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<title>09 December, 2023</title>
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<title>Daily-Dose</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><style>*{overflow-x:hidden;}</style><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What October 7th Did and Didn’t Change About Israeli Politics</strong> - A pollster examines support for a two-state solution, Benjamin Netanyahu’s falling approval ratings, and why the next Prime Minister may not change course on relations with Palestinians. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/what-october-7th-did-and-didnt-change-about-israeli-politics">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What Would Sandra Day O’Connor Have Thought About Affirmative Action for Men?</strong> - For decades, college-admissions offices have quietly imposed higher standards on female applicants. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/what-would-sandra-day-oconnor-have-thought-about-affirmative-action-for-men">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Capital Has a Bad Case of Year-End Panic</strong> - Worries about a second Trump term and the end of aid to Ukraine are entirely justified. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/the-capital-has-a-bad-case-of-year-end-panic">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In the Shadow of the Holocaust</strong> - How the politics of memory in Europe obscures what we see in Israel and Gaza today. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-weekend-essay/in-the-shadow-of-the-holocaust">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Liz Cheney: Trump Should Go to Jail if Convicted</strong> - Once a top Republican, Cheney is calling out former colleagues in Congress, like Speaker Mike Johnson, for “enabling” a would-be dictator. Plus, a live performance from Brandy Clark. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/liz-cheney-trump-should-go-to-jail-if-convicted">link</a></p></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Can Democrats overcome their deep divisions over Gaza?</strong> -
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<figure>
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<img alt="Pressley, Ocasio-Cortez, and Tlaib stand side by side wearing serious expressions. Part of the Capitol dome can be seen in the background." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U8YoVxIbMRijspOwyBR5f6Detu8=/598x0:5385x3590/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72946866/1792203657.0.jpg"/>
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<figcaption>
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US Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) listen during a news conference calling for a ceasefire in Gaza outside the US Capitol building on November 13, 2023, in Washington, DC. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
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The party is fractured over President Joe Biden’s unequivocal support for Israel as it continues its military campaign in Gaza ahead of 2024.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LjwwY3">
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Democratic divisions over the war in <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/11/20/18080046/gaza-palestine-israel">Gaza</a> have spilled out into the open in recent weeks, raising questions about the potential electoral consequences ahead of 2024.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2fCpSy">
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On Tuesday, the House passed a resolution proposed by Republicans that equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism. Republicans said they intended to curb a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-antisemitic-incidents-up-about-400-since-israel-hamas-war-began-report-says-2023-10-25/">very real outpouring of antisemitism</a> amid the war. But the actual outcome of the resolution — which advances a misleading <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/anti-zionism-not-anti-semitism/675888/">premise</a> that criticism of a diverse pro-<a href="https://www.vox.com/israel">Israel</a> political movement is equivalent to hatred of Jews — merely put Democratic discord on display.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a8BXEa">
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Some 95 Democrats voted for the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hres894/BILLS-118hres894ih.pdf">resolution</a> to show their support for Israel following the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2023/10/7/23907683/israel-hamas-war-news-updates-october-2023">October 7 attack</a> by <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/10/10/23911661/hamas-israel-war-gaza-palestine-explainer">Hamas</a>, a <a href="https://www.vox.com/palestine">Palestinian</a> militant group designated a terrorist organization by many countries. Another 92 Democrats, including <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4343220-gop-antisemitism-resolution-passes-house-fractures-democrats/">several Jewish Democrats</a>, voted “present,” neither supporting nor opposing the resolution. The remaining 13 Democrats, mostly progressives who have <a href="https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4303">called for a ceasefire</a> as the death toll in Gaza <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna128682">surpasses 17,000,</a> voted against the resolution.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cwQuoJ">
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The divisions go beyond the resolution, however. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) has also recently <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4345978-democratic-divisions-deepen-over-hamas-sexual-violence-response/">faced backlash</a> from her colleagues for what they perceive as her not being forceful enough in condemning <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/04/world/middleeast/oct-7-attacks-israel-hamas-sexual-violence.html">widespread sexual violence</a> that Israel claims Hamas committed on October 7. The criticism came after Jayapal said in an <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4345978-democratic-divisions-deepen-over-hamas-sexual-violence-response/">interview with CNN</a> last weekend that while using rape as a tool of war is “horrific,” “we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians.” Several Democrats have since <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4345978-democratic-divisions-deepen-over-hamas-sexual-violence-response/">started drafting</a> a resolution condemning the alleged sexual violence, which Hamas has denied despite witness testimony, crime scene photos, and videos posted by Hamas fighters themselves.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OI7zns">
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And progressives have sought to place conditions on any military aid sent to Israel, which <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4348381-senate-democrats-amendment-conditions-israel-aid/">President Joe Biden</a> and <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/18/democrats-in-senate-house-discuss-conditioning-military-aid-to-israel-00127930">Vice President Kamala Harris</a> have rejected as the administration maintains its unequivocal support for the war. More than a dozen Democratic senators have called for an amendment to a pending $111 billion foreign-aid package — around $10 billion of which would go to Israel — requiring that Israel “abide by US and international law, prioritize the protection of civilians, assure the provision of desperately needed humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, and align with a long-term vision for peace, security, and two-state diplomatic solution,” as Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) described it in a statement. Moderate Democrats have not joined those calls, and the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/democratic-senators-demand-israel-reduce-civilian-casualties-in-gaza-as-part-of-aid-package">AP reported</a> that some believe the amendment is unnecessary given that US law already requires that recipients of US military aid respect human rights.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Egbxww">
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Democrats have prided themselves for years on staying unified around core issues in contrast to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/21/jim-jordan-house-speaker-republicans-dysfunction">Republican disarray</a>, but are now facing bitter disagreement about the US’s relationship with Israel.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cj7eiB">
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“There’s a huge cleave in their coalition right now,” said Jason Cabel Roe, a GOP strategist based in Michigan. The state has a large <a href="https://apnews.com/article/muslim-swing-state-biden-vote-fb3b93f465ed6fd34a901c269a084a90">Muslim-American community frustrated with Biden’s handling of the war</a>, and some political strategists believe that could cost him the critical swing state where a recent poll <a href="https://www.freep.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.freep.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Felections%2F2023%2F11%2F18%2Felection-2024-biden-trump-poll-michigan%2F71619518007%2F">showed him trailing</a> former <a href="https://www.vox.com/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>. “How forceful Biden has been in his support of Israel creates a real problem and forces every Democrat to now pick a side within their coalition,” said Roe.
