Crash Course: Republicans plan to rule by revenge

Plus: How the NRA made Kyle Rittenhouse none Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). Written by [Brett Bachman](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0QhaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9CcmV0dEFCYWNobWFuVwNzcGNCCmGO0pGXYZ7GHVdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). Programming note: There will be no newsletters this weekend, Nov. 21-22. Crash Course will return Tuesday, Nov. 23. none GOP's new strategy: Govern by threat In the wake of a successful Democratic-led effort to censure and strip committee assignments from Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., talk among Republicans on Capitol Hill quickly turned from what the Arizona Republican did — post a cartoon video in which an animated version of himself brutally murders Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — to all the ways a conservative majority would [retaliate against Democrats](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0RnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTcvZG9udC1jYXJlLWFib3V0LWFnYWluc3QtY29sbGVhZ3Vlcy0tdGhleS1hcmUtdG9vLWJ1c3ktc2Vla2luZy1yZXZlbmdlL1cDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) and reward its own members who had stood strong in the face of harsh public criticism. It's become a north-star principle of sorts for Republicans as they find themselves in the minority in both houses of Congress — rather than doing the messy work of governing the world's foremost economic and military power, GOP members have instead taken to blanket threats against Democrats (who seek to, you know, legislate) that they will not hesitate to seek revenge if (or when) they retake power. Things hit a fever pitch this week, as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy opened the door to rewarding both Gosar and fellow committee-less Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for their staunch refusal to apologize for their apparent endorsement of violence against colleagues across the aisle. "They'll have committees," McCarthy vowed. "The committee assignment they have now, they may have other committee assignments, they may have better committee assignments." He also said that Republicans are compiling a "long list" of Democrats they plan to strip of their committee assignments should they win in 2022, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Maxine Waters, D-Calif, as well as Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. — though the exact mechanism with which the House Speaker would remove a Senator from their committee assignments remains unclear. The thinking behind this strategy was laid bare during a particularly notable moment from Steve Bannon's podcast Thursday, as former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows floated the idea of naming former President Donald Trump as House Speaker come January 2023. Meadows didn't even bother framing the move as a good idea for the country or the House — just as a way to seek revenge against Democrats. "You talk about melting down," he said. "I mean, people would go crazy!" [Read more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0SBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvdGhyZWF0ZW4tcmV2ZW5nZS1hZ2FpbnN0LWRlbW9jcmF0cy1pZi1vci13aGVuLXRoZXktcmVnYWluLXBvd2VyLWluLXdhc2hpbmd0b24vP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGO0pGXYZ7GHVdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). none none How COVID-19 can affect the ear As COVID-19 continues to affect large numbers of people across the world, scientists and doctors are just beginning to understand the virus' long term effects. One of the strangest conditions that scientists are in the process of studying is COVID-19-related hearing loss, dizziness and tinnitus (ringing of the ears), which has come to be known colloquially as "COVID ear." Salon's Matt Rozsa reports that the inner ear is a difficult area to study — it's "buried under dense bone and burrowed deep into the head, making it difficult to access," he writes. But a new study from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Massachusetts Eye and Ear managed to successfully model the architecture of the inner ear, marking a step forward not just for our understanding of COVID-19, but our understanding of the ear in general. They studied how the SARS-CoV-2 virus interacts with inner ear cells like hair cells, nerve fibers, supporting cells and neuron insulators known as Schwann cells. In the process, the scientists learned that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is capable of infecting the hair cells of the inner ear, as well as (to a lesser extent) the Schwann cells. This may explain why COVID-19 patients experience balance and head motion problems, since the infected hair cells (vestibular) play a role in those processes. It may also account for why some COVID-19 patients lose their hearing; cochlear hair cells (which were not directly studied) also have proteins that allow SARS-CoV-2 to invade them — at least when those cells belong to a close relative of humans, mice. Other tests performed by the