robbing houses following flooding</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5368" height="3579" data-id="1488262" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184227.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488262" title="Police arrest men who were allegedly robbing houses following flooding" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184227.jpg 5368w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184227.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184227.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184227.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184227.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184227.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184227.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184227.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 5368px) 100vw, 5368px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Police members arrest two men who were allegedly robbing houses following flooding due to heavy rains in the Sarandi neighborhood of Porto Alegre on May 6, 2024. (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Flooded streets next to Rio Grande Do Sul art museum</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5830" height="3887" data-id="1488257" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888506.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488257" title="Flooded streets next to Rio Grande Do Sul art museum" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888506.jpg 5830w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888506.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888506.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888506.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888506.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888506.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888506.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888506.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 5830px) 100vw, 5830px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A high view from a building of flooded streets next to Rio Grande Do Sul art museum after the overflow of the Guaíba River on May 4, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Matheus Piccini/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">A flooded playground at the river shore</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4928" height="3280" data-id="1488258" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872277.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488258" title="A flooded playground at the river shore" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872277.jpg 4928w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872277.jpg?resize=768,511 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872277.jpg?resize=804,535 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872277.jpg?resize=1536,1022 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872277.jpg?resize=2048,1363 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872277.jpg?resize=600,399 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872277.jpg?resize=1000,666 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150872277.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 4928px) 100vw, 4928px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A view of a flooded children’s playground at Guaíba River shore after the overflow of the river on May 4, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Max Peixoto/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">Flooded streets next to Brazil’s Marine building at Porto Alegre</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="6016" height="4016" data-id="1488259" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888606.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488259" title="Flooded streets next to Brazil's Marine building at Porto Alegre" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888606.jpg 6016w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888606.jpg?resize=768,513 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888606.jpg?resize=804,537 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888606.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888606.jpg?resize=2048,1367 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888606.jpg?resize=600,401 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888606.jpg?resize=1000,668 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150888606.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 6016px) 100vw, 6016px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">General view of the flooded streets next to Brazil’s Marine building at Porto Alegre after the overflow of the Guaíba River on May 4, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo by Matheus Piccini/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title">The streets of Porto Alegre look like rivers from above</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3402" height="2268" data-id="1488263" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184241.jpg?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488263" title="The streets of Porto Alegre look like rivers from above" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184241.jpg 3402w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184241.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184241.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184241.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184241.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184241.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184241.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151184241.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 3402px) 100vw, 3402px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Aerial view of flooded streets in Porto Alegre, Brazil, taken on May 6, 2024, after torrential storms in the southern Rio Grande do Sul State. (Photo by CARLOS FABAL/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>