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</p>
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<h3 id="Lldmoj">
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Will Democrats’ disagreements actually matter in 2024?
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</h3>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NV5w2X">
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The division within the Democratic caucus reflects a national debate Republicans believe they can use to their advantage in next year’s elections.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZBWpKc">
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GOP pollster Robert Cahaly said that, based on what he’s hearing from voters, US policy on Israel may well become a determinative issue for voters in 2024 akin to <a href="https://www.vox.com/abortion">abortion</a> or guns. Biden’s almost unconditional support for Israel as it continues its indiscriminate bombing campaign in Gaza has been met with outrage among many <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3882">young voters</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/03/muslim-leaders-swing-states-abandon-biden-campaign">Muslim Americans</a>, a number of whom are consequently <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/3/us-muslims-pledge-to-ditch-biden-in-2024-over-his-stance-on-israel-gaza-war">threatening to ditch Biden</a> in 2024. And conversely, there are also some Democrats <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-apnorc-poll-biden-democrats-42b195c5a577a40ff981d26afbff9997">who don’t think that their party’s support for Israel has been strong enough</a>. In the last month, Biden has taken a slightly more critical stance, pressuring Israel to take more care to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/30/us/politics/biden-israel.html">avoid civilian suffering</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/us/politics/us-visas-israelis-palestinians.html">rein in Israeli settlers</a> in the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/11/20/18080034/west-bank-israel-palestinians">West Bank</a>, apparently to little avail.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oEUlaQ">
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“People are angry about this,” Cahaly said.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CII7Sh">
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But Simon Rosenberg, a Democratic strategist who correctly predicted Democrats’ <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/11/27/23475262/midterm-elections-2022-results-red-wave-democrats">strong performance in the midterms</a>, said that Republicans shouldn’t be licking their chops yet. Polls have repeatedly shown that most Democrats approve of Biden’s approach to the war. There is a sizable share of Democrats who don’t approve — <a href="https://apnorc.org/projects/hostage-recovery-tops-publics-priorities-for-israel-hamas-conflict/">39 percent</a> in a December AP-NORC Center survey, which is consistent with other recent polls by <a href="https://t.co/9ngQREEFl3">Quinnipiac</a>, <a href="https://t.co/Dnnv5G387Y">Marist</a>, and <a href="https://t.co/VBZATgq5GI">YouGov</a>. But the question is whether their disagreement with the president will matter when it comes time to vote.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lCxrXg">
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“It’s highly unlikely that for other than a small number of people this will be a determinative voting issue for them 11 months from now,” Rosenberg said. “Based on history, where foreign policy issues often are not determinative for many voters, it’s unlikely that this is going to become something that creates a major fissure in the Democratic Party.”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6eOwyM">
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So far, it doesn’t seem like the war has meaningfully hurt Biden in head-to-head matchups with Trump. There have been <a href="https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/more-notes-on-polling-and-why-i-am?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2">six such polls</a> released in the last week in which Biden was ahead or tied with Trump, and in several, he had improved his standing since November. And in a Harvard Institute of Politics poll released earlier this week, Biden was beating Trump among 18- to 29-year-olds by <a href="https://iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/46th-edition-fall-2023">24 percentage points</a> — the same margin he won by in 2020, according to exit polls.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="upl3BC">
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“There is an important debate happening inside the Democratic Party right now,” Rosenberg said. “Is it going to be corrosive and divisive? Of course, it could be. There isn’t a lot of evidence that it is right now.”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="R5aRDw">
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Democrats still need to be careful about how they manage the war, both in terms of communicating with the American people and in terms of ensuring that the war is “conducted in a way that’s consistent with our values and policies,” Rosenberg said. So far, he added, Biden has been effective in responding to his more progressive critics’ calls for a ceasefire while ultimately preserving his pro-Israel stance. The ceasefire, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, was welcomed by Biden, but was only temporary, lifting on December 1 after <a href="https://time.com/6341993/israel-hamas-ceasefire-war/">negotiations between Israel and Hamas deteriorated</a> with each side blaming the other.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="V1iVXD">
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Still, Republicans perceive opportunities to pick up voters who might be alienated by Biden’s support for Israel.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZNc1n8">
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That might include Jews who feel Democrats haven’t been full-throated enough in their support for the war, Roe said. While any gains with that group might have limited impact in terms of winning elections given that Jewish voters are concentrated in large, mostly Democratic cities, it could be a boon for fundraising, he added.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jNkvCB">
