Trumpdate (4.1.24):
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Trump's flurry of messages before an Easter message, revelations that Michigan's auditor general helped Republicans draft a letter requesting a 2020 election audit, opposition parties' victory over Erdogan in Turkish local elections, a woman suing Texas after being charged for having an abortion, Trump's $175M bond in the NY fraud case, AI's pollution of scientific research, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupting events in NYC and Philadelphia, Vice President Harris describing abortion restrictions as a "health care crisis." Protests for Netanyahu.
1.) [TS] Trump clocked 71(!) messages on Easter morning before his Easter message. A message of peace, harmony and introspection:
2.) MICHIGANADVANCE: Emails reveal Michigan auditor general helped write GOP draft requesting 2020 election audit
Emails reveal Michigan Auditor General Doug Ringler, whose office is supposed to be nonpartisan, helped write a GOP draft of a letter to himself requesting an audit of the 2020 election.
3.) BBC: Turkish local elections: Opposition stuns Erdogan with historic victory
Turkey's main opposition party has claimed big election victories in the main cities of Istanbul and Ankara.
The results are a significant blow for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had hoped to regain control of the cities less than a year after he claimed a third term as president.
He led the campaign to win in Istanbul, where he grew up and became mayor.
But Ekrem Imamoglu, who first won the city in 2019, scored a second victory for the secular opposition CHP.
Mr Erdogan had vowed a new era in Turkey's megacity of almost 16 million people, but the incumbent mayor of Istanbul was on course to win more than 50% of the vote, over 10 points ahead of the president's AK Party candidate.
This was also the first time since Mr Erdogan came to power 21 years ago that his party was defeated across the country at the ballot box.
In the capital Ankara, opposition mayor Mansur Yavas was so far ahead of his rival on 59% that he declared victory when less than half the votes were in. Supporters blocked all the main roads in the city, waving flags and sounding their car horns.
Significantly, the CHP was also on course to win in many of Turkey's other big cities, including Izmir and Bursa, Adana and the resort of Antalya.
4.) NYT: Woman Who Was Charged With Murder After Abortion Sues Texas Prosecutor
Lizelle Gonzalez was arrested after using an abortion pill in 2022, and her charge was since dropped. Now she is seeking $1 million in damages.
Lizelle Gonzalez was arrested in April 2022 in Starr County, near the southeastern border with Mexico, and charged with murder after using the drug misoprostol to self-induce an abortion, 19 weeks into her pregnancy. She spent two nights in jail before the charge was dropped.
Mr. Ramirez and Ms. Barrera also did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit. A month ago, the state bar of Texas found that Mr. Ramirez had unlawfully prosecuted Ms. Gonzalez without probable cause and fined him $1,250. His law license will also be held in probated suspension for a year, which means he must comply with specific requirements but can practice law during that time. That period starts April 1.
[ABORTION RELATED] Vice President Kamala Harris described the flood of laws restricting abortion access as a “health care crisis” during a meeting with abortion providers and staff members in Minnesota in what is believed to be the first visit by a president or vice president to an abortion clinic.
5.) Donald Trump has until Thursday (4th) to post a $175 million bond in his New York civil fraud case, after an appeals court lowered the amount and gave him more time.
6.) NYT: A.I.-Generated Garbage Is Polluting Our Culture
Right after the blockbuster release of GPT-4, the latest artificial intelligence model from OpenAI and one of the most advanced in existence, the language of scientific research began to mutate. Especially within the field of A.I. itself.
A study published this month examined scientists’ peer reviews — researchers’ official pronouncements on others’ work that form the bedrock of scientific progress — across a number of high-profile and prestigious scientific conferences studying A.I. At one such conference, those peer reviews used the word “meticulous” more than 34 times as often as reviews did the previous year. Use of “commendable” was around 10 times as frequent, and “intricate,” 11 times. Other major conferences showed similar patterns.
