Good piece. Worth reading. Still, I sometimes think speculation about Trump's health is often tinged with hope this could send him packing. Wild hopes, I fear, and something I saw in authoritarian regimes over the years - like it would be a magic key to the exit door.

The Atlantic

The Commander in Chief Is Not Okay

Trump put on a disturbing show for America’s generals and admirals.

It's hard for some of my fellow Europeans to understand why Trump is sending the military to US cities. It's hard for me to understand why some of my fellow Europeans support Trump wannabes in the EU & UK. Politics based on imagined threats of internal enemies always heads in this direction: toward state violence against innocent people. How can anyone look at the descent of the US into authoritarian mass violence & think, "yeah, that's what my country needs, too?" https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgq044n72po.amp

I'm fairly sure that most US politicians who say [whatever US city] is a "war zone" have never been to an actual war zone.

Read this. Seriously, read it. The Trump regime is declaring open season on its critics - NGOs, philanthropists, activists. They will be harassed, arrested, jailed. The silencing effect on others who might speak out will be huge. This is authoritarianism.

The White House

Enforcing the Death Penalty Laws in the District of Columbia to Deter and Punish the Most Heinous Crimes

MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL                THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT                   OF C...

Some personal news. Along with a number of other colleagues, I was laid off by Human Rights Watch for budget reasons in July. Looking back, I’m proud of what I helped the HRW team achieve in the more than 12 years I worked there. There are still many smart, dedicated people at HRW, working in the toughest global context for human rights we’ve seen in a very long time. They continue to have my support, and they deserve yours. ...

Whatever the merits of the arguments, the threat seems empty - along the lines of, "I'll hit myself in the head with this hammer if you don't do what I want"

the Guardian

Apple calls for changes to anti-monopoly laws and says it may stop shipping to the EU

The iPhone-maker criticises Brussels’ Digital Markets Act and says delayed features are leading to a worse experience for users

From 1939:

Goebbels Ends Careers of Five 'Aryan' Actors Who Made Witticisms About the Nazi Regime (Published 1939)

5 entertainers expelled from Reich Culture Chamber for making jokes about Nazi regime

There is no organization called "antifa" - so, why label a non-existent group "terrorists"? This gives the regime maximum scope to hunt down opposition and critics. They label you "antifa", and then they come for you.

the Guardian

Trump says he plans to designate antifa as ‘major terrorist organization’

It is unclear how anti-fascists, an umbrella term for far-left-leaning groups rather than a single entity, will be labeled

It's definitely not an authoritarian regime trying to silence dissent. No, certainly nothing like that. All comparisons to Nazi Germany are completely absurd.

White House Plans Broad Crackdown on Liberal Groups

Some of the highest-ranking officials in the federal government used Charlie Kirk’s podcast, guest-hosted by Vice President JD Vance, to lay out ...

To understand how ignorant the anti-foreigner folks are, consider this photo from the hate march in London today. That's the flag of Georgia they're waving. Georgia. A foreign country.