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“When it comes to defending Jews in America today, Republicans are out there forcefully and aggressively, and obviously, there’s political opportunity there,” Roe said. “How are these voters still lined up with Democrats?”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BOOwbw">
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Cahaly said that the war may help Republicans reframe the narrative around extremism in their camp, allowing them to point the finger at Democrats for espousing what they perceive as antisemitism. It’s worth noting, however, that some Republicans who have recently taken up the argument that Democrats belong to an extreme, antisemitic party, including <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2023-12-06/ty-article/.highlight/looking-for-a-congressional-champion-to-fight-antisemitism-forget-stefanik/0000018c-3feb-d062-a9ee-ffeb4d050000">Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY</a>) and <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-rep-rashida-tlaib-hits-back-at-marjorie-taylor-greenes-efforts-to-censure-her-for-anti-semitism/3034019">Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)</a>, are notorious peddlers of <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/05/25/1000129271/marjorie-taylor-greenes-holocaust-remarks-blasted-by-republicans-leaders">antisemitic conspiracy theories</a> themselves.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oBSrmx">
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Cahaly also sees an opportunity for Republicans to win over disaffected Democrats and independents and energize members of their base who see the pro-Palestinian views of young people as the product of left-wing ideas run amok at institutions like <a href="https://www.vox.com/2023/11/5/23944007/free-speech-israel-palestine-college-universities-campus-protests">universities</a>. “There is a price for having the next generation taught a bunch of nonsense,” he said.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a1dtX8">
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Otherwise, all Republicans really need to do is “sit back and watch [Democrats] burn their house down,” Cahaly said. In his view, that’s especially the case given the swath of potential independent and third-party candidates <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/12/05/liz-cheney-third-party-trump-threat/71750947007/">angling to enter the race for president</a>, and primary challenges that pro-Israel groups like AIPAC have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/11/israel-ads-attack-rashida-tlaib-us-politicians">threatened</a> against Democrats who don’t support the war.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dpXUwh">
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“There are going to be a lot of alternatives for people to vote for and make known their displeasure with Biden without having to vote for Trump,” Cahaly said.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZFW7WK">
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But while votes like the one on Tuesday create an opportunity for Republicans to keep Democratic divisions in the news and on the minds of voters, Rosenberg argues the Democratic coalition has shown no signs of fraying in actual elections over the last year. The party has notched critical victories in the Virginia legislature, a Wisconsin <a href="https://www.vox.com/scotus">Supreme Court</a> race, and in preserving abortion rights in Ohio.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vG0OZ1">
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“[Republicans] are the ones that are getting their ass kicked all over the country,” Rosenberg said.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bzeh10">
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</p></li>
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<li><strong>The many layers of May December</strong> -
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<figure>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Q3lJaEk_CkK2oRSNtle_9XW2XlQ=/1036x0:6227x3893/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72946835/May_December_n_00_59_53_22_R.0.jpeg"/>
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<figcaption>
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Natalie Portman and Charles Melton in <em>May December.</em> | Courtesy of Netflix
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
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May December isn’t camp. So what is it?
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0OEd9W">
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In the opening moments of Todd Haynes’s <em>May December</em>, scandalous tabloid subject-turned-homemaker Gracie (Julianne Moore) opens a refrigerator, dramatically accompanied by a sudden piano sting and an ominous camera zoom.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="U0QrBb">
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The twist? They might not have enough hot dogs for their upcoming cookout.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0If0tG">
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If that strikes you as funny, you’re not alone. This is a film that reportedly had audiences laughing out loud during its debut, a story the New York Times called “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/26/movies/may-december-cannes-todd-haynes.html">the most fun film</a>” at Cannes 2023. And yet, it’s also a film based on the <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/23973193/mary-kay-letourneau-is-may-december-real-what-happened-where-is-vili-fualaau-today">horrifying real-life story</a> of a sexual predator and her child victim.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="B91kSp">
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Viewers have been debating since its December 1 platform release. <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/awards/consider-this/todd-haynes-may-december-camp-interview-1234926492/">Is it camp</a>? Is it supposed to be funny? Is Natalie Portman a bad actor or is she just <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2023/12/natalie-portman-may-december-movie-netflix-black-swan-jackie.html">very good at playing a bad one</a>?
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Rq3YSx">
|
||
These are all interesting questions to consider, but they arguably obscure the biggest question of all: What does it mean that audiences are laughing at a story as dark as this one — and does that say more about the film or its viewers? Is <em>May December</em> critiquing the exploitative nature of media, or is it an example of the very thing it seeks to deconstruct?