</figure>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1488244</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Georgia Republican Official Who Defended State’s Election Results In 2020 Backs Biden</title>
<link>https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/georgia-republican-official-who-defended-states-election-results-in-2020-backs-biden</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nicole Lafond]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2024 22:14:12 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2024 elections]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Geoff Duncan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Georgia Republicans]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1488299</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A former Georgia Republican official who had to defend his state’s election administration after Donald Trump tried to overturn the...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img width="804" height="536" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182566.jpg?w=804" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182566.jpg 4317w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182566.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182566.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182566.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182566.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182566.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182566.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151182566.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px" /></p>
<p class="is-style-serif">A former Georgia Republican official who had to defend his state’s election administration after Donald Trump tried to overturn the results in 2020 has endorsed President Joe Biden and urged other Republicans to join him in an <a href="https://www.ajc.com/opinion/geoff-duncan-why-im-voting-for-biden-and-other-republicans-should-too/LFLE5YWCBBA6VDGJAJKMNPCDKQ/">op-ed published Monday</a>. </p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1488299</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Prosecutors Drive Toward Core of Trump Case, With Some Questions Still Unanswered</title>
<link>https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/prosecutors-drive-toward-core-of-trump-case-with-some-questions-still-unanswered</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Kovensky]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2024 21:38:03 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1488283</guid>
<description><![CDATA[NEW YORK — Manhattan prosecutors on Monday went deep into the business records portion of their falsifying business records case...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img width="804" height="536" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150698235.jpg?w=804" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150698235.jpg 8640w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150698235.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150698235.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150698235.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150698235.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150698235.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150698235.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2150698235.jpg?resize=98,64 98w" sizes="(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px" /></p>
<p>NEW YORK — Manhattan prosecutors on Monday went deep into the business records portion of their falsifying business records case against Donald Trump.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1488283</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>How Alex Jones And White Nationalist Podcasts Exploded Into Canadian Politics</title>
<link>https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/how-alex-jones-and-white-nationalist-podcasts-exploded-into-canadian-politics</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Hunter Walker]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2024 19:19:28 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Alex Jones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Alex Vriend]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[canada]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Derek Harrison]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Diagolon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Freedom Convoy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[hate groups]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Justin Trudeau]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Patriot Front]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pierre Poilievre]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Thomas Rousseau]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[white nationalism]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1488272</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his chief rival, Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party opposition, have spent...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img width="804" height="603" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/jeremy-mackenzie-alex-jones-diagolon.jpg?w=804" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/jeremy-mackenzie-alex-jones-diagolon.jpg 1600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/jeremy-mackenzie-alex-jones-diagolon.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/jeremy-mackenzie-alex-jones-diagolon.jpg?resize=804,603 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/jeremy-mackenzie-alex-jones-diagolon.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/jeremy-mackenzie-alex-jones-diagolon.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/jeremy-mackenzie-alex-jones-diagolon.jpg?resize=1000,750 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px" /></p>
