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SOMEWHERE OVER KENTUCKYā I hate flying. To be more precise, I hate the act of travel. Except when Iām alone, which is pretty much never.
The family is jam packed on a Southwest jet to Texas and Iām trying to knock out the newsletter before we land because we have a long drive ahead of usā¦ because itās Texas. And thatās after we land, rent the car, the car seats, etc.
Pandemic travel is weird, too. I joked to my seatmates (donāt worry, the twins and wife are across the aisle) whether we should take bets on COVID freakout arrests. So far so good. Not offering any alcohol and limiting your options to Coke, 7 Up, Diet Coke, and water seem to make sense, too. I, too, yearn for the days when the biggest controversy about flying was about reclining seats, which always freaks me out since it could very well destroy my computer and render me unable to work. [Related: Make sure to follow Tom Nicholsās 6 rules for flying.]
Just as restaurants pared back their menus during the pandemic, so too, did the airlines. When things, if things, return to normal, will this just be the norm? Or can I get Dr. Pepper again? Iām going to Texas after all.
Leading The Bulwarkā¦
The Truth According to Kari Lake
AMANDA CARPENTER: The MAGA candidate for governor of Arizona believes some strange things.
š§ On the Podsā¦ š§
James Carville and Tim Miller: Some Tough Love for the Dems
Democrats on Twitter don't win votes and won't save our democracy from the madman who's back to playing his golden escalator greatest hits. James Carville and Tim Miller join Charlie Sykes on today's podcast. When will the Democrats see that constructiveĀ criticism is really an act of love?
B2D: āI Resent Being Called Cheerful.ā
George F. Will joins Beg to Differās panel to discuss his new book, and also whether Facebook should be regulated, and the Democrats' hopes for social welfare.
For Bulwark+ Membersā¦ š
MORNING SHOTS: The Plot Against America š
CHARLIE SYKES: Yes, Trump would have shredded the constitution
THE TRIAD: Democrats Have a Big Problem with Hispanic Voters š
JVL: It's worse than it looks.
TNB: Facebook, Finsta, and Kyrsten Sinema š
JVL, Sarah, Tim, and special guest Benjamin Wittes from Lawfare discuss Facebook and Congressās recent hearings as well as Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema and her role as a Senate swing vote. Plus: Rankings.
From The Bulwark Aggregatorā¦
Labor, renewables lock horns over energy tax credits - Brian Dabbs, National Journal
Michael Flynn to QAnon Believers: Iām Not a Satanist! - Will Sommer, The Daily Beast
Divorced parents are going to court over vaccinating their kids against the coronavirus - Christine Nguyen, The Washington Post
America Is Running Out of Everything - Derek Thompson, The Atlantic
No, your antibodies are not better than vaccination: An explainer - Beth Mole, Ars Technica
In Todayās Bulwark...
Fifteen Years After Her Assassination, Anna Politkovskaya Remains a Symbol of Journalistic Courage
CATHY YOUNG: The Putin critic was gunned down in October 2006.
Paul Simon, American Scribe
ADDISON DEL MASTRO: The singer-songwriter from Queensāwho turns 80 next weekātook in everything and chronicled his society.
āLambā Review
SONNY BUNCH: The most-A24 movie ever released.
SCREEN TIME: 'No Time to Die' Review
SONNY BUNCH: Plus, Neon offers up an exciting new distribution model: egregious scarcity!
šØOVERTIME šØ
Todayās Overtime is going to be a little shorter. I want to be respectful of my seatmates and typing is hard in a full capacity plane and when the person next to you isnāt kin. I am hunched over my keyboard typing like a T-Rex with tiny arms. One of our neighbors did teach me the trick about how to unlock the aisle armrest. Thereās a little trigger under it, and you push it forward. The more you know!
Plus, I have to install some car seats in hot Texas weather.
Speaking of flyingā¦ This falconās flight was tracked and itās just amazing how far she flew and how fast.
Boom, roasted.
Turning the Titan missile key. What it was like being a Cold War missile silo operator.
Peter Thiel isnāt just bankrolling this Senate candidateā¦ Heās actually on his payroll. (And no, not J.D. Vance.)
Thatās it for me for today. Weāll see you back here tomorrow. Tech support questions? Email support@substack.com. Questions for me? Drop me a line: swift@thebulwark.com
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