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RLEoC8">
|
||
<strong>[</strong><em><strong>Note</strong></em><strong>: This review contains spoilers.]</strong>
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="swzUx3">
|
||
<em>May December</em> adapts a real-life tabloid scandal
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EQiyLF">
|
||
<em>May December</em> fictionalizes the story of<a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/23973193/mary-kay-letourneau-is-may-december-real-what-happened-where-is-vili-fualaau-today"> Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau</a>. The pair met when she was a teacher and he was in second grade. After years of plying Fualaau with gifts and special attention, Letourneau became pregnant by Fualaau when he was just 13. Convicted of rape, she was released after just three months but immediately violated parole to become pregnant with Fualaau’s second child. In 2005, after serving a seven-year sentence during which she continued her relationship with Fualaau, Letourneau married him. The couple separated in 2019, shortly before Letourneau’s death from cancer.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FzzcHn">
|
||
This crime would be properly viewed today as that of a child predator who successfully spent years grooming her target. In the ’90s, however, <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/mary-kay-letourneau-vili-fualauu-relationship-media-child-rape-tryst-1025466/">the media framed it</a> as a star-crossed love story, allowing Letourneau to direct the narrative, so much so that even Fualaau’s own family defended her, insisting the pair were in love and that Fualaau was “extremely mature” for his age.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jBVWqU">
|
||
The film picks up where our cultural memory leaves off. The fictional Gracie and her victim, Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), have been together 24 years. Still living in Savannah, Georgia, where the scandal occurred, they’re preparing for the graduation day of their younger daughter and son. Into this dynamic saunters a fictional celebrity, Elizabeth (Natalie Portman). But Elizabeth, who’s trying to get to know Gracie in order to play her for an upcoming film adaptation, isn’t an objective observer.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="edyieC">
|
||
Haynes’s directorial choices make it extremely clear that this relationship was far from rosy, indicting not just Letourneau but the onlookers, too — the tabloid media who hyped the story as a romance, the Hollywood machine that made it the stuff of Lifetime movie lore, and the real-life audiences who ate it up. To do that, he utilizes a tonal approach that suggests his three main characters are in three different <a href="https://www.vox.com/movies">movies</a> within the movie, each one clashing with the other.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="yAGNYT">
|
||
<em>May December</em> utilizes clashing perspectives to keep us discomfited
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1GpLFA">
|
||
Gracie is inside a movie about star-crossed soulmates who find each other against all odds — a movie where she is the hero and the whole world is rooting for her. The hot dog scene is our first tell that Gracie’s world is a delusion. It’s the kind of overly dramatic stinger we might find in a ’90s made-for-TV movie, applied to something vapid. In Gracie’s narcissistic point of view, however, little things become magnified. Today, her tightly controlled world could be disrupted by missing hot dogs; tomorrow, it could be something much worse.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tBYipb">
|
||
Her lawyer reveals to Elizabeth at one point that Gracie’s friends are all Norma Desmonding her — humoring her attempts to set herself up as a baker by ordering cakes they don’t eat, just to give her something to do. Gracie clings to this vision of herself; the smallest disturbance leaves her sobbing, desperate for comfort from Joe. She relies on him for everything, and he shoulders everything from emotional support to parenting duties.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mhXSPt">
|
||
Yet Joe, much like Fualaau toward the end of his relationship with Letourneau, undergoes an awakening during the film. Over a series of heartbreaking moments beautifully acted by Melton, we see him slowly come to know what the rest of us already do: He was a victim, not a willing participant, in the “love story” planned out for him by Letourneau. In one devastating scene, he watches his son smoke a joint with a look of palpable yearning, reminding viewers that he never got the chance to do something so mundane as a teen because he was robbed of a normal adolescence.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<figure class="e-image">
|
||
<img alt="Melton and Portman walk outside with two dogs." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NbUBdYmRqQLGUef-panKSffIs5A=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25141336/MAYDEC_11_04.2022_FD_0078_R.JPG"/> <cite>François Duhamel/Courtesy of Netflix</cite>
|
||
<figcaption>
|
||
Charles Melton and Natalie Portman in <em>May December</em>.
|
||
</figcaption>
|
||
</figure>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XIb5bf">
|
||
Of our three different narratives, only Joe’s is an accurate reflection of reality. That reality is full of troubling conflict; Joe’s devastation at his lost childhood mixes with pride in and love for his kids. He moves through the film with quiet care for his children, for Gracie, for the butterflies he’s been nursing, helping protect them until they, like his own children, can leave their cocoons and fly away.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dakXoF">
|
||
As he begins to understand his situation, Joe seeks help and understanding from Elizabeth; later, he unsuccessfully pleads for help from Gracie herself. But any hope that Elizabeth can be a moral arbiter here quickly dies. Instead, within the tableau of perspectives on Gracie’s crime, she represents the tabloid view, one that sees the “May-December romance” as not only shocking but titillating — ultimately erotic rather than dangerous. She reminds us throughout that in reality, Vili Fualaau was a victim, not just of Letourneau, but of a media machine and a society that was quick to sexualize him.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="P1QvfA">
|
||
Once we understand this, Portman’s performance becomes anything but phoned-in. She becomes the key to unlocking the whole movie.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="sgRYAs">
|
||
Portman’s performance is crucial to understanding Haynes’s project
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ma4rzo">
|
||
If this were a typical cautionary tale, Portman’s character would be the vehicle for the audience’s moral outrage — the character we’re allowed to relate to and empathize with who serves as our tour guide through the distorted landscape of Gracie and Joe’s relationship.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XicwVo">
|
||
But Elizabeth winds up aiding and abetting the distortion. Portman plays her like an ingenue, a starlet who’s still in her starlet mode, even though in the world of the film, she’s an industry veteran of 36 — the same age Gracie was when her relationship with Joe came to light.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="00wXbt">
|
||
Over the course of the film, she falls for the fantasy of becoming Gracie. She smiles flirtatiously at teen boys. She gets lost in a wildly inappropriate description of filming sex to a group of high schoolers. Later, she pantomimes sex at the literal scene of the crime — in the pet shop stockroom where Gracie and Joe were ultimately caught.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9UBUDj">
|
||
In one charged scene, she allows Gracie to do her makeup and reacts to their intimacy with a homoerotic mix of repulsion and elation. Ultimately, she has sex with Joe — then, finally, fully transforms into the older seductress by performing one of Gracie’s love letters as a monologue.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<figure class="e-image">
|
||
<img alt="Moore helps Portman stir while they are baking in the kitchen." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LXrkvFL7NkgPscTDB-4T45s3SD8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25141341/May_December_n_01_13_08_05_R.JPG"/> <cite>Courtesy of Netflix</cite>
|
||
<figcaption>
|
||
Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman serving homoerotic vibes (but don’t call it camp!).
|
||
</figcaption>
|
||
</figure>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UgiG1k">
|
||
The more she is drawn into this version of the story, the more callous Elizabeth becomes. After viewing footage of 13-year-olds auditioning for the role of Joe in the movie she’s in, she complains to the director that they aren’t “sexy enough.” When Joe angrily insists to her that his life isn’t a story, she says calmly, “There’s no need to get so worked up about it” — exactly the kind of thing Gracie herself might say. She becomes fully swept up in a story that’s all about her and her repressed sexual desires coming to the fore.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bZce3G">
|
||
The difficulty audiences have had in parsing what Portman is doing reveals just how smart her performance is: She’s so believable that not everyone believes she’s acting. (Portman <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/awards/consider-this/todd-haynes-may-december-camp-interview-1234926492/">first championed the script to Haynes</a>, so it’s likely that she was thinking about the layered dynamics at play here long before anyone else.)