<p>Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his chief rival, Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party opposition, have spent the last week and change arguing about Alex Jones. The American conspiracy theorist and broadcaster’s path from his Texas studio to the center of the political debate up North cut straight through “Diagolon,” a fictional country created by a group of white nationalist podcasters in Canada.</p>
<p>The Diagolon empire stretches from Alaska to Florida through Canada’s Yukon territory and three westernmost provinces. While the men behind Diagolon insist it is just a stoner meme, authorities on both sides of the border have described the online movement as a violent terror threat. The recent debate over Jones was a vivid illustration of how the movement has gained prominence in Canadian politics and forged connections with the American far right. </p>
<p>Trudeau, who is <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/pierre-poilievres-conservatives-reach-highest-ever-lead-over-justin-trudeaus-liberals-according-to-new-poll/article_a7ed34b2-ae6c-11ee-8398-e7344102c0db.html">struggling in the polls</a> ahead of next year’s election, spent multiple days late last month accusing Poilievre of “engaging with members of Diagolon” and refusing to “condemn and reject the endorsement of Alex Jones.”</p>
<p>“This is what he should say,” Trudeau, who leads the country’s Liberal Party, said of Poilievre at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6OaaneuYZM">an event in Quebec</a> on April 26. “I reject categorically the endorsement and the support of Diagolon and of Alex Jones because Diagolon is a violent white nationalist organization and Alex Jones is a garbage conspiracy theorist. That’s all Pierre Poilievre would have to say, but he won’t say it and that tells you about the kinds of choices he’s making as a leader.”</p>
<p>Jones, who is best known for airing wild, dangerous conspiracy theories about mass shootings and COVID along with playing a major role in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, inserted himself into Canada’s nascent campaign politics on April 4 when he <a href="https://twitter.com/RealAlexJones/status/1776045384089129208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1776045384089129208%7Ctwgr%5Ee55f688cfd5e69095ad4cb7925d52a875d214583%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.infowars.com%2F">posted a message</a> on the site formerly known as Twitter praising Poilievre as “the real deal.” </p>
<p>“Canada desperately needs a lot more leaders like him and so does the rest of the world,” Jones wrote.</p>
<p>Poilievre did not take Trudeau up on the call to reject Jones’ endorsement. During a question period in the House of Commons on April 30 when the Conservative leader pressed Trudeau about a push to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/decriminalization-british-columbia-federal-government-1.7188534">recriminalize certain hard drugs</a> in the province of British Columbia, the prime minister once again accused Poilievre of refusing “to denounce these extremists” and of “actively courting the support of groups with white nationalist views.” Poilievre shot back. Without naming Jones or Diagolon, he declared, “I always condemn extremism and racism.” Poilievre described the idea he was pandering to the group as a “distraction” and “falsehood” from Trudeau before attempting to return to the prime minister’s past support for drug decriminalization.</p>
<p>“When will we put an end to this wacko policy by this wacko prime minister?” Poilievre asked. </p>
<p>That insult was a bridge too far for Speaker of the House of Commons, Greg Fergus, a member of Trudeau’s Liberal Party, who ejected Poilievre from the parliamentary body after the opposition leader refused to withdraw the remark. The incident sparked days of headlines and <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10460920/house-of-commons-poilievre-wacko-unparliamentary/">debates over decorum</a> in Canada where some of the same rising extremism and civil unrest that has emerged in America is taking place, but the rhetoric apparently hasn’t quite reached <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/mtg-finds-it-unfortunate-that-everyone-now-knows-she-called-boebert-a-little-btch">U.S. levels of nastiness</a>. </p>
<p>A spokesperson for Trudeau told TPM they had nothing to add to the prime minister’s public remarks. Poilievre and his office did not respond to requests for comment. While the Conservative leader dismissed Trudeau’s attacks as “false,” there have indeed been multiple incidents that associated Poilievre with Diagolon — and the group has its own ties to Jones. </p>
<p>Before his social media endorsement of Poilievre, Jones had forged a connection with Diagolon. Jones <a href="https://www.infowars.com/posts/canadian-media-caught-promoting-nazi-false-flag-ahead-of-massive-ottawa-protest-arrests/">featured</a> the group’s “de facto leader” Jeremy MacKenzie on his “InfoWars” broadcast during the “Freedom Convoy” trucker protests against COVID health mandates that gripped Canada’s capital, Ottawa, in early 2022. More recently, in March of this year, MacKenzie <a href="https://www.bitchute.com/video/E9UCH1kuzp1y/">appeared</a> on the weekend edition of Jones’ show with another host.  </p>
<p>And Poilievre himself has also had dalliances with Diagolon. In these prior instances he has similarly refrained from offering a clearcut disavowal of the group. </p>
<p>In July 2022, Poilievre led a march against COVID measures in Ottawa alongside James Topp. Independent reporter Rachel Gilmore, who was writing for Global News at the time, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8959365/canada-day-convoy-james-topp-far-right-pierre-poilievre/">subsequently revealed</a> that Topp had appeared on MacKenzie’s podcast. When Gilmore asked Poilievre if he would denounce those sentiments, his campaign responded with an extensive <a href="https://twitter.com/atRachelGilmore/status/1545145923164053510">comment-slash-press release</a> attacking her reporting as “guilt by multiple degrees of separation” and stressing he was only supportive of Topp on the “singular cause of ending vaccine mandates.” </p>
