This week, OptOut's reporting outfit, Important Context, and The Center for Media and Democracy took a deep dive into the money behind far-right agitator Chris Rufo. Rufo has made a name for himself lately, credited as the driving force behind the right's moral panic over "critical race theory" and the "plagiarism" scandal that sunk Harvard's first Black and first Black woman president, Claudine Gay.
Unsurprisingly, the various nonprofit groups Rufo is affiliated with are backed by dark money and some of the most powerful, entrenched corporate interests in America, including several right-wing billionaire powerbrokers.
In response to our report, Rufo took to Twitter to deny there was any story–that actually it was a testament to his effectiveness that the billionaires, who are working to dismantle public education, organized labor, government regulations, and public faith in science, would support him.
Read the full story:
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DONATE HERE!War in Gaza
After pausing one weapons shipment to Israel, the Biden administration has announced that it will resume military aid to the country, even as it violates the president's "red line" with operations in Rafah, which is now home to well over a million Palestinian refugees. The war in Gaza continues with no clear end in sight, but plenty of dead bodies.
STATUS COUP did a segment on the Biden's reversal.
THE INTERCEPT had a good piece looking at the situation and how we got to this point with the ongoing human and political disaster the war represents.
Prior to the resumption of military shipments, the U.S. State Department delivered a report that Israel likely used U.S. weapons in violation of international law. Nevertheless, the report explicitly did not recommend cutting off the supply of American munitions to Israel. THE INTERCEPT also had that story.
With the war dragging on, student demonstrations have cropped up on college campuses across the country, as we have covered in this newsletter. Although the demonstrations have been overwhelmingly peaceful, the response to the students from their schools has ranged, but in many instances, police have been called.
NEXT CITY offered a level-headed response. You can read it here.
Did you see?
Last week, OptOut's Walker Bragman interviewed Yale professor Gregg Gonsalves about the student demonstrations for Important Context. You'll want to watch that interview.
Meanwhile, the discourse surrounding Israel's war in Gaza reached new heights as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) suggested Israel would be justified in deploying force against Gaza similar to America's nuclear bombings of Japan. DISCOURSE BLOG had a scathing take.
Predictably, the Israel lobby is attempting to throw its weight around to ensure Washington is full of supporters of the Jewish state and its government. SLUDGE reports that AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby group, took out a massive $1.9 million ad buy to oust progressive Congressman Jamaal Bowman.
Climate Change
As climate change accelerates, threatening all life on Earth, former President and Republican 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump dined with oil and gas executives last month at Mar-a-Lago, allegedly promising to roll back President Biden's environmental rules while asking that they direct $1 billion to his election efforts. THE NEW REPUBLIC had the story.
In the wake of the news of Trump's reported offer and request, House Democrats are demanding answers. WHOWHATWHY had the story.
And speaking of Joe Biden's environmental rules, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a new rule that could modernize America's power grid for the future. GRIST reported.
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