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1IVdh0">
|
||
Our frustrated expectations of Portman’s role are also tied to confusion over the film itself. With two divas each getting carried away with the idea of themselves as the hero of a fantastical (but in fact disintegrating) love story, it’s easy to see how <a href="https://filmspeak.net/movie-reviews/2023/12/1/may-december-review-charles-melton-is-sensational-in-todd-haynes-latest">claims have arisen</a> that <em>May December</em> is a work of camp. It doesn’t help that Haynes has a penchant for lush, indulgent dramas (<em>Velvet Goldmine</em>, <em>Carol</em>) that sometimes nudge the campy line between melodrama and farce.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JfIKDh">
|
||
So, to really understand <em>May December</em>, we have to understand the ways in which it could be camp — but ultimately isn’t.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="fyO5S0">
|
||
May December isn’t camp, but thinking about it through the lens of camp is useful
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vMqVO4">
|
||
<a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/5/3/18514408/what-is-camp-explained-met-gala-susan-sontag">Camp is what happens</a> when societal expectations collide with a character or a persona who can’t perform those expectations convincingly. Instead, their attempt at performance unwittingly reveals and magnifies the artifice of those expectations. Camp is closely related to queer identity and performance, which expose the artifice of heteronormativity. Gender and sexual deviance of all kinds are likewise camp-adjacent because they often reveal how absurd the mechanics of repression can be.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NKtJCk">
|
||
In Gracie’s case, she is a true sexual deviant who’s deeply invested in adhering to societal rules. They help validate her version of the narrative. But because she’s a true deviant, ultimately unable to perform normative social behavior, she breaks the illusion of normalcy in ways that border on hysterical.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sgbACF">
|
||
A perfect example of this is the moment Gracie gushes to Elizabeth about a card Joe gave her years earlier, featuring a banal love note. Then she casually adds that the card was a classroom assignment, reminding Elizabeth and the audience that Joe was a seventh grader. It’s a hilarious, deeply disturbing moment. These two emotions converging is the essence of camp.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Bo8RXY">
|
||
For something to truly be camp, however, its presentation has to align with the destabilizing worldview. If the subject, the camera, or the direction is too knowing, the effect can become satirical, and in some cases <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23466389/millennials-cringe-epic-bacon">cringe</a>. (This is also, incidentally, why the <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/5/6/18534583/met-museum-camp-fashion-exhibit">Met Gala “camp” theme</a> was a disaster; you can’t plan camp.) But Haynes never allows the artificial, fantasist narratives of Gracie and Elizabeth to overshadow the anguish Melton conveys. As Elizabeth becomes more entranced by Gracie’s story, her performance as Gracie becomes more campy and less effective. Meanwhile, Gracie’s performance of the role of perfect housewife fails to convince anyone but herself.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hllvcD">
|
||
When Joe finally confronts Gracie about the truth of their lives together, the scene is anything but camp. It’s a deeply troubling reminder that society gave its stamp of approval to a relationship that left him with lifelong trauma. Adding to the discomfort of this moment is that screenwriter Samy Burch uses dialogue from a jaw-dropping<a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/infamous-matt-doran-interview-goes-viral-after-netflix-film-release-005355605.html"> real-life 2018 interview</a> with Australian journalist Matt Doran. In the segment, the adult Letourneau and Fualaau have a tense exchange in which she tells him repeatedly, in front of a shocked Doran, that he was “the boss” in their relationship.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<div id="GSuPvX">
|
||
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
||
So many contemporary movies and shows based on real events traffic in imitation, with uncanny impressions seen as the highest achievement. What May December does to incorporate this moment is 1000x more interesting. <a href="https://t.co/hNQIlQtzZQ">pic.twitter.com/hNQIlQtzZQ</a>
|
||
</p>
|
||
— Louis Peitzman (<span class="citation" data-cites="LouisPeitzman">@LouisPeitzman</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/LouisPeitzman/status/1730959465887768853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2023</a>
|
||
</blockquote></div></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bCuj49">
|
||
Outside of the film, it’s easy to be aghast by this clip. Inside of the film, this moment shatters the idea of “younger boy pursuing an older woman” as a legitimate narrative. “You seduced me,” Gracie tells Joe with complete confidence. It’s terrifying how effortless Moore makes playing a fictional Letourneau seem.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7zonDw">
|
||
But the film isn’t really that interested in condemning Gracie — what would be the point? Instead, its sharpest castigation rests with Elizabeth. In a single role, she is able to embody the amoral self-interest of the tabloids, Hollywood, the public who consumed the story as entertainment, and everyone around Fualaau who left him to his fate.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rbQLUV">
|
||
We might ask whether Haynes himself is part of that web of exploitation — after all, isn’t <em>May December</em> a coy treatment of a scandal?