Such phrasings are, of course, some of the favorite buzzwords of modern large language models like ChatGPT. In other words, significant numbers of researchers at A.I. conferences were caught handing their peer review of others’ work over to A.I. — or, at minimum, writing them with lots of A.I. assistance. And the closer to the deadline the submitted reviews were received, the more A.I. usage was found in them.
7.) [TS] Pro-Palestinian protestors made some really odd/bad moves this weekend in NYC.
Protestors chanting “Free, free Palestine” interrupted the Easter service at St Patrick’s cathedral in New York.
Pro-Palestine protestors banged on the windows of restaurant Zaytina, in NYC. It’s owned by chef Jose Andres, who currently provides food aid in Gaza.
[TS] Totally counterproductive. This is not the way to get people on your side.
[RELATED/HISTORY - IN NYC] The other totally counterproductive thing is targeting Jewish businesses/people in the US (just because they happen to be Jewish). These were in NYC (but didn’t happen over the weekend):
Mark Levine’s cafe (Mar 19th)
NY Public Library (Nov ‘23):
[RELATED] This weekend in Philadelphia - Pro Palestinian protestors shut down down I-676 in Center City. 60+ people were arrested.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Over 60 arrests were made after a large demonstration temporarily shut down parts of Interstate 676 westbound in Center City on Saturday.
Authorities say I-676 was shut down for roughly two hours between the New Jersey state line and the Broad Street exit.
[UPDATE - PHILLY] Apparently, these were members from “Party of Socialism and Liberation” so not necessarily a solely pro-palestinian group.
[UPDATE - NYC] Per Oliya Scootercaster: Autonomous Zone 'Palestine is Everywhere' has been set up by activists at Zuccotti Park in NYC, signs read "No Pigs Allowed" and "People's Park". Flier reads "No cop autonomous zone - no cops or yellow vests"
NYC Autonomous zone for Palestine has a list of demands that include Liberation for Palestine, NYPD funds redistribution to community + no cops on MTA, no funds for Israel, Eric Adams must resign and be charged with sexual assault,Empty NYC buildings to be used for Migrants, rent decreases.
Flier reads "Land Day Zuccotti 9pm March 30 2024 - UNTILL DEMANDS ARE MET"
[RELATED/UPDATE] Vanderbilt University has suspended and kicked 25 of the students who did a students protest/ sit-in for Palestine. Background on the protest/sit in:
There was a sit-in at an administration building that began Tuesday that resulted in the arrest of four students.
Three students who sat in the chancellor's office were arrested for assault and bodily injury to another.
The students began protesting Tuesday morning after an amendment to the Vanderbilt Student Government Constitution, which would prevent student government funds from going to certain businesses that support Israel, was removed by administration officials from a student ballot in late March.
Photo of the protest from one of the members (Jack Petocz):
[TS] This doesn’t surprise me. You can’t force your way into offices and expect no consequences.
8.) NYT: Protests Against Netanyahu Intensify as Cease-Fire Talks Resume. Thousands have taken to the streets of Israel to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be replaced.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced growing challenges to power on Sunday as thousands gathered outside Parliament to call for early elections in what were shaping up to be one of the largest demonstrations against the government in Israel since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip.
Some protesters carried signs calling for Mr. Netanyahu’s “immediate removal.” Others wielded posters calling for elections, saying “those who destroyed can’t be the ones to fix.”
The protest came a day after thousands took to the streets of Tel Aviv, waving flags and carrying pictures of the Israeli hostages with signs reading “Hostage deal now.”
Elad Dreifuss, a 25-year-old university student demonstrating in Jerusalem on Sunday, said that protesting against the government at a time of war was a difficult decision, but that “if the government can’t live up to its responsibility, something has to change.”
The protests in Jerusalem, which were planned to continue through Wednesday, came as in-person talks resumed in Cairo concerning a possible cease-fire and the release of hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Bassem Naim, a spokesman for Hamas, said the group had not sent a delegation there.
[RELATED] Israeli troops withdrew from Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza after a two-week battle.