<p>The following month, MacKenzie, the leader of Diagolon, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8989888/diagolon-explainer-jeremy-mackenzie-pierre-poilievre/">posted a photo</a> showing him shaking hands with Poilievre at an event. That picture led to calls for Poilievre to denounce the group from the leader of the left wing New Democrat Party, which pointed to <a href="https://pressprogress.ca/ottawa-convoy-helped-violent-extremist-groups-grow-canadian-counterterrorism-report-warned/">a report</a> from Canada’s Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre, a federal government organization. The assessment described Diagolon and QAnon, which should be far more familiar to the American audience, as being among the “ideologically motivated extremism (IMVE) movements” that were participating in the anti-COVID mandate convoy protests and could grow as a result. It further identified MacKenzie by name and dubbed him an “accelerationist influencer.”  Poilievre’s supposed denunciation  did not address MacKenzie or the group specifically.</p>
<p>“As I always have, I denounce racism and anyone who spreads it,” Poilievre said. “I didn’t and don’t know or recognize this particular individual.” </p>
<p>Poilievre did criticize MacKenzie and a fellow podcaster in September 2022 after they <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9155887/pierre-poilievre-denounces-abuse-against-wife/">allegedly broadcast comments</a> about sexually assaulting the Conservative leader’s wife. MacKenzie said he had made the statements while drinking and denied meaning any harm by them.</p>
<p>Diagolon was born during what MacKenzie has described as a similar mix of partying and joking online as he and his fellow podcasters gained steam and connected with each other during the COVID pandemic. MacKenzie, a military veteran in his late thirties, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8989888/diagolon-explainer-jeremy-mackenzie-pierre-poilievre/">has said</a> he was “pretty ripped on edibles” one night when he first realized many jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada that did not have COVID mandates essentially formed a diagonal line across North America. The idea became an increasingly persistent, elaborate theme on an interlinked network of far right podcasts.  </p>
<p>Online, MacKenzie uses the moniker “Raging Dissident.” His “Ragecast” is one of the core Diagolon shows along with Alex Vriend’s “The Ferryman’s Toll” and Derek Harrison’s “Plaid Army.” They grew their audience during the convoy protests and through <a href="https://www.antihate.ca/holocaust_denier_travelling_canada_building_up_far_right_militia_diagolon_alex_vriend">their own in-person events</a>. While MacKenzie said he has been banned from multiple social media platforms, Vriend has five figure followings on the site formerly known as Twitter and on Telegram. Their broadcasts routinely attract thousands of viewers. </p>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title"></h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1746" height="954" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Alex-Vriend-and-Thomas-Rousseau.png?w=804" alt="" class="wp-image-1488274" title="" srcset="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Alex-Vriend-and-Thomas-Rousseau.png 1746w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Alex-Vriend-and-Thomas-Rousseau.png?resize=768,420 768w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Alex-Vriend-and-Thomas-Rousseau.png?resize=804,439 804w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Alex-Vriend-and-Thomas-Rousseau.png?resize=1536,839 1536w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Alex-Vriend-and-Thomas-Rousseau.png?resize=600,328 600w, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Alex-Vriend-and-Thomas-Rousseau.png?resize=1000,546 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1746px) 100vw, 1746px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Alex Vriend streaming with Patriot Front founder and leader Thomas Rousseau. (Photo: YouTube.com/@FerrymanToll)</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Despite this growing fanbase and the past headlines, Gilmore, <a href="https://linktr.ee/rachel_gilmore">who has relentlessly covered Diagolon</a> on multiple platforms, said she was stunned to see the group invoked by the prime minister late last month.</p>
<p>“When it comes to Trudeau actually mentioning Diagolon … by name, it’s kind of mind blowing, because I have been reporting on them for two years and it was always kind of — they were kind of seen as fringey and they still are,” Gilmore explained in a phone call with TPM. “I think that, for Trudeau, he feels like he’s got a political win in using this against Poilievre. … To a certain extent he kind of does, because the thing that’s really mind blowing to me and feels like a real shift in our politics is that Poilievre won’t overtly disavow or condemn these groups.”</p>
<p>The latest incident that precipitated the spat between Trudeau and Poilievre in the House of Commons took place at an anti-carbon tax protest encampment near the border between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Poilievre, who said he <a href="https://pressprogress.ca/pierre-poilievre-meets-with-far-right-extremist-group-at-nova-scotia-new-brunswick-border/">pulled off the highway and stopped</a> when he saw the protest, toured the camp, posed for photos, and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-trudeau-carbon-protest-alex-jones-diagolon-1.7183430">told the group</a> to “keep it up.” Multiple key members of the camp were subsequently revealed to have ties to the Freedom Convoy, Diagolon, and other far right groups. At one point during his visit, Polievre was filmed stepping out of a trailer adorned with a drawing of the Diagolon flag, a black banner with a white stripe on its side.</p>