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AIX3zB">
|
||
Yes and no. One function of the film’s funnier moments is to allow the audience its share of nervous laughter, an exhalation amid our escalating discomfort. If <em>May December</em> were less self-aware, it might belong in the category of camp or failed melodrama; if it were less earnest, it might earn the title of tongue-in-cheek satire. But ultimately, the movie’s discordant aesthetic isn’t coy. It’s about revealing the nightmarish circus that Joe has survived with quiet resilience.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ozPYIc">
|
||
And it’s about us: The circus attendees, arriving with popcorn — prepared to laugh, when perhaps we should be in mourning.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li><strong>Why so many members of Congress are calling it quits</strong> -
|
||
<figure>
|
||
<img alt="House Members Return To Washington, DC After Midterm Election" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1j15TKsnWWY_Bl3vFOhX_2o1z9E=/532x0:5865x4000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72944722/1244787014.0.jpg"/>
|
||
<figcaption>
|
||
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) walks to the House Floor on Capitol Hill on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. | Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images
|
||
</figcaption>
|
||
</figure>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy joins a growing number of lawmakers who are eyeing the exits.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DZCtm6">
|
||
Wednesday, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) became the latest lawmaker to announce his departure, adding to a wave of retirements and resignations in both the House and the Senate this term. McCarthy will resign before his term is over, leaving House Republicans with a narrower majority and his California seat up for a special election. Thus far, <a href="https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/casualty-list">37 House members</a> and seven senators have announced that they’re leaving.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LewDDV">
|
||
At this point, these departures are in line with past trends. The number of House retirements this cycle — people who will finish their term but won’t run for reelection — is on par with 2020 and 2022, <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_U.S._Congress_incumbents_who_are_not_running_for_re-election_in_2024">according to Ballotpedia</a>. The figure in the Senate is slightly higher. The announcements are also surging around the same time they typically do: right around candidate filing deadlines when lawmakers have to decide if they’re in it for another cycle. If these retirements continue <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/26/congress-retirements-record-2024">at such a rapid pace</a>, however, it’s possible the total <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/18/congress-retirements-2024-elections-00127883">number this cycle will exceed past records</a>.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZC70Kl">
|
||
Additionally, although these departures follow some recent patterns, there are also unique characteristics in the types of lawmakers who are choosing to leave this term. In the House, several Republicans who’ve announced retirements or resignations are longtime lawmakers known for adhering to congressional norms and traditions rather than the more disruptive tactics of the far right. Some of the GOP retirees in both chambers have also expressed concern about the increasingly Trump-centric and extremist direction their party is taking. Multiple lawmakers who are retiring have cited general congressional dysfunction, from difficulty passing major legislation to petty infighting, as a central reason for their departure.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="u3cUmv">
|
||
“I’m sure the leadership chaos on the Republican side is not helping keep members in <a href="https://www.vox.com/congress">Congress</a>,” says Kyle Kondik, a political analyst and managing editor at Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia. “Overall, though, the House just does not seem like a very pleasant place to be.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rNQER8">
|
||
McCarthy’s departure feels driven by a combination of these factors, with his ouster as leader — which was led by the right flank of his own party — likely influencing his decision to leave. For a number of other lawmakers, personal ambitions are a key motivator, including many House members eager to pursue Senate and gubernatorial runs. And for older lawmakers, age and a push for generational change were also part of that decision.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FnG0bK">
|
||
As these departures continue to pile up, here are a few of the reasons lawmakers are eying the exits.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="0hRbRj">
|
||
Party polarization
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YIXc0y">
|
||
As the House and Senate GOP conferences have become more alt-right friendly, a number of moderate and institutionalist (meaning those interested in preserving norms and traditional procedures when it comes to passing policy) Republicans have decided to call it quits, with some signaling that there’s a limited place for their vision in their party.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MiAY4j">
|
||
Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, one of the few House Republicans to condemn his party’s election denialism, cited the GOP’s extremism on this issue as a specific reason for his retirement. “Too many Republican leaders are lying to America, claiming that the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election">2020 election</a> was stolen, describing January 6 as an unguided tour of the Capitol, and asserting that the ensuing prosecutions are a weaponization of our justice system,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6KbBpHHNqM">Buck said in a video</a> announcing the decision.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bPqJws">
|
||
McCarthy and his ally Rep. Patrick McHenry — who served as acting speaker after McCarthy was deposed and who is also leaving — are among the Republicans who, though they backed Trump, were slightly more institutionalist as well. Both members opposed shutting down the government as leverage for funding cuts, for example, and both struggled with the demands of an ascendant far right that made it clear the duo’s style of politics was out of fashion. Rep. Kay Granger, the head of the House Appropriations Committee who’s long been steeped in policy-making processes, is among those stepping down, too.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gtsMhB">
|
||
“What’s very pronounced for 2024 is we’re seeing a raft of retirements on the part of more institutionalist members,” Cook Political Report’s David Wasserman <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/26/congress-retirements-record-2024">told Axios in November</a>. “I think that list on the Republican side will grow in the next month.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uLKSUE">
|
||