researchers on a group of 10 COVID-19 patients also indicated damage to the cochlear hairs. [Read more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0SCaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvMTktY2FuLWluZmVjdC10aGUtZWFycy0tY2F1c2luZy1hLWNocm9uaWMtY29uZGl0aW9uLXNvbWUtYXJlLWNhbGxpbmctY292aWQtZWFyLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) none - Trump [gave $100M for COVID response](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0R2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvZ2F2ZS0xMDBtLWZvci1yZXNwb25zZS10by1hZ2VuY3ktcnVuLWJ5LWt1c2huZXItcGFsLS1pdC1zcGVudC16ZXJvLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) to agency run by Kushner pal — it spent zero - Joe Biden still believes — but in the face of deepening cynicism, [is that enough](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0SCaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvam9lLWJpZGVuLXN0aWxsLWJlbGlldmVzLS1idXQtaW4tdGhlLWZhY2Utb2YtZGVlcGVuaW5nLWN5bmljaXNtLWlzLXRoYXQtZW5vdWdoLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)? - E-cigarette maker Puff Bar is [facing a probe](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0SEaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvZS1jaWdhcmV0dGUtbWFrZXItcHVmZi1iYXItaXMtZmFjaW5nLWEtcHJvYmUtYnktbm9ydGgtY2Fyb2xpbmFzLWF0dG9ybmV5LWdlbmVyYWwvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGO0pGXYZ7GHVdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) by North Carolina's attorney general - Trump and his regime committed — or [at least condoned](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0SIaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvYW5kLWhpcy1yZWdpbWUtY29tbWl0dGVkLS1vci1hdC1sZWFzdC1jb25kb25lZC0tbWFzcy1tdXJkZXItYW1lcmljYS1qdXN0LWRvZXNudC1jYXJlLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) — mass murder. America just doesn't care, Salon columnist Chauncy DeVega argues - In Afghanistan, climate change drives an [uptick in child marriage](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvaW4tYWZnaGFuaXN0YW4tY2xpbWF0ZS1jaGFuZ2UtZHJpdmVzLWFuLXVwdGljay1pbi1jaGlsZC1tYXJyaWFnZV9wYXJ0bmVyLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - HBO Max's "The Sex Lives of College Girls" is [less erotic and more awkward](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0RSaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvbGl2ZXMtb2YtY29sbGVnZS1naXJscy1oYm8tbWF4Lz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) than its alluring title, Salon TV critic Melanie McFarland writes - Rupert Murdoch says Trump [needs to get over losing](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0SCaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvcnVwZXJ0LW11cmRvY2gtc2F5cy1uZWVkcy10by1nZXQtb3Zlci1sb3NpbmctMjAyMC10aGUtcGFzdC1pcy10aGUtcGFzdF9wYXJ0bmVyLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) 2020 election: "The past is the past" - Ohio Senate approves "extreme" [gerrymandered map](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0RzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvb2hpby1zZW5hdGUtYXBwcm92ZXMtZXh0cmVtZS1nZXJyeW1hbmRlcmVkLW1hcC1mYXZvcmluZ19wYXJ0bmVyLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) favoring GOP - The spinning disks around black holes may be [giant gold forges](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvZ29sZC1ibGFjay1ob2xlcy8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYY7SkZdhnsYdV1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Kimberly Guilfoyle bragged about [raising $3 million](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0R9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgva2ltYmVybHktZ3VpbGZveWxlLWJyYWdnZWQtYWJvdXQtcmFpc2luZy0zLW1pbGxpb24tZm9yLWphbi02LXJhbGx5LXJlcG9ydC8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYY7SkZdhnsYdV1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) for Jan. 6 rally: report - Mike Lindell claims arrest of Lauren Boebert's ex-campaign manager part of a [plot to derail him](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0SaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvbWlrZS1saW5kZWxsLWNsYWltcy1hcnJlc3Qtb2YtbGF1cmVuLWJvZWJlcnRzLWV4LWNhbXBhaWduLW1hbmFnZXItcGFydC1vZi1hLXBsb3QtdG8tZGVyYWlsLWhpbV9wYXJ0bmVyLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - And, finally, try [these no bake fudge squares](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0RzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvdGhlc2Utbm8tYmFrZS1mdWRnZS1zcXVhcmVzLWhhdmUtMy1pbmdyZWRpZW50cy1hbmQtb25lLWlzLWJvb3plLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) — they only have 3 ingredients, and one is booze Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly9zYWxvbi51czgubGlzdC1tYW5hZ2UuY29tL3N1YnNjcmliZT91PTcxY2IzZThhNmU5NjM5YzgxMDIzY2Q0MjcmaWQ9NWRlZGEyYWFhN1cDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) to receive Crash Course. none none The NRA gave us Kyle Rittenhouse It's been a banner week for white men who claim "self defense" for shootings that occurred in situations the killers voluntarily put themselves in. Just ask Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teen who shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year. Or