<p>Gilmore said it was plausible that Poilievre did not know who MacKenzie was when they shook hands in 2022. However, she suggested his continued association with far right figures who can be linked to the “Diagolon” movement, coupled with the refusal to more directly distance himself from them, is disturbing.</p>
<p>“He keeps finding himself in these circles and pandering to these people who seem to be sort of one step removed from these guys who really have some of the most frightening politics and concerning kind of ideology, like the worst kind of racism and far-right extremism that should have no place in our politics,” Gilmore said of Poilievre.</p>
<p>MacKenzie responded to Trudeau’s efforts to tie Poilievre to Diagolon with <a href="https://twitter.com/DiagolonStudios/status/1785437366469161419">a taped statement </a>where he described the movement as a “makeshift looseknit community” that has no links to the border protest or the Conservative Party. While he claimed to have “no relationship” with one of the encampment’s leaders, MacKenzie admitted it was his romantic “partner” who had “doodled” the image of the Diagolon flag on the trailer door during the convoy protests. As he attempted to distance himself from both Poilievre and the anti-carbon tax protesters, MacKenzie described Trudeau’s attack as part of a “fantasy narrative” from the prime minister that was aimed at stopping “Conservative Party momentum that appears overwhelmingly likely to crush the Liberals.” MacKenzie sent the video to TPM when we reached out to him for comment on this story. He also sent a lengthy series of text messages wherein he rejected the term “far right” as “derogatory” and said the <a href="https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2022/11/16/canadians-increased-appetite-for-extremist-organizations-like-diagolon-will-need-whole-of-society-approach-say-extremism-researchers/355627/">media’s descriptions</a> of his group as “extremist” or <a href="https://pressprogress.ca/ottawa-convoy-helped-violent-extremist-groups-grow-canadian-counterterrorism-report-warned/">linked</a> to potential violence were a “preposterous characterization.”</p>
<p>Harrison, another one of the main figures in Diagolon, similarly <a href="https://twitter.com/Derekrants/status/1785756616165339546">tweeted a lengthy statement</a> in response to TPM’s request for comment that pointed to quotes from <a href="https://truthpedia.ca/doc/The_Diagolon_Files.pdf">internal Canadian law enforcement documents</a> that figures in the group view as exonerating. However, Harrison relied on a decidedly selective read of those files, which do indeed indicate official concerns about the group. For example, one of the statements highlighted by Harrison comes from what appears to be a Royal Canadian Mounted Police intelligence assessment that said, “DIAGOLON as a distinct entity does not pose a criminal or national security threat at this time.” Immediately after that line, the report notes, “certain individuals engaging with DIAGOLON have allegedly engaged in serious criminal activity” and “lone actors or small associations could be inspired to violence by the DIAGOLON rhetoric.“ Vriend, the third member of what Gilmore calls Diagolon’s “Big Three” did not respond to a request for comment. While Diagolon’s leaders protest any description of their group as violent or extremist, a notable case in Canada recently highlighted law enforcement’s concerns about the group and its potential ties to armed activists. A weapons <a href="https://publicorderemergencycommission.ca/files/overview-reports/COM.OR.00000004.pdf?t=1715017603">cache seized at a 2022 Freedom Convoy protest</a> in the town of Coutts near the border with Montana included guns and <a href="https://publicorderemergencycommission.ca/files/exhibits/SSM.NSC.CAN.00001575_REL.0001.pdf?t=1667946237">body armor</a> that displayed Diagolon patches. Four men who were involved in that protest were subsequently charged with plotting to kill law enforcement officers. Two of those men, including one who <a href="https://twitter.com/antihateca/status/1493727043392978947?lang=en">has been identified</a> as part of Diagolon, ultimately <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/jerry-morin-chris-lysak-chris-carbert-anthony-olienick-1.7106329">pleaded guilty</a> to lesser firearms charges.</p>
<div class="GalleryImageWrapper"><h2 class="GalleryImageWrapper__Title"></h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="468" height="358" src="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screen-Shot-2024-05-06-at-2.18.29-PM.png?w=468" alt="" class="wp-image-1488276" title=""/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Caption: A photo of body armor bearing patches with the Diagolon flag that was included in a February 2022 analytical brief from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. (Photo: Public Order Emergency Commission)</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>MacKenzie, who was reportedly recruiting members at the trucker protests in Ottawa at the time, testified before a commission that reviewed the government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in conjunction with the weapons case and convoy protests. While MacKenzie argued against the characterization of his group as an extremist threat, the commissioner reportedly rejected that argument <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/coutts-alberta-diagolon-paul-rouleau-1.6751945">and declared</a>, “I am satisfied that law enforcement’s concern about Diagolon is genuine and well founded.” Documents released by the commission included <a href="https://publicorderemergencycommission.ca/files/exhibits/SSM.NSC.CAN.00001575_REL.0001.pdf?t=1667946237">an analytical brief</a> from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service that reviewed of the group’s “violent rhetoric,” participation in the convoy protests, and growth. </p>