In the upper chamber, Sen. Mitt Romney (UT), the only Republican to vote to convict Trump in his impeachment trial twice, is also a notable retirement on the GOP side who has openly criticized the former president and his influence on the party.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GMVZK9">
|
||
“Look, my wing of the party talks about policy, and about issues that will make a difference to the lives of the American people,”<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mitt-romney-seeking-reelection-senate/story?id=103160588"> Romney told ABC News’s Rachel Scott</a>. “The Trump wing of the party talks about resentments of various kinds and getting even and settling scores and revisiting the 2020 election.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="ybg9iC">
|
||
Dysfunction
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qGN4Wz">
|
||
A byproduct of the political polarization in Congress has also been an increased level of dysfunction. This past term, that dysfunction has been especially apparent in the House, where members struggled to elect a speaker, threatened to enable a debt default, and deposed McCarthy over his unwillingness to shut down the government.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qNIOg7">
|
||
Frustration coupled with polarization has led to an increasingly toxic environment, with <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4308930-greene-issa-house-gop/">members</a> on both sides <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/eric-swalwell-kevin-mccarthy-fight_n_64c2df44e4b021e2f2924b09">calling each other names</a>, accusing <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6338813818112">members of the other party of being hatemongers</a>, using procedural tactics to <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/6/22/23769975/adam-schiff-censure">punish one another</a>, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-hangs-sign-mocking-congressional-neighbor-s-n1258821">engaging in bullying</a>, and even <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/us/politics/fighting-congress.html">reportedly participating in altercations</a>.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2Tq0EZ">
|
||
“Right now, Washington, DC, is broken,” Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/18/debbie-lesko-re-election-dc-is-broken">said in a statement about her departure.</a> “It is hard to get anything done.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="30PlDR">
|
||
Multiple lawmakers have referenced this dysfunction as they’ve discussed their departures, emphasizing that the lack of productivity is related to their dissatisfaction with the job. “The growing divide between Democrats and Republicans is paralyzing Congress and worsening our nation’s problems,” <a href="https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/2023/7/17/23797895/joe-manchin-third-party-2024-election-no-labels-joe-biden">Sen. Joe Manchin</a> (D-WV) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-xiBEy8GTg">said in a video</a> announcing his retirement.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xdDJm1">
|
||
That dysfunction has compounded some lawmakers’ willingness to take on the sacrifices that come with the role, which includes extended amounts of time away from family, long hours, and a contentious work environment.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="scuozN">
|
||
This is the “most unsatisfying period in my time in Congress because of the absolute chaos and the lack of any serious commitment to effective governance,” Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/26/us/politics/congress-retirement-republicans-democrats.html">told the New York Times</a>. “This feeling that the sacrifice we’re all making in order to be in Washington, to be witness to this chaos, is pretty difficult to make.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="VkAWhk">
|
||
Personal ambition
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bW4SHN">
|
||
Others who’ve announced their departures are doing so for a simple reason: They’re interested in higher office.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NjxnKc">
|
||
In the House, nine of the Democratic members who’ve opted out of reelection are now vying for the Senate, including Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee in California; Rep. Ruben Gallego in Arizona; Rep. Elissa Slotkin in Michigan; Rep. Colin Allred in Texas; Rep. David Trone in Maryland; Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware; and Rep. Andy Kim in New Jersey. On the Republican side, Rep. Alex Mooney in West Virginia and Rep. Jim Banks in Indiana are similarly vying for Senate seats next year.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IwmwWR">
|
||
Some lawmakers are also pursuing other state-level offices including Democratic Rep. Jeff Jackson and Republican Rep. Dan Bishop, both of whom are running for attorney general in North Carolina. Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia is running for governor and Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips has thrown his hat into the presidential primary against <a href="https://www.vox.com/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gGeIC7">
|
||
This pattern is less evident on the Senate side, in which six of the seven retirees are not seeking public office; just Republican Sen. Mike Braun has said he’s running for Indiana governor. In the House, 16 of the members who are retiring aren’t seeking public office.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="3bbhmb">
|
||
Electoral challenges
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WsEqu7">
|
||
Finally, some retirements are related to members getting drawn out of their districts by gerrymandering, which has made it impossible for them to win reelection. Others were poised to deal with contentious primaries and general elections as party polarization has gotten worse.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lHICRo">
|
||
North Carolina Democratic Rep. Jeff Jackson has discussed the issue candidly, saying, “I’ve officially been drawn out of my congressional district by a small group of politicians,” <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffJacksonNC/status/1717541579404038249">in a video</a> on the subject. His North Carolina district has since been redrawn by the legislature to lean much more heavily to the right, a change that takes effect this year. <a href="https://rollcall.com/2023/12/07/manning-decides-not-to-run-again-in-north-carolina/">Rep. Kathy Manning</a>, another Democrat of North Carolina, has seen the same thing happen to her district and announced that she won’t run for reelection.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bEZGk9">
|
||
“Politicians should not choose their voters; voters should choose their representatives,” she said in a statement. Both their cases underscore how a Republican-led state legislature is attempting to skew electoral maps in favor of their party’s candidates.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VeTkkH">
|
||
Other lawmakers among the retirements would have faced fierce reelection fights, with Sen. Joe Manchin likely to face an intense battle in the heavily red state were he to run again. Sen. Mitt Romney was also among those who were set to have an aggressive conservative primary challenge if he decided to pursue another term.