William Bryan, Greg McMichael and Travis McMichael, the father-son-neighbor trio who chased after and ultimately killed a black jogger, Ahmaud Arbery, who they suspected of burglarizing homes in their Georgia neighborhood. As Salon's Amanda Marcotte points out, these are the exact situations the right-wing gun lobby — the National Rifle Association in particular — have sought to encourage their supporters to seek out: Blame the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the gun industry, which has had a massive assist from the right-wing media. For decades, the gun lobby has fought a battle on two fronts — through law and propaganda — to redefine the American concept of "self-defense" away from the sensible one and towards one that encourages people to seek out violent conflict. They've empowered every insecure yahoo in the country to recast himself as a hero in an action movie, who goes out hunting for bad guys under the guise of "protecting" the community. Of course, in the real world, bad guys aren't as easy to find as they are in the movies, and so there's the ever-present temptation to round up people who aren't actually threats — lefty protesters armed with skateboards and Black men out for a jog — into the role of the villain, to make those violent fantasies come true. [Read more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0RUaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvdGhlLW5yYS1nYXZlLXVzLWt5bGUtcml0dGVuaG91c2UvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmGO0pGXYZ7GHVdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) none - "Inside the Turmoil at Jezebel," [Gawker](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP4QnAmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lmdhd2tlci5jb20vbWVkaWEvaW5zaWRlLXRoZS10dXJtb2lsLWF0LWplemViZWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKaGJHY2lPaUpJVXpJMU5pSXNJblI1Y0NJNklrcFhWQ0o5LmV5SnBaQ0k2SWpnMU1qRTFNelkySWl3aWFXRjBJam94TmpNM01qUXpNREV5TENKbGVIQWlPakUyTkRJME1qY3dNVElzSW1GMVpDSTZJbkJ5WlhacFpYY2lMQ0pwYzNNaU9pSm5jbUZrYVhWelFERXVNQzR3SW4wLjZqUUJhR2hZRXNHS1VRQzJaci1SSE50aUhGc2xLX1FBdGtUZUVmUEhUVDgmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWdhd2tlciZ1dG1fY29udGVudD0xNjM3MjQ0MTAzJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09b3duZWQmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT10d2l0dGVyP3Rva2VuPWV5SmhiR2NpT2lKSVV6STFOaUlzSW5SNWNDSTZJa3BYVkNKOS5leUpwWkNJNklqZzFNakUxTXpZMklpd2lhV0YwSWpveE5qTTNNalF6TURFeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFMk5ESTBNamN3TVRJc0ltRjFaQ0k2SW5CeVpYWnBaWGNpTENKcGMzTWlPaUpuY21Ga2FYVnpRREV1TUM0d0luMC42alFCYUdoWUVzR0tVUUMyWnItUkhOdGlIRnNsS19RQXRrVGVFZlBIVFQ4VwNzcGNCCmGO0pGXYZ7GHVdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "Dead Pools: The Dehydration of Arizona," [The Baffler](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0QtaHR0cHM6Ly90aGViYWZmbGVyLmNvbS9zYWx2b3MvZGVhZC1wb29scy13ZWJiVwNzcGNCCmGO0pGXYZ7GHVdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "The Terrifying Future of the American Right," [The Atlantic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0R2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlYXRsYW50aWMuY29tL2lkZWFzL2FyY2hpdmUvMjAyMS8xMS9zY2FyeS1mdXR1cmUtYW1lcmljYW4tcmlnaHQtbmF0aW9uYWwtY29uc2VydmF0aXNtLWNvbmZlcmVuY2UvNjIwNzQ2L1cDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "Millionaire pooch selling Florida villa bought from Madonna," [The Tampa Bay Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGFtcGFiYXkuY29tL25ld3MvZmxvcmlkYS8yMDIxLzExLzE3L21pbGxpb25haXJlLXBvb2NoLXNlbGxpbmctbWlhbWktdmlsbGEtb25jZS1vd25lZC1ieS1tYWRvbm5hL1cDc3BjQgphjtKRl2Gexh1XUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "How Child Care Became the Most Broken Business in America," [Bloomberg](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0R4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmxvb21iZXJnLmNvbS9uZXdzL2ZlYXR1cmVzLzIwMjEtMTEtMTgvYmlkZW4tcy1idWlsZC1iYWNrLWJldHRlci13YW50cy10by1zYXZlLWFtZXJpY2Etcy1jaGlsZC1jYXJlLWJ1c2luZXNzVwNzcGNCCmGO0pGXYZ7GHVdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) none none Matt Gaetz offers Kyle Rittenhouse an internship "You know what, Kyle Rittenhouse would probably make a good congressional intern," Rep. Matt Gaetz said, unprompted, during an appearance on right-wing cable network Newsmax. "We may reach out to him and see if he'd be interested in helping the country in additional ways." [Read more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0SVaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTgvbWF0dC1nYWV0ei1wcmFpc2VzLWt5bGUtcml0dGVuaG91c2UtZm9yLWhlbHBpbmctdGhlLWNvdW50cnktb2ZmZXJzLWhpbS1hLWNvbmdyZXNzaW9uYWwtaW50ZXJuc2hpcC8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYY7SkZdhnsYdV1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). Our mailing address: 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200 Wilmington, 19801 DE [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjehbQP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmGO0pGXYZ7GHVdSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2021 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 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