<p>Despite MacKenzie’s efforts to dispute the notion that Diagolon poses a risk of violence, his online content has been unquestionably militant. On April 26, he made a post on the social media site Telegram declaring “war is coming” and attacking both Trudeau’s Liberal Party and Polievre’s Conservative Party of Canada as well as a group that has monitored Diagolon and “Jews.” </p>
<p>“The Liberal party of Canada is a terrorist organization promoting violence on peaceful protestors and funding a violent communist revolution through backchannels such as the Canadian Anti Hate Network, Jews, who routinely lie about receiving government funding and assistance,” MacKenzie wrote. “Conservatives need to wake up to reality that they are in physical danger, that their families will be targeted and there is no way any version of peace can exist with these people freely roaming about. We cannot coexist, so someone has to go. If the CPC will not act to defend Canada from attackers, the people will do it themselves and hold the Conservatives to the fire next for derelection of duty in the face of the enemy. War is coming, act accordingly.”</p>
<p>Gilmore, the journalist who has been covering the group for over two years, said this kind of language poses a clear danger. </p>
<p>“There’s a joke aspect to the community, but there’s also some very serious rhetoric and some very serious stuff that underlies it, and that’s what really becomes a concern,” she explained, later adding, “With respect to actual violence, I’m hugely worried about that. Not necessarily from the main guys in this, but more so from people who watch their live streams and might internalize the messaging. … All it takes is one person from the thousands who are in this Telegram channel to read that and go, I’m going to do something about it, especially if they want this guy’s attention or approval.”</p>
<p>American agencies have also taken notice of the group. In its 2022 report on terrorism in Canada, the U.S. State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2022/canada/">noted</a> the incident in Coutts and the presence of the Diagolon patch. That report <a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2022/canada/">described</a> Diagolon as “a Canadian far-right ‘extremist’ group.”</p>
<p>Along with violent rhetoric, Diagolon also engages in blatant racism and anti-semitism. MacKenzie’s most recent 10 posts on Gab, a social media platform popular among the far right, include an ad for his podcast that features a picture of Orthodox Jews <a href="https://gab.com/RagingDissident/posts/111972212358037736">ominously controlling a chessboard</a> with puppet strings. Another one of those ads echoes the Great Replacement mythos with <a href="https://gab.com/RagingDissident/posts/111983437997422887">an image of a giant figure</a> festooned with the flags of India, Israel, and the LGBT community wielding an eraser to crush a mass of people waving Canadian flags. </p>
<p>When TPM asked MacKenzie via text to characterize his view of minority groups and whether he felt they are threatening white Canadians, he accused this reporter of being an American intelligence agent.</p>
<p>“I believe that the CIA has no place in ‘managing’ what the public believes by authoring slanted hit pieces to vilify private citizens,” MacKenzie wrote, adding, “Don’t you think you should be more concerned with the fact your country is being invaded … facilitated by an international consortium of NGOs? Or is that really the point of all this, to distract people from real problems with imaginary ones? Give the agency my regards.”</p>
<p>Peter Smith, an investigative reporter with the <a href="https://www.antihate.ca/">Canadian Anti-Hate Network</a>, a nonprofit that monitors hate groups in Canada, told TPM in an interview that Diagolon’s racism and anti-semitism has grown of late.</p>
<p>“They’re extremely conspiratorial and increasingly white nationalists,” Smith said. “Before they would kind of buck the term and overt neo-Nazis were kind of mocked out of the community to some degree.”</p>
<p>Smith, who <a href="https://www.antihate.ca/holocaust_denier_travelling_canada_building_up_far_right_militia_diagolon_alex_vriend?search=&q=diagolon">tracks the group</a>, said Diagolon has ratcheted up their criticism of minorities as they also have placed a growing emphasis on “in-person organizing.” They are also building connections with fellow travelers on this side of the border. </p>
<p>U.S.-based white nationalists were a key part of Diagolon’s roots, according to Smith. Diagolon gained ground and a base for their podcasts “very early on” by appearing on the more established <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/10/21/youtube-takes-down-red-ices-main-channel">American white nationalist broadcast</a> “Red Ice,” Smith said.  Smith theorized the U.S. is attractive to the Diagolon podcasters because of the larger population, which means a bigger pool for their efforts to solicit donations and sell merch. He also pointed to Donald Trump’s GOP, and the fact that laws up north are <a href="https://uclawreview.org/2021/01/20/you-dont-say-canadian-regulation-of-hate-speech/">less permissive</a> when it comes to hate speech. </p>
<p>“They’re certainly starting to make these connections with the U.S. … It’s just a much bigger market for them than it is here,” Smith said. “They’re very interested — both monetarily, I think, in the U.S., which is a very large market — but there is also this, it seems a more ideal condition there. The Republican Party is much more to the right than our Conservative Party. Hate groups are able to organize much more openly in a lot of cases due to the First Amendment. … It’s a little different of an environment here.” </p>
<p>MacKenzie told TPM he has no American connections other than appearances on various podcasts and streams, which he framed as a chance to get around Canada’s “rampant and malicious censorship.” </p>