|
||
</p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Gutsy, Royal Icon, Forever and Sonic Dash impress</strong> -</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Jendayi and Azrinaz show out</strong> -</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Run For The Sun, Czar, Splendido and Regal Aristocracy excel</strong> -</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Guwahati Masters 2023 | Ashwini-Tanisha duo storms into the final</strong> - Indians in other categories — Malvika Bansod (women’s singles), Amsakarunan Hariharan & Ruban Kumar (men’s doubles), Dhruv Kapila & Tanisha (mixed doubles) – bowed out in the semifinals</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Uncapped Indians Kashvee Gautam, Vrinda Dinesh break bank at WPL auction</strong> - Both Vrinda and Kashvee had recently featured for India A in their three-match series against England A.</p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Mrinal Sen photo exhibition at IFFK 2023</strong> -</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>This winter, Kolkata is set for a series of events on harmony, and heritage</strong> - ‘As polarisation increases in India today, it has become more important than ever to ensure that human rights are ensured for all,’ the convenor of the programme said</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>BSP suspends its MP Danish Ali for ‘anti-party’ activities</strong> - In a brief statement, the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit said, Mr. Ali, MP from Amroha, has been suspended for anti-party activities</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Cyclone Michaung | Tamil Nadu CM Stalin announces ₹6,000 as relief amount to all flood-affected families</strong> - The relief amount will be distributed to residents through fair price shops; the CM has also increased the solatium for families of those who lost their lives in the floods, and has also upped the compensation for crop losses and damaged boats</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>India to be $5 trillion economy by end of 2025: Amit Shah</strong> - Union Home Minister Amit Shah said India has grown exponentially on every front over the past one decade due to the farsighted and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Laura Kuenssberg: Ukraine in ‘mortal danger’ without aid, Olena Zelenska warns</strong> - Ukraine’s first lady tells Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that continued Western support is life or death.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>AI: EU agrees landmark deal on regulation of artificial intelligence</strong> - The proposed rules cover the use of AI in systems like ChatGPT and by law enforcement.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>France’s Emmanuel Macron buffeted from all sides in row over secularism</strong> - France’s president is denounced by all sides after lighting a Hanukkah candle at the Elysée Palace.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Putin to stand for fifth term as Russian president</strong> - The 71-year-old is widely expected to win next March, and can then potentially stay in power until 2036.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Gérard Depardieu’s obscene remarks shown in new documentary</strong> - The French actor is under renewed pressure as a programme shows him sexually demeaning women.</p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Hubble back in service after gyro scare—NASA still studying reboost options</strong> - NASA is still evaluating Hubble servicing studies from SpaceX and other companies. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1989867">link</a></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>EU agrees to landmark rules on artificial intelligence</strong> - Legislation lays out restrictive regime for emerging technology. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1989869">link</a></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Revisiting the Ford Mustang Mach-E—how’s the pony EV doing 3 years later?</strong> - This midsize crossover EV has a lot more competition than when it debuted in 2021. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1989783">link</a></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>FDA approves first CRISPR therapy—here’s how it works against sickle cell</strong> - The landmark treatment turns on another blood protein that prevents sickling. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1989840">link</a></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Apple appears to have blocked Beeper Mini’s iMessage app in less than a week</strong> - Co-founder: “All data indicates that” Apple has cut off Beeper Mini’s reverse-engineering. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1989830">link</a></p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Politicians</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
|
||
<div class="md">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
A politician visited a village and asked what their needs were.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
”We have 2 basic needs sir,” replied the villager.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
“Firstly, we have a hospital, but there’s no doctor.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
On hearing this, politician whipped out his cellphone, and after speaking for a while he reassured the village leader that the doctor would be there the next day. He then asked about the second problem.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
“Secondly sir, there is no cellphone coverage anywhere in this village.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/arztnur"> /u/arztnur </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/18dtnl4/politicians/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/18dtnl4/politicians/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>I just learned that someone in Chicago gets stabbed every 2 minutes.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
|
||
<div class="md">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Poor guy
|
||
</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/PR0CR45T184T0R"> /u/PR0CR45T184T0R </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/18dv2io/i_just_learned_that_someone_in_chicago_gets/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/18dv2io/i_just_learned_that_someone_in_chicago_gets/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Shortly after he got divorced…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
|
||
<div class="md">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
A friend asked Paul McCartney “would you ever go down on one knee again?”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
“I’d prefer if you called her Heather,” Paul replied.
|
||
</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/TomatoJuice303"> /u/TomatoJuice303 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/18ea5sf/shortly_after_he_got_divorced/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/18ea5sf/shortly_after_he_got_divorced/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A blonde is overweight, so her doctor puts her on a diet…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
|
||
<div class="md">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
“I want you to eat regularly for two days,” says the doctor, “then skip a day, and repeat the procedure for two weeks. The next time I see you, you’ll have lost at least five pounds.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Two weeks later, the blonde returns. She has lost nearly twenty pounds.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
“Wow, that’s amazing!” the doctor says. “Did you follow my instructions?”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
The blonde nods…
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
“I’ll tell you, though, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
“From hunger, you mean?” asked the doctor.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
“No, from skipping,” replied the blonde.
|
||
</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/CraftyAd3270"> /u/CraftyAd3270 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/18eccj7/a_blonde_is_overweight_so_her_doctor_puts_her_on/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/18eccj7/a_blonde_is_overweight_so_her_doctor_puts_her_on/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A man heard that Mr. Swordy is the best swordsman in the world.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
|
||
<div class="md">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
A man heard that Mr. Swordy is the best swordsman in the world
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
He asked ppl where to find him and they told him he lives in Swordville. He goes there and finds a swordsman standing while a bee flying by him so he took his sword and in one swing the bee is cut into perfect two halves. The man said happily you must be Mr. Swordy but the swordsman said: “I wish, I’m nothing compared to Mr. Swordy. Go there and you might find him.” The man continues his journey and finds another swordsman while a fly flying by him. The 2nd swordsman man swings his sword and in one blow he cuts the fly into two perfect halves. The man said you’re definitely Mr. Swordy but the 2nd sowrdsman says “I wish, I’m nothing compared to Mr. Swordy. You see the guy over there, thats him” So the man goes there and while Mr. Swordy standing a mosquito flies by him and he gives it one swing but to the astonishment of the man the mosquito keeps flying. He said: “How come you’re the best swordsman alive while you couldn’t hit the mosquito” Mr. Swordy said: “You can spit on my grave if this mosquito gets more children”
|
||
</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Mrhilal"> /u/Mrhilal </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/18dyjyx/a_man_heard_that_mr_swordy_is_the_best_swordsman/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/18dyjyx/a_man_heard_that_mr_swordy_is_the_best_swordsman/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
|
||
|
||
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