Have A Great Weekend!

This week, we watched Mueller speak to Congress and have been thinking about a few themes ever since. First and foremost, that our politics have become theater. We’re not so naive as to think that this hasn’t always been the case. We’re just struck by all the “think pieces” on the “optics” of the Mueller hearing and how incredible shallow and short-sighted they are. (We’re looking at you, Chuck Todd.)

The TLDR; version of this is so cynical - more cynical than we like to be - and goes like this: It’s all about appearance, not about substance. Our own Sarah Longwell probably put it best:

Shorter: Truth doesn’t matter.

And, yet, it does. We know that it does. You know that it does. We know that there are patriots everywhere. That you are patriots. That, daily, you are defending democracy and reaching across the aisle and showing yourself to be Loyal Antagonists. We know that a vigorous bipartisan defense of the Republic is possible. And we thank you for continuing to do this work. Stay out there. And stay loud.

Goings on from around the Karass:

Charles Moran is tracking the Log Cabin Republicans as they support the effort to ban the criminalization of homosexuality.

Evan McMullin reminds us that leadership is hard work. It demands that you stand up at exactly the moment you might most want to sit down.

In view of the renewed scrutiny on Russian interference in elections, Rainey Center reupped their report about Russian misinformation attacks in dating apps.

Emily Holden, writing for The Guardian, published on climate change and the administration’s attempts to muzzle science.

Sarah Hunt reminds us why it is essential to have diversity in politics.

Maria Town brought attention to the importance of #DisabilitySolidarity and racism & bias within the disability rights movement.

Cori Zarek and the Beeck Center at Georgetown hosted the Coding It Forward Summit.

And Sara Holoubek introduced a crowdsourced list of experts working at the intersection of tech, ethics, health, equity, and the social determinants of health.

Happy reading and have a great weekend!