<p>“I don’t have ties to anyone in the United States beyond brief appearances on various talk show programs over the years,” MacKenzie wrote. </p>
<p>The exchange goes both ways. Diagolon podcasters have also helped promote American white nationalists. On Telegram, Vriend has shared multiple posts from <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/white-nationalist-active-clubs-1234835015/">the “active club” movement</a>, the neo-Nazi <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/anitsemitism-florida-sheriff-mike-chitwood">Goyim Defense League</a>, and Patriot Front, the organization known for its masked marches that is <a href="https://www.adl.org/resources/report/white-supremacist-propaganda-soars-all-time-high-2022">arguably the most active hate group</a> in the U.S. In late January, Vriend featured Patriot Front leader and founder Thomas Rousseau on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUElNt8mXsw">a marathon three hour-plus episode</a> of his Ferryman’s Toll streaming broadcast. Their conversation showed that the partnership between Canadian white nationalists and their American counterparts is not entirely without awkwardness.</p>
<p>“I think the border should be closed to all immigration frankly,” Rousseau said. “If we have any immigration, it should be from Europe. …Europeans that are ready willing and able to assimilate into American culture.”</p>
<p>“Whoah, whoah,” said Vriend in a rare moment of disagreement. “No, Canadians? What is this?”</p>
<p>Rousseau clarified himself to indicate his openness to embracing his brethren from the north.</p>
<p>“Canadians are Europeans. We’re of the European race right? So, the European race would include Canadians, Australians … the Boers, you know things of that nature,” he explained, adding, “But I think all these people, all these Mexicans should be deported.”</p>
<p>With their geographical differences put aside, Rousseau and Vriend were able to end on a better note. Rousseau even gamely performed the stiff-armed “slashy salute” of Diagolon for the camera. The moment illustrated how MacKenzie and his cohort are poised to join <a href="https://www.salon.com/2022/01/29/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-this-jan-6-for-the-great-north/">a long tradition</a> of Canadian ties to the U.S. far right that includes Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes and white nationalist leader Richard Spencer’s Toronto period. Vriend ended the broadcast on a note that shows the concrete impact of <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/the-maga-movements-links-with-the-global-far-right-were-on-full-display-at-trumps-latest-party">the far right’s global connections</a> as he implored his audience to participate in fundraising for “the Coutts Four defense” and to support imprisoned “active club” leader Robert Rundo, who is <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-30/bail-possible-for-accused-white-supremacist-leader-after-ruling-by-o-c-federal-judge">currently</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/02/california-courts-neo-nazi-robert-rundo">jailed in this country</a> after spending time abroad. </p>
<p>The Diagolon audience is also doing their part to help the group forge ties here in the U.S. On April 19, after Alex Jones shared another admiring tweet about Pierre Polievre, a reader implored him to look beyond the Conservative Party leader.</p>
<p>“Alex just a heads up, Poilievre is a globalist,” wrote the reader, whose profile on the site formerly known as Twitter was decorated with the diagonal slashes Diagolon fans use to identify themselves on social media. “You have been duped. If you want the truth about Canadian politics look into Diagolon.” </p>
<p>Jones <a href="https://twitter.com/RealAlexJones/status/1781710736302940401">responded</a> the following day.</p>
<p>“I will,” he said.</p>
<p></p>
<p><em>This article was updated to remove a reference to material that was misattributed in another publication. </em></p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1488272</post-id> </item>
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<title>The Presidential University?</title>
<link>https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-presidential-university</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Marshall]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2024 18:06:20 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Editors' Blog]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1488239</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A TPM Reader passed on to us this post from David Pozen writing at Balkinization on the recent events at...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>A TPM Reader <a href="https://balkin.blogspot.com/2024/05/seeing-university-more-clearly.html">passed on to us this post</a> from David Pozen writing at Balkinization on the recent events at Columbia University. But Pozen sets aside the specific controversy — Gaza, antisemitism, the use of the NYPD — to look at what is shows about university governance more generally. As he writes, “For all the talk of how the modern university has been corporatized, neoliberalized, and so on, there hasn’t been as much attention paid to the ways in which it has been <em>presidentialized</em>.” I don’t know enough about the history of the internal governance of universities over the last century to have a good feel for how much has changed on this front. My general sense is that boards of trustees, acting through university presidents, have always called the shots, at least in the final analysis. But there’s where ultimate power lies and there’s how government actually functions — how much university administration seeks to create consensus among major stakeholders versus acting in a more unilateral way. I’m still digesting what I think of the post but I wanted to flag it to your attention.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1488239</post-id> </item>
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